The disappointment and rage after an unimpressive 2-2 start have simmered, but will the Eagles return any different than they left? Maybe, but changes are needed. Here are three…

First, you have to do something with Avonte Maddox. It’s painfully obvious offenses are targeted Maddox in man coverage. If the Eagles go zone, they exploit Maddox by flooding his zone with speed. Maddox was a great player considering his value, but that time has passed. The Eagles need speed and better tackling and Cooper DeJean is the answer. I don’t care if his camp was limited due to injury or that he may not be fully ready for that workload. No matter what the excuses or reasons are, the alternative is worse. For some reason, the Eagles have yet to commit to DeJean. I suspect it’s strategy, not wanting to announce to the Browns what everyone already assumes. I hope that’s the case, because Nick Sirianni said this week he was worried about DeJean playing nickel because of his duties on punt return. Huh? Screw punt return. Tell him to fair catch anything outside the ten. The nickel is getting burned more than half a dozen times a game, and often on 3rd down. Those plays matter more than an 11 yard punt return. Fix the defense first. (Note: If DeJean excels as an Eagle, he has to change his name to Cooper DeJawn. He just has to.)

Second, the Eagles have to commit to the run game. Saquon Barkley is their best player. He’s 3rd in the NFL in rushing and he’s the only player in the top 11 to not have played five games. He’s averaging six yards per carry. I know those two things are essentially the same, but it’s important you understand how stupid it is for the Eagles to not give him at least 18 rushes per game. Speaking of touches, let’s throw Barkley the football. He’s 4th among running backs in receiving yards from 2018 through 2023. Considering he missed more than an entire season over that span, his production is impressive. Get your best player the football. Maybe throw a screen pass for the first time in the Sirianni era.

Third, give Darius Slay a short leash. He’s been targeted more each week as teams venture away from the impressive rookie Quinyon Mitchell. Even worse, Slay’s been a headache outside the lines; criticizing teammates on enemy podcasts, defending his play with past accolades. He’s not all-in. He’s about himself. We’ve seen Kelee Ringo play well. Eli Ricks was excellent against Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins last season. Ringo is 22. Ricks is 23. Both are actually younger than Mitchell. We need more athletes on the field. Let’s get to the future now instead of watching a selfish vet rot.

The return of AJ Brown, Devonta Smith and Lane Johnson should go a long way in fixing the offense. Hopefully some changes to the back end of the defense combined with a hapless Browns team will get the Eagles back on track. There even seems to be some optimism from Jalen Hurts about the offense, and his positive words about Sirianni were quite honestly… shocking. Maybe there’s hope for this team yet.

*****

Thursday Night Pick; The 49ers keep imploding in the 2nd half against division rivals. I know Jordan Mason had a massive fumble in the 4th quarter last week, but he’s the 49ers meal ticket right now. He’s 2nd in the NFL in rushing, and while Brock Purdy has looked impressive at times, Purdy still needs a solid run game, especially considering all the injuries at the receiver position. I have no idea what happened to Seattle last week. The only conclusion is that the Dan Campbell hangover is real. I like the Seahawks here but their defense is devastatingly injured. I think the 49ers run the ball and run it a lot. However, I’m taking the points because being embarassed by the Giants is a great motivator. SEAHAWKS +3.5