The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense has officially made unwanted franchise history, clocking zero takeaways through their first three games of the season. Yeah, you read that right: zero. Nada. Nothing. It’s the first time in the entire history of the Eagles that they’ve opened a season without a single turnover forced by Week 3. Not exactly the kind of record you want your team setting, is it?
This Ain’t Just Bad Luck, It’s an Anomaly
Look, sometimes you get a little bad luck. The Birds have actually forced a couple of fumbles that their own offense ended up recovering, so it’s not like they haven’t touched the ball. But that optimistic spin only goes so far, especially when you consider the cold, hard facts. This dismal streak makes them only the 16th NFL team *ever* to start a season with zero takeaways through three games. And here’s the kicker: out of the first 15 teams to do that, only two managed to claw their way into the playoffs: the 1979 Broncos and the 2004 Rams. Not exactly a strong precedent for a deep run, huh? The less rosy view is, well, maybe they just don’t have enough playmakers to actually *get* those takeaways. That’s a gut punch.
This isn’t just about total takeaways either. This is also only the fourth time in Eagles history they haven’t intercepted a pass through Week 3, the others being in 1998, 2020, and 2021. They’ve gone 13 consecutive games without multiple interceptions, which is their 6th-longest streak ever and the 4th-longest active streak in the entire NFL right now. Want another brutal stat? They haven’t picked off three passes in a game since Week 6 of the 2022 season, when C.J. Gardner-Johnson snagged two and Slay got one off Cooper Rush in a 26-17 win against the Cowboys. That’s a 65-game streak without more than two INTs, by far the longest in franchise history and the 13th-longest in NFL history. Oh, and when they’re minus-three or worse in turnover differential, they’re 1-27-1 in their last 29 games. Yikes.
The Real Face of This Defense is Showing
So, what does this actually mean? Well, the Eagles are also just the fifth team since sacks became an official stat in 1982 to have no takeaways and three or fewer sacks through Week 3. The other four? The 2002 Bengals, 2013 Steelers, 2019 Broncos, and 2023 Giants. None of them made the playoffs. You see a pattern emerging here?
It’s tough to say, but that stellar Week 1 and Week 2 defensive showing might have been a total fluke. The smoking gun? Look at who they played. Washington’s offense is 27th in pass offense, and Tennessee is 30th in scoring, 31st in total offense, and 30th in pass offense. Those aren’t exactly offensive juggernauts. What we saw on Monday night, where they struggled to create pressure and force turnovers, is probably closer to what this defensive unit actually is.
With a track record like that, and the real face of this defense showing up against weaker opponents, the Eagles gotta figure this out. Fast. Because if this keeps up, those early season playoff hopes are gonna evaporate quicker than a spilled IPA on a hot T-Mobile Park day. It’s gonna be a long season if they can’t force some turnovers.
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.
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