From the Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/4vcdewfh
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles are a tale of two teams: a defense that shows up and an offense that shuts down.
Except for a couple of rough outings against the Cowboys and Bears, the defense has been among the best in the NFL. But the offense remains in search of an identity 15 weeks into the season.
Linebacker Zack Baun insists he doesn’t get frustrated about the imbalance, even after Monday night’s 22-19 overtime loss to the Chargers.
“We just play our ball,” Baun said Wednesday at NovaCare Complex. “Just stick to what we do and get better. We haven’t been playing our best either. … We can only try our best to play complementary ball.”
The defense forced stops, limited the run game and got after Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, picking him off once, sacking him seven times and holding him to a passer rating of 59.6.
“We probably left five or six more sacks on the field,” defensive tackle Byron Young said.
The offense countered with stalled drives, empty red-zone trips and four Jalen Hurts interceptions.
Yet Baun insisted that frustration is not creeping in.
“We don’t feel that at all,” he said. “It’s the ultimate team game. Our job is to get stops. Their job is to score points. We believe in them. We know they’re going to figure it out.”
Nick Sirianni echoed that message.
“This is the ultimate team game, and one phase has to pick up another,” Sirianni said. “There can be games the opposite way, but that’s the important part of always connecting with everybody in the building, controlling the things you can control.”
The defense ranks in the top 10 in points allowed (20.8 per game), with strong play from cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and the return of safety Marcus Epps from injured reserve bolstering the secondary. It’s the backbone of an 8-5 team trying to steady itself.
But the contrast between a ferocious defense and a clunky offense continues to define this team.
Hurts, coming off the worst turnover night of his career, said Wednesday that the path forward is about timing, decision-making and eliminating self-inflicted wounds.
“I’ve got to be better. It’s that simple,” Hurts said. “We moved the ball. We just didn’t finish drives, and we turned it over. That can’t happen. I own that.”
Sirianni said he saw real progress in several areas, particularly Hurts’ timing over the middle.
“I thought he did a good job taking what they gave him,” Sirianni said. “Obviously, I never want the turnovers, but there were a lot of good things on offense. We were able to move the football against a really good defense … There was a lot to be encouraged by.”
Hurts pointed to the overtime throw to DeVonta Smith — one of the night’s few offensive bright spots — as evidence that the anticipation work is translating.
“I’ve always prided myself on timing,” Hurts said. “We just have to be consistent with it.”
Missed opportunities and play-calling scrutiny
Two A.J. Brown drops — one leading to a pick, the other costing a possible game-winning touchdown — further disrupted a disjointed offense. Sirianni said both plays were “uncharacteristic.”
“He wants to catch it more than anybody,” Sirianni said. “Sometimes it’s just a drop, sometimes there’s a coaching point. We’ll go over that today.”
Sirianni also defended a sequence late in the first half where the Eagles, with two timeouts, didn’t threw over the middle to set up a shorter field goal than the 48-yarder that Jake Elliott missed.
“We’re trying to advance it,” he said. “We chose the one to the sideline and it didn’t work.”
The coach said the staff introduced new wrinkles Monday, a mix of formations, play-action variations and under-center looks. More tweaks could come.
“You’re always mixing things and introducing new things as the year continues,” Sirianni said. “But it always goes back to, does it fit what your identity is and what you want to do?”
Barkley’s under-center success
One of the clearest offensive positives was Saquon Barkley’s production on under-center runs. Hurts said those plays “gave us a spark,” while Sirianni credited both design and execution. Barkley finished with 122 rushing yards, his second 100-yard game of the season.
“Saquon found some light and was able to get free, and that was huge,” Sirianni said.
As for the limited quarterback run game, Sirianni said the Chargers simply keyed on it early. Hurts ran just four times for eight yards.
“They did a good job of stopping it,” he said. “We always want that to be part of who we are.”
“Whatever the read says, that’s what I’m doing,” Hurts said. “But I’m always ready to run if it’s there.”
Pickett reunion
The Birds hope to break their three-game skid against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Former Eagle Kenny Pickett will likely start in place of QB Geno Smith, who has been nursing a shoulder injury.
Practice report
Wednesday was a walkthrough: DNP — DT Jalen Carter (shoulders), RT Lane Johnson (foot). LIMITED — LG Landon Dickerson (calf). FULL — ILB Zack Baun (hand), LS Charley Hughlett (abdomen).
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.