Relentless Defense Wins Big Game
Posted December 28th, 2025 | 6 Comments »Winning in Buffalo isn’t easy. It is even harder when your offense gains 16 yards in the second half. But the Eagles did win. Vic Fangio’s defense played a great game that allowed the Eagles to escape with a 13-12 victory. I sure did not see that coming.
The Bills came into the game as the #1 running offense and #3 scoring offense. The Eagles held them to a season low in points. You have to go back to September of 2024 to find a lower total when the Ravens held them to 10 points. The Eagles sacked Josh Allen 5 times, came up with a takeaway, had a goal line stand and limited the Buffalo ground game.
Nick Sirianni praised the defense for their “relentless effort” after the game. They chased Allen all over the field. They flew to the ball and tackled well. They made Buffalo earn every single yard. This wasn’t one guy. The whole unit played lights out. Jalen Carter had a sack, a pass deflection and a crucial blocked extra point in his return to action. You can see what a special player he is.
Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell combined for 13 tackles, a TFL and a fumble recovery. Those guys were all over the field, making plays in coverage and against the run. They were a big reason Allen was held to 7-27 on the ground. Baun tripped up Allen just shy of the goal line on the series where they held the Bills out. Marcus Epps might have played his best NFL game. He led the team with 9 tackles and had a TFL near the goal line.
Weather was a factor for both teams. It rained for most of the game. This wasn’t misting. It was a legitimate downpour. Tom Brady said during the broadcast that he felt the receivers for both teams were wearing the wrong set of gloves (plastic vs leather).
The Eagles offense put up 174 yards and 13 points in the first half. Jalen Hurts made some really impressive throws. Saquon Barkley had room to run and the offense was very promising. Then halftime came. And the offense disappeared.
They went 5 & out on the first drive. The next four drives were all 3 & outs. The offense ran 18 plays for 16 yards in the second half. That does include a kneel-down, but you still get the point. That’s awful. The offense went run heavy.
4 of the Eagles’ 5 second half drives began run-run on the first two plays.
â Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) December 29, 2025
That makes total sense when you have Saquon Barkley and the other team is 29th in run defense. But give the Bills credit. They were very aggressive in the second half and shut down the run. Once it got to third down they blitzed and the Eagles stalled. The play-calling needs to be better. When the run isn’t working, you have to adjust.
Execution wasn’t great in the run game or pass game. The Eagles also had bad field position. One drive started at their own 16. Another started at the half-yard line. Not ideal.
I know some people will talk about officiating. Buffalo got away with a clear PI that would have put the Eagles inside the 10-yard line in the first half. The officials overturned a catch by DeVonta in the second half that made no sense. There was nothing clear or obvious about that. The Eagles offense must be able to overcome tough circumstances if they are going to get back to the Super Bowl. Things don’t go smoothly in January.
At least the team knows the defense is playing at an elite level. That should give them a chance in every game. The win keeps the team in the hunt for the second seed in the NFC. As much as you may hate it, pull for SF to beat the Bears.
The Eagles won a tough game in a tough place. That is to be celebrated, even if the offense opened up a bunch of frustrating questions. The Eagles are 11-5, NFC East champs and overall pretty healthy. Life is pretty good.
