It’s not often you can top a performance that helped you win NFC Defensive Player of the Week in the previous week, but Cooper DeJean might have done that on Sunday.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ do-it-all cornerback was everywhere in their 13-12 win on Sunday, earning him Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game. While DeJean didn’t force a turnover as he did in the Eagles’ win over the Washington Commanders last week, he had a career-high nine tackles in the victory. 

“Man, Cooper DeJean has been all over the field today,” Brady said in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s broadcast. “He plays corner. He plays nickel. He tackles in the run game. He’s a tremendous young player. He’s just perfect for this defense and does everything [Eagles defensive coordinator] Vic Fangio asks him to do.” 

Incredible defense by the @Eagles 🚫 pic.twitter.com/WoFvyXXiID

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

DeJean’s ability to cover lots of ground is certainly a great tool to have, but it was vital in slowing down Bills star quarterback Josh Allen. The Eagles were able to contain Allen for much of Sunday’s game, with the Bills failing to score until there were just over five minutes left. 

The second-year defensive back credited those around him, though, rather than taking the credit from Brady in their postgame chat. 

“I think our guys up front did a great job at trying to contain [Allen] in the pocket,” DeJean told Brady. “It’s just rush and coverage working together. We were able to do our stuff in the backend, let the boys up front eat. I don’t know how many sacks we had today, but it had to be a few. It was just rush and coverage working together, just like it’s worked all year. We’ve got to keep it going.”

There were a pair of instances where the cohesiveness between the Eagles’ front seven and secondary was apparent. In the third quarter, the Eagles were able to stop Allen and the Bills on a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line as they had every receiver covered and the passing lane filled on the play. Philadelphia’s pass rush also forced Allen to scramble before taking him down at the 1-yard line. 

On the Bills’ next drive, the Eagles had a 19-yard sack of Allen on third down to force the Bills out of field goal range. On that play, the Eagles’ defense didn’t give Allen anyone to throw to before linebacker Jalyx Hunt took down Allen. 

That sack was one of two that Hunt had on the day, while the Eagles had five sacks as a team. They also logged six quarterback hits of Allen. 

“A lot of guys that just love to fight and love to play for each other,” DeJean said of the team’s defensive performance. “That’s great. Anytime you get guys who play for each other and have fun out there on the field, it makes it easy.”

The performance from DeJean and the Eagles marked another strong showing for their defensive unit. The Bills only put up 331 yards of total offense on Sunday, which was 40 yards fewer than their per-game average that was top-five in the league ahead of Week 17. Philadelphia’s allowed just 30 points in its last three games, while it’s largely put up good performances for much of the last two months. 

It’s certainly a unit that seems to be peaking at the right time, and DeJean is at the heart of it, just like he was when the Eagles won the Super Bowl last year. But DeJean remained humble when Brady asked him if there was anything he couldn’t do. 

“There’s some things I can’t do out there,” DeJean said with a laugh. “We’re just having fun, though.” 

The Philadelphia Eagles’ 13–12 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 may go down as one of the most controversial games of the 2025 NFL season.

While the final score suggested a nail-biter decided in the final seconds, film review, expert breakdowns, and fan reaction have painted a very different picture. In a rain-soaked, low-scoring matchup at Highmark Stadium, the Eagles controlled large stretches of the game, only to see multiple questionable officiating decisions tilt momentum back toward Buffalo.

Even more striking, a legendary voice from Buffalo itself has now stepped forward.

Bills Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas did not sugarcoat what he saw.

According to Thomas, the scoreboard failed to reflect what actually happened on the field.

Thurman Thomas:
“I’m disappointed the Bills lost, but the truth is the Eagles controlled that game. If the officiating was fair, we’re not talking about a 13–12 finish. That score could’ve easily been 30–12.”

Thomas’ comments immediately caught fire among Eagles fans, who had already been furious over a series of missed calls that appeared to consistently work against Philadelphia.

Early in the game, with the Eagles leading 13–0 late in the first half, Jalen Hurts threw a pass into the end zone intended for A.J. Brown. Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White clearly grabbed Brown’s left arm throughout the route, forcing a one-handed attempt that fell incomplete. No defensive pass interference was called, wiping away what could have been a momentum-crushing touchdown.

AWFUL MISSED CALL:#Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown had his arm held back and the refs did NOT throw a penalty flag on the Buffalo defender.

This would have been a touchdown & instead it was a 4-point swing.

Buffalo has gotten away with multiple penalties.pic.twitter.com/zpC6WAYweN
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 28, 2025

Later, Hurts absorbed a late hit while running out of bounds. No roughing or unnecessary roughness was flagged, denying Philadelphia 15 free yards and allowing Buffalo to avoid another momentum swing.

THE REFS CONTINUE TO SCREW PHILLY:

A Buffalo #Bills defender crushed #Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts while he was stepping out of bounds.

A majority of quarterbacks in the #NFL would’ve had this penalty called.

Buffalo keeps getting away with penalties.pic.twitter.com/2yVkipgK0g
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 28, 2025

Jalen Hurts also appeared to be shoved and held on a key third-down route near midfield, resulting in another no-call that forced the Eagles to punt in a crucial second-half possession.

Hurts thrown to the ground well after ball has been thrown.

Nothing.#Eagles pic.twitter.com/HAV2o0hsoS

— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) December 28, 2025

Perhaps the most debated moment came in the third quarter, when Josh Allen was hit, lost the ball, and appeared to fumble under pressure. Officials ruled the play an incomplete pass, invoking a tuck-style interpretation that many analysts immediately questioned after replay showed Allen losing control before his arm came forward.

Allen loses the ball and the @Eagles recover!

PHIvsBUF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/8kdQyGl54t

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

Thomas acknowledged those moments directly.

Thurman Thomas:
“There were several plays where the Bills clearly benefited. You can’t ignore that. Those are game-changing situations, and they all seemed to go one way.”

Despite those setbacks, the Eagles defense never broke. Philadelphia bottled up Buffalo for most of the afternoon, blocked an extra point, and delivered the defining moment by stopping the Bills’ two-point conversion attempt with five seconds remaining.

To Thomas, that final stand erased any doubt about which team truly earned the win.

Thurman Thomas:
“That stop at the end told you everything. When it mattered most, the Eagles made the play. That’s dominance, not luck.”

While some Bills supporters continue to focus on yardage totals and time of possession, even a Buffalo legend has now acknowledged what many Eagles fans already believed.

Philadelphia didn’t survive the Bills.

They outplayed them — even while fighting the officials.