QUARTERBACK
-Jaxson Dart: 17/25 – 195 yards / 1 TD – 0 INT / 104.6 RAT
Dart added 58 yards on the ground. Over his first two weeks as a starter, he was second in the league in rushing yards by a quarterback. Make it 50+ yards three straight weeks and these are not numbers fueled from one or two big runs. Dart is making a difference on both scrambles and designed runs with a blend of toughness, agility, and feel. Two of those are hard to measure, but you know it when you see it. The best takeaway from Dart’s legs is the fact he is creating on his own when the play design does not get the job done. Whether it is buying more time to throw like he did on the Wan’Dale Robinson touchdown or picking up gains via vacancies left in coverage like he did on his touchdown run, or breaking tackles like he did on the 2nd-and-4 first down at the end of the second quarter that later led to a touchdown. These are game-altering elements to his arsenal.
As a passer, he made multiple high-level throws with pressure bearing down on him. That is the standout trait I am seeing to his game that also showed up at Mississippi. His response to pressure is outstanding. He doesn’t shy from contact and he maintains his release, accuracy, and power when he knows a hit is coming. On 3rd-and-8 with 3:12 remaining in the third quarter, Dart was blitzed and knew the hit was coming. He could not have thrown a better pass to Theo Johnson from one hash to outside the opposite numbers. No, it did not put points on the board nor did it lead to points; NYG later punted. But it was a play that showed what this kid is capable of and if Patrick Mahomes made that play, it would have been all over the place with fans and analysts alike drooling. Dart continues to put a ton of touch on the ball with above average placement. As long as he stays on time and knows where the coverage help is, it will work just fine. Short, intermediate, deep, on schedule, off schedule – all of it was outstanding in his third start of the season and the exact response you want to see on short rest off a loss where he turned it over multiple times. There is a lot to be excited about. He already gives the feel that you’re always gonna be in it if he is in the game.
RUNNING BACK
-Cam Skattebo: 19 att – 98 yards – 3 TD / 2 rec – 12 yards
With Saquon Barkley in the house watching from the sidelines, Skattebo hit pay dirt three times as a rusher. Barkley has never done that and in fact, no NYG running back has done that since 2011 (Ahmad Bradshaw, who also wore #44). He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and had 10 touches go for a first down or touchdown. This is the kind of back who can suck the life out of a defense and we saw that on the final drive. An overlooked component to the game was how they finished. NYG got the ball with 6:50 left and they never gave the ball back. Skattebo had five touches for 51 yards. For better or worse, he is going to be the physical force of this offense and the hope is he will be able to stay on the field.
-Tyrone Tracy returned from his dislocated shoulder and played 21 snaps. He had just 6 yards on 4 carries and blew it on an inside run by not seeing the crease and bouncing it outside. Instead of a 3-yard gain, he ended up being taken down at the line of scrimmage. He did an excellent job picking up the blitz in pass protection. Devon Singletary was on the field for just 4 snaps. He gained 10 yards on 3 carries.
WIDE RECEIVER
-Wan’Dale Robinson: 6 rec – 84 yards / 1 TD
With both Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton out, Robinson entered the game as the team’s number one receiver by a wide margin. Only 25 passes were thrown but 7 of them went his way and all but one were completed. The biggest of the day was a 35-yard score on a broken play where he broke an immediate tackle attempt by rookie safety Andrew Mukuba and then hugged the sideline before getting tackled into the end zone for his second score of the year. Robinson’s routes are so sudden and sharp, and as long as he continues to catch the balls that hit his hands, he will be Dart’s best friend and top target.
-If you can remember back to Week 1 of the preseason, Lil’Jordan Humphrey caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Dart on a deep vertical route. On 3rd-and-12 in the first quarter of this game with NYG down 3-0, Dart chucked it up for the 6’4”/225 pounder and he came down with it. It was a big-time contested catch for a gain of 34 yards. Two plays later, Dart ran into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown. Humphrey caught 3 more passes for 21 yards. In such a beat up receiver room, Humphrey and his unique tool set has earned regular snaps in this offense. The sneaky-strong component to his game is the downfield blocking. He has been known for that since his days at Texas and he made the block of the play on Robinson’s touchdown.
