THREE-AND-OUT: It's Time to let the Rookies Grow

The Eagles have nothing to lose at this point seeing more of K'Von Wallace and Shaun Bradley, especially on a defense that has shown no consistency so far

PITTSBURGH – Everybody will point to the defense allowing a Steelers offense to score 38 points, an offense which hadn’t scored more than 30 points in 23 straight games, and everybody would be right in pointing the finger in that direction.

The buck stops with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and he will have some more explaining to do when he talks on Tuesday. He took the blame for a game plan he described as too simple when the Eagles gave up 37 points to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2.

What will be the reason this time to describe how a Steelers offense, who hadn’t scored more than 30 points since Week 12 of the 2018 season – yes, the 2018 season. They were the only team in 2019 that didn’t score more than 30 points, yet Schwartz’s unit allowed rookie Chase Claypool to embarrass them to the tune of four touchdowns.

Oh, but there's more from Sunday's 38-29 loss.

Here’s my three-and-out:

FIRST DOWN

When the Eagles are at their best, they are controlling the clock and winning the time of possession. They have done it in the past with effective screen passes and by running the ball.

They aren’t doing much of either well in those areas of the game and against the Steelers, they only had the ball for 25 minutes, 17 seconds, which was enough time for just 59 offensive snaps.

The Steelers ran 16 more plays.

Head coach Doug Pederson has had to abandon one of his core philosophies this season – the running back by committee approach – because he really has only one running back and that is Miles Sanders, who is good in space but isn’t built to hammer away between the tackles to wear a defense down.

And when Sanders is being squeezed, like he was by the Steelers who held him to 10 carries for 6 yards if you take away the 74-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, the Eagles have no other legitimate options.

Here’s an idea: See what the Dolphins would want for Jordan Howard. He was inactive on Sunday in Miami’s win over the 49ers and has been used sparingly. A return of last year’s TD leader would make some sense.

SECOND DOWN

The Eagles have already gotten significant contributions from their rookie draft class, with fourth-round pick Jack Driscoll again stepping in when right tackle Lane Johnson limped off again.

Pederson said on Monday that he was waiting on a couple more reports to come back on Johnson’s injury to determine if he can play on Sunday against the Ravens.

If not, Driscoll will make his second start. He played 27 snaps (46 percent).

The question is, why aren’t fourth-round safety K’Von Wallace and sixth-round linebacker Shaun Bradley playing more?

Safety Marcus Epps played 54 saps (72 percent) and made one tackle. Wallace played 13 snaps and made three tackles.

Gerry has become a scapegoat for the defense, but it’s been clear for a while now he is not the long-term answer at the position. This is the final year of his contract, so why not throw Bradley in?

Bradley made a nice tackle in goal-line defense yet played only four snaps.

THIRD DOWN

The flip side to playing rookies is the mistakes and growing pains that ensue.

Still, short-term pain for long-term gain in a season that is seemingly going nowhere, even with the gruesome injury to Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott on Sunday.

A case in point is fifth-round receiver John Hightower who did not get out of bounds, or even get the first down, forcing the Eagles to take their second timeout as the clock went from 43 seconds to 37 seconds on Hightower’s nine-yard catch. An incomplete throw to Zach Ertz forced the Eagles to run the ball on third-and-one, and Sanders picked up four yards, but it meant Pederson had to spend his final timeout.

Pederson called it a “rookie mistake.”

They are going to happen, but in a season that has seen the Eagles put up only one win in five games, why not let these rookies grow?

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