5 biggest takeaways from the Eagles late-season NFL playoff run

The Eagles defensive coordinator, too often, has his unit unprepared.

It’s become increasingly impossible to watch the Eagles on game day without discussing the job Jonathan Gannon’s defensive unit is doing (or, in some cases, the job that they aren’t doing). Before you know it, if you hang out on Twitter long enough, you’ll find yourself following a familiar pattern.

Things typically start with this nervous feeling. Then, before you know it, you’re in a conversation with strangers about the opposing offense’s last drive, how the Birds put up little to no resistance, and how wise it would be if Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator would bring a blitz or disguise some coverages to rattle the opposition’s quarterback

It doesn’t matter if the Eagles have played twice in six days, as they did in Week 15 and Week 16, or if they’ve had more than two weeks off as we saw in the gap between Week 13 and Week 15. Too often, there are times when Philly’s defense shows up and it looks like they hadn’t heard anything about a game until a few minutes before kickoff.

Falling behind schedule and giving Taylor Heinecke a head start is one thing. Finding yourself in a hole to one of the NFC’s elite teams and quarterbacks is something else entirely.

We’ve seen the Birds play from behind and erase first-half deficits. We just haven’t seen them do it versus elite quarterbacks and competition. If J.G.’s defense spots one of these playoff teams a 10-0 lead or if they go on one of those droughts where they’re sleepwalking through drives, the Eagles’ trip to the postseason will be brief.

Did you see Washington’s drive at the end of the first half in Week 17? They weren’t even trying to score and wound up doing so. That’s downright inexcusable.