The Buffalo Bills know ‘it’s going to take all 11 guys’ on the field to stop an Eagles team with ‘a lot of dogs’

On Sunday, the Eagles (10-5) will travel to Highmark Stadium to face the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills (11-4) in a Week 17 matchup. The last time the teams met in 2023 was an overtime thriller won by the Eagles, 37-34, at home.

Now, the Eagles enter Sunday’s game as 1.5-point underdogs as the Bills try to extend their race for the AFC East title. Will the Bills beat the Eagles? Or will the Eagles continue riding high and extend their winning streak to three?

As the teams prepare, here’s what the Bills are saying about the Eagles:

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As the Bills’ AFC East title hopes remain alive and the Eagles chase the No. 3 seed, the teams are set to clash in what could be a Super Bowl preview.

Although Josh Allen is coming off a game vs. Cleveland in which he suffered a foot injury, the quarterback is prepared to play Sunday and understands the challenges presented by the Eagles defense.

“Well, they got a lot of studs on that side,” Allen told reporters. “Their front, they get after the quarterback. They’ve got two of the best linebackers in the game. A shutdown corner. They rotate well. Got a safety from Wyoming that’s a stud. They got a lot of dogs on that side of the ball. We got to make sure we have a good week of game planning. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to who executes better on Sunday.”

But, the Eagles defense isn’t the only challenge that the Bills will be presented with. Star receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 137 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders.

“They’re really good players,” Bills cornerback and former Villanova star Christian Benford told reporters. “[Veteran] receivers, so they understand ball. So that’s what’s presented. They’re good receivers, smart, and vet receivers.”

And although the run game hasn’t been as dominant as last year, when Saquon Barkley eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards, Bills coach Sean McDermott is aware of the threat the Birds’ running game could pose.

“Very talented roster,” McDermott, who grew up just outside of Philly, told reporters. “They’ve done a great job building it in particular with the key positions. Numbers are numbers. And numbers can indicate certain things. But they can also not tell the full story. We know who Saquon is. I mean, he’s a Hall of Fame player. Their offensive line, very talented as well. … It’s a tough unit to stop. And the run game in particular is real. I know what the numbers say, and I’m not buying the numbers.”

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In an effort to have a different outcome from the last time they met, the Bills will do everything in their power to limit big plays from the Birds.

“It’s going to take all 11 guys on deck this week,” Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White told reporters. “We got to play the whole field. Be able to cover the whole field. These guys do a great job of exploding the ball each and every direction, through the air, on the run. So we’re going to have to be able to try to limit the big-time plays. This is an explosive offense. It’s going to be on us as a defense to communicate well and play well as a group.”