Observations from the Eagles’ loss to the Browns, 22 to 17

Well, I thought the Philadelphia Eagles might actually find a way to win ugly today. They did not. Instead, they reminded us of how truly awful they are. Just a really bad team.

Final score: 22 to 17. Looked closer than it was thanks to a garbage time touchdown.

The Eagles are now 3-6-1 on the season. And yet still on top of the NFC East, lol. (Thanks, I hate it.)

Read on for observations and postgame thoughts. Or don’t. Who gives a crap.

FIRST QUARTER

• The Browns got the ball first. Derek Barnett jumped offside on third down to set up 3rd-and-9. The Browns went three-and-out anyway.
• Matt Pryor got the start at right guard with Nate Herbig out. The Eagles handed off to Miles Sanders on the first play and he slipped for a loss. Wet field with all the rain! Carson Wentz did a nice job of running out of the pocket right to find Dallas Goedert for a first down. Then the Eagles pounded the rock with Sanders and Boston Scott to move into field goal range. Doug Pederson clearly read the BGN comments this week! And then Sanders fumbled for a Browns recovery. Disastrous start to a real promising opening drive.

• The Browns picked up a few first downs before Avonte Maddox got roasted down the field by Rashard Higgins for 43 yards. Then Maddox got flagged for pass interference to bring up 1st-and-goal. Oof. Baker Mayfield overthrew a wide open target in the end zone on second down before Kareem Hunt was stopped JUST short of the goal line on third down. The Browns went for it on fourth down and it was called a touchdown ... before being overturned upon review! Jalen Mills ultimately came up with the stop as Hunt’s elbow was down before the ball crossed the plane. Big stop!
• The Eagles ran a quarterback sneak to give them some breathing room while backed up against their own end zone. Wentz threw to Jalen Reagor for 16 yards and a first down. Nice ball to end the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

• Wentz began the second with a 32-yard completion to Goedert. He was looking pretty accurate early on! And then he got crushed after waiting too long to throw and lofted a pick six to Sione Takitaki. Not great! Wentz had Reagor WIDE OPEN on the play but hesitated. EAGLES 0, BROWNS 7.

• Wentz held on to the ball too long again and got sacked but it was wide out with an unnecessary roughness penalty ... by Andrew Sendejo, lol. Some things never change. Wentz got sacked on 3rd-and-3 to force a punt. The Eagles punted despite being at Cleveland’s 44-yard line. The punt was fielded at the 11-yard line for a 33-yard net. Where’s the aggression, Doug?1

• It was good to see Davion Taylor getting defensive snaps. It wasn’t good to see him get beat in coverage for a 21-yard gain. Then the Eagles committed their third pre-snap penalty, great discipline. Mayfield’s third down throw went incomplete with Darius Slay blanketing Higgins. Could’ve been a pass interference penalty but the flag wasn’t thrown.
• Wentz and Sanders had an exchange issue on 3rd-and-7 and the Eagles only gained one yard. Punt. Cameron Johnston’s punt had a chance to be downed at the Browns’ 1-yard line but Michael Jacquet did a bad job of trying to field it. Special teams continues to be bad.
• Josh Sweat picked up his first sack since Week 4. Did a nice job of beating rookie first-round pick Jedrick Wills to bring up 3rd-and-14. Mayfield completed a pass #ShortOfTheSticks on third down to bring up a punt. Zero first half points allowed by the defense. Pederson took a long time to call a timeout.
• Peters got beat badly by Adrian Clayborn (not Myles Garrett, who was inactive) to give up a sack that brought up 3rd-and-20. Wentz threw way #ShortOfTheSticks to make the Browns take their final timeout. Great football viewing experience here.

• The Browns took over at their 20-yard line and couldn’t get anything going. Allowed the clock to expire.

THIRD QUARTER

• Wentz got sacked via a THREE MAN RUSH to force the Eagles into a three-and-out on the Eagles’ first drive of the second half. Lol. In case you were wondering if this team was a waste of time.
• Fletcher Cox strip-sacked Mayfield and Alex Singleton recovered. Good to see No. 91 generating a big play. Need more of that game-changing impact from him.

• The Eagles took over at Cleveland’s 19-yard line and Wentz had plenty of time to find an open Richard Rodgers in the back of the end zone. Dick Rod becoming this team’s best weapons really isn’t a good thing! EAGLES 7, BROWNS 7.

