The Philadelphia Eagles went 9-7 last season, winning three straight games down the stretch to help advance into the playoffs. With the 2019 NFL season fast approaching, the Birds can not afford to suffer mental breakdowns, inefficient play or blown leads.
With a healthy Carson Wentz returning and a loaded roster on offense and defense, here’ are four things the Eagles need to improve on this season.
Scoring more points
The Philadelphia Eagles scored 367 points last season, averaging 22.9 points per game (18th in the NFL) and down from the 28 points per game they averaged during the Super Bowl season. Even with the Birds advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs, being near the bottom half of the league in scoring is not Super Bowl-caliber, and won’t get it done when the Saints, Rams, and Cowboys come calling late in the season or playoffs. It’ll be imperative with the addition of Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, DeSean Jackson, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside, for the Eagles to score and score often. Another year of improvement for Dallas Goedert should make the Philadelphia offense unstoppable at times, and it’ll be imperative for the line to run block well while keeping Carson Wentz upright.
Better cornerback play
Keeping Ronald Darby on a one-year deal was a good decision, but it doesn’t solve all the problems from last season. Darby is talented and if healthy, should provide a major boost in coverage. The bright side to all of the injuries last season was that it allowed Jalen Mills, Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox, and Cre’von LeBlanc to grow as a group while still developing as a unit. With training camp less than two weeks away, it’s still unknown if Jalen Mills will start, if Sidney Jones play the slot, or will Jim Schwartz keep him on the outside? How will Schwartz utilize Avonte Maddox? These are questions that need to be answered from the group that needs to make the biggest jump in improvement.
Protecting Carson Wentz
With Nick Foles long gone and in Jacksonville now, it’ll be imperative for the Eagles to do a good job of protecting the teams’ franchise quarterback. It’ll be imperative on Wentz to do his part as well, throwing the ball away or deciding to not extend plays for the benefit of a few yards. With the line returning intact and Andre Dillard added to the mix, the Eagles should boast the NFL’s top offensive line.
Prevent big plays
The Eagles are dynamite defensively in the red zone and do a good job of holding offense in check. It’s the inability to get off the field on third down, or the Birds penchant for giving up huge plays that were the problems. With Rodney McLeod back in center field and Avonte Maddox assuming a larger role, that should be less of an issue this year.
Finish games stronger
The Eagles lost several games last season where they had a two-touchdown lead in the second half, only to watch it vanish before losing the ballgame. One of the reasons Philadelphia had to take a playoff or bust mentality the last seven weeks of the season was because they spent the early weeks blowing leads against the Panthers and others. Finishing games strong won’t just be on the defense. Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside were acquired to help finish games off and become presences on offense. DeSean Jackson was brought back so Carson Wentz and the offense could avoid taking their foot off the gas after acquiring big leads.
