NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles had to lose a game sooner or later, right? For them, their loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos may have been exactly what was needed. Now, even in a short week, they can begin to address what needs to be fixed.
For starters, they have to get their minds right as they take on the New York Giants this coming Thursday. But even so, what transpired against the Broncos can no longer be ignored. Maybe it’s the players and their moping, tweeting, or behind-the-scenes actions. Or maybe it’s the play-calling of new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Whatever it is, it needs to be rectified.
The Eagles’ offense went dead in the second half, again. The defense did their best, but it’s hard to play at a high level when you’re on the field for extended periods due to the inability of the offense to move the chains and let you catch a breather.
At some point, as they did last season, the offense has to get on the same page. Does it matter if Saquon Barkley has been bottled up so far this season? I mean, there is no way a player of his caliber should only have 6 rushes in a game if he’s healthy. 6 carries for 30 yards. Yes, he caught a pass and broke loose for a 47-yard TD, but the Eagles’ offense begins with him.
There is no way a veteran team like Philly allowed the media to get in their heads and dictate what has been working for them. Get the ball to the wideouts, every NFL analyst was saying. Well, Jalen Hurts tried that, and now the Philadelphia Eagles have their 1st loss of the year. It’s not all on them; this was also due to brain farts by other offensive players.
There were entirely too many penalties called on the offense: false starts, holding, illegal men downfield, and illegal shifting. Penalties are a part of the game, but the Eagles had them happen at the wrong time, right when they needed big plays.
For weeks, the talk regarding the Eagles has been “it will catch up to them.” It finally did, which could and should be viewed as a good thing. This team was on a roll regardless of their play. At some point, it was coming to a stop. The world was waiting patiently for it to happen. However, as I mentioned earlier, be careful what you wish for.
The issues that plagued them this week have been there all season, but they did come back to haunt them against the Broncos. Now, they can sit back, watch film, point the finger at themselves, and fix what they can. Winning has a way of masking all imperfections. Although they made mistakes in previous weeks, they could always point at the standings and see they were one of the only undefeated teams left in the NFL. They can no longer do that.
This loss, while heartbreaking, could be a blessing in disguise. The issues were never hidden; they were always there in plain sight. Sometimes you have to be knocked down just to see how much fight you have in you.
