Eagles overreactions, reality checks after Week 5 win: A.J. Brown better than T.O.? New nickel CB in place?

To say that was was the best win of the Philadelphia Eagles season would be an understatement. The Eagles had their most impressive win of the year against the Los Angeles Rams, becoming the first Super Bowl runner up to start 5-0 since the 1991 Buffalo Bills. 

The offense was good and the defense was great in what was their most complete win of the season. While the Eagles aren’t blowing out teams like the San Francisco 49ers, they’re one of two unbeaten teams left in the NFL and finding ways to win games. The Eagles aren’t a complete team yet, but they’re a pretty good one. 

After Sunday’s impressive win over the Rams, here are this week’s overreactions. Which are actually overreactions and which are reality? 

A.J. Brown is the best Eagles WR since Mike Quick

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Brown is just on another level, comparing himself to Eagles’ greats Tommy McDonald, Harold Jackson, Harold Carmichael, Mike Quick, Terrell Owens, and Desean Jackson. He may be better than all of them. 

Brown finished with six catches for 127 yards in Sunday’s win, becoming the first Eagles player with 125-plus receiving yards in three straight games since Harold Jackson in 1971-1972. He has 35 catches for 541 yards (15.5 yards per catch) and two touchdowns through five games, ranking tied for seventh in receptions and fourth in receiving yards.

In Brown’s last three games, he has 24 catches for 433 yards and two touchdowns (18.0 yards per catch). In 22 career games with the Eagles, Brown has 123 catches for 2,037 yards and 13 touchdowns (16.6 yards per catch). Of players with 100 career catches with the Eagles, Browns‘ 16.6 yards per catch is seventh in franchise history (McDonald, Quick, and Jackson are ahead of him), but his 92.6 yards per game trail only Owens (93.5). 

Brown’s 35 catches are third most by a player through five games for the Eagles, and 541 yards are fifth most. Owens was here for too small of a sample size, but Brown has the same impact on a game the Hall of Fame wideout had. 

A.J. Brown vs. Terrell Owens

In terms of franchise greats, Brown is the best wide receiver for the franchise since Quick in his prime. He’ll be here longer than Owens and didn’t leave the franchise with controversy, so that gives him the edge. 

Sean Desai turned in his best performance of the season

Overreaction or reality: Reality

What a turnaround from Desai’s defense in the second half of this game. On the Rams’ first four possessions, they went punt, punt, punt, turnover on downs. Los Angeles ran 24 plays for 50 yards and averaged just 2.1 yards per play. The Eagles defense held Matthew Stafford to 9 of 20 for 75 yards in the second half (two of those completions for 26 yards were in garbage time), sacking him three times. 

The Eagles had 15 pressures and five quarterback hits in the second half. Darius Slay and James Bradberry were targeted seven times in coverage, allowing two catches for 20 yards. 

The adjustments Desai made (playing Bradley Roby in the slot as the main one) were brilliant. The Eagles spoke how their defense was inconsistent through four games, but was anything but that on Sunday. 

Dallas Goedert and his slow start was overblown 

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Goedert was nonchalant regarding his slow start to the year, which he had just 13 catches for 88 yards (6.8 yards per catch). Through four games last season, Goedert had 16 catches for 240 yards (15.0 yards per catch). The real issue wasn’t the targets (20 targets last year to 18 this year), but the yards per catch when Goedert caught the ball.

That changed in Sunday’s win, when Goedert had eight catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. Goedert averaged 14.6 yards per catch and 13.0 yards per target, easily season highs. Goedert was targeted nine times, and had a 49-yard catch when he was targeted on his one attempt of 10-plus air yards. 

Hats off to Brian Johnson for making sure Goedert was acclimated in the offense. The offense just flows better when the Eagles find ways to get Goedert open in the middle of the field. 

Bradley Roby is the nickel CB going forward 

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Desai didn’t take long to pull the plug on Mario Goodrich or Eli Ricks in the slot, a sign of how significantly thin the Eagles are in the slot. Goodrich only played in one game in his career before Sunday while Ricks played one snap (Ricks is better suited for the outside anyway). 

Their coverage numbers went as expected. Goodrich allowed all five passes targeted his way to be caught for a total of 49 yards and a touchdown (118.8 rating) before being pulled for Ricks. The undrafted rookie allowed 2 of 3 of passes thrown his way to be caught for 30 yards (70.1 rating). 

Then it was Roby’s turn. He allowed 2 of 6 passes for be caught for -4 (that’s right -4 yards) for a 42.4 rating. Matthew Stafford averaged -0.7 yards per attempt targeting Roby. Ricks got 12 coverage snaps, while Goodrich and Roby had 13. 

Ricks and Roby both played well, but the Eagles signed Roby this week as essentially a three-week tryout to be their slot cornerback before the trade deadline. The search is over. 

The red zone offense is a major concern

Overreaction or reality: Reality

A few weeks ago the struggles in the red zone were tied to other factors. There’s a big enough sample size that the Eagles need to address their red zone woes.

Philadelphia finished 2 of 6 in the red zone in Sunday’s win, a paltry 33%. Converting those field goals or turnovers into touchdowns gave the Eagles an extra 18 points and they blew out the Rams, instead of hanging on and relying on the defense in a nine-point game. The Eagles could have scored 41 points total if Jalen Hurts doesn’t throw an interception at the 20 and they don’t kick a field goal twice after getting to the 8-yard line. 

The Eagles were tied for 24th in the NFL in red zone offense (46.15%) heading into Week 5 and those numbers will certainly drop. They’re in the bottom fourth of the league after finishing third last year at 67.8%. 

The play calling, personnel, and execution need to be better. Perhaps some “12 personnel” and Rashaad Penny (when he’s healthy) may fix the red zone woes. 

Britain Covey is the best punt returner in the NFL 

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Covey really deserves a shout out for how valuable of a weapon he’s been for the Eagles this season. He had two punt returns and averaged 17.5 yards per return, raising his season average up to 16.9. Covey is third in the NFL in punt return average, trailing only Charlie Jones (18.8) and Rashid Shaheed (18.3) — both of which have a punt return touchdown this year. 

Covey has four returns of 20-plus yards (one in three consecutive weeks) and has averaged 13.6 yards per return since Week 8 of last season — trailing only Kalif Raymond (13.8). 

The Eagles punt return team is significantly improved since Week 8 of last seaosn, coupled with Covey’s emergence in the return game. He may not be the best punt returner in the league, but Covey is in the conversation.