Post-Game Show: Eagles Lose 27-20

the postgame Show presented by Rico. I'm Chris McPherson alongside Ike Reece and I coming out of the bye week, I think Eagles fates felt good that it was Dallas. It was prime time. You were getting the Cowboys in your house. The Eagles acquired Golden tATu as some juice to the offense. You figure the team would be well rested knowing that despite the up and down nature of the first half of the season, the team was still four and four and the NFC East lead was within

striking distance. You had five games within a division. But unfortunately we just saw a lot of the same things that hurt the Eagles in those first eight games, and really the biggest thing that stands out to me the most is the inability to close out games. The game was tied at thirteen going into the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys get two touchdowns Zeke Elliott taking over on the ground and in the air as well, leading Dallas to the win to keep themselves in the playoff race.

Now that both teams have similar records at four and five, but really this game overall like a microcosm of the struggles that have plagued the Eagles all year. Loss. Yeah, and you really thought that the bye week would help them sort of cure some of these things that they had struggled with in the first half for the season.

You know, coming off that game against Jacksonville in London with a week's rest, you would have thought the team would have come out with a little more energy to night if you're being a little sharper, being a little crisp, little crisper on the offensive side of the ball, and that just didn't happen. You know, Dallas plan on a short week after losing at home to Tennessee, coming off of bye week themselves, they came in ready to play tonight.

You know a lot of people and I'm not saying here in the building here, but around the city just felt like this was a foregone conclusion that the Eagles, you may as well put this in the W column for them. The Cowboys didn't have anything to play for, but this is the NFL, and if you don't come ready to play, you know that team will take advantage of it. And I thought today, at least in the

first half, we just looked a little lethargic. We didn't look very sharp out there offensively, and it allowed the Cowboys to gain some momentum, gain some confidence to where

they felt like they could win this ballgame. They felt like they were in control of this game from the first half, and even though the scorer wasn't out of whack in the first half, it didn't feel like the Eagles had done anything positive in that first time, which is why you felt good at least going into halftime thinking that as much as the Eagle struggle, they were still within the game, able to keep it close. But fortunately the offense came to life in the fourth quarter

second half there things finally started turning around. The Eagles able to move the ball up and down the field. Problem is, Cowboys were able to do saying as well, the defense just did not have an answer, and it was an underman defense to begin with, with no jail and Mills, no Sidney Jones. Then you lost Ronald Darby to a knee injury, and it was just too much

for the Eagles defensively to overcome. And this is a team that has been so great at stopping to run all season long, ranked number two in the league coming into his contest, well Zeke Elliott took off. It was really reminiscent of twenty sixteen with Dak Prescott playing well in the second half. Quite honestly, he had some throws, some opportunities in the first half that really could have put the Eagles away. Okay, there was the one pass

deep down the sideline. Hrosul Douglas was in coverage, but he was beat on the play. Prescott fortunately threw the ball too far down, but you see Douglas signaling incomplete passes. If that passes there, that's gonna be six right there, that's a touchdown. And there were a number of those plays. Prescott was running himself into sacks making some poor decisions. Prescott helped keep the Eagles in the ball game, but in the fourth quarter when he had to step up

and make some big throws, especially on third down. Third down also the story of this ball game right here, both offensively and defensively. The Eagles did not convert a first down a third down situation until the third quarter, and then the Cowboys made some big plays, especially late on third down, to keep drives alives, even third and long situations, a third and fifteen, a third and eighth situation,

really able to keep things going here. Yeah, I look at that stat sheet right there, and it's been a long time since you've seen one hundred and seventy one rushing yards on this Eagles defense. And that really was the story, especially in the second half of his game, where the Eagles had opportunities to get off the field on third down and they couldn't get off the field. More importantly, every time they did something positive on the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys were able to

answer it. And I thought, Zeke just ran wild in the second half. Man, I just that's I think that's one thing that I'm real surprised about when I look at this game and I look at the Eagles defense, is how well Zekiel Elliott was able to have success against this defense. The deft discipline not there a for Egos defense tonight. So we're gonna hear from head coach

Doug Pierce, I mean, quarterback Carson Wentz. But first we're gonna send it over to the link where Eagles insire Dave Spadero and Amy Campbell are standing by, and Dave, I'm sure the mood is an ominous one there at the link. Just not the effort you expected from this team coming off the by with so many big things to look forward to here in the second half of the season. Yeah, I think pretty much nothing to really

like about this game. The Eagles defense came up small, the offense lethargic in the first half, tons of miss tackles. Carson Wentz off this game a bit, certainly in that red zone throw to al Shan Jeffrey early on Camu Grugier Hill missus an easy interception opportunity. Just Amy. Three straight losses at home. The Eagles played without urgency tonight, and they just did not execute when they had a chance.

Again to see is the momentum of a game. Yeah, another stunned five here at home, and I think lethargic is a good word. I was. You know, after that first half really slow, really ugly, no touchdowns for either team, You're thinking someone's going to come out here with some urgency and get something done. And I'm really surprised by the Eagles defense tonight allowing ties with season highs through the air for Dak Prescott and on the ground for

Zeke Elliott. Just gashed in every which way, the secondary obviously struggling to contain the pass, and then you know the d line just looking gas there as the game went on. Yeah, I think the linebackers also struggling a lot of mistackles out there. And when you look out on the fields, here were Sul Douglas and Shandon Sullivan. No offense to them, but they are not starting players on those defense. Eagles without three of their three top cornerbacks.

And you know, it's just a situation where the Eagles. We keep thinking that this team will wake up and play like it did last year. Stop thinking that way. Twenty eighteen is unto itself. And right now the Eagles already four and five team with an pill battle to get to the postseason. Well, and you talk about last year, right able to overcome a lot of injuries almost, you know, without missing a beat. And here you're really seeing it tonight.

You mentioned and those three dbs that were missing there and really felt their absence, really felt the absence of Lane Johnson as well, just and his impact on the offense and as the offensive line kind of struggled to help the run game get going and keep Carson Wentz safe back. Yeah, and surprising amy that Golden Tate really not much of a factor in this game at all, and understandably only knows a small percentage of the offense,

only those a few packages. But when the Eagles needed him, for example, late in the game, third down, screenplay goes to Corey Clement instead of throwing to the sticks, throwing beyond the sticks, throwing behind the sticks. Not Golden Tate, but Corey Clement, who struggled in the screen game all year. Yeah, and I think Tate targeted five times or about that much.

And one of the one of those completions for him was you saw the yards after the catch till we talked about, and he was able to get that first down, which was key there in the fourth quarter. So interesting to see, like you said, obviously doesn't completely know the playbook quite yet, but that he wasn't used a little bit more tonight. Yeah. Well, three straight losses, guys at home,

that is what is shocking here. The Eagles fighting back after a terrible first half and that late drive for a touchdown by the Cowboys really kind of sums up the defenses struggles this season. Unable consistently to get off the field on three downs, third down conversions, Cowboys, great balance, Eagles just unable to really kind of take control of the game. And looking ahead to New Orleans and New Orleans team that laid fifty fifty one in a win today,

that's going to be a big challenge for this defense. Yeah, the defense that well, Ronald Darby, when you go out with a knee injury and you are automatically immediately ruled out, that is certainly some cause for concerns. So, Chris, Dad, answer your original question. Yeah, very dejected state of affairs here at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles at four and

five have had everything to play for tonight. They had all the momentum in the world, they had everything going in their favor, and they came up really, really short against the Cowboys team that frankly is not that good. Yeah, that's great tonight. Yeah, back to you Chris and Ike at that overcare complex. We'll hear from Doug Peterson in

just a moment, all right, thank you, David Amy. Dave will have the Eagles Live podcast, which you can download very shortly wherever you consume them, as well as on the inside Colm to provide a big picture look at everything that went wrong with eals tonight and really, I guess what's gone wrong with the team overall this season.

