Philadelphia, PA
- In a game marred by injuries, mistakes, and missed chances, the Philadelphia Eagles fell on the road Sunday night. All three of the Eagles’ top receivers, Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, and DeSean Jackson were banged up. Carson Wentz had a first-half struggle that also saw him go into the medical tent, leading to Josh McCown having to play a few downs. Tight end Dallas Goedert and running back Corey Clement also exited the game with injuries.
Defensively, Tim Jernigan would get shaken up, while Fletcher Cox was noticeably not at 100%. Despite all of the odds, the Eagles still had an opportunity to win the game deep into the fourth quarter but would come up just short. Many cited a Nelson Agholor dropped pass as the culprit, as he had tons of room to run up that sideline.
The Eagles played aggressive defense, effectively a boom or bust scheme, and they're definitely was some of both. The heavy pressure led Matt Ryan to an errant interception inside his own territory, which helped the Eagles to get back in the game. The pressure also led to a quick screen pass where Julio Jones would break free and score the eventual game-winning touchdown. Jim Schwartz’s defense can be both a gift and a curse for the Eagles, but it was a solid performance from that group on Sunday.
Looking into next week, the Eagles will be hosting the Detroit Lions. The Lions enter at 1-0-1 and the Eagles at 1-1. There’s a big difference between two wins and two losses for the Eagles, so they will be playing hard. The Lions got away with one last week, just squeaking by the Chargers, who missed two field goals, had two touchdowns called back by penalty, and threw a backbreaking interception in the end zone while already in field goal range. The Eagles hope not to throw away opportunities this week. That will need to start with Carson Wentz, and by extension, his pass protection.
Wentz took a beating last week, and he’s fortunate to be in good health. Protecting the franchise QB is huge, and we’ll see if they can keep him upright this week. Overall, I expect the Eagles to cruise to a win against the Lions. They’ve yet to play a dominant game and put it all together this year, but I think this can be the game to get the fireworks going.
Eagles, 35. Lions, 14.
