Eagles-Bills Snap Counts: Jalyx Hunt and the defense dominate in Buffalo

The Eagles beat the Bills in Week 17, and the snap counts tell a familiar story. The defense carried a massive workload, the offense sputtered for long stretches, and a few young guys quietly made the most of their opportunities.

Eagles survive in Buffalo, defense carries in gritty 13–12 win

Eagles Offense: Same Problems, Same Questions

Jordan Mailata continues to lead the team in offensive snaps, which is both impressive and slightly concerning when you consider how often this offense still stalls out. Even with the starting quarterback and essentially the full offensive line on the field, the Eagles somehow managed just one offensive touchdown. That cannot be the ceiling.

Dallas Goedert played one of his lowest snap percentages of the season, which continues a strange trend where the Eagles simply do not feature one of their best mismatch weapons consistently. Grant Calcaterra has two catches in three games for seven total yards and is not exactly screaming “expanded role.”

Darius Cooper continues to get more run, and honestly, he’s earned it. Over the last four games, Cooper has four catches for 52 yards. Jahan Dotson, over that same stretch, has four catches for 16 yards. At some point, the snap distribution should reflect reality.

The running back usage continues to make absolutely zero sense. Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby each logged two carries. Bigsby gained seven yards. Shipley gained two. One of these players clearly brings more juice, and yet the staff insists on pretending this is a true rotation.

Also worth noting: Cooper DeJean continues to rack up meaningless offensive snaps in victory formation, Matt Pryor checked in as a sixth lineman for exactly one snap, and the offense once again failed to stay on the field long enough to help its own defense.

Defense: Bent, Didn’t Break, Worked Overtime

Because the offense couldn’t sustain drives, the defense logged 76 snaps, marking the sixth time this season they’ve been forced to play at least 72. That’s not a badge of honor. That’s a warning sign.

Zack Baun once again led the team in defensive snaps, and Jihaad Campbell looked completely comfortable in his first start since Week 8.

Jalen Carter played one of his lowest snap percentages of the season, which was almost certainly intentional as the team eases him back in. The ripple effect was noticeable. Moro Ojomo dropped into a much more reasonable snap range and responded with one of his better performances, logging a sack, a tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits.

Then there’s Jalyx Hunt.

Hunt ranked third among edge rushers in snaps, but led the entire defense with two sacks and two tackles for loss. That’s elite efficiency. He didn’t need volume. He just needed opportunity.

Jalyx Hunt.

Jalyx Hunt with the 3rd down sack!

PHIvsBUF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/RBJsLwthkT

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

Jalyx Hunt with the sack for a HUGE loss on 3rd down 😤

PHIvsBUF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/FazDWataEs

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

Brandon Graham had one of his quietest games snap-wise and didn’t record a stat, but his reduced workload makes sense with Carter back and Hunt emerging.

Special Teams: Some Good, Some Chaos

Sydney Brown continues to play special teams like a man who believes every snap is his last. That’s not always a compliment.

Charley Hughlett logged his first special teams tackle of the season, which is always funny when the long snapper shows up in the box score.

Braden Mann punted seven times because the offense couldn’t function, but he was excellent, averaging over 55 yards per punt. That number should’ve looked even better if Cameron Latu hadn’t completely botched a downed punt at the one-yard line.

Jake Elliott bounced back and made all his kicks, which honestly felt like a win in itself.

Inactives and What It Means Going Forward

Lane Johnson and Nakobe Dean didn’t play, and there’s zero reason to rush either one back before the playoffs. Fred Johnson has held up well, and Dean’s hamstring can wait until January.

Michael Carter’s late scratch for personal reasons opened the door for Mac McWilliams to dress, but he still didn’t see the field. Drew Kendall was active and also didn’t play.

The Eagles won, but the snap counts reinforce the same truth we’ve seen all year. The defense is doing more than its share, the offense is still inconsistent, and when young players like Jalyx Hunt actually get a chance, they’re making the most of it.

That part, at least, feels encouraging heading into January.

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