The Philadelphia Eagles got a much-needed 13-12 win over the Buffalo Bills, but it didn’t come without a nerve-wrenching near-collapse in the fourth quarter. Head coach Nick Sirianni wants his team to close the games early and pointed fingers at the offensive coaches for not doing a better job in the second half.

Sirianni claimed that he, along with other offensive coaches, should’ve done better in the second half and admitted that he needs to be more involved to make the right calls and find the ideal approach to late-game situations.

“We’ve got to do some different things there. I should have done a better job,” the head coach said.

The frustrating part is how clean the first half looked. All 13 of Philadelphia’s points came before halftime. Dallas Goedert’s first-quarter touchdown gave him 11 on the season, the most ever by an Eagles tight end. Jake Elliott followed with field goals of 47 and 28 yards and added the extra point.

Then came a brutal second half. After scoring on three of five first-half drives, the offense vanished. Outside of the opening possession after halftime, which produced one first down, it was nothing but punts. Four straight three-and-outs. Five punts total. Seventeen yards in the entire second half. It was nightmarish.

Even with 5:11 left and a seven-point lead, the Eagles couldn’t close it. They needed a yard. They didn’t get one. Instead, they went backward, losing two yards and handing the ball back. This has become a pattern. Long stretches where the offense simply shuts down.

We’ve seen this movie already. Against Tampa Bay, the Eagles raced to a 24–6 halftime lead, then spent the rest of the game hanging on as the Buccaneers outscored them 19–7. Earlier in the season, it flipped against the Rams. Philadelphia sleepwalked through the first half, fell behind 26–7, then suddenly woke up and stormed back for a 33–26 win.

Different halves, but same issues. One-half football doesn’t survive January. Sirianni knows that. The good news, if there is any, is that the defense keeps answering the call. Over and over again, it’s been the unit that cleans things up when the offense stalls. Sunday night was no different.

Eagles’ defense steps up yet again

What happened on the other side of the ball shouldn’t get lost. DC Vic Fangio earned every bit of credit coming his way. His defense held Buffalo to a season-low 12 points and controlled the game. The Bills went just 6-for-15 on third down, finished with 20 first downs, 331 total yards, and managed only two scores on three red-zone trips. All while holding the ball for over 35 minutes.

There will be plenty of conversation about the Eagles’ offensive issues and how that kind of inconsistency can catch up to you in January. That part is fair. But nights like this are also reminders of why this team is still dangerous. The defense once again showed it can drag games across the finish line against elite competition.

DE Jalyx Hunt, in particular, was everywhere. The second-year edge rusher has quietly been putting together a strong stretch, and Sunday felt like a continuation of that trend. He finished with seven tackles, three quarterback hits, and two sacks, consistently disrupting the pocket.

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Hunt now leads the Eagles in sacks (5.5), quarterback hits (22), and pressures (55). Josh Allen was sacked five times, and Hunt played a major role in that.

This Eagles defense belongs in the same conversation as the best units in the league, right there with teams like the Texans and the Broncos. Maybe not as steady week to week, but when they’re locked in, they’re just as difficult to deal with. That gives Nick Sirianni a foundation to work with.

But Nick Sirianni needs to find a way to make this offense more consistent throughout the four quarters. They will be playing January football, sure. But going all the way would need this offense to step up.