NFL Roundtable: Who's to blame for the Eagles' struggles?

Every week we sit down with BetAmerica Extra columnists Ashley Anderson, James Scully and Scott Shapiro to discuss the latest news from around the NFL. This week they weigh in on Philadelphia's struggles, Baltimore's Super Bowl aspirations and Nick Foles' demotion.

The Eagles are now 5-7 after a loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. Who’s to blame for Philadelphia’s miserable season?

Ashley: Coaching is the largest issue at play. The Eagles entered the 2019 season as the fourth favorite to win the Super Bowl and fumbled through the first three games, despite a healthy offense. Then DeSean Jackson suffered a season-ending injury, and the rest of the receiving corps got banged up throughout the year. You could blame some of the Eagles’ issues on player health, but Philly dealt with major injuries in 2017 and still claimed Super Bowl LII. Philly lost offensive coordinator Frank Reich to the Colts and John DeFilippo to the Vikings, among other coaching changes since that victory. The current personnel isn’t cutting it in Philadelphia and can’t lead the Eagles through adversity.

James: It's been a combination of factors. Injuries played a key role, but Philadelphia failed to address defensive concerns (namely the secondary) during the offseason, focusing instead on offense. That move backfired miserably. Carson Wentz’s gigantic new contract, following the late-season heroics of Nick Foles, has reportedly caused ill will in the locker room.

Scott: The Eagles have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments in 2019, and there is plenty of blame to go around. Carson Wentz has regressed in his fourth season, the front office did not put enough weapons around its franchise quarterback and head coach Doug Peterson has mismanaged a couple close games. Shockingly, though, Philadelphia is still in the NFC East hunt with four games to play.

Baltimore is in the midst of its best season in franchise history. Can anyone topple the Ravens on their way to the Super Bowl?

Ashley: In the regular season? Probably not. The Bills, Jets, Browns and Steelers are left on the schedule. In the playoffs it’ll be a different story. San Francisco lost on a last-second field goal at Baltimore. The outcome might have been different at Levi’s Stadium and in better weather. The Ravens are a tough out, but teams are keeping a close eye on them and studying Lamar Jackson. Someone is going to figure him out and make it interesting in the postseason.

James: No. Baltimore has taken the league by storm like the 1999 St. Louis Rams, who surprised everybody by going 13-3 during the regular season and winning the Super Bowl. The Ravens do it differently behind superstar Lamar Jackson. "Lamarvelous" has brought out the best in every player, and Baltimore won’t lose again before the Super Bowl.

Scott: The Ravens are the clear favorites to win the Super Bowl, but they are not invincible. The 49ers took them down to the wire in Baltimore in Week 13, behind a solid defensive effort and the running of Raheem Mostert. Lamar Jackson is nearly impossible to stop, and the Ravens will be tough to beat down the stretch, but I am sure that if they encounter the Patriots in January Bill Belichick will have something up his sleeve.

Gardner Minshew has been named Jacksonville’s starting QB for the remainder of the regular season. Do you expect Nick Foles to still be with the Jaguars in 2020?

Ashley: The Jaguars are in a difficult spot. If Jacksonville can trade Foles, it will, and I expect to see the former Super Bowl MVP on a new team in desperate need of help at quarterback. Otherwise, Foles will remain on Jacksonville’s roster as the most overpaid backup quarterback in the league.

James: No. If Gardner Minshew performs adequately down the stretch, Jacksonville will trade Nick Foles before the start of next season. The situation gets complicated if Minshew proves ineffective, but I don’t think that will be the case, given none of the remaining opponents have a winning record.

Scott: I would be surprised if Nick Foles is with the Jaguars next year. Jacksonville is likely to make a lot of changes in the offseason, and I expect them to give rookie Gardner Minshew the job out of camp. He exceeded expectations despite a couple of subpar games in his rookie season and has youth on his side. Foles will likely land on his third team in three years in 2020.

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