Redskins Rematch

Okay...Okay. Here is what needs to happen. This is the one game this season that actually matters as of now. The Redskins are the real team that needs to keep losing and we need to keep winning in order for even a sliver of a chance at playoffs. This game is the real deciding factor for the Eagles hopes this year. So Doug, it needs to happen in case I don't say it enough.

I swear, if Wentz throws more than 35 passes? I’ve lost all faith in our offense. It’s getting really bad and we can’t keep trying the same thing and hope one of these games stick. We need a running game stat. I don’t care if it’s 3 yards a carry by any of them, we need to keep pounding the rock so the defense at least thinks we may rush every now and then. When all teams have to do is chill in zone, send 3 guys, have our receivers suck at getting open, and then have Wentz throw it away? Yeah, it’s a pretty simple defensive scheme against the Eagles. Now, when they think we may rush once in a blue moon? That changes everything for them and adds these new plays that give Wentz a chance to do anything with the ball. Our o-line needs to step up a little as well. Ryan Kerrigan pushed through them like they weren’t even there it was that horrible. Not to mention when Chris Baker (probably one of the most hated men in Philly after his incident with Foles back in the day) gets a sack on our franchise quarterback, there is a problem. I’m not even gonna comment on our WR’s , they know what they have to do by now. But, just in case...use your hands, and close them when the ball comes, okay?

Our defense on the other hand needs to meet the Redskins offense because they have a lot more weapons that most would account for. Jordan Reed, Kirk Cousins, Robert Kelly who bowled over our entire offense last game, D-Jax, Jamison Crowder showed up this year, and Pierre Garcon can never be left out. In case you didn’t read all of them, that’s a lot of names you see there and not a whole lot of talent to square up against them. But, the Eagles clearly have the potential to stop a team like this (Flashback to the Falcons and Steelers games). They will need to channel their inner zen from those games, and have them on full blast this week. We have lost enough Philly, it’s about time and DEFENSE wins championships. Malcolm Jenkins, Nolan Carroll, Jordan Hicks, Rodney McCleod we need you so bad gentleman. Show us why you are here and especially Fletcher, you need to prove you're worth that huge contract you were granted. That’s a lot of guaranteed money that changed how contracts are seen among “star” players making “Von Miller Money.” Step up.

Now, I’m not one to lose faith in Philadelphia. They always find a way to get it done, though not always how we planned. However, I am not okay with back to back 7-9 seasons coach, you need to pull this team to a minimal 8-8 season or even better, make playoffs. This game determines that, so make sure we can pull out a W.

Andy Dalton's Field Day

Guys really? That is not the Philadelphia team I have come to love since I was really young. There was no fight, there was no heart, this is just a throwback to the lackadaisical play from last year. But, I’ll hold in the rant for now and just speak upon stats.

So you know how I said they need to establish the run? As it turns out they probably read my post, but then thought it was opposite day or something. 60 PASSING ATTEMPTS. I don’t think there has been that many attempts by a quarterback this season, and the “record” was broken by a rookie who isn’t supposed to do that ever! Come on Doug, we know already that you weren’t that great of a QB in your career, but you shouldn’t be living out your hay day through Carson. He doesn’t deserve it and it is certainly hindering his progress throughout the season. Granted I am not blaming Wentz for his picks. The score book doesn’t take into account that 2 of them were tipped or picked a the line which our offensive line needs to handle. 308 yards and a TD isn’t bad, but it still came along with way too many passing attempts. 16 attempts for the rushing attack is ridiculous honestly, and Smallwood couldn’t have under performed anymore. 8 attempts for 19 yards. If you think that’s bad? If you consider his longest run being for 9 yards, he rushed 7 times for 10 yards. Which simply isn’t acceptable. You can certainly praise Paul Turner for his really good stat line, but you also have to consider all of his yards were in garbage time. Though you can’t deny that he can catch, which is something the Eagles need in a receiver right now.

