Eagles Hang On To Outlast Bills
The Philadelphia Eagles won their second straight game on Sunday afternoon, taking down the Buffalo Bills 23-20 to improve to 6-10.
I thought Sam Bradford played one of his better games as an Eagle.
While his stat line still isn’t anything to write home about, Bradford seemed to see the field very well today. He reacted well to the various blitzes that the Buffalo defense sent his way, and did a good job spreading the ball around, connecting with nine different receivers.
Bradford and the Eagles did a good job taking advantage of undisciplined Bills squad, drawing the Buffalo defense line into neutral zone infractions numerous times throughout the day.
Bradford’s mistakes were minimal, he did throw one interception, but it didn’t come on a poor decision. Leodis McKelvin made tremendous play on a pass thrown to Brent Celek, wrestling the ball away from the veteran tight end.
D-Line Gives Bills Fits
The Eagles’ defensive front gave Buffalo a lot of problems throughout the day.
The Eagles deployed a couple of different looks they hadn’t used earlier in the season, using some more traditional 4-3 attacks with Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry lined up at defensive end and Fletcher Cox working his natural position at defensive tackle.
The result was a tremendous mismatch in favor of the Birds, which forced the Buffalo offensive line into numerous penalties throughout the game. The Bills had nine offensive penalties alone, and wiped out several big plays that would have given them first downs.
The Birds only managed one sack on the day, but the impact of their defensive lineman was apparent throughout the game.
Fletcher Cox led the charge, finishing with eight tackles and a the team’s lone sack.
Quick Thoughts
Offense
- First-round pick Nelson Agholor had an up-and-down day, but made one of the game’s biggest plays. Agholor came down with a 53-yard touchdown reception to put the team back up 14-7, the first touchdown of his career. He did drop a couple of easy passes that would have extended drives, but it was still good to see the team finally get some meaningful production from their top pick.
- Riley Cooper initially came down with a long reception on the team’s opening drive, but a Buffalo challenge showed that Cooper allowed the ball to hit the ground.
- Jason Peters lined up on the right side of the offensive line next to Lane Johnson on a Darren Sproles run that got the Eagles down to the one-yard line and set up Sproles for a score on the next play.
- However, Peters would once again leave the game with injury, leading to Dennis Kelly coming in and immediately committing two holding penalties that put the Eagles into a 1st and 30 situation. The veteran would return later on.
- Zach Ertz had a big game, with five grabs for 98 yards, including a 41-yarder that set up the go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter.
- Just three catches for 19 yards for Jordan Matthews.
- Ryan Mathews returned to the lineup, and took over as the featured back, but gained just 38 yards on 13 carries.
- DeMarco Murray was used sparingly, but still took 11 carries, gaining just 34 yards.
- Darren Sproles led the team in rushing for the second straight week, gaining 41 yards and a touchdown.
Defense
- Fletcher Cox picked up a sack on the Bills’ opening drive on a third down to force a punt.
- Ed Reynolds and Byron Maxwell combined to get beat by Sammy Watkins for a 47-yard touchdown strike to give Buffalo their first points.
- Maxwell would do a nice job later on breaking up a pass intended for Watkins.
- And Reynolds would be the game’s final hero, picking off a bad pass from Tyrod Taylor to seal the win.
- Kiko Alonso made two tackles, and assisted on three more, but ultimately was a non-factor once again.
- The Eagles held LeSean McCoy to just 74 yards on 20 carries.
Special Teams
- Jaylen Watkins forced a fumble on a punt in the second quarter that set up the Eagles’ second touchdown.
- Caleb Sturgis connected on all three of his field goal attempts.
Final Thoughts
The Eagles did what they needed to do, and kept pace for first place in the joke of a division that is the NFC East.
However, they’re still behind the Washington Redskins, who also won today, because of the tiebreaker.
A much greater challenge awaits them next week when Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals come to town.
This team needed to play a more traditional 4-3 with Cox playing the three technique. Thornton would be another decent piece Ina 4-3 look but not like Cox. It’s beyond me why they don’t stay in the 4-3 look with Curry at DE. Barwin played DE in Houston but OLB would be a good fit for him in a 4-3 also. Prototype. But I’m just a delusional fan
I thought Bradford was rolling. He certainly played his best 1st half. He was seeing one-one-one matchups and taking shots. He was playing like an NFL QB. I almost got excited by his play.
And then the game got close.
And then the close game entered the 2nd half.
And then Bradbored reverted to Bradbored.
