PHILADELPHIA — Ironically of all ironies, the Eagles will still need a win in Week 18 (or a Dallas loss to Washington) when they host the New York Giants to clinch the NFC East and the lead No. 1 series in the conference.
The Giants, meanwhile, can sit back and relax if they see fit after earning a playoff berth by blasting Indianapolis on Sunday. New York can’t get out of the No. 6 seed no matter what, so the decision to rest or at least severely limit players like Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley is a logical path.
On the field, Philadelphia fell to 0-2 without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and 13-3 this season, falling 20-10 in the worst performance of the season for Nick Sirianni’s team.
Replacement Gardner Minshew was thrust into oblivion without star right tackle Lane Johnson and the Eagles defense faltered early before adjusting a bit.
BULLS
SACK KINGS – The Eagles weren’t great in the first half in any aspect, but the passing rush wasn’t bad, registering three Andy Dalton takedowns in the first 30 minutes, before reaching 68 on the season at the end of the game, establishing the franchise. single season record.
Among the sacks was Brandon Graham’s 10th, the first time the veteran hit double digits in his glittering career. BG, who also added the No. 11 later, is also the fourth Eagles player to hit 10 this season, making Philadelphia’s 2022-23 defense the first in history with four players recording 10 or more sacks. . They are just four sacks away from Chicago’s NFL record of 72 in 1984.
BEFORE SMITH – Skinny Batman played in his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game, racking up nine receptions or 115 yards. On an offense that limped all day, Smith and AJ Brown, who had a 78-yard TD reception, reminded you that if the quarterback plays well, the Eagles are still a handful.
THE BEARS
Gardner Minshew Accuracy – The Eagles backup QB was spooked early by a ferocious Saints pass rush and never calmed down when it came to delivering the football.
Minshew was basically wild whenever the going got muddy and his fourth quarter pick of six in Marcus Lattimore sealed the Eagles’ fate.
Minshew just didn’t have it and was out of sync leading an attack that was a three-and-out machine in the first half, not even getting a first down until 12 seconds before halftime.
Overall, the numbers weren’t terrible, but Minshew was like an average starting pitcher who didn’t have his best against the Saints.
He finished with usable numbers, 18 of 32 for 274 yards with a TD and an interception with an 82.0 passer rating, but that didn’t tell the story of four three outs to open the game and l huge pick-6 to Marcus. Lattimore who sealed it for NOLA.
“We just couldn’t get started,” Minshew said. “It’s one of those things you try to get on first, first down and we kept shooting each other in the foot and getting in the way. They’re a good defense too. There’s not a lot of room to mistakes when you play a team like that. We didn’t do enough to win.
Jack Driscoll – Driscoll isn’t Lane Johnson at the right tackle, but neither are any of the other options. Overall, Philadelphia’s offensive line struggled to try and slow the passing rush and racked up six penalties, and Driscoll’s certainty was one of them.
The Eagles offense just wasn’t as physical as it usually is, but there’s no way to that without All-Pro Johnson in the lineup.
Turnover – The Eagles’ recent problems with ball safety are well documented, turning it over seven times in the last two games ahead and 14 times in the last seven games before New Orleans. Sunday was just one but it was a big one, Lattimore’s 12-yard return for a TD that thwarted any comeback opportunity for the Eagles.
Crepes – A dominating Landon Dickerson pancake block who gushed Kenny Gainwell for a 28-yard TD run in the third quarter was called back to too much dominance obviously, although Jordan Mailata could have been called and maybe the officials got wrong number.
Mailata, however, spoke after the game and noted that the officials had called him on Dickerson, saying, “I guess they’ve never seen a (bipant) pancake before.”
injuries – It was a scary scene when Josh Sweat was carried very slowly after sustaining a neck injury in the first quarter.
The lanky DE was sent to a local hospital as a precaution and had movement in all of his extremities. The good news is that Sweat should be released on Sunday night and that’s obviously a very good sign.
-John McMullen is a PhillyVoice.com contributor and covers the Eagles and NFL for Sports Illustrated and JAKIB Sports. He is also the co-host of “Birds 365”, a daily streaming show covering the Eagles and the NFL, and the host of “Extending the Play” on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com
Follow John on Twitter: @JFMcMullen
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