NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 22: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome on September 22, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Very few people predicted the Eagles defense to go down to New Orleans and shut down the hottest offense in the NFL. It turns out that is exactly what they did. The Georgia guys, Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis were fantastic. Not just rushing the passer, but against the run. After being the worst run defense in the league, they held Alvin Kamara to just 3.3 yards per carry.
But did that change how the NFL media views them? Or were the head coaching mistakes and Jalen Hurts turnovers enough to keep people down on the Eagles? Let’s take a look at the Week 4 Eagles Power Rankings.
“Hurts has thrown four interceptions and been charged with three fumbles through three games. He has 12 turnovers in his past nine regular-season games, the most in the league, and has thrown an interception in seven straight, the most by an Eagles quarterback since Ty Detmer in 1996.”
The Hurts turnovers are a real issue. Not just the quanity of them, but where they come. 3 turnovers have come within field goal range, 2 in the red zone. He not only gave the ball away, but he took points off the board. If they get a Field Goal each of those times, they go from 12th in points overall, to 5th. If you do that, and Sirianni kicks those 3 field goals they would be 3rd in the NFL for points.
Now there is of course upside to going for it on 4th. And over the course of the season scoring a TD instead of a FG may make up for that difference.
“I’m not sure what got into a run defense that was gashed in two straight games to open the season, but Vic Fangio’s front got the job done well against New Orleans. The Eagles also made life tough on Derek Carr and the Saints’ passing game, turning in one of the better all-around defensive performances in the Nick Sirianni era.”
Jalen Carter was fantastic. If they keep getting that guy every week, this defense will be fine. Maybe not as good as they were this week, but good enough for this team to win a lot of games. The Edge Rusher room still has a lot of questions, but the DTs answered the bell.
“That late-game touchdown to beat the Saints really changes the dynamic of their season. At 2-1, they are good heading to Tampa. At 1-2, things would be a lot different.”
So in 3 weeks, the Eagles went from the top 10, to 18, and then back to the top 10. CBS changes its power rankings like Christian Bale changes his body weight between films. There is no way swings should be that drastic over 2 weeks. At some point, you need to stick to your guns and not drastically change your opinion after each game.
“Saquon Barkley is going to have a massive season. His 65-yard touchdown run on Sunday was a major reason the Eagles escaped with a win in New Orleans. He scored the go-ahead TD later on too. Barkley is the new favorite to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year at BetMGM, and for good reason.”
Through 3 weeks, Saquon has arguably been the best offensive player in the league. One drop aside, he has done everything they could possibly hope for from him. The Eagles got by with mediocre running backs the past two years. Just look at what D’Andre Swift and Miles Sanders have done since leaving Philly if you need proof those guys are mediocre. Having a great RB takes the offense to another level.
“While they sort out their collective issues, thank goodness Jalen Carter is around. We don’t know ultimately how consistent Carter can be on a game-by-game basis, but his ability to destroy a game plan is incredibly useful for instilling fear in offensive coordinators everywhere.”
The consistency part is a great point. It is the one thing we still need to see Carter provide. Where was this guy in weeks 1 and 2? Where was he in the last 7 games last year? He has the talent to be great, but he needs to show it more consistently. If he figures that part out, we are talking about a guy who wins multiple Defensive Player Of The Year Awards.
“It wasn’t just Barkley—despite all the injuries the Eagles piled up a whopping 460 yards of offense. Tight end Dallas Goedert had one of the best games of his career, catching 10 passes for 170 yards. Jalen Hurts threw for 311 yards despite all the injuries to his receivers.”
Dallas Goedert has taken heat for not living up to expectations, but he showed up big time when they needed him vs the Saints. The majority of his yards came after the catch too. He was 4 yards deep when he caught the 61-yard reception that set up the game-winning TD.
Dylan MacKinnon is The Digital Content Coordinator For 97.5 The Fanatic. he has been an Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, and Flyers fan his whole life. He graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelors in Journalism. Dylan has worked at the Fanatic since 2016, starting as an Intern, moving to the Street team, and eventually was hired as an Associate Producer before settling into his current role in the Digital Department. You may hear him referred to on-air as "The D-Train."
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