Eagles Or Bills: Who Should Be More Concerned?

The defending Super Bowl champions have had an inauspicious start to their title defense. After eking out narrow victories throughout the first month of the season, Philly’s luck has recently run out.

The Eagles’ winning streak was initially snapped in a 21-17 home loss against the Denver Broncos. Philadelphia held a 17-3 lead in the third quarter of that game before surrendering the game’s final 18 points to the Broncos. Yes, Denver is a good team, but one would expect that a team as used to winning as Philadelphia is would avoid blowing double-digit leads in the second half, especially at home.

Following that loss, the Eagles proceeded to get absolutely manhandled by their division rival Giants, 34-17. Philadelphia was once again dominated in the second half. From the final two minutes of the second quarter to the end of the game, the Giants outscored the Eagles 21-0, turning a competitive game into a clear-cut victory for the G-Men.

The consecutive losses have placed Philly’s issues on full display. The Eagles’ offense ranks 30th in the NFL in yards per game with an average of just 274.5. They also rank 28th in yards per play (4.93), 25th in first downs per game (17.8), and 27th in third down conversion rate (34.7%). On top of that, the Eagles’ passing offense has been highly insufficient to say the least. Philadelphia currently averages just 179.2 passing yards per game, the fourth-fewest in the league.

Are The Bills Too Reliant On Josh Allen?

Buffalo looked like the clear Super Bowl favorite through their first four games. In addition to starting 4-0, the Bills also managed to score 30 or more points in every game. However, their hot start to the season now looks increasingly fraudulent seeing how the teams they beat during that span have a combined record of 3-21. Over the last two games, the Bills have suffered defeats at the hands of the Patriots and Falcons, two teams they were favored to beat.

While Josh Allen continues to play at an MVP level, the team around him appears to have serious issues, especially on defense. Buffalo’s defense gave up 443 yards to Atlanta in their most recent outing—the most yards the Falcons have had in any game this season. The Bills’ overall defensive numbers are not terrible; however, they may very well have been inflated by playing a string of bad teams to open the season.

Which Team Should Be More Concerned?

I don’t think it’s time to panic for either team just yet. After all, we’re not even at the halfway point of the season. With that being said, both teams need to turn things around in the near future if they hope to finish with a first-round bye in their respective conference.

All things considered, the Eagles are currently in better shape than the Bills are. While their performances have been questionable thus far, Philadelphia still has arguably the best roster in the NFL—one that is absolutely stacked on both sides of the ball. It remains a safe assumption that they will end up turning things around sooner or later.

On the other hand, there are no indications that the Bills’ defense is bound to improve between now and the end of the season. They’ve had difficulties in every game they’ve played against a competent opponent, and now their division lead has been stolen away by the red hot New England Patriots. As great as Josh Allen is, Buffalo’s defense will have to improve or else they will certainly be heading towards more disappointment when January rolls around.

Buffalo is on bye this week, while Philadelphia will have a road matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.