The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from Week 3

By: Noah Levick, Sports Talk Philly Staff  

These Eagles sure do have a knack for wrapping Good, Bad and Ugly all together into a single game; Sunday was a perfect example of the agony and ecstasy that comes with being a Philly sports fan.

The Good

This one's pretty obvious. With his 61-yard game-winning kick, Jake Elliott became the hero of Philadelphia, at least for the next week. The rookie deserves credit for bouncing back from his 52-yard miss in the third quarter to bury two clutch kicks in the final minute.

The running game. LeGarrette Blount (12 carries, 67 yards) and Wendell Smallwood (12 carries, 71) were both excellent creating yards after contact when the offensive line couldn't open up holes for them. It was also great to see Blount score his first Eagles touchdown, especially a week after Doug Pederson didn't even hand him the ball once.

 The Bad

More injuries. While it was very concerning to see Fletcher Cox and Jordan Hicks leave the game, the news that Darren Sproles tore his ACL and broke his arm on the same play is devastating. Blount, Smallwood, and Corey Clement will all need to step up to replace Sproles.

The defense couldn’t get pressure on Eli. The Eagles had zero sacks on Sunday, though that lack of pressure can mostly be attributed to the Giants' up-tempo, quick passing game plan. Still, it was unusual to not see the Eagles' defensive line dominate.

The Ugly

4^th and 8. The decision to go for it with a 7-0 lead and the ball near midfield, approaching the end of the first half, was just bizarre by Doug Pederson. Especially after the Giants called a timeout and got their defense prepared. Pederson likes to be aggressive, but he's lucky that call didn't cost the team.

Most of the 4^th quarter. I had a sinking feeling in my chest for most of the final frame as Eli Manning completed pass after pass, Zach Ertz fumbled, and Odell Beckham Jr. taunted the Philly fans. This would be have been a heartbreaking game to choke away. Fortunately for the Eagles, Elliott's kick shaved the right upright instead of bouncing off it, and they're 2-1 heading into a very winnable game against the Chargers.