Recap
A 21 point 4th quarter outburst lifted the Eagles over Washington on Sunday, winning by a score of 38-31. The Eagles were up 38-24 with 1:50 left in the 4th quarter before the Commanders ripped off a quick drive to make the score look more competitive. The Eagles defense struggled early, but made big plays when they needed to in order to leave FedEx Field with the win.
Positive Observations
1.) Jalen Hurts
Hurts had an outstanding game; he passed for 319 yards with 4 touchdowns, while completing 76% of his passes. His ball placement was elite on Sunday, and he showed just how valuable he his to this team. Specifically, Hurts’ 2nd half was impressive; he went 9 of 13 with 140 yards, 3 TD’s, and a 144.2 rating. Additionally, Hurts was a perfect 15 for 15 with 229 yard and 3 Td’s when targeting DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown.
2.) AJ Brown
I understand that I sound like a broken record, but AJ Brown has had a historic start to the 2023 season. Sunday marked his 6th straight game with 125+ receiving yards, which is the most in NFL history. Brown had 8 receptions for 130 yards and 2 TD’s, including a ridiculous one handed grab on a back shoulder fade to close out the 1st half. Brown is making a case to be the best wide receiver in the NFL.
3.) Clutch Defense
This game was consistently back and forth, but the defense showed up when it mattered. Reed Blankenship had a clutch interception midway through the 4th quarter that led to an Eagles touchdown, and Reddick sacked Sam Howell on 4th down that led to another Eagles touchdown. Although the defense had a rough start to the game, they showed up to play in the 4th quarter.
Negative Observations
1.) Turnovers
The Eagles have had a difficult time protecting the football this season, and they continued that trend on Sunday. The Eagles fumbled twice in the red zone against the Commanders, which allowed Washington to stay in the game. This issue needs to be fixed if the Eagles want to make a deep playoff run.
2.) Defense
The defense in general struggled on Sunday, as Sam Howell threw for 397 yards and 4 TD’s. The Eagles seemed content to play soft zone coverage at the beginning of that game, which ended up hurting them. Howell was able to make the right reads and distribute the ball effectively; the Eagles looked lost on defense at times during Sunday’s game.
Upcoming Opponent
The Eagles (7-1) host Dallas (5-2) Sunday at 4:25pm for their first matchup of the 2023 season. The Cowboys are coming off of a 43-20 win over the LA Rams, and look to gain some ground in the NFC East standings. The Cowboys pose a major threat to the Eagles in the NFC, while boasting an excellent defense and an offense that has high potential. The key matchup is the Eagles offensive line vs. Dallas’ defensive line; the Eagles offensive line has struggled in recent weeks, and in order for the Eagles to win, they need to dominate the trenches.
Final Prediction- PHI: 28, DAL: 24
NFC East Standings
The Eagles and Cowboys both won, while the Giants and Commanders both lost. The NFC East race is shaping up to be between Philadelphia and Dallas, as both Washington and New York are multiple games under .500. The updated NFC East standings are as follows:
- Philadelphia Eagles: 7-1
- Dallas Cowboys: 5-2
- Washington Commanders: 3-5
- New York Giants: 2-6
Final Thoughts
This team is slowly starting to come into form; the offense is is finding their rhythm and the defense has had promising outings so far this season. There are certainly some things to clean up, but this team has shown that they can hang with anybody. This week’s test against Dallas may be the most difficult so far this season, I’m interested to see how the defense plays. Overall, this team has been fun to watch, and I am enjoying the ride. As always, Go Birds!
Subscribe to our posts and bookmark these feeds:
* * *
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.
