The Eagles’ slide hit six straight Sunday night, and the 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium left Philadelphia sitting in last place in the NFC East at 2-6. With the trade deadline looming, this is starting to look like a team that has to be viewed as a seller.
The offense never found a rhythm, and the third quarter was once again a dead zone. Philadelphia still hasn’t solved that stretch of games, averaging 1.6 points per game in the third quarter, worst in the league.
The Eagles also squandered a two-for-one chance late in the first half and then again to open the third, with poor play-calling from OC Sean Mannion helping waste the opportunity. Mannion did have a couple of inventive moments - the Saquon Barkley-Wildcat touchdown and Dallas Goedert’s QB sneak - but those flashes didn’t come close to erasing the overall mess.
The offensive line was part of the problem too, and OL coach Chris Kuper is under the microscope as the pressure keeps coming free against blitz looks. Replacing Jeff Stoutland was always going to be a heavy lift, but the unit has looked disjointed all year regardless of who has been on the field. Miscommunications, blown assignments, and general chaos have become too familiar.
Rookie right tackle Markel Bell had a rough one after a solid stretch. He got driven back into Tanner McKee on the strip sack that changed the game, and later he jumped offside on fourth-and-4 at Washington’s 13-yard line in the fourth quarter. That penalty forced a field goal attempt, and after another penalty, Jake Elliott doinked it.
McKee deserves his share of the blame too. He took a beating, but the strip sack was on him as well.
He has to feel the pocket better and show more awareness. He fought through the punishment, but the bigger truth is hard to ignore: McKee just isn’t a good enough backup option.
On the other side of the ball, EDGE Jonathan Greenard did little beyond helping Jalen Carter clean up a sack. His work against the run was especially poor, which is not what the Eagles expected when they traded two third-round picks and handed him a $100 million contract.
And then there’s Nick Sirianni. He talks constantly about the details and doing the little things “that require no talent.”
Sunday night showed a team that is nowhere close to that standard. Sirianni isn’t the one committing the penalties or mental mistakes, but it’s his job to have the Eagles ready.
They clearly weren’t.
In Other News...
Eagles Send A Clear Saquon Barkley Message Before The Deadline
With the NFL trade deadline set for Nov. 10, the Eagles have made their stance on Saquon Barkley pretty clear. According to ESPN, Philadelphia does not plan to move the running back, and the front office believes it has enough talent in place to stay competitive in the seasons ahead.
The message to other teams has been that Barkley is not currently available, even as his injury situation and contract status add another layer to the conversation around his future. For now, the Eagles are treating him as part of their long-term picture, leaving the market to wait and see whether anything changes before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Defense Has An Accountability Problem Before Washington
The Eagles are trying to put the Cowboys loss behind them, but the conversation around the defense has quickly become bigger than one bad afternoon. Nick Sirianni said he did not see an effort problem in the defeat, yet the message from inside the locker room was not nearly as uniform. Jordan Davis and Zack Baun both pointed to poor effort, and that split matters because it goes straight to the heart of how a defense responds when things start to unravel.
There is also a deeper concern here about how the group is carrying itself heading into Washington. Defensive players have raised questions about morale and leadership, and Davis in particular suggested the unit is not enjoying the game the way it should. When a defense starts sounding more like it is going through the motions than feeding off the moment, the issue is no longer just execution. It becomes an accountability test, and the Eagles need a better answer soon. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Start Fast In A Game That Could Change The Mood
The Eagles came out with the kind of urgency that has been missing at times this season, striking first against Washington on Sunday night and carrying a 10-3 lead into the end of the opening quarter. A field goal got Philadelphia on the board, and the early tempo suggested a team trying to seize control of a divisional game that could do a lot for the mood around the building.
Saquon Barkley added the first touchdown of the night for Philadelphia, giving the offense a jolt after the early points were already on the board. The first quarter also had the feel of a game swinging on one or two key moments, with the Eagles' defense and special teams helping create the kind of field position advantage that can change the way a primetime game unfolds. [Read more 🡒]