PHILADEPHIA, PA - It's a shame the Philadelphia Eagles have to play in the first half. For the second consecutive week, the Eagles came out flat in the first half against an NFC South opponent.
They were able to rally back for a win in Carolina, but against higher grade competition like Tampa Bay, the Eagles were unable to pull it out. The Eagles offense looked very good, and Jalen Hurts looked confident in the second half against the Buccaneers, but the strong finish just wasn't enough.
The Eagles don't have much time to dwell on their 2-4 start. Philly is taking a trip to Las Vegas to take on the 4-2 Raiders, who are coming off a very good win against the Denver Broncos. The Raiders have made the news for all the wrong reasons lately due to the Jon Gruden scandal, but they are a solid team with a lot of good players. The offense for Vegas especially looks scary, as Derek Carr can sling the ball deep to his speedy playmakers like tight end Darren Waller and receivers Henry Ruggs and Hunter Renfrow. The Eagles secondary will have to be ready for this test.
Offensively, Philly really needs to run the ball more. I have confidence in Jalen Hurts to be a good quarterback and a leader, but there's no need to make him throw all night long. Miles Sanders is a criminally underutilized weapon for this offense, and the Eagles need to work him into the game plan much more than he was against the Bucs. On top of that, the Raiders' run defense is bottom ten in the league, meaning there should be plenty of openings for Sanders and the other Eagles' running backs.
I do have confidence in this team, and I think the 2-4 record is misleading. The Birds will go on the road and grab a big victory. Final Score: Eagles, 31. Raiders, 21.