Our defense i don’t think has shown up to a game since the Falcons game. The only 3 players we could really see on the field were Nigel Bradham, Bennie Logan, and Brandon Graham who all had attempts to pay defense Nigel and Bennie both had forced fumbles, and Graham had 2 tackles for a loss. The secondary was picked apart play by play and drive by drive as they stormed down the field almost every possession. The Eagles made Andy Dalton look like a pro bowl player,  which he certainly isn’t. He posted a 130 passer rating, which is his highest all season. The one real highlight was Kenjon Barner ripping the Bengals special teams to shreds, returning 2 kicks for 44 yards a piece. Which stands to reason the offense probably should've capitalized on that field position. Which of course they didn’t they had 60 passing attempts that went nowhere.

Birds and Bengals

The Eagles are looking at a great match up this week against the injury stricken Bengals who are missing their two top offensive weapons in AJ Green, and Giovani Bernard. Cincinnati has been struggling of late of course, but the Eagles tend to give up a lot to cold streak teams.

The Eagles offense needs to be kicked into overdrive and get the run going asap. It’s getting to the point where they are playing from behind so much they resort to passing and can’t establish the run. Ryan Mathews is questionable for the game meaning we may see a lot more from Smallwood and Sproles. However, the problem with the run game this week is going to be the stellar Bengals D-Line starring Geno Atkins. Jason Kelce will have to pop up pretty quick after the snap to hold off the big man run stopper. As for our receiving core? It’s Turner time and we all will be looking forward to see what our new slot guy will do. Then again looking at our receivers, we are starting 2 rookies that we called up from the practice squad, Jordan is hurt, and Agholor is just awful. So don’t expect much from them this week anyway with their youth and lack of knowledge of the playbook. I can see Wentz throwing a pick or two because of their route running miscues.

Shwartz. We need you this week man. We need you to pump up this defense like you did in the first 3 weeks and get them back on track. I mean come on, we have the talent, they just keep getting burnt. For your information, yes, you do in fact need a QB spy even against someone like Andy Dalton. So for the fans sake, please put Hicks in the middle and keep him there so Dalton can’t go outside the pocket for too long. Now let’s be honest it should be an easy week on D, because they lost a lot of key players already. Their #1 WR and RB are benched due to injury which will surely benefit the Eagles this week. That doesn’t mean we can sleep on them though. Jeremy Hill has had blow up games before and this new Burkhead kid has torn up defenses for huge runs before. Not to mention the wily veteran Brandon Lafell has no problem getting open, Boyd has taken over as Green’s replacement and has shined doing so, and Tyler Eifert was a pro bowl tight end last year so they have the potential.

The Eagles really need to get out of this slump of theirs pronto. It is getting ridiculous and earlier seasons top 5 defense needs to show up again against the star starved Bengals. I’m not saying it will be a win this week for sure, but I am saying the Eagles should play like their playoff hopes are on the line (which they are).

Eagles take the L at the Linc (Packers v. Eagles)

Let me start this post off by saying that officiating in the NFL has been terrible. Not just against the Eagles, even though there were a remarkable amount of questionable calls that went in the Packers favor on Monday. Between push-offs and unreliable roughing the passer penalties, it was a very frustrating game to watch as many fans have come to realize the referee inconsistency.

Believe me, I for one love Doug Pederson as our coach. The fact he has dominated the time of possession across the entire NFL is amazing, but he needs to make a few changes going forward. For starters Carson Wentz can’t have almost 40 passes every game as a rookie. He can’t and it is difficult to learn from fire in the NFL. There needs to be a rushing presence, more than just Wentz anyway. I understand our #1 Matthews was hurt and that’s fine, but that does not mean you can just give up on the rushing attack. 14 attempts? Really? There are running backs in the NFL that get 14 attempts by themselves in one half! That’s just ridiculous and it needs to be fixed Doug. Wentz never hit paydirt in the air and had one pick, probably one of his worst performances of his rookie career passing. He did get 6 once for a rush which he was 2nd on the team for rushing with 4 attempts and 33 yards, just barely behind the 9 attempts and 37 yards from Wendell Smallwood which is just awful. Come on guys, from 5th on the power rankings to 25th in a single season. Wow…

