Eagles Pass Rush Has Gone Quiet While Trade Calls Come In
The Philadelphia Eagles enter Week 8 with just eight sacks in seven games, ranking near the bottom of the NFL, and the lack of pressure has become one of the biggest concerns during a five-game losing streak.
The problems were especially evident in Monday night's 38-21 loss to Dallas, when the Eagles failed to record a sack or a hit on quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys rushed for 204 yards, and Philadelphia's inability to control the line of scrimmage kept Dallas out of obvious passing situations.
The production gap is striking given the investment. Philadelphia has spent premium draft capital on Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt while adding veteran Jonathan Greenard to strengthen the edge rotation, plus depth in Arnold Ebiketie and A.J. Epenesa for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Carter and Smith are tied for the team lead with three sacks apiece, according to Philadelphia's official statistics. The Eagles have struggled to get consistent production from their other defensive linemen, and the limited pressure has added responsibility to a secondary already dealing with injuries and inconsistent coverage.
The approach itself adds to the strain. Philadelphia has been reluctant to rely heavily on additional rushers, putting more pressure on its defensive front to win individual matchups without blitz help. That approach worked during the team's strongest defensive stretches, but it depends on defenders consistently beating blocks.
Injuries to Smith, Greenard and Hunt have complicated the rotation, although the Eagles still have enough talent to expect more production, according to Eagles Wire.
Philadelphia faces another difficult assignment Sunday against Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels, whose mobility creates additional challenges for undisciplined pass rushers. The Eagles cannot afford to allow Daniels to extend plays while their secondary struggles to maintain coverage.
Left tackle Jordan Mailata pushed back on injury excuses Thursday. "We're not the only team going through injuries," Mailata said. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves because we are."
The absences are extensive. Starters Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks and Jihaad Campbell missed all of practice this week and look poised to miss Sunday's game, according to Heavy. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was already ruled out for the season with blood clots.
Trade interest has followed the struggles. The Eagles have received calls on defensive tackle Moro Ojomo, a 25-year-old rising star in a contract year, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. Ojomo has 18 tackles, two for a loss, and no sacks in seven games.
The team has told others that Ojomo is not available and has given off the vibe that it will try to re-sign him, despite already having Carter and Jordan Davis on big deals, Breer wrote.
For a team with postseason aspirations, the lack of pressure has become more than an individual position problem. Philadelphia needs its defensive investments to produce results before another disappointing performance pushes the season further off course.
