When the Eagles fell behind 31-14 late in the third quarter on Sunday, the team could have very easily packed it in and called it a game. The Eagles had already lost three in a row and it appeared a fourth-straight defeat was inevitable.
But the Eagles fought.
The Eagles moved the ball all game long amassing 489 yards of total offense, but they started turning those yards into points as they scored 10 in the final quarter. The defense adjusted their front-seven alignment by moving the linebackers closer to the line of scrimmage to take away the screens and shovel passes. The defensive line improved in the run game thanks to better tackling all around.
It wasn't enough to pull the Eagles out of the doldrums, but with this Sunday's game in Washington now the focus this team must find a way to harness the intensity from the final quarter against the Bills and unleash it for an entire game.
"I think all the guys are in," Reid said on Monday.
That statement is very important. It was proven by the effort in the fourth quarter on Sunday when another miracle would have been needed to win.
"I thought the effort was good. I thought as the game went on we continued to get better in most phases of the game," Reid said. "There are some good things we can take out of this game."
And instead of brim and firestone, that is the approach Reid will take with his team. There will be no drastic moves such as changes in scheme or coaching staff. Reid has experienced virtually every situation in his 12-plus seasons as head coach of the team. But if the Eagles don't eliminate some of the basic mistakes, all the fight in the world will not make a difference.
The Eagles are tied for the worst turnover differential in the NFL with the Steelers at -10. The Eagles have given the ball away an uncharacteristically high 15 times this season (nine interceptions, six fumbles). On the flip side, the Eagles have generated five takeaways. On Sunday in Buffalo, the Eagles had five turnovers (four interceptions) and only one interception in return.
"We're worried about getting better and fixing the situations we need to fix," Reid said.
Safety Jarrad Page suffered a stinger in Sunday's game and is being evaluated. Defensive end Trent Cole (calf) and offensive tackle Jason Peters (hamstring) did not play Sunday and will be "a stretch," according to Reid, to play Sunday in Washington which precedes the bye week and then three straight home games.
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