Philadelphia Eagles: Losing a 17-point lead at home unacceptable

The Philadelphia Eagles were in need of another win to move up in the standings. Instead last week they had one of their worst losses in recent memory.

The Philadelphia Eagles have hit a low in the Doug Pederson era. A 3-4 record isn’t the worst thing to happen to the Eagles franchise, but the way they have gotten to this point has been upsetting.

Entering the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers with a 17-0 lead should mean the team was en route to an easy victory. Unfortunately for the Eagles, they lost the game, which is nothing less than unacceptable.

This is starting to become the standard for the Eagles this season. In Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans the Eagles held a 17-3 lead midway through the third quarter. Tennessee was able to overcome the deficit to win 26-23 in overtime. That game was very disappointing, but the fanbase was willing to give the Eagles a pass.

This most recent loss to Carolina, however, gets no such pass. The Eagles were in control all game. The defense was pitching a shutout and Carson Wentz was having a near-perfect passing day. Everything changed in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles defense that was stifling quarterback Cam Newton all game simply couldn’t hold on any longer. They gave up three touchdown drives of 80, 87 and 69 yards, respectively. All the while, the offense was only able to get two first downs on their final three drives of the game.

The most disappointing part of this game was the instant realization that this team isn’t championship quality. Championship teams don’t lose 17 point leads at home — they just don’t.

Wentz had such a great start to the game, but in the fourth quarter he fell apart. He had only 29 yards passing on 10 attempts. Furthermore he was sacked twice and threw a floating pass into the hands of Panthers safety Eric Reid that should have been intercepted. It’s hard to imagine the likes of a Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers losing a game at home in which their team led by 17 points.

Somehow, due to the mediocrity of the NFC East, the Eagles still have a decent shot at making the playoffs. But something needs to change, and it has to happen immediately. Last seasons team had the reputation of fighting hard and blowing teams out of the water. This seasons team has the reputation for blowing fourth quarter leads. The Eagles are running out of time to turn that reputation around.