• Jalen Mills got beat on a double move (drink) to give up a 42-yard play. Cox forced Mayfield to step up and get sacked by Singleton to force a 46-yard field goal attempt. Cody Parkey made it. So much for the score being tied. EAGLES 7, BROWNS 10.
• Wentz FINALLY targeted Travis Fulgham (!) but the back shoulder throw went through his hands with Denzel Ward in tight coverage. Alshon Jeffery dropped Wentz’s 3rd-and-9 pass over the middle. Would’ve been wiped out by a Matt Pryor holding penalty even if he caught it. So glad Alshon’s on the team.

• Will Parks absolutely crushed Donovan People-Jones on the Browns’ punt return, which ended up at the Browns’ 41-yard line. Sweat got duped on a Mayfield rollout and didn’t even realize the quarterback had the ball. Could’ve been an easy sack if he recognized. Rodney McLeod whiffed on tackling Jarvis Landry for a loss on third down. The Eagles came up with a big tackle for loss on third down to force a punt.
• Greg Ward unwisely opting not to field a punt forced the Eagles to start from their own 2-yard line. Special teams has sucked. Wentz got sacked for a safety. Peters is so cooked. EAGLES 7, BROWNS 12.

• The Browns picked up 30 yards on the free kick to start at the Eagles’ 48-yard line. More poor special teams play!

FOURTH QUARTER

• Parkey attempted a 47-yard field goal that got BLOCKED by Barnett. He’s good at those!

• Wentz underthrew Fulgham with a wormburner on first down. Then he hit him to bring up 3rd-and-2. Wentz threw a perfect pass to Dick Rod for a first down conversion (OMG!). On 3rd-and-9, Wentz basically threw a Hail Mary jump ball to Fulgham — who was covered by a sea of defenders — and the throw was high and deflected into an interception. The play was reviewed and ruled an interception. The Eagles brought Jake Elliott in for a 43-yard field goal attempt and he made it. EAGLES 10, BROWNS 12.
• Poor Joe Ostman got stiff-armed to the GROUND on a 54-yard run by Nick Chubb. Damn that dude is good. Mayfield fumbled in goal-to-go territory and the Eagles recovered! But the refs ruled Mayfield down by forward progress and it couldn’t be reviewed. Terrible call! That was definitely a fumble. The Browns took advantage of their fortune with a Kareem Hunt touchdown run to go up two possessions with 9:13 remaining. EAGLES 10, BROWNS 19.

• Wentz threw behind Greg Ward and almost got picked off by Terrance Mitchell. The Eagles went three-and-out yet again with Wentz getting pressured on third down.

• The Browns pounded the rock and moved into field goal range for a 28-yard attempt. He made it. EAGLES 10, BROWNS 22.
• The Eagles had Mailata finish the game at left tackle. Unclear if for benching or for injury. Wentz almost got picked of by Denzel Ward. Fulgham dropped Wentz’s third down throw. Too many drops by Fulgham lately. Wentz converted on fourth down with a throw to Reagor. Wentz threw deep to Goedert and Denzel Ward got flagged for pass interference to give the Eagles 1st-and-goal. Then Wentz threw his 14th interception of the season, lol. Overthrew Jeffery, who mistimed his jump. Great.

• Wentz got strip-sacked but Isaac Seumalo recovered. 58 fumbles in 66 career games. Wentz hit Goedert for a garbage time touchdown. EAGLES 17, BROWNS 22.
• The Browns easily recovered the Eagles’ onside kick attempt. Game.

FINAL SCORE: 22 to 17, Eagles LOSE

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RAPID REACTION

• The Eagles suck.
• Watching this team every week sucks.
• That’s all I’ve got for now.

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INJURIES

• Jordan Mailata came in at left tackle with Jason Peters getting banged up on the first drive. JP was back in on the second drive.
• Boston Scott took a big shot to his back on the Eagles’ first drive. He didn’t leave the game though.
• Jason Kelce’s arm got hurt with three minutes left in the fourth. Undrafted rookie free agent Luke Juriga had to come in. Kelce returned for the second half.
• Derek Barnett got hurt on Cox’s forced fumble. Knee injury. He came back in.
• Cre’Von LeBlanc got hurt with just under six minutes left in the third quarter. Non-contact ankle injury. Strap was ruled out.
• Lane Johnson agitated his shoulder injury late in the third quarter. Jack Driscoll played a drive at right tackle before Jordan Mailata came in on the right side. Johnson was ruled out.
• Fletcher Cox got hurt in the middle of the fourth quarter.