Eagles Season Is Far From Over
Entering the game in England against the Jacksonville Jaguars, many Eagles fans have declared that the season was already over, due to the rash of injuries, the sudden retirement of Lane Johnson, losing to a third-string quarterback at Chicago and then squandering a 10-point fourth quarter lead in falling to the LA Rams.
The fact that the Eagles somehow lost a game to the Jags, while kicking off with lead and only eight seconds left, will be one of the all-time gut-punch defeats in Eagles history.
By now that 19-17 loss in England has been dissected through and through.
The bottom line is that for the second week in a row, a depleted Eagles team should have won against another a potential Super Bowl contender.
Yet from this viewpoint, the season is far from over.
Sure, the offense has to step it up, but at one point in the Jags game, there were four different offensive linemen in the game from the unit that played just two games ago in Chicago.
After Will Shipley got hurt against the Jags, the Eagles were down to a fourth string running back. Is it any wonder the Eagles rushed for just 22 yards on 18 carries against Jacksonville?
That said, even with all the injuries, the Eagles have to start taking advantage of these winnable situations, whether they are severely depleted or not.
The brunt of it will be on quarterback Jalen Hurts, and we have been saying this forever – he has to run more, just to keep defenses honest.
Against Jacksonville: two carries, two yards.
Even with the anemic offense, the Eagle have been in these games and if running back Saquon Barkley can return and come close to his prior form and if receiver DeVonta Smith can come back strong after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury, it might give the offense a needed injection.
The Eagles were not as injured against Chicago and played by far their poorest game of the year, but the last two weeks they fought while being severely undermanned. That has to count for something.
When they traded center/guard Cam Jurgens last week to Baltimore, many interpreted that as waving the white flag.
No doubt that 2028 second round pick they acquired in the trade will help down the line, but the mindset of this team has always been to contend and that hasn’t change.
It seems likely that the Eagles’ only way into the playoffs would be to win the NFC East. Yet it is certainly possible to win this flawed division.
This is a division in which expected contender Dallas just lost to a previously winless Tampa Bay team that was starting a rookie quarterback, Jalon Daniels.
While no game should be considered easy for the Eagles, their schedule consists of only two remaining games against what we expect to be playoff teams. That would be Dec. 19 at home against Seattle and Jan. 3 at San Francisco.
Other teams on their schedule could very well make the playoffs, but at this point, aren’t considered sure bets.
Even if the schedule lightens up, the Eagles must still pick it up, injuries or not. On Sunday they host a talented but somewhat flawed Carolina Panthers team coming off a bye.
It will be a challenge for the Eagles. Every game will.
It doesn’t mean the season is over.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. Courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles
advertisement

Author: Marc Narducci
Archives
Young Cherokee Girls Soccer Team Better Than Their Record Suggests
South Jersey Football Games of the Week
Same Problems Arise As Phillies Lose In Wild Card Round
Washington Township Football Picks Up Where It Left Off Last Season
South Jersey Football Game of the Week
Former Pitman Coach Thomas Excited about Taking over RCSJ-Gloucester Flag Football Program
South Jersey Football Games of the Week
Phillies Hoping For Renewed Energy After Season Finale Playoff Clinching Win
Eagles Lacking Style Points, But Not Wins
Looking at Improved South Jersey Football Teams
South Jersey Football Games of the Week
NFL and Eagles Fans, Don’t Put Much Stock In Week 1 Results
Shawnee Football Showing New Offensive Versatility
South Jersey Football Game of the Week
NFC East Preview
More...






