The Eagles blew their official home opener to the Falcons on Monday night football but it was the way that it was blown that has every Eagles fan and media member debating this week. While the Eagles will quickly shift the gears to the New Orleans Saints, here are my five takeaways from the loss to the Falcons:
Barkley and Hurts are something special together
Yes, Saquon Barkley dropped the game-sealing pass but this game was lost for more reasons than that. Saquon showed that he has been the missing ingredient in what is supposed to be a high-octane offense. With A.J. Brown out, the Eagles relied heavily on the run game to carry the game. Only this time it wasn’t only Saquon Barkley.
Jalen Hurts joined the party by rushing 13 times for 84 yards and a touchdown. Barkley rushed 22 times for 95 yards and failed to score in this low-scoring affair. What impressed me the most was that it wasn’t about the numbers or the flashy moves from either player.
They both put their head down and their bodies on the line to help will the Eagles to a much-needed win at home. Then there was when Jalen Hurts emphasized how much trust he has in Saquon Barkley after the game. It wasn’t what he said but how he said it that showed just how much the two have grown together in such little time. The dynamic brewing between the two can be special if the playcalling doesn’t hold them back.
Is Nick Sirianni still overruling the playcalling?
This offseason we learned that Nick Sirianni called most of the plays last season himself. While Brian Johnson took all of the heat, Sirianni allowed his stubbornness and pride to get in the way last season which failed an offense that was said to be one of the more talented units in the league.
On Monday night, the playcalling seemed a bit inconsistent. Especially on that 3rd and 3 call where they chose to pass the ball as opposed to running down the clock. If Sirianni still has a heavy say in what plays are being called then the offense could be doomed.
Sirianni has proven to be a great player’s coach and has built a welcoming culture but calling plays on offense has not been his strong suit in Philadelphia and that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. We need to see this offense deliver with consistent playcalling if they hope to make a run in the playoffs.
Rush the passer? No, I’m good.
What happened to the pride that Philadelphia defenses used to play with? Is that no longer a thing? I get the fact that the defensive line is mostly filled with young inexperienced players but we’re talking about first-round talents and one of the higher-paid players on the team.
Two games in and the best pass rusher has been their starting middle linebacker, Zack Baun. Then there’s the fact that Bryce Huff said that he needs to do better at “locking in”. Was the big payday not enough motivation? The Eagles are paying Huff to be what Reddick was. But it seems like it will be a long season if Philadelphia can’t find a proven talent to bring in and spark a fire within this defensive line.
Eagles’ defense bends and breaks
This isn’t how the entire unit was supposed to look. It seems like Fangio’s defense is a victim of itself. The zone defense is allowing too many big plays down the field and as I mentioned above, the pass rush isn’t getting home. This was supposed to be an improved defense compared to last year but it seems like this defense is on a never-ending free fall.
Fangio has to find a way to stick with what works for them. They’ve been able to stop the run early on but once the second half starts, the run defense no longer exists. Then there’s the pass rush that just seems to be getting nowhere. Jalen Carter was supposed to be an unblockable force while Bryce Huff was supposed to be living in the opposing team’s backfield.
The defense as a whole has just been awful and things won’t be getting easier as they’ll take on the red-hot Saints offense on Sunday afternoon.
Where’s Jahan Dotson?
With A.J. Brown out, I expected to see some more of Jahan Dotson. Of course, I was proven wrong as Dotson was only targeted once throughout the entire game. He has brought in this offseason to help the offense in case of an injury while also providing a dynamic wrinkle to the WR3 spot. Well, the Eagles were missing their best wide receiver yesterday and we had little to nothing from Dotson.
Not sure what the issue is with the lack of involvement he has had on offense but the Eagles need to find a way to get him involved more. This offense has become a bit predictable and not as dynamic which is a cause for concern. The real question that needs to be asked is what happened to the offense that everyone bragged about during the offseason? This is why preseason matters. Continuity and trust are two necessary ingredients between a Quarterback and his receivers. It’s time to spread the ball and feed your playmakers.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
