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Nov. 27 (UPI) -- The Buffalo Bills must work on "finding plays down the stretch" in future games after losing a tight battle to the Philadelphia Eagles, coach Sean McDermott told reporters. McDermott made the comments at his postgame news conference, after the Eagles secured their 37-34 overtime victory Sunday in Philadelphia.
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"Against a good football team, we came in here and played well," McDermott said. "We just gotta continue to work on finding plays, finding plays down the stretch. It was obviously not enough."
The Bills offense totaled 505 yards, but were outscored 23-10 in the fourth quarter and overtime. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw three second-half touchdown passes and ran for the game-winning score in overtime.
"I look at myself first," McDermott said. "I look at the defense after that, and in the second half, we didn't do enough to win the game."
Hurts, who was responsible for five touchdowns in Sunday's win, started the scoring with a 1-yard run late in the first quarter.
The Bills answered with 17-unanswered points in the second quarter and led 17-7 at halftime. The Eagles used a 6-play, 62-yard drive to score on their second possession of the second half. The Bills responded with a 9-play, 70-yard touchdown drive.
Hurts connected with wide receiver DeVonta Smith about three minutes later on a 15-yard touchdown toss. Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw an interception two plays later. The Eagles turned that turnover into points about four minutes into the fourth quarter when Hurts threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.
That score gave the Eagles their first lead since the second quarter, but Allen and the Bills answered with a touchdown drive with less than two minutes remaining. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott then made a 59-yard field goal to force overtime.
The Bills marched down to the Eagles 22-yard line on the first possession of overtime. Allen took the snap on a 3rd-and-7 play, but miscommunicated with wide receiver Gabe Davis on what would have been a game-winning touchdown connection.
Allen took the snap out of the shotgun formation and took several steps in his drop back. He then tossed a long pass toward the end zone, but Davis ran wide left of the throw. The ball then fell to the ground for an incompletion.
"I made a guess and I guessed wrong," Allen, who said the play allowed Davis to choose options for his route, told reporters.
Bills kicker Tyler Bass made a 40-yard field goal seconds later. The Eagles answered with their 9-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, winning the game on the 12-yard Hurts run.
With Sunday's loss, the Bills (6-6) fell to .500 for the first time since September. They currently hold the No. 10 seed in the AFC and would not make the playoffs if the postseason started today. They are in second place in the AFC East, behind the division-leading Miami Dolphins (8-3).
Allen completed 29 of 51 passes for 339 yards, two scores and an interception. He also ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
"Make no mistake, that's a really good football team," Allen said of the Eagles. "They are defending NFC champions for reason. They made plays. They made enough to win the game."
The Eagles (10-1) are on a five-game winning streak. They will host the San Francisco 49ers at 4:25 p.m. EST Sunday in Philadelphia.
The Bills, who lost three of their last four and five of their last eight, are on bye in Week 12. They will face the Kansas City Chiefs (8-3) at 4:25 p.m. Dec. 10 in Kansas City, Mo.
