The Philadelphia Eagles took care of business in Week 17, as they secured a dominant 41-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Despite missing star QB Jalen Hurts, the Eagles were able to win the NFC East and secure the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC playoffs.
Following Philadelphia’s latest victory, there is plenty of discussion about the team’s plan for Week 18 against the New York Giants. First, let’s take a look back at which players impacted their stock the most in the team’s emphatic victory over the Cowboys last week.
Stock Up: Eagles’ QB Factory
After making the controversial decision to select Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Eagles GM Howie Roseman had an infamous quote when asked about the team’s choice.
“For better or worse, we are quarterback developers,” Roseman said. “We want to be a quarterback factory. We have the right people in place to do that. No team in the National Football League has benefitted more from developing quarterbacks than the Philadelphia Eagles.”
While many initially mocked Roseman for his decision, it was clear that Philadelphia’s quarterback factory is still operating smoothly in 2024. After Hurts was ruled out for Week 17 due to a concussion, both Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee played well against the Cowboys.
Roseman has always placed a high value on the backup quarterback role during his tenure as GM and Philadelphia reaped the benefits of his investments last week. There was seemingly no drop-off in Philadelphia’s passing offense, despite Hurts’ absence.
The Eagles have become a well-oiled machine in recent years and Philadelphia’s quarterback factory continues to fuel the beast. Roseman has the Eagles in a great situation at the position for the foreseeable future.
Stock Down: Jahan Dotson
When the Eagles traded multiple draft picks to the Washington Commanders for WR Jahan Dotson, many rightfully had high expectations for the 24-year-old. Yet he has failed to much as the third option at WR in Philadelphia.
While the arrival of Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator in Philadelphia had many expecting more production from the team’s third WR, that hasn’t been the case for Dotson. He has just 12 receptions for 122 yards in 2024, despite both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith missing time.
Dotson hasn’t caught a pass in three straight games and it’s fair to say that the trade has been a failure thus far. While the Eagles haven’t necessarily needed Dotson to produce at an elite level, his lack of production has been disappointing.
Stock Up: Jake Elliott
It’s no secret that Jake Elliott has struggled to reach his usual level of success in 2024. Elliott has made just one of his seven field goal attempts of 50-yards or longer this season.
One major change that the Eagles made this season was removing Elliott from kickoff duty. Prior to Week 17, Eagles punter Braden Mann handled kickoffs in 2024. Yet after a horrendous performance in Week 16, Elliott replaced Mann and handled kickoffs against the Cowboys.
Elliott consistently booted the football out of the end zone and limited Dallas’ kickoff return opportunities. He also made all seven of his kick attempts, including two field goals and five extra point kicks.
Which is notable considering that some believed Ellliott’s struggles with long distance field goals were due to him being removed from kickoff duty. It’s safe to say that Elliott is trending in the right direction after a strong performance in Week 17.
Stock Down: Quinyon Mitchell
There’s no denying that Quinyon Mitchell has had an unbelievable rookie season in Philadelphia. Yet it’s fair to point out that he has struggled in back-to-back games after a lengthy streak of shutdown play at cornerback.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mitchell didn’t surrender a single touchdown in the first 14 games of his NFL career. That streak came to an end against the Washington Commanders in Week 16 and Mitchell allowed another touchdown against the Cowboys as well.
While Eagles’ fans were certainly spoiled by Mitchell’s elite level of play through his first 14 games, he could potentially be hitting the dreaded “rookie wall” at an unfortunate time. We’ll see if Mitchell can bounce back in the coming weeks.
Stock Up: Nolan Smith
Following a relatively quiet rookie season in Philadelphia, there were some already calling Nolan Smith a bust. Thanks to a strong performance since the team’s bye week in Week 5, Smith has surely put those claims to rest.
After losing both Bryce Huff and Brandon Graham to injuries, Smith has stepped up as arguably Philadelphia’s most consistent edge rusher in 2024. He continues to make plays as both a run defender and pass rusher for the Eagles.
Smith registered three or more total pressures just once in the first 30 games of his NFL career, according to Pro Football Focus. Yet he is currently on a hot streak, as he has now registered three or more total pressures in four consecutive games.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
