Week 5: Eagles' Studs And Duds
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- A win is a win, is a win. 4-1 is 4-1. Or is it?
There is a sense of panic around Philadelphia despite a 34-28 Eagles win over the Rams on Sunday. While the Eagles have won four out of their first five games, they haven't done so in convincing fashion by any means. Guys that were once trusted upon to perform on a weekly basis, like LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles, are all of the sudden unreliable. And worst of all, for the first time since he's arrived in Philadelphia, people are questioning Chip Kelly.
Duds
3. Nick Foles
Statistically speaking, Foles had a solid game: 24/37, 207 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and one fumble. However, he just didn't look good. Now two weeks in a row, he hasn't throw the long ball well at all. Furthermore, he often threw "prayers" off his back-foot and was lucky he didn't have multiple interceptions.
His glaring mistake came with about 12 minutes left in the game, when Foles scrambled 14 massive yards on 3rd and 5 to the Rams' 38-yard line setting up, what we thought to be the game-sealing scoring drive, but Foles slid head-first and devastatingly fumbled without being touched.
Most concerning for me, more than any of that, is Foles' confidence---or lack thereof. He isn't playing with conviction right now.
2. Bradley Fletcher
Whenever you see Fletcher or hear his name in the broadcast, something bad either happened or is going to happen.
1. Cary Williams
Ditto, for Williams. Wasn't sure who to make my No. 1 dud, Williams or Fletcher, but I guess it really doesn't matter. They both have been putrid guarding receivers, but Williams has been slightly more infuriating. So many times he's actually in decent position to make a play on the ball and just doesn't do it. Either he can't get his head around or he's a step or two too slow. Billy Davis needs to start using Nolan Carroll and/or Brandon Boykin more.
Studs
3. Cedric Thorton
When a 6'4", 309-pound defensive lineman recovers two fumbles and scores a touchdown (almost two), he's making my Stud list 100 out of 100 times. Thorton scored his first touchdown since 2005, when he was a senior RB/WR at Star City High School in Arkansas!
Thornton became the sixth Eagle with two defensive fumble recoveries in the same game, and the first since Quintin Mikell on in 2010.
2. Jeremy Maclin
Maclin continues to put up massive numbers and make big plays every single week.
On Sunday, J-Mac, unsurprisingly, led the team with five receptions and 76 yards. He also scored his fourth touchdown of the season and his sixth in his last seven games. In the last 12 games that Maclin and Foles have played together, they have combined for 62 receptions, 908 yards, and seven touchdowns.
This season, Maclin's 429 receiving yards is the seventh most in the NFL. His four touchdowns are tied for seventh most in the NFL. His 17.2 yards per catch is eighth in the NFL.
1. The Front
I didn't know who to chose as my No. 1 stud, so I went with the entire defensive front.
The Eagles racked up four sacks for the second week in a row.
- I could have picked Connor Barwin, who had two sacks, marking his third-career multi-sack game and his first since 2011. Barwin has three sacks in the last two weeks.
- I could have went with passing down specialist Vinny Curry, who registered a sack in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
- I could have chose Trent Cole, who forced a fumble, his third forced fumble in five games this year. Cole is just one away from tying his career high of four set in 2007.
- I could have selected Brandon Graham, who tallied a sack and forced fumble. It was Graham's second sack in as many games.
- I even could have gone with Fletcher Cox, who despite his quiet statistics, Cox continues to be excellent this season up-front for the Birds.
- And I already mentioned Thorton.
Stay positive Philadelphia. The Birds are 4-1 and it's #GiantsWeek.
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