Eagles Get The Week 6 Win, But Questions Linger On Offense
The Eagles badly needed a win coming off the bye. After a 2-2 start, with the Commanders racing out of the gate, they needed to get back in the win column. In that respect, their week 6 game vs the Browns was a success. They got a 20-16 win. But if you were looking for a morale boost, the win may not provide that.
The defense played great. But it is the Browns, arguably the worst offense in the league. So getting pressure on DeShaun Watson and getting holding them to 16 points is not going to calm fears after this defense was picked apart by the Bucs their last time out.
The bigger issue is how the offense looked. The same Browns defense that was picked apart by the rookie Jayden Daniels last week, looked fairly stout against the Eagles. The Eagles were just 5-14 on 3rd down, with 2 of those coming on Tush Pushes. Otherwise, too many drives fizzled out, including that diaster to end the first half.
This team has yet to have that complete overall performance where you leave feeling good. They put up 34 on the Packers in week 1, but there were a lot of mistakes that had people worried. They completely imploded at the end of week 2. The offense was quiet in the week 3 win down in New Orleans, and then nothing worked at all in the week 4 loss in Tampa.
Now you get the Browns. A team they were favored by 9.5 points over. A team that had been a punching bag for most of the season so far. They got a 4-point win. Saquon Barkley was ineffective, and the offense managed just 20 points. It was their 5th straight game with 0 points in the first quarter.
The Good News
The good? AJ Brown is back and didn’t miss a beat. 116 yards, a TD, and got the impressive catch to seal the win at the end of the 4th quarter.
Elsewhere, Devonta Smith was quiet for most of the game, but then showed up with 1 big catch and run for a TD. Saquon Barkley was quiet today but had been arguably the best back in the NFL over his first 4 games. And for the 1st time all season, Jalen Hurts ended a game with 0 turnovers. He also delivered some impressive throws.
This offense has the pieces. But something is broken. It is like a really expensive watch, that has one malfunctioning gear that keeps the whole timepiece from operating the way it should.
What is that malfunctioning gear? Is it the continued influence of Nick Sirianni? Is it Kellen Moore? Is it Jalen Hurts? It may be a combo of the 3. But something is wrong, and it is holding what should be a top 5 offense back.
Still Time To Figure It Out
They are 3-2. In an NFC with a lot of struggling teams, they are still in the mix. The Commanders lost, putting them just .5 game ahead because of their extra game. They have not dug themselves into any kind of hole with their early struggles. But 5 games in, they should not look this rusty.
Something, whether it is the coaching, the QB, or something else, is holding this offense back. They are way too talented to look this average. And if they don’t figure it out, this team is never going to reach the heights they are aiming for.
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