Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - If I told you the Buffalo Bills defense would hold running back Saquon Barkley to 68 yards on 19 carries and the Philadelphia Eagles would score only 13 points, most, if not all of you would have predicted a victory on Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
But I bet most, if not all of you would not have predicted the Bills offense being shut out for the first 54 minutes of, what might end up being, the second-to-last game ever at that stadium and end up with a season-low 12 points.
The defense produced its best game of the season, when taking into account the opponent. A unit that has been ravaged by injuries dominated their matchup, despite playing without starting defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and starting safety Jordan Poyer. Linebacker Terrel Bernard started, but went down with an injury late in the second quarter and did not return.
After giving up a touchdown, a field goal and another field goal on the last three Eagles drives of the first half, Sean McDermott's defense completely shut down the NFC East champions in the second half. Philadelphia had five possessions and punted five times. The Bills defense forced a three-and-out on each of the Eagles' final four drives.
Barkley managed only 17 yards on eight carries in the second half.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts didn't complete a single pass over the game's final 30 minutes. He was 0-for-7 after going 13-of-20 in the first half.
The Eagles had just 17 offensive snaps in that second half and they totaled 17 yards, while recording one first down. The Bills defense did everything it could to keep the team in the game, and give quarterback Josh Allen and company a chance to pull off, yet, another fourth-quarter comeback when trailing by double digits.
But the offense had a "woulda, coulda, shoulda" game. They left points on the field a number of times.
Allen, who was playing through an injury to his right foot that limited his participation in practice during the week, missed a handful of throws, including, what would have been, a game-winning two-point conversion with five seconds left.
Khalil Shakir was wide-open in the back of the end zone, but Allen's pass wasn't even close.
There were three earlier drives where the Bills were in position to score, but came away with no points, which came back to bite them.
In the first half, on the Bills' second possession, they actually hit on a bomb, as Allen and Brandin Cooks connected on a 50-yard pass. That put the ball on the Eagles' 30-yard line. Cooks was wide-open, but had to wait for the ball because Allen was hit as he threw.
If that ball got to Cooks in stride, it's a touchdown.
Instead, on second down from the Eagles' 23-yard line, Allen was sacked and he fumbled, resulting in a Philadelphia recovery.
On the Bills' next possession, they had second down at the Eagles' 44-yard line and, once again, Cooks had beaten the coverage deep. He was expecting a pass inside, but Allen's throw was outside. Cooks spun around in an attempt to adjust, but couldn't catch up to the ball which fell incomplete.
If the pass is completed, it is probably a touchdown, but for sure it would have been, at least, a field goal.
The Bills ended up punting on that drive.
Trailing 13-0 in the third quarter, another deep pass - this one to Tyrell Shavers for 32 yards - gave the Bills a 1st-and-goal at the Eagles' 7-yard line. But, once again, the football gods were not smiling down on the Bills.
A second-down pass to an open Shakir was a little behind him. He made the grab, but by turning back to make the catch, it gave Eagles defenders time to come over and keep Shakir out of the end zone.
Then on a 4th-and-goal, an Allen scramble ended just shy of the goal line.
It was a "close, but no cigar" kind of day for the Bills offense.
In the fourth quarter, still down 13-0, the Bills had a 3rd-and-8 at the Eagles' 27-yard line. It appeared Allen had Ty Johnson open for a short gain, but Allen did not throw the ball. He ended up scrambling around and then reversing field, but this time it cost the Bills. A 19-yard sack knocked them out of either a field goal attempt or a chance to go for it on fourth down.
Over their first eight possessions, the Bills offense produced just 188 yards on 49 plays. 82 of those yards came on two passes. On the other 47 plays, the Bills had 106 yards. They ran 19 more plays than the Eagles, had the ball for 10-and-a-half more minutes and outgained Philadelphia, 331-190.
Yet, they still lost the game.
Bills notes:
- The loss allowed the New England Patriots to clinch the AFC East and end the Bills' reign atop the division at five years. It also dropped the Bills down to the 7-seed in the AFC standings.
- The Bills will be either the 5-, 6- or 7-seed for the upcoming playoffs, which means they might have to win three road games to reach the Super Bowl.
- Allen became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 300 career touchdowns. He accomplished it in 127 games.
- James Cook leads the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards. Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is at 1,559 yards.
- Allen was sacked five times against the Eagles. He's been sacked 40 times on the season, which is a career-high. He was sacked just 14 times last season.
- The Bills have scored 35 points in the last two games. It is the second-lowest total in back-to-back games this season to New England and the Atlanta Falcons, when they scored 34 in Weeks 5 and 6.
- Keon Coleman was a healthy scratch for the fourth time in the last seven games.
- Michael Badgley had an extra point blocked. He missed a point after attempt in Cleveland. The Bills desperately need Matt Prater back for the playoffs.
- This was only the second loss in 17 December games going back to 2022.
The Bills close the regular season, and possibly their history at Highmark Stadium on Sunday against the New York Jets. Kickoff is slated for 4:25 p.m.
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