The Philadelphia Eagles have a rough stretch of games ahead of them and on Sunday while missing several key weapons, the Birds fell to 1-2 on the young season after a 27-24 loss to the Lions. The Eagles only have a few hours to lick their wounds, as they’ll get set to travel to Green Bay for a Thursday night game against the Green Bay Packers that could now have serious implications for the Birds.
With the Birds needing a win in Green Bay, here are seven takeaways from the Eagles tough loss to the Detroit Lions at home.
1. Nelson Agholor frustrations continue
Agholor had a rough afternoon with two drops and a fumble but redeemed himself with the second-half touchdown catches. The drops were bad and happened at crucial moments for the second straight week. The Lions also got three points off an Agholor fumble as well.
Agholor’s in a contract year and he’s been maddeningly inconsistent.
2. Eagles commit to running the ball (somewhat)
The Eagles ran the ball 30 times on the day, splitting the carries evenly between their two workhorse running backs. Miles Sanders led the Eagles with 13 carries for 57 yards. Jordan Howard had 11 carries for 37 yards and his first touchdown of the season. The duo combined to average 3.7 yards per carry on the day and should give the Eagles confidence that a commitment to the running game will pay off late in the season.
3. Miles Sanders still dealing with fumbling issues
Sanders fumbled twice on the afternoon and brought back worries from the NFL Combine, that his inability to hold onto the ball could cost him carries late in the season. Sanders led the Eagles in carries, but the fumbles are troubling.
4. Eagles need to address the cornerback position
Darby left the game with a hamstring injury, while Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas constantly give up first down catches at the worst opportune time. It’s unknown if the Eagles are pursuing Jalen Ramsey, but the team is a definite need of an upgrade at cornerback, especially on the outside. It doesn’t help that the pass rush has seemed nonexistent, as the Eagles continue to search for sacks.
5. Eagles had a depressing number of drops
Seven drops during any level of football competition will likely cause your team to lose, but the Eagles dropped passes seemed to all come with first downs on the line. Arcega-Whiteside’s drop was right there, as were Agholor’s and Mack Hollins’ as well. Carson Wentz can’t catch his own passes, so the frequency of the drops was very alarming.
6. Special Teams was anything but
Rudy Ford made this team and brought in for his special team’s prowess, yet his blown tackle on a kickoff return led directly to it being returned for 100 yards by Jamal Agnew. Malcolm Jenkins helped the unit rebound by blocking a field goal attempt, but the Eagles still have a lot of work to do on that unit.
7. Wentz is special
No, he didn’t lead his team to a late second victory, but Carson Wentz once again did everything he could to provide his team with an opportunity to win the game down the stretch. Wentz completed 19-of-36 passes for 259 passing yards and two touchdowns. He was solid, hanging tough in the pocket and overcoming seven drops to have the Eagles just yards away from a game-winning score that was not to be.
Late in the third quarter, Wentz led the Eagles on an 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to get the Birds within three points of Detroit. Wentz would go on again to connect with Agholor for their second touchdown of the game.
