December 28, 2025
The Eagles need to thank all of their lucky stars after that one.
The defense put up another masterclass effort with one stop after another until late.
The offense returned the favor by completely shutting down again in the second half, not even moving the ball a total of 20 yards.
Eventually, Josh Allen and the Bills made them pay for it, with two late scores via two late Tush Pushes, and riding that high with seconds left, Buffalo rolled the dice for the win on the two-point chance.
Then Allen threw it out of reach. The Eagles hung on 13-12 to improve to 11-5. They still have a chance to move up in the NFC playoff seeding, but after another infuriating offensive stall-out, Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni, and Kevin Patullo have bigger things to worry about.
Here's how the Eagles survived up in Buffalo...
The rain was falling and the football was getting slippery up in Buffalo.
The Bills took over after an Eagles punt late in the first quarter, but then Josh Allen bobbled the first snap and had to fall on it before recovering on the next play with a 50-yard deep ball over the middle to receiver Brandin Cooks.
The Bills had jumped straight into Eagles territory, but looking to capitalize, Allen rolled right out of the pocket to try and extend a play that wasn't offering up an opening.
Allen slowed up and pump-faked, still waiting for something to happen. As he did, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, who was covering the line of scrimmage, decided to make a move and barrel down toward the Buffalo QB for the sack.
Phillips made contact, the ball slipped out of Allen's hand and went rolling toward midfield, Jihaad Campbell won a race after it for the recovery as Allen was arguing for an incompletion, but no whistle blew until the Eagles' rookie linebacker grabbed it.
Fumble. Eagles' ball, and they were in business.
OUR BALL pic.twitter.com/qjS9W0nE3F
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 28, 2025
The Eagles took the first lead, 7-0, Goedert set a single-season franchise record for a tight end with his 11th score, and Allen was only just about to get familiar with the Philadelphia defensive line.
Touchdown No. 11 on the season for DALLAS GOEDERT pic.twitter.com/CBzozU73Ku
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 28, 2025
Hurts bobbed and weaved around the Buffalo pass rush to push the Eagles far enough down for a 47-yard field goal from Jake Elliott to go up 10-0 late in the first half.
Falling behind, the Bills were starting to feel the pain, both on the scoreboard and then directly on the rain-soaked field.
On the ensuing Buffalo drive, James Cook took a run up the middle, Eagles safety Marcus Epps cracked down and went low, while linebacker Zack Baun stayed high, grabbed Cook and slammed him to the grass to jar the ball loose for a fumble that was overturned as down by contact.
it wasn't a fumble, but Cooper DeJean shoving Spencer Brown out of the way before the recovery is the kind of play that's gonna make him mayor of Philly one day pic.twitter.com/0XQMoGNuDn
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 28, 2025
The star defensive tackle flushed right past his blocker and crushed Allen for the sack with no time to react to force a 3rd and 18.
Then Allen flipped a short pass to receiver Khalil Shakir, but as soon as the Buffalo wideout caught the ball, Reed Blankenship charged in and knocked him backwards to keep him well short of the marker and force the punt from way back in Bills' territory.
The Eagles defense came to play today 😤
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 28, 2025
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/nm1sReZDnI
The Bills came back from the half needing to get something going, and down two scores, they were going to have to start trying to air the ball out, even with the poor weather conditions.
That left Allen back in the pocket, against an Eagles pass rush that's been on an upswing the past few weeks.
The Bills generated a few chunk yardage plays, on a first-down run from James Cook, then completions of 12 and nine yards by Allen, but then Moro Ojomo had enough of that.
He brought Allen down eight yards backwards on a 1st and 10 for his team-leading sixth sack of the season, which effectively killed the Bills' drive to force another punt.
It was another clutch defensive play from an interior tackle who has been excellent, especially in the absence of Carter, all season. It also kept Allen and a typically effective Bills offense from going anywhere on their own home field.
Allen started tossing the ball up, and the Bills got two gifts as the clock was ticking down in the third quarter.
He launched a pass down the right sideline for Joshua Palmer, Quinyon Mitchell stuck to the receiver in coverage and broke up the play, but after the nearest official took a second to think about it, he tossed the flag for defensive pass interference. The Bills were pushed a free 26 yards down the field from their own 32 to the Philadelphia 42.
Then Allen took another deep shot along the right sideline into the red zone.
Mitchell was in coverage again against receiver Tyrell Shavers, and though he got a hand in, Shavers stayed with the ball as he fell to his back and kept a grip on it for the completion. The Bills were at the Philadelphia 7 and knocking on the door.
But that was as far as it went for Vic Fangio's group.
Allen tried to force in a quick slant on the next play, and it fell incomplete across the middle. He fired another quick throw to Shakir on second down, but Epps was there to drag him down short of the goal line.
Cook took the hand off on third down and got knocked back a yard further away instead.
Then, going for it on fourth, Allen dropped back, had nothing, and started moving to try and run it in himself.
The athletic QB has made heroic scoring plays by keeping the ball himself before, but dealing with a foot injury and a Philly defensive front that was ready for him, not this time.
Allen rolled right, Carter and Jalyx Hunt jumped to take away his look over the middle, and Baun shifted down toward the line of scrimmage to go for the tackle and send Allen falling toward the turf.
Allen, trying to will his momentum far enough forward to break the plane, spun on to his back and a yard short.
The Eagles took the ball back on a turnover on downs.
Josh Allen does not get there and the Eagles force the turnover on downs at the goal line!
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 28, 2025
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/HQgLCcm9OS
The Eagles' defense was holding strong and stopping the Bills again and again, but in the second half, Hurts and the offense reverted back to their old ways and struggles and completely shut down.
The Eagles had four possessions returning from halftime, all were punts and didn't even combine for 20 yards.
Something had to give, and it was the Bills finally breaking through.
They turned out an 11-play, 54-yard drive pushing late into the fourth quarter, with Allen punching in Buffalo's own version of the Tush Push for the score (even though the Bills spent all offseason trying to ban the play).
Buffalo finally cut into the lead, but Carter blocked a liner of a point-after attempt to leave it at 13-6.
Still, the Bills had something, and just needed another touchdown.
Hurts and co. had to come back in and answer. Instead, they went three-and-out to give Allen the ball back with 3:21 to work with – via two toothless running plays and a deep ball that sailed through DeVonta Smith's hands.
It's going to be another long week for Hurts, Nick Sirianni, and Kevin Patullo.
All the pressure was on the Eagles' defense to make one more stop, again, and they did get close.
They forced Buffalo into a 4th and 10 at its own 29 with under two minutes left, but with nothing to lose in that spot, the Bills got creative.
Allen zipped a throw to Shavers, and he executed a hook and ladder to running back Ty Johnson, who had the space clear to take off for 25 yards and a crucial first down.
HOOK N LADDER ON 4TH DOWN!! pic.twitter.com/dOdwxfxuNN
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 29, 2025
Allen scrambled six yards to the Philadelphia 3, threw a quick completion to Dawson Knox that was spotted short at the 1, and then on fourth and goal, Allen and the Bills hit the Eagles with their own medicine again and broke the plane with the Tush Push for the touchdown.
With five seconds left, the Bills played for the win and elected to go for two.
And they had it on a look to Shakir streaking along the back of the end zone.
Allen threw it too far out of reach.
ALLEN'S PASS IS INCOMPLETE. THE EAGLES WILL WIN!! pic.twitter.com/hixSq2sZfa
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 29, 2025
The Eagles survived on a miracle after recovering a desperation onside kick.
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