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After a perfect month of October, the Philadelphia Eagles are sitting pretty in the NFC East.
They have a 5-2 record, have won three straight games, and finally look like they've found an offensive identity, making explosive shots downfield set up by hard-fought yards on the ground earned by Saquon Barkley. Goodness, even the defense is playing like most expected a Vic Fangio unit to, with the Birds allowing the 10th fewest passing yards, the eighth-fewest rushing yards, and the seventh-fewest points of any team in the NFL at 1,357, 749, and 132, respectively.
And the best part? In Week 9, they get to close out the softest portion of their season with a game against old pal Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are having a much less successful 2024 season so far.
With momentum at their back and advantages all over the field, Eagles fans had better get their streaking shoes ready, as this game looks about as close to a layup as Philly fans get to see across the street from the Wells Fargo Center.
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1. Jalen Hurts out throws Doug Pederson's new franchise QB
Before he earned a nine-figure contract, before he made a Pro Bowl, and before he was ever in the conversation for Philadelphia's long-term franchise quarterback, Jalen Hurts was a second-round pick out of Oklahoma who Doug Pederson gave a few snaps to each game as a supplement to then-franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.
Now at the time, the decision to draft Hurts was confusing, as Wentz was the guy and was being paid like it by the franchise, but by the end of the year, Pederson's final in Philadelphia, it was the NCAA Champion under center and in place as the Birds' signal caller of the future.
Fast forward a half decade into the future, and Pederson has a new franchise QB who was drafted and signed to a massive contract under center, even as some fans call for a backup quarterback from Alabama to take his place – deja vu, am I right? – and he will go head to head against Hurts in a Week 9 throwdown.
Unfortunately for Pederson, this game might not turn out much better than his final year in Philadelphia, as Hurts is trending up as a passer while his counterpart, Trevor Lawrence, has been anything but consistent in 2024.
One week, Lawrence will throw for 300-plus yards, looking accurate and consistent with a 100-plus passer rating, and then in the next game? In the next, Lawrence will throw for under 250, maybe under 200, period, and look like the quarterback of a 2-6 team.
In games where Lawrence throws for less than 250 yards, the Jaguars are 1-5 – with their lone win coming over New England in Old England – which is bad news for the Khan family but good news for the Eagles. Why? Because Vic Fangio's unit hasn't allowed a 250 yard passer since all the way back in Week 4 and are undefeated in their three contests since.
The Jaguars, by contrast, have allowed at least 250 passing yards in all but two games this season, with 300-plus passing yards surrendered to the Miami Dolphins, the Houston Texans, and the Indianapolis Colts. Unless the Eagles opt to throw the ball single-digit times in the second half after a dominant first two quarters, it's safe to say Hurts, too, could be flirting with 300 yards and a disappointed hug from Pederson for his efforts.
2. The Eagles' defensive ends feast on the Jaguars' tackles
Heading into Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season, the Jaguars made a move that wasn't necessarily without precedent but was incredibly unlikely: they traded away their starting left tackle, Cam Robinson.
That's right, after watching the Minnesota Vikings lose their blindside blocker for the year, the Jaguars flipped Robinson for a conditional Day 3 pick, a sixth-rounder that could go up with incentives, and now task the dynamic duo of Walker Little and Anton Harrison with slowing down a pass rush that knows a thing or two about getting sacks in bunches.
Needless to say, if you have the Eagles' defense in fantasy, you might want to start them, as Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and even Bryce Huff should feast on that tandem in Week 9.
Discussing what Sweat means to the Eagles ahead of Week 8, Sirianni called the Florida State product his defensive tone-settler.
“I think [OLB] Josh Sweat is one of the most physical guys on this football team. Defensive ends are always judged on how many sacks did you get, right? And I get that, and that’s part of it…” Sirianni told reporters. “I feel like every week when I’m watching the tape, I’m writing up there as I look at the tape: 19, plus, physical, 19, plus, violent, 19, plus, way to use your hands. It’s just over and over and over again. And it was good to see him the last couple weeks get the sacks because he’s always in pursuit.
“Yeah, he sets a tone for our defense with the way he plays with his physicality, and we’ll expect him to keep doing that because that’s the type of guy he is.”
So, if Sweat is able to get off the line clean over the Jaguars' new left tackle and consistently pressure Lawrence into bad throws, unclean looks, and yes, sacks, should the Eagles be able to clean up on the back end, with players like Quinyon Mitchell, Isaiah Rodgers, and Cooper DeJean all getting involved in the passing game? If the last two weeks are of any indication, then yes, the Eagles should be able to do just that.
3. Philadelphia's win streak continues into November
Alright, so if the Eagles are able to put up great numbers through the air and force Lawrence into less-than-ideal passing situations, Philadelphia should be able to pull out the win in Week 9, right? Bringing their total on the season to 6-2 and their win streak to four?
Yes, yes they should.
Now on paper, there really aren't many, if any, areas where the Jaguars are a better team than the Eagles, with Jacksonville maybe getting the nod at tight end since Dallas Goedert is injured and again at linebacker if you aren't sold on Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun. But other than that, the Eagles have a better QB, RB, WRs, offensive line, defensive line, cornerbacks room, and collection of safeties, to go with a better overall special teams unit.
If the Eagles somehow lose this game, it will go down as the ultimate trap loss ahead of Dallas Week, and would effectively force Howie Roseman to get aggressive ahead of the trade deadline in order to add another rusher, a real WR3, or really any additional plus player to replace an average one.
Then again, Roseman can still add another player, be that a WR3 like Tyler Boyd, a defensive lineman like Arden Key, or a difference-making safety like Buddah Baker, even if they win in Week 9, and frankly, that feels like the more realistic outcome. Why? Because the NFC East is more competitive than ever, and Philadelphia needs everything they can get to secure the division crown on the way to a third Super Bowl appearance in eight years.
