Fourth-Quarter Collapse Costs Philadelphia Against Denver

The Philadelphia Eagles entered Week Five with confidence. Starting off the game strong and taking a 17-3 lead over the Denver Broncos, the Eagles were ready to take home another win. Then the fourth quarter came around, and the Broncos showed Philly who they were and what they came there to do. For the majority of the game, the Eagles had control. With Jalen Hurts making efficient plays and the defense dominating the field early on, they seemed to be strict on themselves, securing yet another win. Unfortunately enough with missed opportunities in the fourth quarter, the Broncos were able to make a comeback, delivering a statement.

Offensive Letting Up

As the Eagles took on a 17-3 lead against the Broncos, they felt as if their game was secured. Making conservative playcalling, taking it back a notch, and slowing down the pace that ultimately caused them to lose their game. For the majority of the first three quarters, the Eagles were dominating offensively, making strategic plays, controlling the clock, and moving the ball around the field. They felt as if they had claimed dominance early enough to hold them over one more quarter, but that wasn’t the case. The Broncos were not going to give up, especially knowing that this would be a boost to their season, beating the reigning Super Bowl Champions and an undefeated team. The Eagles need to continue dominance throughout the entirety of every game they play. Leading with two touchdowns does not secure a win when there is still 15 minutes of playing time left.

Fourth Quarter Defense Causing a Turn of Events

Like we have talked about before, there were a lot of mistakes being made within the fourth quarter of the game, with some of those erupting from the defensive line. As the Broncos were moving the ball, the Eagles' defense could not stop them. Struggling to complete stops and secure the ball back to the offensive line, they gave up plays that should have been disrupted. In the fourth quarter, as the Broncos already had the lead, the Eagles needed to stop them from getting down the field, but they helped them instead. With Zack Baun getting a late hit penalty, extending the drive led the Broncos to a field goal. The second-year quarterback, Bo Nix, was also in control too much of this game for the Eagles, who wanted to keep an undefeated record. The defense let him find his rhythm in the second half, completing 30+ yard passes on downs that should have been stopped. Overall, many missed tackles, uncalled for penalties, and not enough coverage shook the Eagles up during their Week Five matchup.

Jalen Hurts Needs Support

Hurts played a tough game today against the Broncos. Although not everything was executed perfectly throughout the game, he was still able to make plays that benefited the Eagles offensively. With Hurts connecting a 52-yard gain with DeVonta Smith and a 47-yard touchdown pass to Saquon Barkley, ensuring two touchdowns for the Eagles, Hurts was there and ready to take home a win. With that though, the offensive line struggled, resulting in Hurts being sacked six times today. Hurts makes strong strategic plays; he reads the field and finds the open player or route, but he can’t do it by himself. He needs his team behind him, ready to receive a catch, or simply keep him away from the opposing team's defense when trying to ensure downs. The Eagles had everything on their side, but protecting the quarterback is one of the main things to be done on that field, and they didn’t uphold that responsibility sufficiently.

This showed that every second of every minute counts during the game. The Eagles showed dominance throughout the beginning of the first three-quarters, but the lack of consistency was detrimental to the final result of their game today. While the talent on this team is clear, it doesn’t always mean you can take it easier. As the Eagles enter Week Six with their next game against the New York Giants on Thursday night, they need to ensure control over the game throughout all 60 minutes. Let this be a learning lesson that even the strongest teams have moments of weakness that can lead them to an upsetting result.