December 05, 2018

Eagles third quarter of the season report cards: Offense edition

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

The Philadelphia Eagles came into the 2018 season with high expectations, because, you know, they won the Super Bowl last year. Through the first four games, the team got out to a disappointing-but-deserved 2-2 start, and did not look like the powerhouse that they were a year ago. In the second quarter of the season, once again, they went 2-2. Quarter number three? Yep, 2-2.

Let's hand out individual grades for the third quarter of the season, which will be on something of a curve, based on each player's individual roles and expectations:

• QB Carson Wentz: First, let's take a look at Wentz's numbers over his last four games:

Carson Wentz	Comp-Att (Comp %)	Yards (YPA)	TD-INT	Rating
Cowboys (L)	32-44 (72.7%)	360 (8.2)	2-1	102.5
Saints (L)	19-33 (57.6%)	156 (4.7)	0-3	31.9
Giants (W)	20-28 (71.4%)	236 (8.4)	1-0	108.6
Redskins (W)	27-39 (69.2%)	306 (7.9)	2-1	98.9
TOTAL	98-144 (68.1%)	1058 (7.4)	5-5	86.5

In the four games prior to the above, Wentz was 101 of 138 for 1,185 yards (8.6 YPA), 10 TDs, 1 INT, and a QB rating of 120.0. He was also effective with his legs, rushing 16 times for 71 yards. What he was doing was remarkable for a player coming off ACL and LCL tears.

Against the Saints, he had the worst game of his career. Against the Cowboys, Giants, and Redskins, he was effective, but certainly unspectacular, though he did get a game winning drive in against the Giants. It's also notable that Wentz has 9 rushes for just 7 yards over the last four games.

If the Eagles are going to make the playoffs, they need Wentz to be significantly better than he was over the last four games.

Grade: C

• QB Nick Foles: Foles has not played since Week 2

Grade: Incomplete.

• RB Darren Sproles: He lives! In his lone appearance Week 13 against the Redskins, Sproles had a nice TD run, as well as a good punt return. He carried five times on the day, which is probably the sweet spot for him in terms of touches per game.

Grade: B

• RB Jay Ajayi: Ajayi tore his ACL and is done for the season. He did not play in any of the last four games.

Grade: Inc.

• RB Corey Clement: Clement simply hasn't looked like the same player he was as a rookie, as he fell behind Wendell Smallwood on the depth chart earlier in the season, and Josh Adams has since become the lead back. That's not necessarily the worst thing, as Clement has settled into a third down type of role. He has done a nice job hitting holes on his run, as well as on screens, but can he beat tackler in the open field at some point?

Grade: B-

• RB Wendell Smallwood: 3 carries, 0 yards over the last four games.

Grade: I dunno, C?

• RB Josh Adams: Adams has taken over the lead back role, and he has been good. He has good vision, good cutback ability, and while he doesn't look like he's moving the fast, he gobbles up yards in chunks. The Eagles should absolutely look to upgrade at running back during the offseason, but Adams has shown that he belongs in the NFL with a significant role. 56 carries, 269 yards (4.8 YPC), 2 TD over the last four games.

Grade: B+

• WR Alshon Jeffery: Jeffery's best game statistically over the last four games was a 4-48-0 effort against Dallas. He's been quiet, catching 14 passes for 151 yards an 0 TDs over the last four games. The addition of Golden Tate has affected Jeffery's targets, but the Eagles still need more from their No. 1 receiver.

Grade: C-

• WR Mike Wallace: Wallace has not played since breaking his fibula Week 2 against the Bucs. To be determined if the Eagles will activate Wallace off of IR down the stretch. He could still be useful as a field-stretching receiver.

Grade: Inc.

• WR Nelson Agholor: Agholor has 10 catches, 151 yards, and 0 TDs over the last four games. He still only has 1 TD reception on the season, and he's scheduled to make $9.4 million on his fifth year option in 2019. If another team with some cap space is interested in trading for Agholor this offseason, I'd listen if I were Howie Roseman.

Grade: C-

• WR Jordan Matthews: Matthews has been a solid addition and a nice player for the Eagles this season in a smaller role. 7-81-1 over the last four games.

Grade: B-

• WR Shelton Gibson: The Eagles aren't even pretending to try to get Gibson involved anymore.

Grade: Inc.

