Chip Kelly and the Eagles remained in a first-place tie with Dallas after a 24-21 win over Arizona at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadephia. The Eagles got another solid performance from quarterback Nick Foles, 21-34 passing for 237 yards and 3 tds. For the season the former Arizona Wildcat has 19 tds, no interceptions, completing 63% of his passes.
No bird droppings: former Duck nemesis Zach Ertz caught two touchdown passes for Chip Kelly’s Eagles in a 24-21 home win over Arizona, a sweet outcome after the Cardinal coach had dogged CK’s offensive scheme in the build-up to the game (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images).
Midweek, Cardinal coach Bruce Arians criticized Kelly’s offense, calling the read-option “a great college offense.” Kelly responded by saying the zone-read was a play not an offense, just part of what his team does. The Eagles were relatively grounded in the game, held to just 307 yards, but they didn’t have a turnover while forcing three, building a 24-7 lead and then hanging on for the win.
Patrick Chung had one pass deflection, and Casey Matthews contributed one tackle.
For the year, the Eagle offense has been pretty darned effective. A 4-12 team is now a playoff contender at 7-5. Foles leads the league in passing efficiency with a rating of 125.2, and LeSean McCoy is second in rushing with 1088 yards.
The Buffalo Bills lost again, 34-31 to Atlanta in overtime, but Kiko Alonso and Jairus Byrd starred for the defense once again. Alonso continued his fabulous rookie season with 13 more tackles, a pass deflection and a fumble recovery. The defensive MVP of the 2012 Rose Bowl has 125 tackles in his first 12 games as a pro. Byrd roamed the secondary with 9 tackles; he has 3 ints in an injury-shortened year.
T.J. Ward, former Oregon safety and the brother of Oregon State Beaver tailback Terron Ward, continues to pace an under-manned defense in Cleveland. Sunday he had 7 tackles and a pass deflection, but the Browns fell to 4-8 after a 32-28 loss to Jacksonville. Ward has tallied 84 stops for the season, not getting enough help from his front 7 in a dismal year for the Dog Pound.
LeGarrette Blount was the leading rusher for the pass-first Patriots Sunday in a 34-31 road win over Houston, punching out 44 yards on 12 carries, including a 7-yard td run. The former Webfoot running back has 418 yards and 3 tds for the 9-3 Pats, three games out in front in the AFC East.
LaMichael James never got a touch from scrimmage as the 49ers dodged the Rams 23-13. James returned two punts for 5 yards, one kickoff for 24, muffing one punt but recovering. With starter Sam Bradford out for the year with an injury, Kellen Clemens went the distance for St. Louis, 19-37 passing for 218 yards, 1 td, 1 interception. His team has faint playoff eligibility at 5-7, but they’d have to finish the season with four wins.
Kenjon Barner saw his most extensive action as a pro but found no running room as Carolina planked the Buccaneers 27-6. Barner ran into a wall, five carries for 6 yards. Jonathan Stewart found only a little more room, 14-39, two pass receptions for 3 yards. $cam Newton threw a pair of td passes and added a 56-yard run as the Panthers sprung to 9-3, a half game behind in the NFC South with New Orleans traveling to Seattle to face Max Unger and the 10-1 Seahawks in the Monday night game.
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