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[…] Defesa implacĂĄvel vence o grande jogo â blitz dos EaglesVencer em Buffalo nĂŁo Ă© fĂĄcil. Ă ainda mais difĂcil quando seu ataque ganha 16 jardas no segundo tempo. Mas as Ăguias venceram. A defesa de Vic Fangio fez um grande jogo que permitiu aos Eagles escaparem com uma vitĂłria por 13-12. Tenho certeza de que isso nĂŁo acontecerĂĄ. Os Bills entraram em jogo como o ataque nĂșmero 1 em corrida e o terceiro ataque em pontuação. Os Eagles mantiveram a temporada com poucos pontos. Um total menor teria que remontar a setembro de 2024, quando os Ravens os mantiveram com 10 pontos. Os Eagles demitiram Josh Allen 5 vezes, fizeram uma retirada, defenderam a linha do gol e limitaram o jogo de chĂŁo do Buffalo. Nick Siriani elogiou a defesa pelo âesforço incansĂĄvelâ apĂłs o jogo. Eles perseguem Allen por todo o campo. Eles voaram atĂ© a bola e fizeram bons desarmes. Eles fazem o bĂșfalo ganhar cada metro. Esse cara nĂŁo era. A unidade inteira se apaga. Jalen Carter voltou Ă ação com um sack, um desvio de passe e um importante ponto extra bloqueado. VocĂȘ pode ver como ele Ă© um jogador especial. […]
[…] La defensa implacable gana el gran partido: el bombardeo de los EaglesGanar en Buffalo no es fĂĄcil. Es aĂșn mĂĄs difĂcil cuando tu ofensiva gana 16 yardas en la segunda mitad. Pero las Ăguilas ganaron. La defensa de Vic Fangio realizĂł un gran partido que permitiĂł a las Ăguilas escaparse con una victoria por 13-12. Estoy seguro de que eso no sucederĂĄ. Los Bills llegaron al juego como la ofensiva terrestre nĂșmero uno y la ofensiva nĂșmero tres en anotaciones. Los Eagles mantuvieron su temporada baja en puntos. Un total mĂĄs bajo tendrĂa que remontarse a septiembre de 2024, cuando los Ravens los limitaron a 10 puntos. Los Eagles capturaron a Josh Allen 5 veces, se llevaron una comida para llevar, se ubicaron en la lĂnea de gol y limitaron el juego terrestre de Buffalo. Nick Siriani elogiĂł a la defensa por su “esfuerzo implacable” despuĂ©s del partido. Persiguen a Allen por todo el campo. Volaron hacia el balĂłn e hicieron buenas entradas. Hacen que el bĂșfalo gane cada metro. Este tipo no lo era. Toda la unidad se ilumina. Jalen Carter volviĂł a la acciĂłn con una captura, un pase desviado y un importante punto extra bloqueado. Se puede ver lo especial que es. […]
[…] Relentless Defense Wins Big Game â Iggles BlitzWinning in Buffalo isnât easy. It is even harder when your offense gains 16 yards in the second half. But the Eagles did win. Vic Fangioâs defense played a great game that allowed the Eagles to escape with a 13-12 victory. I sure did not see that coming. The Bills came into the game as the #1 running offense and #3 scoring offense. The Eagles held them to a season low in points. You have to go back to September of 2024 to find a lower total when the Ravens held them to 10 points. The Eagles sacked Josh Allen 5 times, came up with a takeaway, had a goal line stand and limited the Buffalo ground game. Nick Sirianni praised the defense for their ârelentless effortâ after the game. They chased Allen all over the field. They flew to the ball and tackled well. They made Buffalo earn every single yard. This wasnât one guy. The whole unit played lights out. Jalen Carter had a sack, a pass deflection and a crucial blocked extra point in his return to action. You can see what a special player he is. […]
[…] Relentless Defense Wins Big Game – Iggles Blitz […]
[…] Relentless Defense Wins Big Game â Iggles BlitzWinning in Buffalo isnât easy. It is even harder when your offense gains 16 yards in the second half. But the Eagles did win. Vic Fangioâs defense played a great game that allowed the Eagles to escape with a 13-12 victory. I sure did not see that coming. The Bills came into the game as the #1 running offense and #3 scoring offense. The Eagles held them to a season low in points. You have to go back to September of 2024 to find a lower total when the Ravens held them to 10 points. The Eagles sacked Josh Allen 5 times, came up with a takeaway, had a goal line stand and limited the Buffalo ground game. Nick Sirianni praised the defense for their ârelentless effortâ after the game. They chased Allen all over the field. They flew to the ball and tackled well. They made Buffalo earn every single yard. This wasnât one guy. The whole unit played lights out. Jalen Carter had a sack, a pass deflection and a crucial blocked extra point in his return to action. You can see what a special player he is. […]
[…] Relentless Defense Wins Big Game – Iggles BlitzWinning in Buffalo isnât easy. It is even harder when your offense gains 16 yards in the second half. But the Eagles did win. Vic Fangioâs defense played a great game that allowed the Eagles to escape with a 13-12 victory. I sure did not see that coming. The Bills came into the game as the #1 running offense and #3 scoring offense. The Eagles held them to a season low in points. You have to go back to September of 2024 to find a lower total when the Ravens held them to 10 points. The Eagles sacked Josh Allen 5 times, came up with a takeaway, had a goal line stand and limited the Buffalo ground game. Nick Sirianni praised the defense for their ârelentless effortâ after the game. They chased Allen all over the field. They flew to the ball and tackled well. They made Buffalo earn every single yard. This wasnât one guy. The whole unit played lights out. Jalen Carter had a sack, a pass deflection and a crucial blocked extra point in his return to action. You can see what a special player he is. […]