By Tucker Bagley
The Eagles look as bad as ever today, falling behind 19-11 to the New York Giants in the first half.
What Worked
- Cameron Johnston looked good.
- Josh Adams missed most of the first half with an injury, but, in his spot, Corey Clement got four carries and ripped off 32 yards on a third down. Clement has been MIA since returning from injury this year, so it was good to see him finally have some explosion again.
- The Eagles offense looked angry on their final drive of the half, marching down the field and scoring their first touchdown of the day and converting a two-point conversion on a speed option.
- Malcolm Jenkins’ interception at the end of the half kept the deficit at just one possession.
What Didn’t
- The Eagles seemed to have the Giants on the ropes early, forcing a third-and-9 following the first two plays from scrimmage. But Jim Schwartz dialed up a soft “Cover 2” defense and allowed Rhett Ellison to convert the first down on a drag route. Six plays later, Eli Manning hit Saquon Barkley over the middle for a 13-yard touchdown. The Giants don’t have much of a downfield passing game, but will torch the Eagles if they continue to play conservatively.
- For the ninth time in 2018, the Eagles were shut out in the first quarter.
- Poor tackling effort and gap discipline on Barkley’s 51-yard run.
Halftime Adjustment
The Eagles defense hasn’t been able to get any pressure on Manning all afternoon. Schwartz needs to get creative with his defensive calls to get some pressure and force a turnover or two. The Eagles season rides on this second half. They have nothing to lose, it’s time to go for broke.
Second Half X-Factor: Carson Wentz
The Eagles need an offensive explosion in the second half. The defense hasn’t shown any signs of life, but the offense isn’t nearly as banged up. It’s up to Doug Pederson and Wentz to figure out how to move the ball down the field and keep the Giants offense off the field. The Birds finally showed some life late in the half after Pederson’s decision to kick a field goal on fourth-and-2.
