In a Monday night game that felt like a showcase of the franchise’s defensive prowess, the Eagles’ interior line rattled the opposing offense, a feat not seen since 2004.
Defensive Line Breakthrough
Jordan Davis and Byron Young each forced 1 ½ sacks, making the Eagles the first team in more than two decades to have two interior linemen with double‑digit sacks in a single game. The last time this occurred was in a 47‑17 victory over the Packers at the Linc in 2004, when Corey Simon and Darwin Walker each recorded 2.0 sacks. Earlier historic instances include a 1995 win over the Giants at the Meadowlands—Andy Harmon and Kevin Johnson each had 2.0 sacks—and a 1991 24‑0 triumph over the Cowboys at Texas Stadium, where Jerome Brown tallied 2 ½ sacks and Mike Golic had 2.0. That game also saw the Eagles sack rookie quarterback Troy Aikman 11 times.
Linebacker Impact
Linebacker Nakobe Dean added a fourth sack in his last five games, becoming the first Eagles linebacker to achieve that mark since William Thomas did so in 1997 (Week 8 vs. Cardinals through Week 12 vs. Ravens). Dean is also the first Eagles linebacker to reach four sacks in a season since Mychal Kendricks posted 4.0 in 2014. The last Eagles linebacker with more than 4.0 sacks in a season was Willie T., who recorded 5.0 in 1997.
Receiver Milestones
Wide‑receiver A.J. Brown completed a third straight 100‑yard game, bringing his total to 23 100‑yard performances—one more than DeSean Jackson and Mike Quick, and just one shy of Pete Retzlaff’s franchise record. Brown set a 2023 franchise record with six consecutive 100‑yard games. The only other Eagle to have two separate streaks of three straight 100‑yard games is Quick, who had four straight in 1983 and three straight in 1985. After averaging 39 yards per game through Week 5, Brown now averages 86 yards per game since Week 6, placing him on pace for over 1,000 yards this season. In 3 ½ seasons with the Eagles, Brown ranks 11th in franchise history with 4,830 yards, 20 behind DeVonta Smith.
Tight‑End Progress
Tight end Dallas Goedert’s eighth reception on Monday pushed his career total to 449. He needs five more catches to pass Retzlaff into fourth place in franchise history and 11 more to surpass Brian Westbrook for third. That would leave him behind only Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael (618) and former teammate Zach Ertz (612). Goedert’s 449 receptions are the sixth‑most among active players who have never made a Pro Bowl. The only tight end with more passes without a Pro Bowl is Ben Watson, who finished his career with 547 receptions.
Running‑Back Highlights
Saquon Barkley’s 52‑yard touchdown run was the 15th of his career for 50‑plus yards, including postseason. Only Adrian Peterson (16) and Barry Sanders (15) have more in NFL history. Nine of those 15 runs came in 33 games with the Eagles. Bosh Pritchard holds the second‑most 50‑plus yard touchdown runs in Eagles history with five from 1946‑1949. Barkley and Pritchard are the only Eagles with two seasons featuring multiple 50‑plus yard touchdown runs. Barkley also logged six 50‑yard touchdowns with the Giants, including three against the Eagles. He now has the most 50‑yard touchdown runs for the franchise and against the franchise. Including postseason, Barkley has 16 100‑yard games in less than two years with the Eagles, trailing only Wilbert Montgomery (26), LeSean McCoy (23), Brian Westbrook (20), and Steve Van Buren (16).
Quarterback Completion Defense
Over the past four weeks, the Eagles held opposing quarterbacks to a 48.9 % completion rate: Jared Goff (37.8 %), Dak Prescott (63.9 %), Caleb Williams (47.2 %), and Justin Herbert (46.2 %). This is the lowest completion percentage against the Eagles in a four‑game span in 17 years, matching the 2008 four‑game span that included Joe Flacco (46 %), Kurt Warner (54 %), Eli Manning (48 %), and Ken Dorsey (39 %) for a combined 48.2 %. Across the entire season, the Eagles allow quarterbacks to complete just 55.8 % of their passes, the lowest in the NFL. The 2008 Eagles allowed 54.1 %, and the lowest by any NFL team in nine years was the 2016 Broncos at 55.4 %.
Special‑Teams Brilliance
Britain Covey averaged 18.0 yards on three punt returns and 25.8 yards on five kick returns on Monday. He is only the fourth Eagles returner to average at least 18 yards on at least three punts and 25 yards on at least three kicks. The others are Al Pollard (18.7 punts, 28.3 kicks in 1951), Wally Henry (20.0 punts, 28.4 kicks in 1979), and Brian Mitchell (33.0 punts, 35.7 kicks in 2002). Covey’s career punt‑return average rose from 11.3 to 11.6, surpassing Darren Sproles—who also averaged 11.6—for the highest average in Eagles history among players with a minimum of 75 returns. Covey now sits ninth in NFL history for punt‑return average (minimum 75 returns) and holds the record for the highest average by an undrafted player, edging out Paul Johns (11.551 on 78 returns).
Offensive‑Line Protection Streak
The Eagles have not allowed more than one sack over five straight games, the second time this has occurred since sacks became an official stat in 1982. In 2014 the team went six straight games. The longest streak by any team since 2020 was the Steelers with 10 straight games without more than one sack.
Pass‑Defense Efficiency
So far this season, the Eagles have allowed only 13 passing touchdowns, the fewest they have allowed through 13 games in 24 years. The 2001 team allowed 11 passing touchdowns in the first 13 games, a defense that later produced NFL head coaches Leslie Frazier, Steve Spagnuolo, Ron Rivera, and Sean McDermott.
Offensive Struggles
The Eagles scored just 81 points in their last five games, the fewest in a five‑game span since 2012 (79 points from Week 3 in Arizona through Week 8 vs. Falcons). They have gone 12 straight games without converting at least 45 % of third downs, the second‑longest streak since the NFL began tracking third‑down stats in 1991 and the longest since a 13‑game streak in 2005. Additionally, the team has gone five straight games without recording at least 20 first downs, the longest streak since a six‑game streak at the end of the 2005 season.
Quarterback Turnovers
Jalen Hurts became the first Eagles quarterback in 28 years to commit five turnovers in a game. In 1997, Bobby Hoying was intercepted three times and lost two fumbles in a 31‑21 loss to the Giants at the Vet. Hurts is also the first Eagles quarterback to throw four interceptions in a game since Michael Vick did so in the 2012 opener against the Browns (17‑16 win), when Brandon Weeden also threw four interceptions. He is the first Eagles quarterback to throw four interceptions without a touchdown pass since 1991, when undrafted rookie Brad Goebel did so in a 13‑6 loss to the Saints at the Vet. Hurts’ overtime interception was the Eagles’ first overtime turnover since Mike McMahon fumbled when he was sacked by Osi Umenyiora in the 26‑23 win over the Eagles at the Linc in 2005. It was also the first overtime interception since Tony Parrish picked off Donovan McNabb in the 31‑28 win at the Linc in 2003, and the first game‑ending turnover in overtime since Michael Strahan’s 44‑yard pick‑six off Doug Pederson at the Vet in 1999.
Key Takeaways
- The Eagles’ interior line forced double‑sack performances for the first time in over 20 years.
- A.J. Brown is on pace for a 1,000‑yard season and is close to franchise receiving milestones.
- Despite defensive dominance, the offense has struggled with scoring, third‑down conversions, and first‑down production.
The Monday night contest showcased the Eagles’ defensive excellence while highlighting areas of offensive weakness that the team will need to address in the coming weeks.
