Can you believe what Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is saying right now? This man is out here telling reporters the screen game is going to be a “big part of what we do,” and honestly, it makes you wonder if he’s watching the same games as the rest of us. We’re talking about an offense that’s thrown seven screen passes this season for a grand total of **-15 yards**. That’s not a typo, folks. Negative fifteen.
Running Into a Brick Wall, Again and Again
The numbers are screaming, but Mannion is apparently hearing crickets. For two weeks straight, the Eagles haven’t managed a single positive play on a screen pass. None! Zero! You’d think that kind of brutal inefficiency would make a coach pump the brakes, but nope, Mannion is digging his heels in. He told reporters on Wednesday, “I think we’re close on a few of them.” Close to what, exactly? Close to another sack in the backfield?
Remember that Week 1 victory against the Washington Commanders on September 13th? Yeah, Lemon got absolutely annihilated on two screen attempts in that game, losing three and five yards. Both times he was tackled instantly because the blocking was just non-existent. Mannion talks about “fundamental things to clean up” and plays being “execution based,” but how many more negative plays do we need to see before they admit this just isn’t working? Until they fix the timing and the blocking, these plays are dead in the water, and everyone can see it.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Ghastly Strategy
Let’s get real for a second. The Eagles have now run seven screens this year, completing five of those passes, but those two other attempts were blown up by defensive linemen before they even had a chance. They’re averaging a soul-crushing -2.1 yards per screen attempt. That’s not just bad, that’s historically awful.
The experts are calling it like it is: the Eagles’ screen game is “horrific,” “abhorrent,” and “ghastly.” And honestly, our eyeballs confirm what the stats are screaming. It’s a train wreck every single time. Instead of banging their heads against this brick wall, maybe Mannion and Nick Sirianni need to be honest about where this running game is at. Jalen Hurts looks great, the wide receivers are inspiring confidence, and the offense should be leaning hard into that passing attack. Forget these screens, feed the guys who are actually making plays! Short targets to a guy like Zach Ertz, for instance, could actually be fruitful and help them stay “on schedule” for those manageable third downs, rather than trying to force plays that go nowhere.
What’s next for this Eagles offense? Are they actually going to keep forcing this screen game, hoping for some magical turnaround? The season is rolling, and every failed play adds up. If they want to be productive moving forward, they need to ditch what’s not working and capitalize on their clear strengths, before these ghastly screen attempts cost them big.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
Leave a Reply