Anthony DiBona
All week long we’ve heard about DeMarco Murray and LeSean McCoy but this game is much bigger than that. Sure, the storylines make for fun arguments and page views but it’s time to talk about the actual game. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills are in “must win mode” if they want to make a push for the playoffs.
Despite the head coaches being polar opposites, both of these teams have taken similar paths during the regular season. That path is similar to a roller coaster ride, to be quite honest. One week the Bills and Eagles look like upcoming juggernauts and then the following week, they’re sent back down to earth. So which teams will show up on Sunday? Nobody knows, but that’s the beauty of the game itself.
Three Storylines To Watch For
1) Can the Eagles stop LeSean McCoy?
Although McCoy won’t be shaking Chip Kelly’s hand this Sunday, he could have a field day shaking the Eagles’ defense. But that depends on which defense shows up. Will it be the poor tackling “defense” that showed up against the Buccaneers and Lions? Or the unit that shocked the world last week against the Patriots? Either way, they’ll have their hands full going up against a highly motivated and fully healthy “Shady.”
2) Is Sam Bradford finally comfortable?
Although the stats weren’t pretty for Bradford last week, he played within himself and didn’t turn the ball over. In St. Louis, Bradford rarely turned the ball over so the fact that he was suddenly a turnover machine in Philadelphia was certainly out of character. Maybe it was injuries or maybe he was still learning the offense but the point is, Bradford looks like a different quarterback right now. It’ll be interesting to see if he can maintain his turnover free ways against a stout Bills’ defense.
3) What’s the plan at running back for the Eagles?
Chip Kelly did the unexpected and basically benched his $40 million running back DeMarco Murray against the Patriots. Will that plan continue now that Ryan Mathews is back in the mix as well? It seems like having four talented running backs is a good problem to have on the outside but these players have egos. As we learned this past week following Murray’s meeting with Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. I’d personally like to see Mathews be the workhorse running back like he was earlier in the regular season against the Jets but we will learn soon enough what the real plan at running back is.
Key Matchup To Watch For
Eric Rowe vs. Sammy Watkins
After a highly criticized performance against the Lions, Rowe bounced back with a phenomenal performance against the Patriots in his first career start. Up next he’ll likely be tasked with facing one of the hottest wide receivers in the NFL, Sammy Watkins. After an injury plagued slow start to the season, Watkins has put together a couple of impressive performances. The Patriots tried to pick on Rowe last week by targeting Brandon LaFell a ton, but that didn’t work as planned.
There’s a good chance the Bills will do the same thing with Watkins and it could very well result in a few big plays that could shift the game in Buffalo’s favor. Yet if it’s up to Rowe, he’ll attempt to shut all of that down and push the Eagles to victory. It may seem like an underrated matchup to watch for during the game but it could certainly end up having a huge impact on the final outcome this Sunday. Maybe it’s the NFL’s version of the rookie vs. sophomore game, it sure will be fun to watch.
Bettor’s Odds
Depending on where you look, the Eagles are either one point favorites or it’s a “pick ’em.” The over/under for the game is set at 46.5 or 47, which certainly seems like a reasonable mark. Both of these teams have shown they can put up a ton of points. On the other side of the ball, both defensive units have struggled at times and surrendered some big point totals. That could equal up to a good ‘ol fashion shootout!
My Prediction
Despite the fact that this game seems like an even matchup on paper, I just can’t find it in myself to pick the Eagles. They’ve been consistently inconsistent this season and for that reason, I think they’ll find a way to lose this game. Maybe they start force feeding Murray for no reason or Bradford turns it over a few times again. In the end, I think the Bills pull out a close victory at the Linc and everyone wants to fire Chip Kelly again.
Final Score Prediction: Bills 30, Eagles 24
That’s all for my Eagles vs. Bills preview, be sure to check back here at PhillyInfluencer.com for all of the latest news regarding your beloved Birds and everything else happening in Philadelphia!