Eagles defense is back, O-line competent but Giants and Commanders join Sirianni in NFC East incompetence: NFL Week 5

LONDON — Most of the conversation for the next week, or month, or season, will concern Nick Sirianni’s poor clock management near the end of the loss Sunday in London, which left 8 seconds after the Eagles’ go-ahead field goal. Even more conversation concerns Sirianni’s inexcusable instruction to Jake Elliott to not kick off through the end zone; a long return allowed the Jags to kick a 57-yard winner at the buzzer.

That made the score only 19-17, so, while the Eagles lost, since the Jaguars had led the NFL in scoring at a clip slightly above 30 points per game since the middle of last season, allowing only 19 points was significant.

It might sound contradictory, but the Eagles defense that allowed the Jaguars 408 total yards of offense took a significant step forward in London. The numbers lied a little Sunday.

“They had 300 some yards, I think, but it kind of didn’t feel like it, with all the stops we were having,” linebacker Zack Baun said. “We showed up in big-time moments. Yeah, I think it’s a step in the right direction.”

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He led the way. After missing Game 4 with a concussion Baun looked like his Pro Bowl self, with 12 tackles, solid coverage, and the Eagles’ defensive play of the year to date: On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, on the last play of the first half, Baun, who was covering a receiver in the left flat, came off his man, evaded a block, shot into the backfield, and tackled running back Bhayshul Tuten 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Tuten fumbled.

Baun hit him so hard that Big Ben rang nine miles away (it’s a bell, not a clock).

It’s the sort of play coaches use as teaching film.

That was one of two fourth-down stops by the Eagles from inside their own 5-yard line. The Jaguars converted two other fourth downs; one earlier in the drive Baun ended, and another in the fourth quarter; a perfect touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence to Parker Washington, the offensive play of the game.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who fractured his wrist in Game 1, had been wearing a bulky cast in the three previous games. He wore a lighter model in London. It allowed him to better use his hand, he said, which resulted in two strip-sacks, a tackle for loss, and continual penetration. It was, by far, Carter’s best game of the year; in fact, it was probably Carter’s best game since he sacked Matthew Stafford twice in the NFC Divisional Playoff game after the 2024 season.

“The dude is insane. Absolutely insane, particularly this game,“ Baun said, as Carter scurried off to get his usual postgame X-ray. ”In moments like this, and I can tell he’s hot. I can tell he’s feeling it. He’s locked in.”

So was Cooper DeJean, finally. DeJean played cornerback his first two seasons, but he’s a part-time safety now, too. The adjustment had been a struggle, until Sunday. He had a career-high 10 tackles, two for loss. Quinyon Mitchell (who has four interceptions in the playoffs) finally got his first regular-season pick. It took him two seasons plus five games.

This is excellent news for the Eagles going forward. If they can be this effective against one of the league’s better offenses, they needn’t worry as much when the potent Panthers visit Sunday, or when the Cowboys arrive eight days later.

The Eagles managed just 22 rushing yards, scored just 17 points, and protected a passer that threw for a modest 220 yards. But don’t blame the offensive line. Not this time. It was, to some degree, a revelation.

Both left guard Willie Lampkin and center Jake Majors were undrafted in 2025. Both got their first starts Sunday as emergency replacements for left guard Cam Jurgens, who was traded, and Drew Kendall, who was hurt. Third-round rookie Markel Bell made his second start in place of right tackle Lane Johnson, who retired last week.

First-year line coach Chris Kuper had them ready. Hurts was sacked just once. He threw no interceptions and had no fumbles, often the results of shoddy protection. The ground game suffered less from offensive line shortcomings than from the absence of starter Saquon Barkley and backup Tank Bigsby, who didn’t make the trip due to injury, and the quick exit of Will Shipley, who injured his foot in the first half.

There’s no timeline for the return of Kendall or left guard Landon Dickerson, who is on injured reserve, but on Sunday, the Eagles at least built a bit of depth on the line.

Both the Giants and Commanders deserved to lose Sunday. Unfortunately, neither did.

On first-and-10, tied at 27 with just under 2 minutes to play in overtime, with the ball at the Commanders’ 24-yard line, the Commanders out of timeouts, all Giants running back Cam Skattebo had to do was not fumble as he plunged into the line.

He fumbled.

Not to be outdone, the Commanders pushed the ball downfield, got to the Giants’ 24 (football delivers such symmetry), then, with 12 seconds to play, saw quarterback Jayden Daniels drop back, find no one open, then scramble. He should have thrown the ball away and stopped the clock; no timeouts, remember. He was sacked. Time expired. Game over.

Daniels said he wasn’t made aware of the timeout vs. time situation, but offensive lineman Chris Paul told a reporter afterward that the team had discussed it in the huddle.

Daniels just choked.

He’s not alone.

So did Skattebo.

And so, you might recall, did Dak Prescott — a magnificent brain-freeze that lost the Cowboys the wild-card playoff game to the 49ers after the 2021 season. With 14 seconds to play, trailing by 6 points facing second-and-1 from the 49ers’ 41-yard line, with no timeouts, Prescott inexplicably called a quarterback draw. He ran up the middle of the field, gained 17 yards, but time expired before he could spike the ball and stop the clock.

See? Sirianni’s not the only big name in the NFC East who makes mistakes at the end of games.

Since the Eagles played the first game Sunday, he’s not even the latest.

Despite the presence of potent offensive weapons like wide receiver Justin Jefferson and backup quarterback Carson Wentz, the Vikings (5-0) remain undefeated because the defense is allowing a league-best 1.0 offensive touchdowns per game. They led the league last year at 1.6. ... Two late field goals pushed the Broncos past the Chargers, who are 0-5. They won 11 games in each of Jim Harbaugh’s first two seasons as head coach but also lost in the wild-card round. The clock is ticking for Brother Jim. ... Ageless Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes for the third week in a row as the Steelers moved to 3-2, tied for second in the AFC North with Cleveland and Cincinnati after Baltimore moved to 4-1 with an overtime win in Atlanta. The Ravens were without Lamar Jackson, who missed the game with an ankle injury. Tyler Huntley played QB.

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For over two decades, one of the guiding personnel principles of the Philadelphia Eagles organization has been to prioritize the offensive line. Through four games, and this past week in particular, the group has undergone dramatic turnover. Hall of Fame-caliber tackle Lane Johnson retired. Cam Jurgens was shipped to Baltimore in a trade. Their respective replacements have potential, but, compared to how general manager Howie Roseman has stockpiled talent on the line in the past, the options now seem less optimal. Did Roseman and the Eagles stray from a long-held philosophy? The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane retraces key decisions that brought the team to this point. Listen here.

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