This Eagles defense played an absurd 79 snaps against the Panthers, and honestly, the big story isn’t just the workload. It’s becoming way too repetitive watching this unit struggle, making the offense’s job harder and spending an insane amount of time out on the field. But even with that ridiculous snap count, this defense just isn’t performing well enough right now, and it’s definitely not carrying the team.
The Workload is Insane, But Not Everything
Look, the numbers are wild. Playing 79 defensive snaps is no joke. What’s even crazier is that this is the fifth game out of six this season where they’ve been on the field for 70 or more snaps. Think about that for a second. In 2025, they only hit that 70-snap mark in six out of seventeen games. And back in their Super Bowl season of 2024? Just three times all year. That kind of grind messes with everything: player rotations, the pass rush, and how much you can reasonably expect from guys over four quarters. The offense *has* to step up and give this group a break. They simply have to.
However, as much as that workload absolutely impacts things, it doesn’t actually explain everything we’re seeing on the field.
Deeper Problems Are Hurting This Group
Beyond the fatigue, there are some serious issues cropping up. We’re talking about clear communication problems in the secondary, missed tackles that are just unacceptable, and players who frankly look lost and uncomfortable with their responsibilities. You gotta give the Panthers credit here, because they were sharp. They quickly found those weaknesses and just kept attacking them over and over again.
Right from the jump, the Panthers’ first play from 13 personnel set a clear tone. The Eagles put Jihaad Campbell on the edge while running a split-safety structure behind the front. Honestly, that combination seemed to leave Zack Baun as the lone off-ball linebacker with way too much ground to cover. It felt like a setup for disaster, and it kinda was. That early success from 13 personnel then opened up play-action later in the game, a classic setup. And can we talk about Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble? He had an excellent game, especially with his blocking. His work there is exactly what makes those heavier personnel packages so useful for an offense. Having three tight ends on the field means absolutely nothing if they can’t block, and Tremble was a force. Based on that game, he’s the kind of player the Eagles could really use. To be fair, it probably isn’t hard to find tight ends who block better than their current group.
The Panthers also wasted no time identifying the matchup they wanted: Tetairoa McMillan against Andrew Mukuba. They used motion to create that specific matchup repeatedly in the first quarter, and Mukuba clearly struggled to handle it. That’s just good offense picking apart a struggling defense.
This defense isn’t just tired, it’s got some fundamental issues they need to sort out, and fast.
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