However, that doesn’t mean all is good in Philly. Sure, Philadelphia can easily regain their confidence in the next couple weeks with a few wins, but they’re still in trouble for the playoffs. If the Eagles want to go on another deep playoff run, chances are they’ll have to go up against the Cowboys and/or the 49ers. Both of these teams had no fear when it came to playing Philadelphia, with the 49ers proving they could beat Philly on the road.
Aside from potential rematches against the 49ers and Cowboys, the Eagles are in trouble because those two teams exposed their weaknesses. After the 49ers win, Nick Bosa laid out the formula to stopping quarterback Jalen Hurts, which included forcing Hurts to stay in the pocket and rush to the outside, not inside, if anything. Hurts has also been a bit less consistent than he was a year ago. He’s taken some unnecessary sacks the past couple weeks instead of throwing the ball away and also is more turnover prone.
Defensively, the Eagles have shown they are more vulnerable than they have been in the past. In the two losses, the Eagles gave up at least 390 yards and over 30 points in each game. Against the 49ers, Deebo Samuel tore through their secondary for three touchdowns, while Brock Purdy had four total touchdowns. Their run defense is also becoming weaker. Once ranked the No. 1 run defense in the NFL, the Eagles gave up over 140 yards on the ground in each of the past four games.
Offensively, their run game has also slowed. Their run game still ranks in the top-10 — thanks in part to the strength of Hurts as a runner — but their backs have not had the same momentum in a while. D’Andre Swift has not gone for over 100 yards since Week 3, and hasn’t had at least fifteen carries in the last four games. Early in the season, the Eagles looked like they might have an emerging rushing attack behind Swift, but they have yet to go back to it.
The run game struggles on both sides of the ball are crucial because they indicate that the Eagles have less control over the line of scrimmage than normal. Philadelphia has long been known for both their offensive and defensive line strength. Without this, the Eagles lose one of the key advantages they’ve had in most games over the past few years.
These inconsistencies aren’t necessarily new for the Eagles — they’ve been present throughout much of the season — it just hasn’t cost them wins until the past two games. Because of these issues, we’ve seen teams like the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders stay in games way longer than they should have against a team we’ve come to know as dominant.
This dominance is gone, at least for now. If the Eagles can’t find a way to turn things around before the playoffs, don’t be surprised if they’re out before the NFC Title Game.
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