Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Defending their title as Super Bowl champs has been challenging for the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles. The season started well with the Eagles winning their first four games, but they are just 6-5 since the calendar flipped to October.
The Eagles have been the definition of a streaky team. They won four in-a-row, then lost the next two games. That was followed by another four-game winning streak, but then came three-straight losses.
Philadelphia will come to Highmark Stadium this Sunday after winning its last two games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders.
The Eagles offense has gone through some serious struggles. The unit is tied for 16th in scoring, 22nd in total yards, 15th in rush yards, 23rd in pass yards, 24th in first-downs gained and 24th in third-down efficiency.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been the bigger issue, because the passing game isn't putting up numbers you'd expect based on the talented players they have at skill positions. Words like "predictable" and "non-explosive" are being used on the sports talk shows in Philadelphia.
Hurts is averaging just 207 passing yards a game, despite having weapons like DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert at his disposal. Hurts' touchdown-to-interception rate is good (24-6), and he does have 416 yards rushing and eight more touchdowns on the ground.
Philadelphia did score 60 points in its last two games, but the Eagles beat a pair of bad teams in the Raiders and Commanders. In the previous five games, the Eagles averaged only 19 points, while going 2-3 against the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers.
Running back Saquon Barkley is still productive, but isn't breaking explosive runs at the rate he did last season.
It would have been very hard for Barkley to even come close to what he did in his first season in the Philadelphia when he ran for 2,005 yards and averaged an amazing 5.8 yards per-carry.
Barkley has 1,072 yards this season, and is averaging 4.1 yards a run. In 2024, the former New York Giants draft pick had 17 big runs, which are runs for 20-or-more yards. This season, he has just four.
The 28-year-old is also used in their passing game, as Barkley is fourth on the team in receptions and yards.
The top-two receivers have nearly identical numbers this season.
Brown, who has publicly stated his unhappiness with the offense at times this season, has 73 catches for 935 yards and seven touchdowns. Smith is at 72 receptions for 931 yards and four scores. Both have 13 big plays - receptions of 20-or-more yards.
Goedert could be a big problem for the Bills defense this week. He has 57 receptions for 583 yards and is tied for first among tight ends with 10 touchdowns.
The defense has been the Eagles' strength all year long. That unit is ranked third in the NFL in scoring, 12th in total yards, 21st in rush yards, seventh in pass yards, 12th in first downs and 18th in third-down efficiency.
Only one opponent has reached the 30-point mark this season. Oddly enough, it was the Giants in Week 6 when they scored 34. Philadelphia has given up 24 points or less in 12 of their 15 games.
The Bills are averaging 28 points a game.
The defense has been better since their bye week. In the last seven games, Eagles opponents have averaged a mere 14 points.
Led by veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the Eagles defense has been dominant, at times, and they might get standout tackle Jalen Carter back from injury for this game.
The defense is led by one of the best linebackers in the NFL in Zack Baun. An All-Pro in 2024, Baun has filled the stat sheet while leading the Eagles in tackles (117) while adding 3.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, seven passes defended, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery (and a partridge in a pear tree). He is the only player in the league with 100-plus tackles, three-plus takeaways and three-plus sacks.
The secondary has a playmaker in nickel back Cooper DeJean. He is second on the squad in tackles, has two interceptions, a forced fumble and is second with 16 passes defended.
Fellow corner Quinyon Mitchell leads the Eagles in passes defended with 17.
Special teams could be a key factor in this game.
Placekicker Jake Elliott is fine when it comes to extra points, connecting on all but one of his 39 attempts, but field goals have been an issue. Elliott is just 17-of-24, and that 70% success rate is the lowest in the NFL. Elliott is 7-of-7 under 40 yards, 6-of-9 from 40-49 yards, and 4-for-8 from 50-plus yards.
Bills notes:
- If the Bills win, they will reach the 12-win mark for the fourth time under head coach Sean McDermott. That would tie him with Hall-of-Famer Marv Levy.
- If the Bills win, it will be their fifth-straight victory. They opened the year 4-0, and then went 3-4 in the next seven games.
- A Bills victory would give them a 4-1 record against NFC competition for the fifth-straight season. The Bills are 26-7 against NFC teams since 2019.
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