In many cases, the Eagles should have known better

No one apparently listened or were willing to even notice.

Back in April, just before the 2024 NFL Draft, Bleeding Green Nation posed the question if the Eagles were still in denial over their epic 2023 collapse. One of the issues raised was the signing of free agent linebacker Devin White, whose locker room attitude and deteriorating play was noted by his steady drop of tackles over the last four years, 97, 87, 73 and a career-low 49 last season. It was also noticeable, “He was invisible during the end of last season for the Bucs, and according to some Tampa sources, his rapid decline confines him to nothing more than a special teams player.” The Eagles and Howie Roseman knew that—or should have known that if White was vetted properly (as someone in the Tampa Bay organization put it, “If you can’t get along with (Bucs’ head coach) Todd Bowles, you can’t get along with anyone.”).

In 2023, the Eagles finished 26th overall in total defense, surrendering an average of 356.1 yards a game. This year, with the venerated Vic Fangio calling the shots, the Eagles are actually ranked one slot lower through four games, at No. 27 overall, giving up an average of 365.8 yards a game.

The Eagles signed free-agent defensive end Bryce Huff as a solution for the lack of edge rush in 2023—based on one stat-spike season. He was not an every-down player. The 25-year-old was a situational pass rusher. The Eagles and Roseman should have known that. Huff has one solo tackle in four games—one more than who he replaced, Haason Reddick, who has yet to play a down this season.

Free agent safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was supposed to be a solution on the back end, despite being with his fourth NFL team in four years (New Orleans, Philadelphia, Detroit, back to the Eagles). Why? Maybe it is because he is “a (locker room) pain in the ass,” as one source described him two years ago, and secondly, he cannot stay on the field, which had been a problem.

Seems like being on the field this year has been a problem for CJGJ.

Let’s take a look at what Gardner-Johnson has done in the Eagles’ 2-2 season:

He was burned by Mike Evans for a 2-yard touchdown on Tampa Bay’s opening drive in Week 4. In Week 3 against the Saints, Gardner-Johnson was stung on a 12-yard touchdown reception to Chris Olave on a second-and-10 from the Eagles’ 12 with 2:03 to play. Gardner-Johnson was nowhere near Olave. In Week 2 against Atlanta (where, in fairness, he made a big fourth down stop late in the game), Gardner-Johnson got caught looking at Kirk Cousins as Darnell Mooney ran by him for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left in the third quarter; and in the season opener, Gardner-Johnson turned the wrong way, when Jayden Reed ran by him unchecked for an easy 70-yard TD score.

The Eagles and Roseman should have known CJGJ was not likely to replicate his 2022 version.

The Eagles had the worst defense in the NFL the final month of last season. Did anyone in the front office notice? Their defense gave up the second-highest amount of passing touchdowns in the NFL, only behind Washington (39 to the Eagles’ 35). Philadelphia was 30th in the NFL in opponent red zone scoring percentage (TDs only) at 66.1%, and was No. 31 in passing defense, allowing an average of 252.7 yards a game. The Eagles were 30th in scoring defense (25.2) and allowed 51 touchdowns, the third-highest total in the NFL, behind only Washington (59) and Arizona (54).

The offense was supposed to carry the 2024 Eagles.

Well, Jalen Hurts continues to be “Mr. Turnover.” He has turned the ball over seven times this season (four interceptions; three lost fumbles). Hurts leads all NFL quarterbacks with 27 turnovers since 2023. In the last two seasons combined, Hurts has thrown a combined NFL-high 19 interceptions and lost eight fumbles. Against Tampa Bay, Hurts failed to have any pocket awareness, caught from behind by Bucs’ linebacker Lavonte Davis on a first-and-10 with 2:36 to play in the third quarter. Davis blew right through Saquon Barkley (the only shining light in a disappointing first month) to cause the fumble. It was Hurts’ third turnover in the red zone only four games into this season (two interceptions in the end zone and the lost fumble vs. Tampa Bay).

