Philadelphia Eagles Week 3 Recap: EMBARRASSING!

The Philadelphia Eagles last win against the Cincinnati Bengals spans back 20 years. The Eagles were looking to rebound, and what better way than to get the rebuilding Bengals at home. The Eagles can take care of the Bengals, right? This game is a stone-cold lock, right? The answer to those questions is a resounding “NO” to each one. The Philadelphia Eagles struggled from start to finish and managed to escape week 3 with a tie, yes, a TIE, to the Cincinnati Bengals by the score of 23-23. UGLY!

First Half

The first half of this football game was an absolute snoozer. It simply looked like two lousy football teams trying to give the win away to the other team. After a scoreless first quarter, each team traded field goals to tie the score at 3-3. Joe Burrow led his team down for the go-ahead touchdown late in the 2nd quarter on a lob pass to fellow rookie Tee Higgins to take a 10-6 lead. However, the Eagles offense caught a break as Randy bullock booted the kickoff out of bounds, placing it on the 40-yard line. The offense managed to put a quick drive together, and Greg Ward caught a 29 yard TD pass from Wentz on a confused Bengals defense. The Eagles led at halftime 13-10 in what was an ugly first half.

Second Half

Joe Burrow impressed on a nice drive in the 3rd quarter picking the Eagles secondary apart, going ten plays and 76 yards. He eventually hooked up with Tee Higgins in the end zone for his second score of the day. The Eagles tacked on a field goal, and the Bengals took a 17-16 lead going into the 4th quarter. The Eagles held off a strong drive by the Bengals offense, including a terrific break up by Marcus Epps in the end zone. Cincinnati extends their lead to 20-16 on a field goal by Randy Bullock. The Eagles offense put together a drive with 3 minutes to go, and ended with an excellent scramble by Carson Wentz diving into the end zone for the touchdown! Game is tied at 23-23, and the Eagles head to overtime with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Eagles Struggle in OT

Oh man, this was an ugly quarter of football. Nobody wanted to put this game away. The defense did its job in the overtime period. However, the offense was a mess in every way imaginable. The Eagles first drive was halted on a terrible series deep in their own territory. The final drive saw the Eagles march down the field from their own 30-yard line. On the cusp of field goal range, the wheels came off the bus. A costly holding penalty by Lane Johnson put the Eagles in a 3rd and long situation, which amounted to nothing. Here comes Jake Elliott to kick the game-winner from 59 yards. However, Matt Pryor commits a false start penalty to push the Eagles back 5 yards. Doug has a huge decision to make. Do you kick the ball from 64 yards for the win? Do you go for it on 4th down, and launch a hail mary? Which do you choose? Well, there was a third choice, PUNT. Hold on, what? Punt? No, Doug, No! Where did BBD go? The Eagles decide to Punt, and the game ends in a 23-23 tie. UGLY!

Eagles Positives

Well, there are not many positive vibes to take from this performance. Losing to a team that’s in the midst of a full rebuild is not good at all. Here are a few things I noticed yesterday.

• Miles Sanders – He’s quickly becoming a top tier RB in the NFL. Simply put, when Miles Sanders has the ball, he’s going to make a play happen. Sanders had 18 carries for 95 yards yesterday. He should’ve received at least 5-7 more touches. He needs to have the ball in his hands for this team to win.
• Carson Wentz – I know what you’re thinking…WHAT??? How in the heck is he in this section? I know the mechanics are off for Carson. He’s sailing throws high, committing too many turnovers, and looks completely lost out there at times. However, I saw him become as mobile as I’ve seen him since 2017. He showed elusiveness that we haven’t seen in a while, and the touchdown run was impressive. Carson: Whoever stole your mechanics, let us know, and we’ll hunt them down! We just want 2017 Wentz back!
• Defensive Line – The defensive front returned from a hiatus to register eight sacks on Joe Burrow yesterday.
• Darius Slay – The guy is a baller. He makes an impact on the field. Everyone saw what Slay could do when he returned from injury in overtime and shut down the Bengals offensive possession.
• Greg Ward – With the entire Eagles WR corps banged up, Greg Ward once again emerged from the dust and recorded eight catches for 72 yards with 1 TD. Good ole Mr. Reliable shows up again when needed.

Negatives

I don’t have enough room for everything negative, but I’ll highlight a few “areas needing improvement.”

• Carson Wentz – There’s something terribly wrong here mechanically, and they need to figure it out quickly.
• Jason Peters – I’m sorry, but the Bodyguard is toast. He was a revolving turnstile yesterday. He did improve in the second half, but Carson will end up on a stretcher if he plays like that.
• Doug Peterson – I can put the entire coaching staff here, but I’ll focus on the leader. Something is wrong with Doug. Did anyone watch the post-game presser yesterday? He looks defeated. He reminded me of Coach Klein in “The Waterboy.” Doug needs to improve the play-calling. Finally, has anyone seen BBD? If you find him, let the Eagles know, please? Thanks!
• Linebacker Group – Nobody in this group is an NFL caliber linebacker. Nate Gerry is getting picked on weekly by opposing offenses. If they cut this entire group and replaced them with guys off the street, I would be A-OK with that!
• Jim Schwartz – I think Jimmy has worn out his welcome. Something is wrong with the defense. I’ll put a part of the blame on Howie Roseman for not bringing in caliber players, but Schwartz should be fired today. Jim admitted last week that his game plan was awful. NEWSFLASH: It’s been terrible for two years!! We keep seeing former Eagles defenders showing up on TV screens making plays: Rasual Douglas, LJ Fort, and even Chandon Sullivan made a play for the Packers last night. Who’s evaluating the talent on this team? The defense is a mess!

Notable Eagles Injuries

• DeSean Jackson – Hamstring injury
• Dallas Goedert – Ankle
• Avonte Maddox – Ankle

Looking Ahead

The Eagles currently sit at 0-2-1. Wow, that looks uglier every time I see their record. However, because the NFC East is the worst football division, the Eagles are only a half game out of 1st place. Amazing! While that may be exciting, the Eagles upcoming schedule will quickly bring you back down to reality. The Eagles travel to San Francisco next week to take on a depleted 49ers team. The Niners may be depleted, but they’re putting a whooping on bad football teams. The Eagles currently fall into that category. Then, the Eagles travel to Pittsburgh, followed by a home date with the Baltimore Ravens. The Eagles can very easily fall to 0-5-1 before you know it. Doug better get himself, and this team prepared for the next stretch of games, or he might want to become concerned about his future in Philadelphia.