It was the play that really won the game for the Eagles last Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
And it was a play the Bills weren’t too happy about.
The big 41-yard pass to Zach Ertz in the fourth quarter that set up the game-winning field goal sure looked like a pick (or rub) play, which, of course, would be illegal.
Here’s what Bills running back Boobie Dixon had to say about the play after the game, via ESPN:
“The play at the end of the game, when they ran the pick route -- it was a pick route -- but I guess we’re not gonna talk about that,” Dixon said. “They made that play. That was the turning point in the game, I thought that’s when they kind of stole the momentum from us. It’s questionable, you know? But it’s whatever, man. Like I said, they outplayed us.
“C’mon, man. We all know what’s going on, man. When do you ever see players run into each other like that on the field? That just don’t accidentally happen. But it’s cool. It sucks. We got outplayed. We lost. We’ve got to go home and regroup.”
The play in question happened on a 3rd-and-3 from the Eagles’ 41-yard line. On Monday, Chip Kelly said on that play, Josh Huff was running a slant and Ertz was running a quick out, two routes that would pick up a first down with a completion.
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Kelly, on Monday, maintained there was no pick play.
“No, Josh was trying to run a slant route and trying to get open to get himself clean,” Kelly said. “That's the quarterback's first read is to throw the slant, and if the slant is covered, then come to the flat route.”
Either way, the play ended up being one of the biggest in the entire game. So, let’s take a look at how it unfolded:
Ertz and Huff are circled in red, while their two corresponding defenders are circled in blue.
Now, the play starts to unfold. Huff gets bumped at the line, but continues to work through the press coverage to run his slant route. Meanwhile, Ertz breaks off the line to run that quick out. His man, safety Corey Graham (blue), is sprinting to where Ertz is about to catch the ball. Huff, running his slant, gets in his way. This frame is just before the pick.
The collision has happened. Huff gets plowed into by Graham, which gives Ertz some extra space. Now, Leodis McKelvin, who was covering Huff, has to try to take down the tight end.
Ertz already has the first down, but now the big tight end is going to rumble for an extra 30-plus yards. First, he's going to get past McKelvin by using a stiff arm.
McKelvin has no chance to stop Ertz, who had a head full of steam.
At the end of this play, safety Duke Williams tried to stop Ertz after what would have been a big gain of about 30 yards, but Ertz carried him for an extra 10.
This play gave the Eagles the ball at the Buffalo 18-yard line, well within field goal range. They gained six more yards before kicking the field goal that put them up 23-20, the game's final score.