What did Ron Jaworski think of his Eagles holding off the Commanders 26-18 Thursday night?
“I think it really showed the disparity between Philadelphia and Washington down in the trenches; as we all know, games are won and lost on the line of scrimmage, and the Eagles’ lines bullied the Commanders’ lines,” Jaworski said. “As the game wore on, the war of attrition was won by the Eagles; they won the line of scrimmage, that's why they won the game.”
That could be a big reason for Jayden Daniels’ performance the last two weeks, honestly, as the offensive line has had its issues – but to Jaws, the Jayden he saw twice in five days isn’t the same one he saw earlier this season.
“The quarterback needs to be protected, and quite honestly, the last couple of weeks, he's not the same guy that I've been looking at for the early part of the season. The quick twitch out out of the backfield isn't there when he's forced to run, or when he’s got defenders attacking him, and that's because of the injury,” Jaws said. “I’m not sure if it’s his ribs or chest, but he’s not been the same guy since he’s been hurt, and if you put a wounded quarterback in harm's way, he’s not gonna perform the way he was. Jayden is the best young quarterback I’ve ever seen, and he’s gonna be a superstar, but if you keep putting him in harm's way and he's getting hit the way he's getting hit, he's not gonna be around.”
Jaws invoked RG3 as an example of a high-ceiling QB getting too beat up to succeed, and perhaps that wear down is also why Daniels’ mechanics have been getting a little wonky?
“I was looking at some of the throws he missed, and he was falling away or leaning back; after a while, there may not be pressure, but you perceive pressure because there's been pressure on every snap,” Jaws said. “The offensive line just did not protect him well enough last night, and that's not a good sign for the future for him. When you start taking that physical beating…the Eagles only blitzed five times, but the four-man rush was getting home, so there were seven defenders at the next level, and the windows weren’t there. There was good coverage by the Eagles’ secondary, so he wasn't getting those quick windows to throw into. The Eagles did a real good job of defining that he had to hold the football.”
All that said, though, Jaws is liking what he’s seeing in DC.
“They're getting better, and you got a great coach in Dan Quinn,” Jaws said. “The team plays with tremendous energy, the talent level is not where it needs to be, but you can see they compete every single play, and they got a great young quarterback that needs to be kept healthy. Washington’s goal should be to start playing their best football now, as we get into November and December. They’re definitely an improving team, but the roster’s not there yet.”
Take a listen to Jaws’ entire call-in above, as he discusses Dan Quinn’s decision not to kick the field goal in the fourth, Saquon Barkley’s importance to the Eagles, and more!