3 Takeaways from Eagles' Week 10 Loss

Coming off their bye week, the Philadelphia Eagles didn't look the part of potential NFC East champions on Sunday afternoon. They lost to the New York Giants 27-17 at MetLife Stadium in a game they trailed for all but the first three minutes, 49 seconds.

Philadelphia's 3-5-1 record still has it in first place in the NFC East. But it's a competitive race that just got a lot closer. New York sits in second at 3-7, while the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team are both 2-7.

The Eagles kept it close with the Giants late, but their offense went quiet. Philadelphia didn't commit any turnovers, but it had only 346 total yards. Meanwhile, its defense kept New York to 382 total yards but didn't force any turnovers.

Before the bye, the Eagles had won two straight games against the Giants and Cowboys for their first winning streak of the season. Now, they're 2-2 in divisional games this year after their latest loss.

Here are three takeaways from Philadelphia's loss on Sunday.

Sanders Boosted Eagles Rushing Attack

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

As expected, Miles Sanders returned from a knee injury and immediately had a heavy workload out of the Eagles backfield. And he played at his typical high level, rushing for 85 yards on 15 carries in his first game since Week 6.

However, Sanders was the only Philadelphia running back who didn't get into the end zone. Boston Scott had three carries for 63 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run. And Corey Clement scored on his only run of the day, a five-yard touchdown that came shortly after Scott's score in the third quarter.

It was a solid showing for the Eagles rushing attack, as they had 23 total carries for 156 yards, an average of 6.8 yards per attempt.

Sanders has missed time due to numerous injuries this season, but when he's been healthy, he's been effective. The 23-year-old has rushed for at least 80 yards in five of his six games, averaging six yards per attempt for the year.

Philadelphia's running game should continue to be a strength with Sanders back leading the way, especially if Scott and Clement can continue to contribute. Considering the Eagles rushing attack was one of the positives this week, perhaps they'll run the ball more moving forward.

The Eagles Couldn't Make Plays in Key Situations

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

After getting a field goal on its first drive of the game, Philadelphia punted on each of its other three possessions in the first half. But it got things going after halftime, scoring touchdowns on each of its first two drives, with Clement's touchdown cutting New York's lead to 21-17 with 5:20 to go in the third quarter.

The Eagles' final four drives didn't go as well. They amassed only 74 total yards on those possessions, which led to them punting twice and turning the ball over on downs a couple of times. Philadelphia failed to convert a 4th-and-16 from its own 31-yard line with 2:01 to go, and New York went on to run out the rest of the clock.

The Eagles were 0-of-9 on third-down attempts and 1-of-3 on fourth-down tries.

"I saw an offense that just wasn't disciplined, including myself. We're beating ourselves," Sanders said, according to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press.

It was also a down day for most of Philadelphia's other key offensive players. Quarterback Carson Wentz passed for 208 yards but didn't make many big plays. Veteran wide receiver Alshon Jeffery returned from injury to make his 2020 debut, but he didn't record a catch. And breakout receiver Travis Fulgham was held to an eight-yard reception.

In order to keep their NFC East lead, the Eagles will likely need better offensive performances than this moving forward.

It Was a Bad Start to a Tough Stretch on the Schedule

Corey Sipkin/Associated Press

Philadelphia doesn't play another divisional game until concluding its regular season with matchups against Dallas and Washington in Weeks 16 and 17. Between now and then, the Eagles play a handful of difficult contests that will determine the outcome of their season.

Starting in Week 11, Philadelphia has five straight games against teams with winning records—at the Cleveland Browns (6-3), vs. the Seattle Seahawks (6-3), at the Green Bay Packers (7-2), vs. the New Orleans Saints (7-2) and at the Arizona Cardinals (6-3).

If the Eagles had won Sunday, they would have entered that stretch on a three-game winning streak. Instead, they're struggling entering a pivotal point in their season. And although they're currently in position to make the playoffs, they're not looking at it that way.

"It's irrelevant at this point," Philadelphia safety Jalen Mills said, per Maaddi. "We haven't put a full game together."

Sunday certainly wasn't a full game. And it may be more difficult for the Eagles to have one during these upcoming matchups against some of the top teams from around the NFL.