On Sunday, the Eagles’ defense struggled against the 49ers, losing 42-19. There’s no other way to put it.
After being forced into two quick three-and-outs, the 49ers scored touchdowns on six consecutive drives, the first five of them of 75 yards or more. It was a really tough match for Sean Desai’s group.
But what bothered the Eagles’ first-year defensive coordinator most about his performance?
“We’ve got to respond to some calls differently, get to them a little earlier, get to them in a better situation,” Desai said. “That’s what I have to be able to do.
“That helps our guys execute in a cleaner format. So I have to do it better. We started the game right away. In the first quarter I played really well, but then I just couldn’t get to where I needed to be as quickly as I needed to.”
Indeed, you could argue that the Eagles’ problem in this game wasn’t that they couldn’t come up with an answer, but that they simply didn’t have one. After the first two drives, the only time the Eagles defense did not allow a touchdown was when the 49ers were in winning position at the end of the game.
The 49ers started the second half by scoring touchdowns on their first four drives.
“They’re looking at me, so I have to be better for them,” Desai said. “I need to guide them to good decisions more quickly and consistently. I think that’s what it comes down to.”
Desai was asked about the process of trying to come up with an answer during a game on Tuesday.
“Honestly, I think I’ve done a good job this year. I really feel that way all year long,” Desai said. “In this game, I think the coaches and all of us continue to talk about this game and work with each other.
It’s just a matter of me calling the right play at the right time. Give them credit, they were hitting more of the right plays at the right times than I was. ”
To be fair to Desai, he’s right about one thing. There were some games this year where he made adjustments and the Eagles finished well. The Eagles were able to shut out the Chiefs in the second half on the road in Week 11, and in Week 7 they held the strong Dolphins to just seven points in the second half.
But playing against the 49ers? They couldn’t stop them in the second half, especially after the Eagles were forced into several three-and-outs to start the game.
What was different for the Eagles after those two early stops?
“One thing I think about is [the 49ers] We were leaning towards a 4-on-1 passing game, which was good for them,” Desai said. “I would have liked to have been able to answer the 4×1 game a little faster and more consistently, and they did that in some complicated situations.
“They did a good job of using some of the Rumpus tips and calling it that. We did well in some ways, but not in others. If we didn’t make a good play call, we were exposed to space. That’s my fault. We’ve got to get better for longer.”
Desai has done some good things this season, with some really strong moments, but his overall production hasn’t been great. The Eagles have the 22nd-ranked defense in the NFL and the 29th-ranked pass defense.
Perhaps the most troubling thing about head coach Nick Sirianni’s defense is how bad they were in situations.
Through 13 weeks, the Eagles’ third-down defense has been the worst in the NFL, allowing conversions 47.3% of the time. The second-worst third-down team in the league? Jonathan Gannon’s Cardinals.
What’s really scary is that the Eagles are also bad at 3rd-and-long situations, ranking 8th worst in the NFL in giving up first downs on 3rd-and-7 or higher at 29.3%. Their goal is to put their team in the top three and go hunting, but even that doesn’t work out.
The Eagles give up more first downs (29) on 3-and-7 or better than any other team in the NFL.
I also don’t like the red zone. The Eagles rank 29th in red zone defense, allowing touchdowns on 68.3% of their drives that end in 20 or fewer attempts.
These are two areas the Eagles need to fix quickly against the Cowboys, who are second in the NFL on third down but 17th in red zone success.
“Attention is high and will only get higher,” Desai said. “We have to do a better job as a staff, as coaches, and myself as someone who leads the staff in those areas. And we do. We do a better job there.
“It’s about being consistent longer. The last few trips to the red zone, we forced them to third down. Then we lost on third down. We need to do better. We’ve got to put our team in a better position to go ahead and execute.”
Subscribe to Eagle Eye wherever you get your podcasts.
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube