Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Dominant Defense Leads to Win

Posted November 15th, 2024 | 1 Comment »

Washington and Philly came into Thursday night with two of the best offenses in the league. So naturally the Eagles defense stole the show. Jayden Daniels might have had all the hype coming into the game, but Jalen Carter and Zack Baun were the guys who played like stars. Carter was disruptive all game long, just overwhelming blockers. Baun flew around the field, making tackles all over the place.

The Eagles limited Washington to 264 yards and 18 points. That is the second lowest yardage of the season and the 18 points ties a season low. And the Commanders needed garbage time to get that. Vic Fangio’s defense was great. They rushed the passer well. They covered receivers. They tackled well for most of the game. Someone seeing Washington for the first time this year would be shocked that they are the #3 scoring offense in the league.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense were once again a tricky group to evaluate. The final stats showed 26 points and 434 yards. Most teams would kill for that. The Eagles only had 10 points in the first three quarters and the offense bogged down in crucial situations. They were 1 for 3 in the red zone. They had some bad moments that hurt promising drives.

Saquon Barkley had another monster game, going 26-146-2 on the ground and 2-52 as a receiver. His 23-yard TD run gave the Eagles some cushion at 19-10 and his 39-yard TD sprint put the game away. He deserves some MVP consideration.

Jake Elliott had his worst game as a pro. He missed 2 FGs and an extra point. Those 7 points could have been huge. The fact the Eagles overcame those missed kicks and the slow start and still won shows you how talented this team is. They were able to make the key plays that gave them the lead and won them the game. As good as Washington has been this year, they still need to get better.

There was a great sequence in the early fourth quarter. Washington drove into FG range. They got 9 yards on first down, setting up 2nd & inches. Jalen Carter blew up the next play, which led to 3rd & 1. Zack Baun and BG stuffed a run on third down to set up 4th & 2. The whole world expected Dan Quinn to kick the FG. The Commanders were down 12-10 so the FG would have given them the lead (if good).

Jalen Carter blew up the play and then Baun finished it off when Daniels ran wide. That was an electric moment. You just knew the Eagles were winning at that point.

Washington struggled to run the ball all game. They finished with 28 carries for 93 yards. One went for 18 so the other 27 carries netted only 75 yards. The Eagles front clogged the running lanes and the LBs flew to the ball.

The Commanders offense has worked on a formula of running the ball and throwing in favorable situations. They couldn’t do that tonight. Daniels was throwing in more challenging situations and he struggled. Washington WRs finished with only 4 catches. Terry McLaurin faced Quinyon Mitchell for most of the game and went 1-10. That catch came when they flipped McLaurin to the opposite side of the field to get him away from Q.

Washington only had one pass go for more than 16 yards. Fangio forced another offense to play small-ball and it worked once again. The Eagles back seven is playing at a high level right now.

The Eagles have now won 6 games in a row. They have a 1.5 game lead in the division. Every week we see more signs that this team is a legit contender.

Last year the Eagles were 9-1 at this point. That’s just a game difference from 8-2, but the teams feel very different. This defense is for real. Saquon is a special dude. The passing game can be erratic, but it can deliver big plays as well. Jalen Hurts looks different than last season. He’s faster and just seems more athletic.

I think the stretch run is going to be a lot more fun this season.

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Game Preview – WAS at PHI

Posted November 14th, 2024 | Comments Off on Game Preview – WAS at PHI

Philadelphia and Washington haven’t played a big game in a while. Washington last had winning records in 2015 and 2016. Those were down years for the Eagles. Washington won the division in 2012, an awful year for the Birds. You have to go back to 1996 to find both teams finishing the year with winning records.

This year is very different. Washington is 7-3 and playing their best football in years. They have a new owner, GM, coach and QB. The changes have worked. Washington seems like a completely different organization. Dare I say, they’re actually competent. Their only two losses since opening day are to the Ravens and Steelers, a pair of 7-win teams.

Dan Quinn is doing a terrific job as head coach. He’s pushed all the right buttons and has the team playing well. The real key to the turnaround is the offense. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels is having a great season. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has figured out how to get the most out of Daniels, taking advantage of his mobility and passing skills. Daniels is the team’s leading rusher (464 yards) and he’s got a passer rating of 101.7.

Daniels isn’t just getting lucky. He’s made some really impressive throws.

The Washington offense will be a really good test for the Eagles defense. The Commanders are 3rd in scoring and 4th in points. The Eagles defense has been the best in the league since the bye so this will be a good showdown.

Washington is at their best when running the ball, but they make big plays in the passing game. Daniels averages 8.2 yards per attempt, which is outstanding. The Eagles front seven will have their hands full trying to deal with Daniels and the run game. Washington averages 4.9 yards per carry as a team. The Eagles must play smart football. They need to be assignment-sound. They must rally to the ball and tackle well. If the Eagles are over-aggressive or sloppy, Daniels and the RBs can burn them.

The secondary will have to control Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. McLaurin is likely to face Quinyon Mitchell a lot so that could be a fun matchup. Old friend Zach Ertz is having a good year over the middle.

Austin Ekeler could be an X-factor. He’s been a playmaker as a runner and receiver. RB Brian Robinson is back after missing last week with an injury. Those guys will be running behind an OL that has overachieved. Seeing that group against the Eagles front seven will be interesting for both sides.

Washington’s defense is a work in progress. They really struggle to stop the run. They’re 28th in yards allowed and 29th in yards per carry. The once potent DL isn’t what it used to be. Daron Payne is still a talented DL and he’s coming off a good game. Dante Fowler leads the team with 8.5 sacks. LB Frankie Luvu is used creatively and has 5 sacks this season. The defense is aggressive and has made plays, especially recently.

LB Bobby Wagner is the team’s leading tackler and runs the defense.

Washington has allowed 124 or more rushing yards in 7 games this season. You can expect the Eagles to run on them early and often. It is a good thing Saquon Barkley got a chance to sit some of Sunday’s game.

The Commanders pass defense is also vulnerable, which is why they traded for CB Marshawn Lattimore. He won’t play on Thursday. Expect the Eagles to attack Benjamin St-Juste.

The Eagles attacked CB Caelen Carson very effectively last week. Expect a repeat of that with St-Juste this time out.

I’m curious to see how the teams handle this game. Washington played the Steelers in a tough game last week. The Eagles have played a soft schedule recently, but have been controlling those games. The Eagles have more big game experience and that does mean something. Still, don’t sell Washington short. They have looked really good at times this year.

This is a game the Eagles should win. They have to limit turnovers. This is a big test for Daniels, but he’s having a great season so I don’t expect him to be overwhelmed. Washington looks like they finally found a star QB to build around.

*****

The most famous WAS-PHI battle was the Body Bag Game. I talked about that game and Buddy Ryan on a recent podcast. Check that out if you need some good pre-game content.

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