The Eagles are looking to avoid the Thanksgiving weekend trappings and get a win against a desperate Bills team with a massive Week 13 matchup against the 49ers looming.
The Bills are averaging 254.5 passing yards per game (7th), scoring touchdowns on 65.9% of their red zone trips (3rd), while Josh Allen ranks first in the NFL with 22 passing touchdowns.
After holding Kansas City scoreless in the 2nd half on Monday night, Philadelphia’s revamped defense will face a Buffalo offense averaging 26.73 points per game (7th) and 372.2 total yards per game (6th).
With kickoff fast approaching, we’re looking at ten key matchups to watch.
Eagles DB Kevin Byard vs. Bills TE Dalton Kincaid
Philadelphia hasn’t allowed many catches or yards to tight ends this season, but lead the NFL with six touchdowns allowed to opposing tight ends.
The Bills traded up to draft Kincaid 25th overall and he’s started to breakout over the last five games, with the rookie logging 35 catches for 318 yards and two touchdowns. Kincaid’s role has continued to rise as he’s developed into the Bills’ No. 2 pass-catcher, and we will be watching to see how Kevin Byard and Reed Blankenship perform in this high-pressure situation.
CB Rasul Douglas vs. WR AJ Brown
Douglas will face his former team on Sunday and Buffalo will have him match up against A.J. Brown.
Brown is entering Sunday with the third-most receiving yards in the league.
DT Ed Oliver vs. OL Jason Kelce
Kelce is the highest-graded center through 11 games.
Oliver has had a strong year, and his seven sacks are ranked 3rd among defensive tackles in the NFL. Oliver has also logged 27 QB hurries, 5 QB hits, and 39 QB pressures.
Eagles DC Sean Desai vs. Bills OC Joe Brady
Buffalo’s offense put up more than 30 points against one of the best defenses in the NFL during Joe Brady’s first game as the play-caller.
Philadelphia is allowing an average of 21.2 points per game (16th in the NFL) and 324.6 total yards per game (14th). The Eagles are allowing an average of 248 passing yards per game (28th), a passer rating of 96.4 (25th) and have surrendered 21 passing touchdowns (30th) — while allowing teams to convert 43.2% of their third down opportunities (27th) and are allowing teams to score touchdowns 62.5% of the time they’re in the red zone (t-25th).
The Bills’ offense is averaging 26.73 points per game (7th) and 372.2 total yards per game (6th).
Buffalo is averaging 254.5 passing yards per game (7th), while scoring touchdowns on 65.9% of their red zone trips (3rd) and Josh Allen ranks first in the NFL with 22 passing touchdowns.
The Eagles have 31 sacks (t-9th) and 74 quarterback hits (4th).
Jalen Hurts vs. Josh Allen
They won’t physically compete against each other, but this a matchup fans have waited years to see.
The two star quarterbacks were drafted two years apart as Allen was the seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft and Hurts was drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft. Hurts and Allen rank No. 1 and 2 in rushing touchdowns since 2020. Hurts has the most in the NFL over that span with 35 and Allen is next with 28.
Hurts became the first QB in NFL history to have consecutive seasons with at least 10 rushing touchdowns (10 in 2021 and 13 in 2022). He’s now one rushing touchdown away from three straight seasons of 10 or more. Hurts also has a .775 win percentage (31-9) since 2021, which is first amongst NFL QBs during that span.
Allen has 206 total touchdowns since being drafted — an NFL record for the most in a player’s first six seasons. Allen also has the second most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history with 45.
This season, the two rank first and second in total touchdowns. Allen leads with 29 and Hurts is second with 24.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith vs. Bills reserve cornerbacks
DeVonta Smith has 632 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.
Buffalo’s defense is light at cornerback with Dane Jackson and nickel corner Taron Johnson both in concussion protocol.
Philadelphia’s offense is ranked fifth overall, while also having a top 10 rushing offense as they average 128.1 rushing yards per game. The Eagles also lead the NFL in third down conversion rate (48.2%) and score on 45.7% of their drives (2nd).
Eagles DE Josh Sweat vs. Bills LT Dion Dawkins
A North Jersey native, and former teammate of Haason Reddick at Temple, Dawkins has played the 10th most snaps at left tackle this season (696) but has only allowed one sack and 24 QB pressures per PFF.
Sweat’s 7 sacks are tied for 19th in the NFL, and he’s got another 34 QB hurries, 12 QB hits, and 53 total QB pressures.
Eagles' LB Zach Cunningham vs. Bills' RB James Cook
The Eagles boast the NFL’s No. 1 run defense but are coming off a matchup in which the Chiefs rushed for 121 yards in the first half. Prior to that explosion, Philadelphia had not allowed more than 107 in any single game this season.
Buffalo has the NFL’s No. 11 rushing offense led by James Cook, who has 688 yards (5.0) this season. Cook ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing, just two yards behind D’Andre Swift.
Eagles' LT Jordan Mailata vs. Bills Pass Rusher Leonard Floyd
The Bills are second in the NFL this season with 39 sacks, and Leonard Floyd leads buffalo with 7.
Lane Johnson will deal with Vonn Miller, leaving Mailata in a key matchup.
Eagles' RB D'Andre Swift vs. Bills run defense
Swift is third in the NFL in rushing yards, but hasn’t gone over 100 yards since Week three. In the win over the Chiefs, Swift had 76 yards rushing and 31 yards through the air, giving him his best game since Week 3.
Buffalo is 16th in the NFL in run defense, allowing 110.5 yards per game. But the Bills are also 29th in yards per attempt allowed at 4.5. After allowing at least 100 yards per game in five of their first six games, they’ve allowed 100 just once in their last five.
