Philadelphia Eagles Week 5 Stock Report
The Philadelphia Eagles are 1-3, and while there is plenty of blame to go around, it's times like these you have to look at a team's stars. There's no way the best or most important players are performing up to expectations when there's a below-.500 record.
However, there is hope. While the Eagles fell 23-20 to the perennial train wreck that is the Washington football franchise on Sunday, there were some individual bright spots—reasons to believe this season may turn around yet.
In this star-studded edition of our weekly stock report, we're putting the focus on some of the biggest names in the Eagles locker room. If this team is going to get back on track, it's going to need better performances from these high-profile players whose stocks are slipping and continued growth from those whose stocks are tending upward.
The thing is, as inconsistent as the Eagles have been in 2015, it's nearly impossible to tell whether trends in either direction will continue. However, these are the ones where an immediate reversal in fortune is most unexpected.
Stock Down: Jason Peters
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It was bound to happen sooner or later. Seven-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters' play has noticeably slipped this season, and now the 33-year-old is hurt. For the second week in a row, the left tackle failed to finish a game because of injury, and it appears he is increasingly unlikely to suit up for Week 5 versus the New Orleans Saints.
Ordinarily, that would be a huge problem for the Eagles, as Peters has long been the cornerstone of the offense. Lately, however, he looks far from elite, both as a run-blocker and especially as a pass protector. Case in point: There didn't seem to be much of a drop-off when Matt Tobin entered the game against Washington on Sunday.
Peters' decline hasn't exactly come out of nowhere, either. 2014 was not his best season, despite being named second-team All-Pro—at least partially on reputation, surely. Take into account his age, and it's about that time where you would expect an NFL player or any athlete to fall off.
We'll see if Peters can rebound once he gets healthy, but for those anticipating the return of one of the most dominant offensive linemen in football, those days might be over.
Stock Up: Sam Bradford
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Sunday's loss to Washington was probably Sam Bradford's best game in an Eagles uniform yet. The signal-caller completed 15 of 28 passes for 270 yards—a 9.6 average—and three touchdowns with zero interceptions or turnovers, good for a 122.6 rating. He had a fourth touchdown erased by a bonehead illegal-formation penalty.
But the most encouraging part by far was that for the first time all season, Bradford was throwing and connecting on some deep passes. He found rookie Nelson Agholor for a 45-yard gain in the second quarter to finally open up the aerial attack and followed it up with touchdowns of 62 and 39 yards to veterans Riley Cooper and Miles Austin during the second half.
Bradford also showed a lot of toughness and poise. The sixth-year veteran escaped a sack to find Brent Celek for a 10-yard touchdown pass. He ran for a 17-yard gain on his twice-surgically repaired ACL for a key conversion on 3rd-and-forever. He even suffered a nasty ankle injury during the game but would not miss so much as a single snap.
Bradford wasn't perfect. He needs to improve a 53.6 completion percentage, and there were some missed opportunities. That being said, it was a huge step in the right direction for both the quarterback and the Eagles offense.
Stock Down: DeMarco Murray
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DeMarco Murray isn't to blame for the Eagles' woes in the running game. That falls largely on the offensive line, which has done a miserable job of opening lanes or even keeping backs from being met by defenders as they take the handoff.
Yet Murray has had the least success of anybody in Philadelphia's three-headed monster, and whether he's at fault or not, his stock is slipping. The soon-to-be-former reigning NFL rushing champion has carried the ball 29 times for 47 yards this season—an anemic 1.6 average. Take away a 30-yard run against Washington on Sunday, and he has just 17 yards, or fewer than one per attempt.
Meanwhile, Ryan Mathews has 132 yards on 33 carries for a respectable 4.0 average. Darren Sproles has 80 yards on 21 rushes for an average of 3.8.
The problem is Murray might not be the fit for the Eagles offense many thought he was. Too many of his rushing attempts have him moving laterally at the play's onset, even though the two-time Pro Bowler is thought of as a downhill runner.
If accurate, that's not on Murray as much as it is the coaching staff. Regardless, all that money the Eagles threw at him in free agency has gone to waste through four games.
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Stock Up: Bennie Logan
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Bennie Logan isn't a star, but if he keeps up his current level of play, he will be.
Logan has looked flat-out unblockable since the Eagles' very first preseason game, and the nose tackle turned in possibly his best performance yet against Washington on Sunday, racking up nine tackles. That kind of production from a defensive lineman is usually reserved for the J.J. Watts of the world.
A 2013 third-round draft pick, Logan has been a vital part of one of the NFL's best run defenses since his arrival. However, he's just now emerging as one of the elite run-stuffers in football. Through four games, the LSU product ranks third in run-stopping percentage among all interior linemen, according to Pro Football Focus.
Logan doesn't provide much in the way of a pass rush, which no doubt hurts his chances of ever receiving an invite to the Pro Bowl. Then again, as far as situational run defenders are concerned, he's become one of the most dominant in the league—and only seems to be getting better.
Stock Down: Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso
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Much was made about the Eagles' depth at interior linebacker heading into this season. Now we see why head coach Chip Kelly thought it so important to load up on talent at the position. Nobody can seem to stay healthy.
The two biggest playmakers in the Eagles defense are both out with injuries at the moment. In fact, Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso have been dinged up going all the way back to training camp, and extensive injury histories seem to be catching up with both.
Kendricks is currently dealing with a hamstring, one he aggravated very early into Sunday's game against Washington. It likely isn't a long-term injury, provided he doesn't rush back onto the field again, but minor issues always like these always seem to pop up with the fourth-year linebacker. Kendricks has never played 16 games in a season.
Alonso's situation, meanwhile, is potentially far more severe. He's experienced complications with the ACL that was torn just last year, and while the plan is to rehab and play again this season, no timetable has been offered for when that might be. Alonso also tore his ACL once while playing for the University of Oregon.
At this point, the Eagles can't rely on the health of Kendricks and Alonso. The good news is the defense may not have to. Rookie Jordan Hicks has played great since jumping into the action in Week 2, and veteran DeMeco Ryans is holding his own out there as well. That doesn't bode well for Kendricks' and Alonso's playing time whenever they do jump back into the rotation.
All injury reports are firsthand.
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