So let's get into your three key takeaways from the game. Again, Eagles losing twenty seven to twenty and it's just so disheartening that of all the teams to lose your third straight home I can't believe it's been three straight home games where Eagles have come up on the short end of the scoreboard after having home dominance for the better part of a year and a half with Doug Pearson.

But Ike, your three takeaways from the game tonight, Well, Chris, when I look at this game, I think back and I think, you know, the second half of this game is we're really everything turned and the secondary that came in shorthanded without Jalen Mills without Sydney Jones really started to get exposed. Once Ron Darby went out of the game and you had Russell Douglas out there, you got players out there that aren't used to being out there

in these key situations. And I thought Dallas's passing game picked up in the second half. Dak had way too much time found open receivers everywhere. I thought Jim Schwartz had to go to a little bit more zone defense once he lost Ron Darby, and without getting much of a pass rush, Dak Prescott was able to sit back there and really pick that zone apart. So I thought our secondary struggled at times, even the rookie Beante Maddox having to play two different spots, having to play safety

versus regular offenses. And then when they win an eleven person and brought Cole Beasley in, he had to come down and play in the slot. And then I look at the offensive side of the football, just still having put together four quarters of play. Another slow start interception in the first half from Carson Where can't have that on his first drive? You know, they moved the ball down the field and they can't convert on fourth down.

When Doug decides to go forth as opposed to kicking the field goal, taking three there, so you come up with an empty possession there. And then third downs in the first half. I mean what we say they didn't convert a third down into the second Yeah, oh for five on third downs early in the game. Its just too big of a hole, and I think too big of a momentium hole to dig out of for the offense. They gave their best effort, but it's too much of

a slow start. And then tackling. I just thought the tackling either we wore down in the second half or we were just out there as if we hadn't been practicing tackling in a long time. I mean, some of these runs Ezekiel Elliott had in the second half, there were opportunities for guys to bring him down. He was able to run through tackles. I saw receivers when they caught the ball in the open field able to break tackles. Primarily on key third down situations. We just didn't tackle

very well. There were opportunities were had one guy two guys there, and you'd see a Dallas runner or a receiver able to break free and pick up extra yard. And so I look at those three phases, or those three elements of tonight's game, and I say all three of those factors contributed big time to this Eagle's loss tonight. You know, you were encouraged early on because the defensive line, without the aid of a blitz was getting to press, get in there and really you know, dealing some damage

early on in this ball game. And then even in the start of the second half, first play on offense for the Cowboys, Michael Bennet comes in, you know, they try to do the bootleg. Now Bendon fall four or was able to slap Scott there to get the sack, and you felt, all right, maybe they're setting the tone they're gonna bring here in the second half. And it almost just went off the cliff from there for the

most part there. So that's that's where you wonder if Dallas dominating the time of possession in the first half led to the wear down effect that you mentioned there in the second half there for the Eagles. And also just the depth along the defensive line. You know, with older guys like Brandon Graham and song On Michael benn you're asking a lot of those three guys in particular, for them to come up big throughout the course of the game without the aid of a blitz, it's very

tough for them. And then you're not really getting as much penetration inside because it's Fletcher Cox and if they slide Michael Bennet in there, if they put Brandon Graham in there, that's where you're getting the interior pass rush from.

You're not really getting it from the other defensive tackles on the team because you know, obviously don't have Tim Jernigan still to this point, and in Hellode Nod he's more of a run defender or stuff for at this point, he's not going to provide that pass rush punch for you there. So you know you're lacking the tools inside there,

and just the death overall is being strained. And then in the secondary again you're already starting with Seuel Douglas, okay, because you were without Jael and Mills and Sidney Jones. But then all of a sudden, Rod Darby goes out and you have to go to Channon Sullivan, you know, who's rookie for agent, who's just called up from the practice squad. He's just trying to make his way on the team. And then you mentioned Avante Max, who hats

off to him. All right, I give him kudos for, you know, settling in nicely at safety, but then now being asked to go in and play that slock corner position against Cole Beasley, who was one of the guys you had the key in on. He was probably really Prescott's go to guys as much as Amark Cooper will probably become a bigger part of the offense for them as Cooper gets more in trench with that scheme. Cole Beasley has been the guy on the slot and he's

given the Eagles fits for years. So you didn't know if you were gonna stick Max there or maybe go with Malcolm Jenkins. But Malcolm Jenkins has had his struggles with Cole Beasley over the year. So just shorthanded your shorthand. It's tough, real shorthanded. And I thought I thought the d line played about as well as they could. I agree they were shorthanded, but I thought the back end

of the defense really struggled tonight. They really did, whether it was tackling once runners got to the second level or whether it was covering guys. So wide receiver was running open in the secondary, and then the tackling in the secondary I didn't think was very good tonight. I thought the effort from the guys up front it was there. I mean, you know, they kept pressure on Dak Prescott as much as they could. I thought they played the run. You gotta get Dallas' offensive line a lot of credit.

They're a little banged up, but they are still a formidable offensive line, and when they commit to the running game, they can be very successful at doing it. But if you get everybody rally into the football and then wrapping up to make tackles, um, I think you'll bringing guys down. I'm thinking about a key play on a third down where Ron Darby, before he got banged up, had a chance to tackle Amari Cooper. He tried to shackle, which which had worked at times this season, but that kid situation,

you got to wrap up. He just bounded the Cooper bounce off and got it was a third down conversion. You know. It was one of those things early on where all right, maybe is it a big play throughout the course of the game. No, but it's just one of those little things that you could just pick on in point to to say, this is what's been wrong with the tackling effort throughout the course of the season, because that's, you know, the type of tackler that Ronald

Darby has been true. Yeah, right there, So you get to actually the offense right from the jump. Okay, the Eagles law the coin toss, so the Cowboys deferred to go take the ball in the second half. So you say, all right, great, we're gonna see Carson Wentz, We're gonna see Golden Tate right from the jump. And then the first drive it's an interception from Carson Wentz, which you know,

it seemed like he predetermined to throw. You know, you figured, okay, you know you got the rookie vander Esh Laton Vanderesh a linebacker. I'm gonna look to the left trying to get him to pull over. Vanderest didn't fit for a one bit. I know Sean Lee wasn't out there for the Cowboys. I but Vanderest did a very nice job staying in, not being fooled by the misdirection and this staying home and getting the interception. Yeah, I mean, just just to play that. You know, Carson, you can't make

that play. I mean, I understand you. You you you're anticipating, you know, Layton vander esh moving with you because you go to your left first. But Rookie is playing zone defense back there. They've seen that play. You know, you got zach Ertz on the back back side of that, and so he's sitting there in that hole, uh, covering his zone and Carson predetermined that's where he was going to throw the ball. So and then he came back. He throws it without looking, and it's an interception that

