The Eagles lost again. They are 3-6-1 and still somehow on top of the NFC East. Here are five things we learned about the team in their somewhat expected, but still disappointing loss to the Browns.
No excuses for the Offensive line
The Eagles’ offensive line was absolutely atrocious on Sunday and the worst part is, it was the healthiest it has been in ages. Jason Kelce picked up an elbow injury in the first half. He refused to go to the medical tent at first and after a closer examination and a questionable status, still came back out onto the field despite being unable to buckle his helmet. His huge heart was let down by those around him.
Sacked 4 times and hit 10, Carson Wentz was exposed to so much pressure throughout the game that the Eagles actually benched Jason Peters. Jason. Peters. With 3 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, it may have been too little too late, but a sign of just how bad things were.
Olivier Vernon made the HoF-bound tackle look like a rookie, amassing 3 sacks, 3 TFL, and 3 QB hits all by himself.
Across the board, play was dreadful and there absolutely need to be conversations going into the offseason with regards to ensuring this never happens again. Brandon Brooks and Andre Dillard would not have stopped the decline in form today or any game this season.
Wentz regresses and Eagles follow suit
It was a game of two halves for Carson Wentz. Ione Takitaki had a 50-yard interception that was taken to the house after Wentz neglected a wide-open Jalen Reagor, instead taking the checkdown, but was hit as he threw.
Olivier Vernon recorded a safety with Wentz holding the ball for too long, and then the QB turned it over again later in the game.
There were some flurries of production, with the QB making a beautiful TD throw to Richard Rodgers as well as a couple more dimes to his tight ends. But this was largely overshadowed by another disappointing day at the office, where out of 35 pass attempts, he completed 21 for 235 yards.
Is it time to try something at different at QB? It might not be the worst idea in the world…
Oh, Doug…
The Eagles ran the ball on 8 consecutive plays in the first quarter and glided down the field with ease. One Miles Sanders fumble was all it took for Pederson to once again abandon that gameplan.
They’d run it just 17 more times throughout the remainder of the game despite difficult conditions and poor QB play. This was the undoing of the offense.
On the other side of the ball, the Browns showed the Eagles why this was an idiotic move. The Browns had no running room at all for the majority of the game, with the defense keeping Chubb and Kamara chained down. Eventually, that bottle of coke exploded. The Browns rushed 40 times in total for 137 yards, with Chubb amassing another 100-yarder and Kamara hurdling Jalen Mills to find the endzone.
They entered the game averaging 209 yards, and put up 137 against the Eagles. They still nearly doubled Mayfield’s passing attempts. They won the game.
Oh, Doug (part II)
Pederson needs to be held accountable here. The play-calling after the opening drive was about as mundane as one could imagine. More Jalen Hurts read-options, a lack of targets to both Fulgham and Reagor, and a real sense of almost giving up in the third quarter.
I cannot wait to see what he has to say about it all tomorrow in his passive-aggressive tone.
It’s not all bad for the Eagles
Alex Singleton is a stud. After leading the Eagles in tackles last week, he did so again this week by posting 12, recovering a fumble and adding a sack and TFL to his tally. If there is ever a bright spot to be found, look no further than the former CFL standout.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
