Recap
This game was certainly the tale of two halves. Going into halftime, the game was tied 3-3. The Eagles looked sluggish, sloppy, and in all honesty, it seemed as if they didn’t care whether they won or lost. After halftime, the Eagles roared out to a 34-3 lead, scoring 31 unanswered points. The game ended with a Philadelphia victory by the score of 34-10, and the Eagles are over .500 for the first time since opening weekend. The difference between the first and second halves were drastic; if the Eagles can play at the level that they did during the second half, they are a dangerous team. Philadelphia won the turnover battle, securing two takeaways. Let’s take a closer look at how the Eagles performed on Sunday
Positive Observations
1.) Nick Sirianni
Let’s take a second to appreciate Sirianni for turning this football team around. After his first press conference with the team, he was already being written off due to his stuttering during the conference. After a shaky first 7 games, Sirianni has taken a team in a rebuilding year and put them in a position to clinch a playoff berth this coming Sunday. Hats off to him.
2.) 2nd half Jalen Hurts
Hurts struggled in the first half; he missed reads, throws, and looked extremely uncomfortable in the pocket. However, he was incredible during the second half. He did a good job of navigating the pocket, making good reads, and throwing his receivers open. Although he had a rough start to the game, he really came into form during the second half.
3.) Lane Johnson Tuddy!
Lane Johnson scored his first-ever NFL touchdown on Sunday on a beautiful play design. He leaked out on the right side and was wide open for the touchdown. It was incredible being able to watch him catch his first-ever touchdown of his career; he truly deserved it. In addition to having a great game on Sunday, Lane has also had an incredible season so far. For reference: Lane has scored more touchdowns (1) than he has given up sacks this season (0).
4.) Defense
Jonathan Gannon and the Eagles defense have been trending upwards over the past few weeks. The defense has given up an average of only 15 points per game over the past 3 weeks, as well as securing 2 interceptions and forcing a fumble against the Giants on Sunday. Although the defense has played the likes of Zach Wilson, Garret Gilbert, Jake Fromm, and Mike Glennon, this is still a good trend for the Eagles defense that has struggled during this season.
Negative Observations:
1.) 1st half Jalen Hurts
As mentioned prior, Hurts struggled during the first half of Sunday’s game. Some thought that Sirianni was at fault due to how the Eagles seemed to lean on throwing the ball during the first half rather than running the ball, but I would disagree. The Eagles have played 15 games this season; at this point in the season the offense should be able to throw the ball just fine early in the game, especially while facing an inferior opponent.
2.) Offense lacking energyĀ
The offense came out flat in Sunday’s game during the first half. I’m not sure if the Eagles simply expected to win, or if there were underlying circumstances, but the offense looked horrible during that first half; Hurts couldn’t complete his passes, receivers were dropping passes, and the run game wasn’t getting going. Although the offense did a 180 degree turn and looked lethal during the second half, the Eagles will need to clean this up if they want to make a playoff run.
Standings
The Eagles have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this Sunday if they beat the Washington Football team and if the Vikings lose to the Packers. Although the Eagles will not be able to win the NFC East crown, they have turned their season around in incredible fashion. The updated NFC East standings are as follows:
- Dallas Cowboys: 11-4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 8-7
- Washington Football Team: 6-9
- New York Giants: 4-11
Upcoming Opponent
The Eagles travel to FedExField to take on the Washington Football Team for the second time in three weeks. Although Washington will be closer to full strength than they were two weeks ago, I believe that the Eagles have all the momentum in this one. If the Eagles win this game, all they need is a Vikings loss to cement their spot in the playoffs. Although I’m sure that Washington won’t lie down easily, I believe that the Eagles will win this game handily & head back to Philadelphia as a 9-7 team.
Final Thoughts
What a season this turned out to be. After the Eagles dropped to a 2-5 record, I honestly was looking ahead at mock drafts and attempting to figure out when the Eagles would be picking. After an incredible turnaround from Sirianni & Co, the Eagles are now just a few games away from advancing into the playoffs. Sirianni has done an incredible job at turning this team around in his first year at the helm; if this is any indication of what is to come, I cannot wait to see what he does in year two. As always, Go Birds!
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Nate EichnerĀ is a featured writer atĀ The Birds Blitz. For more from Nate, check out hisĀ archiveĀ and read through ourĀ Eagles articlesĀ for the latest news about the Birds.