you can't have. It's your opening drive. Not only that, you give the ball to the Cowboys right and scoring position and Dallas they get three points right off the top, and so you put yourself behind the a ball immediately. Yeah, I mean, the Eels never led in this ball game. Yeah, that's what's shocking to me is the Eagles, as back and forth as it was, the Eels were able to tie the game, you know, going into the fourth quarter in the fourth quarter. They never led in this contest

at home. So we look at the numbers for Carson Wentz there completing yeah again, seventy two almost seventy three percent of his passes, three hundred and sixty yards, you know, two touchdowns in your interception, and I credit Carson, while I know Dave brought up the point that the accuracy and some of the timing with the receivers wasn't there tonight, and he rightfully pointed to the play in the end zone to Alshon Jeffrey, where Jeffrey I think did the

right job sitting down in his own coverage. Carson Wentz tried to continue to lead him with the pass to end up getting broken up there. But there were times where defenders were draped on Carson and he couldn't step into throws. You know, I think about the one pass to Alshon Jeffrey. I believe it was late in the first half and Shadowe Woozier came over and made a great pass breakup because if Carson could step into the throw, make it a laser, Yeah, it's gonna be there. It's

there for them. But unfortunately Carson Wentz, you know, did what he could in the pocket, but you know, the pressure there were bodies around him all throughout the course of the night and it probably affected the timing, you know, and the throws and the delivery and just the processing. Knowing that consistently, the pressure was gonna be around him. Yeah. I think the interception early throwing him off a little bit.

I think he became a little big gun shy, which is something we're not used to seeing when it comes to Carson Wentz. You know, I thought in that first half there were a lot of balls that he was thrown to open receivers and the receivers had to go to the ground to catch the ball and they were open, and you just we're used to seeing Carson hit guys between their numbers where they can run after they catch the ball. And I thought in that first half he had some throws there where he got picked up by

his receivers like an alshon Zach. They all had to go down to the ground to sort of catch balls. And I think it was because of the first interception he just became a little bit gunshot, because you're spending two weeks telling yourself, I'm gonna take care of the football. He had turned the ball over, you know, some of them not his fault, getting sacked, fumbling from behind, you know that stuff. You think about it over the bye week and you want to make sure you take care

of the football. And he comes out on that opening drive, and has that happened. I just remember the picture of him walking to the sideline and he's looking up at the sky saying, oh, you know better than that, You know better than that, and why would you do that? So I thought he settled down in the second half. Certainly made a lot of big throws in the second half. That was a nice deep ball he threw to Nelson,

sort of get them back in the scoring. Just can't have, you know, just can't have the games where you only play a half. And that's really been the trademark of this team this year is that they've yet to put together, with the exception of the Giants game, they yet to put together four quarters of good football. And that's why

you've seen the up and down play. You see them play well in spurts, and either they can't hold onto a league like the Tennessee game or the Carolina game, or they find themselves picking it up a little bit too late, like the Minnesota game, like the game to Night, where you finally get the offense going in the fourth quarter, but by then it's too late, it's too late, and then you know, a valiant effort given tonight, But you know, it's happened far too many times this year where you

walk away from a football game saying, man, we had it, We had our chances, We had more than our opportunities to win this football game to night, and I thought in the first half they didn't get anything going, which really made a bigger hole for them to have to dig out of us. You can live with it if this is the first time you're doing the would have,

could have should a game? Okay, you know, And to me, I thought the Minnesota game, they were pretty much outplayed in that game throughout the course of it, so I don't even think that was one of the ones they could have won. It's really the Carolina game in the Tennessee game. Those two games are the ones, and now

tonight you added into the mix. Those are the three when you're looking back at the end of the season that you're going to be saying to yourself, if they could have just closed the game out, it would have made all the difference in the world there. But for whatever reason, the offense is not able to get things going early. And it's especially disappointed because again you're coming off the bye week, so you've had time to self scout.

You've been extra time to prepare for the Cowboys, and the Cowboys are coming off the short week, a demoralizing loss to Tennessee because they probably figured that game was in their building. They should have been able to win that one. They were getting Amari Cooper, that was their their big new shiny toy here the first Core touchdown. You know, they look they were about to go fourteen nothing and then Prescott through the red zone touchdown, and

all of a sudden things fell apart from there. And then the Cowboys couldn't stop the Titans on third down in that game. It was the opposite tonight. They flipped the script and the Eagles just could not get anything going on third down until late. Kudos to Jordan Matthews who had a couple of key third down conversion, especially a third and long there in the second half. But overall, though, that third down offense is not doing enough to keep the offense on the field to probably also save some

of the stamina for the defense as well. And that's really the big difference this year, you know, compared to last year is very point. The Eagles found ways to close out games, you know, whether it was with their defense coming up with big stops like the game against Carolina last year, or whether it was their offense closing out games with the lead, being able to put their foot on the team's throat. It's far too many times this year that they haven't been able to close out

football games. And the other thing that's happened in this year that didn't happen last year's time of possession. The Eagles were number one in the league last year in time of possession, and they've had a few games this year where the opposing team has had the ball more than they did. And that was the story of to night, is that that for half, it seemed like Dallas had the ball like twenty minutes in the first half to

the Eagles ten. So you brought up this point earlier about you know, the defense possibly being worn down in that fourth quarter because of how long the Cowboys offense was out there in the first half. That is a possibility. But you look at this team and you say, for whatever reason, they can't close out football games this year. You know, last year that was the mark of a championship team being able to win those close games, you know, and this year we just haven't found ways to be

able to win the close games. It's funny, it's almost been the opposite, where we found ways to lose the games. Yeah, it's funny that you say that you're comparing this year to last year. I thought you're gonna go with the third down because the Eagles were phenomenal. Yeah, Beags were. I was standing on third down and in the red zone last year and tonight it was a microcosm of

the entire season, just struggling in both regards. So it just it just hurts so much, hurts the soul seeing Dallas, you know, almost bring back twenty sixteen the way that they did tonight with Dak and with Zeke Elliott thriving the way they did, and you know, dealing and handing the Eagles such a difficult loss at home. You know, the Eagles Cowboys series has not been great for the Eagles at the link. Really the better part of the last ten seasons. I would say it seems like it's

either NDF season games every meaningless. Last year the Eagles had everything wrapped up the previous season. The Cowboys did. But you almost you have to go back Roy to two thousand and eight. It was the forty four to six game where you can have a good memory of an Eagles Cowboys home game. You know, during that time, most of the most of the time, the Cowboys have had the upper hand here in Philly. Yeah, and we used to go down there and play well. And Dallas,

that's that's where the good memories are. They're all down there for the most part. Dallas just one of those weird series. And you know, the Cowboys coming in here to night. Give them credit. They didn't come in here and lay down. They came in and played like is that they had something to play. They had more energy

to night. That's the thing, at least, you're right. The more so the defense and their defense came in and played until their offense could get something going, until their offense could sort of find some sort of momentum, their defense cap him in the game. And then really that's been um um, their their calling card all year long. It has been their defense. Their defense third in the league and points giving up. So you know, it's going

to be difficult to move the ball against him. You know, DeMarcus Lawrence is a is a All Pro defensive end. You know, no Lane Johnson out there to night I didn't think Carson was under a ton of pressure, but he was under some pressure out there to night, and even when he didn't get sacked, you could see the pocket sort of collapsing on him a little bit. So, um, well, they showed on the broadcast that he would you know,

