After a terrible loss to the 49ers, these Eagles should have a ruffled feathers when they face the Cowboys for control of the NFC East.
Jalen Hurts, quarterback
Last week’s game wasn’t his worst of the season, but it sure felt that way. Hurts struggled mightily to find receivers and running lanes, completing 57.8% of his passes and rushing for just 20 yards.
After the game, NFL Network’s David Carr suggested the team would be better served starting backup Marcus Mariota. “I’d say (Mariota) is probably better at playing quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles right now (than Hurts),” Carr said. “Right now, he would be more productive.”
On Thursday, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa boasted that his team had Philly’s quarterback all figured out. “We put the blueprint out there,” Bosa told reporters. “Hopefully, the Cowboys watch the tape.”
Those are some pretty hot takes. Hurts hasn’t responded but a good showing against Dallas could make them eat their words.
D’Andre Swift, running back
Swift’s six carries against San Francisco were his fewest since the season opener where he had a single carry for three yards. He had just 13 yards last week, but the team could manage to get him the ball with more frequency.
The Eagles are 1-2 in games Swift had 10 or fewer carries. Philadelphia abandoned the run after the first quarter last week even though the team was leading 6-0. The NFL’s fourth-leading rusher had just two carries in the final three quarters while the Eagles were outscored 42-13.
Darius Slay, cornerback
Slay is the most decorated member of the Eagles secondary, but he’s not having a very good year. The five-time Pro Bowler is ranked 31st among NFL cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus.
After the 49ers loss, Seth Joyner of JAKIB Sports criticized the team’s cornerbacks, saying that they were, “as disinterested at tackling someone as a young kid coming out to play football for the first time.” Later, the former linebacker doubled down on his comments as a guest on 94.1 WIP Sports Radio.
Naturally, Slay took exception to Joyner’s comments and responded in kind on his “Big Play Slay” podcast. “I think I played a solid game, could’ve made more plays, he said. “I had a great tackling day, I was tackling very, very well.”
To be fair, Slay is just two tackles shy of the 55 he had last year and few associate tackling with the “Big Play” moniker. He’ll need big plays against the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb this week. The NFL’s second-leading receiver had a season-high 191 yards in a 28-23 loss to Philadelphia earlier this year.
