Eagles News: Philadelphia kinda has some problems at cornerback and wide receiver

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Barnwell: Answering nine questions that could define the NFL season - ESPN
If Ramsey’s price comes down, the Eagles could make sense, but the Jaguars don’t seem inclined to deal their former first-round pick. Other interesting corners also seem off-limits. The Cardinals have refused offers for suspended star Patrick Peterson. The Saints have former Eagles standout Patrick Robinson buried on their depth chart but are unlikely to trade their former first-rounder to a possible playoff rival. I’ve suggested that the Eagles make a move for Steelers corner Artie Burns, but the little-used Burns was forced into the starting lineup for Sunday night’s win over the Chargers with Steven Nelson injured. Philadelphia might be stuck waiting until the trade deadline for teams who are currently vaguely in contention to lose faith. The Broncos have won two straight, but they’re 2-4 and veteran Chris Harris Jr. is a free agent at the end of the season. The 2-4 Titans are a mess on offense and have Logan Ryan, who was one of the best corners in football through the first month of the season, entering the final year of his deal. The Giants probably wouldn’t make an in-division trade with their rivals, but do they really need Janoris Jenkins if they’re not competing for a playoff berth? As is, it’s tough to see the Eagles having enough at corner to win against the likes of the Vikings, Rams and Saints come January.

12 thoughts on the Eagles’ loss to the Vikings - BGN
I’ve only written about this a billion times before but it bears repeating once again: the Eagles are too slow. There’s no big play ability on offense with Jackson missing. In a modern NFL that’s all about speed and scoring a lot of points, the Eagles are trotting out this plodding group of chain movers. It’s all the more frustrating when the Eagles are trailing because it’s not like the Eagles are just a couple big plays away from erasing a deficit ... like they were in Week 1 when they had Jackson. No, instead the Eagles have to methodically drive down the field each time. It’s like pulling teeth just to score points. PRIORITIZE SPEED MOVING FORWARD! Even on defense, the Eagles have been drafting slower corners. Douglas is a 4.6 player. Mills is a 4.61 player. Jones was a 4.47 prior to injury but he sure doesn’t look as fast now. Again, why isn’t there an appreciation for speed?

The Failed Kirk Cousins Litmus Test - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Brandon Lee Gowton react to the Eagles’ embarrassing 38-20 loss to the Vikings in Week 6 with thoughts on what led to this moment and where the Eagles go from here PLUS they read your THREE WORDS about this loss.Powered by SBNation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Vikings game - PhillyVoice
The ‘Benched, Or Just Still Always Hurt’ Award: Sidney Jones. On a series in which the Vikings entered the red zone, mid-season street free agent acquisition Craig James came in for Jones, and promptly gave a up a TD reception on a great toe-tap catch by Diggs. Jones successfully avoided saying if he was taken out because of his hamstring, or whether he was taken out for that series despite being healthy. Either way, it’s not good. Oh, and Jones gave up a TD too, albeit on a double move in which the Eagles were unable to pressure Kirk Cousins, and Cousins had perfect ball placement.

Rough Day in the Land of Purple - Iggles Blitz
There are plenty of issues to discuss, but none bigger than the Eagles secondary. Stefon Diggs was 7-167-3 and Adam Thielen was 6-57-1. There were some impressive catches, but for the most part, they had it easy. Too easy. We know the Eagles DBs aren’t elite talents, but the problems were compounded due to confusion and discipline. Rasul Douglas was burned for a pair of long TDs. On one, it looked like the Eagles were in quarters coverage and the Vikings had a great call. Rodney McLeod took a crosser, leaving Douglas alone with Diggs. If McLeod doesn’t do that, the crosser is wide open. You wish Douglas had better long speed so he could make up ground on that play and at least prevent the TD. There was another long ball TD. Douglas acted like he expected deep help, but there was only one DB behind him. I don’t know who was at fault there. We are in Week 6. This defense shouldn’t be having those kind of issues.

The Day After: The Eagles have an identity, what will they do to change it? - The Athletic
As for the Eagles’ identity, right now it’s actually well-cemented. On defense, they are great at stopping the run. Even in surrendering more than 100 total rushing yards for the first time this season, they held Dalvin Cook to 41 yards on 16 carries. And against the pass, their identity is one that features struggling cornerbacks and a below-average pass rush. That identity is so entrenched, a Vikings team that entered Sunday as the league’s second-most run-heavy team opted for a bombs-away offense. On offense, the Eagles’ identity is also clear: Without much speed, the degree of difficulty is raised for a unit that has to plod its way down the field and rely on moments of unscripted brilliance from the quarterback. Would the defense look different if Sidney Jones, the 2017 second-round cornerback who was touted as a first-round talent, played to those expectations? Would the offense look better if JJ Arcega-Whiteside, the rookie second-round receiver, provided an instant threat, like several other rookie receivers drafted after him? Those questions are relevant not because it’s easy to pile on from the outside after a loss, but because they have to inform the decisions Howie Roseman will make over the next couple of weeks as the trade deadline looms.

