The Philadelphia Eagles secured a narrow 13-12 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, handing the AFC East title to the New England Patriots. Buffalo's late touchdown was marred by a blocked extra point and a failed two-point conversion attempt. This loss eliminated the Bills from division contention despite their strong 11-5 record.
In a tense Week 17 matchup at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, the Eagles held off a desperate Bills comeback to preserve their lead. Buffalo struggled offensively for nearly 55 minutes, remaining scoreless until a late touchdown drive. However, the extra point attempt was blocked, leaving them trailing by seven. With time winding down, quarterback Josh Allen's pass to Khalil Shakir on a two-point conversion for the win fell incomplete, sealing Philadelphia's triumph.
The Bills were shut out in the first half at home for the fourth time since Allen joined the team in 2018, one of those being a meaningless 2019 finale. Allen's performance was marred by a -0.54 EPA per dropback, his lowest of the season according to TruMedia. Meanwhile, the Eagles' defense, including contributions that forced the key stops, proved decisive.
This result clinched the AFC East for the Patriots, who improved to 13-3 with a 42-10 rout of the Jets earlier that day. New England, coming off just four wins last season, now eyes the AFC's top seed with a 34% chance per The Athletic's predictor. The Bills, at 11-5, remain in the playoff field but locked into a wild-card spot.
Broader Week 17 implications include a Ravens-Steelers showdown for the AFC North in Week 18 after Pittsburgh's 13-6 loss to the Browns, and a Panthers-Bucs battle for the NFC South following Carolina's 27-10 defeat to the Seahawks.
