Sunday | 4:25 ET
The Bills will head to Philadelphia to take on the 9-1 Eagles in a high-octane Sunday matchup. Philly is coming in off of two massive wins against the Cowboys and Chiefs. They’re in the middle of a gauntlet of matchups, and have shown no signs of slipping up. Meanwhile, the Bills have had some troubles. After firing offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, Buffalo dismantled the defensive-minded Jets, 32-6. A loss to the Eagles this week would put the team at 6-6, and in danger of falling out of the last AFC wildcard spot.
By most statistics, the Bills have a top-flight NFL offense. They are third in yards per play, second in total yards, and fourth in total points. Many believe OC Ken Dorsey didn’t deserve to be fired, but the Bills needed a changeup and a scapegoat. The Bills have been great at moving the ball up until a certain point; they always seem to stall out just before hitting field goal range. Josh Allen is having a very good year. Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid is also really coming on.
The Eagles defense is pretty tough. Rookie defensive tackle has been phenomenal. He ranks second in PFF grade out of 125 qualified DTs. He has been the catalyst for a defensive line that is second in the NFL in QB pressures. The pass rush is the strength of defense. If Josh Allen has some time in the pocket, he should be able to exploit the Eagles secondary. Interestingly enough, the Josh Allen has only been sacked 12 times all year, which is second-least in the NFL. Philly has given up the eighth-most passing yards in 2023. They are most susceptible to the deep pass, which is what Josh Allen and star wide receiver Stefon Diggs thrive upon. Buffalo is tied for first in the NFL in passing touchdowns. I think the Bills offense could put up big numbers.
Switching sides, the Eagles offense is also pretty efficient. It is fifth in yards per play this year and sixth in PFF offensive grade. The offensive line is the best in the league, and it enables the rest of the offense to thrive. QB Jalen Hurts’ legs are just as much of a threat as his arm is. WR AJ Brown is has been one of the best receivers in the league this season. He should see a lot of CB Rasul Douglas this week, who is third in PFF coverage grade among 114 qualified CBs.
It will be interesting to see what the Bills pass rush can do against the Eagles offensive line. Buffalo is second in the NFL with 39 sacks. However, the Bills struggle in stopping the run. Though the defense is strong against the pass, the group gives up the fifth-most yards per carry this season. Expect to see a lot of RB D’Andre Swift for the Eagles. Philadelphia has shown that is has no problem with pounding the rock with Swift if that is what the defense gives it. The Eagles have shown the ability to score in a plethora of different ways, so expect them to solve the Bills defense to a certain extent.
In all, I think that this is a good matchup for the Bills. Josh Allen lives and dies on the deep pass, and that is where the Eagles struggle. I have the Bills stealing the upset win in a tight game.