3 Reasons Eagles Fans Should Not Panic After 2nd Straight Loss
Despite back-to-back losses, the Philadelphia Eagles still have the third-highest odds to win the Super Bowl, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
There might not be a lot of people in a rush to wager on the Eagles after back-to-back losses just one week before the playoffs. But only the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have better odds to win.
So while it might be tempting to slam that panic button, the Eagles are still in great shape, especially when you consider the only teams that are considered better bets to win the Lombardi Trophy are both from the AFC.
The loss to the New Orleans Saints is particularly damning. The 7-9 Saints won 20-10. The quarterback duo of Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill combined to go 20-of-24. Gardner Minshew was sacked six times.
It was ugly.
But the night is darkest before the dawn. The Eagles should still be considered Super Bowl contenders, and fans should still feel good going into the postseason.
Here's why.
Jalen Hurts Is on Pace to Be Back
1 of 3
If anything, the last two weeks have been Exhibit and A and B in the case for Jalen Hurts to win MVP at the end of the season. It's clear just how much the quarterback has meant to Philly as two of the team's three losses have now come when Hurts isn't playing.
The six sacks given up against the Saints are a great example. While the offensive line is somewhat responsible, it has been playing with one of the best athletes the position has to offer. Minshew doesn't have the same mobility, and thus the offense doesn't play the same.
The good news is the Eagles could be getting Hurts back just in time.
Head coach Nick Sirianni said that Hurts was "close" to playing against the Saints. He practiced during the week, and the coach classified him as "day-to-day" with his shoulder injury.
But the Eagles know they are already in a good position with the playoffs. There's no reason to rush Hurts back into the lineup before the postseason. Even with the two losses, the team can lock up the No. 1 seed and a bye with a win over the New York Giants.
No matter what happens against the Eagles this week, the Giants are the sixth seed. That could lead them to rest their own starters. The Eagles can likely get a win over New York's backups without Hurts playing or playing the whole game.
That would give them additional time to make sure they have a healthy Hurts for the divisional round.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Return Means More Man-to-Man
2 of 3
The ability to mix up coverages and play both man and zone schemes have been strengths of the Eagles defense for most of the season.
According to The 33rd Team, the Eagles are 18th in zone rate and sixth in EPA when playing zone. They are 14th in man-to-man rate and second in EPA when playing those coverages. That makes life difficult on opposing passers who have to identify what the Eagles are doing on a down-by-down basis.
Without Avonte Maddox and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the lineup, the Eagles have gone to a lot of zone coverage, and the results were obviously not pretty against the Saints. According to Next Gen Stats, the Saints went 11-of-12 for 153 yards against zone looks.
The Eagles have one of the most talented cornerback tandems in James Bradberry and Darius Slay. But Maddox's ability to play in the slot and Gardner-Johnson's versatility give the tandem the green light to play aggressively.
Secondary play relies on strong communication and trust in the whole unit.
The good news is that Gardner-Johnson's lacerated kidney is not expected to force him to miss the rest of the season. Maddox may not make it back into the lineup with his toe injury, but Gardner-Johnson's ability to play in the slot or as a safety takes away some of the urgency for him to come back.
Either way, help is on the way for the secondary to be able to get back to playing multiple coverages well.
Eagles Still Have League's Best Pass Rush
3 of 3
Success in the playoffs often comes down to two things: Great quarterback play and getting after the quarterback on defense.
The Eagles are on track to get the first one back, and the ability to do the latter hasn't left. The Philly front is the most dominant in the league, and it hasn't taken a step back in that department.
Its 68 sacks on the season lead the league by a wide margin. The New England Patriots are second with 52 on the season.
Only the Eagles could lose a player as talented as Josh Sweat and still be alright when it comes to pursuing the quarterback. The 25-year-old played just seven snaps against New Orleans before exiting with a neck injury.
Brandon Graham was the next man up, and he put up two of the team's seven sacks. With Javon Hargrave in the middle and Haason Reddick coming off the edge, the Eagles have plenty of firepower up front.
There aren't many offensive lines that are going to have an answer for what Philadelphia can do with multiple fronts.
The depth they've built up front and on the edge is the kind of thing that can lead the way in the playoffs. With Hurts coming to save the offense, there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the Eagles.
Gambling Problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
