What We Learned: Eagles Come Back on Redskins

What We Learned: Eagles Come Back on Redskins

It didn’t look good early, but the Eagles shook off the first-half rust to complete a 17-point comeback on the Washington Redskins. Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s action:

1. Eagles First-Half Woes Continue

As massive ten-point favorites, it was expected that Philadelphia was going to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders. That wasn’t the case. Whether it was because of a lack of preparation or rust from an inactive preseason, the Eagles did not look good in the first quarter and for most of the second quarter. Case Keenum finally showed up (almost two years too late) and looked stellar as the Redskins jumped out to a 17-0 lead. The defensive line couldn’t get any pressure and the secondary was ripped apart as a result. A sign that things are bad: 35-year old backup tight end clearing Ronald Darby on a hurdle, evading two subpar tackle attempts from Andrew Sendejo and Rodney McLeod, and cruising his way to a 48-yard TD. Rookie speedster Terry McLaurin also had his way in the first half, roasting the notoriously slow Rasul Douglas for a 69-yard score. He finished with 125 yards and that TD on five grabs, and could’ve had another big one if it wasn’t for an errant pass from Keenum. Arguably the league’s worst receiving corps performed exceptionally well against Jim Schwartz’s defense.

2. DeSean Jackson

It seemed like Jackson always torched the Eagles in his return games, and he did the same to Washington. With the Birds in dire need of a spark, Jackson provided it, recording his 30th career TD of 50+ yards. That wasn’t all for the fan-favorite though; he scored another 50+ yard touchdown in the third quarter on an absolute dime from Carson Wentz. After receiving some jeers from the crowd following an early unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, D-Jax came back with a vengeance. His final stat line was an impressive 8/154/2. 

3. Carson Wentz

Man, oh man, the 2017 memories were back in full force on Sunday. The MVP front runner of two seasons ago played some beautiful football in his first game back since December 2018. All three of his touchdown passes were “wow” throws, especially a strike to Alshon Jeffery where he fit the ball into an extremely tight window while rolling right. There were those moments where you wondered, “How is he making these throws?” He had another impressive toss to Dallas Goedert where he dropped the ball right over his shoulder, but he couldn’t hang on through contact. All in all, Wentz looked extremely sharp, finishing with 313 yards and three touchdowns on 72% completion. 

4. Running Game

The running game was extremely sluggish in the first (as was the rest of the team), but things really took off after the break. Darren Sproles paced the team in rushing attempts for most of the game, collecting 47 yards on nine carries. Miles Sanders ended up with the most carries (11/25) and he looked better than the box score actually showed. Jordan Howard had six rushes, but for me, it was apparent that he was the team’s best back today. More touches for him earlier, and there may not have been a 17-point deficit to start with. I also think Philadelphia should’ve gone with him on the early fourth-down failure instead of forcing a pass that wasn’t there. It’ll be interesting to see how the coaching staff opts to divvy up the touches from here on out. 

5. Defense

The defense stepped it up late, but there are problems that need to be addressed. Like I mentioned earlier, the defensive line was simply not getting any pressure on an offensive line starting Ereck Flowers and Donald Penn. Too often, Keenum had all day to throw and it led to some big breakdowns on the back end. For a struggling secondary, a quarterback in a clean pocket is a death sentence. The Eagles corners took turns getting toasted by Terry McLaurin, and the sideline bailed out Ronald Darby several times from embarrassing plays. He also dropped an easy interception on a perfect read. Andrew Sendejo also played terribly, and with his former backup in Minnesota showing out against the Falcons, the Eagles decision to pass up a potential compensatory pick for him looks more head-scratching as the days go by. To summarize in one sentence how bad the defensive backfield was: Case Keenum threw for 380 yards on 68% completion. Julio Jones and Co. are next up on the bracket, and if a repeat performance occurs, things could get ugly.

The Eagles travel to Atlanta next week for an SNF matchup against the Falcons.

-By: Micah Jimoh