Philadelphia Eagles: Offense struggles against playmaking defense
Throughout Philadelphia Eagles training camp, there has been a common theme; the offense continues to get beat by the defense.
Is the Philadelphia Eagles defense better at training camp or is the offense struggling early? Well, it’s a bit of both. At this time of year, drafted rookies are trying to climb the depth chart. Undrafted rookies are trying to get a spot on the roster or their careers are short-lived. The defense is chock full of rookies and they’re hungry. These guys know they have to show out or ship out. Rookie Jalen Mills has made life miserable for quarterbacks and Aaron Grymes and Blake Countess are making plays left and right. That is on top of the normal high intensity Eagles defensive players we’re all well aware of.
Unfortunately, the offense is struggling. Mainly because the defense is just too overpowering.
Jim Schwartz put together an excellent defense and he still isn’t pleased with his work. I don’t think he’d be happy until the defense recorded a sack or interception on every single play quite honestly. Schwartz coaches smash mouth, in-your-face football. He’s got that old school heavy hitting mentality that’s been missing from the Eagles since the Brian Dawkins era.
You almost feel sorry for the offense at some points. Tight end Zach Ertz complained that he was being hit too low after a hit by Countess. The defense did not take his complaints lightly and Ertz was hit generously after the comments. Jordan Mathews is still out of practice after being hit by Mills.
More from Inside the Iggles
- Eagles captains earn high praise on roster blending veteran leadership, youth
- How former Eagles star Cre’Von LeBlanc helped Renegades upstage Cowboys
- Eagles 2023 schedule: Every WR duo Darius Slay, James Bradberry will battle
- Imagining better names for Jason Kelce’s Good Guy Award
- Bold predictions for the Philadelphia Eagles offense in 2023
For the last three training camps, the Eagles didn’t tackle much until preseason and they surely didn’t let the defense maul the offense. The Eagles grew accustomed to the lack of hitting. Some would go as far to say, they grew soft. Now this hard-hitting defense gets unleashed on the offense and they don’t know what to do. All three quarterbacks are being “sacked” and all three are being intercepted. The receivers and tight ends are being stripped and intercepted and downright bullied.
If the defense is doing this to their own teammates, image what they plan on doing in the regular season.
The eagles have four preseason games where these hungry rookies need to prove they deserve a spot on the roster. Prepare for big hits, interceptions and fireworks because these boys are hungry.
The offense has a little over a month to get their feet up under themselves and figure out how to beat the defense, If they can’t beat their own defense, how do they expect to beat anyone else’s? They need to buckle down and throw clean passes where only the receiver can catch it and not lead their intended target into danger.
It’s common for a defense to get the upper hand in training camp before the offense does. The defense is reactive, they play off what the offense is doing. The offense needs to learn the play and execute it correctly. The quarterback needs to form a bond with his receivers and they need to study routes until they can run them blindfolded. The offense has the hard job of putting points on the board. The defense just has to stop them. When it’s your own offense, you have a pretty good idea what they’re going to do.
Don’t give up on the Eagles offense. They’re coming around. They have four preseason games to get their feet wet before it’s real. It’s not so much that the offense is struggling, as it is that the defense is just on fire.