The official snap counts from the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks have been released. Let’s review and analyze the performance of both the offense and defense in this game.
Offense:
Despite being sick, Jalen Hurts played the entire game, as did the starting offensive line. However, the offense only managed to put up 17 points against a Seahawks defense that was allowing an average of 24.5 offensive points per game, making it the fourth-worst in the NFL. This was unacceptable. DeVonta Smith only saw five targets, catching all of them for 50 yards. A.J. Brown played the same amount of snaps but saw twice as many targets, resulting in five catches for 56 yards. Dallas Goedert, normally an efficient target, was thrown to nine times but only managed to make 4 grabs for 30 yards. D’Andre Swift had a significant number of rushing attempts and touches in this game, but the Eagles failed to utilize him effectively in the passing game. Even though he only received three targets, he managed to catch two for just a single yard. Quez Watkins has been repeatedly targeted since Week 10 of the 2022 season, but has not been making significant plays with the opportunities given to him. Despite this, the coaching staff continues to rely on him. OZ has been overlooked in favor of Quez and yet, good things have happened when Olamide Zaccheaus has been targeted. Julio Jones saw his first target since Week 12, resulting in a first-down catch. Tyler Steen played a single snap when Landon Dickerson visited the sideline to fix his face mask being detached from his helmet.
Defense:
It was a rough game for James Bradberry, who was briefly replaced by Josh Jobe at one point despite not being visibly injured. Sydney Brown played a significant amount as a third safety/hybrid linebacker, but his performance was inconsistent. Haason Reddick had his third-highest snap count percentage in this game but did not record a sack, QB hit, or TFL for the first time since Week 3. This was due to his cast being removed, as it was his first game without playing with it. Josh Sweat has not recorded a sack since Week 9, and the Seahawks seemed to target Bradberry, leading to Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks having to step up as cornerbacks. Jalen Carter got his first sack since Week 9, while Shaq Leonard did not play much despite starting alongside Nicholas Morrow at off-ball linebacker. Nolan Smith flashed potential but also got banged up, affecting his playing time. Patrick Johnson saw his first defensive snaps of the season but did not record any stats. Moro Ojomo played more than Marlon Tuipulotu, despite being behind in the DT rotation.
Special Teams:
Mekhi Garner was temporarily elevated from the practice squad to assist on special teams.
Inactive Players:
Darius Slay, Zach Cunningham, Cam Jurgens, Albert Okwuegbunam, Rashaad Penny, Tanner McKee
Active Player:
Marcus Mariota
Darius Slay is expected to return before the end of the regular season, but it is uncertain if he will miss another game or two. There has been no update regarding the availability of Cunningham or Jurgens for Week 16. Albert O could be active as TE3 if Calcaterra’s injury keeps him out.
In conclusion, the Eagles’ offense struggled to capitalize on opportunities, while the defense saw inconsistent performances. The team will need to address these issues going forward to improve their performance in the remaining games of the season.