7 of 17 for nothing and a pick in the 2nd half when the pressure rose.
Bradbored is a “fair weather” guy who looks good occasionally but always reverts to the disappointing guy he really is.
Yawn.
If Eagles re-sign the guy we’re looking at 3 more years of 8-8. Still need to use #1 pick on a QB.
Vin. Im a fan of the team first and when my QB.is wearing my laundry I pull for him .There was many a game Id want to drive him out of town ,(Kools rust era) Mostly when he becomes a turtle and can’t see the whole field..Today’s not the day to aviscerate him ..He got the ball out of his hand in a full out motion to throw it deep..Once (Again ) very spotty wide out play ,from the young and old alike ..skewed his numbers .To be fair celeks,being the most glaring ,as adding in that as a catch ,statistically looks so much better and one things ,for certain .theyre going in at that point …He’s not elite ,but the very best thing about him …hes not Sanchez ..so let’s see ,wether he and the birds can go toe to toe with the cards ..because ,Winning seemingly cover ups a lot of the shortcomings ,but they still exist ..The one observation I had today was a more animated chip Kelly ..He seemed “engaged” with his team,alarmingly so..Wether shady Ruffled his feathers ,or Jeffrey got in his ear ,he seemed more in control of his sideline…he looked for the first time in awhile ,he was enjoying the team..Lets give some credit ,as culture ,which was up to its nose in peril ,pulled itself from the abyss and still has a home field advantage in the next few weeks .against tough defenses…This litmus test will write the trilogy of the next three in 2015-16 ..
Ya I know. But difficult to get excited about a story when I already know the ending.
deserteagle, the bottom line is that there is this stanch refusal to admit the reality.
Sam Bradford was the best available QB to the Eagles and he has proven it.
Is he Tom Brady or Russell Wilson…No
Is he a significant upgrade over Foles/Sanchez…Absolutely
We can all see that we need better weapons around Bradford…the drops continue, receivers not getting separation, everyone can see that the Eagles have needs
But what we are getting from Bradford now is consistent throws from the pocket, he’s not turning the ball over, he’s making plays…he has gotten better…just as I predicted…and he has taken the reigns of leadership on the team
Vinnydafool and others would rather see the Eagles lose so they can bash Chip Kelly, bash Bradford than to enjoy a win which would necessitate giving the Quarterback credit….sad and pathetic
Kool..Bradford is clearly worth the 2nd rd pick..I wont go as far and say that. I dont hate bradford or anything..but i honestly dont like him as our qb. Is he better than Foles?? In my opinion he is…that being said….WTF was he thinking taking that sack at the end of the game. That must have been the most boneheaded play from him yet. That could have costed us the game. Other than that he did have an decent game..so go eagles and i hope Bradford continues to get better. And if eagles ever pay him that much Paulman..i would personally walk into Chip office and……end up on JAIL!!
C’mon Rhino…it was one bad play…he should have gotten rid of the ball. The bottom line is that as soon as you admit that Bradford is better than Foles, you are admitting that we upgraded the QB position. It is well established and even Jeff Fisher admitted that he could have gotten a 1st rounder for Bradford from Cleveland…and now the Rams are mad that they didnt take that No#1!
Bradford as I told everyone…was getting better, he was improving…he missed 2 years, came back slowly from the injury in training camp, didn’t play enough in pre-season…
Now his footwork is back, he is confident in the pocket…you have not seen a touchdown pass like that bomb he threw to Agholor since Mike Vick’s classic performance against Washington when he hit DJax for the bomb.
Fearlessly stepping up in the pocket, feeling pressure but keeping his eyes down the field…slight steps in avoiding the rush, and then throwing the receiver open to a spot that only he could catch it …a brilliant play by the Quarterback…Sam Bradford is the leader that this team has not had since Vick…he rallies the offense, and the players respect him because he’s tough, he takes hits gets up and still delivers passes on the money
Get used to it, accept it Rhino…Sam Bradford is our QB…the best available…is he Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, or Aaron Rodgers…its way too early to put him in that league…but his talent gives us hope, gives us a shot…
What more do you want?
I want it ALL!!!!! I do hear ya though Kool…and i will be cheering and hoping he gets better every week. Ill admit that he is playing better. Lets see how he does this game against Arizona…if he plays like he has been playing these last few games…then we have a good chance to win.
