Observations: Complementary football goes missing for Bills in loss to Eagles
The Bills stress complementary football all the time but got almost none of that against the Eagles. The defense played its collective butt off. The offense and special teams, however, were nowhere to be found, until it was too late.
We’re now through 17 weeks of the NFL regular season, and still, few firm conclusions exist about the Buffalo Bills.
At least one thing is certain, though, after Sunday’s 13-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium: A performance like that in the postseason will likely equal a very short stay.
The Bills continually stress complementary football, but they got almost none of it against the Eagles. The defense played its collective butt off. The only touchdown it allowed came on a short field after the offense turned over the ball. The Eagles managed just one first down – one! – and 16 yards of offense in the entire second half.
The Bills' offense and special teams, however, were nowhere to be found for far too long on a rain-soaked evening. The loss dropped the Bills to 11-5 overall and into the seventh and final seed in the AFC playoff picture
Cornerback Tre'Davious White and the Bills' defense played an inspired game Sunday against the Eagles, but didn't get much help in a 13-12 loss.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Their run of five straight AFC East titles is over. New England’s big win over the Jets on Sunday coupled with the Bills’ loss gave the division to the Patriots. That guarantees the Bills will start the postseason on the road, and they will almost certainly stay there for the playoffs, however long their run ends up being.
Depending on the results in Week 18, the Bills could open the playoffs at New England, Jacksonville, Denver or Houston among teams that have cliched a playoff spot. They could also go to Pittsburgh or Baltimore – who will meet in Week 18 for the AFC North title – in the unlikely event they climb back up to the No. 5 seed. The only playoff team whom the Bills can’t visit in the first round is the Los Angeles Chargers.
If Sunday ends up as the penultimate game at the current Highmark Stadium before the Bills move across the street, it will be a maddening defeat. Time and again, their defense got the ball back for the offense, forcing four straight three-and-outs.
For the final time, the Bills' offense took over with 3:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Josh Allen’s 1-yard rushing touchdown pulled the Bills within a point with 5 seconds left. The offense stayed on the field to go for the go-ahead two-point conversion, but Allen’s throw for Khalil Shakir was too far in front of the receiver, and it landed incomplete.
“The defense has to feel pretty good about themselves,” right tackle Spencer Brown said. “Offense, I don't know how many series we had, but we pride ourselves on being a good offense. We didn't show that tonight. We wanted the ball in our hands with the game on the line. That's what we got. We just didn't execute.”
Several times this season, the Bills’ offense has saved the defense’s bacon. The team is 4-0 in games this year in which the opposition scores at least 31 points.
“There are times when the offense bails us out,” cornerback Taron Johnson said. “We've got to figure it out together.”
The shoe was on the other foot Sunday, though, and the offense and special teams couldn’t come through.
“We always want to play complementary football,” Shakir said. “When all three phases work together, that's where the magic is.”
That magic has been hard to bottle up this year for the Bills. They’re 11-5, but among those 11 wins, perhaps no more than four – home against the Chiefs and on the road against the Jets, Panthers and Steelers – would qualify as complete, 60-minute efforts in all three phases.
“I feel like there has been rare times where we're all firing at the same time,” safety Cole Bishop said. “That's going to be huge when we can. Hopefully we can do that at the right time.”
That hope tank is running a bit low after Sunday.
1. Michael Badgley’s extra point was blocked
It was a brutal day for the Bills’ special teams, but the biggest blunder came after Buffalo’s first touchdown in the fourth quarter. Kicker Michael Badgley, in the lineup for the injured Matt Prater, had his extra-point attempt blocked after Allen’s 2-yard touchdown run. That eventually prompted the Bills to go for two points after Allen’s 1-yard scoring run with 5 seconds remaining.Badgley has played two games for Buffalo, and they've been struggles. He has missed an extra point in both games.
“Should have made the kick. It's easy,” he said afterward. “Listen, the guy came up the middle. I'll have to look at the film, just make your points.”
