In a Week 4 thriller, we managed to edge out the Philadelphia Eagles 42-38, securing a much-needed bounce-back victory. The game was a true test of our resilience and playmaking ability, and I’m proud of the way our guys fought through some adversity to get the win. While it wasn’t a perfect performance—especially on defense—we did what we had to do offensively to pull it out in the end. Philadelphia gave us everything we could handle, and this win serves as an important momentum booster as we continue into the thick of the season.
Offense: Mayfield’s Monster Game
Baker Mayfield was exceptional, bouncing back from a tough Week 3 performance to deliver one of his best games of the season. He completed 27 of 37 passes for an impressive 414 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. His 73% completion rate reflected the improved efficiency in our passing game, and he did a tremendous job spreading the ball around to multiple receivers, keeping Philadelphia’s defense off balance all night.
Our offense racked up 461 total yards, with a lot of credit going to our passing game. Rachaad White continued to show his versatility, catching 5 passes for 142 yards, including a long of 45 yards that set us up for a critical score. White has been a consistent playmaker out of the backfield, and his ability to turn short passes into chunk gains is a key asset to our offense. His dual-threat capability makes him a mismatch for most linebackers.
Trey Palmer also had a breakout performance, recording 6 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. Palmer’s ability to stretch the field with his speed gave us some much-needed explosiveness, and his chemistry with Mayfield is clearly developing. Cade Otton (3 catches, 30 yards) and Chris Godwin (2 catches, 34 yards) both contributed in key moments, but this game was really about the big plays from White and Palmer.
On the ground, we still struggled to establish dominance, with only 69 rushing yards as a team. Rachaad White led the way with 41 yards on 11 carries, while Bucky Irving chipped in with 5 carries for 8 yards. We did manage to punch in a rushing touchdown with Mayfield scrambling, but the run game remains a concern. However, given Mayfield’s command of the air attack, it wasn’t as glaring this week.
Red Zone Efficiency and Big-Play Potential
Despite the narrow margin, we showed significant improvement in our ability to convert red-zone chances into touchdowns, scoring on 28.6% of our trips inside the 20. While that number needs to improve, we made the most of the opportunities we had, with Mayfield’s poise in high-pressure situations shining through.
However, what really swung the game in our favor was the explosive plays. We had several passes over 20 yards, particularly to White and Palmer, who accounted for nearly all of our explosive plays. The ability to hit those deep shots was something that had been lacking in previous weeks, and it came at the perfect time.
Defense: Bend but Don’t Break
Defensively, it wasn’t our sharpest outing, as the Eagles moved the ball effectively both through the air and on the ground. Jalen Hurts passed for 315 yards and 2 touchdowns, and while we did limit him to 61.5% completion, we allowed too many yards after the catch, particularly to A.J. Brown (5 catches, 90 yards) and Saquon Barkley (8 catches, 72 yards). Barkley was a handful for us, contributing in both the passing and rushing attack, and our linebackers struggled to contain him in space.
One of the standout defensive performances came from SirVocea Dennis, who recorded 6 tackles and 1 sack. Dennis has been a consistent force in our front seven, and his ability to penetrate the backfield was key in slowing down the Eagles’ run game, holding them to 74 rushing yards as a team.
Lavonte David led the defense with 10 tackles, showcasing his leadership and veteran savvy in keeping the Eagles’ offense from completely taking over the game. Calijah Kancey also had another impactful game, adding 4 tackles and 1 sack. Our pass rush wasn’t as effective as I would have liked—only 2 sacks on Hurts—but we did just enough to make him uncomfortable at times.
Defensive Struggles with Containment
Despite the individual efforts, the defense overall struggled to get consistent stops, particularly on third down, allowing the Eagles to convert key plays and keep drives alive. Our secondary gave up too many big gains, and the tackling in space needs to improve. Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jamel Dean were both solid in coverage but missed opportunities for turnovers. We have to be better at creating takeaways if we want to keep winning close games.
The Eagles had 4 red zone chances but only converted 3 of them into touchdowns, a sign that we did stiffen up in critical moments, but allowing them to get to the red zone that frequently is concerning. We need to tighten up our coverages and get more consistent pressure on the quarterback moving forward.
Special Teams: McLaughlin Delivers Again
Chase McLaughlin was once again clutch for us, hitting 4 out of 5 extra points and knocking down a critical 46-yard field goal that helped extend our lead. His reliability in high-pressure situations is something we’ll need as the season progresses.
Jake Camarda was solid in the punting game, averaging 41 yards per punt, including a long of 45 yards. While special teams didn’t play a major role in the outcome, it’s always important to have dependable kicking and punting units, and both delivered today.
Key Takeaways as a Coach:
- Offensive Explosion – Mayfield was on fire, and his chemistry with the receiving corps is improving week by week. Rachaad White and Trey Palmer stepped up big-time, providing us with the game-changing plays we needed to win.
- Run Game Still Lags – While we won the game through the air, we can’t ignore the fact that our rushing attack remains inconsistent. It’s something we need to address, especially as we get deeper into the season and the weather changes.
- Defensive Resilience but Room for Improvement – We need to do a better job of limiting big plays and getting off the field on third down. Our tackling in space needs to improve, especially against versatile backs like Saquon Barkley.
- Red Zone Scoring Needs to Be Higher – We converted 28.6% of our red zone trips into touchdowns, which is better than previous weeks, but still not where we want to be. We’ll be working on our short-yardage packages this week.
- Big Win for Team Confidence – A win against a strong Eagles team is huge for our confidence. We showed resilience, playmaking ability, and the ability to close out a game. If we can clean up the details, we’ll be even more dangerous moving forward.
Moving Forward
This win puts us at 2-2, a solid position as we head into the middle stretch of the season. Our offense is clicking, but we have some defensive issues to sort out, particularly in the secondary. If we can clean up those mistakes, we have the potential to make a serious playoff push. For now, we’ll enjoy this hard-fought victory but stay focused on improving each week
