The Eagles head into their third preseason game with a lot of momentum defensively, and a severe lack of it on the other side of the ball. The birds are yet to score a passing touchdown and as noted recently, the receivers have struggled to make any kind of impact.
Doug Pederson told the media that the starters are going to see a LOT of playing time tomorrow night,
“I want to see the starters come out of the dressing room,” Pederson said following Wednesday’s practice at the NovaCare Complex. “I talked to them about three full quarters and want them to feel that intensity coming out of the dressing room [in the] second half. So, at least a series – maybe two – in the third quarter depending how the game is going.”
It’s encouraging to hear that the starters will be seeing plenty of snaps in what is essentially a dress rehearsal for the week one showdown against the Browns, but it’s not as if the Eagles are coming up against any kind of defensive threat.
The Colts could be without up to fifteen players on Saturday night, fourteen of those players are from the defensive side of the ball:
Cornerbacks:
Vontae Davis
Patrick Robinson
Dejoun Smith
Jalil Brown
Antonio Cromartie
Tevin Mitchel
Linebackers:
Robert Mathis
Sio Moore
Defensive line:
Kendall Langford
Henry Anderson
Offensive line:
Joe Haeg
Hugh Thornton
Safety:
Clayton Geathers
Of the 416 total Offensive yards gained by the Eagles during their opening preseason games, only 153 have come from the wide receivers. Of those 153 receiving yards, Paul Turner has accounted for 78 of them. The receivers have been vastly underwhelming thus far and considering that the starters are bound to play at least the first half on Saturday, we should see a new level of production.
Dorial Green-Beckham is expected to see a lot of attention during Saturday’s game and it will be interesting to see how often he’s targeted when on the field. At 6’5 and 237 pounds, the former second round pick has a lot of playmaking potential..and the Eagles need to find a way to utilize that sooner rather than later.
If the Eagles, who are still yet to record a passing touchdown, cannot break that streak against a Colts Defense with six cornerbacks sidelined and a Defense that have given up 37 points in two games..then there is a huge cause for concern.
Yes, it’s only preseason and no, the score isn’t important..but if this Offense cannot find a rhythm despite a heavy presence from the starters against a heavily depleted Colts Defense, then there has to be some serious adjustments in the coming weeks.
The Eagles should bolt out of the gate tomorrow evening and the odds are certainly in their favor, but the spotlight will be placed heavily on Pederson’s Offense.
It wasn’t that long ago that the Kansas City Chiefs went through an entire regular season without throwing a passing touchdown to a wide receiver, just two seasons to be exact. Doug Pederson was the Offensive coordinator during that time, just as he was during the Chiefs stunning end to the 2015 season. It’s safe to say that there’s a natural correlation between the style of Football played two seasons ago in Kansas City and the system Doug Pederson is deploying in Philadelphia.
Maybe the Eagles will put up 45 points against the Colts and end this debate completely. Or, maybe they’ll again struggle to find the endzone through the air and instead try to focus on their newly formed rushing attack. It’s still very early days for this Eagles Offense and it’s going to take a long time for everything to click into place perfectly..but if Pederson ends his third game as a Head Coach as his third without a passing touchdown, there will naturally be a few concerns.
Mandatory Photo credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
