The Eagles fell to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday by a score of 22-33. As this is becoming a recurring theme in the State of the Eagles series; this final score was nowhere near indicative of how badly the Eagles played on Sunday. Let’s dive in and analyze their performance, as well as look ahead toward’s next week’s matchup.
Recap
The Eagles traveled to Las Vegas to play the Raiders last Sunday, and they certainly disappointed. Facing off against a team without a true Head Coach due to the Gruden debacle left many Eagles fans, myself included, optimistic for a win. Unfortunately, the Eagles certainly Eagled, and left with a rough loss. The entire team looked unprepared and almost lackadaisical. Almost everything that could have gone wrong went wrong during this game, including a Miles Sanders injury that will sideline him for the next few weeks. The defense got absolutely shredded by Derek Carr, and the rest is history. Ultimately, the Eagles simply didn’t look like they wanted to win the game based on their play.
Positive Observations
1.) Avonte Maddox
Maddox has been an interesting player in Philadelphia, boasting some good plays while also being at fault for some not-so-good plays. With that being said, he is having quite the underrated year so far. He played well against the Raiders, even intercepting Carr in the red zone on the Raiders’ first drive. With a team that leaves so much to be wanted, Maddox is quietly having a good year.
2.) Miles Sanders getting involved
In a game that didn’t have many positives, this was one of them. Miles Sanders has been criminally underused this season by Nick Sirianni, but finally, Sirianni started giving him touches. Although this shouldn’t be groundbreaking news, Sanders actually had 5 touches during the Eagles’ first drive. Although this should be commonplace, I guess that Eagles fans can be excited about progress?
3.) Javon Hargrave
Hargrave has had an incredible year so far. He didn’t do anything crazy against the Raiders on Sunday, but with a game that was lacking so many positive observations, I feel like now is a good time to point out Hargrave’s great season thus far. He is an absolute animal; I’m excited to see him continue to grow and improve.
4.) Penalties
The Eagles had been struggling with penalties for the majority of this season, but it seems like they have started to figure things out and become more disciplined. Over the past two games, the Eagles have only been penalized 8 times; 4 for each game. This should be the standard, but hey, progress, right?
Negative Observations
1.) Jalen Hurts
Where is the Jalen Hurts that looked decisive and confident against the Atlanta Falcons? He certainly is nowhere to be found. Jalen Hurts had a decent stat line with 236 passing yards, 61 rushing yards, and 2 touchdowns. Although those are acceptable numbers, Hurts only completed 53% of his passes and routinely had issues with accuracy this game. Jalen has the chance to be the Eagles franchise QB, and he certainly seems to be squandering the opportunity. Nick Sirianni is also at fault, being that he needs to help his QB1 by running the ball. With that being said, however, there is no excuse for Hurts to be missing wide open receivers and consistently avoiding the middle of the field.
2.) Jonathan Gannon
Gannon’s approach to the defense is aggravating to say the least. The Eagles defense allowed Derek Carr to complete 91% (!) of his passes on Sunday. Gannon’s coaching philosophy of keeping everything in front of you in order to prevent the home run play is admirable, but essentially means nothing if the defense is schemed to play so far back that they allow easy completions. To allow a quarterback without his most dangerous target to complete 91% of his passes is absurd and laughable to say the least. If Gannon doesn’t make changes soon, I don’t expect to see him in Philadelphia next year.
In addition to this, Gannon’s philosophy being exposed during games is not limited to the Raiders game; the Eagles defense has been consistently shredded by the majority of the teams that they have played against this season. The pass rush is decent this year, but the defensive line is unable to cause any real pressure due to the cornerbacks playing off of the receivers. This is the NFL; don’t give teams an easy out because they will take it and certainly make you pay.
3.) Slow starts
The Eagles took their opening drive for a touchdown, only to be held to 7 points at halftime. The Eagles have had a rough time moving the ball during the first half this season, and it seems as if adjustments take place too late. Sirianni needs to do a better job of adjusting to the defensive scheme in order for the offense to move the ball effectively. Scoring 7 points in the first half will not be enough for the Eagles to be a truly competitive team.
4.) Howie Roseman
Though it should come with no surprise, Eagles fans are not extremely happy with Howie Roseman. From the Wentz debacle to the missed free agency signings, the joyous memories of Howie hoisting the Lombardi trophy in 2017 are certainly fading quickly. Like it or not, Howie is responsible for making this team. He has control over drafting and signing players and the lack of accountability with Roseman is disappointing as well as concerning. Although I’m not sure if Jeffrey Lurie has the guts to finally fire Roseman, it should at least be a consideration due to the poor performance of the Eagles over the last few years.
Standings
With the loss on Sunday, the Eagles have fallen to a 2-5 record. The New York Giants shocked the Panthers, while the Washington Football Team lost to the Packers. The Cowboys were on a BYE week this past week. The updated NFC East standings are as follows:
- Dallas Cowboys: 5-1
- Washington Football Team: 2-5
- Philadelphia Eagles: 2-5
- New York Giants: 2-5
Upcoming Game
The Eagles travel to Detroit to face off against the 0-7 Lions Sunday at 1pm. Although this should most certainly be a game that the Eagles win, I am not confident whatsoever with the Eagles pulling out a win on Sunday. The Eagles are a mess of a franchise right now; although the game is winnable, the offensive inconsistency and defensive woes of the Eagles leaves me feeling not confident whatsoever in an Eagles win. I believe that the game will be a close one, but I do have the Eagles leaving Detroit with a 2-6 record.
Final Thoughts
This season is what we all knew it would be: a rebuild. With that being said, I am certainly disappointed in the lack of bright spots on this Eagles team. The team has certainly shown flashes but not nearly enough to be truly excited about. There are so many questions still left with this team, and it feels as if Eagles fans may not get answers to these questions by the time that the season ends. This team is a frustrating one to watch, I’m hoping that the Eagles figure some way to make this team even slightly competitive in the coming weeks. As always, Go Birds.
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Nate Eichner is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Nate, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
