December 01, 2022
Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports
Jalen Hurts is excited that the Eagles moved up a smidge in the overall power ranking roundup average.
The Eagles are sitting at 10-1 after an incredible game on the ground from Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, and the best offensive line in football. This may be the best offensive line in team history by the way. They scored 40 points and Hurts was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after being the first player ever to throw for 150+ yards, run for 150+ yards and throw 2 TDs in a game.
Hurts continues to show that he is close to impossible to stop and has emerged as a star player, just a couple months after being a question mark. While there has been some deserved chatter both locally and nationally about both the defense and special teams, the Eagles’ best football is still ahead of them and that's scary for the rest of the NFL.
The Eagles had that special running game without Dallas Goedert, who is amongst the best run blocking tight ends in the game. Goedert has shown himself to be a top-flight receiving tight end too, unlike many of the modern pass catchers at that position. He is on schedule to return on time from the small fracture in his shoulder that put him on the IR in the disastrous Washington game. (The fact the player who accidentally grabbed the face mask was fined, but the ref who missed the call got zero punishment is outrageous).
Against the Colts the Eagles missed Goedert greatly, but against the Packers they quickly made an adjustment. Quez Watkins has emerged in the three-WR sets and scored a TD in each of the last two games. That comes after his costly fumble that put the nail in the Eagles’ coffin three weeks ago against Washington. That bodes very well for the Eagles going forward.
No disrespect to Jack Stoll who has become a solid No. 2 TE with Zach Ertz in Arizona (get well soon, Zach), but imagine what we saw on Sunday night with Goedert. There is the potential for an expanded playbook very soon. His injury could end up making the offense even more explosive in the long run.
Jordan Davis’ high ankle sprain was clearly a tough blow for the Eagles. The run defense was already shaky when he was off the field, and he has had to miss the last four games. It could be a blessing. It led to the Eagles adding Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph. Davis is back at practice and has a chance to return to the field on Sunday. His injury forced Howie Roseman to make moves and once Davis is back, the Eagles will have an additional 680 lbs. of DT to go with him that he didn’t get a chance to play with before. Derrick Henry is a beast, but assuming Davis can play even in a limited role, the Eagles can at least slow him down with sheer size. We have yet to see the new defensive line with all the components and it'll be the best line we have seen this season.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson has a chance to avoid the IR and Reed Blankenship got his first interception when pressed into duty after no practice with the first unit defense. There is no doubt, they will need Davis and Gardner-Johnson back at 100 percent, all is not lost with how new guys are stepping in and filling those roles.
Special teams have been an issue all year. Blocked field goals, poor kick and punt returns, and horrible kick coverage like we saw from the Eagles Sunday night. It has been the team’s weakest spot all season long. We know the Eagles have good players on offense. We know the Eagles have good players on defense. It seems insane to imagine that they don’t have any good players on special teams.
While the Eagles don’t play as many starters on special teams as Doug Pederson and Chip Kelly did, it is likely time to begin to do so if it is on the players and not on special teams coordinator Michael Clay. Maybe they are waiting for the later in the season to mix in more starters there. If they don’t make a change in personnel, Nick Sirianni said that he will not leave a stone unturned in trying to fix the problem. I believe him. With Sirianni not calling plays, I think he will take more of a hands-on approach with special teams the rest of the way and that can’t be a bad thing.
The Eagles have not played their best football yet this season, and they are 10-1. It may sound wild, but it’s true. Just wait until the Giants and Cowboys get to see it later this month. The Eagles will win the best division in football, secure the first-round bye and we will all be booking a trip to Arizona and securing our spots on Broad Street.
Tyrone Johnson is the host of "The Best Show Ever?" on 97.5 The Fanatic, airing Monday through Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
You can follow him on Twitter: @TyJohnsonNews
