The official snap counts from the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers are out, and man, there’s a lot to unpack about what went down on offense, especially after Tanner McKee’s rough first career start. It was a tough game, and looking at how players were used, it’s clear the coaching staff had some questionable decisions.
Offensive Line Held Strong, But the Skill Players… Woof.
Jordan Mailata is the only dude on offense who has played 100% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps this season, showing some serious durability. He even chipped in on 11.32% of special teams snaps. Good on him. The offensive line actually had continuity this game, same lineup as last week, and zero starters got hurt. That’s usually a good sign, right? Except, it didn’t really make a difference for the offense as a whole. Tanner McKee, in his first career start for a team not resting starters, put up a 77.5 passer rating. Let’s be real, that’s not good, and it wasn’t just him. His “support system,” which means both the coaching and the talent around him, wasn’t doing him any favors either.
Running back Carson Steele went down with a shoulder injury, which meant Dameon Pierce nearly had to play the entire game. They called up Jaydon Blue from the practice squad, but clearly didn’t trust him enough to actually put him in. Pierce, by the way, has snagged 10 targets combined over the last two games. On the receiving end, rookie Makai Lemon has actually seen his highest snap count percentages in back-to-back games. He got the third-most targets on Sunday with six, turning them into three catches for just 19 yards. Not exactly tearing it up.
The Cooper Conundrum: A Head-Scratcher
This is where it gets wild, folks. DeVonta Smith wasn’t 100%, playing through a hamstring injury, and Dontayvion Wicks was in the same boat, also not feeling 100% with a hamstring issue. Smith still led the team with 14 targets, hauling in seven receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown, even with limited snaps. Wicks had the fifth-most targets. You’d think with two key receivers battling injuries, the coaches would lean on someone else, right? Someone who’s been performing?
Enter Darius Cooper. There have been massive calls, and not just from me, for this guy to play more. He’s arguably their best blocking receiver, and he was coming off a career receiving performance in Week 5! How did the Eagles reward that? With the fifth-most snaps of any pass-catcher and a measly two targets. Two! That’s the same amount as Elijah Moore and Carson Steele, who barely played. This is despite the fact that McKee and Cooper have shown chemistry in the past. As @FDuffyNFL put it, “The Eagles can’t be taking Darius Cooper off the field. Darius Cooper, I would argue, might be their second-most important receiver for the way they want to play.” It just looks like the coaching staff totally whiffed on getting one of their more inspiring offensive options involved when they desperately needed him.
Oh, and then there’s Johnny Mundt. He leads the NFL in holding penalties at his position, which tells you everything you need to know about that “addition” to the tight end room. And Elijah Moore? He finally got his first touch in an Eagles uniform: one single reception for four yards. Brutal.
The Eagles’ offense has some real issues to sort out after this Week 6 loss. With players struggling through injuries and key playmakers seemingly sidelined by coaching decisions, they’ve got to figure out how to get the ball into the hands of the right guys. Especially after a performance like that.
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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