Paulman ..I’ve seen the cards ,a lot ..they may in my estimation be a team that can match up well with the panthers ..Arians is a good coach and with Brown (having a great season ) ,you can bet bill Davis will be burning the midnight oil ,this week ,as Fitzgerald ain’t chopped liver, ,either ..There defense is very good on the back end ..they always ruin my day ,when I get humiliated ,wearing my green in the desert games here ..this ones payback..
Cardinals are a very strong Team and Arians is an excellent Coach who knows how to push the right buttons, design the right Plays for his Players to be Succesful..
With the Seahawks on fire andstill1 game left with the Cardinals and the fact the Cardinals got some bad calls last year in Philly and the fact they Played Thursday night and have 2-3 more days to prepare, the Eagles will have to play their Best Game of the Year to Win..
Don’t forget WR M Floyd has been hot the last month also, but expect anAndre Ellington or JauronBrown to get some looks their way.. Andre Ellingtonout on wheel routes versus the Eagles LB’s is a scary thought..
Cardinals clinched last week. Will be relaxed. Eagles have very good opportunity against un-motivated team.
Bruce Arians is bot a fan of Chip Kelly and really wanted a chance to Interview for the Eagles Job.. He felt he wasoverlookedandthen back-stabbed by the Eagles who said they would Interview him when Kelly originally told the Eagles no thanks, then the Eagles cancelled his Interview whenKelly changed his mind a week later. Arians felt the Cards were robbed the last time they played at the Linc by the Ref’s .. Bruce Arians will have his Team ready.. There is no way Bruce Arians is going to be out-worked or Schemed by Chip Kelly..
Cardinals D/Line always gives Eagles fits
Calais Campbell is unblockable, Frostee Rucker,I believe returns from Injury and their DB’s will man-handle the young, timid Eagle Receivers.. Best bet is to get the TE’s/RB’s matched up on their LB’s but points andTD’s in particular are hard to get against them unless you hit them on a big play (Screen to Sproles perhaps)
I thought the team quit ?
I thought the players don’t wanna play for Kelly ?
Man I’m confused?
NFL ref Ed Hochuli is brutal. He almost sucked all the entertainment out of that game. Every other play he has to have a referee on field conference. I almost missed my post game dinner reservation because he keep throwing yellow flags.
Vinnie has to be the only person in the world that makes excuse for Wins
Shit is laughable
Gotta Luv It, Vinniedafool is a statistical idiot who will come up with the most ridiculous and irrelevant stats to support his lame ass arguments.
Vinnie will tell you something like:
“The only reason the Eagles won today is because teams on the road that stay in Hilton hotels with Coaches that takes a dump before the game loses 70% of their games, and you know Rex Ryan is full of crap so he had to take a dump…so that’s the only reason the Eagles won…”
smh…there are some real clowns on here!
the best and worst Eagles today.
Fletcher Cox was everywhere today. That guy is a great NFL player. Dennis Kelly came in for a few plays and all he did was get penalties.
Josh Huff got KO’d on Zach Ertz’s long YAC play. Anyone see what happened because he was on the turf for a while?
Been a while. Same old same old… best line… ” But difficult to get excited about a story when I already know the ending.” Thats what we were saying for poster boy 1- running scared and concussion. And poster boy 2- throw off back foot and no chance at a playoff win. You kill me fool.. cant even celebrate you supposed teams win. I bet you are a blast at parties.
With that nonsense behind us… 7 played well. No idea what they do in 2016 but… we will cross that bridge later. My issues with this team are as follows.. 1) still not a fan of Davis. I like his system but scratch my head at his calls. 2) the Wrs still cant hold the ball. Its bad
That said… solid win! A game i knew would be tough.. they held in. Cox was a beast!! Go eagles.
It is refreshing to see a Quarterback who knows where to go with the ball, who steps up confidently in the pocket with his eyes down the field, who throws accurate passes consistently instead of being scatter gun, nervous and confused, throwing off of his back foot…
Good Win…the team has hope…we have a shot
That’s all you can ask for going forward!
We have to man up and admit when we are wrong. I was wrong…I thought Kelly lost the team, lost the locker room…after two games of getting overwhelmed and beat down…I thought the team was finished and had quit on the Coach.
