Through the first 12 weeks of the 2023 NFL regular season, the Philadelphia Eagles were soaring. They were 10-1, with their only loss of the season coming in Week 5 against the New York Jets in a sloppily played game where Philadelphia mostly beat themselves. But, in their last two games, they have received a slice of humble pie.
In Week 13, the San Francisco 49ers went into Lincoln Financial Field and destroyed the Eagles, winning 42-19. Things didn’t get much better in Week 14 on Sunday Night Football, as Philadelphia went on the road to face their NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.
The Eagles had a chance to bury Dallas in the divisional race, as a victory would have given them a two-game lead in the division. In addition, they would have had a season sweep, essentially giving them a 2.5-game lead with only four games remaining in the season.
But, Philadelphia is leaving AT&T Stadium without a victory. The Cowboys dominated the matchup, winning 33-13 and giving the Eagles their second consecutive blowout loss. Now 10-3, they have come to a crossroads in their season.
NFL News & Rumors: Nick Sirianni, Sean Desai, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles Updates
A playoff spot is nearly guaranteed at this point, as the last Wild Card team is going to have at least six losses in the NFC. But, if they want to win the division and have some home games in the postseason at Philadelphia, there is some work to do.
Avoiding slow starts is a must for the Eagles from this point forward. They have trailed at halftime in six consecutive games, needing some miracle performances in the second half to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.
Slow starts have come on both sides of the ball and they experienced another against the Cowboys on Sunday night. Dallas took the opening drive down the field for a touchdown, while Jalen Hurts fumbled on the first Eagles possession of the game.
But, for this team to return to the level of dominance we saw earlier in the season, the defense has to figure things out. Philadelphia has been hemorrhaging points, giving up 109 in the last three games. That 36.3 points per game average is the most points given up by a reigning Conference Champion since the St. Louis Rams in 2000.
“We just ain’t taking care of each other,” Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat said. “Our rush and coverage is not taking care of each other. It’s week to week. We’ve just got to find out what is wrong and keep building on it. But it’s getting to the point where it’s just piling up and piling up, and we’re not seeing the turnaround we would like to see.”
NFL News & Rumors: Nick Sirianni, Sean Desai, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles Updates
A big reason for these struggles has been the inability to get off the field when it matters most. In the 2023 season, the Eagles have ranked 32nd in third-down defense and 29th in red zone.
On Sunday night, the Cowboys took advantage of both, finding success when the Eagles needed a stop the most. Dallas was 9-of-16 on third down and went 3-for-3 on their trips to the red zone.
Conversely, Philadelphia as 4-of-9 on third downs and 0-for-1 on red zone trips. Hurts, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown all lost fumbles with the team in scoring position, stalling momentum on numerous drives.
Cleaning up those areas are a must if the Eagles want to win the Super Bowl this season. The fumbles are certainly not good, but if they want to remain a contender in the NFC, the defensive performance has got to improve over the next four games heading into the postseason.
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