The Eagles were able to climb back from the brink of destruction on Sunday in a resurgent win over the New York Giants. The race for the NFC East is back underway, but what did we learn from this season-saving win? Here are my ten biggest takeaways:
The backfield belongs to Josh Adams
With numerous reports citing that the Eagles are looking to give Josh Adams more of the football, it’s safe to say that the UDFA has made his mark on a depleted backfield. After weeks of carving out explosive runs without much in the way of a snap increase, Doug Pederson sought to change that against the Giants. Adams carried the ball 22 times on Sunday, which is more than any back has tallied in a game all season. The offensive balance returned and Adams tallied 84 yards and a touchdown. There should’ve been a second touchdown to mention here, but a holding call on Jason Kelce brought it all the way back. Either way, after weeks of hammering on the front door, it looks as though the Notre Dame product will be the feature back moving forward.
After being given the reins to Eagles backfield, teammates are rallying around Josh Adams
The cornerbacks weren’t as bad as we thought they’d be:
The world expected an onslaught on Sunday and rightly so. The Eagles were missing all of their starting corners and lining up against an explosive Giants offense. The first half sure looked like it was tending in that direction, but if we look at the cornerback statistics from the game, they’re surprisingly….not bad.
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Let’s be honest, these are corners seeing their first taste of starting action in a raucous stadium with the season on the line against a very dangerous offense. To come out of that game without giving up a touchdown and none of them surrendering more than 80 yards, you can only be impressed. There’s bound to be plenty of growing room, but that’s a real positive.
Golden Tate’s role:
After leading the Eagles in targets last week, Tate saw a similar role on Sunday. The difference here was that Wentz moved the ball around more consistently. Tate had just 30 yards on 4 catches, but what’s interesting is that the Eagles have started to use packages of two receivers bunched together in the slot, with none outside. (More on this coming soon) as a way of implementing both Tate and Agholor. It’s a creative approach and one that will utilize heavy tight end sets too which will open the run. The role is emerging and it was nice to see Agholor more involved.
Schwartz redeemed himself:
After a horrendous first half, many had given up on the game, The phrase ‘hot seat’ was going to be hitting Twitter like a freight train if something didn’t change, but luckily for the Eagles defensive coordinator, it did. The Eagles held New York to just 56 offensive yards after surrendering 19 points and the better part of 200 yards in the opening two quarters. Schwartz mad some subtle tweaks outside which allowed his pass-rush to get after Manning more frequently. The result was a smothered (although without Saquon Barkley) run game and a defense playing with something we hadn’t seen all year long. Intensity.
In Pederson we trust:
Down 19-0, the Eagles drove into enemy territory and pulled up a 4th and short scenario. Instead of going for it, the Head Coach sent out the kicking team, much to the dismay of the fans in attendance. The Eagles would later win by 3 points. If the Birds had gone for it and missed the conversion, or alternatively still ended up having to kick a field goal, any sense of life would’ve been vacuumed out. This gave his team a lifeline and one they would never let go of.
Carson Wentz does the thing:
After a year of hearing ‘clutch’ criticism, Wentz led his team down the field with two minutes left on the clock and converted on a crucial 4th down to move the chains and put Jake Elliott in a decent position to kick the game-winning field goal. He wasn’t perfect and mechanically there are still some kinks that need to be ironed out, but this was a huge bounce back game from a quarterback coming off of his worst statistical game ever.
Michael Bennett is very underrated…:
5.5 sacks in the last 6 games, I don’t know what more needs to be said. Michael Bennett has been indispensable to this Eagles pass-rush, especially in a unit that’s lacking any kind of statistical production. Bennett’s presence and versatility have been invaluable all season long and it’s really not talked about enough.
…so is Zach Ertz:
Somehow, Zach Ertz consistently falls under the radar. Maybe it’s because he’s not as flashy as Kelce or have the star power of Gronk. Maybe it’s because he’s not as athletic as George Kittle. However, Ertz just broke the single-season record for most receptions by a TE in Eagles history, as well as breaking his own previous receiving yard record (now on 895). Ertz is on the path to greatness, shattering records in the process. On Sunday, Ertz became just the fourth TE in NFL history to record 400+ receptions in their first six NFL seasons. The man is an elite tight end, there’s no debate.
The Eagles are back:
In the opening segment of my podcast, I broke down exactly why this win was so important. The Eagles hit rock bottom, falling into a 19-0 hole to the Giants after such a torrid time in recent weeks. It seemed as though all hope was lost, but somehow, some way, they found that extra bit of heart. The intensity picked up and the Eagles played with a fury and fire that had seemingly burned out in recent week. The Eagles surged back into life and started playing with the grit and determination that drove them to a Super Bowl and it was beyond refreshing to see. Can they sustain it? Only time will tell.
Why not?
With a win on Monday Night and a Cowboys loss on Thursday, the Eagles would join Washington and Dallas atop the NFC East throne. Who’s to say that they can’t go on and repeat as NFC East champions? The division is there for the taking and with Colt McCoy at the helm for Washington, a resurgent Birds team must be licking their lips. It’s going to be a monumental climb, but there’s hope for this team yet.
Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