the defender would have it an arm. But he's still able to Carson strong enough, to his credit, to be able to escape and get out of it though. Yeah. Yeah, and that's one of the things you have to be able to do playing a quarterback in this league. All right, listen it over to a length to hear from head coach Doug Pearson on the loss. You guys, five gund what do you think is the running light hand you

get started on this first drives? Yeah, something that we talked about each week, trying to start fast and obviously it's not getting done. Um yeah, we just got to continue to evaluate it, you know, and and uh and see see why you know, we're we're coming up a little bit short, whether it's the yard or two. Um, it's something that uh, you know, we we've got to we continue to address it and I gotta make sure we fix it. Two and the fourth quarter it was

a five yard loss. What happened on that play there, well, we anticipated pressure and we got it and and the throw right there was you know to Corey and and uh, you know, without watching the tape because we was on the far sideline, can't really tell you exactly you know what happened. But um, you know, anticipated the pressure, we got it, trying to get the ball out quick and and uh try to execute the play. Failed to do. That team in the locker room after the game messages

basically is pretty simple. UM, starting with myself, all of us, Uh, you know, we just look at ourselves in the mirror and um, are we are we doing enough? Are we giving enough? Um? Each week it's a strain. I mean you have to you have to strain yourself to make plays. I mean that's just the way this game is. And uh, we didn't do enough of that today. And that's that's the disappointing thing. Um, you know, and and just just gave up too many, too many plays defensively and then

an offense didn't execute uh you know enough. H And so that's the that's the disappointing, disappointing thing. But each person, each coach, UM, each player in that locker room. We have to we have to really look at it, at yourself and and and decide every day you come to work that that you're going to give your best and you're gonna do everything you can to get better and help this team win. You get So it came out of the halftime locker room angry, fired on the whole

team did right? It all fizzled out? What happened? Guys were excited. I mean we had three and out on defense, exactly what we talked about at halftime. Offense was able to go down and and I believe you get points on that next drive and and and it just felt like,

you know, things were beginning to turn for us. Um, And I don't know that's the that's the you know, the disheartening thing is is something we got to look at and I've got to look at, you know, and and make sure that um, whether the guys are fresh going into games, um, you know, if uh, you know how we practice it, just a lot of a lot of things can factor into some of that stuff, you know. And and then and then just just keep talking and keep reiterating the point to the guys that that we

have to continue to finish. We got to finish in practice. Uh. It just can't you know, show up in a game and expect to finish a drive or finish a game. You know, we got to do those things during the week. The handle before um he had he had you know, I guess a short answer would be, yeah, Um, we had a certain number of plays for him and wanted to get him, get him into the game and just

get him uh some some touches. And and I thought one thing we did do was, you know, uh, we we did spread the ball around, um, whether it's through RPOs or play action or even just straight dropback and o Zac had you know, I don't know, fourteen or sixteen targets or something like that. But but he's the type of player that can handle that, you know, and and al Shan as well. So um, as we go, we'll continue to to increase the things that we do with him. Went into the play call one that josh

Adam was up collect Yeah again offense. Uh you know, it was just a design to uh um uh you know, basically circle the defense and and pen pending only thing that kills the player's penetration. And and we allowed the penetration to happen and and stopped stop the runs, poured it down to Zach just what you see on that play where how much death is he supposed to get

on that? Uh? In regards to the point, Yeah, it's a it's a route that that's uh, it's gonna you know, uh again, it's gonna get you the you know, get you the fourth down or get you any down. Really. Um and uh, I give credit to you know, to Dallas, to Heath. I mean he came up and it was a contested catch, you know, Zact did a great ball was a little bit high, but um, you know he came down with the ball and we were just uh you know, about a half a yur short. So just

a great play by them. And and and it was a play that uh, you know I would call again. Um, just you're putting it in Carson's hands, You're putting it in Zack's hands. And and that's that's what you want. Message you had after the game, It's been said before this year, at what point are you concerned that this is who you are not games into the season. Well, I mean if we got to change who we are, then, um, doesn't mean that uh. Um, you know we have to go out and grab a whole bunch of new players

or anything like that. I mean, you know, Um, we just got to continue to work and continue to coach and and teach and and get better and um, you know, we we just got to do. We just gotta do a little bit more each week. It's not a it's not not a bunch of big changes, you know. Um, we're close in a lot of areas. Um, but uh but you know, to each man, uh, coaches and players, we have to you know, decide when we come to work that we're gonna we're gonna give our best today

and we're gonna get ready for for another another. You know, good team, different team points the night before the quarter twenty one against Carolina, are they wearing down? Well? I think I think one of the things that that we knew coming into this game was that we were gonna get a steady diet of the of the run game,

you know. And and Zeke was he's a big back, he's a powerful back, and um, you know, probably some of that a little bit, you know, but but uh, you know we also uh um I thought you know, overall,

we didn't we didn't tackle great. You know, that's one of the areas that that we gotta get better at two is tackling, tackling in space, tackling, um, you know, in the box, and just making sure that, um, you know, we get the guys on the ground and there's there were too many yards after contact and and uh things like that, and and with those are areas that we

gotta we gotta concentrate on. You've got a lot of injuries in the secondary, you had dow Line Johnson, You've had a bunch of injuries, and the skill positions and new injuries starting to uh have an effect on the team. Well, I think I think uh, um, I think it can. But but uh, you know, you know you've been around us enough to know that that we we we're not

going to let that be an excuse. You know, it's the next band up mentality, and and we just got to make sure that the next guy is ready to go and paired, and um, you know, in in in in Lane's case, I mean obviously big vib you know steps in and does a great job. He does the same thing for JP, and he plays he plays well. So um, you know, we just gotta we just gotta keep keep fighting. I mean one and one in the division.

There's a lot of division games ahead of us, and and uh some some good football left, especially disappointment coming off a Bible we got a good shoe will hope to common jumps. Yeah, I mean, you know, obviously you try to the month in November. I think his his teams begin to, um, sort of separate themselves, and and uh, um, you know, we did take a probably you know, we did take a step back tonight, and that's the disappointing thing. And um, listen, we just you know, we're not going

to make excuses for anything. Uh you know, we're gonna We're just gonna come to work and and um and get ready for New Orleans. You valuate Carson's play to night. Um, I thought early, you know, there were some things that uh, you know, he he'd probably like to get back and think the accuracy was off just a touch and and but but I think as he settled into the game, he did some really really nice things. Uh, made some

really really good throws, tight contested throws. Um, I know he'd like to have the touch to the throat alshan back. I think that was a touchdown pass there. He'd liked to have that one back, But I thought overall, he played, uh he played well, you know, he managed the offense and it did some really good things. On Hurtz was there were there other people he could have gone to

got some of those players? Well yeah, I mean, you know, until we until I look at the tape and see, I mean, you know that's uh Hurts is a pretty good receiver and and he's a big part of the offense. But uh um, you know, I with until I look at the film to really understand, you know, where the ball went. Um and and and see it's hard to say he started, excuse me, very concerned about about this team.