-Whether he earned it or not, Jalin Hyatt is a key part of this passing game especially when Slayton is out. He was thrown to 5 times, the second most of his career and the first time he has hit that number since 2023. He caught 3 passes for just 17 yards, but a couple of them were really tough grabs on the move. He also drew a deep pass interference penalty in the end zone (20 yards) and Skattebo scored the game’s final touchdown a play later. Hyatt was still involved in a miscommunication on what appeared to be the wrong route on the incomplete Russell Wilson pass while Dart was being evaluated for a concussion. If I had to guess why he has been so back and forth with playing time and targets, it would be exactly that.
TIGHT END
-A lot of credit will rightfully go to the offensive line for the blocking, but I am going to group the tight ends in there as well. Theo Johnson especially was a difference-maker with how well he struck his man, latched on, and maintained good positioning with bend and power. There are elements to his game I remain very unsure about, but if his blocking continues to ascend, he has a role on this team forever. He caught 2 passes for 27 yards with a drop. It seems like they are trying to send his routes in the passing game further downfield. That is where I think he can be a difference maker, not so much underneath or after the catch.
-NYG played with more than one tight end on 32 plays (out of 69), a very high number. With the multiple injuries at receiver, we may see more and more of this which is a positive. While it could hinder the explosive potential, the odds of this offense as a whole playing at a more efficient level are higher. Neither Daniel Bellinger and Chris Manhertz were targeted in the passing game but their impact was felt.
OFFENSIVE LINE
-What a game! I felt it watching the live broadcast, but upon further review, the six linemen who contributed to the strong play up front may have been the group performance I have not seen since the Eli Manning mid-years. While we should not overreact to a lone game and the Eagles front is not what it was the past couple of seasons, this was an extremely encouraging tape to watch. They played cohesive football with a lot of physical play and minimal mistakes. The entire offense benefited from it.
-Let’s be sure to not overlook Andrew Thomas or take what he does for granted. There is a reason why I feel he is the most important player on the offense. He allowed one pressure, but was an absolute stud in the run game. He created so much movement, notably as a lateral mover, and it created yards for the running game over and over.
-The most popular topic will be at center. John Michael Schmitz went down with an injury after 37 snaps. Austin Schlottmann, who I liked a lot in preseason and does have previous NFL starting experience, did not let the line skip a beat when he came in. With that said, Schmitz looked like the more physical of the two by a notable margin. For the second straight week, he was finishing blocks, playing with less hesitation, and adding an element of nastiness. Schlottmann played “good enough” but he was a little high with his pad level and his assignment made the tackle a few times. He did not finish as well as Schmitz. To me, it is not a competition for the job, but it is great to know NYG has multiple depth options both inside and outside if an injury pops up.
-Jon Runyan was cleaner with his footwork and angles than he was in New Orleans, but his pass protection remained shaky. He allowed a team-high three pressures. Jermaine Eluemunor allowed two pressures and was flagged. While he looks stiff, he improved from Sunday on a short week with a bad back. The extra rest both of these guys will get before the Denver game is much-needed. They have a tough match-up on the horizon, especially at that stadium.
-Greg Van Roten allowed a tackle for loss and two pressures, but he seems to have settled into the average game grade more often than not. He can’t do certain things athletically but he is physical, smart, and tough. He adds some cohesion to the group.
EDGE
-I’m not sold on this team having a single win without the impact of the edge trio. Brian Burns stole the show with 2 sacks and 5 tackles. He also penetrated against the run and it caused a tackle for loss. He also made a third-down stop in coverage. Simply put, he is all over the field and Shane Bowen has done a nice job making his role unpredictable. Burns is the most talented player on that front, but what makes it special is the fact he is playing the most effort as well. He plays through the whistle, he plays physical, and he is the energy stick of the entire defense.
-The Kayvon Thibodeaux – Abdul Carter duo flashed as well. The volume of impact was not there but they still made drive-altering plays. Thibodeaux had 3 tackles, one of which went for a loss. After the first play of the game where he got hands on Barkley, but missed the take down, he played a very role-specific game of setting the edge and shrinking running lanes. He added a team-high 3 pressures. Carter had two pressures but he also missed two tackles, one of which would have been a sack. His penetration did cause a no-loss sack. While traditional production does not look overly impressive, Carter has been an absolute force and others are benefiting from it because he can get to the passer from anywhere in a blink. His role has also allowed for different usages of Burns. This is an incredibly hard group to prepare for.
-Chauncey Golston is seeing his role climb little by little. He had a tackle on 9 snaps, a season-high. He will give them something as a run defender but I’m not sure he will be a priority on passing downs unless injuries arise.
