Recap
The Eagles dismantled the Titans on Sunday, 35-10; they looked great in all 3 phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. The Eagles offense was dominant as A.J. Brown had an incredible game against his former team, and the defense completely shut down one of the best running backs in the NFL in Derrick Henry. This was probably the most complete game that I’ve seen from this Eagles team, outstanding job all around.
Positive Observations
1.) QB1
Jalen Hurts adds to his already impressive MVP campaign with every week; against Tennessee, he had a 74.4% completion percentage, threw for 380 yards, threw 3 TDs, and rushed for another. Hurts has simply been outstanding this year and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. His ability to beat defenses on the ground or in the air has rightfully catapulted him into MVP conversation.
2.) A.J. Brown/Devonta Smith
The revenge game between A.J. Brown and his former team certainly lived up to the hype; Brown caught 8 passes for 119 yards and 2 TD’s. Brown was consistently getting open and the Titans simply couldn’t stop him. In addition to Brown having a great game, Devonta Smith also made an impact in Sunday’s game; Smith had 5 receptions for 102 yards and a TD. Incredible games from WR 1a and 1b.
3.) Defense
The Eagles defense was tasked with stopping Derrick Henry, and they lived up to the task. Henry was held to only 30 yards on 11 rushing attempts and failed to score a touchdown. Henry’s 30 yards is his 2nd lowest total on the season; the Eagles defense came to play on Sunday. In addition to holding Henry in check, the Eagles defense allowed only 209 yards on the day, gave up only 11 first downs, and sacked Ryan Tannehill 6 times.
4.) Special Teams/Britain Covey
After receiving some justified criticism last week, the Eagles special team unit played their best game this year on Sunday. The coverage was excellent on kickoffs and punts, and Britain Covey had the best game of his young career; Covey had 6 returns for 105 yards, averaging 17.5 yards per return. Covey’s 105 punt return yards are the second most of any NFL player this season.
5.) Nakobe Dean
The rookie from the University of Georgia saw his first prolonged and meaningful snaps on defense on Sunday and he did not disappoint. After stepping in for an injured Kyzir White, Dean totaled a team high 6 tackles, 1 TFL, and received a grade of 72.0 from PFF while only playing 27% of the defensive snaps. For a player who had only seen 2 defensive snaps coming into this game, he stepped up in a big way.
Negative Observations
1.) Penalties
Although there wasn’t much to be angry about during Sunday’s game, penalties are still an issue. The Eagles were penalized 12 times for 80 yards on Sunday; even though the Eagles were able to overcome the penalties without much issue, this needs to be addressed before it comes back to haunt them.
Standings
Although the Eagles have looked incredible this season, the other NFC East teams are not far behind. Dallas is in the clear #2 spot after a 54-19 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, while the Giants and Commanders tied on Sunday. The updated NFC East standings are as follows:
- Philadelphia Eagles: 11-1
- Dallas Cowboys: 9-3
- New York Giants: 7-4-1
- Washington Commanders: 7-5-1
Upcoming Game
The Eagles take a short road trip to MetLife Stadium to face the Giants on Sunday at 1pm. Although the Giants have cooled off as of late, they are still a formidable opponent seeing as divisional games are almost always harder (see Washington Commanders in Week 10). If the Eagles can shut down Barkley like they did Henry, I see the Eagles moving to 12-1 after this game.
Final Thoughts
The Philadelphia Eagles are a good football team and they look virtually unstoppable when all 3 units are playing well. The Eagles are a legitimate threat in the NFC and I, for one, am enjoying the ride. The confidence that this team has along with their success throughout this season is giving me 2017 vibes; Hurts has been playing at an incredibly high level and the defense seems to be finding its footing. I’m looking forward to seeing how this team plays to close out this season. 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.
