Eagles 10, Patriots 17: Offense flops, Eagles fall to 5-6

It wasn’t pretty. In a game where the defense really stepped up to the plate and did all it could, the offense failed to deliver on their own side of the ball. Here’s what we learned from the Eagles seven-point loss to New England.

1. The Eagles Aren’t Going Anywhere With This Receiving Core

What, did we think Jordan Matthews was going to be the answer? Without Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles receivers managed to look even worse than they have all season. The quartet of Nelson Agholor, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Mack Hollins, and Matthews combined for 75 yards for the entire game. Hollins came up catches again, but could’ve had one solid gain if not for an ill-fated pass by Carson Wentz. Whiteside finally hauled in a pass and actually would’ve had two (the other one being a great grab), if not for an early penalty committed by Jason Peters. We knew it was going to be tough against a great secondary, but the absolute inability of Eagles receivers to gain any type of separation is extremely concerning and hurts the offense so much. Agholor once again came up short in a big moment. On fourth down, Wentz somehow launched an accurate pass to the back of the end zone while facing immediate pressure and it hit Agholor right in the mitts. It didn’t stay there. On replay, it looks like a tough catch to make, but if Agholor wasn’t completely inept when it came to tracking footballs, he would’ve been in a great position to bring in the tying score. I won’t blame the loss on him, but his play becomes more frustrating by the week.

2. The Defense Was… Good?

The Eagles defense balled out Sunday. There were several dropped picks that could’ve easily turned the tide of the contest, but outside of that, they played exceptional football. Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby had the boundaries on lock, and Tom Brady actually recorded the most first-half incompletions in a game of his entire career. Their only touchdown came on their second trick-play attempt of the game when Julian Edelman threw a touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett. The only true low point was Avonte Maddox who was getting abused all game by Julian Edelman (literally and figuratively). Hopefully, this is an outlier game for the second-year man, but if not, Cre’ Von LeBlanc can still return this season. The Eagles defensive line also put together a stout performance. Even though the box score only shows one sack, they were in Brady’s face all day. There would’ve been plenty more takedowns if he didn’t quickly spike the ball into the turf whenever a green jersey came within ten feet of him. Holding New England to 17 points was a dream scenario for this team, but they still couldn’t pull out a victory.

3. Carson Wentz

Bad performance from the $32 million man. I’m not going to put too much stock into it because it was his first truly bad game of the season and his receivers did him no favors. He sailed several passes including three consecutive ones on what proved to be the Eagles final chance at tying it up, but he once again came through with a beauty of a throw on the final fourth down. Wentz now has three game-tying/winning touchdown passes dropped on the season. I’ve seen a lot of people say that he needs to do more with this receiving core, but those people are underestimating just how terrible that group is and are also expecting a man who only has one full season under his belt (and only 50 career games) to already be carrying a team. Also to those who fault him for holding the ball too long, there’s not much you can do when it takes about ten seconds for your receivers to find any space. Sign J.J. Nelson?

4. Eagles Offensive Tackles

Lane Johnson was carted off with a head injury which is clearly not ideal. Big V really isn’t a good tackle, and as expected, things went downhill as soon as he entered the lineup. Jason Peters was flagged twice early in his return, and briefly left the game after getting his leg rolled up on. I personally think he shouldn’t have gotten his job back as Dillard performed well in his absence. Dillard usually looks shaky when he first enters game, but that’s to be expected when his snaps are so random and staggered.

5. Coaching

The Eagles abandoned the run too early in this game and I was surprised to see Ajayi kept on the sideline in favor of Boston Scott. Sure, Ajayi hasn’t played in a very long time, but I have a hard time imagining him being more ineffective than the 5’6 Scott. The Eagles got off to a fast start in part because of a pass interference penalty that Scott drew, but after going up 10-0, they imploded. There’s only so much you can do with this receiving core, but there’s no excuse for abandoning Miles Sanders in the second half.

Also, fire Mike Groh.

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer/ Interviewer

Week 11 Preview; The Rematch: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots

Sunday, November 17 at Lincoln Financial Field, Patriots 3.5-point favorites

The Patriots are coming off a bye and are still very angry about their Super Bowl loss to the Eagles two seasons ago. Will New England exact revenge or will the Philadelphia Eagles pull out another signature Pederson-era victory?