Eagles’ loss to Vikings shows DeSean Jackson’s absence isn’t only wide receiver problem - Inquirer
Asked why he’s been used so much lately on shorter routes rather than down the field where he can use his enormous catch radius to his advantage, he said, “They were just trying to take advantage of whatever the defense was giving us and work our game plan.’’ Jeffery insisted that even without Jackson, the Eagles have more than enough pass-catching weapons. “I give them credit,’’ he said of the Vikings. “They kicked our [butt] today. But we can compete with any team. I don’t care who the ---- they are.’’ Nelson Agholor was the only other Eagles wide receiver to catch a pass against the Vikings. He had four receptions for just 42 yards. Just one of his catches was longer than 8 yards. Mack Hollins — the third wide receiver when the Eagles used 11-personnel, which wasn’t a lot Sunday — was targeted twice and didn’t have a catch. And then there’s the mysterious disappearance of rookie wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who was taken by the Eagles just four picks in the draft after Sanders but has barely gotten on the field after playing 132 snaps in Weeks 2 and 3.

An afternoon to forget for Eagles in Minnesota in 38-20 loss - PE.com
“They just beat us,” safety Rasul Douglas said. “We knew that if they got their play-action passing going that it was going to be tough. We just have to be better. There’s no other way to say it. We’re going to put this behind us and correct our mistakes. That’s what we do.”Said Jones: “I’m confident in myself. I felt good out there and I just didn’t make plays. We know how good that offense is and how good those receivers are. It’s on us. It’s about what we’re doing. We all have to be better. I know I have to be better. It was a big loss for us. We have to execute better. We have to execute the details as a whole. The energy is there. The physicalness is there. We just have to sharpen the detail.”

Roob’s observations after Eagles get off to brutal start, fall to Vikings - NBCSP
One play really illustrates just how grave the Eagles’ cornerback issues are right now. The Vikings had a 1st-and-10 just outside midfield, Cousins dropped back, had great protection and a difficult choice to make. Throw to a wide-open Diggs streaking toward the end zone on the left side of the field with Rasul Douglas trailing the play or throw to an even-wider-open Olabisi Johnson running down the right side of the field after separating from Sidney Jones. When you’re in position to throw a 51-yard TD to TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME … that’s catastrophic. That’s the way the whole game went. The Eagles’ corners were simply overmatched start to finish. I don’t know what the answer is. Is Jalen Mills going to come in next week and turn this around after not playing for a year? You have to put him in there. You have no choice. But the trade deadline is out there in a couple weeks, and if the Eagles really believe they’re a playoff team, they have to go get somebody. Because that was embarrassing.

NFL Week 6 PFF ReFocused: Minnesota Vikings 38, Philadelphia Eagles 20 - PFF
One of the biggest mismatches on the field was running back Miles Sanders against the Vikings’ linebackers. Sanders caught two wheel routes for big gains, including one for a touchdown. The first was a 32-yard score early in the second quarter against Eric Kendricks. The second was a 45-yard strike against Anthony Barr, which put the Eagles at the four-yard line for an eventual touchdown. Philadelphia’s secondary struggled all game long to contain Diggs, Adam Thielen and the Vikings’ passing game. Rasul Douglas, in particular, was on the wrong end of a number of big Viking passing plays, including two long touchdowns to Diggs, although one appeared to be some kind of coverage miscommunication. Fletcher Cox dominated fill-in Minnesota lineman Dakota Dozier all day long, and the rest of Philadephia’s defensive line played an overall solid game, but this was not enough to offset the explosive Minnesota passing game.

Stock Market Report: Eagles - Daily Norseman
Kirk Cousins, QB: Last week in this space, I said there wasn’t anyone in the NFL who needed a good game more than Kirk Cousins with regards to the Giants game. He did, but before the dust settled the narrative changed to ‘well, Kirk still sucks against good teams so let’s see how he does with the Eagles coming in to town’. In defense of the People Who Don’t Like Nice Things Ever Because Happiness Is Impossible Because Living In The Moment Is For Losers, it was a fair criticism. Cousins has historically struggled against good teams and the Vikings, as a franchise, always seem to be waiting for the next shoe to drop. Today, though, the only thing that dropped were Kirk Cousins dimes from the Nordic heavens, as he carved up the Eagles for 333 yards and four touchdowns.

