What We Learned: Eagles Drop One in a Thriller

What We Learned: Eagles Drop One in a Thriller

Yet again, the Falcons and Eagles gave us a down-to-the-wire showdown, but this time, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones delivered. Here’s what we learned from the Falcons 24-20 victory over Philadelphia.

1. Injuries Galore

The Eagles were attacked by injuries from pregame until the end. Dallas Goedert was seen heading to the locker room prior to kickoff, and it was later confirmed that he had injured his calf. He didn’t see the field all game. Zach Ertz was the only other active tight end for the Eagles and was banged up on the last drive, but didn’t leave. Top receivers Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson also exited early with ailments of their own, leaving Wentz with just Nelson Agholor, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, and Mack Hollins at receiver. Agholor didn’t leave unscathed either, he left the game for some time after taking a massive hit in the end zone from Ricardo Allen. It was a scary sight for Eagles fans when Carson Wentz was taken out before the half, but he passed through concussion protocol and returned the same drive. He also took a couple of shots to the ribs and was visibly in pain at times.

Jason Kelce also found himself in protocol, after walking to the wrong sideline after a play. He returned to play every snap. Jason Peters missed only a play after it appeared as if he had suffered a major injury. It doesn’t end there: Sidney Jones had to leave after delivering a massive shot to a Falcon and getting himself hurt. He also returned. The week after losing Malik Jackson to a season-ending foot injury, his top backup Timmy Jernigan also finished the game in a walking boot. Not an encouraging sign for the Eagles defensive interior, especially with Fletcher Cox still dealing with an injury of his own. Corey Clement also left with a significant injury after fumbling away the second-half kickoff.

2. Ronald Darby and Andrew Sendejo

I don’t know if Ronald Darby is still hurt, but he was TORCHED on Sunday night. It was clear that the Falcons were picking on him the entire contest. It seemed as if every time a Falcons wideout made a reception, there was #21 lagging behind them. As bad as he was, it could have been a lot worse if not for a couple of errant passes by Matt Ryan. The fact that he was still in the game for such an extended period of time was confusing. Andrew Sendejo wasn’t any help either. Besides the sack he picked up on a free blitz, he was victimized for the majority of the day. With Ronald Darby already being a free reception for Atlanta’s pass-catchers, terrible safety play behind him was the last thing the Birds needed. He hasn’t shown any encouraging signs in two games so far. The more we have to watch him play, the louder the cries for Minkah Fitzpatrick will become. It wasn’t all bad though; Rasul Douglas played aggressive football and for the most part, was successful. He was matched up with Julio Jones for the majority of the contest and actually held him in check until he broke the game-winning screen. Encouraging signs from someone who was Terry McLaurin’s lunch the week prior.

3. Pass Protection

Carson Wentz seemed to be under pressure way too often throughout the game. It led to a number of improbable escapes, but also three sacks (one of those sacks coming from a ridiculous whistle). Isaac Seumalo was the culprit on many broken plays. When he wasn’t getting thoroughly abused, he was committing penalties. He was the worst player on the Eagles this game, and according to PFF, had one of the worst games by any NFL player in the last 14 seasons. Grady Jarrett ate him for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack throughout the entire game. Jason Peters’ performance wasn’t pretty either. Takk McKinley had his way with the 37-year-old all night. McKinley was just too fast for the Bodyguard to handle, and rookie Andre Dillard was far better suited to deal with a player like that. 

4. Carson Wentz

I won’t mince words: Carson Wentz was terrible… in the first half. When the second quarter hit triple-zeroes, he had a passer rating of less than twenty. He tossed two pretty bad interceptions, the second one bad enough that Desmond Trufant (who had both picks) sat down and waited for the ball to come to him. He returned with a purpose in the second half though, throwing and rushing for a touchdown to give Philly the late lead. His escapability was turned all the way up, and he had some 2017-esque plays, like a completion to Mack Hollins with his knees centimeters above the turf. The fact that he could still muster up enough arm strength to complete that is beyond insane. After Julio Jones dusted the defense en route to what ended up being the game-deciding score, Wentz nearly led the Eagles back -- and quickly -- before…

5. Nelson Agholor

Agholor finished with eight grabs for 107 yards and a score, but the only thing that anyone will remember is his inexcusable drop on what would’ve been a walk-in score for the win. Just watch the video, there was no reason for him to miss that, and he knew it as well. He nearly redeemed himself with an improbable grab on fourth-and-long, but the Eagles fell short after Zach Ertz finished short of the sticks on another fourth down later in the same drive. 

Other Observations:

- This game lived up to the typical sloppiness of an Atlanta-Philly matchup, and it’s honestly impressive that the Eagles managed to keep it so close when it seemed like luck was completely against them.

- The run game was nonexistent. After watching Dalvin Cook slice-and-dice his way through this same team with an inferior O-line, it was disappointing watching Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders combine for a measly 46 yards rushing. 

- Jim Schwartz was much more aggressive tonight, and it paid off… until it didn’t. The game-winning score came against a blitz that left no safety deep.

- The Eagles only sacked Matt Ryan once, but they did get a lot more pressure than last week. Ryan threw three interceptions.

Philadelphia (1-1) hosts the Detroit Lions next week.

-By: Micah Jimoh