That and more in this week’s ‘5 questions’ segment
What is going on with the Philadelphia Eagles? With Saquon Barkley, his Eagles teammates, and probably a boatload of Eagles fans invading MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants on Sunday we checked in with Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation to find out.
Gowton answers our ‘5 questions’ below.
Ed: The Eagles are 3-2, but most analysts say that they don’t look right. They don’t look as good as their talent suggests they should be. What is your assessment?
BLG: Despite their winning record, the Eagles rank 20th in DVOA and 21st in point differential. It’s hard to argue their talent is being maximized.
They’re an unserious team right now. There was every reason for them to beat the lowly Cleveland Browns more comfortably than they did. The Eagles entered this home game with a healthy roster coming off their bye. The Browns were banged up and playing in their third straight road game.
But the Eagles haven’t made things look easy in a long time now. We’re coming up on the one year anniversary of the last time they beat an opponent by more than one possession (October 22, 2023). They’re just 1-7 against the spread in their last eight games as favorites.
I don’t think they’re hopeless. But I don’t think anyone truly believes in this team right now.
2) Nick Sirianni is becoming a bit of a joke outside Philadelphia. Many are saying that Sirianni’s coaching is the biggest thing holding the Eagles back. Not to mention his doing stupid things like taking on fans from the sidelines. What are your thoughts on the coach?
BLG: I thought the Eagles should’ve fired Sirianni after last year’s historically bad collapse. I understand how such a decision could’ve been viewed as rash but Jeffrey Lurie has taken pride in his organization making bold decisions. And I think bringing back Sirianni was an uncharacteristic move in terms of trying to play it safe.
Sirianni’s track record looks good on paper. Since the Eagles hired him in 2021, they’re 39-22 with a Super Bowl appearance and three straight years of making the playoffs. But I’m less interested in past accomplishment and more interested in focusing on how Sirianni serves the Eagles moving forward. And I really struggle to see how he gives the Eagles an edge over the competition. He’s not aggressive as he needs to be. He’s not proficient when it comes to game management. He doesn’t call plays and he was essentially stripped of offensive influence with the Kellen Moore hire. I think Sirianni did a good job of fostering good vibes in the past but that positive energy hasn’t been present for some time. He doesn’t seem to have answers to big problems, such as the Eagles consistently struggling to start fast (zero first quarter points in seven straight games).
I think the Eagles can win with Sirianni. I think they can win in spite of him. But I don’t have much faith in the Eagles winning because of him. He’s done less with more when the best coaches are known for doing more with less.
Ed: If you could take one player off the Giants’ roster and put him in the Philadelphia lineup who would it be? Why?
BLG: Saquon Barkley. Too soon?
A wide receiver trio of A.J Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Malik Nabers would be pretty wild. I think that dynamic would work much better in Madden than in real life, though, since players do care about targets and whatnot. No one else on offense really intrigues me, though Darius Slayton would be a realistic fit as a WR3. I’ve always thought he’s solid.
I sure wouldn’t mind pairing Dexter Lawrence with Jalen Carter. Good luck to the interior offensive lines having to block that duo. But I believe in the Eagles’ defensive tackle group more than I believe in their edge rush situation. It’s too early to say for sure but Bryce Huff might be a bust of a free agent signing. Brian Burns would be really nice to have now after trading Haason Reddick away. I’ll take Burns.
Ed: What are your thoughts on the signing of Saquon Barkley? We can read the numbers and he is having a nice year. Is he making the Eagles better, and was he worth the investment?
BLG: I was among those more skeptical about the Eagles’ decision to sign him. But I clearly know nothing because he’s looked pretty great. I’d argue Barkley’s been even better than anyone could’ve realistically expected. He had the big three touchdown game in Week 1, contributing as both a runner and receiver. When DeVonta Smith went down in Week 3 with A.J. Brown already not playing, Barkley stepped up and put the team on his back with a breakaway touchdown run. He’s clearly their offensive MVP thus far.
But while the positive has outweighed the negative, the bad has been … bad. I’m sure Giants fans already know about Barkley dropping the game-sealing reception in Week 2. Two Barkley mistakes (failing to pick up a yard on 2nd-and-1 despite having plenty of space, failing to pick up a blitzer) contributed to sequence where the Eagles had a 10-point swing go against them in Week 6. I don’t expect these mistakes to be a regular problem but they’re worth acknowledging.
I do think Barkley was worth the investment.
Ed: The Giants win this game if what happens? The Eagles win it if what happens?
The Giants win if Jalen Hurts reverts back to turning the ball over. He did a good job of not putting the ball in harm’s way against the Browns. But he’s leading the league in giveaways since the start of the 2023 season with 27 in his last 23 games played.
It’s been a long time since I’ve worried about the Eagles handling a Giants pass rush but that dynamic is a concern this week. Starting left tackle Jordan Mailata will miss Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury. His replacement, Fred Johnson, struggled when he last had to start (at right tackle) in Week 4. Johnson allowed 11 pressures in 37 opportunities against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Pro Football Focus. The aforementioned Burns could give Johnson some real issues and I could see Hurts getting strip-sacked or forced into a bad decision.
Of course, the Giants are also going to be without their starting left tackle. The Eagles’ defensive line played well against the Browns; perhaps they’ll be able to build on that performance.
On offense, I expect the Eagles to pound the rock against a Giants defense that’s allowing the second-most yards per rushing attempt at 5.2. The Eagles will win if they feed Barkley and allow him to thrive against his former team.
— Head over to Bleeding Green Nation for more on the Eagles’ perspective of Sunday game. And please remember to represent the BBV community with some class.
