Bills Vs. Eagles Game Breakdown

The Buffalo Bills have their backs up against the wall...again. They've dropped their 7th game of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles, and their playoff dreams are nearly over the edge. Penalties came up strong again on Sunday, and ultimately it did just enough to kill multiple Bills drives. They have now fallen to 6-7 on the season, and with the Jets winning their game Saturday, the Bills now find themselves 3 games behind the New York Jets team. This Bills team has been inconsistent all year, and it's come to a head as their playoff hopes are in shambles. Buffalo lost a tough one to Philly in Shady McCoy's homecoming game 23-20. Let's break down the game.

Offensively, the Bills looked good on paper. 418 yards of total offense, 35 minutes TOP (Time of Possession), 18 first downs. Those numbers don't tell the whole story though. Multiple times, the penalties killed the Bills. It seemed like they could never get good field position, especially late in the second half. Tyrod threw the ball well for the most part, but was inaccurate or under duress on several of his passes. In addition, 2 key turnovers killed them, one of them being a muffed punt. Stupid mistakes was the key to this game.

Tyrod Taylor finished his day 19/36, 268 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Tyrod's interception was his first since October, and although it came at an awful time in the game, he was trying to make a play, and making a turnover is unlike Tyrod. It's a rare occurrence, and he'll only get better as he gains more experience. I still believe Tyrod's talents are not being fully shown like they were earlier in the season. Tyrod needs to rush more with the ball and throw down the middle. The coaching staff seems to like making Tyrod throw deep, which is great, but he can do so much more. If Taylor can get in a groove and play his game, he'll be as dangerous as ever.

Lesean McCoy had a typical Lesean McCoy day, racking up over 100 all purpose yards as usual over his past several games. He put up 74 yards on 24 carries and 35 yards on 4 receptions. He is as explosive as ever, and although he didn't have a huge game back in his home town, he still played hard and had a productive day.

As far as receivers go, Robert Woods went off, putting up 106 yards on 5 receptions. With Sammy's 5 catches going for 85 yards as well, they were a great duo. Sammy Watkins still needs to get the ball more though. He is often times overlooked, even when he's wide open. He also needs to get thrown to in the middle of the field. His speed seems to only be used down the sideline, and as a player who looks to be a potential NFL superstar, he needs more targets ALL OVER the field.

The defense was not too strong on Sunday, and with all the injuries, it was obvious they were needing some help out there. Kyle Williams, Aaron Williams, Nigel Bradham and Stephon Gilmore were all hurt for Sunday's game. The Eagles found some room to run and Sam Bradford also had time to pass, as the pass rush was not always there. This is a confusing defense to watch at times. They've got to find a way to bounce back over the course of this season and into the next.

Overall, it was a loss that should've been a win. Buffalo had many opportunities to take the lead, but could not find a way to do so. With it looking like the playoffs are out of the Bills' grasp yet again, frustrations are beginning to grow all across the Bills fanbase. Why is the defense doing so poorly? How come Sammy's not being thrown the ball enough? Why are the Bills so undisciplined? These are questions that must be addressed somehow. This team is too good to be losing this many games. The Bills are down and out, but not dead yet in the playoff race, and although they're living on a prayer, crazier things have happened. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

Sources: http://espn.go.com/nfl/matchup?gameId=400791524
Image #1: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Image #2: Elsa/Getty Images