Going Deep
Things certainly didn't go as expected for the Eagles on Sunday afternoon. The 11-2 NFC East Champions sauntered into MetLife Stadium to face off against an over-matched team. Even with a backup quarterback starting in place of Carson Wentz, the Eagles expected to ride a dominant defense and running game to their 12th win of the season.
But the defense faltered and the running game sputtered. Thankfully, Nick Foles happened.
One week after Wentz tossed four touchdowns, Foles matched the feat and led the Eagles to a 34-29 victory and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
It was Foles's first start in an Eagles uniform since Week 8 of the 2014 season. Foles left the game with a broken collarbone and watched from the sideline as his 6-2 team fell to 10-6 and out of the playoffs under the command of Mark Sanchez. Foles was then traded for Sam Bradford in the offseason before spending 2016 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"It’s crazy, if I’m being honest, just wearing the Eagles jersey," Foles said after the game. "To go back to Philly and wear it, I take a lot of pride in that."
The Eagles needed every bit of Foles's magic to close out Sunday's contest, thanks to a defense that struggled out of the gate. The Giants scored a touchdown on each of their first three possessions, with each drive travelling at least 75 yards. Eli Manning carved up the Eagles secondary using a variety of quick slants and double moves.
But things turned around after Ronald Darby's second quarter interception. Despite allowing over 500 yards, the Eagles gave up just six points in the second half. Perhaps the biggest issue was the Eagles defense's inability to get off the field. In addition to allowing the Giants to convert 10 of their 18 third down opportunities, an offsides penalty on 4th and 4 led to a a 57-yard touchdown two plays later.
"Can’t play like this and win in the postseason," Pederson said. "Got to come prepared. And when I say prepared, I think from a mental standpoint, that emotion, that sense of urgency, that dominating swagger that you want to see your team come out aggressive with."
Pederson is right. The Eagles can't afford to fall down 13 points, especially in the playoffs. With Foles at quarterback, the margin for error has become razor thin. The team benefited from three blocked kicks on special teams and it took a 60-minute effort to put away a team that has been eliminated from the postseason for a month.
It wasn't pretty, but it was still a step forward.
Injury Report
Did Not Play: Stefen Wisniewski
Patrick Robinson: Robinson left the game in the second half with a concussion and never returned. The veteran was in the midst of his worst game of 2017 and could be out for the next week or so. If that's the case, expect Rasul Douglas to be active and come in during nickel situations.
Measurables
2: After the Patriots controversial win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last night, the Eagles have the best record in the NFL at 12-2. The Steelers, Patriots and Minnesota Vikings all have three losses on the year. In the history of the Philadelphia Eagles, only twice have the Birds finished the season with the undisputed best record in the NFL.
In 1949, the Eagles rode Steve Van Buren to an 11-1 record and an eventual NFL Championship over the Los Angeles Rams. In 1960, the 10-2 Eagles defeated the 8-4 Green Bay Packers to win the third, and final, championship in franchise history. Even with all of the success the Birds experienced over the past 57 years, this 2017 team is doing something a lot of us have never seen.
3: With their touchdowns on Sunday; Zach Ertz, Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery each have at least eight touchdowns on the season. The trio has combined for 174 catches, 2222 yards and 25 touchdowns. Last season, the Eagles had zero weapons for a rookie quarterback, but things have been quite the opposite in 2017. None of these guys have eye-popping numbers, but their combined production is something special.
.800: Since 2008, the Eagles have won 16 of their 20 matchups against the New York Football Giants. That is pure dominance that we rarely see in divisional games.
Turning Point
The Eagles came out of the gate flat, especially on defense, allowing a touchdown on each of the Giants first three possessions.
Darby with the pick, setting up the #Eagles score.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/aPzqzBAnyZ
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 17, 2017
After this interceptions, the Eagles outscored the Giants, 27-7, and picked up their 12th victory of the season. Darby may have struggled for most of the afternoon, but this play, combined with the punt block, put the Eagles in a position to win this game.
Up Down Drill
Up: Nick Foles
This was best case scenario for Foles. He made plays, didn't turn the ball over and finished the day with four touchdown passes. The Eagles may have struggled to put away the Giants on Sunday, but don't blame Foles, who put up 34 points. Blame the defense that allowed 29 points and over 500 yards from scrimmage to a 2-11 team.
Down: Halapoulivaati Vaital
Surprisingly, Chance Warmack played well and the Eagles offensive line wasn't terrible, but the lone sack allowed came at the expense of Vaitai, who struggled to get a hand on Olivier Vernon and allowed the defensive end in the pocket, untouched, to strip-sack Foles. Vaitai's play has slipped in recent weeks after filling in nicely for Jason Peters. With Warmack improving his game and Wisniewski possibly coming back as soon as next week, Vaitai has become the weak link on the Eagles offensive line.
Up: Eagles Special Teams
After looking very shaky for the past few weeks, the Eagles' special teams showed up on Sunday and saved the game. A blocked punt, field goal and extra point directly led to an 11-point swing in the Eagles favor. Maybe it was the addition of Bryan Braman, or just Dave Fipp getting his guys to refocus. Either way, for the first time in a month, the Eagles special teams looked like an elite unit.
Down: Jalen Mills
With the exception of his interception, Darby struggled all day in coverage, but Mills was much, much worse. Mills allowed a pair of touchdowns and had a couple penalties that extended drives. It was clear the Giants planned on picking on Mills early and often and he struggled to keep up.
Three-Step Drop
1. Despite Foles's success on Sunday afternoon, one thing became clear: he's nowhere near the quarterback Carson Wentz is. Foles lacks the decisiveness of Wentz and his arm strength leaves a lot to be desired. Foles is by no means a terrible quarterback, but to think he can truly fill Wentz's shoes is absolutely asinine.
Wentz was the best player in the NFL this season, while Foles had trouble finding a team that would give him a chance to start. It's alright to be confident in Foles, especially after his performance on Sunday, but to think the Eagles won't miss a beat is silly.
2. We've used this space to talk a lot about the Eagles coaching staff, and more specifically, Jim Schwartz's head coaching aspirations. Yesterday, we learned that Marvin Lewis may not return to be the Cincinnati Bengals head coach next season, which would leave a job that Schwartz would possibly agree to explore, should there be mutual interest.
The Bengals have a future Hall of Famer at wide receiver, a solid quarterback and an aggressive defense. This job is certainly a step up over the Browns or Giants. However, with the Eagles struggles the past few weeks, it's worth wondering if the talk around Schwartz becoming a head coach has cooled around the league.
3. Donnie Jones has been in Philadelphia for five years and his play has been at an all-time low over these past few weeks. Last week, Jones had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown. Yesterday, Jones nearly had a punt block after the ball slipped from his hands and later sailed a punt just inches above his blockers' heads. Jones has been a model of consistency since joining the Eagles, but maybe it's time the Eagles seriously consider other options as soon as next year.
Who's Next
The Eagles will celebrate Christmas by hosting the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football next week. The Raiders are in the midst of a disappointing season, but still represent a challenge for the Eagles, especially with Khalil Mack and Derek Carr. The Eagles need to play better than they did yesterday if they want to lock up home field advantage in the playoffs.
However, if the Minnesota Vikings lose to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night, the Eagles will go into their final two games with nothing to play for.
