Brutal loss to Washington sign of things to come
PHILADELPHIA » The playoff field was expanded to seven teams. Just seven wins were enough to secure the NFC East pennant.
And the Eagles? They settled for six.
The sixth overall selection in the spring draft is the reward for the worst Eagles season since Andy Reid was fired in 2012. Just like everything else since a Super Bowl parade three years ago, it left you wanting more. Six of one, a halfdozen of the other sums it up.
For tankers, it could have been worse. The Eagles came within a whisker of recovering a fumble on Washington’s side of the field that would have put substitute quarterback Nate Sudfeld in range of throwing a fade for the W and … the ninth pick. Thank goodness for that.
Instead Washington prevailed, 20-14, to win its first division title since 2015.
If you avoided watching the game, no problem. Lucky you. And you can expect to see pretty much the same football next year. In essence, a lot of undeveloped players who look good on one snap, not so good the next.
Sure, there may be a high-priced veteran or two who stay healthy next year but for the most part the Eagles have to move on from the aging talent that’s been holding them back. Not just DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Jason Peters.
There are tough decisions to be made with offensive linemen Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson, who haven’t completed a
full season healthy since the Super Bowl. Tight end Zach Ertz has become a luxury.
Unless the Eagles hit a home run with that No. 6 pick – and defensive playmaker Micah Parsons of Penn State would be just that - they’re going to have to lean on rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts for excitement.
Carson Wentz is going to be shopped. There are reports he’s open to moving on. If the Eagles can’t work something out, it’s going to be a toxic locker room. The Eagles helped create this by handing Wentz crazy money, then benching him. Good luck figuring that out.
Speaking of weird, you knew this game was fishy when head coach Doug Pederson sent the punt team out on fourth-and-two at
midfield on the first series. Unofficially it was the first time he hasn’t been guilty of overcoaching all season.
When the WFT marched 91 yards to take a 7-0 lead on Alex Smith’s five-yard pass to Terry McLaurin you could almost hear a collective groan from the greater New York TV audience. The Giants needed an Eagles win over Washington to sneak into the playoffs.
Fortunately for the New Yawkers, Hurts did what he vowed to do leading up to the game, letting it all hang out. And the young guys followed him.
With a limited game plan, Hurts scored on a six-yard run to get the Eagles within 10-7 in the second quarter. The drive featured an exotic play with receiver Greg Ward, the former quarterback, throwing a 15-yard pass to Travis
Fulgham.
One look at the offensive line and you knew where this game was heading. The starting line consisted of Matt Pryor, Nate Herbig and Brett Toth in addition to Jason Kelce and Isaac Seumalo.
The Eagles haven’t developed the young players around them, including first-rounder Andre Dillard. Yeah, he couldn’t stay healthy, either.
The bottom line is the Eagles knew they needed offensive line depth but didn’t address it until the third day of the draft. Then they brought in Jason Peters, who was finished.
In spite of the line troubles, the Eagles played on. By halftime Hurts had a couple of six-yard scoring runs. Wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who was supposed to be the safer pick compared to the ul
tra-productive McLaurin, caught a 30-yard pass, for crying out loud.
After falling behind 10
0, the Eagles went ahead
14-10.
But Smith made it 17-14 with 20 ticks to go in the first half, throwing a jump ball to Logan Thomas. McLaurin was alone and open on the previous snap. The back end of the Birds’ defense has been a disaster all season.
Injuries took away Rodney McLeod and Avonte Maddox. COVID took Jalen Mills. Maddox wasn’t having much of a season anyway. Mills has been OK, not the second coming of Malcolm Jenkins, as his fan club claims. For all the resources expended, Darius “Big Play” Slay had all of one interception. Safety Rudy Ford started at cornerback Sunday. Another safety, undrafted rookie Grayland Arnold, was the nickel corner.
Then there’s the defensive line, always the strength for coordinator Jim Schwartz, who is stepping away after this season. When was the last time Fletcher Cox was healthy at the end of a season? Will Derek Barnett ever make it through a full season, much less reach the Pro Bowl? The Eagles overpaid for tackles Javon Hargrave and Malik Jackson. Cox and Brandon Graham are the most reliable components there.
Right now, the sixth pick in the draft is all the Eagles have to show for a season that never really began.