The Philadelphia Eagles had a tough challenge in Week 12, but even after a period of weakness, quarterback Jalen Hurts led them to an important 37:31 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills with five total touchdowns.
Bills @ Eagles: At a glance
- Jalen Hurts had a suboptimal start to the game and committed two turnovers early on. In the end, however, he was once again the guarantee of victory and decided the game with a touchdown in overtime.
- Josh Allen was also in a good mood and ultimately accounted for 420 total yards and four total touchdowns. A misunderstanding with Gabe Davis ultimately deprived the guests of a well-deserved victory in overtime.
- Kicker Jake Elliott defied unpleasant conditions including rain and wind and sank a 59-yard field goal attempt shortly before the end of the game to equalize the game, which made overtime possible.
Bills @ Eagles: The game report
The Bills gave everything, but in the end the Eagles were unstoppable. Of course, Jalen Hurts set the final score with a 12-yard touchdown run that apparently no one would have expected.
The Eagles started the game slowly, but took the lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to the inevitable brotherly shove. After that, however, the encounter turned sour and the Bills gradually found their way into the game. After a field goal and a deflected interception from Hurts to Terrel Bernard, the visitors were in position deep in the opposing half. A little later, Josh Allen ran for a nine-yard touchdown and broke several tackles.
The final phase of the first half was tough again: First the Eagles blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt by Tyler Bass, but just three plays later Hurts lost a fumble on a handoff to Kenneth Gainwell in his own half. With just over a minute on the clock, Buffalo still had enough time for another touchdown – Allen found Stefon Diggs for a 13-yard score.
After the break, a rollercoaster ride began for both teams. Bass missed a 48-yard field goal attempt, and the Eagles shortened the game. D’Andre Swift dominated the drive with a 36-yard run to start the drive, eventually taking his team to the 3. From there, Hurts found a wide-open AJ Brown in the end zone after a scramble.
The guests rallied again and Allen put together another strong drive, which he concluded with a 16-yard scramble into the end zone. The Eagles then took command. Hurts eventually threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith and after a James Bradberry interception, Hurts found Olamide Zaccheaus for a dramatic 29-yard touchdown pass for a 28-24 lead with just over eleven minutes to play.
Short series and punts followed on both sides, so that Buffalo got the ball again with 7:15 minutes to play. The Bills then marched 74 yards toward the end zone in 5:14 minutes. With 1:52 minutes on the clock, Allen finally fired a 7-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Davis for the visitors’ lead again.
But that was too much time, because Philly marched across the field again. Two false starts at the wrong time by center Jason Kelce made it difficult to catch up, but in the end kicker Jake Elliott was unimpressed by 59 yards and managed to equalize again. Overtime! And in the same, the Bills were almost unstoppable until they stopped themselves – Allen and Davis went from different routes – Allen thought post, Davis corner – and so in the end it was just a 40-yard field goal from Bass to do it again Guide.
The Hurts touchdown ultimately sealed the home win and the Eagles maintained the top spot in the NFC (East). The Bills, on the other hand, have now slipped out of the wild card ranks of the AFC and are facing very difficult weeks.
Buffalo Bills (6-6) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)
Result: 34:37 OT (0:7, 17:0, 7:7, 7:14, 3:6) BOXSCORE
Bills @ Eagles: Key stats
- It was edge rusher Brandon Graham’s 189th NFL game – the most in Eagles history.
- Allen’s second rushing touchdown (16 YDS) in the third quarter was the 14th touchdown the Eagles have allowed on 3rd&7+ this year. That’s the second most in the league.
- The Bills had 505 total yards – clearly more than the Eagles (378), and they also won the turnover battle 2-1. What may have made the difference was the fact that they received a total of eleven penalties for 80 yards – the Eagles were only penalized four times for 30 yards. The refs’ decisions didn’t always seem entirely correct.
The star of the game: Jalen Hurts (quarterback, Eagles)
In the end, the Eagles QB decided the game again. Although he only threw for 200 yards (3 TD, INT) and ran for 65 (2 TD, FUMBLE LOST), he made the difference with a total of five total touchdowns. It didn’t always look good, but it was effective.
The flop of the game: Bills defense
Head coach Sean McDermott recently identified offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey as a scapegoat. But in this game it became clear once again that the bigger problem may be their own defense, which is coordinated by McDermott. Especially in the last few drives of the game, she didn’t stop anyone and missing a spy against Hurts in the red zone was at least questionable.
The highlight of the game
Ball Game! Hurts ran twelve yards for a touchdown, making the home fans at Linc cheer.