The Philadelphia Eagles are 4-0, and look like the best team in the NFC! The team faced their first adversity moment of the season, going down 14-0 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and suffering multiple injuries.
The stacked Eagles roster would rally, scoring 20 in the second quarter, taking nine on in the second half, and never giving up the lead. Let’s look at week 4, Hungry Dog (player/coach of the game) and Bird in the Doghouse (worst player/coach of the game).
I’ll also predict the best and worst performers in the Eagles’ upcoming matchup with the Arizona Cardinals in week 5.
Week 4 Hungry Dog, Jaguars @ Eagles
This Eagles team is so talented, it’s hard not to share hungry dog! For the third straight week, Jonathan Gannon’s defense put on a clinic.
- After a Jalen Hurts pick-6, the Eagles’ defense allowed the Jaguars’ offense to march down the field for an easy touchdown drive, resulting in a 14-0 deficit.
- The unit would tighten up after that, allowing only seven more points through the remaining three quarters and giving the Eagles’ offense opportunities to take back control of the game. B
- y the game’s end, the Eagles defense would allow only 14 points, collect one interception, and force Trevor Lawrence to fumble four times, all of which they recovered.
- In their last three games, the Eagles defense has allowed 29 points.
This is very impressive, as the Jacksonville Jaguars offense scored 28 points per game coming into this matchup. Christian Kirk and the Jaguars rushing game were silenced.
Miles Sanders shares the Hungry Dog Award with the Eagles’ defense.
- He put on arguably one of the best performances of his career, rushing for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns, good for about 5 yards per carry.
- Miles was the spark on the Eagles’ drive that would tie the game at 14, moving the chains with 30 yards.
- He was smart and aggressive, following his blockers and running downhill on a Jaguars rushing defense that was #1 in the NFL coming into the game.
An honorable mention goes to the Eagles’ offensive line that even with injuries, excelled in pass blocking against a tough Jacksonville front.
Week 4 Bird in the Doghouse, Jaguars @ Eagles
In a game where weather conditions greatly impacted the flow of the game, it’s really tough to pinpoint anyone that was particularly bad. This game felt like a collective effort, so my doghouse dud is the injury bug! It was frustrating being down 14-0 early, watching the injuries pile up.
The Eagles were relatively healthy this season so far compared to other teams but suffered injuries against Jacksonville that could be worrisome. Luckily Devonta Smith would return to the game after his ankle injury. Jordan Mailata would injure his shoulder, and it was reported that he experienced discomfort in the postgame. Issac Seumalo injured his ankle, so two injuries to the Eagles’ offensive line definitely raise concern.
Darius Slay hurt his forearm but stated he was “good” in the postgame, and Kyron Johnson suffered a head injury. The Eagles can beat the Cardinals with these injuries next week, but missing players on the offensive line for too long could be detrimental to the progress of Jalen Hurts, run blocking, and pass blocking. Let’s hope these are short-term, and the Eagles continue to roll!
Hungry Dog Week 5 Prediction, Eagles @ Cardinals
The Cardinals are an underperforming team with multiple exploitable weaknesses. Their biggest weakness is their defense. The unit allows 26 points per game, and they’ve only sacked the opposing quarterback four times in 4 games. Jalen Hurts averages close to 300 yards per game and has improved greatly in the pocket, and he is my hungry dog pick in this game.
If he is not pressured, the Cardinals’ defense will have a tough day, and AJ Brown and Devonta Smith will have great days as well. This is actually the perfect week to face a team that cannot consistently pressure the quarterback if the Eagles will be down an offensive lineman or two.
Jalen Hurts will pass for about 300 yards and spread the ball around to multiple Eagles receivers as a result. I expect the Eagles to drop 30 points in this game, and continue to solidify being one of the NFL’s most lethal offenses.
Bird in the Doghouse Week 5 Prediction, Eagles @ Cardinals
The Cardinals’ offense this season is nothing to write home about. They’ve averaged about 20 points per game, are awful in the red zone, and Kyler Murray’s numbers are pretty underwhelming. He is still an athletic threat in the pocket, and the Eagles could struggle with containing him.
If Kyler can escape from the Eagles’ pass rush, they could have a tough time. The Eagles pass rush is my doghouse dud prediction of the week, and they appear to historically struggle with this type of quarterback. The Eagles are the better team, but this game is the literal definition of a “trap.”
The Cardinals could become a pain or very hard to put away if the Eagles do not put the clamps on Kyler. It is very important that Jonathan Gannon uses Hasson Reddick as part of this role, and keeps him out of coverage at all costs. I’m very confident that the Eagles’ pass rush will get home, but this is an area of worry heading into this matchup.
- Do you agree or disagree?
- Who would be your hungry dog and doghouse dud picks for the Jaguars @ Eagles?
- Who would you pick going into the week 5 matchup against the Cardinals?
