What We Learned: Eagles Handle Bears
What We Learned: Eagles Handle Bears
After an impressive win at Buffalo, the Eagles doubled down on victories to move to 5-4.
1. The Eagles Did Things In the First Half
A well-documented problem for the Eagles in the past two seasons has been their inability to start fast. On Sunday they finally put up points early, going up 3-0 after an impressive first drive. Until they were deep in the red zone, the Eagles moved the ball at will. It would’ve been nice to have them punch it in, but this is a huge improvement from what we’re used to seeing. The same thing happened on their next drive. They drove deep into Chicago territory but settled for another field goal. Even though Chicago’s offense was stonewalled for the majority of the first half, the Eagles’ inability to finish off those drives kept the game close. There’s still plenty of work to be done, but this is an encouraging sign.
2. Wow, Mitchell Trubisky is Bad
The Bears could’ve been legitimate Super Bowl contenders last season and even this season if they possessed an actual franchise quarterback. Mitchell Trubisky cannot take this offense anywhere, and their running game hasn’t helped much either. Chicago punted on their first six drives before finally reaching paydirt in the third quarter. They finished the first half with nine total yards. Led by David Montgomery (17 touches, 76 total yards, 2 TDs), the Bears added two second-half scores to make it a game, but a beautiful 8+ minute drive by Philadelphia closed out the contest. It was a perfect response after they took their foot off the gas for a good portion of the game and allowed Chicago to claw back into it. After wasting last year’s dominant defense and also watching Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson become top-five quarterbacks, the selection of Trubisky is beginning to look like one of the worst in NFL history.
3. The Eagles Desperately Need Receivers
Zach Ertz had a classic performance (9 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD), but the Eagles receivers continue to underwhelm. DeSean Jackson didn’t last a full quarter in his return, Alshon Jeffery continued to look lethargic and dropped three passes, Nelson Agholor apparently played (I couldn’t tell), and Mack Hollins and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside once again didn’t record any stats. To make matters worse, Jackson is now out for the remainder of the regular season after finally opting to get surgery. Wentz still somehow threw for 240 yards and a score. If the Eagles still view this season as worth fighting for, they must address this position immediately. Signing Jordan Matthews isn’t making me feel any better, but Antonio Brown would.
4. If You Aren’t Ezekiel Elliott, You Aren’t Going to Have Success
The Eagles continue to bottle up all running backs not named Ezekiel Elliott. David Montgomery was the latest victim of the Eagles vicious run defense. He ran for two scores, but both were 1-yard plunges that didn’t help his putrid average. He finished with 40 rushing yards on 14 carries.
5. The Passing Defense Remains a Question Mark
The Eagles last two games have been against Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky, two of the worst passers in football. The Eagles DBs have had success against both, but what exactly does that mean? Those aren’t exactly the hardest quarterbacks to stop. Tom Brady and the suddenly not-that-good Patriots offense come to town after the bye week, and even if they haven’t impressed lately, they’ll still be a major test. This game here will tell us whether we are contenders or not.
6. Run the Ball
The Eagles three most impressive wins (the Jets are not one of them because Luke Falk isn’t a real NFL QB) have come in games where they ran the ball with will. They came just four yards short of the 150-yard mark on Sunday. If they know what’s good for them, they’ll continue pounding the rock with Jordan Howard (82 yards, TD) and Miles Sanders (42 yards, 4.2 YPC) next game against New England. The one weak point of the Patriots defense has been their interior run defense that’s been exposed by Baltimore, Cleveland, and Buffalo.
The Eagles enter their bye week at 5-4.
