With a win Monday night against the Redskins, the Eagles are now 2-0 for the season series. With a 6-1 overall record, and one of the easiest schedules in the NFL going forward, they currently have a death grip on the NFC East, and really, the NFC in general. This was a huge win for the Birds on Monday Night Football. Here are the top five graded Eagles in their big win over Washington:
#5: Corey Graham, 82.1
Corey Graham has been around the league for a long time now. He is a veteran safety who knows where to be, and when to be there.
While he hasn’t played a ton of defensive snaps this season, he made what was essentially a game-sealing interception late on Monday night. Kirk Cousins dropped back to pass and had his arm hit by Brandon
Graham while attempting to throw the football. This led to the ball being thrown directly at the veteran safety, who capitalized on the play.
In addition to his big interception, he also was pegged for two defensive stops in the run game. It’s safe to say we just watched Corey’s best game of the season thus far.
#4: Brandon Graham, 82.9
While working against two of the better offensive tackles in the NFL in Trent Williams and Morgan Moses, the Eagles’ most potent pass rusher came up with another solid performance.
While Cousins started the game off well, injuries began to plague the offensive line, and as a result, the Eagles’ D-lineman began to create pressure on the quarterback.
Graham was credited with three hurries and one hit, while creating pressure rushing the passer from both sides of the line.
#3: Zach Ertz, 83.0
Ertz has effectively been one of the best tight ends in the NFL to begin 2017.
Although Wentz did have a perfect passer rating when targeting his tight end, Ertz’ struggles as a run blocker continued onMonday night. PFF had him down for a 41.1 run-blocking grade, bringing his season run-blocking grade down into the low 30s.
However, his play as a receiver has certainly made up for those struggles. Once again, Ertz managed to hall in every target that came his way. Despite the average 79.0 season grade, Ertz continues to shine as one of the top tight ends in the NFL.
#2: Stefen Wisniewski, 83.3
Philadelphia has found their salve at the left guard position – and thankfully so – as the injury bug once again bit the Eagles; this time on the offensive line, with All-Pro left guard, and future Hall-of-Famer, Jason Peters, tearing his MCL and ACL.
Losing Peters has the potential to shake up not one, but two spots on the offensive line; contingent upon whether the coaching staff decides to move Lane Johnson to the left side.
In any event, Wentz and the Eagles will rely on the interior of the offensive line to remain solid, and left guard Stefen Wisniewski will play a key role in keeping his young quarterback upright. With the team suddenly having Super Bowl aspirations, and with injuries adding up on the team, Wisniewski’s performances from here on out will need to be stellar. It was nice to see him grade as the second best player for the Eagles on Monday night.
#1: Carson Wentz, 86.5
Wentz made plenty of highlight-worthy plays on Monday night on his way to an 86.5 grade.
The second-year signal caller continued his rapid development in week seven by throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns.
It’s a beautiful thing watching Carson Wentz diagnose plays before the snap. In just his second season, he is able to comfortably get the Eagles in and out of plays to take advantage of mismatches he sees on the field.
Additionally, Wentz’ legs have been almost just as effective as his arm. He now has rushed for 196 yards this year – 46 more than he rushed for all of last season.
Wentz is putting himself in the conversation with the best players in the league. If he continues this play, and the Eagles continue winning, there is no reason he shouldn’t be strongly considered to be the league’s MVP.
However, more importantly, Wentz has the Eagles being talked about as Super Bowl contenders for the first time in a long time. While league MVP certainly sounds nice, Wentz and the Eagles are solely focused on the Lombardi Trophy.
Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