You see, well obviously you get a little concerned after after a loss, um and you you know, you scratch your head and you try to put your finger on some things and and uh um. But at the same time I understand that you know, this is still um our divisions right in front of us again. I mean, you know, you got seven games remaining, and and uh

you know it's it's it's a prideful group. And that's the thing that uh um, you know, I trust those players in there, and and they'll they'll get it figured out. And uh um, you know, it's just it just comes down to you know, like I said earlier, I mean just just each man and and uh um, you know, we can't worry about two, three, four games from now. You can't. You can't worry about the postseason or any of that. You got to worry about the next next game and focus on the next game and and do

everything you can to try to win that game. One of your goals every season is to win all your home games. Having lost now three in a row at home sort of especially the goal, isn't it all right? So we gotta we gotta just focus on the next game, all right, all right? Hey, Coach Doug Pearson addressing the media at the link following the Eagles twenty seven to twenty lost to the Dallas Cowboys. We're gonna hear from

quarterback Carson Wentz in just a little bit. But first we're gonna bring you Merril Camp and show you what it's like inside the booth as the Hall of Fame duo of Merrill Reis and Mike Quick bring you tonight's action. Back, goes Prescott. He's looking. He steps up he's hit and he's dropped Brad Graham with the sack. Yeah, and Brandon Graham needed that sack. That that Prescott is gonna hold the ball, especially if guys are close to the receivers.

He holds the ball too long, they're gonna be able to get sacks tonight. Let's to the crowd sway b boshot Prescott. Prescott takes the snap. He's black, he's looking, he pumped, he's head. He's sacked at the fifteen. Michael Better, No, Michael, that is Michael Better. Better to about the fifteen. I'll tell you what. Bennett just continues to fight. Now, that wasn't gonna be a sack, but Bennett would not be denied.

He continues to fight. Carson. Carson, you've had the ball in your hand now late in the game to either tire go ahead several times, and you guys just haven't kind of gotten over the top there or some of the problems down to stretch through. Yeah. I'm just an execute,

an execute. I mean it came out second half. Um, I thought we were moving the ball well, Um, slow start really really hurt us looking back, Um, first half putting up three points the turnover I had, you know, all that stuff, UM gonna make it tough to win in games like this where they're they're a big kind of ball control team and your drives are really limited, and so every drive is really important. And we started

off slow and that really hurt us. And the end of the game, we just didn't get it done starting slow. I'm not sure thirty two, fourth and seven there in the fourth quarter of what went wrong? Execution I mean, at the end of the day, execution screenplay, we just missed it. Um, the play of the arts. Uh, you know, we we dial it up and it's right at the sticks and came up short. The Carson Dach had obviously had a lot of success this year. I think you're

hardened sixteen times today. Is they're good and bad to that. I want to food the ball to give her people a little bit more. Yeah, I mean it's always great, um,

when you can spread the ball around to everybody. UM, tonight it just so happened to be, you know, a lot of chances with zach Um with the way they were playing coverages and they they played their techniques, and um, it was actally had a great game, you know, so UM, I don't know how many times we threw to him or how many completions the a, but I'm sure it

was a lot. Um. And so to have that chemistry with him, with the way they were playing him, that's just just the way I worked out tonight of Courson on that going back to that fourth and sixth or seven or whatever it was, to earths, Um, why did that? Why did that play you know, fall short of the sticks? Yeah, I mean we knew it was gonna be close. Um it was. It was tight man coverage, so, um, we knew it was gonna be right at the stick. And at the end of the day, we came up short.

The one an opportunity to all shot down the right sideline. Would you see on that plane which one you're talking about? Uh, it was all shot deep on the right and the deep earlier in the second quarter, right good yeah, Um, yeah, I gotta get more more behind that throw. Um, I couldn't quite finish it, you know, I couldn't quite see what how it ended up the end result was. But I know I didn't get quite enough on the throw

to attempt to outshun in the end zone. Did you expect him to go a little further on that or what happened on that incompletion. Yeah, I mean the way they were playing coverage. We had talked about it all week and then they the way they reacted on the field was a little differently. And that's one that we're kicking ourselves. We want to have back and just missed it. Well, it was another slow starts. I'll eat it. I think you guys have three touchdowns in nine games in the

first quarter at the two in the same game. Do you think it's an issue. Do you think it's something that you need to resolve. Is it's just a flukey thing. I mean, do you feel different early in games? I know I personally don't feel different. You know, some people could say you want to settle in all these things. I don't feel that way. You know. I thought that was something I don't want to talk about last year. But that's something that we did really well last year.

And it's really hard to put your finger on why it is the way it is this year. A lot of it's just little execution things that are a big deal. And so I mean, we got to go back and look and see what our teams do into us earlier in the game. Why are we having these slow starts? And really, you know, look hard in the mirror, um, because I think tonight that's what costs us. Mentioned as like the scripted plays that the other team is all over them every week. Uh, you know, one yard passes

and picks and things like that. Uh, it's like they know what's coming on the floes. What was the question do the layman on the slow starts? It looks like the scripted plays are just being run right into the teeth of the defense. So for you know, it's good, good observation. And mentioned you said, look at yourselves in the mirror. Duck said that was his message to the team afterwards. I make sure that you're doing everything you can to prepare. What do you as someone who has

the pulsal locker room? What are you what are you sensing that? I mean, I know this one hurt. You know this one hurt obviously, Um, Sunday night football Divisional opponent. Uh, the Cowboys coming into our home. Um. But really, the way we've played the last couple of times at home, you know, that's not what we pride ourselves on. And this one hurts. So I know, Um, we got a lot of veterans in there, a lot of leadership, and uh, you know, like you said, like coach said, Um, and

I'm gonna keep echoing the same thing. We all got to look in the mirror. What can we do differently? Where can we be better? Um? And we realize a lot of people are gonna want to write us off at this point, and UM, now it's just time to play ball and try and go shock some people. Do you feel like you to follow up on that? That's been the message before from from you. What makes you think these next seven teams are going to be any different? Yeah,

I mean, like you said, that's been the message before. Um, some extent, I feel like this press conversation you've been a broken record almost. You know, we've been here, um a couple of times, and we know at the end of the day, every one of these games is closed. And this is the National Football leagu gets hard to win. Um, and we've letting, we've let a handful get away from us. Now UM that we're really just kicking ourselves. And UM, like you said, I mean we've said it before, So

it's really just are are we gonna step up? Are we're gonna make the corrections. Are we gonna come out fast or each week? Um? And you know, I believe we have the guys to do that. Designed shorter passes, screens had not been as successful as they were last year. Is that do you see that? Is that a theme that's been running through the course of the year. Hard to say, honestly, Um, after the night, I'll have to go watch the film, just thinking back on some I

know we had a couple of screens that were right there. Um, even that third and two late in the game, we had it right there. We just the one guy you know, knife through and made the play, and um, you know, they're the same stuff that we hit last week or two weeks ago Aainst Jacksonville for the thirty five year touchdown or whatever it was. Um. And so those are just little things that were just missing by this much

that make a big difference. It looked like Golden kind of had a fairly limited package of plays because that tough at all you're trying to work a guy into the offense. I mean, anytime you're trying to work a guy in the middle of season is tough. You know, He's done a great job picking things out from the second he got here. He's putting in a lot of time at the facility, you know, meeting with coaches, asking questions. Um, and I feel confident in him wherever we put him in,

whatever we ask him to do. Um. Hard to say. Could we have used him differently tonight? Hard to say. But I'm really confident in him as a player and as a teammate going forward here. Um, And I'm sure he'll get more and more involved as we go. Of course, this may seem like an unfair question considering how far you've come to come back from your injury. But what do you think you can do better or more to get this team back on track? Yeah, I mean, we just gotta execute better at the end of the day.

