By Zach Gershman, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
Every football fan loves watching a hard, physical battle on the gridiron. Sadly, in today’s NFL, safety is everything.
Quarterbacks can’t be touched and wide receivers complain every time a defensive player hits them. It’s not like it used to be, when Brian Dawkins would level a player and not be flagged.
Unfortunately, it feels as if there is a flag almost every play and the Philadelphia Eagles are becoming way too accustomed to it.
This year’s team has seen the yellow flag way to many times. In five games, Philadelphia has been penalized 49 times resulting in 400 yards of penalties. The Eagles are averaging 9.8 flags per game, making them the most flagged team in the NFL.
Philadelphia has also been called for at least 10 penalties in three straight games for the first time in 44 years, and they’ve committed 13 penalties in consecutive games for the first time in franchise history. In fact, the Eagles are on pace for a historic number of penalties.
At this rate, they are on pace for 157 penalties this season, which would be third most in the history of the NFL, behind only the 2011 Oakland Raiders and the 1998 Kansas City Chiefs.
Against the Detroit Lions two weeks ago, the Eagles were penalized 14 times for 111 yards. Last week against the Redskins, they were penalized 13 times for 114 yards. For the second straight week, Fletcher Cox was called for a costly late penalty. In Detroit, he was flagged on a 3rd-and-9 for unnecessary roughness. In Washington, Cox was called for roughing the passer when Kirk Cousins threw an incomplete pass to former Eagle DeSean Jackson on 3rd-and-4 on the Eagles 4-yard line. Instead of fourth down, the Skins got a 1st-and-goal on the 2-yard line and scored two plays later.
Nolan Carroll has been flagged the most out of any Eagles defender. The veteran cornerback has racked up four pass interference penalties. Cox ranks second behind Carroll with three penalties.
Penalties are not just limited to the defensive side. The Eagles offensive line is responsible for over a third of the team’s penalty total. Philadelphia has been flagged 10 times for holding and eight times for false starts. Jason Kelce and Jason Peters both lead Eagles players in penalties with five each.
In order for the Eagles to win against Minnesota and spoil Sam Bradford’s homecoming, they must cut down on penalties and become more discipline.
Eagles fans want to see the Midnight Green and White all over the field, not the color of yellow that has become far too familiar in the last two weeks.
