What have we learned thus far in Week 7? FOX Sports’ staff of NFL writers joined forces to deliver insight and analysis from around the league.
In this weekly story, we’ll tell you what we noticed, what we heard and what to keep an eye on next.
1. Philadelphia’s once impermeable defense has been exposed
The front line of the Philadelphia Eagles defense might as well have been a brick wall through the first nine weeks of the season. There was no room for anyone to run through them. For the most part, no one even tried.
Over the past three weeks, though, that wall has looked more like a door.
This was never supposed to happen to a team that features Jordan Davis, Fletcher Cox and super-rookie Jalen Carter in the middle of its defense, but this Eagles defense has looked alarmingly vulnerable against the run recently. After giving up an average of just 66.3 yards per game on the ground over the first three weeks of the season, that number has swelled to 162.3 over the last three games.
The Eagles could argue that their past three opponents — the Chiefs, Bills and 49ers — ran far more than their first nine opponents because all three played with a lead, and that’s true. But they’ve also had more success. The Eagles were giving up just 3.7 yards per carry in the first nine games, and 4.9 per carry over the last three.
Why? It’s hard to pinpoint a reason. Injuries surely haven’t helped. The Eagles’ thin linebacking corps was missing Zach Cunningham on Sunday and Cox was battling through a groin injury that kept him out of practice all week. The 49ers, like the Bills, also did a lot of their damage to the outside, where the Eagles DTs can be less of a factor.
And the fact that all of their past three opponents played with a lead is definitely significant. But keep in mind, this alarming trend started in the first half in Kansas City three weeks ago when Isaiah Pacheco barreled through the Philly defense for 66 yards on 12 carries in the first half — about half of…
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Publish date : 2023-12-04 20:56:54
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