The Philadelphia Eagles found themselves stuck at 2-3 after the Jacksonville Jaguars handed them their third straight loss. It was a brutal defeat, their third in a row, but there were some flashes of brilliance to cling to, even in defeat.
Jalen Carter Just Turned Up the Heat
Man, if you’re looking for a silver lining from that rough loss, it’s gotta be Jalen Carter. The dude is finally looking healthier and way more effective out there, probably thanks to a less restrictive cast on that hairline wrist fracture. Seriously, this might have been the best game of his career, or at least it’s right up there! He absolutely went off with two strip sacks,yeah, the Jags recovered ’em both, but still, those are huge impact plays,plus three tackles for loss and a pass deflection. We’re talking about the first Eagles DT to log multiple strip sacks in one game since Fletcher Cox back in 2015, and the first NFL DT to do it since October 2019. Now, the Jaguars did manage to keep him pressure-free in the second half, doubling his double-team rate from 31.8% in the first half to 47.1% in the second. But if he can keep bringing that kind of impact, this Eagles defense gets a huge ceiling boost.
Darius Cooper Deserves More Targets, Period
Another bright spot, even if his shine got dimmed by another Eagles L, was Darius Cooper. For the second week in a row, this guy led the team in receiving! He only got three targets in this game, but he turned those into two catches for 71 yards, including an absolutely electric 62-yard touchdown reception. The dude now has four touchdowns on just seven receptions this season. Seems pretty good, right? The frustrating part is that four other players somehow got more targets than him in this game. The Eagles seriously need to get more intentional about feeding him the ball. Cooper’s the first Eagles WR to hit four receiving TDs in the first five games of the season since Jeremy Maclin did it way back in 2014. Give him the rock!
Vic Fangio’s Defense Kept Them in It
And hey, let’s give some props to Vic Fangio’s defense. Yeah, they gave up 408 yards, which isn’t exactly stellar. But they held a Jaguars team that was averaging 26 points per game coming into Week 5 to just 19 total points. That’s a pretty big deal! You gotta look at the context too: the Jags’ first touchdown came right after an Eagles turnover on downs. Their second TD drive started practically in scoring position, at their own 49-yard line, and Parker Washington capped it off. So, while the yards allowed sting, keeping a high-scoring offense under 20 points is a win in itself.
So, the Eagles are now on a three-game skid and sitting at 2-3. They’ve gotta figure out how to get Darius Cooper more involved and hope Jalen Carter can keep up this dominant, healthy play. These guys showed what they can do, but it wasn’t enough to get the W. This team has to find a way to snap this losing streak.
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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