Our Philadelphia Eagles are 7-0, and continue to win! In their matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they looked like a well-rested team coming off a bye week. We’ve seen the Eagles dominate teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders, but there was clear meat left on the bone in both games.
Against the Steelers, the Eagles dominated from start to finish and turned in their most complete game of the season, the game that the media and fans have been asking for. Let’s look at the hungry dog (player/coach of the game) and doghouse dud (worst player/coach of the game).
I’ll also be predicting the best and worst performers in the Eagles’ upcoming matchup with the Houston Texans.
Week 8 Hungry Dog, Steelers @ Eagles
So many players showed up in the Eagles game, so picking a hungry dog was a lot harder than I expected.
Despite the many standouts, I have to go with Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown.
Both were phenomenal, and arguably had some of the best games of their careers. This was a game that killed many Jalen Hurts passing narratives.
- He went 19-28, for 285 yards, 4 passing touchdowns, and a 140.6 passer rating.
- He threw 3 touchdown passes to AJ Brown, all perfect over-the-shoulder dimes that only AJ could reach.
- AJ Brown wreaked havoc on the Steelers’ defensive backs, and his three touchdown receptions happened while being covered by two at a time.
This high-powered offense allowed the Eagles to take a big lead and rest starters, an essential element for their upcoming Thursday night football matchup.
There are multiple honorable mentions for a hungry dog.
- Miles Sanders made the most of his limited 9 carries, averaging 8 yards a carry with 78 yards and one touchdown.
- C.J Gardener-Johnson notched his 3rd straight game with an interception.
- The Eagles defensive line had 6 sacks, notched 7 tackles for a loss, 11 quarterback hits, and collected a fumble by Kenny Pickett.
- The Eagles defense also only allowed 13 points, their 5th game this season where they’ve allowed 20 points or less.
- Special teams were much better in kickoff and punt coverage this week, to boot.
- The Eagles touchdown celebrations, anyone? They were extremely creative as well.
Bird in the Doghouse, Steelers @ Eagles
It’s harder to pick a doghouse dud when all units were nearly perfect, but I have to pick Jonathan Gannon here.
Yes, the Eagles defense only allowed 13 points. They forced turnovers and bent but didn’t break. The issue is not the production, but the aggression and lack of discipline.
Gannon has the personnel and they are clearly producing, but they could be so much more dominant. This is a defensive front that has the ability to dominate up front, and Gannon refuses to blitz.
Against an inexperienced quarterback like Pickett, he relied more on the 4-man rush than creating pressure that would ultimately spook him. He failed to send blitzes when the Eagles played Cooper Rush as well. Gannon needs to send the house, and embrace potential dominance.
Penalties were also frustrating today and kept the one Steelers touchdown drive alive.
Week 9 Hungry Dog Prediction, Eagles @ Texans
The Eagles will turn right around and play the Houston Texans on Thursday night football on a short week. The Texans boast a very spotty defense, near the bottom of the league in yards given up. They’re also a middle-of-the-road team in sacks and do not pressure the quarterback consistently.
The Eagles are near the top of the league in yards per game and should have an effortless time moving the ball on this Texans’ defense. My hungry dog of the week against the Texans will be Jalen Hurts. He’ll earn top marks for a second straight week, shredding the Texans’ defense and passing the ball to multiple receivers. His rushing ability will be an asset, and he’ll make deep throws with great pocket protection.
Week 8 Bird in the Doghouse Prediction, Eagles @ Texans
I do not look at the Texans on any side of the ball or at any position and think they’re a threat to the Eagles. This game has the potential to be dominating on all fronts the way the Eagles dominated the Steelers.
My doghouse dud for the week is unorthodox, but if the Eagles were to get caught up this week, it wouldn’t be because of the Texans themselves. The road team traveling on a short week on Thursday night football is generally at a disadvantage by default, and the home team generally wins.
Many would call this a “trap game,” but the Texans have too many weaknesses on all sides of the football for the Eagles to fall for the trap.
- Do you agree or disagree?
- Who would be your hungry dog and doghouse dud picks for the Eagles game against the Steelers?
- Who would you pick going into the week 9 matchup against the Texans?