DEFENSIVE LINE
-We all know the pass rush impact has not been there but the volume of attention and blockers Dexter Lawrence is getting alone makes a difference the way Vince Wilfork and Casey Hampton created. He did add four tackles and two pressures by the way. I hesitate to say Lawrence looks out of shape, so I will stop just shy of that. But he does look heavier and it seems like he isn’t winning with subtle quickness like we saw him do the past few years. No alarm bells here, but just an observation of what his game looks like coming from a guy who has seen each one of his snaps over his career multiple times.
-Rakeem Nunez-Roches was very active, especially early on. He had 4 tackles including one that went for a loss. When he is making plays, it is often a result of closing speed and burst. Once he smells blood, he pounces.
-DJ Davidson and Roy Robertson-Harris also made things happen behind the line of scrimmage in rotational roles. The latter had a pressure and a tackle for loss while Davidson split a tackle for loss. He was injured on the infamous tush-push play (more on that below) which is unfortunate. He has been a solid backup who has the highest pressure rate of his career to this point.
LINEBACKER
-Bobby Okerke has settled into what he is: a serviceable defender for the middle who does good work between the tackles. He gives up too much in coverage and even though he had a pass break-up, I’m not sure he can be the guy who is assigned to covering athletic tight ends. The problem is, neither can Darius Muasau. Okereke had 6 tackles and Muasau had just two, one of which was a no-loss sack. The pair will not make many – if any – big plays on any sort of consistent basis. The lack of range is a concern and I think the poor PHI play-calling benefited them the most.
CORNERBACK
-There is a lot of talk about the Cor’Dale Flott-Deonte Banks rotation. I think that’s over. Flott played 54 snaps, Banks only 3. Flott made the nail-in-the-coffin play of the night. In the fourth quarter with NYG up by 10, PHI had the ball in the red zone. Hurts threw a pass to Jahan Dotson and Flott read it like a book. He intercepted the pass and returned it 68 yards. NYG scored their final touchdown of the night a few plays later and NYG had their three-score lead with under 10 minutes remaining. Flott added a tackle for loss and while he did benefit from an overthrow by Hurts earlier in the game, it was a stamp on the notion he is absolutely CB2 on this team.
-Paulson Adebo was once again targeted often, 10 times to be exact. Seven of them were completed and he was also flagged for a 25-yard penalty. At the end of the day, the strong PHI receiver room did not make an impact in this game. Adebo had seven tackles (no misses) and limited yards after catch (only 13).
-Andru Phillips continues to be a part of the biggest plays of the game. He recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter, which was the last play the Eagles offense touched the ball. Right place, right time, but that is what a hustler with instincts and no fear creates for a defense. The one catch he allowed he tripped over his own feet. Otherwise he was excellent at remaining in the hip pocket of his man.
SAFETY
-I like the three-safety looks. Dane Belton being an every down player would have it’s disadvantages, but when they can put him into specific roles and situations, he can shine. It’s like a good sixth-man in basketball; keep him in that role and do not be tempted to make him a starter. He made the biggest hit of the night on a kickoff, finished with four tackles on defense, broke up a pass, and forced a fumble that NYG recovered. Talk about impact for a guy that was on the field for 16 defensive snaps.
-Jevon Holland had another athletic pass break up, this one in the end zone on a scramble pass to Barkley. Holland has had break ups in consecutive weeks where he had to leave his feet and reach the ball at the apex of extension. That is an extremely hard play to make without getting flagged.
-Tyler Nubin made 8 tackles, a team-high, but failed to make any plays in coverage. The common question will be “should Nubin be benched for Belton?” I think it is a hard no right now because even though Nubin has not been a difference-maker, the defense is finding some flow with these three in their roles. Nubin is not caught out of position much and as long as he doesn’t miss tackles and stays away from allowing big plays like he did in New Orleans, he is serviceable and I like Belton playing a more joker-type role.
SPECIAL TEAMS
-K Jude McAtamney: 4/5 XP (missed one). He has not attempted a field goal in two weeks. The missed extra point was all on him as he pushed it wide right.
