Many Eagles fans were very disappointed that the Birds experienced their first
loss of the season to the Washington Commanders, but in the long run it could
end up being a good thing because this football team will be forced to get back to
playing fundamentally sound football. The run defense is definitely an area, that
needs to be corrected. In another area, for the first time this year, the team’s
pass coverage was awful. Time and time again, the Commanders were able to
complete passes on third downs to convert first downs and keep possession of
the football. The pass blocking of Jordan Mailata must be more consistent and
the Birds must do a better job of maintaining ball security. These mistakes cost
the Birds the game and they must be corrected.
Let’s start with their run defense. The Birds were awful on Monday night in this
area. The key to playing solid run defense is the defenders identifying the run
play, attacking their blocker, defeating the block, then ridding themselves of the
blocker and coming off of him and making the tackle. The Eagles defensive line
and linebackers aren’t attacking the blockers. Too many times, they are getting
blocked and staying blocked. The Birds defensive line and linebackers must get
more violent with their hands in striking the blocker, then getting rid of him. This
is an attitude.
Secondly, the tackling has been awful. Birds defensive players have gotten into
the bad habit of just colliding with ball carriers and expecting him to go down.
Collision tackling isn’t good fundamental football. They must begin to wrap up ball
carriers with their arms and grab some jersey with their hands. Tackling begins by
coming in low, then using your lower body strength to get underneath the ball
carrier to lift him and make it difficult or impossible for him to continue to run.
After the first tackler wraps up the ball carrier and gets ahold of his jersey, the
second, third and fourth tacklers must tackle as well and go after the football.
They all surrendered third down conversion after third down conversion to
Washington. This must be corrected immediately. Commanders backup
quarterback Taylor Heinicke looked like a Hall of Fame quarterback on Monday
night against the Birds. The Eagles secondary, which I believe is the best in the
league, must get back to be fundamentally sound and locking down wide
receivers.
On the offensive side of the ball, Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata must
return to the habit of shuffling his feet and moving, rather than turning and
opening the gate for pass rushers. We all know that his technique was awful
against the Texans when he was beaten twice for sacks by Houston’s Jerry
Hughes. On the last third down the Birds had in the battle with Washington,
Mailata made the same mistake he made against Hughes. He stopped shuffling
his feet and moving in front of the pass rusher. Instead he stopped his feet, which
forces him to turn and let the pass rusher come around the corner. It forced
quarterback Jalen Hurts to take off running. Unfortunately, Hurts took off and ran
into a sack. It ended the drive and forced the Birds to punt. Mailata has to clean
up his technique and start staying in front of the pass rushers.
The final fundamental that must be corrected by the Birds is ball security. On one
of the key plays of the loss to Washington, Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins got
open deep and made a diving catch of a Hurts pass. While getting up and
continuing to run, Watkins forgot to secure the football. A Commanders
defensive back hit the Eagles receiver in the back and stripped him of the football.
The ball tumbled to the ground and so did the hopes of the Birds. This play cost
them the game. It occurred because Watkins forgot ball security, as he was
getting up and continuing to run. Ball security is a key to avoiding turnovers and
playing fundamentally sound football.
