ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. _ The Eagles we expected to see all season showed up Sunday at New Era Field.
They experienced some shaky moments here and there, and they lost rookie running back Miles Sanders to a shoulder injury just as he emerged as a potent weapon, but given the task of saving the season after back-to-back blowout losses, the Eagles took solid control with an eight-minute, 17-second touchdown drive that ate up more than half of the fourth quarter.
It ended with a 3-yard Jordan Howard touchdown run that gave them a 31-13 lead, an advantage that the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen weren't going to overcome in the six minutes and 12 seconds left to play on a dark-gray, windblown afternoon, accompanied by occasional bouts of pelting rain.
It was an inelegant, old-school drive. Twice, Carson Wentz tucked the ball and ran for first downs on third and long. When Howard hit the end zone, they had compiled 201 rushing yards, on 31 carries.
The Eagles are 4-4, the sky has stopped falling for at least a little while, and general manager Howie Roseman can look toward Tuesday's trade deadline with confidence that his team is not beyond help.
Roseman's team employed a bold strategy of not allowing the opponent to score on its first drive, just the second time this season that has been the case. They even took a 3-0 early lead, in the blustery gloom.
A couple of Eagles personal fouls fueled a Bills TD drive that ended in a 14-yard Allen touchdown pass to Cole Beasley and a 7-3 Bills lead, and the Eagles' offense seemed painfully limited, unable to get much going _ until Allen, a strong weapon in the run game, danced down the line on an option and Brandon Graham ripped the ball out of his hands.
Graham's lunge took him out of the play, but as the ball bounced around, suddenly he was back in the play, on top of the fumble he created. Which is a good vignette, along with the ending of Super Bowl LII, to recount years from now when you have to explain to your grandkids why this guy Graham is so revered, when his sack numbers weren't that great.
The Eagles got the ball at the Bills' 24, with a minute and 53 seconds left before halftime. Four runs and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert later, they had the lead back. Sanders' two-point conversion run made it 11-7.
When the Eagles got a 65-yard Sanders touchdown run behind Howard's lead block _ two backs in the backfield, on the same play! _ on the opening possession of the third quarter, they seemed to be on their way.
Not quite so fast, with this team, this year. The defense promptly gave up a scoring drive. Derek Barnett blocked the extra point, so the Eagles led 17-13.
Then another strong Eagles drive, including a 38-yard completion from Wentz to Alshon Jeffery. The good news was that Howard and Sanders authored tough, productive runs during the drive. The bad news was that they both were on the sideline by the time the Eagles scored, which was why a 4-yard burst was Boston Scott's first career touchdown. Sanders went to the locker room with a shoulder injury, Howard eventually returned.
Of course, this being the Eagles, after Graham made a strong third-down stop to force a punt, Scott came flying up to flag down a short punt, took a hit that upended him, and fumbled the ball away. But the defense again stepped up, Ronald Darby knocking away a fourth-down pass in his first action since Sept. 22.
At the two-minute warning, Howard had 23 carries for 96 yards, and Wentz was 17 for 24 for 172 yards and a TD. Overall, the visitors had run for 222 yards on 38 carries.
