Their Best Shot

The Eagles are in the middle of a brutal stretch of games. They’ve already secured wins against Dallas, Kansas City and Buffalo. They still have the Niners, a rematch with the Cowboys and then a game with Seattle. This is a huge test for the Eagles, with them having to face star QBs and good defenses. Their might also be a decent coach or two going against them.

I just re-watched the Bills game and the biggest thing that stood out to me is how well Buffalo played. Josh Allen was friggin’ incredible at times.

Josh Allen hitting a honey hole shot to a wheel route on third-and-7 with his feet on his own goal line in the rain

Just bonkers stuff pic.twitter.com/JsTMjefN0f

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) November 27, 2023

Steps through pressure and contact and hits Diggs in-stride off platform wow pic.twitter.com/WaTS7j0LOM

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) November 27, 2023

Jalen Hurts is a stud QB. Josh Allen is a freak. He’s got special ability. The Eagles defense gave up 505 yards and 34 points, but I thought they played pretty well for most of the game. They just didn’t have answers for Allen. He’s the kind of special player that can do things you just can’t account for. I hope we don’t see him again for four more years. Wow.

There is real value in Buffalo playing well. They pushed the Eagles to the brink. Buffalo was up by 10 at the half and going into the fourth quarter. They made big plays on offense and defense. The Eagles finally got off the mat in the second half and came alive. The Eagles cut the score to 17-14. The Bills went right down and stretched it to 24-14. It wasn’t until James Bradberry picked off a pass that the Eagles were able to take control of the game. And even that didn’t last long. The teams exchanged scores until the Eagles won in OT.

Winning in the postseason isn’t easy. You need to be tested. That doesn’t mean just playing good teams. You want them to push you. What did SF learn from blowing out Dallas? It was fun to watch, but it didn’t tell them much.

The Eagles were also tested by KC. I know the Chiefs had several dropped passes, but they also got a great showing from their defense. DT Chris Jones was dominant in that game. That’s the kind of thing you’ll see in January (or February). Patrick Mahomes had some special moments in the game. He had me yelling at the TV and wishing death and destruction upon him. Mahomes has replaced Russell Wilson as the player who tortures my soul the most.

Think back to Dallas. The Cowboys led that game at halftime. Dak Prescott played his best game of the year (numbers aside). He wouldn’t go away. The Eagles got up 28-17, but Prescott kept firing. He cut it to 28-23 and then had a chance to win at the end. Dallas started their final drive at their own 14 and got inside the Eagles 10. The pass rush finally got him with a big sack and that helped to seal the win.

These tests should serve the Eagles well in the postseason. They are going against good QBs and you know you’ll run across one or two of those guys in the playoffs. They are facing veteran defensive coaches who can create challenging gameplans. The Eagles have dealt with some star players and found a way to control them or at least stop them in a key moment.

Eagles coaches and players should be getting better as they deal with this. That doesn’t mean their won’t be issues. Each of these games has had a point where you seriously questioned the Eagles and if they had a chance to win.

“What are they doing?”

The Eagles respond. Coaches make adjustments. Players make plays.

I’m excited to see how things play out over the next three weeks. The Niners can be a force to reckon with and they seem to be obsessed with beating the Eagles. Dallas is playing at a high level and will have a chip on their shoulder after losing the first meeting. Seattle is never an easy place to play.

More tests.

It will be great if the Eagles continue to pass the tests, but there will be value in just playing the games. The Eagles will continue to learn about themselves, good and bad. So far there has been a lot more good.

It would be nice if the fellas could blow someone out and give us a relaxing Sunday. We don’t need every game to go down to the wire.

*****

Some leftover thoughts from the Eagles' win, including:

– Jake Elliott's brilliance
– Jordan Davis' chase down
– DeVonta Smith's efficiency
– Is Jalen Carter somehow an upgrade over Javon Hargrave?
– D'Andre Swift's explosive runs
– Third-and-long defensehttps://t.co/73bNTWznxd

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) November 29, 2023

Good piece from Zach. I thought this was interesting.

Speaking of upgrades from the 2022 roster, D’Andre Swift’s talent should be obvious by now. The Eagles upgraded over Miles Sanders with Swift, even if he doesn’t finish with Sanders’ volume at the end of the season. Swift’s 36-yard rush was the longest play of the game against the Bills, and he now has five rushes of 25-plus yards this season. That’s more than Sanders had in either of the past two seasons.

And this is not to pick on Sanders — Swift’s big-play ability trumps most running backs in the NFL. Only Saquon Barkley and De’Von Achane have as many as 25-plus yard runs this season. The chunk plays have made the offense more dynamic and have come at opportune times.

Great nugget on the 25-yard runs. Nick Sirianni loves chunk plays so you know he loves a RB who can deliver those runs.

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