Eagles Edge Rushers Need To Make Statement Vs. Bucs Offensive Line

Defensive Tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis showed up in a big 15-12 win over the Saints, but when will the edge rushers get their first sack? Sunday's opponent gave up 7 of them in loss.

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat (94) in action against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Optimism was high for the Eagles defense in their 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Jalen Carter was PFF’s top-graded defender in the entire league and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio called it “his best game, by far,” and Jordan Davis was the beast he was expected to be when he was drafted three years ago.

The Saints defense was shut down and quarterback Derek Carr was under pressure on many of his dropbacks. Still, one game isn’t a cure-all, and the Eagles are still looking for their first sack from an edge rusher.

Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham delivered nice pressure, but Bryce Huff continues to struggle, so much so that Fangio reduced his snap count to just 18. And will Nolan Smith ever find a way to get home?

Asked about the plan for Huff going forward, the DC said: “He'll be mixed in there along with the rest of the guys. We’ve got five guys dressed and we’re mixing four of them. It’s going to pretty much be the same, I think.”

The Eagles have four sacks in four games – two from linebacker Zack Baun and one each from Milton Williams and Davis.

Eagles DC Vic Fangio surprisingly mention Milton Williams as a candidate to get some snaps at nose tackle. / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

Two players in the league have more than the four Philly has a team – the Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson and the Jets’ Will McDonald – and four players have four sacks.

Players talk about them coming in bunches once they start coming, and maybe Sunday’s opponent, the Tamp Bay Buccaneers, will put that theory to the test.

The Bucs gave up seven to the previously winless Denver Broncos in their 26-7 beatdown in their own backyard last week. Maybe the Eagles can find a way to sack Baker Mayfield like the Broncos did.

Denver could be getting back right tackle Luke Goedeke, however. Goedeke missed the previous two games with a concussion, a fate that could await Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson who is in the concussion protocol along with receiver DeVonta Smith.

The Eagles, though, have the luxury of heading into their bye week coming out of Tampa.

The Bucs’ offensive line can play better, and likely will. It’s kind of like the Eagles’ defense, which left a lot to be desired overall the first two weeks before pitching a mostly-masterpiece performance against the Saints.

Fangio’s thought on the Broncos’ pass rush made sense.

“They got out to a lead, a pretty substantial lead, in the first half,” he said. “That got them into a little bit more of a throwing mode, and things kind of snowballed.”

Maybe if the Eagles’ offense can get out to a big lead that would help the edge rushers get home and notch that first sack of the year.

That’s an awfully big maybe for an offense that has turned the ball over way too much and already they are tied for 30th for the worst turnover ratio in the league at -4. Only the winless Titans are worse at -7.

Sooner or later an edge rusher will get a sack, just based on the law of averages, right? It’s just a matter of when.

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