Eagles rain on Doug Pederson’s Homecoming

Former Eagles head coach and previous Super Bowl champion, Doug Pederson faces off the team he once brought to the promise land. The Jaguars enter the game coming off consecutive wins since their week one loss they suffered to the Commanders. The Eagles being the only team left that’s undefeated look to hold on to the title. With the young Trevor Lawrence showing great growth and trust in his offense proved to be a challenging task the Eagles couldn’t take lightly.

Receiving a friendly welcome and even presented on the main screen with a video edit from his former team would only be suitable for the man who previously won in the big city. However, all smiles and welcome’s come to an abrupt end come kickoff. The Jaguars came out the gate firing on all cylinders. Jon the Eagles opening drive Jalen Hurts found himself throwing a tightly contested pass that would end up deflected in the air and intercepted. The interception would be brought back to the endzone sparking the first score of the game. The Jaguars would build off the quick momentum sending the Eagles to a three and out. Scoring on their offensive possession the Eagles found themselves down 14-0 in the opening quarter.

With the score looking to swing heavy and with conditions being a factor the Eagles looked to have their work cut out for them. Doug Pederson who is known for his aggressive playing calling would keep his offense on the field on fourth down. A questionable decision given the field position would come back and cost them. With Trevor Lawrence dropping back to pass the and being forced out the pocket, Lawrence loses control of the fumble, and it completely slips from his hand. Along with the Jaguars momentum.

That fumble would be recovered by the Eagles, and they would be quick to capitalize. Doing what they’ve done best all year spreading the ball around, the Eagles found themselves keeping Jacksonville on their heels backing them up setting up the QB draw by Jalen Hurts on the goal line giving the Eagles their first score of the game. The Eagles would then send the Jaguars on a three and out where they would re-take possession of the ball setting up the Miles Sanders touchdown rush.

After tying up the game, the Eagles in total would go on to score 20 unanswered points (including the 14 they scored to tie) matching the aggressiveness Jacksonville had previously showed in the game. Coach Siriani would show grit as he would keep his offense on the field on fourth downs. Showing Pederson, they too are willing to do whatever it takes.The Eagles defense would continue their dominance shutting out the Jaguars for two consecutive quarters. Showing they may be one of the best defenses in the league the Eagles found their fair of turnovers through fumbles. Fumbles forced by either pressure or hits on the quarterback.

Heading into the game Christian Kirk was the man to contain for Philadelphia. Having been a huge impact in the first three games of the season would be practically shut out come week four. Seeing nine targets yet only hauling in two with one rush, the Eagles forced Lawrence to beat them with someone other than his number one target. For the first three quarters of the game a target was all Christian Kirk was. Being targeted five times yet receiving none of them. With a fifteen-point lead late in the fourth, after successfully gaining the 2pt conversion, the Eagles flashed a chink in the armor when Christian Kirk would slip by the secondary where Lawrence would hit him big for forty plus yards. Setting Jacksonville up in a goal situation, Lawrene would hook up with Jamal Agnew for his second touchdown cutting the score to 29-21.

With under five minutes to play and an eight-point lead, the Eagles would look to just run the clock out. Crunching it down to a little over two minutes to play, the Jaguars would have four timeouts. One being the two-minute warning. Stopping Hurts on a QB rush to the outside on third down brought up a fourth down situation for the Eagles. With no timeouts and the two-minute warning have passed the Eagles kept their offense on the field.

With a fourth down and three situation Hurts would fire a laser pass to A.J Brown on a slant route where the ball would go in and out his hands as the play was tightly contested. With a turnover on downs and well over a minute to play, the Jags had one last chance to tie it up.

A chance that would quickly fall through their hands. The Eagles would end Doug Pederson’s homecoming the same way they ended Tom Brady’s chance at winning the Super Bowl. A strip sack recovered by the defense. A testimony to the Eagles defense recovering their third fumble of the day that would end up being the game sealer. The Eagles for the first time since 2004 find themselves starting off their season 4-0.