Well, it’s another week and another poor result for the Philadelphia Eagles. After going down 21-3 early against the Los Angeles Rams, the offense tried to push for the comeback but ended up falling short in a 37-19 loss. The loss is disappointing, especially with the lackluster performance from QB Carson Wentz, who was expected to bounce back after a subpar showing in Washington. However, it wasn’t all bad on the offensive side of the ball, especially for an offensive line that got torched in week one.
Locking Down the League’s Best
The Rams feature a guy on their defensive line named Aaron Donald. You might’ve heard of him. He’s pretty good. Against a battered Eagles’ offensive line, Donald was expected to feast. However, what transpired was much different.
0 sacks. Carson Wentz did not get sacked a single time. Was protection perfect all day? No, of course it wasn’t, it. It’s still a banged-up unit. However, with who was available for Philly, that performance was excellent and gave Wentz clean pockets to throw from, even if he didn’t deliver. Aaron Donald was limited in his impact on the game, which came as a delightful surprise to Eagles’ fans everywhere.
After an awful showing against a stout Washington unit, it was nice to see the line bounce back in a big way. Even if the Rams’ d-line is a downgrade from Washington’s, any improvement from week one was encouraging. What was even more encouraging was seeing a familiar face back in the lineup.
Offensive Line Paving the Lane
Lane Johnson made his return to the field after having ankle surgery during the offseason. I noted in last week’s roundtable that Johnson’s return could help gel the o-line. After one week, it appears that my prediction may be correct.
Johnson came in on Sunday and made an immediate impact. He was a bookend on the line and made sure nobody hit his quarterback. He didn’t appear to be rusty, and went in and played at the all-pro level he’s known for. Although Jack Driscoll didn’t play particularly poorly week 1, Johnson’s addition to the line paid dividends and helped the unit somewhat return to form.
Moving forward, concern over the offensive line should dissipate. Even with LG Isaac Seumalo being placed on IR, guards Matt Pryor and Nate Herbig seemed to fit in nicely, especially with facing the leagues premier DT in Donald. Although this isn’t the elite o-line we’re used to seeing in Philly, these guys can play. With an excellent performance in week 2, the offensive line is my MVP for this week.
