Recap
The Philadelphia Eagles traveled to MetLife Stadium once again; this time to face the New York Jets. The Eagles came into this game having never lost to the Jets in franchise history, and they kept that streak alive, winning by a score of 33-18. The offense performed well under Gardner Minshew, who took over the reins for this game due to a Jalen Hurts injury that kept him sidelined during the entirety of the game. The birds out gained the Jets, 418 yards to 281 yards. Overall, this was a decent game, although the defense was worrisome at times. Let’s take a closer look at how the Eagles performed on Sunday in our Week 14 State of the Eagles.
Positive Observations
1.) Nick Sirianni
Sirianni has been under fire this season due to his play-calling and his game plan. To be fair, his play calling and game plans have warranted the frustration from Eagles fans; with that being said, Sirianni drew up and executed a great game plan that allowed the Eagles to leave MetLife Stadium with a win. Props to him for that.
2.) Gardner Minshew
In a sport that relies so much on the “next man up” mentality, Minshew certainly delivered on Sunday. Minshew passed the eye test on Sunday, with 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, while also boasting an 80% completion percentage. Overall, Minshew looked poised in the pocket and he did a great job of keeping his eyes downfield while scrambling. One thing that is important to note is that Minshew made the right reads when he needed to; he didn’t force the ball into tight coverages. Minshew definitely impressed during Sunday’s game.
3.) Dallas Goedert
Goedert had quite possibly the best game of his young career on Sunday; he hauled in 6 receptions for 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns. When Ertz was traded, the Eagles took a shot on the young Tight End out of South Dakota State due to their belief in him; so far, it seems that the Eagles were right. Goedert did a great job of creating space against defenders on Sunday, and I’m excited to see how he continues to grow in the TE1 role.
4.) Gardner Minshew’s normal sleeves!
Minshew sent waves across Philly sports media after his season debut against the Detroit Lions in garbage time. He seemed to have cut his sleeves to allow better movement while throwing, and to be honest, it looked pretty goofy. His sleeves were compared to that of former Eagles legend Sam Bradford. This Sunday, the Eagles quarterback opted for a more traditional look, which in my opinion, looked much better.
Negative Observations
1.) 1st Half Jonathan Gannon
Gannon started Sunday’s game extremely poorly; the defensive scheme that he had in place relied mostly on zones and Zach Wilson absolutely shredded the Eagles secondary during the first half. The fact that a team was able to shred the Eagles’ defense so easily is concerning enough, but the fact that the quarterback who did so was Zach Wilson is simply laughable. Entering into Sunday’s game, Wilson had the lowest first quarter QBR in the NFL since 2000. In the first quarter against the Eagles, Wilson went 7/8 for 50 yards, 2 TD’s (one rushing), and had a passer rating of 132.2. Gannon certainly didn’t help his chances of staying in Philly with his first half performance.
2.) Jalen Reagor
Well, it seems as if Jalen Reagor has made himself a name here on my negative observations list week after week. Just one short week after finding himself on this list after two brutal TD drops against the Giants, he finds himself here again due to his lack of success on the field. He has gotten opportunities the last few weeks, he just simply doesn’t deliver. I’m not sure if Howie would be willing to part with his beloved 1st round draft pick after only 2 seasons, but Reagor simply isn’t cutting it.
Standings
With a win against the Jets on Sunday, the Eagles find themselves back in the race for the NFC East title. Both the Cowboys and the Washington Football Team won their respective games this week, whereas the Giants lost their game to the Dolphins. Although the Eagles could very well win the division, I still believe that this division is the Cowboys’ to lose. The updated NFC East standings are as follows:
- Dallas Cowboys: 8-4
- Washington Football Team: 6-6
- Philadelphia Eagles: 6-7
- New York Giants: 4-8
Upcoming Game
The Eagles have a BYE week this week, and it could not come at a better time; this week gives the Eagles time to rest, relax, and get their minds and bodies right for the rest of the season. After the BYE week, the Eagles host the Washington Football Team at Lincoln Financial Field at 1pm. This game is an essential one to win if the Eagles are looking to make the playoffs this season. I do believe that the Eagles can and will win this game. I predict that the Eagles will leave the Linc with a 7-7 record.
Final Thoughts
Well, it seems as if fans are clamoring for Gardner Minshew to start over Jalen Hurts due to Minshew’s performance on Sunday. Although I don’t want to take anything away from Minshew’s performance, Eagles fans must remember that the Eagles played the Jets. In addition to this, 14 of Minshew’s 20 completions came 5 yards or shorter from the line of scrimmage. 6 of Minshew’s 20 completions came behind the line of scrimmage. Although Minshew played well and made the right reads when he had to, let’s not overreact. Jalen Hurts is still the Eagles starting quarterback. 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.