Now onto our Shwartz squad that couldn't of underperformed any better. Like really? The Green Bay packers were coming of of 4 consecutive losses and the Eagles defense didn’t show up to keep it that way. Rodgers tossed 2 td’s on 313 passing yards most of which to Davante Adams who spiked this year. I’ll cut the D some slack with the terrible officiating, but that doesn’t happen EVERY play. Fletcher Cox has been absent since week 2 not getting a single sack since then so his “pro bowl” contract was as of now a complete waste. Nolan Carroll needs to learn to look around a little faster and that’s one less touchdown for the Packers that ends up in an Eagles possession. Of which could have completely changed the result of the game throwing Rodgers into a slump and not tearing apart our secondary. 74 yards given up rushing isn’t awful, but Rodgers also shouldn’t have 6 attempts for 26 yards. Everyone in the NFL knows you need to spy him and that is exactly what Shwartz didn’t do.

The Eagles have a make-or-break game coming up against the Seahawks and they need to get out of this ridiculous losing streak pronto if they want everyone to hop back on the Wentz Wagon pulled by the SproleTrain.

Eagles fall to 5-5

Sunday's matchup against the Seahawks really sums up how the 2016 season has gone for Philly. It was constant mistakes on both sides of the ball, especially with wide receivers Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor each dropping a pass. Agholor also cost the Eagles a Touchdown, lining up of the line of scrimmage for an illegal formation call.

QB Carson Wentz didn't have the best day throwing the ball with 2 interceptions on the day and only 218 passing yards. He also didn't get any help from the defense who looked very weak all game to say the least.

At this point in the season what we can hope for is a slim chance at the wildcard spot but other than that theres really not much else.

Eagles Seahawks Preview

Though it is only week 11 the Philadelphia Eagles match-up vs the Seattle Seahawks is essentially a playoff game. The Eagles currently sit at a record of 5-4 with an 0-3 record in their division. 5-4 is not the worst record but its not good enough with the division rival Cowboys sitting at 8-1.

Looking back on some of the games that Philly has lost this year they were not blow outs by any means. They were mostly decided by one score, penalty's, and mistakes late in the game. QB Carson Wentz has voiced his opinion on the fact that the Birds have not been able to finish the close games saying everyone is sick to their stomach over these close games.

One of the key things that the Eagles have to do this week to come away with the win is being able to get in the end zone instead of settling for a field goal every time they make a redzone appearance. They also have to consistently hold on to the football throughout the course of the entire game. There has been far to many drops this season for Philadelphia Wide Receivers this season, and in reality those are the things that determine the outcome of a game        

Battle of the Birds: Eagles on top

Wow Philadelphia. Just, wow. Shutting down the #1 ranked offense this year, and the 2015 #1 ranked offense in the same season. The Falcons averaged 33.1 points per game this season, and the Shwartz scheme held them to a measly 15 points and only one touchdown. Not to mention the revival of Ryan Matthews.

The offense wasn't spectacular in reality. With too many drops per usual especially from Jordan Matthews, one of which was off both hands while he was all alone in the middle of the field. Carson Wentz did a great job keeping plays alive and converting on 3rd downs. He ended the game with a mild 25/36 and 231 passing yards with no touchdowns. We are definitely seeing him develop, and quickly. He would of completed at least 3 more passes and possibly for touchdowns, if our receivers could make the hard grabs. Albeit, the passing/receiving game certainly wasn't the highlight. The rushing attempt could't of been any more dominant with the resurgence of a Matthews we haven't seen in a long time. Rushing for 109 yards and crossing pay dirt twice in one game is not an every sunday occurrence for the back, who almost lost the starting spot to Darren Sproles. Although Matthews was fantastic on the ground, I saw the real show in Wendell Smallwood, who quietly posted 70 yards on 13 attempts. For a smaller rookie back, it isn't half bad and we could see him develop into our workhorse in the future.

Now onto the sole reason the Eagles stayed in the game and was able to pull it out in the end, the defense. I'm no export of football strategy, but whatever Jim Shwartz did to kick this offense into 3rd gear he needs to keep doing it. The Atlanta falcons were the sole front runners for the #1 offense in football with their quarterback Matt Ryan and stud wideout Julio Jones leading the league in total yards. The Eagles kept Julio Jones out of the end zone and always wrapped him up before he could get any YAC (Yards after the catch) which is where Julio posted the majority of his yards gained. He makes catches at 5 yards away and rushes for the next 30 for a 35 yard reception, that's Julio. But, when the eagles corners are on him to tackle him and not try and cut into his routes, it stopped him from going anywhere. Technically speaking he won't drop 99% of his passes, so play to take him down and not to impede his catching ability, and it just so happened to work. I'm sure the rest of the NFL will be watching Eagles game film and taking notes on how to stop the best WR in the league.

