Eagles gave up critical big play to Lions with 10 defenders on the field
The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a tough loss at home on Sunday to the Detroit Lions, an outcome aided by a multitude of mistakes that included several dropped passes.
While Eagles receivers were roasted in the media and by Philly fans, their defense should be sharing the brunt of the judgment raining down over Sunday’s result.
Dropped passes pale in comparison to the amateur mistake Philadelphia’s defense made in the first half.
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Power play for Lions
Trailing 14-10 in the second quarter, the Eagles faced Matthew Stafford’s offense facing first-and-10 near midfield. They failed to complete the most basic element of playing defense in the NFL — line up with a full unit.
The Eagles put 10 men on the field on the play, and the Lions recognized it, gashing the Philadelphia defense with a 44-yard run on a reverse from running back J.D. McKissic.
.@lions v @eagles and #JJMcKissic goes for +44 on this reverse against a 10 man defense. 10 MAN DEFENSE! No one sees this from the #Birds? No one? #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/lQFiYILNma
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 23, 2019
Stafford saw it
The result of the play was no coincidence. Stafford recognized the Eagles’ mistake and took advantage of it.
“I’m really supposed to seal the end on that play," Stafford told reporters. "We only had 10 guys (to face) because there was no end over there, so I just kept moving and found the next guy. I’m sure he’s been hit a lot harder than that, but I at least tried to get in the way.”
The drive resulted in a 25-yard Matt Prater field goal that gave Detroit a 17-10 lead. The Lions won the game, 27-24, so it’s safe to say that was a pivotal score for Detroit.
While dropped passes are certainly troublesome, this was an inexcusable mistake.
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