Good news, guys! The Eagles had a convincing win against the worst team in the league! This sounds sarcastic, but it shows me that we’re not THAT bad. It also reaffirmed what I’ve known for a while: the Eagles should be a run-first team.
Group Plays
Blitz Forces Sack
Eagles fans were ready to fire the entire coaching staff and front office just days ago. In the court of public opinion, Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon was the coach that the fans had on the shortest leash. In a week that the defense desperately needed to perform, the defensive line tormented Detroit’s subpar offensive line. On the third sack of the day, Singleton blitzed the C gap, which forced Goff into the arms of a waiting Derek Barnett. The defense got more creative out of nowhere, and it WAS against Jared Goff, but it’s good to know that we can beat an 0-7 team (I’ve still got a negative stench on me, but I’m slowly starting to trust this team again after this week).
Slay Scoop and Score
This is one of the few times I’ll have a touchdown buried this deep in one of my lists. Given the context and the fact that it took multiple people for the play to occur, however, I believe it’s only appropriate. Avonte Maddox peanut punched the ball out of D’Andre Swift’s hands, and Darius Slay picked it up and brought it to the house! The Eagles were up 31-0 at this point, so it’s not like this play changed the trajectory of the game too much. Nevertheless, watching the air deflate out of Detroit’s sails was fun.
Individual Plays
Jalen Hurts Scrambled Legs
One thing that’s hard to debate is that one of the best aspects of Hurts’ game is his mobility. At multiple points during this game, when all else failed, Hurts took off running. The funny thing about Hurts’ scrambles is that they were in third-and-long situations, so tucking and running would be foolish for a less agile QB. Thankfully, Hurts is able to get freaky in the open field.
Josh Sweat Sack #1
Admittedly, everyone on defense deserves praise for this drive. The Lions started on the 50-yard line, and very easily could have gotten 3 points or more. However, thanks to some stingy defense and one-on-one tackling, the Eagles stood tall.
Milton Williams First Career Sack
Congrats to Milton on the first sack of his career. Just like with the Josh Sweat sack, Williams saved points from being put on the board. Though there were only 13 seconds left in the first half, the Lions would have had the ability to chuck it deep for one play and potentially get seven points. With Williams’ fourth down sack, however, all the ‘what-ifs’ were rendered irrelevant, and the Eagles held the Lions scoreless through two quarters.
Josh Sweat Sack #2
This is going to be the second-best play of the day that isn’t a TD. Holy hell this was a beauty. The left guard, all alone on Josh Sweat, gets absolutely put on his backside, and Goff gets taken down for a 13-yard loss.
Jordan Howard TD #2
So much for Eagles being 0-7 when Jonathan Vilma is announcing. The way the season has played out, you’d think the Eagles didn’t have four rushing attempts going into the season. So, imagine my surprise when I saw the Eagles run for four touchdowns in one game! Sirianni, if you’re reading this, please do this every week that you can!
Boston Scott TD #2
It’s nice to be on the opposite side of garbage time for once. The second Scott touchdown was more hard-fought, as he had to fight tooth and nail past three defenders to get into the end zone The run almost ended up being an “almost play,” as there was a flag on the play that I was afraid would negate the score. Fortunately, the penalty ended up being on the defense, and order was restored to Hurtsadelphia.
Jordan Howard TD #1
This run was somewhat reminiscent of Scott’s second touchdown. Then again, not all carries can be walk-in touchdowns. However, barring context, all TDs are worth an equal amount (at the surface, at least). Thanks to some hard running, Howard increased the lead from 10-17. The feeling of realizing the game is slipping away from your opponent is a sweet one, indeed.
Boston Scott TD #1
The Eagles have one of the best run-blocking o-lines in the league. Although, you don’t need me to tell you that. Ask Boston Scott, who went into the end zone literally untouched for the first touchdown of the game. The Eagles getting not one, but two, rushing touchdowns, is not a plot twist I saw coming, but one that I will take all day.
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Dylan Patrowicz is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Dylan, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
Image Caption: Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat (94) celebrates a sack with his teammates during the game between the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday October 31, 2021 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire)
