3 Takeaways from Bills' Week 12 Loss vs. Eagles

Late Sunday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills battled the Philadelphia Eagles in one of the most pivotal contests of Week 12. In a game that lived up to expectations, Buffalo fell just a bit short.

Josh Allen and the Bills raced out to a 24-14 lead through three quarters, but the Eagles battled back to force overtime. Though Buffalo struck first with a field goal, Jalen Hurts ended the game with a walkoff touchdown scramble.

While the Bills can gain some confidence from going toe-to-toe with the 10-win Eagles, that means little in a tight AFC playoff race. Buffalo fell to 6-6 with the loss and would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today.

There was some good, some bad and some curious from the Bills in Week 12. These are our biggest takeaways.

Having Stefon Diggs on the Field for Third Down Is a Good Idea

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Bills WR Stefon Diggs

It ultimately didn't have a huge impact on the overall game, but a very curious trend was unfolding during the first half. For some reason, No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs was repeatedly taken off the field for third downs.

Perhaps interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady was playing some sort of mental game with the Eagles defense, but not seeing Diggs on the field in critical situations was strange.

"Stefon Diggs not being in the game on third down is getting a little weird," Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Late in the first half, though, Diggs was on the field for a critical 3rd-and-5, and Josh Allen delivered a 22-yard strike to his favorite perimeter target. It marked Diggs' second consecutive catch of the drive and helped set up a Tyler Bass field-goal attempt—though it was blocked.

Diggs was also on the field on 3rd-and-goal just before halftime, and he hauled in a touchdown pass at the goal line.

Plenty of what Brady called on Sunday worked, but he should probably keep Diggs on the field on money downs moving forward.

Bills Must Continue Utilizing Allen's Legs

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Josh Allen tries to run away from Eagles LB Zach Cunningham

Early in the season, the Bills were reluctant to use quarterback Josh Allen as a runner frequently. He carried six times in the season-opener and then didn't record more than four carries again until Week 7.

We've seen some more scrambling from Allen recently, and in Buffalo's most important game of the season to date, he ran frequently. Using a nice mix of run-pass options, designed scrambles and the occasional improvisation, Allen frustrated the vaunted Eagles defense with his legs early and often.

Allen finished with 81 yards and two touchdowns on a season-high nine carries. He kept the Eagles off-balance and played a big role in Buffalo's converting an impressive 13 third downs. He had a huge 15-yard run on 3rd-and-9 in overtime that helped set up a go-ahead field goal.

The idea of preserving Allen by running him less is rooted in logic, but this late in the season, it's time to fully unleash him as a dual-threat. The Bills will have their bye in Week 13, and they have crucial games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys coming out of it.

Buffalo needs every option at its disposal moving forward.

Allen's Turnover Issues Remain

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Bills QB Josh Allen

While Allen did plenty with his legs on Sunday and mostly played a clean brand of football over the past two weeks, one of his biggest red flags remains.

Last week during a blowout win over the New York Jets, the 27-year-old threw his 12th interception of the season. Against the Eagles, he threw his 13th at a pivotal point early in the fourth quarter.

The Bills were still ahead but were nursing a three-point lead following a DeVonta Smith touchdown. Allen tried to force a pass to Diggs in tight coverage, and it was picked by James Bradberry at the Buffalo 29-yard line. Three plays later, the Eagles were in the end zone again and ahead.

In a game that was lost in overtime, that miscue looms large, and it continues an alarming trend for Allen. He now has 16 turnovers on the season and has thrown an interception in 10 of 12 games.

Would Buffalo have won Sunday if not for Allen's pick? Perhaps not, but it certainly didn't help. He's one of the league's best quarterbacks when he's at his best—he finished with 420 yards of offense and four touchdowns—but his penchant for mistakes has made it difficult for the Bills to outlast in close games.

Brady has to find a way to get Allen to stop making poor decisions, or else Buffalo is going to miss the postseason.