3 Takeaways from Eagles' Week 17 Loss vs. Cardinals
The Philadelphia Eagles found a new rock bottom to hit in Week 17.
The Eagles suffered a 35-31 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, a game that the Cardinals probably could have won by double digits if not for a key first-half turnover.
Philadelphia's defense was once again torched by opponent. James Conner was the main beneficiary of the continued struggles, as he ran for 128 yards on 26 carries.
The Eagles offense lacked consistency yet again. That unit was responsible for three touchdowns, but the drives that ended poorly stood out more because of the lack of execution.
Julio Jones' two-touchdown day might have been the only true bright spot for the Eagles, but even that was overshadowed by how poor the rest of the team played.
Defense Gashed by James Conner
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Arizona's offensive line bullied the Eagles for four quarters.
The Cardinals opened up all sorts of holes for James Conner to run through.
Conner finished with 128 yards and he finished off the victory with a two-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds left on the clock.
Conner's ground success allowed the other parts of the Cardinals offense to achieve success when the time called.
Michael Carter took advantage of the worn-down Eagles defense with the opening score of the second half. Conner then broke wide open on a Kyler Murray scramble to catch a five-yard touchdown pass.
Conner made a huge impact on the drive that led to Michael Wilson's five-yard touchdown catch and then he finished off the stunning victory with his own scoring run.
The Eagles were flat out embarrassed by a team that entered Sunday in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. That is not a good sign with the playoffs on the horizon.
Offense Stalled out in Key Situations
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The Eagles offense did not help with slowing down Arizona's offensive momentum.
Jalen Hurts and Co. opened the second half with a three-and-out that was bookended by a pair of Arizona touchdowns.
The inability to convert a first down on the first second-half series set an awful tone for the final 30 minutes.
Philadelphia's defense was on the field for a majority of the first half due to a 99-yard interception return from Sydney Brown. Arizona ran 40 first-half plays compared to Philadelphia's 21.
An extended drive at the start of the second half would have taken some pressure off the defense and allowed the Eagles to crush Arizona's spirits.
Instead, Arizona thrived off the momentum and took advantage of a tiring and not good Eagles defense.
The Eagles produced two second-half scoring drives, but they will be criticized because the second one of them ended in a field goal in a game that required touchdowns to be scored.
The overall second-half offensive performance was not good enough and it helped aid Arizona's unlikely comeback.
Julio Jones' Two Touchdown Game
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Julio Jones' surprising two-score game was really the only positive the Eagles could take from Sunday.
Jones hauled in a 12-yard pass for the game's first touchdown and scored again on a 22-yard pass play at the end of the first half.
Jones did not do much inside the Eagles offense since his signing, but Sunday provided a peek into how effective he could be in the right spot.
The veteran wide out is not going to be a high-volume pass-catcher, but if he can provide red-zone value, it will at least alleviate some pressure on Hurts in scoring situations.
If the Eagles build on Jones' success, they could have four pass-catching options and two rushing threats in scoring situations, which is one quality that makes them one of the more dangerous teams in the NFC postseason.
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