The Eagles this season were picked by many to carry the same Super Bowl-winning potential they enjoyed two seasons ago. But after three games, they are 1-2 and staring up at the 3-0 Cowboys in the NFC East.
So what has made the forecast go from sunny contention to cloudy prospects in Philadelphia?
Although there are some familiar problems from last year still plaguing the team, here is an updated diagnosis for the Eagles ahead of Thursday night's critical road game at the 3-0 Packers.
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The Eagles still have one of the league's weakest cornerback groups
Last season, Philadelphia gave up the third most yardage to wide receivers in the NFL, an average of 193 yards per game. This season, the number is up to 202 yards.
The Eagles pretty much kept the same corners from last season and were hoping the return of Ronald Darby from a torn ACL would help in addition to a change in personnel usage from the perimeter to the slot. But between Darby, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox and Sidney Jones, the coverage remains shaky, and now Darby is back on the shelf for a month with a hamstring injury.
There are flashes of plays being made on the ball, but there's not enough consistency in handling good downfield targets. Against receivers from Julio Jones to Marvin Jones, the Eagles are giving up too many big pass plays.
This is being exacerbated by another issue.
The Eagles have an underachieving defensive front four that is not as deep as it used to be
The Eagles have the No. 29 pass defense in the NFL because they are getting no pass rush, either. They are second to last in the league with two sacks; only the Broncos, who have zero, are behind them. They got one sack on a blitz from safety Andrew Senedjo. The other came from defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, now out with a foot injury, and he was the replacement for Malik Jackson, who's now out for the season with a more severe foot injury.
Derek Barnett, Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox have not come through with the kind of play that allows Philadelphia to pressure QBs with only the front four. That trio was responsible for 17 of the team's 44 sacks last season. Another 15.5, however, came from the combination retired end Chris Long and current Patriots end Michael Bennett.
Because of that sudden deficiency, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has needed to blitz more often to try to manufacture a pass rush. It's a vicious cycle, because the lack of a rush from the line further exposes the cornerbacks over long coverage stretches. And when the Eagles are forced to send non-linemen at the QB, it leaves those same corners overmatched on one-on-ones with limited help.
Barnett, Graham and Cox have the talent to get going. They need to do a better job of winning their matchups to support the struggling defense behind them.
The Eagles' offensive line is not playing up to its potential
When at their best, Philadelphia's tackles, guards and center comprise one of the NFL's best all-around blocking groups. The Eagles are in the middle of the pack in sacks allowed with seven after three games, which is actually a better rate than theirs of last season. But Carson Wentz has taken plenty of other hits, and they have seen major struggles from left guard Isaac Semaulo.
Philadelphia's offensive line also has created limited holes for the revamped running game with Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders. The Eagles are tied for 25th in yards per carry (3.6), which is worse than their clip (3.9) from last season.
The Eagles have not found a rhythm in their running back rotation
Howard and Sanders have given the Eagles limited burst; neither has a run of 20 yards or more this season. Howard does not offer much wiggle to get the yards that aren't there, while Sanders has had some dancing and fumbling issues.
Darren Sproles still has his speedy spurts, but after his good first game against the Redskins, the Eagles have rendered him a rushing and receiving non-factor. Corey Clement, the lone returning back who has been a valuable swing player for all situations, isn't an option at the moment with a shoulder injury.
The blocking isn't providing the expected boost, but the Eagles are going down another anemic path with their rushing attack, making them too one-dimensional. That leads us to another troubling development in Philly.
The Eagles have been slow to fly out of the gate
Philadelphia has not been able to try to stick with the running game to provide a semblance of balance for Wentz because the game scripts have quickly (and surprisingly) gone against the team.
The Eagles fell behind 20-7 to the Redskins in Week 1 before rallying to win 32-27 with a big second half. They were down 17-6 to the Falcons late in the third quarter in Week 2, then rallied to take the lead before their defense allowed a game-winning 54-yard TD. They couldn't recover from trailing the Lions 20-10 at halftime in Week 3, either.
When the Eagles rolled to Super Bowl 52, they started fast and furious in most games and were relentless in blowing out most opponents. That aggressive wire-to-wire edge, which was the signature of Doug Pederson's team, is lost.
Although their second-half adjustments have been impressive, the Eagles need to step on the gas a lot earlier instead of racing to catch up on both sides of the ball.
The Eagles have put too much on Wentz to carry them, and he's feeling it.
When a team has a bad pass defense, can't run as much or as effectively as it would like, and spots teams significant leads, the heaviest burden of winning falls on the quarterback. That's 100 percent the case for Wentz.
He has been solid with a 91.1 passer rating but hasn't quite played at his MVP-like levels of 2017 and '18. His yards per attempt (6.8) is down to where it was in his rookie season. He is averaging more than 41 drop-backs per game, and although he has hit on a few deep passes, wide receiver injuries to Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson have him settling for more short-to-intermediate throws.
At the expense of physical abuse, Wentz plays fearlessly and tries to make everything happen even when it's not there. His toughness and resolve are admirable qualities, but the Eagles can't afford to lose him again without Nick Foles behind him. And the extra wear on his body raises a familiar durability concern.
Wentz has proved he can overcome a lot of weakness elsewhere on his team. That level of independence is what puts him the top tier of NFL quarterbacks, and it earned him his mega second contract. But that doesn't mean the Eagles should keep calling upon him to be the savior, because that's a formula for remaining under .500 and keeping Wentz in harm's way.
The Eagles will need to overcome several correlated problems to get back on track. The good news is, given their wild-card results of last year, they know they have the personnel and coaching to turn it around.
The bad news is, with the Cowboys in peak form and the NFC loaded with contenders, time isn't on their side.
