Martin Frank breaks down Eagles’ last-second escape vs Bills
Martin Frank describes how the Eagles escaped Buffalo with a 13-12 win as the Bills went for a 2-point conversion at the end of the game
- Resting players is prioritized over potentially securing the No. 2 seed and a home playoff game.
- A previous season-finale loss to the Giants, which resulted in key player injuries, likely influenced this decision.
- The team feels confident in its ability to win on the road, citing victories in tough environments this season.
PHILADELPHIA − There was never a chance that the Eagles would play their starters in the regular-season finale, even if it means having to travel to Chicago for a possible divisional round playoff game against the Bears.
But that’s getting ahead of ourselves.
The Eagles clearly don’t fear the Bears, or any other team they might face in the NFC playoffs. That’s why they’d just as soon stay as the No. 3 seed rather than play their starters and have a better chance at the No. 2 seed.
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For that to happen, the Eagles have to beat the Washington Commanders (4-12) and the Bears have to lose to the Detroit Lions (8-8) on Jan. 4. Both games start at 4:25 p.m. The No. 2 seed would guarantee the Eagles a home game in the second round should they advance.
To the Eagles, that possibility is not nearly as important as rest. Besides, the Eagles can beat the Commanders with their backups anyway.
“At least for the guys who are down this week, it’s a mental break,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “They need the mental break. And for (others), we’re so late in the season, so no one is 100%. So that physical break, that is a huge, huge aspect.
“Now they can focus on getting right for playoffs. For us, it’s the biggest advantage possible because it’s like another bye week where you can actually take a breath. … There are so many benefits to resting guys this week.”
But, what about having to potentially play the Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, after the Bears already beat the Eagles 24-15 in Philadelphia on Nov. 28?
In that game, the Bears ran for 281 yards, the most the Eagles had allowed in a game in a decade.
“We can’t control (what the Bears do),” Mailata said. “We just gotta get that win. And however the cards fall, that’s (what it is).”
But that’s missing the point. That game was an outlier, at least for the Eagles’ defense. Over the last eight games, including the loss to the Bears, the Eagles rank first in the NFL in points allowed (14.5 per game), opponent QB completion percentage (53.5%), second in opponent QB passer rating (68.7) and fourth in sacks (26).
In addition, the Eagles are road-tested and playoff-tested. They have won games this season in Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Green Bay and, most recently, 13-12 over the Bills in Buffalo.
They have reached the playoffs in each of the last five seasons, been to the Super Bowl twice and won it last season.
Granted, it often hasn’t been pretty this season. The Eagles are still reeling from their performance in the second half against the Bills, when they had just one first down and 16 total yards and were a missed 2-point conversion away from blowing a 13-0 halftime lead.
“When we suck, it hurts,” Mailata said about the offense. “And we know it, too. … That’s why I feel like it’s a great opportunity to learn from our mistakes, but also, to learn that this is football. This is going to happen. The defense is going to have our back. That’s football, in my eyes.”
And all of those players need rest. The offensive line has been banged up all season, particularly right tackle Lane Johnson, who has missed six straight games with a foot injury; center Cam Jurgens and left guard Landon Dickerson, both of whom have had offseason surgery.
Mailata admitted that he’s been banged up this season even though he played in every game.
But there’s one other thing that’s often overlooked.
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The last time the Eagles played their starters in the regular-season finale backfired in the worst way possible. And it’s a cautionary tale that likely influenced their decisions since. In that game, on Jan. 7, 2024, against the Giants, the Eagles had a chance to win the division by beating the Giants and the Cowboys losing to the Commanders.
The Eagles fell behind 24-0 in the first half. By then, A.J. Brown left with a knee injury, and Hurts had injured his finger on a follow-through. Brown didn’t play the next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs. The Eagles were demolished 32-9.
Just think of the outcry if something like that were to happen against the Commanders.
For the first time, Hurts is healthy heading into the playoffs. In 2021, it was a sprained ankle. In 2022, it was a shoulder injury. There was the finger in 2023 and a concussion last season.
“Not here in that situation today,” Hurts said about his injuries.
So yes, Hurts will take the rest. He’ll use the time to figure out how to fix what went wrong against the Bills, how he can help his backup Tanner McKee make his first start of the season, all while getting ready for the playoffs.
“For everything that’s been this year, we’ve got a great opportunity in front of us,” Hurts said. “That’s not saying that in a bad way. We’ve done a lot of special things this year. We’ve set a high standard for ourselves. And when you have the level of success that you’ve had, that comes with it.
Ultimately, nothing else matters. As we play through this week and prepare through this week, and enter the tournament, it’s 0-0 for everyone. And so, the mentality is just go and find a way to win.”
Even if that means going on the road.
Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Sign up for the “Eye On The Eagles” newsletter, emailed to your inbox every Friday morning. Read his coverage of the Eagles’ championship season in “Flying High,” a hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at Fly.ChampsBook.com
