Eagles-Bills tale of the tape: Can Saquon Barkley, Philly turn in one more strong showing before the playoffs?
The Eagles head to Buffalo this Sunday to face Josh Allen and the Bills in what would be their last major test of the regular season.
The Birds’ work for the rest of the schedule approaching Week 17 is mostly done. They have the NFC East, and they’ll likely have the NFC’s No. 3 seed in the playoffs at 10-5, but that latter part isn’t fully set in stone yet, so there is still reason for the starters to play and to try to push after one more win.
Buffalo, at 11-4, has its own playoff ticket punched on the AFC side, but the Bills still have a chance at catching New England for the AFC East lead, so they also have their reason to keep going at full tilt down the stretch.
So, Sunday will be a battle of two good teams looking for possibly better over the season’s final two weeks.
Here’s how they compare via the tale of the tape, with advantages bolded…
Offense
EaglesAverageBills23.3Pts 28.9319.6Total Yds 373.1197.9Passing Yds214.2121.7Rushing Yds158.937.73rd Down Pct45.161.14th Down Pct58.314Giveaways 18
Defense
EaglesAverageBills19.3Pts22.9315.7Total Yds311.4192.3Passing Yds167.1123.5Rushing Yds144.339.83rd Down Pct42.932.04th Down Pct56.318Takeaways20
Leaders
Eagles PASSING CMP% YDSY/ATDSINT/SK Jalen Hurts65.83,1147.3246 / 31 RUSHINGCARYDSY/ALGTDSSaquon Barkley2611,0724.1657RECEIVINGRECYDSY/ALGTDSA.J. Brown7393512.8457
Bills PASSING CMP% YDSY/ATDSINT/SK Josh Allen 69.63,4068.02510 / 35 RUSHINGCARYDSY/ALGTDSJames Cook III2871,5325.36412RECEIVINGRECYDSY/ALGTDSKhalil Shakir6668410.4544
Series history and previous matchup
The Eagles lead the all-time series against the Bills at 9-6-0.
They last faced one another at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 12 of the 2023 season, in what became one of that year’s most memorable efforts.
Jalen Hurts led a fourth-quarter comeback that closed a 10-point gap and Jake Elliott, with seconds left and with Buffalo having gone back up late, nailed a 59-yard field goal through the pouring rain to force overtime.
Hurts led the Eagles, dressed in their Kelly Green throwbacks, back down the field in the extra frame, then kept it himself on the final play to run in the winning touchdown for a 37-34 final.
The Eagles improved to 10-1 with that win, and though they had clear concerns all over the field, they kept somehow finding their way by, and that miserable rainy day against Buffalo was the pinnacle of it.
It never had to look pretty, the general thought about that year’s team at the time went, the job just had to get done.
The 2023 Eagles did…until they suddenly couldn’t anymore following that week. The season spiraled fast after that, and fans still carry the scars from it even after the team regrouped and bounced back a year later to win the Super Bowl.
And it’s part of why the 2025 Eagles might want to turn in one more strong showing this week.
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