The Eagles are not who you think they are.
That much was clear to anyone who watched the team's loss to the Detroit Lions, the latest in a string of defeats over the last year where they left the field having nobody to blame but themselves.
Four Penalties. Three fumbles. Seven drops. Poor execution throughout.
And now, yet another embarrassing mistake by this team has been discovered.
Check out this video by Radio.com's Brian Baldinger, in which he highlights that on a crucial play of the game the Eagles defense only had 10 players on the field:
.@lions v @eagles and #JJMcKissic goes for +44 on this reverse against a 10 man defense. 10 MAN DEFENSE! No one sees this from the #Birds? No one? #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/lQFiYILNma
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 23, 2019The play resulted in a 44-yard gain and came immediately after rookie running back Miles Sanders had fumbled the ball away. Although the Eagles' defense held the Lions out of the endzone, the three-points proved to be crucial in the 27-24 loss.
Only having 10 players on the field is yet another example of how sloppy this team has become since the start of the 2018 season.
"It just comes down to execution. We have spurts of really good football and then spurts of terrible football. A lot of the time, it's self-inflicted," tight end Zach Ertz said after the game. "The turnovers and penalties today were obviously killers. We just have to play 60 minutes as a team in all three phases. We could be a really good football team, we just have to show it."
Ertz is right — the Eagles can be a really good football team. They should have a ton of talent on the roster, especially on offense with Ertz, DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Carson Wentz. They should have one of the best offensive lines in the league. Their defense should be led to dominating performances by Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Malcolm Jenkins. Their special team's coach, Dave Fipp, is considered one of the best in the league. Doug Pederson is considered one of the best coaches in the game.
The results, however, have simply not been there despite all of the talent on-and-off the field.
The Eagles, considered by many to be one of the best teams in the league both last season and heading into this season, are a very pedestrian 10-9 in the regular season since Week 1 of 2018. Take out the games started by quarterback Nick Foles, and the Eagles are 6-8 in the last 14 games with Wentz and Pederson running the show. They don't have a quality win over a good team without Foles at quarterback since the start of last season.
The team's over/under for wins last season was set at 10.5, a sign of how talented everyone thought the roster would be. They didn't reach double-digit wins last season, and the way they are playing right now, they won't reach the 10 win benchmark set for them this season either.
They have achieved that disappointing 10-9 record since Week 1 of last season by playing sloppy football. Turnovers at inopportune times, penalties to negate big plays, special teams mistakes, dropped passes — all of them have played a role in the Eagles' being the definition of average since they won their Super Bowl in 2017.
Each week the excuse or reasoning seems to be different. They would have won if Nelson Agholor made that catch late vs. Atlanta. They would have won if the defense didn't allow three fourth-downs vs. Tennessee in overtime. They would have won if the fumble to open the game vs. Dallas would have been ruled correctly their ball. They would have won if Alshon Jeffery doesn't drop the ball in the playoffs vs. New Orleans.
The end result each week, however, is the same — they find a way to lose a game everyone thinks they should have won.
The good news for the Eagles is that despite getting off to a 1-2 start, their season is far from over. They have a chance to turn it around in a major way this Thursday night in Green Bay. A win over the 3-0 Packers would certainly inject some life and confidence back into this team.
The reality is, however, that one win won't change the track record of what this team has become — sloppy, undisciplined and average.
To truly turn the season around, and get out of their .500 football funk, they will need to clean things up and prove they can do it for an extended amount of time.
They should have the talent to do it. They should have coaching staff to do it.
Now, after a year of mediocrity, they just need to go out and prove they are as good as everyone thinks they are.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorr-Parks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
