By Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff writer
The Philadelphia Eagles' road struggles are continuing as they have fallen behind the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half. Trailing 13-0, things aren't looking good for the Birds. Here is a look at what occurred during those first 30 minutes of action.
What Worked
-Despite some lackluster results, the Eagles pass rush has had a good showing so far today. Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox have gotten a consistent push and even Marcus Smith has affected some plays. The group has been just a half-step shy of getting to Andy Dalton, but the secondary hasn't exactly given them much help.
–Wendell Smallwood may have had some trouble finding running room, but he's doing a very good job in pass protection. The rookie running back had a nice block on Carson Wentz's eight-yard run in the second quarter and has been trending upward in this category over the past couple weeks. Good stuff from the fifth-round pick.
-The Eagles punt coverage team has done pretty well. So there's that.
What Didn't
-For the first time all season, the Eagles elected to receive the opening kick off after winning the coin toss. They then proceeded to lose two yards and go three-and-out. It's odd, Doug Pederson has been a vocal advocate for deferring when he wins the coin toss, but he went against the grain today and it backfired.
-Rough game so far for Nolan Carroll who was absolutely abused by a rookie wide receiver for a huge gain that led to Cincinnati's first touchdown. Carroll, along with the rest of the Eagles' secondary have looked lost, even the safeties who are dependable every week have struggled.
-Way too many false starts and miscues from the Eagles' offensive line. They have just seemed out of sync today, giving Wentz and the running backs little time or space to operate.
Halftime Adjustment
The Eagles need to tighten up their coverage if they want to have a shot at getting back into this game. Dalton has been picking apart the Eagles secondary all day, despite the pressure in his face. Carroll has already been moved to the bench in favor of Jalen Mills, but the Eagles have still struggled to keep the Bengals off the scoreboard, despite shutting down their rushing game.
Second Half X-Factor: Carson Wentz
I don't want to be grim, but this game seems to be over. The Eagles have come out flat and have shown little effort on both sides of the ball. Maybe this is the time where Wentz turns things around and rallies the team at the half. We have yet to see the rookie really put the team on his back and lead them to victory against long odds. Maybe he'll turn things around after perhaps the worst half of his young NFL career.
