NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Philadelphia Eagles are 10-2 and are considered the team that can knock the Detroit Lions off the pedestal as the best team in the NFL. All this, while their offense is struggling of sorts. What happens to this Eagles team when that unit begins to click? How good will they be then?
Following their win against the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, the Eagles walked out victorious but that was mainly due to what happened on the defensive side of the ball. As an Eagles fan, I’m not here to down what they have accomplished this season. Yes, the defense has been outstanding as they rank as the No. 1 unit in the NFL. But the offense has been the identity of the team since the arrival of Jalen Hurts and yet, they have played pedestrian football in 2024.
This could be me just nitpicking but I do know that this team cannot afford to play possum when or if they do face the Lions in the playoffs. Another slow start to the game against the Ravens just points out how this offense is having a tough time scoring points in the first quarter. Saquon Barkley is on pace to rush for over 2000 yards this season but where are the receivers for the Eagles?
Jalen Hurts completed 11 of 19 passes Sunday for 118 yards and 1 TD. If you didn’t see the final score and just went off stats, one would think the Ravens crushed the Eagles. But no, this has been their identity lately as they have put the ball in Barkley’s hands and let him run wild.
It’s been a great game plan and how can anyone argue with an 8-game winning streak? I’m not here to be the one to argue with it. The Lions are scoring points at will. Their defense is a bit banged up but they are still finding ways to win. The same as the Kansas City Chiefs and even the Minnesota Vikings.
AJ Brown caught just 5 passes on 6 targets for 66 yards. Dallas Goedert caught 3 passes on 4 targets for 35 yards and a score, and Jahan Dotson caught 1 pass for 7 yards. Other than that, it was another dismal outing. All we see is the record but the way this offense is not stalling should be a major concern moving forward.
Having DeVonta Smith out for another game is hurting this team. But at some point, Kellen Moore has to trust that he has guys on the outside. Hurts has been a turnover machine the last 2 seasons and this conservative playcalling has him protecting the ball more but teams will begin to key in on Barkley which will put Hurts in a position where he has to take those deep shots downfield and he will have to deliver.
The offense is Barkley-led which has proven to be successful so far but what happens when they have to prove to someone and themselves that they can use the entire field? Can the Eagles score points? Yes, they can. They still have weapons at all positions but have elected to be conservative. Is it a distrust in Hurts? No, it’s a formula that opposing teams have not managed to stop so why fix something that’s not broken, right?
There will come a time when this offense will need to air it out. Barkley will still get his runs and against the Rams and Ravens, the Eagles receivers have been short-handed thanks to the Smith injury. However, when he returns, Moore will need to open the playbook just a bit more. Analysts speak of how deadly the Lions’ offense is well, that’s a large part because of their shaky and injured defense.
The Philadelphia Eagles are winning despite players being out. We know what this offense is capable of and it’s time they put all their cards on the table and show teams exactly who they are and why they should be respected on that side of the ball. The Ravens dared Hurts to beat them through the air. And in all fairness, the offense staggered for a large portion of the game. Barkley broke through and the defense did their part in the second half.
The Philadelphia Eagles are still leaving too many points on the board, especially in the first quarter. With how good this offense could and should be, imagine them putting points on the board early and passing a huge lead over to their defense that’s built to keep a lead.
The Eagles’ defense has that killer instinct. However, they have to pitch shutouts in the first half while the offense gets their ducks aligned at halftime. If the offense were to give the defense a 15-point cushion, they can attack knowing that if there is a slip-up, their offense will get the points right back. Right now, that’s not the case. Despite their struggles, it’s just a matter of time before the offense of the Philadelphia Eagles clicks.
