The Eagles' problem is offensive
The Eagles cruised to a 24-8 victory yesterday. Led by two monstrous games from wide receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts had heads turning during the rout. DeVonta Smith redeemed his terrible Week One performance with a touchdown and 169 yards off eight catches. Brown had his first touchdown as an Eagle and Dallas Goedert had a touchdown and three receptions. Even rookie tight end Grant Calcaterra got into the act with a 40 yard reception. Also, it is pretty hard to forget the defensive line that was at the bottom of the league last year in terms of sacks. They choked up a meager 29 sacks, and were highly criticized. Well, forget that era. Philadelphia tallied nine sacks, including 2.5 by the veteran Brandon Graham. The Commanders' offensive line really should have just quit early. Carson Wentz spent more time lying on the ground than standing up.
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| DeVonta Smith rose into the air for his first touchdown of the year. |
All this aside, the revenge game anticipated, was largely a disappointment...well if you're a Commanders fan. But in other news, the Eagles strong victory over Minnesota proves again just how dominant the Eagles are over the NFC east, and as of now, the entire NFC. Jalen Hurts tossed a touchdown and ran for two more. The Eagles secondary held back the powerful Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson duo, and picked off Cousins twice. Justin Jefferson had only six receptions for 48 yards and zero touchdowns. For Jefferson's standards, that's not very good. Especially considering that he had two touchdowns and 184 yards the week before. The Eagles allowed the Vikings seven points and only allowed the Commanders six. (Washington had a safety.)
Although it is great that the Eagles have been pushing their aerial attack, and have pounded defenses on the ground, there are some major problems with the Eagles that several have already pointed out.
First things first, Philadelphia starts out hot and finishes cold. This is mainly their offense. Jalen Hurts threw three touchdowns in the first half and zero in the second half. In both games the Eagles scored 24 touchdowns in the first half and zero in the second half. The defense is solidly chugging along as they allowed only 13 points in the last two games. However their offense, as many have noticed, cannot continue with this trend. Good teams will take advantage, and the Eagles season will go along the lines of how their games have been going - start hot and tank towards the end.
Another thing that isn't so great is their inconsistency. Versus Detroit, Philadelphia survived on their run game from 2021. With four rushing touchdowns and a defensive touchdown, they beat Detroit. They also primarily used their bruising run game against Minnesota. Quez Watkins did snag a touchdown, but Jalen Hurts rushed for two and Miles Sanders had 80 yards on the ground. Against Washington they switched it up, and Smith, Brown, and Goedert all caught touchdowns. However, Sanders led the Eagles rushing with only 46 yards. If the Eagles could find the perfect blend of air and ground attacks, they would be a lethal team, and maybe not tank games toward their end.
Another reason maybe to not rejoice yet, is that the Eagles are playing the Jaguars next week. A year ago, that phrase would be hilarious, but not his year. Trevor Lawrence is proving his worth to the NFL world. A strong demolition of the high powered Chargers stunned and silenced any doubters. This season, Lawrence has six touchdowns and a 103.1 rating, while only throwing one interception. Last year was an experiment, and he was pretty terrible. However, it usually takes time for good quarterbacks to really flourish and show their full potential. Doug Pederson is back in Philly, and leading a 2-1 hungry Jaguars team ready for a win.
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| Trevor Lawrence is having a comeback year |
The bottom line: the Jacksonville is just too good of a team for the Eagles to dwindle late in the game. Christian Kirk and Trevor Lawrence are a stellar duo as they have already connected for 18 receptions, 3 touchdowns, and 267 yards. Philadelphia has all the offensive pieces, A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, DeVonta Smith, Jason Kelce, and Boston Scott. They're all great players but they still need to fit the puzzle. They need consistency. And while the defense is playing phenomenally, if the offense bombs, the whole team will too.
The first photo was taken from The Philadelphia Inquirer The photo was taken by staff photographer Monica Herndon. The second photo was taken from The Florida Times-Union (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Both images were used for commentary.
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