There is plenty of blame to go around after the Philadelphia Eagles’ 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday night.
With everything that has transpired in just two months of football this season, Sunday's outcome might not come as a shock to many. The Eagles are currently in one of their worst slumps in recent memory. Their starting quarterback is out for the remainder of the season. A Hall of Fame right tackle retired unexpectedly. Half the team is now featured on the weekly injury report.
What is shocking however is how poor the Eagles’ defense has performed this season. A group that has mostly been healthy, coming off two straight elite seasons, has underperformed greatly.
In recent weeks, the lack of offense has put the defense in a bind. However, the group built ahead of this season should have been one that could handle that level of responsibility and workload.
That has been far from reality, and it starts with the man up top.
Someone who has escaped a lot of blame early in this season has been Eagles’ defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. Especially when you compare the wrath that head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Sean Mannion have dealt with.
Since taking over the Philly defense in 2024, Fangio has led the Eagles to one of the best defensive units in the sport. This success has led to praise and deservedly so. Fangio has proven to be one of the best defensive minds in the history of the NFL.
So, why is this season turning into a complete mess?
While coaching matters, especially in the NFL, it falls on the players to bring it all together.
This group lost key starters in Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship this past offseason. Their replacements, Jihad Campbell and Andrew Mukuba, the teams' first and second round picks from the 2025 NFL Draft, have assumed their positions. The level of play from Dean and Blankenship to Campbell and Mckuba has dropped significantly.
Last year, the Eagles were 13th in yards allowed and 5th in points allowed across the NFL. Through eight weeks, they rank 27th and 21st in those respective categories.
One of the more unexpected outcomes of the recent Eagles-Cowboys matchup was the success of the Dallas Cowboys’ run game, who entered play had the 31st ranked rushing attack in football.
Running back Javonte Williams was given 25 carries for a total of 155 rushing yards. He accumulated nearly a third of his season total in rushing yards in this game alone. Not to mention, Williams made it look easy.
Fast forward to this past Sunday and Rachaad White averaged 5 yards per carry, with the team totalling 135 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The lack of pressure from the club’s defensive line is no longer a mere flash in the pan.
General Manager Howie Roseman spent a lot of money to keep Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis in midnight green for years to come. That investment has been a waste of money through eight weeks of the 2026 season.
The Carter-Davis duo combined for six total tackles against Dallas, none of which were solo. They did not record a sack or tackle for loss. They could not stop the run or apply pressure to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. The Eagles did get home to sack Jayden Daniels twice, with Carter tallying his 4th of the year, but that still ranks him 22nd in the NFL. Carter has very much become a one-man wrecking crew, which is great for the individual, but with a lack of consistent support around him, it's abundantly clear how much of the weight he carries as soon as he's off the field.
Through 8 games, the team has a total of 9 sacks. They rank dead last in sacks per game and sack percentage.
With their season likely on the line, the Eagles defense has been as invisible as a depleted offense.
If the Eagles have any chance of saving their season, it starts with a strong performance on the defensive side of the ball.
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