Crossing Broad
After sixty minutes of football in the unforgiving elements in Buffalo, the destiny of this Eagles season emerged clearer than ever.
The defense remains an elite unit that is playing at the high level required to make a return trip to the Super Bowl. They have consistently shut down, or at least contained, many of the league’s best quarterbacks and most dynamic offenses. Unfortunately, the one offense they can’t control is the one with which they share a sideline. And it’s the maddening mediocrity of that group that will send Philadelphia home early in January. Unless something changes, of course.
After establishing a 13-0 lead against the Bills, the Eagles’ offense promptly shut down its engines once the second half started. Jalen Hurts didn’t complete a pass after halftime. Outside of one first down secured in their first third quarter drive, the Eagles didn’t move the chains the rest of the game. It was four straight three-and-outs when a score, or even an extended series, could have put the game away.
No doubt, the weather in western New York was terrible. As a hard rain fell, I’m sure Nick Sirianni was determined to avoid a costly turnover that would give the Bills a short field and a chance to jump back into the contest.
It’s a noble goal, and an essential element of playing strong, complementary football as the postseason approaches. At some point, however, Sirianni’s offense needs to do its part to secure wins. Get a first down, move the sticks, and milk the clock. Give the defense a chance to rest on the sidelines. Maybe even get a little crazy and score some points.
The critical drive for me came after the Bills finally got on the board with a touchdown. With just over 5 minutes to go in the game and protecting a 13-6 lead, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo dialed up a toss play that had no chance. An offense that couldn’t get on track handed itself a second and long. A draw for a minimal gain and an incomplete deep ball to DeVonta Smith followed, and then Braden Mann was back on the field to punt.
You can’t call a pitch on a wet field and expect the back to turn the corner and get upfield. It’s the right idea in theory – attack a stacked box with a perimeter run – that takes into account neither the field conditions nor the quality of play the offensive line was providing. Are there no play action calls on the sheet? Anything that introduces some motion or misdirection, that gets the defense thinking and slows them down for just a second? Any answers at all?
The offense has a lot of advantages in today’s game. Penalties are weighted to grant automatic first downs on just about any infraction. Defenders cannot bump receivers after five yards. The bone-crushing hits that used to strike fear in the hearts of receivers running over the middle of the field have been largely...
