A win is a win. That might be the slogan of the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles.
At 3-3, the Eagles are in first place, and having that kind of position after an 0-2 start is certainly a good feeling. But there was a lot to be frustrated about following the most-recent win.
Here is this week's report card.
Pass Offense: The numbers of the day are three and nine: as in three interceptions for Sam Bradford on Monday night and nine for the season. The Eagles offense put up 20 points, plenty good enough for the win, but this side of the ball has struggled all season, whether it’s Bradford or Jordan Matthews dropping the ball or Jason Kelce having continued struggles on the line. There are so many problems that need to be addressed that shouldn’t even be a thought after six games. C
Run Offense: In the early going, it was slow. But once DeMarco Murray got going, you saw shades of the running back that dominated the division with Dallas for so many years. His first 100+ yard rushing performance, which included a 12-yard touchdown, helped carry the ground game with Ryan Mathews limited. This was a much-needed personal game for Murray, who had already missed one with injury and hadn’t really made that statement yet. He made a huge one on Monday. A-
Pass Defense: Stellar from start to finish. One bad drive at the very start gave the Giants their only points of the game. After that, nothing. Whether it was a dynamic pass rush or the three turnovers forced – including two huge interceptions for DeMeco Ryans and Nolan Carroll, who returned his for a touchdown – this defense kept the momentum going. A
Run Defense: It’s become one of the challenges of playing the Eagles. Running the ball is incredibly difficult against this front seven, which can make an offense almost one-dimension every week. The Eagles did that to the Giants just as they have to almost every opponent faced this season. If there has been one thing truly consistent about the Eagles, it has been the excellent run defense. A
Special Teams: Aside from an early kickoff return fielded by Riley Cooper, the special teams game was solid. Caleb Sturgis had a very good game, connecting on two field goals and three extra points. B+
Overall: Usually, a 27-7 win would be an 'A' effort and performance in any book. But when you look back on everything, the defense’s excellent performance isn’t enough to forgive the struggles in the passing game. Offensively, the Eagles weren’t horrible in terms of gaining yards and scoring. Bradford unleashed a few 20+ yard plays and Murray had a bounce-back game. But turnovers aren’t easily forgiven and in a rare occurrence, the Eagles lost the turnover battle but won the game handily. That won’t happen against the best teams in the league. And with challenges coming up, that just isn’t good enough for a team in Week 6. B
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
