Last week, we were discussing a 24-7 win. This week, let's talk about a 24-8 win:
QB grade: B+. Once again we find Hurts rolling off a dominant first half start; this week he had 291 total yards and three scores before halftime. I didn't see quite as much consistent accuracy today but the Commanders played much more tight coverage than Minnesota did. I appreciated that he was willing to take deep shots and let his receivers win those 50-50 balls.
RB grade: C-. 21 carries for 52 yards, no scores and a safety on Boston Scott. The only RB that caught the ball was Sanders; one catch for a loss of two yards. I didn't grade lower as I think Washington's tough DL played a big role.
Pass Catcher grade: A+. This was likely Devonta Smith's best game in midnight green; 169 yards and a score on 12 targets. One almost forgot AJ Brown (5 catches for 85 yards and another TD) and Grant Calcaterra (his first career grab went for 40).
OL grade: C. The pass pro was good but not great. The run blocking was lacking. At least they reduced the penalties.
DL grade: A+. My top concern for the team as a whole over the first two weeks was the general lack of a pass rush. Problem solved! Philly's nine sacks were the most in a single game so far this season for any team. Washington's running backs only managed 52 yards on 16 carries.
LB grade: B+. I kept noticing both TJ Edwards and Kyzir White in both rushing and passing situations. They covered, they pressured, they were sure tacklers. Still waiting on a Nakobe Dean sighting.
DB grade: B. Solid but unspectacular play across the board, although the tackling was about as good as it gets from this group. One wonders if the lack of a splash play was mostly due to the pass rush.
Special Team: C. Covey made a few nice things happen in punt returns; nearly atoning for his fumble. Nothing else really stood out to me, good or bad.
Overall grade: A. Just like last week, this was a double digit win that somehow was more dominant than the score indicated. Beating up on a division rival on the road is an unqualified success no matter what else. The pass rush finally showed up in a big way, and it was nice to see Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham grab four between them. The FOX commentators mentioned the Eagles' tackling, and they were correct: hardly a missed attempt to be seen. This is possibly the most improved aspect of the Birds' defense so far this season. Jalen Hurts continues to look like the real deal. A tempering note, our second half offensive struggled continue: 322 of Philly's 400 total yards (81%) came before halftime, as did all the points. If you're keeping track, that's 69% of all yards and 84% of all points from the first half of these games. One certainly expects an imbalance if you have double digit leads after each opening half; it just seems like a large imbalance. As I've said before, we'll see if it's a quirk of the way these games have unfolded, or a worrisome trend.
A reunion with Dougie P and an improved Jaguars squad awaits...
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