Ugly Wins and Special Teams: Eagles Luck Can't Carry Them Forever

NFL

Week after week, the Eagles have continued to show reasons why they have Super Bowl potential again this season. Despite their flashes of greatness, the wins have been ugly and are made to look much harder than they ought to be. Each game, fans are left on the edge of their seats, awaiting the play that could hand them their first loss. Philadelphia’s special teams have been making all the difference, but everyone is wondering, when will the luck run out?

Between Week Three and Week Four, the Eagles’ special teams have come through to either close out games or widen the score margin to defeat teams. Against the Rams, the Eagles’ second-half performance flipped the game on its head. Though it was the most explosive offense that we have seen thus far, the win was largely a result of two blocked field goal attempts, one resulting in a turnover, and the other returned for a touchdown as time ran out. The first was blocked by a dual effort from Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, and the second was entirely credited to Davis, who was awarded the NFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts. Had he and his teammates not shut down the last kicks from Joshua Karty, Philadelphia would not have caught up to the Rams, who completely shut down their offensive strategy in the first half. In Week Four, a major contributor to the win over the Buccaneers was a punt blocked by Cameron Latu, which was returned 35 yards for a Sydney Brown touchdown. It created momentum and confidence that carried the team to success. That makes three blocked kicks over just two games for the Eagles.

Without these crucial plays, the trajectory of each of these games suggested that they may have ended in a loss. In Week Four, for example, the Eagles’ offense was held to one touchdown in the second half and was otherwise shut down by Tampa. Had Jihaad Campbell not come up big for the defense to intercept the ball at the goal line, Philly likely would have lost the game despite the exceptional third platoon. It is undeniable that the special teams have been a huge asset in keeping the Eagles undefeated so far this season. However, future opponents will now be prepared to strategize around their efforts, making it more difficult for these game-changing plays to keep happening. They have proved that their fight to win carries throughout the franchise, but their wins are not pretty, and they won’t get much farther by leaning so heavily on special teams. 

It is rare for teams to block kicks, especially three times consecutively, so how can this win strategy be sustainable for their future? The short answer is that it cannot be. If the Eagles want to continue finding success and keep a perfect record, they need to ramp up their energy and execute all around, not just defensively. AJ Brown is visibly frustrated; there is more criticism about Jalen Hurts’ passing ability, and Kevin Pattullo's playcalling is widely scrutinized. Overall, the offense seems to be in shambles while special teams and the defense are holding their heads above water. Heading into Week Five against a less intimidating competitor in the Broncos, this game should be one that the Eagles use to turn up the heat offensively. Otherwise, their special teams dominance won’t matter, and they will end up losing a game that they should not have.

Mia Guerrieri

Mia Guerrieri is an NFL writing intern with EnforcetheSport. She is a Communications major at Wilmington University with a focus in Digital Journalism, and enjoys reporting on the excitement of game day, player stories, and what to expect next for the Philadelphia Eagles.

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