MAYBE our head coach can’t learn?

EAGLES 30 – Chiefs 42

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

Passing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (32/48 – 66.6% – 387 – 2 – 0)

Rushing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (8 – 47 – 5.8 – 0 – 1)

Receiving: (S) WR Devonta Smith (10 – 7 – 122 – 17.4 – 0)

Offensive Line Report: (1 + 6:0 – 3)

Drive Killer: (S) LB Eric Wilson (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader: (S) DT Javon Hargrave (3 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

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I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Chiefs did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) The back Seven: The idea here was to use the LB’s to do more than stand around and watch the game. Instead, we got another week of the same. This thing where our LB’s seem to be waiting for an invitation to each play from the offense, is the root cause of us allowing over 40 points in two straight games.

We dictated no action and allowed the Chiefs to impose their will on us. What is the point of having two of football’s better man coverage CB’s, just to sit them back on 6 and 8 yard cushions every play?

And why was LB Eric Wilson ever stuck with covering WR Tyreek Hill (12 – 11 186- 16.9 – 3)? He got a pick covering TE Kelce. THAT made sense. (NOT DONE)

2) Run the ball: This weeks play selection was 48 passes and 19 rushes. That’s means 71.6% of the time, we were passing. Oh, and of those 19 rushes, 8 of them were by the QB. So the ball was handed off just 11 times. At one point in the 4^th quarter the score was 28 – 23 Chiefs. So it’s not like there was ever a reason to abandon the run. Yet we did. Again.

Are the Eagles trying to replace RB Miles Sanders (7 – 13 – 1.8 – 0 – 0) with RB Kenneth Gainswell (3 – 31 – 10.1 – 1 – 0)? Gainswell had the better stat line today, but that generally hasn’t been the case this season. Nor is Gainswell the blocker that Sanders is. Seems silly to rock this boat right now. (NOT DONE)

3) Ends Gotta Sweat Mahomes: The DE’s needed to show up in this one, and they didn’t. We did get another Bonehead Barnett personal foul, which helped the Chiefs on the touchdown drive that put them up 21 – 13 at the half. So at least Barnett is being consistent? (NOT DONE)

4) Throw the ball deep: We did air it out, which opened up the intermediate passing game, and gave the passing attack the feel of efficiency.

The problem is, without a balance of real run game, passing attacks become 50/50 in the red zone. We aired it out, but we were operating half of an offense again. Still, if our WR’s can be coached to run their routes in bounds, we might have something here. (DONE)

So we got 1 of the Four Things, this week. Next week we limp into Carolina, to face the 3 – 1 Panthers. There, we’ll get to see if our coaching staff is still incapable of learning from their repeated mistakes.

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On The Whole:

Down 10 – 14, on first and goal from the KC 3, we threw two passes, and ran the ball once. To the outside. From the Shotgun. So we of course settled for a FG.

That there is a microcosm of everything wrong with Eagles football. It’s meant to be cute. Clever. It’s razzle-dazzle for the highlight reels. What it is not, is fundamentally sound. What it is, is 1 – 3.

Unsound football leads to losing. However, our coaching staff doesn’t seem to grasp that. In fact, this coaching staff, despite being just four games old, is already displaying an almost arrogant unwillingness to learn or adjust. This is both in-game and week to week.

Hurts has led the Eagles in rushing yards, in 3 of 4 games this season. The one he didn’t, was the game we won. We’ll see if the offensive coaching staff can pick up on that little nugget.

Playing the CB’s on cushions, and putting the LB’s in zone coverage on nearly every down, has opponents completing 72.7% of their passes, with 9 touchdowns against 1 interception. We’ll see if the defensive coaching staff can make anything resembling an adjustment, to stop that bleeding.

For the record, I don’t think this staff can. They are already too enamored with their own ideas of how things should be done. The trend is that things are getting worse. If we give up a 50 burger this season, someone needs to be fired.