Eagles vs. Seahawks Review: Eagles Fall Below .500
Eagles vs. Seahawks Review: Eagles Fall Below .500
The Eagles offense was abysmal yet again as Philadelphia stumbled to a 17-9 loss to the Seahawks. Here’s what we learned:
1. The Eagles Defense is for Real
Frustrated isn’t a harsh enough word to describe how Eagles fans felt when the team failed to land a corner at the trade deadline. Turns out they didn’t need one. The return of Jalen Mills along with several others has bolstered an Eagles defense that hasn’t allowed more than 17 points since Week 7. I was skeptical of the recent success because of the unimpressive slate of offenses they’d faced in that span, but another exceptional performance (this time against MVP-candidate Russell Wilson) has given me a reason to believe. Rashaad Penny found some success during the contest, but for the most part, it was an amazing effort from Jim Schwartz’s unit. It should be noted that it could’ve just as easily been 28-9 if not for a couple of mistakes from the Seahawks, but at the end of the day, Russell Wilson and Co. only put up 17.
2. Carson Wentz and the Offense…
To put it simply, the Eagles offense sucks. It was difficult to watch our defense play inspired football just for our offense to either turn it over or fizzle out. The game was very much within reach for basically the entire contest and they could never close the gap. Carson Wentz played bad football for the second week in a row, losing two fumbles and throwing two interceptions. He had some ridiculously bad throws including one where Miles Sanders was alone in the flat and Wentz sailed it about a mile over his head. There was a slight chance that Sanders would have scored if the ball had made it to him. Wentz also didn’t show much pocket awareness. One of his fumbles came when he was holding the ball carelessly even when he knew that there were defensive linemen swarming around him.
Not much needs to be said about the receiving corps. Alshon Jeffery was a late scratch, so Philadelphia was even more shorthanded than originally expected. The receivers once again couldn’t gain any separation and once again couldn’t make plays on balls that were slightly off-target. Dallas Goedert lost a fumble on a crucial drive, but luckily for him, Chris Carson did his best to give it right back. It didn’t matter. Not much to be happy about in a game where the Eagles couldn’t move the ball through the air against the 28th-ranked pass defense.
3. But It’s Not Over
There are years where the NFC East is an absolute powerhouse (such as 2016 where the 13-3 Cowboys and 11-5 Giants both made the playoffs while the 7-9 Eagles had a great record for a fourth-place team) and other years where the division just stinks (like this year). The Eagles are currently 5-6, coming off a two-game losing streak where they managed to score 19 points combined, and still have a favorable path to the division crown. After this, the Eagles play Miami, New York, Washington, Dallas, and then New York again. Dallas (6-5) lost to New England and will play Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles (Rams), Philly, and Washington. Philadelphia’s schedule is much easier than the Cowboys, and the division might end up coming down to the second matchup between these two. I’m not sure if Philadelphia can win anything in the playoffs, but crazier things have happened.
4. Offensive Line
For those wondering why Andre Dillard wasn’t playing on the right side, you now see why. Prior to the game, he compared playing both sides of the line to trying to write with your non-dominant hand. He was eventually taken out in favor of Vaitai. Brandon Brooks missed most of the game with an illness and Matt Pryor took his place after Vaitai was moved to right tackle. Pryor recorded an impressive pancake on Ziggy Ansah but left us with a worse memory by committing a drive-killing penalty. This team can’t get healthy fast enough.
5. Fire Mike Groh
Every week I say the same thing, there’s just no reason that this man should have a job. Hopefully, Philadelphia is smart enough to not promote internally when it’s time to hire the next OC.
The Eagles (5-6) get a confidence-builder next week at Miami (2-9).
-By: Micah Jimoh
Writer/Interviewer