By: Kylan Watson
After falling to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Las Vegas Raiders in South Philadelphia. The Eagles were finally able to get the dominant performance in all phases of the game they were looking for as they crushed the Raiders 31-0 for their ninth win of the season and end their three-game losing streak.
The Eagles found their offensive rhythm early in this game as they were able to string a 10 plus minute opening drive which resulted in a touchdown shuttle pass to Dallas Goedert from Jalen Hurts. Unlike previous opening drives this one was not hampered by penalties, eliminating the self-inflicted mistakes makes their offense look dominant again.
In addition, the Eagles finally got their running game going as well by mixing in more outside zone running plays instead of just attacking up the middle of the defensive unit. Saquon Barkley ran for 78 yards and found the end zone for a rushing touchdown. This was one of his better run game performances of the season and if the Eagles can maintain a balanced offensive scheme they can look like a title contender again.
Hurts looked sharp with the ball and besides a Goedert touchdown pass drop completed 12/15 of his passes for 175 yards and two touchdown completions. He was able to dissect the Raiders defensive scheme and manipulate the field like he was doing in last year’s super bowl. He ran the ball more too and that added another dimension to the offensive attack. The Eagles should attack the middle of the field more and use the height and talent advantage they have at tight end with Goedert and Brown which should open more deep ball throws for Hurts and will keep opposing defenses honest during a contest.
They will not play a defense like the Raiders again this season, but if Hurts and the offensive unit can use this game to build their confidence, then the Eagles will be a dangerous team in the postseason.
Once again, the Eagles defensive unit looked dominant, they were able to put pressure on Kenny Pickett and shut down Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers and prevent them from scoring throughout the entire game. Philly has gotten healthier on the defensive end; they are able to bring more bodies in to make an opposing quarterback feel them. Right now, the defensive unit is missing Jalen Carter as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. Despite his absence they still look like the best defensive team in the NFL. With Carter coming back this unit can go from dominant to scary and just in time for the playoffs.
The Eagles will now prepare to face the Washington Commanders for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon. Despite not being a healthy team this season, this game is still a matchup between conference rivals, and both teams need this game. Philly will need to use their short and intermediate passing game to attack the middle of Washington’s defense which will open their rushing game and deeper passes down the field. Additionally, on the defensive side they will need to spy Jayden Daniels and put as much pressure on him as possible to slow down Washington’s offensive scheme. Implementing these things into their game plan for Saturday night will put them in great position to win their 10th game of the season and build momentum heading into the postseason.
