The Eagles' defense was into legendary territory last year, almost breaking the NFL sack record set by perhaps the best defensive unit of all-time, so you knew that anything other than topping that was going to be a step back.
That's what happens when you're on top – the only move is down. Here's the problem with the now 10-3 Eagles this year, though: they knew that and Joe DeCamara, at least, needed to see the offense carry the load…and so far, they just haven't done it.
"The coaches, the defense, the offense…that was a holy trifecta last year that was unlikely to occur in 100 years with the best roster, easiest schedule, and health," Joe said Tuesday. "This year is different, as we knew it would be, but they still have the makings, in many ways, of a great roster. They don't have a great defense and I'm gonna tell you what's bugging me the most: the offense is letting the team down."
After repeating that line, and the caveat that he accepted the D would take a step backwards, here's why he thinks that way:
"You lose five defensive starters from a team that last year made the Super Bowl, so you're going to take steps back, and I was fine with that," Joe said. "But knowing that, and seeing the defense is not good at all, I need an offense to carry the freaking day! With Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown and DeVonte Smith and Dallas Goedert and D'Andre Swift and an offensive line that is supposedly the best in football, this offense is supposed to be elite. When you face Dallas and San Francisco, you're supposed to put up points, because the only way you can beat Dallas and San Francisco with this defense is putting up points. So the thing bugging me the most is how much the offense is letting everybody down. This defense requires this offense to be really good, and it's outrageous that they have struggled as much as they have."
Jon Ritchie, himself of course no stranger to explosive Eagles offenses, thinks that plays right in line with what's bugging him the most.
"We're not playing well, and I think it's the coaches who are calling these plays and not being aggressive enough, not designing the scheme properly on both sides of the ball," Jon said. "I'm positive our team should look better than we have the last two weeks, and the 49ers and the Cowboys have passed us by in the NFC, and we should be made about that, but it's not over – and to me, the fact that the coaching is the biggest culprit, that's the most correctable of the possible issues at hand."
Ritchie reiterated this losing streak is just two games, and a win in Seattle Monday night means they went 6-2 through the teeth of their schedule from the Dolphins to the Seahawks – but as Jon said, "it's two losses, but it's not just two games."
"It's a bunch of games where they've made a bunch of mistakes," Joe said.
"Again, why our offense isn't leaning more into the RPO that worked for us early in the season, when we were running it more, I don't know," Ritchie replied. "We've gotten away from it, I guess, in an effort to help protect our quarterback, but I think it's a coaching mistake and I think that can be corrected. And on defense, we've talked an awful lot about how the pass rush and the coverage just simply don't match up, but that's coaching and design that can certainly be improved, too."
Take a listen to their entire conversation above!