Another small victory was Kenjon Barner tearing apart the Falcons special teams and returning the ball only 3 times, and averaging 38 yards per return. If fans watched the game, everyone knows if Kenjon can get past the Kicker...twice...and when the kicker was hurt...thats 14 more points for Philly off of those 2 returns. Though you can't blame him, the sudden exile of Josh Huff left as all surprised, but let's be honest, no one is gonna miss him the way the Eagles played this week.

Eagles Take another loss to a division rival

Things took a turn for the worst in Philadelphia after the Eagles took an L to their NFC East rival the New York Giants.

Any fans watching the game knew it was gonna be a long day after the giants rattled off 14 points within the first six minutes of the game. Head coach Doug Pederson was sticking to his game plan of being aggressive by taking shots down the field and going for it on fourth down early on in the red zone. This ultimately lead to the Eagles being down 21 to 10 at halftime leaving six points on the field after their failed fourth down attempts.

As far as offense because there were a few big plays and they seem to look solid at times but never seemed to really get into a rhythm. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz started to look more like a rookie turning the ball over twice early on which both led to the Giants scoring a touchdown. However he did throw for an outstanding 364 passing yards by the end of four quarters. Entering The second half of the game the Eagles were down 11 points and managed to bring the game to a 21-17 four point differential. The Offense could not seem to get in the end zone when they needed to leaving the final score at 28-23

The defense seemed to be very poor and weak in the secondary early on but has a game on proved to be more solid forcing three and outs and turnovers at key points in the game.  

Ultimately the outcome of the game was poor playcalling bad execution and some controversial penalties

Some might ask what does this mean for the Philadelphia eagles 2016 season. They are now 0-3 in the division and 4-4 overall it seems as if all of the hype surrounding this new team has faded but the Birds aren't out of it just yet.

Wentz or Dak in Dallas?

            Alright Eagles fans. Here it is. The game we have all been waiting for since “Carson Wentz” was called in the draft. The main goal of drafting a franchise quarterback is to trounce on anyone in the same division. However, Dallas lucked out with their 4th round pick Dak Prescott who took the league by storm right alongside Wentz. Possibly the biggest toss up for rookie of the year, may be decided in this game on Sunday.

            The reality is our offense needs the most work, and the constant rumors of trading for an elite WR that swirled around ESPN this week didn’t help. Doug Pederson managed to dismiss the rumors and said in an interview that he is happy with his receiving core...What? I’d say at least 5 drops a game is definitely a reason to be at least a little frustrated, but that’s none of my business. The real show is going to have to be our passing game. The Cowboys pass rush is just horrendous, totaling under 8 sacks on the season in almost 8 games. The running game is also due for a day, and if it’s going to be against any team? It should be Dallas when Matthews explodes for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns. As long as we keep Shawn Lee at bay, the running game should be fine. Their defense overall is pretty sub-par in comparison to our ideal offensive scheme. If we  can get week one Wentz back, than this game will result in a very hushed crowd and a humbled Dallas team.

            The Eagles defense will be the deciding factor. Dez is back, Dak is smart, and Ezekiel is just a beast. Then again with our safeties in the back, Jenkins in the slot on Beasley, and our defensive line, we will put up a fight without a doubt. We need to get to Dak as fast as possible which will be a challenge against the Cowboys o-line which is the best in the NFL. Containing Ezekiel will also be a difficult task with our lack-luster linebackers. I’m not nearly as worried about the passing game. The Eagles have stopped top tier quarterbacks with relative ease ranking 5th for receiving yards given up. The biggest problem without a doubt will be making sure Ezekiel Elliot, the best running back in the NFL right now, doesn’t steamroll the Jim Shwartz squad. The last thing Philadelphia needs right now is another disappointing loss to Dallas to start off the rivalry. Last year they managed to win against us in the most embarrassing show of football of the entire 2015 season. Even with Romo out, MATT CASSEL managed to lead Dallas to victory...Now it’s up to the Eagles defense to make sure that does not happen again.