McDermott said afterward that Prater is making progress as he works back from a quadriceps injury, which he suffered in Week 15 against New England. The Bills will certainly want Prater back for the playoffs, because the trust level in Badgley can’t be real high right now.
2. Brandin Cooks got some retribution
The veteran receiver had a costly drop in each of the Bills' past two games, but made the play when it came to him in the first half against the Eagles, hauling in a 50-yard throw in the first quarter.“I just think the daily approach, every single day going to work and knowing that at some point it's going to come for you,” Cooks said.
Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks tumbles after making a 50-yard reception during the first quarter against the Eagles on Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
Cooks had four catches for 101 yards. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Cooks' 50-yard reception was his longest since a 52-yarder as a member of the Houston Texans in 2021. He finished with four catches for 101 yards against the Eagles. He also made a 36-yard grab on the Bills' final drive.
“He gave us some juice in the downfield passing game, made a really good catch there in the fourth quarter. We're going to need more of that moving forward,” Allen said.
3. Eagles win the turnover battle
The Bills had been better recently in turnover differential, winning that all-important statistic in each of the past three games. Against the Eagles, however, they lost it 1-0, with Allen’s fumble going down as the only turnover of the game.The Bills are now plus-1 for the season in turnover differential, which is tied for 10th in the NFL.
“We could have done better taking the ball away still,” Bishop said. “That's important. You can see team's records winning the takeaway margin, and we've got to win that. We've got to do better there. We've got to put our offense on the field in better positions. It's a lot easier to score if you're inside the 50 already, so if we can just start getting takeaways, creating better field position is going to be huge.”
Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson and defensive back Cam Lewis tackle Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during Sunday's game at Highmark Stadium.
Lewis had five tackles and Thompson four tackles in the loss. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
4. Terrel Bernard’s tough season continues
The Bills’ defensive captain suffered a calf injury in the first half. He was announced as questionable to return, but after halftime, Shaq Thompson came in at middle linebacker. When the Bills went to three linebackers in the third quarter, it was Thompson, Matt Milano and Dorian Williams on the field. Bernard was later downgraded to out.It’s the third game this season Bernard has left because of injury. He suffered an ankle injury in Week 6 against Atlanta that left him unable to play the second half. He suffered an elbow injury against the Texans in Week 12 that kept him out the following three games. Those injuries have played a big part in Bernard’s production having taken a big dip this season. He has 65 tackles, one interception and two fumble recoveries this season. He had more than 100 tackles in each of the past two seasons, to go with five interceptions, four fumble recoveries and 7½ sacks. Bernard’s value has always been in his knack for making the big play, but he can’t do that from the sideline.
McDermott did not have an update on Bernard’s condition Sunday night.
“Shaq came in and was ready to go, which is the important piece of that,” McDermott said.
5. Dalton Kincaid missed another game
The Bills’ third-year tight end has been good when he’s been on the field this season, with 36 catches for 523 yards and five touchdowns. The issue has been his availability. Kincaid missed his fifth game of the season Sunday, this time because of a knee injury. That follows an earlier three-game absence because of a hamstring injury, as well as a Week 6 absence with an oblique injury. Kincaid practiced on a limited basis Friday after sitting out at the beginning of the week and was listed as questionable on the final injury report.The Bills challenged Kincaid in the offseason to add strength after he missed four games last season, believing that would help him get through an entire season. It simply hasn’t happened.
It leaves the team with a big decision to make in the offseason. The Bills must decide by early May whether to exercise the fifth-year option on Kincaid’s rookie contract. That would give him a salary in the neighborhood of $11 million for the 2027 season. It won't be an easy call for the Bills, because Kincaid’s availability has not been consistent.
Fellow tight end Dawson Knox was able to play. He was also listed as questionable on the final injury report because of a knee injury of his own. He finished with five catches for 30 yards.