Anthony DiBona
Just when the Philadelphia Eagles were convincing some people they could hang with the big boys, they let us down. Although technically they were outmatched on paper, some believed the Eagles had a legitimate chance to beat the Arizona Cardinals. Personally, I wasn’t part of that group and expected exactly what happened on Sunday night. The Cardinals are just much better than the Eagles right now, it’s that simple.
Rookie running back David Johnson single handily destroyed the Eagles all night long. Philadelphia’s run “defense” is honestly embarrassing at this point. The team can’t tackle (especially the inside linebackers) and it’s becoming a huge problem, it feels like 2012 all over again. Yet despite the defensive woes in the running game, there were some positives to take away from Sunday night’s loss. Here are my five takeaways from the Eagles predictable loss to the Cardinals:
1) Sam Bradford continues to improve
Say what you will, but there’s no denying Sam Bradford is improving each and every week. Despite staring down pressure nearly every single play, Bradford stood strong in the pocket and delivered some big time throws. The stats show that he turned the ball over three times but only one was really his fault, which came when the game was well out of hand anyway. Prior to his injury, Bradford didn’t show anywhere near enough to warrant a contract extension but now there’s certainly an argument to be made.
2) Mychal Kendricks needs to shut up and play
If you haven’t seen it by now, Eagles inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks had the audacity to make this statement following Sunday night’s loss to the Cardinals:
Mychal Kendricks: "If I know myself and I know my teammates, the Redskins got something coming to them. For real. That's real shit."
— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) December 21, 2015
Now don’t get me wrong, it’s cool to see players have confidence and all. But have you seen Kendricks on the field this season? Unless he’s blitzing the quarterback, he’s basically been invisible. Not to mention, he missed countless tackles against the Cardinals. There’s no denying that Kendricks has all of the talent in the world, but he has yet to show it on the field after receiving a contract extension in the offseason.
3) DeMarco Murray…who?
Chip Kelly can make up all of the excuses he wants but it’s obvious by this point in the season. He’s done with running back DeMarco Murray, his key addition in the offseason. Kelly can blame it on the gameplan, the size of opposing linebackers or whatever else he wants but the truth is obvious. Murray just hasn’t been an effective player in Kelly’s system and his days in Philadelphia are numbered. Now it’s just a matter of finding a team dumb enough to trade the Eagles anything in return for Murray and his hefty contract.
4) Jordan Hicks is sorely missed
It’s safe the say that this team really, really misses rookie inside linebacker Jordan Hicks. Ever since he went down with a season ending injury in Week 9, the defense has taken a nose dive. They’ve especially struggled against the run which is very uncharacteristic considering their play during the past two seasons. Hicks also had a knack for making big plays at key moments and this team just can’t force any turnovers lately. Unlike Kiko Alonso and Mychal Kendricks, Hicks was also able to cover and tackle effectively, which is just a little important for inside linebackers in the NFL.
5) Depth at cornerback? I don’t believe it!
If you’re anything like me, you thought the Eagles were doomed when cornerbacks Eric Rowe and Byron Maxwell left Sunday night’s game due to injuries. It was down to E.J. Biggers and Jaylen Watkins on the outside against one of the best passing offenses in the NFL. Yet they somehow, someway managed to hold the Cardinals in check through the air. It wasn’t like they weren’t tested either, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer heaved some bombs down the field and they were covered well by both Biggers and Watkins. It’s nice to see the Eagles could have some depth to build on in the secondary heading into the offseason.
That’s all for my five takeaways from the Eagles’ loss to the Cardinals. Be sure to check back here at PhillyInfluencer.com later in the week for my game preview for Saturday’s match-up against the Washington Redskins. We all know that’s a must-win game for the birds and it should certainly be a good one!