But we see the difference…its the Quarterback who has given the team hope with his leadership. The team has seen him make clutch throws…they see a guy who is not turning the football over…it inspires hope in the team…with Sanchez they now know he’s a turnover waiting to happen…
Bradford is the leader…several players are talking about how he has taken the mantle of leadership on the team and fires up other players…
He took a lot of hits but still made winning plays…so he is playing and earning his way into being the starting QB…so next year we will look for playmakers and offensive linemen to give more support to Bradford!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t Bruce Arians critiqued Chip multiple times. I remember when he stated something very similar saying “The QB looks over at the sideline, kick is boot and hikes the ball. That isn’t playing quarterback.” He ha also called it a “College offense” several times. That college offense has put up over 1000 yards of offense over two games and is 1-1. Bruce Is not a stupid man, he knows damn well he got away with one last year in Arizona. Go re watch the game.If that San Fran game wasn’t the biggest giveaway then that game was.
Gonna be interesting seeing how Arizona performs coming off a win, and in a cold hostile environment. Arizona does play in a Dome. Which can affect these games in mid December.
Thank god they set it up to prime time. Lets go get revenge on these fucks and pray Fitzgerald doest have yet…another career day versus Philly. Ii think hes do a bad game against us.
I was told time and time again that I was a Chip apologist and Bradford was garbage. I am too young of an Eagles fan to know what good football looks like.
What I saw in Bradford was this – HE WAS TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. Has he “arrived” and worth backing up the Brinks truck yet – No clearly not. However, he is continued to improve in this offense. In games he started and finished we are 6-4 this year and 5-1 in his last 6. In his last 5 games he has a 65% completion and just under 100 QB rating. Yards per attempt have gone up to 7.3. All you “old school” football fans saw Bradford’s career averages and thought Chip was wrong in getting him. However, when you went inside the averages you saw a guy that had an outstanding Rookie year followed up by a TERRIBLE sophomore slump. That second year scewed all of his numbers down. Then, the year before his injury he was having a Pro bowl esq year through 7 games. He was trending in the right direction BEFORE the injuries.
On to this year, he started out awful. Didn’t play enough in the preseason, coming off two ACLs and his WRs were not helping him any. I consistently said give the guy time. As of late he is continuing to progress and could be COULD BE the answer we are looking for at the QB position. He still needs to continue this trend and could fall off dramatically this last three games. However, he is TRENDING exacting how I thought he would and if this continues we could really have something.
Chip needed to take the risk with Bradford as it was clear Foles wasn’t going to be what we needed and there were no other realistic options out there. If this keeps up, that second round pick will be well worth it.
Playoffs or no Playoffs, we have something to pay attention to down the stretch. If Bradford keeps improving than this season wasn’t a waste as we will have found our QB.
Know whats funny – Look at the articles being written today on Bradford. These Joke beat writers are finally seeing what I have been screaming for the past two months. All of the sudden these guys are looking inside his STL numbers just like I have been all season. And they are finally seeing that the Arrow is pointing up on his performance this year.
Again, I am not on here projecting him to be our Answer, but his current trend has me wanting more and hopeful that he continues to improve.
The arrow is pointing up! He’s developing!!
At this rate of development he’ll be lights out when he hits 43.
bradford is playing better than i thought he would but clearly not as well as we need him to be. I thought with his ‘high ceiling’, ‘number 1 overall talent’, pin point accuracy that he was supposed to be something special– I do hold out hope that he can be a top 10 QB …
Right now…its clear…Sam Bradford was clearly worth the second round draft pick we gave up for him! Canttakeitanymore, I said from the door…this guy would get better and better as the season went along. He’s not turnover prone, he puts the ball in good spots for the receivers…(they need to catch the damm ball and stop the drops!)
Its obvious, we have a Quarterback and they will have to sign him…there is nothing significant we can get at QB in this upcoming draft, he is the best and most talented QB available!
***Eagles News***
Reports that Eagles and Sam Bradford have come to a 5 Year Contract Extension worth $105 Million and approx $50 Million in Guaranteed $$$
Details to Come out later today/tonight…
paul, please post under ‘paulman news’– i went looking for the sal pal story and this one and got nothing!
Sal Pal Story is on ESPN Site Under either the Eagles or the Bills Recap as he spoke about both McCoy/Murray lack of comments after the Game …
Bradford’s Deal won’t come out until later on today or tomorrow..
Here goes something I just read, through week 7, Bradford ranked 34 out of 37 with a 76.4 passer rating, since then, he’s 8th out of 37 with a 97.5 passer rating. Like I said from the beginning, let him get his feet under him n learn the system, like him or not but being in the top ten calls for an extension.
good recap Denny, now all the Eagles need to do is win their two division games. Lets hope Bradford continues to improve each week. Dont need him to be Brady but need him to keep getting better each week. I hope they can continue the push to make playoffs
“improve to 6-10”
lol, I love the optimism