To make it simple, Aaron Rodgers was just too much for the Eagles as he lead the Packers to a 27-13 victory on Monday Night football. With the loss, the Eagles dropped to 5-6 on the year. Rodgers efinished with 313 yards passing, two touchdowns, and also added 26 yards on the ground. The betting sites were right as the Packers covered this game easily.
Green Bay 10-14 on third downs tipping the balance of time of possession. The Packers held onto the ball for 34:46 as whiel the Eagles had it for just 24:36. Fletcher Cox recorded only .5 tackle in the showdown on 56 snaps.
Philadelphia played without starting running back, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles was suffering from bruised ribs he sustained last week against the Seahawks. Rookie, Wendell Smallwood was asked to take their place and gave fans something to be excited about. Smallwood totaled 37 yards on the ground on only nine carries. Carson Wentz finished with 256 yards passing and one interception. Dorial Green Beckham had six receptions for 82 yards. 52 of those yards came in the first drive which ended with a one yard touchdown run from Wentz.
Heading into the game, it was not clear if 2015 first round pick, Nelson Agholor would play. Agholor ended up being a “healthy scratch” and Paul Turner would take his place. Paul Turner was not targeted in the game. He played a fair amount after starting slot receiver, Jordan Matthews left the game with a ankle/foot injury.
Wentz is the real deal. He played with three lineman starting in different positions on Monday and was down to only three receivers after Jordan Matthews left in the third quarter. Two of the three receivers he was left with went undrafted. Wentz still made plays that many quarterbacks can make. This year is about getting Wentz’s feet wet. So far, he has checked all the boxes off. He is the last thing Eagles fans should be worried about.
From this game, it is clear that the Eagles have way to many holes. They are still are incredibly young on offense. The team started four rookies on offense last night. With youth comes inexperience, as was made clear last night. However, Philly fans can still look forward to the future and progression of these players.
The Eagles need to find an outside receiver, cornerback, and running back. By far, these positions are the biggest needs, followed by offensive line and linebacker. The Eagles should target a cornerback in the first round of the draft and then focus on getting offensive weapons for Wentz. They should draft around Wentz since defense has a “core” already in place.
The Eagles should continue to look to get younger. Howie Roseman certainly has a lot of work to do. There are a lot of veterans who should see the pink papers in the offseason.