Section 215
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Eagles Armchair: Things, They Need A-Changin’

By Tucker Bagley

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The most comprehensive weekly look at the Philadelphia Eagles on the internet. 

WALK THROUGH

“I think if you had one attribute [to choose] as a receiver, being able to catch the ball is where you would start.”

Those words were uttered by Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur during training camp when asked about wide receiver Rasheed Bailey. Almost three months later, Bailey is toiling on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad and the remaining Eagles receiving corps looks like they couldn’t catch a cold. Maybe they missed the memo?

The fact is, seven drops for any group of wide receivers who take pride in what they do is flat-out unacceptable. But there are many other reasons as to why the Eagles fell to the now 6-0 Carolina Panthers last night. Mistakes that have been present since week one continue to pop up and if Chip Kelly’s squad wants to play more than 16 games this season, they need to use this bye week to look themselves in the mirror and get ready for a must-win divisional clash against the Cowboys on November 8th.

On the other side of the ball, Fletcher Cox and company had their worst game of 2015. After being so stout against the run for six weeks, the Eagles defense allowed over 200 yards of rushing on just 33 carries. After spending the last year-and-a-half bragging about how they are the best unit of their kind, the defensive line was absolutely blown off the ball by Jonathon Stewart and the Panthers offensive line.

Considering the Eagles won the time of possession, fatigue is not an excuse.

Not only will Kelly’s roster be tested as the Eagles prepare for the second half of the season. Chip Kelly the coach needs to look at himself in the mirror, too. Kelly’s ability to adjust as a game develops is his biggest strength as a play-caller. His ability to find a defense’s weakness and exploit it late in games is uncanny. And yet, last night his play calling was stale and uninspired.

It’s  hard to believe, but there is an NFL team that actually employs Kurt Coleman as their starting safety. Any coach worth his salt would look  at Coleman as a weakness begging to be exploited, especially when he plays on the same team as Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Josh Norman. Kelly has two weeks to review tape, and you better believe there are going to be some new wrinkles the next time his offense hits the field.

After an off-season of blockbuster moves and Super Bowl predictions, the Eagles are just 3-4. If they want to make a run in the second half of the season, a lot of things have to change.

INJURY REPORT

DNP – Kiko Alonso, Nelson Agholor

Jason Peters – Only one injury for the Eagles last night, but, boy, was it a big one. Peters had to be carted off the field after crumpling to the turf on a routine block. A lot of people speculated that it may have been a gruesome leg injury, but upon further inspection from the team’s doctors, it was revealed the left tackle had lower back spasms. Peters is the Eagles most talented and most important player on offense. Matt Tobin performed admirably in his absence, but there is no way he can be a long-term solution at left tackle. Peters said after the game he expects to be ready for Dallas, but if he isn’t, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lane Johnson transition to left tackle.

MEASURABLES

3 – Jonathan Stewart became just the third player to reach 100 yards in a game against the Eagles after rushing for 125 yards on 24 carries. Stewart’s punishing running style really wore down the Eagles defensive front and made a very good group look very pedestrian.

Oct 25, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

37 – 37 running backs have more carries than Ryan Mathews. None of them have a better yards per carry average than Mathews’s 6.1. Feed him the ball.

40 – Darren Sproles had just 40 yards from scrimmage last night, 25 of which came on the last drive of the game when the outcome was already decided. So that is five touches for 15 yards for the most explosive player on the Eagles roster. I understand what DeMarco Murray‘s pedigree is, but he cannot stand in the way of Mathews and Sproles getting their touches.

SECTION 140

Bill Davis‘ group have built a reputation of forcing turnovers, but their performance suffered last night as a result. Stewart was able to pick up a lot of extra yardage as the Eagles stood him up and tried to strip the ball out, instead of wrestling him to the ground. There are times where you have to play a bit more conservatively. Last night was one of those times.

Kickoff out of bounds, no contain on a 43-yard reverse and back-to-back encroachment penalties in a goal-line situation. Not the Eagles finest moment.

Honestly, with how terrible they have been, this wouldn’t even be remotely surprising.

WEEKLY AWARDS

Nobody is deserving of an award, even a sarcastic one. It was just a forgettable performance all the way around.

NO HUDDLE

  • Chip Kelly was quick to deflect blame for the mismanagement of his running backs, making sure reporters knew Duce Staley is in charge of the rotation. Murray finished the game with 18 carries, Mathews had six and Sproles only had three. Of the three, Mathews has been the most effective runner and needs to be treated as such. Kelly has to know that Mathews gives his team the best chance to win and Kelly claiming ignorance is not acceptable.
  • The most exciting thing I saw on the screen last night was Carolina’s defense. I was fascinated by Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis’ ability to patrol sideline-to-sideline. Last year, the Eagles dominated Carolina, despite putting up only 37 rushing yards. I have to wonder if after seeing how much two guys can dominate a game, Kelly’s decision to acquire Alonso was motivated by the thoughts of having him and Mychal Kendricks patrolling the middle of the field in a similar fashion.
  • I’m not too sure what to make of Bradford’s performance. He was erratic at times, but his receivers gave him zero help and he was without his top offensive lineman. It seems like he held on to the ball too long or was too quick to look to his check downs, but I’ll get a better understanding of what was happening down the field once I get a look at the All-22 film when it comes out later today.
  • Every week the Eagles lose, their inability to control the clock is usually the first thing that is brought up. Last night, the Eagles won the time of possession battle, but still managed to lose the game. That is only the third time that has happened in the Chip Kelly era. Overall, the Eagles are 11-3 in those contests.

WHO’S NEXT

The Eagles get a much-needed bye week before heading to Dallas for a prime-time showdown against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. The Cowboys have lost four straight since Tony Romo broke his collarbone, but they may have Dez Bryant back, which will give Matt Cassel a legitimate threat.

Next: Eagles Lose to Panthers: Offensive Grades

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