Eagles vs. Jaguars: The good, the bad, and the ugly

With 9:25 left in the third quarter, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a total of 36 yards of offense and zero points. Jacksonville was there at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday—and that seemed about it.

For once, it looked like the Eagles were doing what they were supposed to do against one of the worst teams in the NFL, smack them around, and then pounce on them.

But something happened on the way to the pouncing. The Jaguars gained new life, and the resuscitation may have come from Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni. He made dubious, possible game-losing decisions, leaving nine vital points off the board making what should have been a blowout into a nervous sweat 28-23 victory.

It was the Eagles’ fourth-straight victory—although it felt like a loss—in driving the Eagles to 6-2 overall.

Jalen Hurts looked sharp again, though had some problems in the pocket with Jacksonville’s Cover 2, completing 18 of 24 for 230 yards, and two touchdowns, while scoring one rushing touchdown. Saquon Barkley had a typical Saquon Barkley kind of game, rushing 27 times for 159 yards, and catching three passes for 40 yards, including a touchdown.

At first, this seemed like a playground game for fun to the Eagles. It looked like the Eagles were on their way to win their fifth-straight game next week without question in Dallas, which should have concluded the kiddie table portion of the schedule.

The season was not supposed to take a serious turn until the Eagles hosted NFC-East leading Washington on Thursday night, Nov. 14.

Now it seems everything has shifted back to where it was a few weeks ago, a team in limbo, which does far more harm to itself than good. The Eagles are led by a coach who is prone to make desperate choices during the juncture of games when they are not necessary (fourth down conversions opposed to field goals, two-point conversions opposed to extra points, etc.)—only to have those decisions come back and possibly sting later.

There will come a time this season when those dubious decisions will cut deep.

There was a healthy dose of good, a touch of bad, and pile of ugly, like leaving nine points off the board, in the Eagles’ fortunate 28-23 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Good

Linebacker Nakobe Dean’s game-saving interception in the end zone with 1:37 to play. It was Dean’s first NFL interception and it could not have come at a better time. Trevor Lawrence made a grave mistake with the throw, and compounded it by targeting third-string running back D’Ernest Johnson with the pass. Earlier in the game, Dean slapped away a

DeVonta Smith saving the Eagles with an amazing, one-handed 25-yard touchdown catch with 7:43 left beating former Eagle Ronald Darby for a 28-16 Eagles’ lead. On the same drive, Smith made successive catches for a combined 53 yards. On a third-and-six at the Eagles’ 34, Hurts found Smith for a seven-yard completion to the Eagles’ 41. The following play, Hurts found Smith again, this time burning Darby for a 46-yard reception to the Jags’ 13.

Jahan Dotson’s great concentration in pulling down a 32-yard catch on the Eagles’ first drive of the second half. Jacksonville’s Tyson Campbell deflected the ball, and Dotson, who was already on the ground, pulled the ball in. It led to Hurts’ 18-yard, third-quarter TD with 9:25 in the third quarter.

Safety Reed Blankenship coming up to take down Jacksonville’s Tank Bigsby for no gain at the Jacksonville 22 on the Jags’ second play of the second half.

The Eagles’ first half defense. Whether it had something to do with how inept Jacksonville was, or the Eagles defense was that good, the Jags had one first down, and 31 yards of total offense over 18 plays for an average of 1.7 yards a play.

Saquon Barkley’s over 100 yards from scrimmage in the first half. He became the first Eagle to do that since DeSean Jackson blew up Washington on Monday Night Football on October 26, 2009, in an Eagles’ 27-17 win at FedEx Field. Barkley had 61 yards rushing on 13 carries, and a touchdown, and a team-high 40 yards receiving on three receptions and a touchdown.

Linebacker Zack Baun. With 1:36 left in the half, Travis Etienne bobbled a Lawrence pass and Baun was there to make a diving interception at the Jacksonville 42. It ended an amazing half for Baun, who has established himself as one of the better linebackers in the NFL, despite never playing the position. By halftime, Baun had a team-high 6 tackles, including 3 solo tackles, and the interception, which set up Barkley’s second TD. In the third quarter, Baun’s eighth tackle took down Tank Bigsby on a first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 27, creating a third-and-12. Buan finished with 10 tackles, an interception and one tackle for a loss.

Safety Cooper DeJean’s great instincts again on another fourth down. As DeJean did last week against Cincinnati, when on the last play of the third quarter, sitting at the Cincinnati 39 staring at a fourth-and-one, DeJean came up to make a play on the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase for a two-yard loss. This time, DeJean broke up a Lawrence pass intended for Engram with 7:26 left in the half.

Barkley’s are-you-kidding-me backwards leap over Jags’ nickelback Jarrion Jones on third-and-six at the Jacksonville 44 with 9:20 left in the first half. The play went for 14 yards and preserved the Eagles’ fourth drive and resulted in Jake Elliott’s 43-yard field goal.

The Eagles’ first quarter. Yep, kind of strange here after the first seven games. The Eagles finally scored in the first quarter, becoming the last team in the NFL to do so. The Eagles have been outscored 30-7 in the first quarter and been outgained 506 yards to 475.

Edge rusher Josh Sweat’s fourth and fifth sacks this season. With 6:03 to play, on third-and-five at the Eagles’ 37, Sweat took down Lawrence for minus-7 yards at the 44. It set up a fourth-and-12 that Jacksonville converted. Earlier in the game, on the Jags’ first drive on a third-and-four at the 50, Sweat had his first sack of the game.

