VIDEO: NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger Destroys Eagles D for Lining Up With 10 Men Against Lions
By Ryan Giglio
Philadelphia sports fans have been known to overreact from time to time. However, there are some serious issues that Eagles fans really should be worried about after the team's 1-2 start to the season. For his part, former NFL offensive lineman and current analyst Brian Baldinger recently pointed out a big issue when he destroyed the Eagles for only having... yes, only 10 defenders on the field (!) during last week's loss to the Lions.
.@lions v @eagles and #JJMcKissic goes for +44 on this reverse against a 10 man defense. 10 MAN DEFENSE! No one sees this from the #Birds? No one? #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/lQFiYILNma
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 23, 2019
Baldinger explained how the Eagles only lined up three linemen on a play, something veteran defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, of all people, should have noticed immediately.
That one less rusher made a difference, as Detroit's J.D. McKissic ran for 44 yards on the play. An extra rusher could have very well cut out the play before it had a chance to materialize.
But we'll never know now.
Jim Schwartz says the Eagles are “a couple plays away” from 3-0 and the Eagles and Packers game being a battle of the two 3-0 teams.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) September 24, 2019
Playing undermanned is the most preventable of blunders. However, the real issue here is that no Eagle seemed to notice the missing player or do anything about it.
This lack of awareness falls on Doug Pederson. As head coach, it's his job to make sure his squad is in the right position to succeed. Now, the Eagles will face the Packers Thursday night in what may as well be a must-win game; there's no telling how bad Philly fans will react to a 1-3 record.