Tensions have never been higher in Philadelphia following a Thursday Night Football 34-17 loss to the New York Giants. Going into the game, many expected the Eagles to have figured things out after a closed-door meeting between offensive superstars Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and A.J. Brown, as reported by Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski. Instead of bringing relief, it brought the team’s problems to the doorstep of the national media. After such an embarrassment, where do they go from here, and how can they improve? Let’s find out.
The Next Steps for the Eagles
1. Have Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo Retool the Philadelphia Offense
Sure, the offensive line isn’t playing great, but the playcalling has just not been adequate. From Brian Johnson to Kellen Moore to Kevin Patullo, the offense hasn’t always had the most stable identity, but Moore had seemingly figured it out last year. Around this time in 2024, the Eagles were going through similar struggles, but changed quickly when Moore let Barkley carry the workload.
Unfortunately for Eagles fans, Moore is now the head coach in New Orleans, and the offensive line hasn’t allowed Barkley to dominate the way he did down the stretch last season. Most would argue the larger issue at hand is how to get A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith more involved in the game plan, which starts by expanding their route tree from just go routes and unders. We know they’re capable of much, much more – the question is if Patullo allows them to do so. At this point, getting them the ball in open spaces would be a great place to start via screens or pick routes.
2. Upgrade At Cornerback For the Sake of Fans’ Mental Health
It hasn’t all been on the offense. While there have been injuries, an ejection, and a lower level of play than expected, the defense remains solid, at just about everywhere but the outside cornerback position. To be clear, this is not at all Quinyon Mitchell‘s fault. The second-year stud is far from having a sophomore slump, though it wouldn’t hurt if he were a bit more consistent.
This issue is with the No. 2 outside corner position, which has been filled by Adoree’ Jackson to start the season. Through five weeks, he’s earned an abysmal 46.2 coverage grade from PFF and got torched week one vs. Dallas, giving up over 100 yards on seven catches. Fans were fed up with his effort from Thursday night, including one play where he showed little effort attempting to stop Cam Skattebo on the goal line.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has tried to supplement Jackson’s struggles by playing backup Kelee Ringo more often, which was one of their largest downfalls in their matchup with the Giants. Ringo let up 73 yards, consistently getting burnt by Wan’Dale Robinson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, as well as getting called for a penalty. If the Eagles want to stop the bleeding, they need an upgrade. Whether they sign a guy like Stephon Gilmore, or trade for someone like Riq Woolen, it’s clear they can’t persist with their current room.
3. Shake the Injuries and Get Healthy
It’s easier said than done, but both defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Landon Dickerson need to get back on the field as soon as possible. The Eagles have built their dominance for the past decade on controlling the line of scrimmage and during the Thursday night loss, they missed their best interior offensive and defensive linemen.
On the offensive side, they once again weren’t able to open as many holes for Barkley as they would’ve liked, as he finished with just 58 yards on 12 carries. Dickerson is an integral part of the offensive line and should be back for next week against the Vikings. Carter is just as important and is quickly joining his peers as one of the best defensive tackles in the game. His heel injury shouldn’t persist much longer, which is great news for Eagles fans. His presence was clearly missed with how often Skattebo ran the ball down their throats. If both players don’t return soon, the Eagles’ struggles will likely continue.
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