The Philadelphia Eagles had the opportunity to start 2-0 for the third straight season, and with a 97% chance to win late in the fourth quarter (via ESPN), it looked like they'd do just that. That was until the Eagles' late play-calling forced them to settle and take a six-point lead with 1:39 to go in the game. Kirk Cousins then strung together a near flawless drive, driving 70 yards in 1:05 and scoring in just six plays. The Eagles' secondary collapsed and allowed five receptions on just six attempts; three of those attempts were for ten or more yards. Drake London scored the game-winning TD, running an out route that Darius Slay couldn't keep up with. The Eagles' offense had 0:34 to get into field goal range and give Jake Elliot a chance to win the game. Instead, Jalen Hurts threw a pass that Jesse Bates intercepted on just the drive's second play.
Poor Defensive Play
The defense, as a whole, didn't play great. The Falcons scored on five of their eight drives, scoring two touchdowns in the second half. The defense did step up once Atlanta got to the red zone and forced field goals on three drives, but letting a team get that close consistently is a good way to lose games in this league. The Eagles' defensive line couldn't get pressure and got only one sack from Milton Williams and two QB hits. According to CBS Sports, the Eagles currently have the second-worst pressure rate in the league at just 13.4% through two weeks. The secondary allowed Kirk Cousins to complete 69% of his passes, averaging 8.3 yards per attempt, including a 41-yard TD to Darnell Mooney, who had 88 receiving yards on the game.
The Eagles were least effective in stopping the run. Bijan tore this defense apart, rushing for 97 yards on 14 attempts. Atlanta's RB2, Tyler Allgeier, averaged 5.9 a carry. The Eagles got away with their poor run defense in Week 1, allowing 7.8 ypc, because they contained Jordan Love and forced a turnover, whereas neither happened Monday, and the Falcons ran the ball seven more times than Green Bay did. Philly NEEDS to figure out how to stop the run as soon as possible if they want to be considered contenders.
Jalen Hurts' Improvement
One positive takeaway I have is that Jalen Hurts looked more like his 2022 self against Atlanta. He extended runs by cutting and lowering his shoulder, which it seems like he didn't do at all in 2023. He also let some of his swag come back out as he flashed a couple of celebrations during the game, flexing and spiking the ball. That version of Jalen Hurts is the one that almost won MVP and brought his team to the Super Bowl.
Hurts' play, in general, also looked better than Week 1. He made multiple big plays on his feet, not just on designed QB runs. Last season, it seemed that Hurts would escape the pocket and run around until someone opened it, or he lost ten yards. Yesterday, some of Hurts' biggest rushes came from escaping the pocket and scrambling. He also secured a rushing TD on a tush push. He had 85 rushing yards last night, which is more than he had in any single game last season. He also completed 76% of his 30 pass attempts and had a passing TD. His only turnover came at the end of the game as he was trying to force the ball into field goal range after the Falcons took the late lead. Despite the loss, it was nice to see Jalen starting to look like his 2022 self again.
Sirianni Needs to GO
Nick Sirianni has been Head Coach of the Eagles since 2021. In that time, the Eagles are tied for the second-best record in the league. The Eagles have made the playoffs yearly under Sirianni, including a Super Bowl trip and two first-round exits to the Buccaneers. If there's been this much success, why am I calling for Sirianni to get fired? Poor decision-making and terrible playmaking, and he never takes the blame. Not to mention the rumors that were around all off season that Hurts and Sirianni have a broken relationship, which could very well be untrue, but still worth noting. The same issues have been arising since Sirianni showed up, and while he's done us good, I don't see Hurts hoisting the Lombardi as long as Sirianni is in town.
In his first season, it took his own mother texting him to run the ball for Sirianni to give up play calling, and THAT is when the Eagles found success and made a late push for the playoffs. In 2022, under Shane Steichen, this offense looked top-tier, and the defense led by Jonathan Gannon was solid up until the Super Bowl; then, both coordinators got HC jobs. In 2023, Sean Desai and Brian Johnson were ridiculed weekly, and both got fired. Desai was fired during the season, and nothing changed, so what remaining piece could've been to blame for the Birds' dysfunctional defense? It was no secret Sirianni had more say over play calls than Brian Johnson, and once again, they were not running the ball as much as they should've last season. As much good as he's done, if you look at the issues since he arrived in Philly, Nick Sirianni is the problem, and those around him get the blame. Three different sets of coordinators and the same issues keep pooping up, it's clear who the problem is.
Final Score: Falcons 22, Eagles 21
Dixon's Three Stars
1st Star- QB Jalen Hurts (23/30, 183 Passing Yards, 85 Rush Yards, 2 Total TDs, 1 INT)
2nd Star- WR DeVonta Smith (7 Rec, 76 Yards, 1 TD)
3rd Star- K Jake Elliot (2/2 FG, 1/1 XP)
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