The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from Week 2

By: Noah Levick, Sports Talk Philly Staff  

If Carson Wentz had somehow connected with an Eagles receiver on the game's final play, I obviously would have to add a category ahead of Good. Miraculous, maybe. Unfortunately, he did not, and so I'm forced to go with the standard Good, Bad and Ugly categories from Sunday afternoon's 27-20 loss in Kansas City.

The Good

The Eagles defensive line. They're clearly the best unit on the team, and their constant pressure ensured that the banged-up secondary was not exposed too badly. Jim Schwartz knows that he doesn't need to call many blitzes to bother opposing quarterbacks. It feels like the Eagles can at least be competitive in every game with a defensive line this dominant. 

Alshon Jeffery. Doug Pederson and Wentz made a concerted effort to get Jeffery more involved this week after his lackluster debut, and it paid off. Jeffery was targeted 13 times, hauling in seven catches for 92 yards and his first Eagles touchdown. 

The Bad

The offensive line. Yes, three of the Chiefs' six sacks came in the fourth quarter, when the Eagles were mostly in desperation mode. Yes, Wentz sometimes held the ball too long. And yes, it's hard to pass-block when you throw the ball 46 times and the defense has zero respect for play-action fakes. But the O-line, especially left guard Isaac Seumalo, needs to play better. Though Pederson said he doesn't want to make any immediate changes, another poor showing next week against the Giants could force his hand.

More injuries to the secondary. Rodney McLeod and Jaylen Watkins both left the game with hamstring injuries, though Pederson noted that neither will be out long-term. Despite Rasul Douglas doing a solid job in his first NFL game, the Eagles do not want to have to rely on a rookie cornerback.

The Ugly

The end of the first half. Instead of going into the second half tied or even with a lead, the Eagles went into the locker room trailing, thanks to Darren Sproles' fumble and new kicker Jake Elliott's missed 30-yard field goal. Elliott's miss also meant that Zach Ertz's incredible 53-yard catch was for naught..

The run game. Everyone has a hot take on the team's run-pass balance, or lack thereof. The Eagles' running backs carried the ball just 13 times, compared to 46 throws for Wentz. More surprisingly, LeGarrette Blount played six snaps and had no touches. It appears that personnel is a bigger issue than play calling. Pederson seems to trust the 34-year-old Sproles more than Smallwood or Blount. Drafting Donnel Pumphrey instead of taking a bigger running back available in the fourth round or even selecting a back earlier in the draft looks like a mistake. That said, it was bizarre to see Blount spending the majority of his afternoon on the sideline. In my view, Week 2 is far too early to give up on Blount, even if you feel that he is not a good fit for this offense. While the Eagles personnel means the team will probably continue to largely favor the pass, you have to give Blount more of a chance than six plays moving forward.