Sloppy is the Story in Cleveland
Yet another sloppy-weather game in Cleveland turned into some ugly football as the Eagles lost to the Browns, 22-17, falling back to 3-6-1 on the season.
A persistent cold rain was the issue although the wind wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been and didn't affect the passing game all that much.
The messy surroundings did help produce four turnovers, three by the Eagles, and two of those were monumental to the outcome.
Miles Sanders fumbled inside the Cleveland 5-yard line on Philadelphia's first possession of the game, likely taking points off the board. Carson Wentz also threw a 50-yard pick-six to Sione Takitaki.
On the plus side, a Fletcher Cox strip-sack of Baker Mayfield set up Philadelphia's lone touchdown.
Let's take a look at the report card:
The Run Defense - A: Jim Schwartz called Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt the two most talented running backs the Eagles have seen this season and they line up behind perhaps the best offensive line in the NFL.
The duo combined for 125 yards on 33 carries but 54 of that came on one Chubb run in the fourth quarter.
You can't ask for a better performance from the Philadelphia front in a matchup of strength vs. strength and Alex Singleton really showed up on the second level with 11 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery.
The Pass Protection - D: The Eagles figured to get a break with Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Garrett out of the Cleveland lineup due to COVID-19 but Olivier Vernon gave Lane Johnson and Jason Peters headaches throughout the afternoon, finishing with three sacks and a third-quarter safety. Adrian Clayborn also blew past Peters for a sack of his own.
Carson Wentz - D: Wentz threw a pick-six and took a safety, generating nine points for the Browns.
Wentz's decision-making continues to be a regression in progress due to the constant shuffling on the offensive line and receivers who rarely beat press coverage and when they do Wentz is hesitant to believe what he's seeing. His season-long accuracy issues also continued, making that the lone consistent part of his game.
Jason Kelce's toughness - A: Are you kidding me? Kelce, making his 99th straight start, jacked-up his left elbow late in the second quarter refused to go into the injury tent before heading to the locker room early. He showed up for the second half with a huge brace on his arm and needed Isaac Seumao's help to strap on his helmet. In what is a tough man's game, Kelce is one tough man.
Travis Fulgham - D: On one hand Fulgham did an amazing job building up his reputation to the point opponents are sending cornerbacks like James Bradberry and Denzel Ward after him. On the other hand, the August waiver-wire pickup has shown he's not ready to deal with those types of corners. He caught one of seven targets for eight yards and Ward tortured him all afternoon.
Third-Down Blues - D: A week after going 0-for-9 on third downs vs. the Giants, the Eagles converted their first attempt on Sunday and then promptly went 0-for-7 before another conversion early in the fourth quarter. Overall the stat sheet read 2-for-12 making it 2-for-21 over two weeks. Ugh.
Timing - F: The Eagles are now 0-6-1 in the 1:00 PM window this season.
John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Tuesday and Thursday on "The Middle" with Eytan Shander, Harry Mayes, and Barrett Brooks on SportsMap Radio and PhillyVoice.com. He’s also the host of Extending the Play on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
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