• WR Golden Tate: Offensive coordinator Mike Groh admitted that it was difficult integrating Tate into the offense, but Monday night was an encouraging development, when Tate had something of a breakout performance, catching 7 passes for 85 yards and a TD. In four games, he has 18 catches for 182 yards and that lone TD. It has looked at times as though the Eagles have forced the ball to Tate, which isn't necessarily Tate's fault, but it's hard to grade him higher than he is here, especially considering the expectation was for him to be an immediately impactful player, given the price the Eagles paid to get him.

Grade: C+

• TE Zach Ertz: Ertz is on pace to crush the single-season record for catches by a tight end. Jason Witten holds the record currently, with 110. Ertz is on pace for 124. He had 32 catches (on 37 targets!) for 334 yards and 3 TDs over the last four games.

Grade: A

• TE Dallas Goedert: 3 catches for 33 yards (all against the Giants) over the last four games. He's playing more, but the ball hasn't come his way much.

Grade: B-

• TE Joshua Perkins: Perkins was relegated to mostly special teams duties after the Eagles got some of their receivers back. He's now on IR.

Grade: Inc.

• TE Richard Rodgers: Rodgers was activated off of IR, and while he doesn't have any catches in his three games back with the team, I've been impressed with him as a blocker, a trait he was not known for in Green Bay.

Grade: B-

• OT Jason Peters: Peters has battled through injuries, most notably a torn bicep and a nagging quad. Earlier in the season, Peters struggled just to play the entirety of individual games, and it looked at times as though Father Time was starting to get the upper hand on ol' JP. Over the last four or so games, however, he has looked a lot more like the great left tackle he has been for nearly a decade in Philly.

Grade: B+

• OG Stefen Wisniewski: Wis got benched in favor of Isaac Seumalo, and he wasn't happy about it. Wis wasn't bad at LG, in my view, but Seumalo has indeed played better there. While not a starter anymore, Wis has filled in at times both at guard and center, and has kept the ship afloat.

Grade: B-

• C Jason Kelce: While I don't think that Kelce is 100 percent healthy, he has still had a great season, and he had a highlight reel block on Sproles' TD run on Monday night.

Grade: A-

• RG Brandon Brooks: The OL has continued to jell this season, and Brooks has looked more like the Pro Bowl player he was a year ago.

Grade: B+

• RT Lane Johnson: Johnson has been excellent the last four games after a disappointing first half of the season, in which he battled a few injuries. He's back.

Grade: A-

• OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai: Vaitai is what he is. He's a guy who can hold his own at either LT or RT, but who will give up more pressure than the starter. That's still a valuable guy to have on the roster, though the Eagles haven't needed him much over the last four games.

Grade: Inc.

• OL Isaac Seumalo: In two different games during the second quarter of the season, Seumalo was asked to slide from his now starting spot at LG out to RT, showing impressive versatility. In the third quarter of the season, Seumalo has settled in nicely as the full-time LG.

Grade: B

GPA

Eagles O	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	GPA
QB Carson Wentz	B	A-	C		2.9
QB Nick Foles	C	Inc.	Inc.		2.0
RB Darren Sproles	C	Inc.	B		2.5
RB Jay Ajayi	B+	Inc.	N/A	N/A	3.3
RB Corey Clement	B-	C-	B-		2.4
RB Wendell Smallwood	B+	C+	C		2.5
RB Josh Adams	Inc.	B-	B+		3.0
WR Alshon Jeffery	A-	B+	C-		2.9
WR Mike Wallace	Inc.	Inc.	Inc.		N/A
WR Nelson Agholor	C-	C	C-		1.8
WR Jordan Matthews	B	B-	B-		2.8
WR Kamar Aiken	D+	D	N/A	N/A	1.2
WR Shelton Gibson	Inc.	Inc.	Inc.		N/A
WR DeAndre Carter	C	C	N/A	N/A	2.0
WR Golden Tate	N/A	N/A	C+		2.3
TE Zach Ertz	B	A-	A		3.6
TE Dallas Goedert	A-	A-	B-		3.4
TE Joshua Perkins	B-	Inc.	Inc.		2.7
TE Richard Rodgers	N/A	N/A	B-		2.7
LT Jason Peters	C+	B	B+		2.9
LG Stefen Wisniewski	B	C+	B-		2.7
C Jason Kelce	B+	B+	A-		3.4
RG Brandon Brooks	B	B	B+		3.0
RT Lane Johnson	C+	B-	A-		2.9
OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai	B	B-	Inc.		2.9
OL Isaac Seumalo	Inc.	B+	B		3.2