Recap
Philadelphia lost a lopsided game against the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 51-26. Although that score is never one that you want to see, the score is in no way indicative of where the Eagles are at as a team, due to the fact that the Cowboys played their starters throughout the majority of the game whereas the Eagles rested most of their starters. Philadelphia’s backups played well against the Cowboys’ starters, racking up 315 yards and gaining 22 first downs. Ultimately, Dallas’ offense proved to be too much for the Eagles’ backup defense, resulting in a blowout.
Positive Observations
1.) Devonta Smith
For all the hate that Howie Roseman gets due to his draft mishaps in the past, its safe to say that he certainly made the right pick by drafting Smith. For the first time in what feels like forever, the Eagles actually have a WR1 that is consistent. Smith capped of his great regular season campaign by breaking the franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie which was previously held by DeSean Jackson. Great season from Smith.
2.) Jeff Stoutland
Stoutland is responsible for the Eagles’ offensive line being as dominant as it is. This season’s offensive line is a drastic improvement from last season’s; Stoutland has done an incredible job helping the young guys grow and improve. I, for one, am a massive fan of signing him to a lifetime contract.
3.) Jake Elliott
Elliott has quietly had the best season of his career; he has made 30 out of his 33 field goal attempts which breaks the Eagles franchise record for field goal percentage. He has been consistent this year which has helped the offense at times. After struggling last year, Elliott has bounced back in a big way. Props to him.
Negative Observations
Because the Eagles played their backups for the majority of the game against the Cowboys, there’s not much to analyze when it comes to negative observations. Everyone gets a week off!
Upcoming Opponent
The Eagles travel to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at 1 pm ET. The Bucs bested the Eagles in their first matchup of the season back in Week 6 by a score of 28-22. Although the Eagles lost that game, I believe that they certainly have a chance to win this one due to the injuries that the Bucs have suffered over the last half of the season. In addition to the injuries to the Bucs, the weather also favors the Eagles; the weather forecast calls for wind and rain which may limit Brady’s pass attempts. Though facing Brady in the playoffs is always a tough task, I do believe that the Eagles have a chance to pull out the win.
Final Thoughts
Who would’ve thought that after a 2-5 start the Eagles would be in the playoffs? Certainly not me. The Eagles are in great hands with Nick Sirianni, and I am looking forward to the playoff matchup between Hurts and Brady. Overall, to say the Eagles have exceeded expectations for this season would be a massive understatement. 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.
