Five Big-Picture Takeaways From Eagles Week 16 Loss vs Redskins

5.) The Allocation of Resources Toward the Skill Positions Was Backward

Dec 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews (81) makes a reception past the defense of Washington Redskins free safety Dashon Goldson (38) during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. The Redskins won 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

As mentioned above, the loss that will linger with Eagles fans during the offseason featured over half-a-dozen drops by Eagles receivers/backs/and tight ends. Had the team caught half the balls that were categorized as ‘drops’ this season, one can only imagine what the outlook heading into week 17 would be. Drops were a problem since the start of the season and continued through the game that spelled the end of meaningful football for the Eagles in 2015. Chip Kelly’s offense relies so heavily on rhythm, and incompletions of that nature tend to stifle that approach just as much as a negative play.

Meanwhile the team’s backfield, which represented such a sizable portion of their payroll, was a bumbling mess by season’s end. While DeMarco Murray’s inability to perform, capped by Saturday night’s game, will be what many point to as the representation of the 2015 Eagles struggles in the run game, he was not the only one unable to maintain any level of consistent success. Ryan Mathews only showed glimpses of his pre-injury form since returning from concussion and Darren Sproles can only be relied upon so much as a ball-carrier these days.

One can only wonder what would have happened over the years had Chip Kelly decided he would prioritize having more of a veteran presence on the outside and choose youth in the backfield instead of the other way around. On the surface, the run-based offense that Kelly preaches would figure to benefit more from having marquee talent at the running back position. Meanwhile, the simplistic route tree that makes up the Eagles passing game should (in theory) allow for an easier transition for a younger core of receivers. Unfortunately the NFL does not operate in theory and an alternate reality where Kelly used higher draft picks on running backs while overpaying for wide receivers could have made a world of difference with this team.

The Eagles young receivers were often phased out by top secondary talent throughout the season. Meanwhile, their long-in-tooth backfield was unable to demonstrate the necessary burst late in the year to compensate for a battered offensive line that could not provide large enough holes to reach the second level. Jordan Matthews is well beyond his years from a maturity standpoint, but Nelson Agholor fell off the radar far too often in 2015 and Josh Huff’s seemingly never-ending adjustment to the NFL level is a concerning trend for a young pass-catcher. Meanwhile, it seems as if a handful of teams that will be advancing to the playoffs have been able to succeed with running backs they were able to divert very little of a premium toward.

It would not shock me if Murray and Sproles are no longer with the team next season. Mathews can only be depended upon so much. Should there be a significant departure of bodies at the running back position next season, Kelly should opt to allow Kenjon Barner to get his fair shake of the carries up for grabs and use the later rounds of the draft to try to round out the depth chart. Meanwhile, the receiver position does not have much flexibility. To give up on that much young talent this early would be a mistake. With Riley Cooper likely gone after the season, it’s possible the team tries to bring in a veteran presence with actual talent (unlike Miles Austin) to try to help the young trio of receivers adjust and grow. For the purposes of 2015, things were backward at the skill positions.