In the rainy and windy weather at New Era Field, the Buffalo Bills' defense got gashed for 218 yards on the ground in a 31-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at New Era Field.
Heading into the game, the Bills were looking for a win to improve to 6-1 to start a season for the first time since 1993. However, the Bills drop to 5-2 after the loss, while the Eagles rebound to get back to .500 at 4-4 in the NFC East.
The first quarter was largely uneventful with the teams heavily relying on the run, but not getting much going.
The Eagles cracked the scoreboard first with a drive that ended in a Jake Elliott 37-yard field goal to give Philadelphia a 3-0 lead.
Buffalo's next drive would allow them to take the lead in the second quarter as quarterback Josh Allen rolled out to find a wide-open Cole Beasley for a 14-yard touchdown to make it a 7-3 score.
However, on a third down play just after the two-minute warning, Allen fumbled the football on a designed run that cost the team dearly before halftime. With a short field, the Eagles got a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Wentz to tight end Dallas Goedert, and then added a successful two-point conversion to give the Eagles an 11-7 lead. From that point on, the Eagles never gave up the lead again.
The Bills had a chance to close the deficit before the end of the half, however kicker Stephen Hauschka failed to convert on a 53-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
The Eagles got the football to start the second half, and have been one of the best teams in the third quarter this season. On the second play of the quarter, running back Miles Sanders found a hole through the Bills' defensive line and galloped 65 yards for a touchdown, expanding Philadelphia's lead to 17-7.
Buffalo responded well with a nine-play drive that ended with Allen connecting with rookie running back Devin Singletary for a 28-yard touchdown to cut into Philadelphia's lead, 17-13.
However, the Eagles put together another touchdown long drive with the ground game, capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by running back Boston Scott to make it a 24-13 game.
After the Bills went three-and-out on their next drive, Scott fumbled the punt return at the Eagles' 46-yard line that was recovered by safety Siran Neal at the 43-yard line. However, the Bills only got as far as the 29-yard line before turning the ball over on downs after a nice breakup by former Bills cornerback Ronald Darby on a 4th-and-10 pass play.
The fourth quarter this season has often been good to the Bills as they have been able to find a switch to find ways to win football games. This game did not be that sort of ending for Buffalo as the Eagles continued to gash the Bills run defense, while the offense failed to move the ball down the field.
A 14-play, 83-yard touchdown drive by the Eagles allowed them to finish off the scoring and put the Bills into a 31-13 hole that they could not recover from.
- 3-0 EAGLES (3:38) - Eagles field goal - Jake Elliott's 37-yard field goal attempt is good.
- Drive info: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:35
Second Quarter:
- 7-3 BILLS (14:48) - Bills touchdown - Josh Allen tosses a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cole Beasley (Stephen Hauschka's extra-point attempt is good).
- Drive info: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:50
- 7-3 BILLS (1:53) - Eagles fumble recovery - Josh Allen fumbles on a quarterback sweep, recovered by Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham at the Buffalo 25-yard line.
- 11-7 EAGLES (0:25) - Eagles touchdown - Carson Wentz connects on a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Goedert (Philadelphia's two-point conversion attempt is successful).
- Drive info: 5 plays, 24 yards, 1:25
- 11-7 EAGLES (0:01) - Bills missed field goal - Stephen Hauschka's 53-yard field goal attempt is no good.
Third Quarter:
- 17-7 EAGLES (14:02) - Eagles touchdown - Miles Sanders scampers for a 65-yard touchdown run (Jake Elliott's extra-point attempt is no good).
- Drive info: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:58
- 17-13 EAGLES (9:36) - Bills touchdown - Josh Allen finds running back Devin Singletary for a 28-yard touchdown pass (Stephen Hauschka's extra-point attempt is blocked).
- Drive info: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:14
- 24-13 EAGLES (5:38) - Eagles touchdown - Boston Scott runs in a 4-yard touchdown (Jake Elliott's extra-point attempt is good).
- Drive info: 6 plays, 68 yards, 3:58
- 24-13 EAGLES (4:23) - Bills fumble recovery - Boston Scott fumbles a punt return at the Eagles' 46-yard line, recovered by safety Siran Neal at the 43-yard line.
- 24-13 EAGLES (1:33) - Bills turnover on downs - Josh Allen's pass to wide receiver John Brown on fourth down gets broken up by cornerback Ronald Darby at the Eagles' 6-yard line.
Fourth Quarter:
- 31-13 EAGLES (6:12) - Eagles touchdown - Jordan Howard punches in a 3-yard touchdown (Jake Elliott's extra-point attempt is good).
- Drive info: 14 plays, 83 yards, 8:17
LoTempio Complete Stats of the Game
Josh Allen: 16-of-34, 169 yards, 2 TD
Carson Wentz: 17-of-24, 172 yards, 1 TD
Josh Allen: 8 carries, 45 yards, 1 fumble lost
Frank Gore: 9 carries, 34 yards
Devin Singletary: 3 carries, 19 yards
Jordan Howard: 23 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD
Miles Sanders: 3 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD
Carson Wentz: 8 carries, 35 yards
Nelson Agholor: 2 carries, 7 yards
Boston Scott: 5 carries, 6 yards, 1 TD
John Brown: 5 receptions, 54 yards
Cole Beasley: 3 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD
Tyler Kroft: 2 receptions, 32 yards
Devin Singletary: 4 receptions, 30 yards, 1 TD
Lee Smith: 1 reception, 6 yards
Duke Williams: 1 reception, 6 yards
Alshon Jeffrey: 4 receptions, 64 yards
Miles Sanders: 3 receptions, 44 yards
Dallas Goedert: 3 receptions, 22 yards, 1 TD
Zach Ertz: 2 receptions, 20 yards
Jordan Howard: 1 reception, 15 yards
Nelson Agholor: 4 receptions, 7 yards
Matt Milano: 13 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
Tremaine Edmunds: 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
Jordan Poyer: 9 tackles
Shaq Lawson: 3 tackles, 1 sack
Taron Johnson: 3 tackles, 1 sack
Jordan Phillips: 1 tackle, 1 sack
Siran Neal: 1 tackle, 1 fumble recovery
Brandon Graham: 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
Nate Gerry: 6 tackles, 1 sack
Fletcher Cox: 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks
Derek Barnett: 1 tackle, 1 forced fumble, 0.5 sack
BUF: 253PHI: 371
BUF: 155PHI: 153
BUF: 98PHI: 218
BUF: 16PHI: 21
BUF: 8 for 57 yardsPHI: 4 for 44 yards
BUF: 24:03PHI: 35:57
The Bills finish off their three-game homestand next Sunday with a matchup with the Washington Redskins (1-7) at New Era Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on WGR with John Murphy, Eric Wood and Sal Capaccio on the call.