Cleanup Time

The Philadelphia Eagles’ performance in Week 2 revealed that they are very much still a work in progress.

On the latest episode of “Inside The Birds,” Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher dove into the biggest issues currently plaguing the team.

GETTY IMAGES: The Philadelphia Eagles pass rush has struggled in the opening two weeks of the 2024 season.

Pass Rush

Adam Caplan: “They have a real pass rush problem. It’s not quantity, it’s quality. They just don’t have anyone who can get to the quarterback. Their edge rushers don’t have a sack yet. That is the biggest problem on the football team.”

Geoff Mosher: “There are ways to unlock guys through scheme, whether you play more line games, you twist, you stunt…I think Vic (Fangio), Clint Hurtt, and Jeremiah Washburn have to figure out ways to do that better. Jalen Carter is a guy who has to show up a little bit more, but I think they can also figure out a way to loop him around so he’s more like a d-end than a d-tackle all the time. Same thing with Bryce Huff, (Josh) Sweat…I don’t think all hope is lost for this, schematically they have to do things differently.”

Penalties

Mosher: “The Eagles got penalized for an illegal man downfield on the second play of the game. Usually play number two is something that you have repped over and over in practice because that is part of your first 15. To get an illegal man downfield on the second play of scrimmage is almost incomprehensible, yet it happened to the Eagles and you got about three or four of them.”

Jalen Hurts

Mosher: “Did he play a gritty, gutty game? Absolutely. Did he move the chains at times they needed to with his legs and a couple of good throws? Yes, absolutely. Did he leave plays on the field that would have made him not have to run the ball and take those hits that he did? Yes. I think it’s not right to say he had a good game in context of seeing the field, passing the ball, distributing, getting the ball to the right place against a certain look. It was not a great game.”

Caplan: “This has nothing to do with coaching. He breaks himself down way too much, moves when he shouldn’t move, it was really bad last season and it wasn’t good in this game.”

Run Defense

Mosher: “The Eagles defensive linemen offered no resistance. They were letting themselves get blocked horizontally which then allowed the backside offensive linemen to get into the second level and cut on Zack Baun or Nakobe Dean. [The Falcons] did exactly what they wanted to do and I didn’t see any adjustment on defense.”

Caplan: “The tape was so bad against the run, they’ll continue to work on it.”

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.