This one was shaping up to be neat, tight and comfortable. In a span of 15 minutes, blank looks abound. The silence of Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday spoke. All Nick Sirianni could do was look down and shake his head. His sun glasses were hiding what had to be beaming red eyes, after the Eagles’ coach watched his team blow a two-score, fourth-quarter lead in losing their first game of the season, 21-17, to the Denver Broncos.
The Buffalo Bills are now the only undefeated team in the NFL, while
Eagles saw their franchise-tying 10-game winning streak and 12-game home winning streak come to a screeching halt. It marked the Eagles first home loss in over a year, when the Eagles lost to Atlanta (22-21 on Sept. 16, 2024).
The Eagles did more harm to themselves than Denver did, hit with major penalties, like Zack Baun’s 15-yard unnecessary roughness call after rookie safety Andrew Mukuba’s open-field tackle with 2:27 to play, giving Denver a fresh set of downs and chew up more precious time.
Then there was Saquon Barkley’s illegal shift on a fourth-and-four play at the Eagles’ 49 with 5:23 to play. The penalty wiped out DeVonta Smith’s 20-yard reception at the Denver 31. With the Eagles trailing 18-17, the reception would have placed the Eagles in position to go ahead on a possible field goal or touchdown.
Instead, the Eagles were forced to punt.
On Denver’s three, fourth-quarter scoring drives, the Broncos converted four of four third downs, one coming on a 34-yard Courtland Sutton third-and-15 reception between Baun, Quinyon Mitchell and Reed Blankenship. The catch led to the Broncos’ go-ahead score with 3:32 to play.
Until then, Denver had converted just three of 12 third-down opportunities.
The Broncos were 1-112 in games in which they trailed by 14 points or more on the road in the fourth quarter. Denver trailed the Eagles, 17-3, entering the fourth quarter on Sunday.
Make it 2-112.
The Eagles have a tepid, sputtering, unbalanced offense, and lack discipline in critical situations, a recipe that does not bode well for playing deep into January. Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio may want to rethink certain situations and go tighter on his top-down, no-explosive-plays defense and trust his players to make plays.
The Eagles get to sweep this away on Thursday against the woeful New York Giants.
In the meantime, there was some good, some bad, and a pile of ugly in the Eagles’ 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos.
The Good
DeVonta Smith’s team-high eight catches for a game-high 114 yards on 10 targets. He beat Riley Moss on a third-and-17 at the Eagles’ 22 for a 52-yard reception—the Eagles’ longest this season. That ledto the first touchdown of the game, when Hurts found Dallas Goedert for a two-yard touchdown pass with 7:20 left in the first half. Smith had another huge 20-yard catch on a fourth-and-four play, from the Eagles’ 49 to the Denver 31, with 5:23 left that was called back on an illegal motion play, which was the play of the game.
With 3:43 left in the third quarter, the Eagles had forced Denver to punt on six-straight drives after a first-quarter Broncos’ field goal. That streak was broken by Denver’s J.K. Dobbins two-yard touchdown plunge with 13:11 to play.
Saquon Barkley beating former Eagles’ special teamer Alex Singleton with an over-the-shoulder 47-yard touchdown catch on the fourth play of the second half. Hurts deserves some credit here. He called the play at the line of scrimmage, when Singleton bit on Barkley’s double move.It was the longest catch Barkley has had as an Eagle. It followed his 17-yard run to the Eagles’ 49 on their second drive of the game. It was Barkley’s longest run of the season, and it came on his 79th carry of the season. If you watch the back end of that play, you will see right guard Tyler Steen reaching the second level and driving Denver linebacker Justin Strnad (that’s his name, it’s not a typo) across the field and into the ground.
Linebacker Zack Baun pressuring Bo Nix up the middle on Denver’s first drive of the second half, which spurred an intentional grounding call and forced the Broncos into a third-and-21 at the Eagles’ 48 and beyond field goal range. Nix hit Marvin Mims Jr. over the middle for a six-yard gain the next play, which Baun made the tackle. The Broncos did not immediately answer the Barkley score, trailing 17-3 with 7:18 left in the third quarter.
Hurts hitting Smith in stride for 21 yards on the second play of the second half, bringing the Eagles to their 47. Hurts completed 23 of 38 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
Eagles’ halftime defense. They held Denver to 1-for-8 on third-down conversions, and an average of 3.2 yards a play. The Eagles outgained Denver, 174-102, and rookie Jihaad Campbell had a team-high five tackles, forcing Denver to punt on five of six possessions in the half.
The Eagles’ third drive of the game. They converted a third-and-17, and went a total of 90 yards over seven plays, for the Goedert touchdown.
Linebacker Za’Darius Smith continuing to be a great find by Howie Roseman, and making great contributions, coming up with a 13-yard sack on Denver’s third drive, back at the Eagles’ 47, taking the Broncos out of field goal range. The Eagles responded with the first touchdown of the game. It is not good that a 33-year-old journeyman that the Eagles signed off the street on his seventh team right now happens to be their best pass rusher.
A.J. Brown’s eight-yard reception at the Eagles’ 28 on a second-and-seven, giving the Eagles their first first down of the game on their second possession. It got the Eagles’ offense going. Brown later hauled in an 11-yard pass on a third-and-two on the Eagles’ third drive at the Eagles’ 29. Brown later caused Patrick Surtain into an interference call midway into the second quarter, setting up the first touchdown of the game.
