The Philadelphia Eagles broke a three-game losing streak with a 33-25 win on Christmas Day. The gift of a victory against the New York Giants usually excites the Philadelphia fan base. However, very few people in the Delaware Valley felt confident about the beloved Birds after they improved to 11-4.
An Eagles Victory For Christmas
Jalen Hurts showed improvement in the passing game as the Eagles improved to 4-1 in division games. He threw for over 300 yards for the first time since Week 8 and the fourth time this season.
The Eagles also benefitted from help around the NFL in one of the most forgettable seasons in league history. The Dallas Cowboys lost their second consecutive game. The Eagles are in the driver’s seat to become the first repeat winner of the NFC East since 2004.
The top-seeded 49ers dropped a clunker that (remarkably) keeps the Eagles alive in the hunt for the bye week and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
The Standard
The positivity of Christmas Day was present at Lincoln Financial Field. The loyal fans who spent their holiday watching the Eagles deserved the joy of a victory.
Kelee Ringo sealed the win with an interception, and fans hustled to the lots around the sports complex to salvage the final hours of the holiday. They enjoyed the immediate aftermath of the win. The Christmas spirit ended there.
A closer analysis of the 33-25 victory against the Giants doesn’t show much else to be happy about.
Hurts, Nick Sirianni, and team leaders have pointed throughout the season to their tendencies to make mistakes that keep the team from meeting the standard of a Super Bowl-caliber season. They are still nowhere close to meeting that standard.
“This team’s identity is one that creates its own crisis and tries to manage it.”
–Ray Dunne
Turnovers
The Eagles entered the second half with a 20-3 lead about to receive the ball in complete control over an inferior opponent. Olamide Zaccheaus bumped into Boston Scott on the opening kickoff. The ensuing fumble let the Giants back in the game. Jalen Hurts later threw an interception to Adoree’ Jackson.
He made the 76-yard touchdown return worse with a penalty that set the Giants up for a two-point conversion and a 15-0 third quarter.
The Eagles sit tied for 25th in the NFL with a -7 turnover differential. They’ve given the ball away at least once in 13 of their 16 games this season. They are not a trustworthy team that responsibly manages games in key situations. They’re a mistake-prone team that hasn’t moved past a tendency that sinks good teams at key moments.
Lack of Pass Rush
The Eagles have made it an organizational priority to generate a pass rush as the recipe for success on defense. Shaq Leonard recorded their only sack on Christmas against a patchwork Giants offensive line. The depth along the defensive front isn’t threatening like it has been on great Eagles teams in recent memory.
The pass rush isn’t a weapon the Eagles can count on for a playoff run.
Forcing Passes to A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown finished the first half with one catch for seven yards. DeVonta Smith was a more significant component of the offense on the way to a 20-point performance in the first half.
The offense deliberately forced Brown into the mix during the second half with nine additional targets. A talented receiver deserves his fair share, but Hurts had better options in the passing game on several plays.
Clock Management
Improvement in the passing game doesn’t excuse an outrageous situational mistake from Jalen Hurts. The franchise quarterback showed a lack of awareness when he cut back a run to stay in bounds in the final seconds of the first half. He seemingly ignored the fact that the Eagle had no timeouts left and no time to line up and spike the ball.
The Giants happen to be worse than the Eagles on Christmas Day. They bailed Hurts out with a foolish penalty that erased his mistake. It doesn’t eliminate the concern that Hurts didn’t show the killer instinct of the leader the Eagles need in a time of desperation.
The Defense Under Matt Patricia
The decision to put Matt Patricia in charge of the defense hasn’t been a disaster. The Eagles allowed 25 points against the Giants, which has more to do with turnovers than a prolific offensive effort from New York.
However, Patricia’s defense isn’t exactly daunting. They’ve faced unthreatening opposing quarterbacks in Tommy DeVito, Tyrod Taylor, and Drew Lock. They’ve recorded three sacks in two games. They’ve forced one turnover, which was an interception on a Hail Mary pass.
The defense posted disastrous performances toward the end of Sean Desai’s brief tenure as the primary decision-maker. Better results under Patricia have more to do with the competition than it does with internal improvement.
Nick Sirianni Core Principles
Nick Sirianni has preached his core principles of connect, compete, accountability, fundamentals, and football IQ since he took over as head coach in 2021. The principles simply don’t characterize the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles.