Injury Report:

OUT

Philadelphia: Nigel Bradham (LB, ankle), Alshon Jeffery (WR, ankle), Darren Sproles IR (RB, quad)

New England: Patrick Chung (S, chest/heel), Damien Harris (RB, hamstring)

QUESTIONABLE:

Philadelphia: Jordan Howard (RB, shoulder)

New England: Nate Ebner (DB/ST, ankle/back), Matt LaCosse (TE, knee), Danny Shelton (DL, knee), John Simon (DE, elbow), Gunner Olszewski (WR, ankle/hamstring)

Nigel Bradham remains out with an ankle injury, but it’s looking likely that he will make his return next week. Jason Peters is healthy and will regain his starting role in his return from surgery. Andre Dillard has improved with each passing week, but the coaching staff has opted to give the Bodyguard his spot back. Jordan Howard is in danger of missing Sunday’s game, a large reason why the Eagles signed Jay Ajayi. Alshon Jeffery will not play on Sunday, and even though he hasn’t been good this season, receiver help is needed against a talented Patriots secondary.

Analysis:

With Dallas falling to Minnesota and dropping to 5-4, this game becomes even more important for the Eagles. A win here coupled with a Dallas loss gives them sole possession of first place in the division. A victory won’t come easy against a well-rested 8-1 Patriots squad, but this is exactly the type of game that the Eagles have been known to win in recent years.

The Eagles won’t win this game by asking Carson Wentz to outduel Tom Brady with Nelson Agholor as his top receiver. Stephon Gilmore is bound to erase whoever is across from him and the Patriots other defensive backs are also playing exceptional football. The true weakness of this New England defense is their inability to stop the inside running game, and that’s exactly how Baltimore gashed them two weeks ago. The Eagles strength in their last couple of games has been exactly that, but with Jordan Howard not playing, it will be a lot harder to move the ball that way. Miles Sanders improves with every game, but is he ready to take on a significantly larger load? If Ajayi can throw it back to the 2016/latter part of 2017, maybe he will be the surprise hero on Sunday. 

The Patriots do not have Ezekiel Elliott, so their running game isn’t likely to see much success. Their aerial attack hasn’t been exactly scary either, but it does pose a much larger problem than Chicago’s or Buffalo’s. We’ll find out early if the Eagles improved cornerback play stems from bad opponents or from actual player improvement. 

The Eagles have a better chance to win this game than most realize. Tom Brady hasn’t been asked to put the team on his back this season and as much as I don’t want to doubt him, I can’t see him doing it. If the Eagles run the ball effectively and are able to move down the field on this New England defense, the win is there for the taking. On the flip side, Bill Belichick’s Patriots are lethal coming off of a bye week. Two weeks is plenty of time to make adjustments to any identified weaknesses, and if they force us to win through the passing game, it’s just not going to happen. The Eagles are 2-1 against New England this decade, but because we have to face them off of a bye, it may be 2-2 come Sunday evening.

Prediction: Eagles 17, Patriots 23

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer/Interviews

HE’S BACCCCKKKK!!!!: Eagles Bring Back Jay Ajayi

A familiar face has returned to the NovaCare Complex. After injuries to Jordan Howard and Darren Sproles, Philadelphia took action and signed RB Jay Ajayi prior to their Week 11 matchup against the New England Patriots. After playing here during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Ajayi is already familiar with the system and should see carries as soon as Sunday.

A fifth-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2015, Ajayi was used sparingly as a rookie before bursting onto the scene during his sophomore season. He became only the fourth player in NFL history to record consecutive 200+ yard rushing efforts and added a third 200-yard game later in the season. He finished the year with nearly 1,300 rushing yards. His productivity didn’t carry over into the next season though, and coach Adam Gase shipped him out at the trade deadline after becoming disgruntled with him. The Eagles received him for the mere price of a fourth-round pick, a trade many considered a Howie Roseman heist. 

He wasted no time making an impact for his new team and scored a touchdown in his first game as an Eagle. He continually ate into the carries of LeGarrette Blount as the season wore on, keeping both backs fresh for the postseason. Ajayi finished the 2017 postseason with 254 total yards and a Super Bowl ring. After opting to let Blount walk in free agency, Ajayi entered the 2018 season as the lead back. His season was cut short by an ACL tear in Week 5, and he hasn’t played since. Assuming he suits up for this week’s game, this will be his first action in over a calendar year. 

Howard is out for the Eagles, so we may be in line for an interesting three-headed monster in the Eagles backfield the following week.

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer/Interviewer