            Unfortunately the majority of the NFL experts are against us. Mostly because the Cowboys are on a roll with a 5 game win streak, however I’m predicting exactly what happened to Philly in week 5. Dallas lost momentum coming off of the bye week, and as a result will lose to the Eagles whom are coming off of a nice win against the previously undefeated Vikings. Pederson will have his hands full this Sunday...of champagne in the locker room!

Eagles end Vikings undefeated record

There was speculation going into Sunday on weather or not the Eagles were still the real deal after coming off of a two game losing streak, however that was all put to rest when the Eagles topped the Vikings 21-10.

It was a very sloppy showdown to start with a combined 5 turnovers in the 1st quarter one of which being Sam Bradford's first interception as a Viking. There was not a whole lot of momentum going for either team until Philadelphia Eagles WR and KR Josh Huff took a kickoff 98 yards to the house for the games first touchdown. The birds then proceeded to go for the two point conversion after a penalty on the PAT, they were successful in doing so giving them an 8 point edge going into the half.

After the half the game continued to be a defensive showdown with no offensive touchdowns scored until Eagles QB Carson Wentz was able to hook up with WR Dorial Green-Beckham for DGB's first TD as an Eagle. The rest of the game was shutdown by Philly's Defense allowing one TD in the final minutes after the Eagles had solidified the win.

In the end there was a total of 8 turnovers, 4 a piece in a very defensive based game. However it was good to see the Eagles Offense get in the end zone which they hadent done since week 5 against the lions. Regardless a win is a win moving the Eagles to 4-2 and second in their division    

Eagles Vikings Preview

There's not a whole lot to build off of after a tough loss last week, but the Philadelphia Eagles are in a must win situation this Sunday against an undefeated Minnesota Vikings team. QB Carson Wentz stated that the offense never really got into a rhythm which ultimately led to the lack of high performance on the offensive side of the ball that we have been used to seeing the Eagles play at. The Defense was also a contributing factor to the loss the Eagles took this past Sunday from missing open field tackles to pass interference calls, things just weren't working in their favor.

After a full week of practice and fixing some of the mistakes the Eagles could very well come away with the win on Sunday

Washington Woes

Wow. Just wow. That will quite possibly be the most disappointing game of the year against the Redskins of all teams. Matt Jones? Jamison Crowder? The entire Redskins line, defense and offense? All players who stepped up to rock the Eagles back into last season. The Eagles couldn’t pressure Kirk Cousins, and definitely could not stop the pass rush for the life of them.

The offense was atrocious and even that is putting it lightly. Carson Wentz must of forgot he was a rookie the first three games and was brought back to reality on Sunday’s game. He was on his rear more times than most quarterbacks have been in the entire season so far, getting sacked 5 times. Lane Johnson’s suspension hit the Eagles harder than it should have. However, the one bright spot was a bomb to Jordan Matthews for 54 yards. Proving Wentz can get the deep ball into a tight spot when it’s thrown to the right receiver. Carson finished the game with a 50% completion rating, only 179 yards and no touchdowns.  Running game? What running game? Our starter got 60 yards! Against the Redskins! What is that? It seems a little early to be this frustrated, but a lot of Eagles fans are getting flashbacks to last season that was an utter disappointment. Ryan Matthews managed 60 yards on 9 carries which isn't a horrible YPC, but most of his runs wound up getting nowhere when we needed them. Don’t even get me started on our o-line, those who watched the game noticed that they were getting pushed around like school children. That was embarrassing Philly, fix it.

