Eagles Loudly Booed by Home Fans as Listless Offense's Struggles Continue vs. Bears
To say that Philadelphia Eagles fans are fed up would be an understatement.
Amid a listless performance from an Eagles offense that was held under 100 yards and without a touchdown in the first half of Friday's game vs. the Bears—which notably brought the total quarters without a touchdown to four, if you count last week's game vs. the Cowboys—the fans at Lincoln Financial Field made their presence felt.
Indeed, from Philadelphia's first drive of the game (a punt after five plays) to its first drive of the second half (a three-and-out), Eagles fans loudly booed the team.
Eagles fans angered by missed opportunities, decision-making
Two particular moments from the first half of Friday's game vs. the Bears drew the ire of Eagles fans. The first came on a drive where Philadelphia entered Bears territory for the first time in the contest. On a third down with eight yards to go for the first and 13:12 remaining in the second quarter, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had wide receiver DeVonta Smith wide-open over the middle of the field, but threw it behind the talented wideout, resulting in a fourth down and a missed opportunity for what could have been a touchdown.
Then, trailing Chicago 10-3 with a chance to potentially tie the game before the end of the first half, the Eagles picked up just a yard on a pass from Hurts to receiver A.J. Brown before electing to let the clock run all the way to the two-minute warning, a decision the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field did not approve of.
After the drive ultimately stalled out, even coach Nick Sirianni showed his frustration.
Given the Eagles' scoreless second half in its collapse against the Cowboys last week, as well as the offense's first half struggles juxtaposed against a strong performance by its defense, it wasn't difficult to see why the fans were so upset.
The second half began with more of the same for Philadelphia's offense, opening with a three-and-out on the first drive, then a turnover on a Hurts interception on the second. Picking up the tempo on its third drive, however, the Eagles utilized Hurts's legs and arm to quickly get downfield, finally finding paydirt on a 33-yard strike to Brown.
The Eagles' defense then forced a turnover, but Philadelphia, on its much-maligned tush push play, fumbled the ball after it was set up in Chicago territory.
It will be interesting to see if Philadelphia can rediscover its rhythm from its lone touchdown drive in the game.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Makes Trevon Diggs Guarantee for Week 14
It has been more than a month-and-a-half now since the Dallas Cowboys have seen star cornerback Trevon Diggs on the field. Diggs, remember, appeared to be fine before suffering a mysterious mid-week concussion at his home before the Cowboys were slated to play the Commanders. Soon after the concussion, it was revealed that Diggs was also struggling to get himself fully healthy after having had offseason knee surgery.
In Diggs’ case, though, the opposite knee was the one that has been troublesome.
The Cowboys put Diggs on the injured reserve, hoping to give him time to recover from the knee and the concussion simultaneously. The Cowboys have not had much to say about Diggs since, other than he is running and getting up to speed, but that he has not had his practice window yet opened.
“He’s doing better,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday. “One of the issues this week is that it’s a short week. Again, we’ll see what everybody does, but short weeks are a little harder. He’s doing everything best, and has a really good look on his face.”
Trevon Diggs Will ‘Be on the Field’
Now, though, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is saying that the team is ready to get Diggs back into action. The Cowboys played Thursday of course, beating the Chiefs on Thanksgiving, and have another Thursday game coming up, against the Lions. Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that Diggs will be back.
“He’ll be on the field,” Jones said. “Could have been on the field, wanted to be on the field (on Thursday), but he’ll be on the field at Detroit, in my view.”
There could be setbacks with Diggs, of course, and some obstacle or other could present itself. But for a team in need of depth at cornerback, Jones is expecting Diggs back.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (Getty)
Cowboys Need Help at Cornerbacks
The hope is that the Cowboys can get Diggs back to some semblance of his usual self, which has been difficult in recent years because of repeated knee and other injuries. Diggs has played just 19 games in his past three seasons.
Diggs also complained loudly this season about the new defense of coordinator Matt Eberflus, and the lack of man coverage in the scheme. But, fact was, Diggs was struggling to maintain his standard (he was a Pro Bowler in his second and third seasons) whether in man or zone, and rated a Pro Football Focus grade of 58.7, which is just 66th among corners in the NFL.
The Cowboys have vastly improved their defense since the last time Diggs played, but the corners could still use help. Dallas cut ties with Kaiir Elam earlier in the month, and have young corners Caelan Carson and Shavon Revel now in the rotation. A veteran like Diggs, provided he is healthy, has the potential to be a big addition.