And that comes on my shoulders, that comes on the old line, that comes on everybody. Execution is the biggest thing. It's really hard to stand up here after a game and just pinpoint one thing, Um, you know, starting slow as something that that I think I can I can do better, and making plays earlier in the game, trying to get guys going. But again, it's really hard to just put your finger on one thing. But but executing,

you know, some of the situational football. Some of those those red zone plays have like to played al Sean. Those are things we just gotta hit. We gotta hit. And that's at the end of the day, just execution. Most questions, are you seeing the execution in practice would have been like in the practice field. Is it just in the game that it kind of up? Yeah? I mean practice looks good, you know. I thought even tonight

execution later in the game wasn't bad. Um, just early in the game we were just slow, start missing things here and there. Um. At the end of the day, though, that's a good football they played, that's a good defense. Um. They did some things early to kind of get us out of our out of our rhythm a little bit. So you got to tip your hat to them at some point. And I thought we made great adjustments at halftime.

We just you know, it's too little too late. Could there be affendency to maybe try a little too hard to start fast to the point where it becomes kind of productive. I mean, there could be. I can't say that's what's happening to us, um, Like I said, it's a culmination of things. Um. But at the end of the day, you got to tip your hat to them. Like I said, they did some things early too to kind of take away what we wanted to do. Made some plays and we stend next year. Enough early in

the game, thanks, all right. So we had a break from Merril cam to bring you Carson Wentz his press conference. Carson Wentz three hundred and sixty passing yards, two touchdowns, saying, the bottom line is we just didn't execute. Okay, the reason for the slow starts, We're just not executing. You know what happened late in the game, the fourth down that was just short to Zach Ertz. You know, just the execution is just not there with his football team.

And Carson says, practice, everything looks good, the game plan looks right. It's just for whatever reason, not translating to the field. And your heart just goes out to Carson because you know how hard he's fought, how hard he's worked, because it's points out Palatonio asking him the question might be a little unfair because of what you have done to get to this point, but what more can you do? I don't know what more Carson can do. I'm quite

honestly at a loss. I mean I lost for what's going on with the offense at this point, because you know, some ways Carson's playing better than they did last season, but it's just mistakes early on. It's little things that seemed that just not clicking like they were a year ago. I tell you, Um and Carson of me the first to tell you he's not looking for any excuses for his play not being up to where he expects it

to be. And sometimes you got to look past his final numbers, right and for him fair or unfair at that position, he's going to be judged at the most critical moments of the game, third down, red zone, fourth quarter. How do you play see quarterbacks that perform well in those circumstances, they erase the incompletions and the turnovers. They erase that stuff when you when you answer the bell

at that time of the game. And I think that's the biggest difference from Carson's play last year to this year, is that he was money and clutch situations. He was money in the fourth quarter when you needed a big throw on third down, when you need to score in the red zone. He made those throws. He didn't miss the throw like he did to Alshon Jeffrey. There is no miscommunication, right, he finds a way to make those throws um um in the fourth quarter like he did

last year. And that's really what's missing this year is the clutch Carson Wentz. Not that he's not clutch, it's just that in those moments, those plays having having come to fruition for him this year. And I know it can be frustrated for him because he's saying to himself, I'm the same player, and he is the same player. He has the same skill set. He's still one of

the premier quarterbacks in this league. But for whatever reason, and that fourth quarter, he's missed on some opportunities there, and that really that's how you save your team, right, That's how you pour your team out of the fire when they didn't don't necessarily play well for four quarters. He's that missing piece, He's that that eracer that if his players there in the fourth quarter, well, we'll overlook some of the things that happens early in the games.

But when it doesn't happen, now we're looking at every little thing to throw that you you don't hit alshon on And that's just it's the nature of that position. It's the nature of the game. You know Doug Peterson and Carson Wentz there, their performances will always be under the microscope, right you know, we may we may we may casually brush over some of the other facets of the game, but the head coach in the quarterback we combed through their performance with a fine tooth comb everything.

Every decision that Doug makes, every decision Carson makes with the football. We we we like to go back and look at it and say, well, he should have did this or he should have did that. And when you're sitting at four and five and you lost three straight games at home, nothing feels good right now. You know, Carson will tell you he'll look at that seventy plus percent completion percentage over three hundred and something yards thrown.

He would give all that back for a W. Right, He'll he'll give all those numbers back for a W. And this team, because of Carson Wentz, the expectations are high every time they step on the field. You know, we know what they were able to do last year, and we know how hard he's worked to get back on the field this year. And it's just disappointing when the end result isn't what you hope for. And if we know this team should be better than four and five. I mean this this is a but they're not. But

they're not. But they're not, they're not. And Bill Parsill said a long time ago, and it's a it's a it's a truism. You are what your record says you are. And this is a team that's been up and down, it's been inconsistent. Have not played well for four quarters very often this year. And that's why you get up

and down performances. See, I understood that with a third down in the red zone they executed at such a high level last year, it was there was gonna be some regression to an extent, but you didn't think the bomb was gonna fall out with its prepared to let last year. Let's go into our turning points for tonight's game. I'll let you kick things off here. What was the turning point of the game for you? I'll tell you. You You know. The Eagles offense, they got themselves back into

the game, right, They finally found their rhythm. They're scoring points. Tied to score at thirteen, Cowboys came back down twenty to thirteen. Dallas tied to score at twenty and Here's where I think the turning point change. This is where the Eagles defense needed to get off the field to get the ball back to their offense. They tie that game up at twenty. The Eagles defense allows the Dallas Cowboys offense to go right back down the field and

take that lead again twenty seven to twenty. That was the turning point in the game for me. Once the offense started to get something rolling, they just needed the defense to come up with a stop for him, and I believe the Eagles could have took their first lead in the game had the defense gotten to stop in the fourth quarter. I agree. My turning point along the same lines came a little bit earlier. It was really the end of the the third quarter when Ron Darby got injured.

Because at that point, look, okay, again, you're already with out Jail Mills and Sydney Jones to begin with, You're going to getst an offense. Look, it hasn't put up big numbers, but you have to account for Amari Cooper and Alan Hearns and Cole Beasley come out of a slot. Okay, are those are some guys that you're gonna have to you know, are gonna give you problem if you don't

have the right personnel on the field. So you work all week to get Avante Max ready to play both the safety in the slot position, Rosuel Douglas moves to the outside so he can prove himself you're fine at those positions. But ron Darby has been the one guy that while he might get maligned for his tackling ability and maybe not being able to come up with big interceptions, look he was a guy in the consistent presence who has played well in the last few games for you.

You lose him late in the third quarter and you're looking around, who else do we got. We have Channon Sullivan, who's a rookie for agent, who a guy I liked in training camp a lot who earned his way onto the roster, and you know is balance for playing time, but he doesn't have an NFL experience. And then Cravon LeBlanc was named off waivers from the Detroit Lions this week. So those were your two healthy options once Ronald Darby

went out. So at that point you roll with Chandon Soolivan and whether whether it was basically because of the lack of experience in the secondary Jim Schwartz had called a game differently, so it wasn't so much on the player's standpoint from that point. But bottom line was the Eagles defense just not able, just go back to ice Wood, not able to get the job done, and the secondary

was undermanned. The defense was on the field for a long time there in the second half, as we saw by the time of possession numbers just overall here, just not able to get off the field when they needed those big plays. And that again, it was something that you saw from this team last year, but consistently, this is not just a one time thing. Consistently now we've seen the team not be able to come up big in the fourth quarter, especially on defense. And this is

before when they had big leads. This is when you're batting, going tooth and nail with a team basically trying to save, you know, to try to get a win streak, going to try build some momentum for the second half of the season, coming off the buy a week. Just not able to get the job done once again the fourth quarter.

