November 26, 2023
With disgusting, cold rain falling in South Philly, the Eagles trail the Bills 17-7 at the end of the first half. These are my early takeaways from this Week 12 matchup. Stay tuned to PhillyVoice for my final observations at the end of the game, too.
Let's get after it...
• Eagles fans love to give themselves credit when another team's offensive lineman jumps early. Back-to-back false starts on Buffalo on their second drive of the game took away what could've been a grinding touchdown drive and completely knocked the Bills out of field goal range. A third and six at the Eagles' 30 quickly turned into a third and 16. A Josh Allen incompletion sent Stefon Diggs' way with James Bradberry providing some sticky coverage then had the punt team trotting out.
Pat yourself on the back, Lincoln Financial Field crowd.
• Jalen Hurts' mobility has clearly been hampered this season with a lingering knee issue. That explosiveness on rollouts isn't quite what it's been in the past. An early read option run for Hurts went nowhere, but he provided a spark with his legs on the Eagles' first quarter touchdown drive. Hurts showcased signs of life as a runner, sprinting midfield for an emphatic 16-yard gain that sent Birds fans into a frenzy.
A 23-yard pickup from Kenny Gainwell on the ensuing play, coupled with a subsequent Bills penalty put the Eagles on the one-yard line going in. Obviously, you know what happened on the next play, as did all the millions of people watching: six easy points on a "Tush Push."
• A game-altering pass rush from Haason Reddick: emphatically throwing Josh Allen to the ground late in the second quarter, Reddick forced Allen to throw the ball away as he was falling to the grass. After some deliberation, it was ruled intentional grounding. A second and goal at the two-yard line going in ended up being a third and 16. After an Allen pass fell incomplete, Buffalo sent out the field goal unit, but Jalen Carter got a hand on it and blocked it. What initially looked to be a four-point swing from Reddick morphed into a seven-point swing (for the time being) one due to Carter's heroics.
Huge.
• Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd, going up against right tackle Jack Driscoll, was a recipe for disaster early for the Birds, as they quickly went three and out on their first offensive possession. Hurts threw the ball away on all three plays. The absence of their All-Pro right tackle in this miserable weather looms large over the entire stadium. This offensive line just isn't the same without Lane Johnson. Johnson is the Eagles' best player and has been for nearly a decade now. He is a stalwart at right tackle.
It's fairly simple: the Eagles are an elite team when Johnson suits up and is on the field and they're a far cry from that when he's out of the lineup:
Since 2016, the Eagles are 10-22 when Lane Johnson is out of the lineup.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) November 26, 2023
• 2016: 2-8
• 2017: 1-0
• 2018: 0-1
• 2019: 3-1 (0-1 in the playoffs)
• 2020: 2-7
• 2021: 1-3
• 2022: 1-1
Also, the Eagles' lone loss in 2023 was against the Jets, when Johnson only played 9 snaps. https://t.co/iSjgaTpIJo
Our own Jimmy Kempski sums things up succinctly in that post.
• Speaking of Floyd, he went unblocked on a play in the second quarter, tipping a ball that fell into the arms of Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard. The turnover gifted Buffalo the ball in Eagles territory. Floyd had 9.5 sacks coming into this game. He's underrated around the league, piling up 38.5 sacks across the last four seasons. That turned into a Buffalo touchdown drive...
• Josh Allen: really hard to tackle in the open field. He barreled into the end zone on a nine-yard to give the Bills 10-7 second quarter lead.
• Read option runs to Driscoll's side should be promptly removed from Brian Johnson's play sheet given Hurts' injury situation and the steep drop off at right tackle with Johnson sidelined. Hurts has posted woeful passing numbers this half with a disgusting 2.4 yards per attempt (10 attempts). Johnson is doing this offensive few favors at the moment. This is yet another instance of the passing attack crumbling in a rainy mess of a game. The Birds need to lean on the run game when they receive the ball to open the third quarter.
• Fletcher Cox was seen badly limping into the locker room before halftime. His return is questionable with a groin injury. Between this and Milton Williams out for this game to begin with, the Eagles could be getting thin along the interior defensive line in a hurry.
• The Eagles are 0-for-4 on third down. The Bills are 6-for-12. Football can be that simple.
• A handoff disaster with Hurts and Gainwell following that blocked field goal sucked the life out of the stadium with a field goal right back into field goal range. That turnover is on Hurts, his second of the game already, and Gainwell should no longer be the two-minute drive/third-down RB at this point with D'Andre Swift's ability as a pass-catcher and Boston Scott's respectable floor as a player.
Shortly after, Allen fired a 13-yard TD to Diggs. For those counting... a four-point swing turned into a seven-point swing that turned into a seven-point swing. I'm not sure if PEMDAS applies there.
• The Kelly green jerseys and helmets continue to look phenomenal. There are a whole host of fans that would welcome this look becoming their primary uniforms again, but that takes away from the special feeling of it all. It ignites the city because it's not an every week occurrence. Midnight green is a unique color for the team. They've had the greatest run in franchise history in it and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy while sporting the color. Wearing Kelly green twice per year as an alternate is perfect.
My lone suggestion? Mix in a road alternate as well where the Birds wear Kelly green helmets, white jerseys and silver pants. That's a clean look.
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