The Eagles have a week off now, so they can take a few days off and get themselves well as they prepare for the final 11 games of the season. This team is undefeated, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t had disappointing quarters and halfs. In nearly every game they’ve played, they have been the essence of hot and cold, but in each they’ve found ways to win.
The number one reason the Eagles are 6-0 is quarterback, Jalen Hurts. He has played some amazing football through six games with six rushing touchdowns and six passing touchdowns. He’s done a great job of decision making, so the Birds don’t turn the ball over. Hurts has been both a running back and a quarterback, but more than anything else he has been a great leader for this football team. The young man is very sober-minded, meaning he keeps this focused on getting better on the football field. He does not let his teammates eat the poison of celebrating victories to the point of losing focus on trying to improve and practicing better, so they can playing better football. He won’t let them eat the junk that the media feeds to distract the football team, especially with them being the only undefeated team in the NFL.
Hurts was NFC Offensive Player of the Month in September, but you won’t hear him talking about because he’s focused on improving. As Hurts says after every game, “The Birds won, but they also left money on the table”, meaning they can play better.
Another reason the Eagles are 6-0 is their receivers. They might have the best receiver group in the NFL, being that they’ve got two number ones in A.J. Brown who is a multi year Pro Bowler and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. You also have tight end Dallas Goedert, who is the most complete tight end in the NFL. I say that meaning when you combine his ability to run routes and catch the football, then his ability to block, he’s the best all around tight end in the game. Goedert has been very productive for them this season. The Birds third wide receiver Quez Watkins is one of the best deep threats in the NFL and you will probably see more of him later in the season as teams try to stop Brown, Smith and Goedert. Despite being outstanding most of the six games, they have all dropped passes and made mistakes at times. They can play better.
Coming into the season, the Birds offensive line was rated number in the National Football League by many NFL talent evaluators. You’ve got Jason Kelce at the center position who’s a perennial All Pro. You’ve got Lane Johnson, who is as good of a right tackle as there is in the NFL. He’s a great player and he also is a perennial All Pro. Jordan Mailata is an outstanding young left tackle. Landon Dickerson, who is an outstanding young guard is playing next to Mailata. Isaac Seumalo is a very good player is at the right guard position. Together they are a great unit. The Eagles offensive line are both outstanding run blockers and outstanding pass blockers. They are capable of taking over a game and they have tremendous depth, which has allowed them to play well despite some early season injuries. This group will be expected to play better as they get healthy.
The other reason the Eagles are 6-0 are the running backs starting with Miles Sanders, who has had an outstanding start to the season. He’s an amazing combination of quickness and speed. You’ve also got Boston Scott, who is a solid tough little guy and Kenneth Gainwell is much the same way. They’ve all made key plays or scored vital touchdowns with games on the line. I’m expecting Sanders to blossom into the Pro Bowl level player that he’s capable of being in the rest of the season.
Another reason for the 6-0 starts is the Birds defensive line. This is a group that can take over a game over as was seen in their nine-sack performance against Carson Wentz and Washington. It all starts with veterans Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox. Graham was awarded the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his 2.5 sack performers against the Commanders. Cox had 1.5 sacks that day as well.
Hassan Reddick, who was signed during the off season also captured a NFC Defensive Player of the Week award for his two sack and two fumble recovery game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Josh Sweat and Javon Hargrave have also been very effective putting pressure on quarterbacks and making plays. I don’t think this group has played their best football, so expect good things out of them the rest of the way.
We have seen tremendous improvement in the play of the Eagles linebackers. T.J. Edwards has been the team’s leading tackler and he’s been outstanding. Edwards is surprisingly adept in pass coverage and making tackles in the open field, despite not being exceptionally fast. The newly acquired Kyzir White is very fast and he does a great job in pass coverage. He has made key plays to force interceptions like the Bradberry interception and return for a touchdown against the Lions. In the Arizona game, he did a great job locking down Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. He fits today’s game because he’s a former safety and his speed is what you need to cover tight ends, running backs and wide outs.
I think it’s becoming apparent that the Birds may have the best secondary in the NFL. They have made huge statements by smothering opposing passing attacks. It starts with their great duo of cornerbacks in Darius Slay and Bradberry. They both are Pro Bowl level cornerbacks. Add to that Avonte Maddox, who is also a Pro bowl caliber nickel back. Young safety Marcus Epps has been playing great, then you add Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who had two interceptions versus the Cowboys and you have an amazingly talented secondary group. Slay was NFC Defensive Player of the Week when he picked off two passes and shut down the Vikings star wide out Justin Jefferson. Still I must say, this group can play better.
This group also makes tremendous contributions on special teams with back up cornerback Zech McPhearson being named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his contributions to the Birds win over the Lions in week number one.
The most amazing aspect of the Eagles 6-0 start is that they can play much better. They’ve got to correct their annoying habit of building first half leads, then falling asleep in the third and much of the fourth quarter. The Birds must learn to put team’s away by stringing together a full four-quarter performance.
It’s still very early in the season. The Birds have 11 more games to play in the regular season and they will need to battle Dallas again, The next time they face the Cowboys it will be in Dallas and their starting quarterback Dak Prescott will likely be under center. The Eagles will also need to play the Giants twice and New York is only one game behind the Birds at 5-1, so Philadelphia still has a great deal of work to do. Fasten your seat belts, it should be very exciting.
How do you guys feel about the Eagles after six games? Are you confident they’re going to win it all? Do you feel they have what it takes? How do you feel about them building leads then letting the other team come back?