Baun’s play on Jacksonville’s first series. A precursor of things to come. On the Jags’ first play, Baun dropped into coverage and deflected a Lawrence pass intended to Engram. On second down, there was Baun again, stuffing Travis Etienne for a three-yard gain, and two plays later, Baun was there once more to stop Etienne after another three-yard gain.

Saquon Barkley’s over-the-shoulder 20-yard touchdown catch with 10:22 left in the first quarter for the Eagles’ first points in the first quarter this season. It was a great pass by Hurts, leaving enough air for Barkley to run under the ball. It just took 109 minutes, 38 seconds to get the first points scored in the first quarter this season. In that span, the Eagles were outscored 30-7.

Safety Sydney Brown forcing Jacksonville’s Austin Trammell to fumble on the first punt of the game, leading to Kelee Ringo’s recovery at the Jags’ 20. The Brown hit and Ringo recovery led to the Eagles scoring for the first time in the first quarter.

The Bad

Left tackle Fred Johnson’s holding call on second-and-12 at the Jacksonville 15 with 8:38 to play. Hurts and Smith bailed the Eagles out two plays later with a touchdown in the corner of the end zone.

The Eagles failing twice on their Brotherly Shove two-point conversions.

Center Cam Jurgens’ holding call on first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 24 with 3:14 left in the half. It made a first-and-10 into a first-and-20 at the Eagles’ 14.

Tight end Jack Stoll’s false start on the Eagles’ opening drive on a fourth-and-1 at the Philadelphia 49. The Eagles were forced to punt, though fortunately, the Jags blew that by fumbling it back to the Eagles.

The Ugly

Avonte Maddox getting flagged for pass interference on third-and-10 at the Jacksonville 47 with 1:54 to play. The play gave renewed life and some hope to a surging Jacksonville team that had done little offensively for a large portion of the game.

Lawrence finding Brian Thomas for a 16-yard reception on a fourth-and-13 with 5:18 left to play. It was an absolute breakdown that allowed Jacksonville to stick around and score on a Lawrence four-yard run with 4:04 to play. The Eagles were ahead, 22-0, with 9:25 left in the third quarter. They were hanging on to a 28-23 lead with 4:04 left.

Barkley’s third-quarter fumble, returned by Travon Walker for a 35-yard TD with 5:12 in the third quarter, pulling Jacksonville to within 22-16. What was so pathetic was how Walker bounced off Johnny Wilson, who was the only one who made an effort to tackle him, and the halfhearted attempt by Hurts to take him down.

The Jags’ eighth drive. Jacksonville went tempo, and the Eagles clutched up. Over their first seven possessions, Jacksonville amassed a grand total of 36 yards, and one first down. Then, Lawrence caught fire, and Jacksonville began humming. They went 10 plays and 61 yards, over 3:59. The Eagles allowed the Jags to hang around, and hang around, and hang around, and it almost cost them.

Nick Sirianni opting to leave nine points off the board. Sirianni opting not to kick a sure field goal on the Eagles’ fifth possession (on would have been a 39-yard FG; minus 3 points). Then Sirianni opted to go for a failed two-point conversion after Barkley’s second touchdown (extra point for the fourth point), and another failed Brotherly Shove after Hurts’ 19-yard, third-quarter TD (extra point for the fifth point). In the closing minutes of the third quarter, Sirianni, now inexplicably, decided to go for it again on fourth-and-one at the Jacksonville 25, when a 42-yard Elliott field goal would have given the Eagles a 25-16 lead entering the fourth quarter (field goal for the eighth point). Why? Jake Elliott, one of the NFL’s best, most-reliable kickers, is suddenly no good? After Smith’s amazing one-handed, 25-yard TD catch with 7:43 to play, Sirianni again opted to go for another failed two-point conversion (extra point for 9 points). We can confirm this: There is no truth to the rumor Sirianni was punishing Elliott for allegedly egging Sirianni’s home on mischief night. On a serious note, Sirianni opted not to let Elliott kick what amounted to be 39- and 42-yard field goals when the Eagles could have padded their lead, yet trotted out Elliott to kick a 57-yarder during the game’s last five minutes. It makes no sense.

The Eagles giving up three first-half sacks for minus-20 yards against a Cover 2 zone on third down, forcing Hurts to hold the ball longer than he wanted.

You don’t need to be a genius to know that having a 13-0 lead is better than 10-0. Why go for it on fourth-and-three at the Jacksonville 22 ahead 10-0 and looking an automatic Elliott 39-yard field goal? Instead, Nick Sirianni put his thinking cap on and outsmarted himself, when they elected to for it. The result: Jags’ nickel Darnell Savage’s very good play, coming up to interrupt an intended pass to Brown. Jacksonville ball with 4:49 left in the half. Why complicate it? Again, 13-0 is better than 10-0.

The Eagles in the red zone this season are running 75% of the time—and have been successful. They have run more in the red zone than any NFL team this season. Then why on third-and-six with 10:33 left in the half were they looking to pass? Jacksonville defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson took Hurts down for a nine-yard loss. That answered that.

Barkley’s false start at the Eagles’ 9 on their third possession, making a third-and-12 into a third-and-16. Not the area of the field where you want to have a false start. The Eagles had to punt from their end zone.