Yikes. Perhaps that is the only word to describe the Philadelphia Eagles’ lackluster start to the season.
The Eagles finished last Sunday with a 23-23 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals. Yes, the same Cincinnati Bengals that finished dead last in the NFL last year with a 2-14 record. To make matters worse, the Eagles lost both of their prior games against the Washington Football Team and the Los Angeles Rams, ranking them third in the NFC East with a record of 0-2-1.
So, where to begin with the Eagles’ issues?
The first issue that comes to mind is turnovers. Throughout the first three weeks, the Eagles have turned the ball over eight times (worst in the NFL), have taken the ball away only once (worst in the NFL), and have a turnover differential of -7 (worst in the NFL). Head coach Doug Pederson commented on the Eagles’ issue with ball security, stating, “We’re just not a smart football team right now. Not very disciplined.”
At the forefront of the Eagles’ turnover issue is quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz has a combined seven total turnovers in the past three games (one fumble and six interceptions) and holds the worst quarterback rating in the NFL (63.9). Just to put into perspective how bad that is, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson could throw 45 straight interceptions and still have a better rating than Wentz.
A big factor to Wentz’s poor performances through the first three weeks is that he and the offense do not seem to have a rhythm going so far. In their week two loss against the Rams, Wentz was forcing unnecessary throws, including one that was intercepted in the endzone and prevented the Eagles from taking the lead late in the game. However, against the Bengals, the issue was quite the opposite. Wentz looked hesitant, causing him to overthrow many passes, including one to running back Miles Sanders which would have been a touchdown.
The defense has not been able to click either. Although a solid week one performance against Washington, the Eagles’ defense was dismantled week two against the Rams; the defense, which ranked first against the rush in 2019, allowed 191 yards on the ground (most the Eagles have allowed since 2016) and struggled to stop Rams’ tight end Tyler Higbee who caught three touchdown passes.
Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz took the blame for the defense’s awful performance, saying, “I had a poor game plan. … We had a very simple game plan. … The whole sort of theme was to try to make it as simple as we could. We’ve had success with that in the past. But in an effort to do that, [it] also created a lot of conflict with what the guys were doing.”
Despite Schwartz’s comments, nothing much seemed to change for the defense against the Bengals. The Eagles made rookie quarterback Joe Burrow look like a veteran as he threw for 31/44 completions, 312 yards, and two touchdowns.
What does the future of this season look like for the Eagles?
This Sunday, the Birds will face off against the injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers. Having lost their starting quarterback, running back, star tight end, and three key defensive players, the 49ers do not seem like an opponent that is impossible to defeat. However, following Sunday’s game, the rest of the schedule does not seem easy for the Eagles.
The following two weeks will feature a matchup against the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by defending league MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Not to mention the Eagles’ matchups against the Dallas Cowboys (who the Eagles will play twice), the Green Bay Packers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Seattle Seahawks. Combined, these teams held a record of 45-19 in 2019. So, if the Eagles want to have any chance at making the playoffs, they will need to change quickly.
