Philadelphia Eagles: Dreams And Nightmares from Week 2

Dreams from Week 2

Miles Sanders

The Philadelphia Eagle’s starting RB Miles Sanders returned to play in Week 2 and did not disappoint despite an early fumble on the first drive of the game. Leading up to his debut, Sanders has been notably slated as the feature back of the offense. The Eagle’s offense wasted no time incorporating him into the gameplan, as he finished his 2020 debut with 23 overall touches,131 total scrimmage yards, and a rushing touchdown.

The biggest takeaway from Sander’s debut was how completely healthy he looked. I was worried about the hamstring injury from the offseason that it would linger and hamper “Boobie” Miles down the stretch. Sanders, however, showed no signs of lingering hamstring issues and was a constant go-to for the offense as he averaged 4.8 yards-per-carry and worked as a safety blanket for Carson Wentz. Look for the Eagles to get Sanders involved even more this weekend as they prepare to square off against a relatively weak Bengals defense.

Offensive Line

We all know the Eagles’ offensive line was a complete liability in the Week 1 matchup with the Washington Football Team. They surrendered eight sacks, 20 QB pressures, and 15 QB hits just a week ago. This past Sunday, the offensive line eliminated some of the concern moving forward as they controlled an Aaron Donald-led defensive line. With the return of Lane Johnson to the starting lineup, the Eagles’ offensive line gave up zero sacks and Wentz a pretty clean pocket all afternoon.

The offensive line was also able to get the run game going by giving Sanders and the rest of the crew great lanes to run through throughout the game. The Eagles piled up 121 total rushing yards on 4.7 yards-per-carry. Nate Herbig has also stood out on the offensive line as he has played really well throughout the first two games, especially in the matchup against the Rams, as he gave up only one QB hurry and was the second-highest-rated guard in Week 2. Hopefully, the undermanned unit can continue to create running lanes and keep Wentz’s pocket clean.

T.J. Edwards

T.J. Edwards was the one lone standout from the Eagle’s linebacker group this weekend against the Rams. Edwards forced the only turnover of the season for the Eagles by forcing a fumble from Rams WR and punt returner Cooper Kupp on a punt late in the second quarter. This was a key momentum shift in the game, as it put the Eagles in position to get their second touchdown of the game. Finishing the game with six total tackles, one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble, Edwards needs to receive more playing time, as he is easily the most productive linebacker in the run game.

The problem with Edward’s game that everyone has pointed to is his weak pass coverage.  Edwards actually finished the game as the top-graded defender in coverage with a grade of 79.9. Quite frankly, Nate Gerry and Duke Riley aren’t world-beaters in pass coverage either, so why not give the younger Edwards more snaps? If this losing trend continues, the Eagles need to take this time to develop their young players that they consider part of the future, and Edwards should be on that shortlist.