NFL
Philly Defense Absent in Tennessee’s Upset Victory
The Philadelphia Eagles slip to 2-2 as the Tennessee Titans improve to 3-1 in an overtime win in Nashville. The Eagles struggled to find the end zone as Marcus Mariota, and the Titans put on their best offensive performance of the year.
Titans Win Battle Of The Line
Philadelphia’s offensive line couldn’t contain Tennessee’s pass rush. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was hit over ten times and sacked four times for a total loss of 33 yards. Titans linebacker Jayon Brown found ways to disrupt the Eagles offensive line throughout the contest.
The Eagles ran for only 117 yards against a typically weak Titans run defense. Running back Corey Clement was ruled out for Sunday’s game, leaving RBs Jay Ajayi and Wendell Smallwood to take the entirety of the carries. Titans safety Kevin Byard showed off his blitz and rush abilities in the nickel formation stopping Ajayi’s counter runs. No matter what formation Tennessee was in, they were able to fill gap responsibilities and either stop the run or put pressure on Wentz.
Philadelphia’s top-ranked pass rush was silent during almost the entirety of the game. The Eagles defense allowed just 70 rushing yards; however, 46 of those were from Mariota. Mariota was hit just six times and was rarely forced to throw out of the pocket. The Eagles’ LB core struggled to get in the backfield and make plays.
Philadelphia’s Streaky Secondary
The Eagles defense has relied on their front seven’s ability to put pressure on the quarterback and collapse the pocket. With their front seven disarmed, the Eagles secondary was put to the test and failed. Six Tennessee receivers caught a reception from Mariota, three of them caught more than five. Collectively the Titans offense put up 327 passing yards against the Eagles.
A series of missed tackles and zone assignments by Eagles’ defensive backs kept Tennessee in the game. With less than three minutes left in the third quarter, the Titans marched up the field to make the game 17-10. Mariota threw three passes longer than 15 yards, and a series of short slant passes in the drive.
After another field goal in the fourth quarter, a 51-yard pass from Mariota to a relatively wide open Davis set up another Titans’ touchdown; Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills and safety Malcolm Jenkins were three steps too late.
After scoring a field goal in overtime, the Eagles had four chances on fourth down to stop the Titans, all unsuccessful. Mariota, similar to his late third quarter effort, moved the ball methodically up the field. Several ten or more yard passes and a 17-yard scramble put the Titans in the red zone. The Eagles’ pass coverage broke down again and the Titans capitalized; a 10-yard TD pass to Davis sealed the victory.
Takeaways From The Game
Marcus Mariota seems to be in full health and back in his rhythm. The Titans offense seems to have realigned and put a stop to their scoring woes. Tennessee’s poor run defense put on a performance that they can hopefully repeat. If they can continue to stop the run and maintain the tight secondary coverage, they will be able to keep their offense in the game.
With Houston and Indianapolis struggling to score themselves, Tennessee will have to outrun Jacksonville for the division title. Now ranked 1st in the AFC South, the Titans will almost surely be back in the playoffs either as divisional champions or a dark horse wild card.
The Philadelphia Eagles offense lacks the versatility it boasted last year due to both injuries and personnel changes. The Eagles will need to find new ways to score in order to keep pace with the Rams and Vikings. The answer to bad football is more football; time will likely fix the Eagles’ offensive woes. However, an offensive addition would certainly not hurt the Birds.
What needs immediate attention from Philadelphia’s front office is the Eagles secondary. The already struggling secondary lost free safety Rodney McLeod for the season due to a knee injury sustained in Week 3.
Recent acquisitions like Ronald Darby have been disappointing in their production as young recruits Avonte Maddox and Sidney Jones are struggling to keep up with the learning curve. From defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz’s strategy to the DB’s discipline, the Eagles secondary will need to shape up, or the former champions will quickly ship out.
Photo Credit
Featured Image courtesy of Rick Small
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