Okay, besides the offense getting walked over, the defense can’t be trashed as much. The biggest problem clearly was our inability to stop the run game at all. Matt Jones was an absolute nobody in the NFL until yesterday and the same goes for Robert Keeley. The Eagles just paid Fletcher Cox the big money, and the man just wasn’t able to play up to that paycheck. No tackles on the the line with no penetration whatsoever. Here’s hoping it was a one time thing for our d-line. Giving up 238 rushing yards when we had only given up 56 total rushing yards in 4 games is just bad, there is no sugar coating it. Malcolm Jenkins looked like the only man playing with his heart and his brain, taking an interception to the house tying the game up in the second quarter. A beautiful read after Cousins had a hurried throw, led to such a reviving play. Pre-pick however, Wendell Smallwood managed to return a kick return for a touchdown which couldn’t have been more impressive from the rookie. Speeding past defenders and leaving them in his dust, blockers not holding, and a definite morale booster for the team. The biggest problem being, those are the only two names on a non-offensive squad that did much of anything. Nigel Bradham got burned up the middle by the wily vet Vernon Davis, and the whole defense was just dominated on all sides.

At the end of the day they need to fight back to get their fan support back. A lot of fans lost Wentzelvania and the Sprole-train cheers by the middle of the game, me included. The Eagles need to get back to week 2 when they destroyed the Steelers and keep playing that game. The defense was on fire stopping the best offense in football, and the offense clicked better than ever.  Now, onto the return of Sam Bradford, who needs to be put in a wheelchair after what he did over the off season.

Ready for Redskins?

Last week was a surprising loss to the Detroit Lions, however the Eagles are looking to bounce back and secure a win in their own division on Sunday. The Washington Redskins have been on a hot streak recently winning 3 straight, while the Eagles were stunned against Stafford and co. derailing their undefeated season. As it turns out the bye week did burn the Eagles and it took two quarters in the beginning of the game to get back on track.

The fact that the football world turned their back on Carson Wentz after throwing ONE interception in 135 attempts is astounding. He is still a talented quarterback that runs that offense better than anyone we’ve had. He still boasts a passer rating of 103.5 meaning he isn’t just a joke or one hit wonder. He has 1007 yards, 7 touchdowns, and a completion rating of 67.4% only a quarter of the way through the season. He is on track to toss over 4000 yards and over 25 touchdowns by the end of the season. Our running game has surprisingly become an unforeseen issue. 33 year old, 5’6”, Darren Sproles is our leading rusher compared to our true starter Ryan Mathews who is 4 years younger and half a foot taller. Darren has totaled 279 total yards on 4 YPC (Yards Per Carry) which is surprisingly efficient for the vet. Meanwhile Ryan has ran 144 yards on 3.3 YPC. Not to be forgotten Kenjon Barner outshines them both with a YPC rating of 6.1. The Redskins d-line has always been strong and slow, so don’t be surprised to see Barner or Sproles running the sweep. Screens have been our best friends so far, and it does help having blockers out front and leaving the opponents tackles in your dust. The receiving end of the offense is just as bad as last year with way too many drops. Even our #1 Jordan Matthews has blown touchdowns with easy catches he botched. Nelson Agholor has had costly drops and it seems Philadelphia is begging Coach Pederson to put the ball in Dorial Green-Beckham’s hands. Then again we can complain, the guy makes plays happen with his huge frame and he spends way too much time riding left bench. The Eagles will have to make an adjustment with the receiving core in order to beat pro-bowler Josh Norman on the outside. However, Green-Beckham should be the one to challenge him, not Matthews. It’s about time Wentz took a shot deep to the big man, and against Norman? It would solidify Green-Beckham as possibly the best hands we’ve got after Randle was released.

On the other side of the football our defense has been outstanding under Shwartz. IN 4 weeks we have only given up 266.8 yards per game and sit in second place for yards given up on defense (Behind Seattle with 264 yards per game). Our most impressive stat is our points against. Giving up 51 points a quarter of the way through the season is something Philly hasn’t seen in while. The team has also racked up 14 sacks in those few games, led by Pro-Bowler Fletcher Cox with 4 closely trailed by Brandon Graham with 3. The Redskins will have their hands full with the run stopping defensive line that is 3rd place for rushing yards against them.  As the past few years have shown our secondary has become the biggest hole along with our inability to force turnovers. Our secondary should not be our leading tacklers, that's the linebackers job. Looking at Rams pick-up Rodney McLeod and Rookie Jalen Mills with 42 tackles between them, it is easy to say they have been busy. Problem being we have no ball hawks. McLeod again is leading our secondary with 2 picks, and Linebacker Nigel Bradham with 1. Lone chief's corner Marcus Peters has more picks in 5 games (4) than we do as a team. With speedster DeSean Jackson, vet Pierre Garcon, and TE sensation Jordan Reed to battle. The defensive secondary will have a challenging day and the line will need to get to Kirk Cousins as fast as possible. The Eagles will try to rattle him the best they can running a lot of man blitzes, trying to keep Jackson from going deep.