And I think just you know, you already were thin in the secondary, Ronald, are we going now with that knee injury and we have to wait to find out if it's something that's going to linger and be beyond just for tonight's game. But once you lose him that rock that you had starting on the outside corner for you, you you know, it just makes it very difficult to execute any kind of exact defense because of the players

you have there on the field. So what we're gonna do now is we're gonna take our first break here on the postgame Show presented by Rico. We're gonna have a one on one interview with Doug Peterson and Hall of Famer Mike Quick coming up in a little bit, as well as the Rico review as fran Duffy and Grego Sell take you inside the big place of the game to explain how the Eagles came out on the losing end of this game tonight by the score of

twenty seven to twenty. Now, if you are following us on Facebook or Twitter, you need to come on over to Philadelphia Eagles dot com or the app to watch the rest of the show. We'll give you a few minutes to get situated. Well, I'm trying to gain hold, but it feels like another line. Yeah, I'm trying to stay strong. Sometimes I realize and further wrong. The more that I know that I won't go home when you and your money are treated with respect, your prosper and

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Learn more about respect ads up at Santon Dair by visiting santand airbank dot com. McDonald's proud partner of the Philadelphia Eagles. All right, welcome back to the show. It was interesting during the press conferences, and this goes back to something you touched on before we went into the break about you'll gloss over certain things when the team is winning, Okay, you you focus more on the highlights and the big plays and the things that they're able to do. To pull a rabbit outa had to be

able to, you know, come out victorious. One of the questions that Carson Wentz was asked was about the reliance upon zach Ertz. Zach Ertz has been the best tight end in football this season, bar or not. Okay, it's

to me. You know, Gronk has been injured, Kelsey's put up nice downwards, but for my money, zach Ertz has been overall the best tight end in the game this season, and another prolific night with fourteen receptions on sixteen targets, you know, over one hundred yards receiving, just the third receiver to go over one hundred yards against the Cowboys. All season. So it's interesting that you know, when you're trying to scrutinize the Eagel's performance here, are they aligned

too much upon zach Ertz. I'm like, he used to go to guy he's you want to feed your playmakers. If you were going away from a guy like that, that's when you start a questioning why why aren't you giving it to him? Or he's one of your top offensive weapons. I have no problem with it, and it was not, in my estimation holding the offense back whatsoever. No, I don't think it is at all. And like you said, zach Ertz has been the best tight end in football

all year long. And quite frankly, if that's Carson Wentz the security blanket, why why not go to him? If he's open and he's catching everything you're throwing to him, and you're moving the chains with him, why wouldn't you

throw him to football? I mean, we try to nitpick and find things to try to come up with answers as to why we aren't getting the results that we are looking for, which his Eagles w's I'll tell you, throwing the ball to argue you your best receiver can never be a problem I mean, if he's forcing the ball and it's leading the turnovers, that's one thing. But the guy is producing sixteen targets, fourteen catches. He rarely

drops the ball. I don't remember him dropping balls, So I mean, I'm glad we have a guy like zach Ertz said they did the quarterback can rely on and get the ball to and crunch times. So two more touchdowns on the night for Erth, both coming in the second half as the Eagles were trying to come back against the Cowboys. We're gonna sit it now to the RICO whiteboard for the RICO Review to break down the first of those two touchdowns, a fifteen yard grab at

the end of the third quarter. Let's welcome in Fran Duffy and Greg Cosal. All right, so let's look at the touchdown. Now to zach Ertz, we talked about the use of pre snap motions to give Carson Man zone indicators before the snop. We see that here on this play with zach Ertz. Here, Greg, show us what we're seeing here before the snap. Well, here's zach Ertz right now, and they have twelve personnel, meaning two tight ends. Because that's Zach Ertz and that's Dallas Goddard right there on

the line of scrimmage. So what they're going to do here is take Ertz and they're going to motion him across the formation. Okay, so let's now show the motion itself. Now, notice no one runs with them. All they do is shift a little bit, but no one runs with them. So she frees it right here. What that tells Carson Wentz high high probability that this is a zone concept and not a man concept, And in fact, that's what

it will turn out to be. And again, just for the people at home, that would be because if if someone ran with him, that would be a man cover. Yes, if you're a man coverage and your guy moves, you go with him. Right, So this is a zone concept. You see a single high safety so single high zone is covered three almost all the time. So now what you have another element to this play is you're going to have the play action because what they're going to do is they want to send Arts right down the seam.

So now if you're going to send him right down the seam, who is the defender that has to be threatened and impacted? And that's Jalen Smith that linebacker. You do not want him as soon as the ball snap, just dropping right into that passingly and taking away the seam. So how do you impact him. You impact him with play action in the backfield. And all you need in the NFL is you just need him to hold for half a beat. He doesn't have to run into the line of scrimmage. He just has to have his eyes

in the backfield and hold for half a beat. And if we run it now, you'll see that's exactly what happens. And if you freeze it right about here, you can see look where his eyes are. His eyes are in the backfield and he's not looking at arts at all. And Ertz will run down the seam because the corner is playing outside cover three. That's his third So what you get now is the deep safety there in the middle of the field. You get Earth's running clean down

the seam. Smith eyes in the backfield. Let's finish the play out. Beautifully designed touchdown in the red zone. Really well done, really good example of the Eagles using that pre snap motion. Give Carson Wentz answers before the snap coverage. Huge play there for a touchdown ties the game at thirteen. Thanks so much Frann and Greg. The complete All twenty two review will be available in a couple of hours

for you here in Philadelphia Eagles dot com. So the road doesn't get any easier for the Eagles, not in the ease, not in terms of the overall schedule. Seven games left for the Eagles, who are now four and five on the year. Can they turn things around? Will offer a preview after this final break here on the postgame show presented by Rico. What's the jogie? Are you seriously asking me that? What? You gotta have? A good bread crispy like you can hear it? Can I take

a bike? Light us tomato on you for meat? It's to stop. It's all about to me. Pepper turkey, it's for me, prest beaf, generis, salami, harun beef, capitol astronomy. It's to me, fam, Come on in. We'll feed you like family. I did say cheese, right, Swiss, pepper jack sharp purple. Well, I'm trying to get on, but it feels like another lie. Yeah, I'm trying to say strong.

Sometimes I realize that further go the modent. I know I want to go home when you and your money are treated with respect you prosper and at Fontandbek Respect adds up. Eagles High School Football Showdown, presented by the Rothman Orthopedics at Jefferson Health, celebrates local high school football coaches and their teams. Visit Philadelphia Eagles dot com Slash Showdown to check out this year's coaches and learn more

about the program. All right now as your chance to vote for the Toyota Player of the Week and our first nominee here wide receiver Nelson Aglore, who came up with a big catch. The one thing you were wondering going to this game was with Golden Tate, who has a similar skill set to an extent to Nelson Agilore, what would they do to try to diversify the offense?

