10 Philadelphia Eagles who must step up versus Colts in Week 11

If you’re a little younger, you’re probably wondering why so many people are as upset as they are. Welcome to the wonderful world of the Philadelphia Eagles and the loyal men and women who support them. They may seem like they don’t like the team as much as you’ve been told that they do. Nothing can be farther from the truth. There are times, however, when their passion can be mistaken for insanity. Philly’s first loss of the season dropped them to 8-1 on the season, and if you didn’t know any better, you would think they’re 1-8.

Seven games remain in the regular season, four at home and three more on the road. Many believe this stretch will test the Eagles’ mettle more so than the first nine. The journey begins with a game in Indianapolis versus the Colts. Philly should win, but it won’t be easy. Here are ten Birds that we need monster performances from.

Can the Eagles’ defense get the job done? Here are six guys to watch.

The Eagles’ defense and its coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, have been under some scrutiny. Much of it is warranted. Two high-profile signings since the Week 10 loss have given Birds fans a much-needed adrenaline rush. Let’s hope it does the same for J.G.’s unit.

Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle

Make no mistake about it. Fletcher Cox is one of the best players to ever don an Eagles jersey and a sure-fire Hall of Famer, but unfortunately, he also isn’t the player that he once was.

Much has been made about how much he may or may not have left and whether or not he still has the competitive fire. Here’s where we stand.

When you’re a team captain and representing a $4 million cap hit (and $14 million in dead cap money, we’re going to have to insist that you give it your all on every play.

We wouldn’t tolerate anything less from anyone else, so we won’t give Fletch any special consideration regardless of how much we love him.

Josiah Scott, cornerback

With Avonte Maddox expected to miss at least a month of action, Josiah Scott is the next man up. Unfortunately for him, when you patrol the secondary with James Bradberry and Darius Slay, most quarterbacks in the NFL are probably going to take their shots at you.

Let’s hope he’s ready and consistent.

Linval Joseph, defensive tackle

Well, we hate to put so much pressure on the new guy, but let’s be honest. These guys are professionals, and they get it. Linval Joseph is here because there’s something broken with the Eagles’ run defense and because he is expected to be a part of the solution.

Robert Quinn, defensive end

Since his arrival on October 26th, Robert Quinn has played 49 defensive snaps in three games. Now, he hasn’t been overly impressive when he’s been on the field, but Philadelphia’s defense left much to be desired in Week 10.

A spark by one of the new guys could go a long way in boosting team morale. At some point, a breakout performance would be nice. There’s no time like the present.

Brandon Graham, defensive end

It’s doubtful that trotting Brandon Graham out as often as Philly has was ever a part of their game plan, yet here we are. Derek Barnett got hurt. Philly gave up on Tarron Jackson, and at this point of his career, Josh Sweat is, at best, a rotational player.

As is the case with Cox, if this is B.G.’s last ride, he’s needed to give it everything that he has from now until, hopefully, the second weekend in February.

Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle

Remember everything that we just said about Linval Joseph? Yeah… Give us a double helping of that feeling with Ndamukong Suh.

Rumors state that this is where Suh wanted to be… in Philly. Well, he got his wish, and even though no one truly thought that this arrangement would happen until it happened, it is indeed official. Let’s hope this works out, but something tells us that it can.

Here are five Eagles who must step up on the offensive side of the ball.

We discuss total-team wins a lot. We don’t discuss total-team losses as often, but they happen. Look no further than the Eagles’ Week 10 performance versus Washington if you need evidence.

Philly’s defense left much to be desired, but the offense has to be better as well.

Landon Dickerson, left guard

Landon Dickerson is good, and he’s going to be good for a while. He’s still learning though, and we’ve been reminded of that the past two weeks thanks to a couple of untimely penalties.

Then again, is there ever a good time to commit a penalty?

We’ll take some time and ponder that for a little while longer. In the meantime, keep an eye on the Eagles’ left guard. As long as he stays healthy, great days are coming. Fingers are crossed for a Pro Bowl-level season the rest of the way.

Zach Pascal, wide receiver

With Dallas Goedert on the shelf, we hope that Zach Pascal becomes more of a focal point in the red zone, in short-yardage situations, and on third down. All he needs is the opportunities. We have no doubts that he’ll make good on them.

Jack Stoll, tight end

Jack Stoll is officially the top tight end on the Eagles’ depth chart for a while. Though he’s praised for his ability as a blocker, he has better hands than he’s given credit for. Perhaps it’s time to toss a few more passes in his direction?

Jalen Hurts, quarterback

Jalen Hurts hasn’t done anything wrong per se. It’s hard to argue against him being a legitimate MVP candidate. It’s also becoming increasingly difficult to find major reasons to complain about what we’re seeing from him. Keep in mind the fact that he hasn’t even started 30 NFL games yet.

Still, quarterbacks are judged differently. They’re the only position group with win-loss totals attached to their individual names.

Jalen’s leap has given all of us a reason to cheer, but if the defense struggles more pressure will and should fall on his shoulders, especially with Dallas Goedert being out of action for a considerable amount of time.

With everything tightening and the postseason approaching, we’re going to have to ask for even more from QB1 than we already have. That’s okay. We’re certain that he can handle the workload.