Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Game Review – WAS 27, PHI 10

Posted November 6th, 2026 | No Comments »

Another disappointing game. The final score is a bit misleading. It was 13-10 in the late third quarter. Things got away from the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Again. This team just does not finish well. The offense doesn’t stay on the field and puts the defense in tough spots. Both units make critical mistakes and a lead disappears or a close game becomes not so close.

I was curious to see how this game would play out. Washington was 1-4-1 and was missing key players. The Eagles were a beaten up team as well, but this was very much a winnable game. The Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead and then watched the Commanders score 27 straight points. Not ideal.

The Eagles defense bounced back after a bad showing vs Dallas. The offense struggled after showing some signs of life last week. You fix one side of the ball and then the other side forgets how to play. This feels like the NFL version of Whac-A-Mole. So incredibly frustrating. This really is a dysfunctional team.

COACHING

Nick Sirianni didn’t have to make many strategic decisions. The Eagles went for it on 4th down twice. The first time was a good decision. The second time was pure desperation since it was late in the game.

Sean Mannion got things off to a solid start. The second drive was well done and led to a FG. Then the Eagles got the ball in great position after a turnover. Mannion dialed up a great pass play to Saquon that put the team down at the 2 yard line. Then there was a well-designed paly for the TD, a direct snap to Saquon. The next four full drives ended in punts. Not all of that is on Mannion, but he struggles to come up with answers when the team needs them.

Vic Fangio got his unit to play better, but not good enough. I thought the run defense was improved. They gave up 135 yards, but more than half of that came on four plays – two long runs and two QB scrambles. The defense continues to have issues with setting the edge. That’s what led to both of the long runs. The defense did a better job of pressuring the QB. They had 2 sacks and 5 QB hits. The defense also had 4 TFLs and a takeaway.

Michael Clay’s STs had another poor showing. They gave up a long PR and KOR. There was an alignment error on a FG and a missed FG. the blocking on returns wasn’t good. Not all of this is on Clay. The front office isn’t giving him the most physical players to work with. Having Eli Stowers and Grant Calcaterra as blockers isn’t ideal, to put it mildly.

OFFENSE

QB

Tanner McKee looked ok early on and got me hopeful. That faded quickly. He finished 23-34-212. He threw an INT and also lost a fumble. McKee made some good throws and had his moments. Unfortunately he makes too many bad plays or mistakes. The fumble came when the Eagles were already in scoring position. You have to protect the ball better there in a close game. Part of this isn’t his fault. The best skill players are injured. The OL is a mess. He’s in a new offense with a first time coordinator. McKee isn’t talented enough or experienced enough to overcome the tough circumstances.

RB

Saquon Barkley played, but was in and out. He finished 13-30-1 on the ground. His long run was only 5 yards. The blocking just couldn’t give him the kind of space he needed for an explosive run. He did have two impressive plays.

Elijah Mitchell was 11-34 on the ground. He had a couple of nice runs. He also caught 4 passes, but only gained a total of 3 yards on them.

WR

DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks were out again. Makai Lemon went 6-57. He does a good job on short routes. He’s able to get open and catch the ball in traffic. Lemon had a gain of 20 on an intermediate catch and run. He had a chance for a downfield play along the sideline, but wasn’t able to make the grab. He got open. Just couldn’t finish it. That part of his game will need work. Darius Cooper went 2-19. Hollywood Brown went 2-17.

TE

Dallas Goedert was 4-30. He had a bobbled ball that was picked off, but a penalty saved him on that. His blocking was up and down. Grant Calcaterra was used creatively as a blocker. He struggled no matter where they put him or what they asked him to do. I have no idea why they use him the way they do. He isn’t a good blocker. He hasn’t been a good blocker. He will never be a good blocker. This isn’t complicated. Eli Stowers went 3-53. There was a 34-yard catch and run that came in garbage time.

OL

Mailata – Dickerson – Kendall – Steen – Bell

The OL was up and down. They did some good things early in the game. They struggled mightily in the fourth quarter when the team went pass-happy. I though Landon Dickerson had a good game, especially as a run blocker. Drew Kendall was mostly good, but had a couple of sloppy moments. Tyler Steen struggled with blocking Charles Omenihu, an athletic DL. Markel Bell did some good things in the run game, but had a rough day in pass pro. His pad level was an issue and he got driven backward multiple times.

Dickerson caught flak for missing a block in pass pro, but that was a communication error. We don’t know who is to blame specifically.

