By Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
There's a lot to get through after Sunday's 34-3 shellacking of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The offense kept the Steelers off-balance, Carson Wentz turned in another brilliant performance while relying on a pair of running backs who had just nine combined carries through the first two weeks of the season.
But we'll start with the defense, who turned in a historic performance against one of the best offenses in the league, holding Ben Roethlisberger and company to just 251 yards and three points.
Going Deep
Jim Schwartz just couldn't hold back his emotions anymore. Three-and-a-half quarters of brilliant coaching and execution by his players resulted in a pair of emphatic fist pumps and high fives after a fourth-down stop, effectively ending any hope the Steelers had for a comeback.
The game was over well before that stop, though. A third quarter that saw Doug Pederson's squad outscore their cross-state rival 21-0, increasing their lead to 31 and turning Lincoln Financial Field into the most electric party in the city. But the afternoon wasn't exactly fun for everybody.
DeAngelo Williams, the NFL's leading rusher coming into the game, carried the ball eight times and picked up just 21 yards, 13 of which came on one rush. As a team, the Steelers averaged 2.9 yards per carry and struggled to find any sort of daylight.
Things were worse for Roethlisberger, the MVP front-runner after two weeks. The two-time Super Bowl champion fell victim to four sacks, averaged just 5.8 yards per pass attempt and struggled to connect with receivers down the field, thanks to a persistent pass rush led by Fletcher Cox's two sacks and forced fumble.
"They just weren’t going to be denied," Pederson said of his defense's efforts. "They just weren’t going to bow their necks. They weren’t going to let them in the endzone. It just came down to our will versus theirs and I was just so happy with the way the guys played. Just a great team effort."
Through three games, the Eagles defense has held their opponents to just 27 combined points, while allowing just 219 rushing yards and sacking opposing quarterbacks 10 times. All summer long, Schwartz preached about how his defensive scheme relies on simplicity and allowing players to play a fast and aggressive brand of football.
One thing that truly stood out yesterday afternoon was how the Eagles defense continued to get stronger as the game went on, tightening up loose ends that led to a few big plays early in the first half. But that adjusting is something Schwartz prides himself on as a coordinator.
"I mean, you adjust after every series," Schwartz explained earlier in the week. "I've said this before, [but] people talk about halftime adjustments [and] there's really no such thing in this league. You adjust after every series. Depending on what injuries happen, what an offense is having success with, where they are breaking their tendencies, where they are playing into their tendencies, those things are discussed after every drive."
Perhaps the most impressive part of Schwartz's scheme is how it allows so many different players to shine each week. Six different players have recorded a sack through three weeks and that doesn't include Vinny Curry who has spent the majority of his snaps in opposing backfields. Nigel Bradham has been a pleasant surprise, nabbing an interception last week and four tackles against the Steelers. Hell, eight different Eagles have recorded pass breakups this season.
"The backups are just as good as the one guys," Brandon Graham said after Sunday's win. "When you have a good rotation, that means you have a good bench. You don’t want it to drop off. Then it carries on later down the season when you are fresh. Offensive linemen stay in most of the time and never get a break, so for us, we need to make sure we stay fresh"
After two weeks, skeptics were concerned about the Eagles ability to stop legitimate NFL contenders, but don't count the Eagles among those who were doubting their abilities.
"We all knew what type of game it was," Nolan Carroll told ESPN's Tim McManus. "We all knew what everybody was saying; they said, oh, we played two average teams, the Steelers are better than those first two teams we played. Nobody really gave us a chance. We were the only ones that gave ourselves a chance. We knew we had the ability to win. We just had to put it all together for four quarters."
But just because the unit is playing with confidence and a whole lot of swagger doesn't mean they're content with the way they are performing.
"We still can be better. We can grow. We’re not comfortable," Cox said. "That’s what I think about this team. Nobody is comfortable or patting themselves on the back. We know we can be better. We just have to take this bye week, take a little time off to come back and get ready for Detroit."
Ah, yes, Detroit. The franchise who fired Schwartz three years ago from his position as head coach just so happens to be the next opponent on the Eagles schedule. If the Eagles play at the same level they played at yesterday, there could be many more fist pumps and high fives on the Birds' sideline.
Injury Report
Did Not Play: Zach Ertz (rib); Leodis McKelvin (hamstring)
A relatively healthy game for the Eagles, who reported no official injuries during the contest. However, it was reported that Ryan Mathews was dealing with an ankle injury, which could have contributed to his limited number of snaps. Pederson had no update on his health after the game.
Measurables
65: Through three games, the Eagles lead the NFL in point differential. Wins by 19, 15 and 31 points have the Eagles at +65 in that category. Considering how early it is in the season, it remains premature to crown the Eagles Super Bowl favorites, but they have aced every single test that has been put in front of them.
102: Wentz has now thrown 102 passes in his short NFL career and none of them have been intercepted. That's an NFL record. The Eagles ability to hold on to the football is incredible as they have had zero turnovers through three games, despite three fumbles by Wentz. The Eagles being +6 in the turnover battle has been a huge part of their success so far, and it needs to continue if they want to be considered playoff contenders. Their offense just doesn't have the explosive ability to afford to give possessions.