And Agilore became more of the vertical weapon and we saw that on a beautiful throw, amazing catch for fifty one yard completion and the second half which helped spark the comeback for the Eagles. Yeah, and it was good to see it. Hopefully, hopefully we can see more of that. That's the one element to this offense that has been missing this year last year. Plenty of big plays to go around for everybody. Nelson certainly was a deep threat down the field. It was nice to see Nelson catch

this ball here that Carson dropped in on him. Hopefully this is the sign of more to come for Nelson because with Golden Tate being added, I'd expect him to be even more of a part of the offense moving forward, which means Nelson may have some more opportunities down the field by being an outside receiver. It's a mystery because Nelson was phenomenal last season. Breakout year from last season

just has not quite been there. That explosive spark hasn't been there, So you hope maybe a play like this that will help get him going. For the last few games, all our second nominee defensive end, Michael Bennett, you know, has been really a consistent disruptor for this defensive line. I would say probably the last five six games for

this Eagles defense. Two more sacks on the evening, you know, start off the second half with a bang where he slammed Dak Prescott on the very first place from scrimmage there. Just brings the attitude playing both inside and it and moving all around the formation has been a nice pick up here for the Eagles. He really has been, and he said it, the last five or six weeks, he's been in the opponent's backfield every game. He had some big hits on Dak tonight, big tackles for losses, and

that's why they went out and traded for him. He is starting to feel comfortable in this defense and rushing next to a guy like Fletcher Cox. Has seeing the benefits having a guy like Fletcher Cox out there. Brandon Graham, Chris Long, that's a nice little Nascar package that we have. Hope to see more of it. To me, this was his best game as an Eagle. Yeah, I just thought he just stayed in Dallas's backfield the whole game. Yeah.

Four quarterback hits on the evening for Michael Bennett. So our third nominee, and we've gone into him in depth already. A zach Ertz tight end. Sixteen targets, fourteen catches, one hundred and forty five yards, you know, two touchdowns in the second half. There's not much more you can say. Art has just been phenomenal. He's been performing at such a high level, but consistently at a high level since Week one. I believe this is his fifth game with

double digit receptions on the season. Just out of this world, the numbers that he's putting up. It's just disappointing that it's coming in a losing effort. Yeah, let's go ahead and call it what it is. He's been the best player on the offensive side of the ball all year long, he said it, the most consistent you know what you can you're gonna get out of zac every week, and

he's on his way to a second Pro Bowl. You know, I think it's it's okay to say now and we can feel comfortable with it that he's the best tight end in football flat out in twenty eighteen. He is the best tight end in football this year, all right. So again, now it's your chance to vote for the Toyota Player of the Week. Go to Philadelphia Eagles dot com slash Toyota Player of the Week to cash your vote and get a chance at a brand new Toyota.

So the Eagles fall twenty seven to twenty two Dallas Cowboys. Of course, marks there show. I can't imagine what tomorrow show is gonna be, Like we can. We'll wait on that one for later on here. But you know, look at what's coming up from a schedule perspective. You know, I mentioned before the break, it's not going to get

any easier. You're going into your non divisional slate next week and your three nondividual games remaining, and one's with New Orleans next week in New Orleans against a team that's put up ninety six points in the last two games. And then you get the Los Angeles Rams there you see at the end of this five game slate in your third nine division game the Houston Texans. So you get your five division games, and that's that's where you're gonna make your bread and butter. That's that's why tonight

was such an important, impactful game. Because you had the five week, you had the five games in your division, you really could get on a role. But unfortunately they didn't take advantage of it. They just did not execute. Whether it's a preparation to execution, what have you. They just did not get the job done on the field tonight. Yeah.

I mean, they put themselves truly behind eight ball. And you know, Doug sort of mentioned this in this press conference, had I think the leaders on his team, you know, they need to get this message out to the rest of the players on his team. Forget about the playoffs, forget about winning the NFC's forget about any of that stuff. Think about winning next week. That's the only thing they

can think about is winning next week. Forget about the big picture, forget about how many games you're behind the red Skins. Worry about winning your next game. You're growing up against arguably the best team in the NFL in their building this week, and if you don't come in mentally locked in and ready to go, they will embarrass you. You just mentioned it. They put up forty five on the Rams two weeks ago, fifty one today on the Bengals on the road. So playing the Saints this is

and they can hurt you throwing the ball. Those numbers. Drew Brees two sixty five. If they get three touchdowns, you got Alvin Kamara and two forty four on the ground. So the Eagles not able to slowdown Zeke Elliott Tonight's you get double trouble a week. Yeah, and that's why they get They have to really hone in on this game and and and focus and not worry about the big picture because if you look, if you're looking at the big picture, the mountain seems too steep. The climb.

It just seems too much. Just worry about next week, take care of business in New Orleans, and then worry about the next game. At the that all right, let's take a look at the division standings, and furthermore, hurt in the Eagles is the fact that not only did they lose, but Washington won today against Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay moved the ball at will early on in the contest, but just could not put up any point. I think they have five hundred yards of total offense three points

to show for it. So fitzmagic is all gone. So Washington. Look, and I don't know how Washington has winning. I don't know how they're winning. Yes, but they are. So they're six and three, too comfortable, two game lead a top of the division. The Eagles do get two games against them. Okay, that's the thing that you could say is they still are within striking distance. But again, you can't worry about you're not playing Washington next week. You gotta prepare for

this scene. You gotta worry about New Orleans and all the challenges that they present, and just you gotta worry about, as Doug said, looking in the mirror and figuring out. Are you doing enough individually day in and day out? Are you making the corrections? Are you being critical enough to try to get yourself in the best position to help this football team. And that's everybody at this point.

That's from Carson Wentz all the way down to you know, the fifty third mail on the roster, to the practice squad guys challenging the starters in practice during the week. Everybody's got to step up their game, okay, because, like you said, if they don't detail their work this week, if they hang their heads or start feeling sorry for themselves, they are going to get the doors blown off of them in New Orleans next week. And we are not

going to want to be doing that postgame show whatsoever. No, and listen, I expect this team to show their championship medal, right, And what I mean by that is that this is a team that has pride. They have great leadership on this team. I don't expect them to go into next week's game feeling as if they don't have a chance to win the game. And so, um, listen, the only way you can get over tonight's laws is to go out there and take care of business next week. Shock

the world. Yeah, hey, you know what, Remember Doug had the comment a couple of weeks ago, but the pressure, golf pressure. No one's gonna pick the Eagles this week, right, Okay, most people probably figured the Eagles would win at home coming off the buy Dallas, struggling Eagles should win. Get on the right track. No, no one is gonna be

picking the Eagles this week. So not that you want to go back to the underdog mentality, but guess what, you gotta go back to the well whatever it takes to get yourself in that Fike spirit for Sunday, you gotta make it happen. So again, Marks and Reese tomorrow two pm. It's gonna be a therapy session. Okay, that's probably the best way to session. Man, it'll be a nice community. We'll we'll, we'll talk it out. We'll talk it out. I might just come lay on the couch

in the background. So of the studios there now, but again, we have the All twenty two review come up for you, the one I want Mike with Doug Pearson still being produced, So we will have that for you first thing in the morning, Doug peer since press conference noon later on today, I was gonna say tomorrow, but later on today we will have that for you live right here at Philadelphia dot Com, our app, and our social media channel. So for all of us here at the Philadelphia Eagles for Ikeries,

I'm Chris McPherson. You've been watching the postgame show presented by Rico. Thank you all for sticking with us on such a difficult night. Get some rest and we will see you tomorrow