***

DEFENSE

DL

The DL was better in this game. Jalen Carter was more active and disruptive. He finished with 5 tackles, a sack, a QB hit, and a PD. He came free up the middle on a stunt and leveled Daniels for the sack. Jordan Davis was inconsistent. He got blocked too much. He only finished with 1 tackle. Moro Ojomo had a good game. He gave the LG fits. Ojomo ended up with 3 tackles, a TFL, and a QB hit. Beyond the numbers, he got in the backfield a lot and affected Jayden Daniels. Byron Young and Ty Robinson each played and finished with a tackle apiece.

While it was encouraging to see improvement, the DL still isn’t good enough.

ED

The edge rushers also improved from last week. Nolan Smith had a sack and a couple of QB hits. He flew off the edge and got a good shot on Daniels for one of the hits. Jalyx Hunt is getting healthier and it showed. He got into the backfield a couple of times and had a QB hit. Jonathan Greenard is not making any impact. He was credited with 1 tackle. Some people were critical of his effort. I saw questions on a couple of plays, but thought the biggest problem is that he just can’t get off blocks. Arnold Ebiketie didn’t play much.

LB

Zack Baun had 7 tackles and he recovered a fumble. He was solid, but just hasn’t made as much of an impact as you would hope for. Jeremiah Trotter Jr led the team with 10 tackles. He was solid against the run.

SAF

Drew Mukuba had 9 tackles, a PD, and a FF. He was aggressive vs the run. His tackling is still sloppy. Mukuba had a good hit to create the fumble. He is having issues when asked to be in man coverage against WRs.

Kenny Moore had 3 tackles. He gave up a big play to the TE. Marcus Epps filled in after an injury and broke up a pass in the red zone.

CB

Quinyon Mitchell got burned for a big play by Treylon Burks. Q bit on a double move and gave up a gain of 53 yards. He had 3 tackles in the game. Riq Woolen had 3 tackles. Cooper DeJean was up and down in coverage. He finished with 3 tackles and a TFL.

***

ST

Braden Mann averaged 44.2 yards on his 5 punts. 3 of the were downed inside the 20.

Jake Elliott missed a FG. He had hit a prior attempt, but it was nullified because Jordan Mailata lined up too deep and drew a flag.

Cooper DeJean was the PR. He caught the punts smoothly and had a 12-yard return.

Jaydon Blue was the KOR. He showed some potential, but didn’t get good blocking. His long return was 34 yards.

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A New QB

Posted November 5th, 2026 | No Comments »

The Eagles are making a change at QB, with Joe Milton now taking over as the starter. This move isn’t a major surprise. The Eagles were 0-3 in his starts and averaged just 15 points per game. He was dealt some tough circumstances to be sure, but McKee just wasn’t getting the job done.

Let’s talk about Milton. The Eagles signed him on October 16th so he’s not been with the team very long. Why go to him? Milton is more physically gifted. He is more mobile than McKee. He has a stronger arm. Milton also had a better preseason. I was shocked that Dallas put him on their practice squad, which left him available to other teams.

This move will seem desperate to some, and that is a fair criticism. But I’m okay with it. McKee needs the right circumstances to be successful. He showed potential in 2024 when playing with a great OL, dynamic receivers, and an elite RB. This offense is world’s different. McKee had to do more of the heavy lifting and his limitations showed. He’s just not a guy who can carry an offense.

Milton might not be that guy either, but his physical tools give him a better chance of handling that role. If protection breaks down, he can use his legs to make a play. If he’s got a clean pocket, Milton can use his arm strength to get the ball downfield on intermediate or deep routes. The offense has struggled all season so I don’t see the harm in trying a new QB. McKee threw 2 TDs and 2 INTs in his three starts. It isn’t like you’re walking away from much.

The other part of this is something I touched on in the previous post. The Eagles need to use the remaining games to evaluate their roster. They have a pretty idea of what McKee is after 4 years and 5 starts. Milton is an unknown commodity. Give him a chance to start a few games and show what he can do. Maybe he could prove worthy of being the primary backup next season. Or you find out he was on the Cowboys practice squad for a reason.

It would help Milton if he had DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks back in the lineup. Unfortunately they weren’t at practice on Wednesday. Nor was Saquon Barkley. Maybe the Eagles will sit them this week, with the bye coming up after that. The three could then return to action after that with rested legs.

Some might wonder why Cole Payton isn’t getting a look. Milton is more experienced. Payton only started one season at NDSU and is a rookie in the NFL. You don’t want to rush him onto the field and have him get overwhelmed. Payton might get his chance later in the season. Let him learn for now.

This is Milton’s time to shine.

Or struggle like everyone else.

*****

If only the Eagles could turn to this guy as QB.

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