First-place Eagles hold on to beat Bills in LeSean McCoy's Philadelphia return

PHILADELPHIA — Breaking down the Philadelphia Eagles’ 23-20 victory against the Buffalo Bills at Lincoln Financial Field:

Big picture: LeSean McCoy’s return to the Linc included the expected as the Eagles’ all-time leading rusher was booed as he came out of the tunnel. (Nothing too personal. Eagles fans have even booed Santa Claus.) Then all of the emotion (well, most it) surrounding McCoy’s departure and disdain for Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly was put on the back burner, and they played football. What a compelling contest. The Bills rallied from a 10-point deficit to tie the game, which ultimately wasn’t settled until the final two minutes. Guess this gives Kelly, whose team held onto a share of first place in the NFC East, the last laugh.

Key moment: The Eagles sealed the victory with an Ed Reynolds interception with 1:16 remaining, an easy pick as Buffalo quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s hurried, third-down throw downfield sailed well beyond Robert Woods.

Breakout player — Zach Ertz: With just under five minutes on the clock, the athletic tight end took a short pass along the sideline and turned it into a difference-making play. Ertz broke a tackle to free himself, then rumbled for a 41-yard gain that set up a 30-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis that broke a 20-20 tie with 3:26 remaining, which held up as the final margin. Ertz finished with five catches for 98 yards.

Key stat: The Bills lived up to their reputation as arguably the most undisciplined team in the NFL with 15 penalties for 101 yards, even more than their usual allotment of yellow flags. The Bills entered the game averaging nine penalties, second-most in the league. Four times, flags came for neutral-zone violations (twice by Jerry Hughes, plus Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus).

What’s next (no room for error)? The Eagles and Bills, now with matching 6-7 records, both cling to their playoff hopes with week-to-week urgency. Next Sunday night, Philadelphia hosts the Arizona Cardinals needing to slow down an explosive offense armed by Carson Palmer. Then it will be back-to-back dates against NFC East rivals Washington and the New York Giants, which could settle the division crown. The Bills are in the midst its own NFC East tour, playing at Washington next Sunday and hosting Dallas in Week 16.

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Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell

PHOTOS: Week 14 NFL action