Entering Week 6, the Eagles remain the only team in the NFL to not score in the first quarter. Put it this way, even the 1972 Eagles, arguably the worst team in franchise history (2-11-1), scored at least six points in their first four games.

Over their first four games, this is what the Eagles opening drives have amounted to:

Packers: 3 plays, minus-5 yards — INT

Falcons: 4 plays, 31 yards — Punt (crossed midfield)

Saints: 3 plays, minus-9 yards — Punt

Bucs: 3 plays, 2 yards — Punt

Total: 13 plays, 19 yards, 3 Punts, 1 INT

Down in Washington, Kliff Kingsbury is doing wonders with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. He is doing it with the help of former Eagles’ offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, who is listed as Washington’s assistant head coach and offensive pass game coordinator. Former Eagle and St. Joe’s Prep star Olamide Zaccheaus is tied for third on the team with 11 receptions for 124 yards. He had 10 catches for 164 yards in 17 games for the Eagles last year. Obviously, Johnson knows how to use him. Former Eagle all-time great Zach Ertz is second on the Commanders with 17 receptions for 160 yards. Jahan Dotson, who the Eagles acquired from Washington for a 2025 third-round pick, has five catches for 25 yards.

The Eagles are second in the NFL behind only the Tennessee Titans (18.8%) in percentage of offensive drives ending in a turnover (17.5%). The Eagles are ranked No. 30 in plus-minus turnovers (minus-6) through four games, and No. 31 overall in turnover margin per game (minus-1.5), again, only outdone by 1-3 Tennessee (minus-1.8 per game).

As you can imagine, the Eagles are dead last in first-quarter points scored, where they were No. 7 in the NFL overall last year in that category, averaging 5.4 points in the first quarter.

Here is another stark contrast from 2023 to 2024: Through the first four games of this season, there have been a combined 14 lead changes (7 vs. Packers; 4 vs. Falcons; 3 vs. Saints). Last season, there was only one lead change (When the Eagles took a 21-17 lead over Washington after Hurts hit AJ Brown for a 59-yard third-quarter touchdown). What does that indicate? The Eagles jumped on teams early and never gave up the lead.

The 2024 Eagles have been outscored 23-0 in the first quarter this season, and outgained, 339 yards to 161, with the gaping first-quarter discrepancy coming in the Eagles’ 33-16 debacle against Tampa Bay, where the Eagles were outgained 191 to minus-5 yards by the Bucs in the first quarter.

Fangio and new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore were supposed to provide answers. They have not. Roseman’s offseason acquisitions of Huff, White and Gardner-Johnson were supposed to provide answers to a rusty defense. They have not. Combined, they have produced 13 tackles—12 from CJGJ—and no interceptions. Roseman was supposed to do a better job of evaluating Huff and vetting players like White (his release is addition by subtraction). He did not.

Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are set to return for the Eagles’ Week 6 game hosting the woeful, listless Cleveland Browns (head coach Kevin Stefanski (and two-time NFL Coach of the Year, the first Browns coach to receive the honor since 1976) deserves better, and will probably take the blame for something that he had nothing to do with, opening the door for his return to Philadelphia as the next head coach of the Eagles if this team keeps sliding the way it has).

The Eagles should beat Cleveland. They should win their next three. Then again, they should have beaten Atlanta and were favorites to beat Tampa Bay.

The combined record of the Eagles’ next three opponents (Browns, Giants and Bengals) is 4-11, which should be a fine remedy to temporarily spackle the holes that exist for this team. If the Eagles fall to the bad Browns, who knows what Jeff Lurie may do by this time next week. The New York Jets have fired head coach Robert Saleh five games into this season, although not being owner Woody Johnson’s hire did not help Saleh anyway.

The sense is that Lurie’s tolerance has already been pushed this season.

Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written feature stories for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project piece for ESPN.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is most noted for his award-winning ESPN.com feature on high school wrestler A.J. Detwiler in February 2006, which appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.