Cooper DeJean being “Cooper DeJean,” stirring trouble by catching Bo Nix from behind as Nix’s arm was moving forward at the Eagles’ 37 on Denver’s second drive. The play initially looked like a fumble, and ruled on the field as a fumble, but the play was overturned forcing Denver into a third-and-12. The drive still resulted into a Wil Lutz 55-yard field goal with 6:49 left in the first quarter.
Jalen Carter taking down J.K. Dobbins for a one-yard gain on the sixth play of the Broncos’ second possession. It created a second-and-nine at the Eagles’46.
Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell staying with Denver’s Courtland Sutton down the sideline on Denver’s first series on a third-and-four at the Denver 37. After that, it turned bad.
The Bad
Mitchell being called for holding Sutton in the end zone early in the fourth quarter, when he did not have to. The next play, Dobbins scored from two yards out to pull Denver to within 17-10 with 13:11 to play.
Nix making Baun and Jalyx Hunt miss on a 14-yard scramble on the Broncos’ fourth play of the second half. It placed the ball at the Denver 38, giving the Broncos some renewed life after the Eagles got out to a 17-3 third-quarter lead.
Troy Franklin turning around cornerback Kelee Ringo for a 20-yard reception to the Denver 49 on the final play of the first quarter.
Jake Elliott’s 31-yard, first-quarter field goal on the Eagles’ second drive, snapping the Eagles’ streak of 11-for-11 for touchdowns in the red zone. Denver entered the game No. 1 in the NFL in red zone defense, allowing only 25-percent of red zone touchdowns this season.
Left guard Landon Dickerson hobbling off the field after getting rolled up on the Eagles’ second drive on a first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 13 with 1:40 left in the first quarter. Dickerson was replaced by Brett Toth. Dickerson came out with a left ankle injury.
The Eagles’ first series. They went three-and-out, making it six of the last eight drives (discounting the safety on the final possession against Tampa Bay) that the Eagles had gone three-and-out. The Hurts’ rollout on the first play looked as if was drawn on the back of a bubblegum wrapper. The Eagles traveled a grand total of three yards.
The Ugly
Baun, one of the Eagles’ defensive stalwarts, getting called for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty seconds after rookie safety Andrew Mukuba made a great play taking down Denver’s RJ Harvey. Mukuba took Harvey down with an open-field tackle for no gain on a third-and-two at the Eagles’ 29, when Baun was overly aggressive, coming down on Harvey with 2:27 to play. It took the Broncos to the Eagles’ 14 and eventually put them ahead 18-17.
Sutton going up to grab a 16-yard pass from Nix with 2:40 to go over Mitchell on a third-and-six at the Eagles’ 37. It was Sutton’s eighth catch of the game, mostly against Mitchell, for 99 yards, including a vital third-and-15 that put Denver ahead in the fourth quarter.
Barkley not being set on a fourth-and-four at the Eagles’ 49 with 5:23 to play, and getting flagged for an illegal shift after Smith hauled in Hurt’s pass at the Denver 31. The 20-yard reception was wiped out, and along with it a possible go-ahead touchdown, or at least a go-ahead field goal. It was the fifth pre-snap penalty called on the Eagles, for 25 yards.
The Broncos coming back from a 17-3 deficit to an 18-17 lead with 15-straight points on two drives. Denver scored 15 points in 5 minutes, 30 seconds, after the Eagles had put a cap on the Broncos the entire game, until then. The backbreaker was Denver’s third-and-15 conversion at the Eagles’ 11. Nix’s 34-yard completion to Sutton between Mitchell, Baun, and Reed Blankenship. This was a case of the Eagles’ top-down defense giving up too much ground in front of them. It was also great execution by Denver. Nix let the ball go before Sutton reached his spot. But the Eagles did have three defenders on Sutton, who had open space around him.
Toth being nailed for holding on a first-and-10 with 13:06 to play. The timing of the flag came at a bad time, with Denver pulling within 17-10 on its previous drive and the Eagles looking to extend its one-score lead. The Eagles were forced to punt with 11:08 to play, clinging to a 17-10 lead.
Hurts missing Brown running down the middle of the field wide open. Brown blew by Denver safety Talanoa Hufanga on the Eagles’ third drive of the second half with the Eagles were running out of an empty set on a second-and-15. Brown was there. Hurts overthrew him by five yards. The drive wound up ending on a sack and an Eagles’ punt with 2:38 left in the third quarter.
Sirianni blowing a challenge when he was not mistakenly informed that the 35-yard pass to Jahan Dotson at the Denver 14 with 2:39 left in the half was incomplete. It led to a second-and-10 at the Broncos’ 48.
Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley getting tangled up on the kickoff return after the ensuing kickoff after Will Lutz’s field goal. It led to the Eagles starting at their 17—and inexcusable blunder at this stage of the season that could cost the Eagles in a bigger game later this season.This went from bad to ugly, because it resulted in points instead of a punt—and a result the winning difference. Carter jumping offsides on a play in which the Broncos wanted someone to jump offsides on their second drive on a fourth-and-three at the Eagles’ 40. Carter obliged, with a little help from Baun giving him a nudge forward. It appeared that DeJean would bail out Carter with a caused fumble, but the call was overturned when it was determined Nix’s arm was moving forward. Lutz’s 55-yard field goal with 6:49 left in the first quarter gave Denver a 3-0 lead.
