The Buffalo Bills will host the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium for this Sunday’s Week 17 matchup.
For this battle between the Bills (11-4) and Eagles (10-5), it will be the games, within the game, that will make all the difference.
Here are Bills Wire’s three key matchups to watch during the Bills vs. Eagles matchup:
DE Greg Rousseau vs. RT Fred Johnson
Coming off of a monstrous Week 16 performance against the Cleveland Browns when he had 2.5 sacks and seven QB hits, Greg Rousseau finds himself with another opportunity in front of him. Eagles All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson was ruled out for the contest, and he will presumably be replaced by veteran Fred Johnson. Johnson has played spot duty this year and has held up well, but Rousseau is starting to heat up down the final stretch of the season.
RB James Cook vs. LB Zack Baun
James Cook and Zack Baun will most likely cross paths often on Sunday. Cook leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,532) and is second in attempts (287), trailing Jonathan Taylor by one carry. Baun is 18th in the NFL in total tackles on the year, and on Sunday he’ll be without his running mate in LB Nakobe Dean. A lot will be on Baun’s shoulders to try and prevent Cook from breaking off big runs.
CB Christian Benford vs. WR A.J. Brown
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has seen at least ten targets in five of his last six games. When he’s matched up with Bills cornerback Christian Benford on the outside, it will be strength versus strength. Over his last three games, Benford has allowed only one reception on just six targets. And on the other hand, Brown is coming off of a nine-catch, 95-yard performance.