The Eagles have not exactly impressed through 4 games. The 2-2 record is not a killer, but they went into the bye looking as bad as they did last season vs the Bucs. But, with the Browns coming to town, they have a chance for a get-right game.
Few teams have been a bigger disaster than the Browns this year. DeShaun Watson, the first guy ever to get a fully guaranteed contract, looks like the worst quarterback in the league. The Browns are dead last averaging only 239 yards per game. They are 3rd to last with just 15.8 pts per game. In 5 games, the Browns offense has scored just 7 TDs.
Related: Week 6 Eagles Power Rankings Round-Up- Coming Off The Bye
For now, they are sticking with DeShaun Watson, which is good for Philly. They desperately need the confidence boost, and playing an offense as anemic as this could be that chance. Then again, if they make this offense look good, you know there are major issues.
The Browns defense isn’t quite as much of a disaster but it is also not as good as people thought it would be. They rank just below the Eagles allowing 24.2 pts per game. They are also just outside the top 10 allowing 326 yards per game. The pass defense is decent, but you can run on them. They are one of the few defenses ranked below the Eagles in yards allowed per carry.
The Eagles are 9.5-point favorites as of Friday morning. And the line is moving in the Eagle’s direction. So Vegas thinks the Eagles will blow them out. Will they though? Do they finally have that full game in them where they just crush a team?
Here Are 6 Eagles Who Need To Have a Big Game vs. the Browns
Jalen Hurts
Before the Bucs game, I didn’t think Hurts was playing that poorly. The turnovers were and continue to be a big problem, but he was moving the ball down the field, and making good passes, outside of those two terrible mistakes he made per game. But the Bucs game was a disaster for him. Maybe it was not having his two best weapons. Maybe Todd Bowles just has his number. But Hurts had his worst game all season.
Now, with his main guys back, he needs to be better. The Browns are a decent pass defense but with this offense, they need to be able to put up points even on good defense. We saw Jayden Daniels pick them apart last week, with worse weapons than Jalen Hurts has. It is time Hurts has his statement game. I still believe the guy we saw in 2022 is in there, but if he doesn’t show it soon you won’t be able to blame fans for getting frustrated.
Jalen Carter
Carter has the talent to be the best DT in the league. He has the talent to be the best defensive player in the league. When he is at his best, he looks like Aaron Donald. But what made Aaron Donald Aaron Donald is he did it almost every week. He wrecked game plans every time he stepped on the field. Jalen Carter has not done that, at least not yet. We have seen him do it in 1 out of the 4 games this season. Which is not good enough.
This defense needs him to be elite. The rest of the D-Line isn’t talented enough to win if Carter doesn’t win. If he takes over, this defense can be a top 10, maybe a top 5 defense. But if he is just a guy, they will look like they did vs the Bucs. Is it fair to put all that pressure on a 2nd-year player? Maybe not. But it is the reality. They need Carter to be as good as he was vs the Saints. Maybe this week, vs this offense, they could get away with him not being great. But in general, he needs to be elite for this defense to be good. He has it in him to do that. We saw it in week 3, and we saw it over the first half of last season.
Carter currently ranks 15th in Pass Rush Win Rate Among DTs. And before you talk about how many double teams he faces, many of the guys ranked above him face just as many. That is what happens when you are an elite DT. He needs to win despite those double teams.
Saquon Barkley
Barkley has been great every week. Outside of one consequential drop in week 2, the start to his Eagles career has been near perfect. Barkley has the 2nd most yards per game in the NFL right now, behind only Derrick Henry. This is less about him needing to be great because we know he will be. It is about the Eagles letting him be great. Lean on him early, let him beat up this weak run D, and it will open up the rest of the field. Let your offense get into a rhythm by doing the thing you know you can do well.
Jordan Mailata
There is one player on the Browns who can be a game-wrecker every time he is on the field. Myles Garrett. You can make the case that he is the best defensive player in the league. And while he will move around, the guy who is going to have to block him most often is Jordan Mailata.
To this point, Mailata has been one of the best LTs in the league. He is 8th among all Tackles in Pass Block Win Rate (94%) despite having less help than most other Tackles. The Eagles love to leave their tackles on an Island, yet both Mailata and Lane still rank highly. Lane is 3rd with a PBWR of 96%. Both those guys will need to keep being that great with Myles Garrett coming to town. Garrett is 3rd in the league in Pass Rush Win Rate off the edge.
AJ Brown and Devonta Smith
Brown hasn’t played since week 1. Smith missed the Bucs game. But they should both be back, and they will face a banged-up Browns secondary. Denzel Ward is likely out. Grant Delpit is in the concussion protocol. These two need to take advantage. Go out and remind the league how good this WR duo is. We only got to see it once this season, and they combined for over 200 yards. This is the week for this pass game to wake up, and prove that this offense is capable of carrying the team.
