Although things got off to a great start in Philadelphia, the Eagles sputtered off and lost miserably to the San Francisco 49ers, 17-11. Philly had complete control of this game early, holding the 49ers’ offense to under 20 yards in the first quarter. Jalen Hurts looked composed in the pocket, but there were significant problems with every other position group for the entirety of the game.

Eagles linebackers are still a problem:

Many fans thought Howie Roseman fixed the linebacker problem with Eric Wilson this offseason, but that doesn’t look to be the case in the slightest. Wilson and Alex Singleton were huge issues in the passing game against the 49ers. 

Jimmy Garoppolo consistently completed big chunk plays over the middle where Wilson and Singleton should’ve been. The two played alright in the running game, but significant changes will be needed before teams exploit this problem like last season.

The offense is very hit or miss:

Jalen Hurts was the only consistent part of the Philadelphia Eagles offense this afternoon, essentially willing the team back into the game in the fourth. Only one wide receiver had over 24 yards receiving, with Quez Watkins having 117 yards, most of which came from his 91-yard bomb. Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts tried to attack the deep ball often, but it never paid off. 

DeVonta Smith had just two receptions on seven targets, while Jalen Reagor had just five yards on two catches. After a complete game against Atlanta, the Eagles’ receivers couldn’t catch anything, with most of these incompletions being the receivers’ fault and not Hurts. 

Undisciplined and lazy football:

The Eagles had two great shots to get back into the game late, but stupid penalties threw any chance out the window. Derek Barnett shoving a 49ers player for no reason, took a 3rd and 15 play into a first down near the red zone. K’Von Wallace hitting a defenseless player in the head turned a fumble recovery into another first down for San Francisco.

These are stupid, easily avoidable mistakes, and Nick Sirianni takes the blame for this a bit. Both Barnett and Wallace know better, and it is Sirianni’s responsibility to make sure these bone-headed mistakes don’t occur, especially in such a close game. The good news is this is an easy fix, but it’ll be a litmus test of if Sirianni can balance winning over the locker room and holding them responsible.

The injury bug is back:

After many thought the Eagles were finally healthy for a bit, the team was gut-punched with severe injuries nearly back-to-back. Brandon Brooks suffered a pec injury while Brandon Graham reportedly tore his Achilles per Derrick Gunn. If this is the case, it is a brutal blow to one of the Eagles’ most prominent leaders, and hopefully, he can make a speedy and complete recovery. Linebacker Davion Taylor also left early after injuring his calf once again, but no word on how serious that injury is.

One thing this team has shown is mental toughness and how to battle back in the face of adversity. Now, after all this, the Eagles have a chance to rebound when they travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys next week on Monday Night Football. 

Mandatory Credit: USA Today