Overall, I feel that this is anyone's game provided they put their best on the field. Although, the Eagles get the edge for their ability to control the clock. Keeping the ball in Wentz’ hands rather than Cousins’ will be extremely beneficial for Philadelphia. Both team have their playmakers except the Redskins have more reliable offensive weapons, so yet again the Eagles D needs to step up like they did against Pitt, and not get steamrolled like they did last week.

Eagles stunned in Detroit

The Philadelphia Eagles were playing at a high level before their bye week. They did not seem to be the same team week 5 against the Detroit Lions. The lions struck first with two quick touchdowns to start of the first quarter and that put the Eagles in a tough situation.
However that did not stop the offense and QB Carson Wentz from coming back after being down 21-10 by the end of the first half. The third quarter was dominated by Philadelphia shutting out the Detroit offense while scoring 10 points of their own. It was only a one point game at the end of the third quarter, which is still considered anybody's game. The Eagles scored in the fourth quarter taking their first lead of the game. All momentum seemed to be going in Philly's direction, with a three point lead late in the game, and the Eagles were burning as much clock as they could to try finishing the lions off. As fate would have it, on 3rd down and 2 head coach Doug Pederson called a toss play to the right, which RB Ryan Mathews fumbled. This gave the Lions the ball with great field position and only 2:34 left in the game. This enabled the lions to kick a field goal and take the lead with less then 2 min on the clock. The Eagles were down to the final moments and took a shot as soon as they got the ball, chucking the ball up to WR Nelson Agholor which was then picked of by Lions CB Darius Slay. Rookie Carson Wentz was handed his first career interception and loss. Even though Philly took the loss, Carson Wentz has still been playing at a spectacular level throwing 25/33 for 238 yards 2 TD and 1 INT. Most would argue that it was poor officiating and bad calls by the refs that cost the Eagles their first loss, but in the end it was the penalties; good call or not, that determined the outcome of the game.

Eagles Shock Steelers

The Philadelphia Eagles are continuing to impress under rookie sensation QB Carson Wentz and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Their most recent achievement, beating the number one offense Pittsburgh Steelers 34-3 in the battle of PA.

Doug Pederson’s new offensive scheme has created the TOP (Time of Possession) advantage that the Eagles never had under Chip Kelly. Carson Wentz has been the most worthwhile 1st round draft pick since Fletcher Cox in 2012, and has solidified himself in this program as our franchise quarterback. Wentz threw 23-31 completions, for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns. Surprisingly, the receiving core had less drops than they usually had, with a much more efficient showing against Pitt. RB Darren Sproles led the team with 6 receptions, 128 yards, and a TD. His longest reception being a 73-yard play after Carson scrambled away from pressure.

Carson Wentz is stunning the league with his performance, but what can’t be overlooked is how well the defense is playing under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. As of Week 3, the Eagles defense is ranked No. 1 overall as opposed to number 30 overall last year. It is very exciting to move up 29 spots in a league where defense wins championships. The guys making it all happen consist of playmakers such as Malcolm Jenkins, Rookie Jalen Mills, Fletcher Cox, Rodney McLeod, and Connor Barwin. McLeod and Mills lead the team in total tackles, each sitting at 14 a piece, while the entire Eagles defense has forced 7 turnovers in just 3 games.

The Eagles have bounced back from a disappointing 2015 season, the defense has has been playing exceptional, while Carson Wentz has been running the offense flawlessly. Wentz has been the franchise quarterback the Eagles have been waiting for since Donovan McNabb, standing tall in the pocket and even watching game film at dinner with his girlfriend, according to ESPN. Needless to say, it’s been a long time since Philly had their hero, and Wentz is just that.