September 16, 2024
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Devonta Smith #6 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It's a flavor of football this city is sort of used to.
The Eagles are frustrating. Are they good? Or are they not good?
A week after sluggishly out-slugging the Packers in South America, they let the Falcons hang around for a bit too long in South Philly — ultimately faltering 22-21 in a game that should not have been close.
Last year, a flawed Eagles team got off to a too good to be true 10-1 start, despite not quite looking the part. There are clear issues with this football team that are similar to last year, but it's early. Saquon Barkley had another breakout game and Jalen Hurts looked spry and spontaneous with his legs. But the defense is another story completely, as the unit allowed a 70-yard touchdown drive in less than two minutes to blow a potential win.
Each week we document a player (or a group of players) who have improved their stock, and one that has not. Here's a look at whose stock is up, and whose is down after Week 2:
DeVonta Smith is going to be a marked man for the next few weeks, with arguably the best player on the Eagles (an argument I would make) A.J. Brown out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury.
Smith got off to a slow start Monday night, but he has this innate ability to sneak and slither through and around defenders. Jalen Hurts found him tip toeing in the back of the end zone for Philly's first touchdown in the second quarter and the footwork was just dazzling:
HURTS FINDS DEVONTA SMITH FOR THE FIRST TD OF THE GAME 🦅 pic.twitter.com/miYbidap13
— ESPN (@espn) September 17, 2024
The options for Hurts, beyond tight end Dallas Goedert and the aforementioned Smith, leave much to be desired. A preseason trade for Jahan Dotson looked good on paper but the wideout is slowly adjusting to being an Eagle. Parris Campbell, Britain Covey and Johnny Wilson don't figure to be factors anytime soon.
Smith will draw a lot of attention from the Saints defense next week. It will be interesting to see if he takes another step while his partner in crime works on his hamstring.
MORE: Disastrous go-ahead drive sinks Eagles
It doesn't seem like very long ago that the Eagles run defense was one of the best units in football. It was a driving force in their Super Bowl run two years ago (along with their 70 sacks) and was a strength for the defense before its late season collapse in 2023.
But the defensive front seven has question marks, youth and unreliability. And it's shown.
It seems clear — at least early on — that the run defense is going to be a problem. Jordan Davis isn't plugging up the middle and the ongoing linebacking deficiency isn't something that Nakobe Dean and a makeshit unit of veterans can handle.
On Monday night the Falcons ran the ball at will. Bijan Robinson picked up 97 yards on the ground on 14 carries and his backup Tyler Allgeier added 53 on nine carries himself. Allowing 5.9 yards per carry is not a good way to keep a defense fresh — though they were on point on third downs allowing just one conversion on nine attempts. It was a member of the secondary, ironically, who made the play of the game — C.J. Gardner-Johnson smashing into Robinson on fourth and one in the fourth quarter to force a turnover on downs.
CJGJ 😤😤😤
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 17, 2024
🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/TpniwbqFAO
Back in Week 1, the defense gave up 163 yards to the Packers in Brazil on 21 carries (7.8 yard per rush). They did just enough to win. That was their recipe for winning against a much worse Atlanta team Monday.
If the Eagles look similarly inept against the Saints ground attack next week — a team that got four touchdowns from running back Alvin Kamara and boasts the best offense in the game right now — they could be in some trouble.
MORE: The pivotal plays from the Eagles' Week 2 loss to the Falcons
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