NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The 1972 Miami Dolphins can celebrate. The Philadelphia Eagles are no longer undefeated and the Dolphins’ perfect season is now theirs to claim for another year thanks to the Washington Commanders. For fans of the Eagles, it’s a hard pill to swallow, but for the team, this is exactly what they needed. Now they can get back to playing football and not the media.
Winning every game is always a goal. One game at a time is the saying. But what people forget to tell you is the pressure that comes every week. This Eagles team, especially on the offensive side is young. Not saying the pressure was too much, but what if it was?
Being the talk of an entire league has its burdens. The Philadelphia Eagles needed that loss more than anything. What that did was highlight the glaring holes that must be filled. Starting the season 8-0 can mask plenty. As the old saying goes; winning masks a lot. Now they can go back, watch film, and correct what needs to be corrected. The first order of business is to find out how and why Taylor Heinicke was able to do what no other QB could do during their early season run. How was Heinicke able to find the soft spots in the Eagles’ secondary when other QBs could not?
Heinicke didn’t have a Josh Allen-type game but he kept the Washington Commanders’ offense on the field. The team owned the Time of Possession game against the Birds, and that is how you win football games at any level. Nick Sirianni and crew must figure out how to keep their foot on the pedal and not let up.
Can The Philadelphia Eagles Get Back On Track?
The remaining 8 games left on the Philadelphia Eagles’ schedule will be hard. Forget their opponents’ record, they must focus on how to stop teams from controlling the clock. The remaining schedule read like a list of potential world of hurt for the run defense. They will go up against Jonathan Taylor, Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley (twice), Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, Justin Fields (QB), and Alvin Kamara.
One thing that’s working against them is that their lone loss came on a Monday Night game. Meaning, the entire world was watching and offensive coordinators were taking notes. Run the ball if you want to beat the Eagles. That’s been a staple all year. While teams have had success, the Commanders wrote the blueprint of how to actually get it done. It has to be a mixture. Heinicke made the right plays when needed, and the Commanders converted critical 3rd downs.
Yes, the refs played a part and this is another factor the young Eagles must take into their next game. Throw the bad calls out and respond. Receiver AJ Brown said it best after the Commanders’ loss:
I know guys got long faces, but me personally—of course I want to win—but now all this 17-0 s–t is over with. Now we’re going to wake up—how are you going to respond? This is a game that we all love to play and sometimes you get hit in the mouth. How do you respond? … I hope we get up and start fighting back and I feel like we will.
Now is ther time to show the rest of the NFL just how good you are. Going 8-0, the Eagles had a target on their backs. The target is still there but so are the flaws. The Commanders exploited them and now the rest of the league will try to do the same. The Philadelphia Eagles must be mindful of what’s to come. While no longer undefeated, they’re still the hunted. The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants are still on their heels. Can they handle the pressure of not only losing a game but fighting off teams within striking distance between them and the No. 1 seed in the NFC?
