The Philadelphia Eagles Week 1 matchup vs the Washington Football Team was certainly a tough one to watch. What felt like endless pressure on Carson Wentz; mainly in the 2nd half, ultimately derailed Philadelphia’s chances to put the game away. But, it wasn’t just the injured Offensive Line that led to the struggles in Week 1.
Playcalling
Doug Pederson has some horrendous playcalling at times in the game, especially when Philly was up 17-0 in the 2nd half. How do go for in your own territory TWICE up 3 scores? Not only that, but they failed to convert both times, leading to Washington points. Doug Pederson relentlessly threw the ball, when he should have ran the ball much more, which would have used up more clock and led to a more multidimensional offense, rather than the pass happy version of Philadelphia, which is not Philadelphia at their best
Turnovers
Interceptions, fumbles, poorly thrown balls, sacks, inconsistency across the board. Simply put, Carson Wentz has to be better. This team stands no chance at all if their Franchise QB turns the ball over constantly. In my book, Wentz is a Top 5 QB, and it’s proven that he should be regarded that way around league. But, that was not a Top 5 QB-esque performance from a Top 5 QB.
Injuries
In the many years of my Eagles fandom, I can’t even recall the last time there was a healthy Eagles squad. No Lane Johnson for Week 1 and Brandon Brooks (season) derailed the right side of the O-Line, and a Washington D-Line that has multiple 1st Round picks and established vets thrived against it. A depleted Eagles D-Line was unable to put pressure on Dwayne Haskins, and no Miles Sanders led to Doug Pederson’s lack of versatile playcalling offensively. DeSean Jackson barely got on the field, which has raised questions about a potential injury, and there was no Alshon Jeffery. Then, DE Vinny Curry and CB Craig James left the game with injuries and will be out at least 3 weeks on IR. The Eagles simply never catch a break here.
Overall
I would grade Week 1’s performance as a C. I wouldn’t be overly concerned with the loss, mainly because Washington’s D-Line is underrated, and the Eagles once again had a massive pile up of injuries on both sides of the ball. I do expect them to rebound Week 2, as they will get Lane Johnson and Myles Sanders back from their injuries. Philly heads back home for a matchup against the Rams, who defeated the Dallas Cowboys last week.
Image: USA TODAY Sports