Time to Unleash Carson - McNabb or Kolb
Note that a more efficient run vs. pass game is unusual. In weeks 1 through 5 of 2019, as well as during Pederson’s prior tenure, the Eagles had a higher average success rate and EPA passing the ball versus running. I will close with a prediction: in the following weeks, Doug will unleash Carson. As defensive coordinators begin to recognize that Jordan Howard is quietly efficient running behind Jeff Stoutland’s offensive line, they will increase the number of defenders in the box. And Pederson and Wentz will take what the defense gives them.

Sikkema’s 2020 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 - The Draft Network
21 - Eagles: Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State. Philly’s roster is extremely talented, but the area they’re clearly lacking production in most is at defensive back. Though Wade is more of a slot player — at least that’s what he’s doing this season at Ohio State — his skills are first-round worthy. The Eagles just need the most talented defensive back they can get at this point.

‘Winning means more to me’: Miles Sanders reflects on bigger picture after scoring first touchdown in Eagles loss - PennLive
Six weeks into his NFL career, Sanders had his first NFL touchdown. But in the end, it wound up being a bittersweet moment for the former Nittany Lions standout. Despite has contributions in the passing game — three catches for 86 yards and his touchdown — the Eagles lost to the Vikings, 38-20, at U.S. Bank Stadium. “Feels good, honestly. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you it didn’t feel good,” Sanders said in the locker room. “But winning means more to me. I’m excited, but not too excited because we got the loss. We got to go back to work.”

Week 6: It’s a New World at Quarterback and Other NFL Truths - FMIA
5. The Cowboys look like a 3-3 team. Of all the team fan bases I pissed off with my preseason predictions, picking the Cowboys to not make the playoff seemed to enrage the most people. I take no joy in Dallas losing three straight, including Sunday’s all-day-struggle of a 24-22 loss to the previously 0-4 Jets. But this is a team with problems entering the NFC East showdown with similarly disappointing Philadelphia, also 3-3, next Sunday night in Texas. The Cowboys can’t be great with their offensive injuries; they’re just too thin to survive the loss of both tackles (Tyron Smith and La’el Collins) and two prime receivers (Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb). The problem with Dallas is they feasted on three down teams early (Giants, Washington, Miami) and now don’t have many breathers the rest of the way—maybe against the Giants and Washington. I was bothered by one thing that had to do with coaching Sunday. In particular, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. On the two-point conversion attempt after Dallas rallied within two points in the closing seconds, you had to figure defensive coordinator Gregg Williams of the Jets would send an extra rusher or rushers at Dak Prescott. He sent his best: safety Jamal Adams, who came up the middle, blocked by no one. Tell me: How does one of the best blitzing safeties come straight at the quarterback, straight up the middle, without being accounted for? That’s a question I’d be asking in a the offensive staff meeting today if I were Jerry Jones and I couldn’t sleep when I got back to Dallas just thinking about that scheme disaster.

Cowboys loss to New York Jets should fall squarely on Jason Garrett’s shoulders - Blogging The Boys
The latest Cowboys loss is one of the more difficult ones to take in Jason Garrett’s tenure with the team, incidentally it came on Jerry Jones’ birthday. We’ve seen the Cowboys owner express great patience when it comes to how he’s behaved with Jason Garrett, but such a critical loss has to stir up emotions of frustration and “I’ve had enough of this!”. Jason Garrett is a great leader of men and there have undoubtedly been times (it may not feel like it right now) where that’s been the propelling force behind a Cowboys victory. He did not propel them to victory against the New York Jets, though. That’s a problem.

10 winners from Week 6 of the 2019 NFL season - SB Nation
6. Stefon Diggs, who the Vikings absolutely should not trade. The Vikings made no attempt to hide the fact they were going to involve Diggs heavily in their offense against the Eagles, giving him the ball three times in their first six plays. Despite this, the Eagles steadfastly refused to even consider double-covering him. This was a tremendously bad idea. Diggs repeatedly roasted the Eagles’ half-assed man-to-man coverage en route to seven catches, 167 yards, and a career-high three touchdowns (a fourth was only stopped by pass interference in the end zone). Minnesota and its revitalized offense improved to 4-2, remaining undefeated at home in the process.

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