JACKSONVILLE – Jaguars.com senior writer John Oehser each week during the 2024 regular season will speak with a writer or media member covering the Jaguars' opponent.
Up this week:
Dave Spadaro, Eagles Insider, on the Eagles' matchup with the Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., Sunday.
Q: The Eagles are 5-2 with three consecutive victories – 20-16 over the Cleveland Browns, 28-3 over the New York Giants and 37-17 over the Cincinnati Bengals. They're half a game behind Washington in the NFC East. What's the state of the Eagles entering Sunday?
A: They're on the upward swing, no doubt. A lot of it can be tied to two new coordinators knowing their personnel, the personnel knowing the coordinators, playing much more high IQ football, limiting their giveaways, being really solid defensively in this three-game winning streak – and then [quarterback] Jalen Hurts. Jalen Hurts on Sunday in Cincinnati played the kind of game that he played throughout the 2022 season [when the Eagles won the NFC Championship]. He was dynamic in the run game. He was under control in the pocket. He distributed the football beautifully. He accounted for four touchdowns, didn't turn the ball over, played MVP-level football. When that happens, this Eagles team is really, really good.
Q: What's the difference when Hurts is struggling compared to when he and the Eagles are playing well?
A: It could be boiled down to giveaways. In 2022, when the Eagles went to the Super Bowl, he turned the football over a total of eight times. In 2023, when the Eagles were 11-6, he turned the football over 20 times. Early in the [2024] season, there were too many giveaways – ball-security issues, bad decisions throwing the football – and those turnovers really, really hurt this football team. Regarding Jalen … only one time in his career since high school, and that season was 2022, did he have back-to-back seasons with the same offensive coordinator/signal-caller. That was [now-Indianapolis Colts Head Coach] Shane Steichen. It is really a difficult adjustment going every single year to a new coordinator. Now we're seeing seven games in this season that he and [offensive coordinator] Kellen Moore are on the same page.
Q: When the Eagles are good offensively, what are they?
A: They want to be dynamic both running the football and passing. They have the weapons to do it. [Running back] Saquon Barkley has been a tremendous addition. He does it all, and runs with power. He has had 55-yard-plus gains in three of the last five games. He's tough inside, great around the end zone, good receiver … just an outstanding player. Then you have [wide receivers] A.J. Brown and DaVonta Smith in the passing game. They scored on seven of their eight possessions Sunday against the Bengals. They just were so efficient. Jalen made all the right reads, all the right calls, great coaching, created favorable matchups, opened things up in the pass game. They took control of the football game, and then late in the game, Saquon wore them down. It was a perfect example of what this offense can be, should be, and the standard they want to set every week.
Q: How good are the Eagles defensively?
A: Emerging. The pass rush is getting there. They have a couple of impressive rookies – first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell and second-round pick Cooper DeJean, both cornerbacks. Mitchell has started since Day One on the outside and Cooper is the nickelback. They've added athleticism, physicality and just energy to the defense. It's just really come together now. Going against Deshaun Watson [of the Browns] and Daniel Jones [of the Giants] and their respective offenses back-to back weeks gave the Eagles a lot of confidence. Then they go in against Joe Burrow of the Bengals [on Sunday], and Burrow's just laser-focused – pinpoint accuracy – and carving up the defense on the first drive. But the Eagles hung in there, stayed with it, made some key stops and took the football away twice. They have gained a ton of confidence defensively. They're believing in what [defensive coordinator] Vic Fangio is teaching them. They're just getting better and better.
Q: As a whole, it sounds like this team's playing as well as it's played since '22.
A: I would say that. Last year, they were 10-1 and they were scraping by in games. They were not winning decisively. The victory a couple of weeks ago against the Giants, 28-3, was the first victory by more than one possession the Eagles had since Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins in 2023. Then of course it collapsed with six losses in the last seven games [including the postseason]. You had new coordinators and tons of new players. It has taken some time to find their footing, but the Eagles are really on the upswing. The confidence is building, and they really feel like they have something going on right now.
Q: You've seen this team at its best. Is this a team that can make it all the way?
A: If they continue to play this kind of football. They've shown some depth. They certainly have every component offensively to be great. Defensively, they are showing that they can play very well. In an NFC that has a lot of very good football teams, you just want to get there and play your best football. They played so-so football early in the season. I think they're trending in the right direction toward peaking at the right time in 2024.
