Eagles Slow Start Results in a Blowout

Another Sunday, another Eagles meltdown. Miles Sanders and Lane Johnson were significant offensive upgrades this week, and Sanders wanted his presence known off the start. On the second play of the game, Miles Sanders turned over the football, which led to an early Rams touchdown to TE Tyler Higbee. This game quickly got away from the Eagles. Five minutes into the 2nd quarter, the Birds found themselves trailing 21-3 in what would eventually result in a blowout. Carson Wentz managed to rally the offense for an 11 play drive, which ended in a QB sneak for a score. The defense also seemed to turn a corner as they managed to hold the Rams. A key 3rd down sack from Brandon Graham took LA out of field goal range. The Eagles rolled out the 2-minute offense and ended up punting, but a fumble from Cooper Kupp put the birds in scoring position. A Miles Sanders run up the middle made the score 21-16 going into the half. 

All the momentum was with Philadelphia coming into the second half. A quick three and out for the defense gave the empty stadium life. Carson Wentz and the Eagles were soaring down the field. With three 3rd down conversions to DeSean Jackson, the Eagles found themselves knocking on the door to take the lead. In an effort to fit a ball into a tight window, Wentz rifled a pass to JJ Arcega Whiteside that was jumped by Rams DB Darius Williams. This once again sent the game into a downward spiral. The Rams would rally and put up 16 more points to the Eagles 3.

What Went Wrong

There’s a lot to unpack from an all-around confusing performance from the Eagles this afternoon. This game is nothing like we predicted in our roundtable and game preview. The game started as a blowout, Philly managed to capture our hearts again, then crushed them twice as hard. The Eagles looked lost on that field today. Carson Wentz missed some key throws that would’ve been easy conversions. I would say the defense looked slow, but that was an understatement. The linebacker core needs to be dealt with, as the Eagles have no decent player at that position. Nathan Gerry, the usual “best” linebacker, was torched by Tyler Higbee on multiple occasions today. The bootleg, don’t get me started with the bootleg. Rolling out, Goff looked like Mahomes dotting up the secondary while managing to embarrass the front seven utterly. The Rams were the better football team by far. Hopefully, the Eagles can turn it around with an easy game against the Bengals, but at this rate, I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that.

Finding The Eagles Upside

I always try to find the silver lining in every loss, but man, was it hard this week. Playcalling was still primarily flat, but a few screens to the speedy rookie Reagor showed flashes of promise. Jalen Hurts found his way onto the field in the much-awaited Taysom Hill package he was drafted for. The first half had a few plays that were downright refreshing to watch. Carson played a (slightly) better game. He still threw two picks, one of which was unlucky, the other coming off a tight squeeze to second-round head-scratcher JJAW. Wentz did a better job with ball security with no fumbles and managed to get the ball out when faced with pressure. The offensive line played a great game, holding future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald and his crew to 0 sacks on the day. Lastly, Miles Sanders. Despite an ugly fumble on an early touch, Sanders stayed calm and had a great day racking up 95 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. 

The Eagles have a ton to work on for next week. Hopefully, they can get it together against the former last-place Bengals. This is a big game for Carson Wentz. He has a lot to prove and an easy team to vent on. Hopefully, he can get it done.