The Real Weakness of the Philadelphia Eagles
Linebackers Nakobe Dean and Zach Cunningham watched the Philadelphia Eagles give up six consecutive touchdown drives against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.
Defensive coordinator Sean Desai struggled to figure out a way to manage with only Nicholas Morrow and Christian Elliss available as the starters. Brock Purdy and the San Francisco offense carved the Eagles in the middle of the field with alarming ease and incredible efficiency.
The weakness of the Philadelphia defense cost them the biggest game of the regular season. Will it improve for the rest of the season?
Philadelphia Eagles Linebackers Struggle
Tim McManus spoke on the 97.5 The Fanatic Birds Postgame Show.
“The Eagles don’t invest in linebackers, and then they get hit by injuries at the linebacker position, and then they go up against a team that can really chew up the middle of the field. That’s a really bad equation. I’m not sure how that’s going to get fixed.” -Tim McManus
Morrow has made solid contributions as a fill-in in 2023. His three-sack performance against Washington in Week 4 swung the game, and nine tackles for loss also isn’t something to discount. However, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and the San Francisco offensive weapons exposed his deficiencies in Week 13.
Samuel scored a 48-yard touchdown that squashed the best chance the Eagles had to seize momentum in the second half. His slant route went for about six air yards on the play, but Morrow failed to stop the loudmouth wide receiver. The missed tackle became the perfect microcosm of a rough collective defensive performance.
DEEBO BREAKS A TACKLE AND GOES ALL THE WAY
— NFL (@NFL) December 3, 2023
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📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/xvCjbLUIcN pic.twitter.com/4oGKuQ5DMD
Elliss failed to take advantage of a wide-open door during training camp. If the Eagles felt he had earned playing time, they wouldn’t have signed Cunningham and Myles Jack in August. The first extended playing they gave Elliss came out of desperation. It wasn’t difficult to see why the coaching staff had no trust in him before the injury bug forced their hand.
Reed Blankenship struggled in one of the worst games of his young career. The Eagles needed reliable starters to make plays in the middle of the field, and the former undrafted free agent looked overmatched the entire afternoon.
Kevin Byard also failed to make a significant impact, and the Eagles still haven’t found an effective way to deal with the absence of slot corner Avonte Maddox. Defending the middle of the field is their biggest weakness.
Will the Eagles Improve?
McManus spoke with skepticism about potential improvement. Why? The Eagles were using two reserves at linebacker, and they might sign an accomplished veteran.
Nakobe Dean will likely miss the remainder of 2023 with a foot injury. Jeff McLane isn’t expecting Cunningham to simply return to form after a short absence. A hamstring injury also impacts some players who return to action partly because of high stakes and the urgency forced by team weaknesses. The Philadelphia Eagles defense in the middle of the field wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire with both linebackers on the field.
Would signing Shaq Leonard solve these problems? Adam Schefter spoke on The John Kincade Show with skepticism about Leonard’s current value.
“He’s a three-time All-Pro linebacker, so I get the excitement level, right? This guy was at one point as good of a defensive player as there was, but he hasn’t played at that level in recent years. He had been beat out for his job in Indianapolis by a couple of other guys. I just think we’re all reacting like it’s 2020, 2021 Shaq Leonard when it’s 2023.” -Adam Schefter
The competition won’t get any easier. Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys torched the Eagles for 374 passing yards in Week 9. They exploited Philadelphia’s weakness in the middle of the field.
CeeDee Lamb dominated in the slot. The two-time Pro Bowler finished with 191 yards. The Eagles also struggled to contain tight end Jake Ferguson, who doesn’t have nearly the same pedigree.
How will Sean Desai and the Philadelphia defense manage? Every element of the Eagles’ performance against the 49ers will come under the microscope after the embarrassing loss. The 30th-ranked pass defense will be at the top of the list. There is reason for positivity, however.
Faith in Sean Desai
The Eagles failed to contain top-tier quarterbacks under Jonathan Gannon. Their defense hasn’t put up the same overall stats under Desai, but they have had more effective games against contending teams than they did in Gannon’s entire two-year tenure.
Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins failed to solve the defense at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 7. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t score on six second-half possessions in a Super Bowl rematch.
Nick Sirianni has built a reputation as a head coach who constantly looks for improvement from his staff. The true mark of an effective assistant is the ability to adjust to the personnel available. Sirianni will certainly expect his first-year defensive coordinator to find answers.
Shaq Leonard's decision could be about more than money, according to @AdamSchefter.
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) November 29, 2023
“I don’t think it is going to be about money, I think it is going to be about medicals, and what team feels more comfortable with him and where he feels most comfortable as well.”
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Philadelphia Eagles Projected 2023 Week 14 Starters
Jalen Hurts
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesQuarterback, #1
Oklahoma University/University of Alabama
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (53rd overall) in 2020D'Andre Swift
Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty ImagesRunning Back, #0
University of Georgia
4th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Detroit Lions (April 2023)A.J. Brown
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesWide Receiver, #11
Ole Miss
5th NFL season- Acquired in a trade from Tennessee Titans (April 2022)DeVonta Smith
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesWide Receiver, #6
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (10th overall) in 2021Quez Watkins
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesWide Receiver, #16
Southern Miss
4th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (200th overall) in 2020Dallas Goedert
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesTight End, #88
South Dakota St.
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (48th overall) in 2018Jordan Mailata
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesLeft Tackle, #68
Jeff Stoutland University
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 7th Round (233rd overall) in 2018Landon Dickerson
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesLeft Guard, #69
University of Alabama
3rd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (37th overall) in 2021Jason Kelce
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesCenter, #62
University of Cincinnati
13th NFL Season- Drafted in 6th Round (191st overall) in 2011Cam Jurgens
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesRight Guard, #51
University of Nebraska
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 2nd Round (51st overall) in 2022Lane Johnson
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesLeft Tackle, #69
Oklahoma University
11th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (4th overall) in 2013Josh Sweat
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesDefensive End, #94
Florida State
6th NFL Season- Drafted in 4th Round (130th overall) in 2018Fletcher Cox
Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty ImagesDefensive Tackle, #91
Mississippi State
12th NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (12th overall) in 2012Jordan Davis
Photo by Norm Hall/Getty ImagesDefensive Tackle, #90
University of Georgia
2nd NFL Season- Drafted in 1st Round (13th overall) in 2022Haason Reddick
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesEdge Rusher/Linebacker, #7
Temple University
7th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2022)Nicholas Morrow
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesLinebacker, #41
Greensville University
6th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (March 2023)Shaquille Leonard
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty ImagesLinebacker, #50
South Carolina St.
6th NFL Season, Signed in Free Agency (December 2023)Darius Slay
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesCornerback, #2
Mississippi State
11th NFL Season- Acquired in trade from Detroit Lions (March 2020)James Bradberry
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesCornerback, #24
University of Arkansas/Samford University
8th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (May 2022)Bradley Roby
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesCornerback, #33
Ohio State University
10th NFL Season- Signed in Free Agency (October 2023)Kevin Byard
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesSafety, #31
Middle Tennessee State
8th NFL Season, Acquired in trade from Tennessee Titans (October 2023)Reed Blankenship
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesSafety, #32
Middle Tennessee State
2nd NFL Season- Signed as Undrafted Free Agent (May 2022)