416: Before Sunday's game, the Steelers had gone 416 regular season games without losing by 31 or more points. The last such occurrence came in 1989, three years before Wentz was born. The Steelers have been a very good team for a very long time and are one of the model franchises of the NFL. What occurred yesterday was a beat down of historic proportions.
Top Tweets
Carson WWWentz.
Starting to see a pattern here. pic.twitter.com/1eBvhlFGgu
— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) September 25, 2016
It's pretty cool to see how the entire state of North Dakota and the city of Philadelphia has formed this bond around Wentz.
Per ESPN Stats & Info, 227 of Carson Wentz's 301 passing yards Sunday came after the catch.
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) September 26, 2016
This stat could be misinterpreted as Wentz not being deserving of his yards or accolades, but this really shows how he has a solid grasp on the offense and is putting his receivers in a position to rack up yards after the catch.
NFC East Standings
1. Eagles (3-0, +65 Point Differential)
2. Giants (2-1, +2)
3. Cowboys (1-1, +3)
4. Washington (1-2, -24)— Josh Paunil (@JoshPaunil) September 26, 2016
One of these things are not like the other.
Play of the Week
Wentz improvises.
And Sproles brings the ZOOM.73 yards! #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/UMO0f3SyE6
— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2016
There are so many good things that occur on this play. Wentz does a great job of side-stepping the pressure, then has the awareness to stay behind the line of scrimmage after realizing he can't run for the first down. After tossing a beautiful pass to the soft spot in the zone coverage, Darren Sproles does Darren Sproles things for about 50 yards.
Weekly Awards
Offensive Player of the Week: Carson Wentz
Wentz put together the best performance of his career against the toughest opponent he's faced to date. It wasn't just the 301 yards or the two touchdowns that impressed me, but he threw no interceptions, took zero sacks and didn't put himself into any unnecessary danger. If it wasn't for a Dorial Green-Beckham drop in the end zone, Wentz's numbers would have been stellar. There's no telling what he will be able to do with two weeks to prepare for his next opponent.
Offensive Grinders of the Week: Kenjon Barner/Wendell Smallwood
The two young running backs really kick-started the Eagles running game that struggled for their first two-and-a-half games. In fact, Mathews and Sproles combined for negative six yards on just three carries. Smallwood had 79 yards on 14 carries and Barner added 42 yards on eight carries. If these two youngsters can combine to form a solid rushing attack to compliment Wentz, the Eagles offense will be much better off if Wentz starts to struggle.
Defensive Player of the Week: Malcolm Jenkins
Jenkins has been a leader for this unit since coming to Philadelphia in 2014 and Sunday may have been one of his best performances in midnight green. Five tackles and three pass breakups highlighted his day. The safety found himself covering Antonio Brown multiple times in key situations and came up with a stop each time. Cox may have put up better numbers, but Jenkins was much more integral to the Eagles defensive success.
Defensive Grinder of the Week: Bennie Logan
Speaking of integral parts, Logan has pretty much gone unnoticed all year, but he really shined yesterday, starting with his field-goal block at the end of the Steelers' opening drive. Logan added a sack later in the day and was a huge part of the Eagles success defending the run. Logan will be a free agent at the end of the year, and it would be smart of Howie Roseman to lock him up sooner rather than later.
Three-Step Drop
1. As the Eagles defense continues to play at a high level this year, it is worth wondering if Schwartz will become a prime candidate for another head coaching job. Granted, his last chance didn't exactly go well, but there have to be some front office members around the league that look at his ability to coach defense and wonder whether he learned enough from his time in Detroit to be an effective head coach. For the time being, I think Schwartz is content with coaching a top defensive unit, but he may get the itch to become a head coach again. If that happens, the Eagles need a line of succession in place to ensure the defense's performance doesn't fall off a cliff.
2. Brent Celek had three catches for 61 yards yesterday and continued to establish himself as one of the greatest tight ends in franchise history. Despite playing second fiddle to Ertz these past few years, the veteran has been extremely effective during the past two games while Ertz nurses his rib injury. Celek has gained a reputation for being one of the best blocking tight ends in football, but he remains a very good receiver. He was second on the team in yards per catch yesterday and picked up some really tough yards after his first grab. Wentz and the veteran have established a bit of chemistry and it will be interesting to see how he and Trey Burton fit into the offense once Ertz comes back.
3. Another impressive thing about the Eagles performance was how they played so well coming off a short week. After a Monday night game on the road, it is very hard to prepare for your toughest opponent with one less day to prepare than them. With each passing week, Pederson is establishing himself to be the second coming of Andy Reid, but in a good way. He scripts plays very well and is a master of preparation.
Who's Next
After a week of rest, the Eagles kick off a stretch that sees them play four of their next five games on the road. With three division games and and a contest against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings coming up, this stretch could establish the Eagles as legitimate contenders and give them a huge lead in the division standings as they head toward the back half of the season.
