Recap
The Eagles unfortunately were unable to sweep the Dallas Cowboys this season, falling by a score of 34-40. The Eagles looked surprisingly decent on offense without Jalen Hurts who was out due to injury, but their defense was nowhere to be seen. The Eagles offense was able to out gain Dallas’ offense 442 yards to 419 yards, but the deciding factor was ultimately the Eagles’ inability to protect the ball; the Eagles offense turned the ball over a season high 4 times. Although the Eagles kept it close, they were unable to secure the win and the #1 seed.
Positive Observations
1.) Josh Sweat
As a current FSU graduate student, I love seeing former Seminoles succeed in the NFL, and I enjoy it even more when former FSU players succeed for the Eagles. Josh Sweat, a former FSU defensive lineman, had an outstanding game on Saturday. Sweat started off the game with an incredible pick-six on an ill advised throw from Dak Prescott, and went on to total 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB hits, and the aforementioned interception returned for touchdown. Great stuff from Sweat during Saturday’s game.
2.) DeVonta Smith
Smith had yet another outstanding game, putting up 8 receptions, 113 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Smith’s value to the Eagles offense is incredibly high; he has now surpassed 1,000 yards receiving on the year. Smith’s career high 1,014 receiving yards makes him and A.J. Brown the first WR duo to each have at least 1,000 receiving yards in franchise history. Smith was electric against Dallas and looks to continue his hot streak against New Orleans.
3.) Offensive Line
The Eagles offensive line has been outstanding this year and Saturday’s game was no different; the Eagles offensive line didn’t allow a single sack or a QB hit during the game. Philadelphia’s offensive line unit played extremely well especially considering Minshew was playing QB and they were facing one of the best defenses in the NFL; great stuff from them.
4.) Gardner Minshew?
I had trouble deciding which list Minshew belonged to; on one hand he threw for 355 yards & threw for 2 TD’s and rushed for another. On the other hand, he had 2 interceptions and lost a fumble. Overall I think he had an “okay” game; he was tasked with coming in off the bench against a great defense and he put up decent numbers against them. With that being said, he certainly disappointed with the amount of turnovers.
Negative Observations
1.) Gannon/Defense
The Eagles defense was… not good on Saturday night. They gave up 419 yards and allowed Dak Prescott to absolutely shred them in the passing game. The most frustrating moment came when Dallas were backed up to a 3rd and 30 situation, and the Cowboys were able to convert, leading to a Dallas score. The Eagles were able to rack up 6 sacks on the day, but were unable to get enough consistent pressure to throw Dak off his game.
Jonathan Gannon’s refusal to make adjustments was certainly a key factor in losing Saturday’s game; Dallas went 8/15 on 3rd down, Dak had a 77% completion percentage, only forced 8 incompletions, and Gannon still chose to utilize a soft zone to stop the Dallas offense. This was an incredibly disappointing outing for Gannon & Co.
2.) Turnovers
The Eagles offense was hot and cold on Saturday night; they were able to score points with a backup QB against one of the league’s best defenses, but they also turned the ball over constantly. The trend of turning the ball over has become more prevalent in the past few weeks, the Eagles’ turnover margin from weeks 1-9 was +15 (1st in the NFL), whereas the turnover margin from weeks 10-16 is -6, which is the worst in the NFL. This needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.
3.) Injuries
The Eagles were already down some key players (Jalen Hurts, C.J. Gardner-Johnson) coming into Saturday night’s game, and they, unfortunately, had to add Lane Johnson to the list. Johnson went down in the Dallas game and was unable to return with a torn adductor. On the bright side, Johnson decided to forgo surgery to have the chance to be able to play in the playoffs.
Standings
With the loss to Dallas, the Eagles have fallen to a record of… *checks notes*… 13-2 this season. Although a loss to Dallas is never fun, the Eagles are still in prime position to win the NFC East crown. The updated NFC East standings are as follows:
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-4
- New York Giants: 8-6
- Washington Commanders: 7-7-1
*Fun fact: If the season ended today, every single NFC East team would be in the playoffs.
Upcoming Game
The Eagles host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at 1pm. The Eagles are the clear favorites to win this week; according to ESPN Analytics, the Eagles have a 67.6% chance to win on Sunday. If the Eagles win, they not only lock up the #1 seed in the NFC as well as clinching the NFC East title, but they also will improve their draft position. Although Hurts is doubtful to play, I wholeheartedly believe that Minshew will lead the Eagles to a win on Sunday.
Final Thoughts
Although the Eagles lost on Saturday, I am still optimistic about this season. I believe that it is time as Eagles fans to take a step back and see things from a bigger picture; the Eagles are 13-2, they have arguably the most dynamic offense in the NFL, the rightful NFL MVP will be returning within the next few weeks, and they will most likely be the #1 seed in the NFC. The Eagles are a dangerous team, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they respond against the Saints. 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.
