What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 9 vs. the Giants
The Giants lead the NFC East while being powered by former Vikings first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
As the Eagles approach the halfway point of the season, their immediate future already looks grim.
According to The Athletic’s playoff simulator, the Eagles now have a 1% chance of making the playoffs following their 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday night. Their 2-6 start this season is their worst record through the first eight games since they started 2-6 in 1999, which was Andy Reid’s first season as head coach.
The Eagles are searching for answers as they try to find some semblance of consistency in all phases. Can they make progress against a 4-2-1 New York Giants team that sits atop the NFC East?
Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 9:
Finding value in the season
Last Friday, defensive tackle Jordan Davis discussed how he was leaning on his experience during the 2023 season — in which the Eagles lost six of their last seven games and exited the playoffs after the wild-card round — to inform his approach to their 2026 losing streak.
“We love learning off of wins,” Davis said. “But you learn the most, and you learn about people the most, when you’re losing. You learn about who you are. You learn about what you can do, what you can be. You learn about how you can get back to work, the work ethic that you have.”
That might just be the value in what feels like a lost season for the Eagles. While the playoffs are almost entirely out of the picture, the team’s current situation poses a different question: Who can be part of the solution, not even necessarily this season, but beyond? Who emerges as a contributor? A leader?
» READ MORE: Why is Jonathan Greenard ‘not into a groove?’ Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio points to practice.
How players show up — or don’t show up — these next nine games matter as the team evaluates who they can rely on as the front office retools for future success. That’s especially true of the young players, whose starting contributions are all the more important as the team attempts to balance the scales with their veterans on lucrative, long-term contracts.
Makai Lemon, Eli Stowers, and Markel Bell will be in the spotlight as the season continues. Lemon, the No. 20 overall pick out of USC, is now the most targeted player on the team this season, as DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks have missed games due to injury. Lemon has forged a connection with quarterback Tanner McKee in his last two outings, averaging 9.5 yards per reception (13 receptions on 17 targets for 124 yards and a touchdown in that span). He also leads the team with 96 yards after the catch this year.
Stowers has just two games under his belt, but he made his first NFL catch against the Commanders and finished with three receptions for 53 yards (two of those catches came in garbage time). Bell is clearly still developing, too, as he conceded two sacks to the Commanders on Sunday in just his fifth NFL start, according to Pro Football Focus.
Now is the time to learn more about those players, and others, as they gain more experience and learn what it takes to show up in tough times. What the Eagles learn will inform their approach to the offseason.
McCarthy makes an impact
There’s a new quarterback in town in East Rutherford.
J.J. McCarthy, the 2024 10th overall pick out of Michigan, is attempting to turn the page on his disappointing stint with the Minnesota Vikings following his trade to the Giants on Sept. 28. He got his first start two weeks ago and led his new team to a 27-21 overtime win over the struggling Houston Texans.
» READ MORE: The Eagles could lead the NFL in dead salary cap money in 2027. Would a trade-deadline fire sale make things worse?
The box score alone isn’t particularly eye-catching. McCarthy went 20-for-28 for 250 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown, nor did he throw an interception.
But his film was littered with some excellent plays, whether he was throwing with anticipation on a 47-yard deep out to wide receiver Malachi Fields or throwing on the move under pressure from a free rusher to connect with top receiver Malik Nabers for 17 yards. McCarthy had five completions of at least 20 yards against the Texans, which was tied for the most in a game in his career, established one week prior in the Giants’ loss to the New Orleans Saints when he entered the game in the fourth quarter.
He also made some questionable decisions, particularly on the two-minute drive before the end of the first half against Houston when he threw an incomplete deep ball for Fields into double coverage. Still, for a quarterback who joined the team about a month ago and was the third-stringer up until two weeks ago, he acquitted himself well in his case to be the starter moving forward.
The Eagles defense has room for improvement when it comes to limiting chunk passing plays. Last week, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was explosive through the air, completing all three of his deep attempts (at least 20 air yards) for 104 yards, according to Next Gen Stats. That total was his most in a game since Week 8 of 2024 against the Chicago Bears.
According to NFL data scientist Sam Hoppen, the Eagles rank 29th in the league in explosive passing play rate allowed (6.7%). In the last four weeks, that rate is up to 7.1%, which ranks 30th.
Reeling in the run game
The Eagles defense has also floundered in the run game this season. They’ve allowed over 100 rushing yards in each game, ranking 28th in the league in rushing yards against.
By comparison, back in 2024 the Eagles defense only had nine regular-season games in which they allowed at least 100 rushing yards. They finished that season ranked 10th in the league in rushing yards against.
The Eagles’ run defense was marginally better against the Commanders compared to their poor outing against the Dallas Cowboys the week before, but it was a low bar to clear. Vic Fangio described their run defense as “inconsistent” overall this season and characterized Sunday’s showing as “OK to borderline good.” His perception skewed more toward the negative after Rachaad White’s 33-yard outside zone run that set up the Commanders’ final touchdown of the evening.
The Giants are coming off their best showing on the ground this season, with six different rushers combining for a season-high 188 yards and four touchdowns on 34 attempts.
Two explosives led the way to a Giants overtime win: a 44-yard Cam Skattebo carry and an ensuing 30-yard Devin Singletary touchdown run. Skattebo is reportedly day to day with a hamstring injury coming out of the game and could be a game-time decision on Sunday. The Eagles could catch a break if he can’t go.
The Eagles have problems. Eight games into the season, that much is sure. But which ones are symptomatic, versus the ones that are systemic? From the head coach to the personnel, from coordinators to the front office, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and David Murphy scrutinize the micro issues that point to some of the larger dilemmas the Eagles now face: should they start to pack it in, and who will be held accountable for the team’s shortcomings? Listen here.
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