It was all good vibes for the Philadelphia Eagles fan base after beating the Washington Commanders 29-18 in Week 16 action to take the NFC East division title, but some major concerns came out of it.
Despite strong performances from the offense and defense, the special teams failed significantly, headlined by kicker Jake Elliott. During the first half, Elliott missed three field goals to the left of the television view, but two misses were counted because a Commanders penalty erased the other.
After the game, Elliott was asked if it was a mental thing for him with the misses. His answer is not something Eagles fans wanted to hear.
“No, honestly, not at all. That’s kind of what’s frustrating about is I don’t feel that way at all. I kind of wish it was. Easier to fix.”
Elliott's answer just brings more concerns for the Eagles and the fan base
Adding to that line of questioning, Elliott was also asked about his concern that the Eagles could bring in competition for him. He understands that this is “a production-based business," and he needs to do better.
That last part is fine as an answer, but for him to wish it was a mental problem with the misses is a big concern. Elliott is pretty much saying this is a mechanical issues with how he is kicking the field goals.
This season, Elliott is now 17 of 24 on field goals and has missed at least one field goal in four of the last five games. His 70.8% field goal percentage is one of the lowest in the NFL and on pace for the worst mark of his career.
The bigger question is who is to blame for Elliott's kicking problems. Everyone wanted it to be a long-snapper issue, but the last two games have just proven that this isn't a matter of the team's operation.
Either the blame has to be on Elliott, or someone has to go on special teams coordinator Michael Clay for letting this issue keep happening. Elliott's production has declined since last year, and the Eagles have ignored the problem for far too long.
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With the Eagles now officially in the playoffs, Elliott has two weeks to prove that he should keep his job, or Howie Roseman might have another option out there at kicker.