EAGLES DEFEAT BILLS, 31-13, AT NEW ERA FIELD
Philadelphia scored 30+ points for the fourth time this season, having done so previously on 9/8/19 vs. Washington (W, 32-27), 9/26/19 at Green Bay (W, 34-27) and 10/619 vs. N.Y. Jets (W, 31-6).
The last time the Eagles registered four 30+ point performances through 8 games was during the first half of the 2017 season.Today’s 31-13 victory marked the second time Philadelphia has won by 18+ points against a team with a winning record on the road under head coach Doug Pederson (since 2016).
The last time that happened was on 11/9/17 in a 37-9 divisional win against Dallas at AT&T Stadium.
OFFENSIVE SCORING DRIVES
On its second possession of the game, Philadelphia grabbed an early 3-0 advantage following a 9-play, 54-yard scoring drive that resulted in a 37-yard FG by Jake Elliott.The scoring drive was set up by a 25-yard catch-and-run by Miles Sanders, who entered today’s game leading all NFL RBs in 25+ yard receptions (now 6).
Sanders’ 6 catches of 25+ yards this season are the most by an NFL RB through 8 games since Tiki Barber in 2004 (also 6).Philadelphia reclaimed the lead, 11-7, in the second quarter when Dallas Goedert caught a 5-yard TD pass from Carson Wentz, capping a 5-play, 24-yard scoring possession.
The Eagles earned themselves a 4-point advantage when Miles Sanders ran in for a successful 2-point conversion after the TD.Wentz has registered a TD pass in 11 consecutive games played (dating back to 2018), which is tied with Russell Wilson for the longest active streak in the NFL.The 5-yard TD marked Goedert’s 3rd score of the season (8th of his career).
Including playoffs, Goedert leads the Eagles offense with 6 go-ahead or game-tying TDs since 2018.
Philadelphia’s opening drive of the third quarter resulted in a 65-yard rushing TD by Miles Sanders on second-and-8 on the second play of the possession, 17-7.Sanders’ 65-yard rushing TD is tied with Bryce Brown on 12/26/12 vs. Carolina for the 7th-longest by a rookie in Eagles history, behind Herman Hunter on 11/24/85 at Dallas (74 yards), John Brewer on 10/4/52 vs. N.Y. Giants (71), Steve Van Buren on 11/5/44 at Brooklyn (70), John Kusko on 11/22/36 vs. Chicago (70), LeSean McCoy on 11/1/09 vs. N.Y. Giants (66) and Don Johnson on 11/15/53 vs. Baltimore Colts (66).
The Eagles increased their lead to 24-13 in the third quarter after Boston Scott capped a 5-play, 68-yard drive with a 4-yard rushing TD. The score marked the first TD of Scott’s NFL career.
Philadelphia made it a 31-13 ball game in the fourth quarter when Jordan Howard plunged forward for 3 yards to record his 5th rushing TD (6th offensive TD) of the season. The TD run completed a 14-play, 83-yard drive that lasted 8 minutes and 17 seconds.
KEY DEFENSIVE & SPECIAL TEAMS MOMENTS
Philadelphia’s defense forced a three-and-out on Buffalo’s game-opening drive, which featured a strip-sack of Bills QB Josh Allen by Fletcher Cox for a 6-yard loss on third-and-6. Cox has registered a strip-sack in consecutive games.
This is the second time in Cox’s career that he has forced a fumble in back-to-back games as well as the first instance since 10/11/15-10/19/15 (3 total FFs).On third-and-2 from the BUF 28 in the second quarter, Brandon Graham was credited with a forced fumble and fumble recovery against Bills QB Josh Allen.
The takeaway set up the Eagles offense at the BUF 24, which Philadelphia capitalized on with a 5-yard TD (Carson Wentz to Dallas Goedert), 11-7.Graham (18 career FFs and 6 career FRs in the regular season) has posted at least 1 FF and 1 FR in each of the last four seasons. He also has recorded 1+ FF in eight consecutive seasons.Following a Buffalo TD that made it a 17-13 score in the third quarter, Derek Barnett blocked the PAT attempt by Bills K Stephen Hauschka. It was the 2nd blocked PAT attempt of Barnett’s career (last: 12/17/17 at N.Y. Giants – Giants K Aldrick Rosas).
Overall, it is Barnett’s 3rd career blocked kick (also blocked FG on 10/30/17 vs. San Francisco – 49ers K Robbie Gould).Brandon Graham recorded his team-leading 5th sack of the season in the third quarter when he brought down Bills QB Josh Allen for a 2-yard loss on third-and-8, forcing a fourth-and-10 from the BUF 29.
The Bills offense then turned the ball over on downs on the very next play.Graham’s 5.0 sacks (all of which have come on third down) are tied for his most QB takedowns ever through 8 games (also 2017, when he finished the season with a career-high 9.5 sacks).
INTERCONFERENCE GAMES & SERIES HISTORY vs. BILLS
Since 2003, Philadelphia has posted a 41-24-1 record vs. AFC opponents, which marks the 4th-highest interconference winning percentage (.629) in the NFL in that span (1st among NFC teams).Including playoffs, Doug Pederson has led the Eagles to a 10-4 (.714) record against the AFC. Since 2016, only two NFL teams have produced higher winning percentages in interconference games: New England (.786, 11-3) and L.A. Rams (.786, 11-3).Philadelphia has won each of its last 5 games vs. AFC East opponents, including its 41-33 victory against New England on 2/4/18 in Super Bowl LII. Overall, the Eagles have won 8 of their last 9 games (.889) vs. AFC East teams, averaging a 30.6-18.4 (+12.2 margin) score in those contests.
Philadelphia improved to 8-6 (.571) in the all-time series vs. Buffalo and has now won 4 of its last 5 games against the Bills. Additionally, the Eagles are now 4-4 (.500) at New Era Field. *
This notebook was furnished by the Philadelphia Eagles Media Relations Department,