-P Jamie Gillan: 4 punts / 42.8 avg – 38.8 net
3 STUDS
-OT Andrew Thomas, S Dane Belton, ED Brian Burns
3 DUDS
-CB Paulson Adebo, K Jade McAtamney, LB Darius Muasau
3 THOUGHTS ON PHI
(1) We know it is VERY hard to repeat in the NFL. Coaches get poached, important mid-level players get signed to oversized contracts, and players who get used a ton can tend to have a hard time recovering to repeat it again a year later. Plus, all of that does not mention the level of volatility a lot of players have performance- and health-wise in this sport. Who are the Eagles? The team who started 3-0 or the team that has lost two straight? When you lose multiple starters (Sweat and Williams) and your best defensive lineman is out (Jalen Carter), the lack of depth is exposed. When you lose your number two corner (Slay) and your new number one (Mitchell) gets injured, the lack of depth is exposed. The Eagles, at full strength, are still the best team in the NFC East but when their starters go down, they no longer have trustworthy assets to come in. Over the years I have seen so many winning teams lose guys who not many lose sleep over until you find out how important those mid-tier assets are. They’re top heavy and when a team is top-heavy, they are extremely vulnerable.
(2) The tush-push got ugly Thursday night. Most people outside of Philadelphia think it is a dumb play that should be banned. For a league that values safety and spacing as much as the NFL does, I am surprised they let it keep going. Personally, I do not have a problem with the play itself. Where I do struggle with it is the fact that basic rules of the game seem to disappear when they run it. The PHI offensive linemen clearly move before the ball is snapped which is a crucial reason why the play works. My only thought is that a player should not be allowed to push his teammate from behind. Or the more drastic solution would be it can only be run a certain number of times, but that can be dicey.
(3) After a six-carry game in the loss to Denver, I would have bet money they were going to force feed Barkley on a short week. Then Barkley gained 31 yards on his first two carries. In a game where Hurts was struggling to throw the ball well, the NYG pass rush was bothering him, and the Giants questionable run defense initially struggling, they barely called his number. Do not forget, Offensive Coordinator Kevin Petullo took over for Kellen Moore, who was hired to be the Head Coach of New Orleans. This is his first time calling plays and their running game is 29th in yards per rush attempt and 25th in yards per pass attempt. They were 5th and 12th respectively in 2024.
3 CLOSING THOUGHTS
(1) Prior to the game, I tweeted out how important it would be to watch the response to the mistake-filled, shot-themselves-in-the-foot loss just a few days ago. Well, the JaxCam duo was the story of the night in front of the national stage. Skattebo and his back flips (in addition to the shirt being ripped off in the post-game interview), Dart and his high-five to the ref on the field. The defensive front looking like it could suffocate the PHI offense. Things change fast in the NFL and while there is no point in getting ahead of ourselves with projected season win totals or playoff bubble talk, there is no denying this team is and feels different. And this is without their best wide receiver on the field.
(2) Is this offense better without Darius Slayton? Look, I’m not going to start a haters-club and I have been very vocal about Slayton far exceeding expectations when it comes down to where he was drafted. The 28-year old was the 171st overall pick in 2019 (three picks away from the 6th round). But something needs to be said that when the team’s highest paid non-QB skill position player is off the field, nothing negative happens. If anything, the group as a whole looks better. No, this isn’t a bash piece on Joe Schoen’s decision-making. I am bringing this up for the sake of the future. Slayton’s cap hit is $16 million next season (6th highest on the team). Cutting him or trading him will result in an approximate $15 million in penalties which ultimately means a wash. Pay him $16 million to play or pay him $15 million to play somewhere else (with the books cleared in 2027). Another wide receiver will be my top need for this roster in all likelihood next spring and it would be the prime year to let him go. I guess you can say I simply like the offense better without the mistake-prone Slayton who the offensive minds feel the need to get the ball to. I know they just re-signed him and egos will prevent it from happening, but man I would respect a move like that and it would show they are crystal clear on making this roster not only a winner, but a Super Bowl winner.
(3) It is rare to go into a week without wanting to discuss what needs to change. The offensive line is finding the chemistry it takes to be a better unit than the sum of its parts. The pass rush has a new weapon every week and Dexter Lawrence has yet to have his 2025 trademark breakout. The area that is most vulnerable is likely in the defensive backfield. They are still very penalty-prone and we need to see more turnovers created. While Shane Bowen is doing a nice job with the versatility of pass rush packages, we have yet to see a quarterback look fooled as he drops back. If these guys cannot create on their own, the scheme will need to supplement more. The issue with the safeties taking on more (I truly think they can) is the fact they have two liabilities at linebacker against the pass. The solution will be more and more three-safety looks but that lack of speed and play-making at the second level is creating a stronger need at the position by the week.