What's Happening to Eagles' Second-Half Defense with Matt Patricia?

In the last three games, the Philadelphia Eagles have helped leads at halftime but are 1-2 in those games after allowing a combined 68 points over the final two quarters.

PHILADELPHIA – Among the myriad issues with the Philadelphia Eagles in their freefall from the top of the NFC to the middle of the pack is their play in the second half.

It’s been dreadful the past three weeks.

Following a stretch of six straight games in which the Eagles trailed at halftime but battled to win four times in that span, they have held leads after two quarters in their last three games. They are 1-2 in those games and have given up 68 points in the three second halves combined.

• In Seattle, they led 10-3 but gave up 17 in the second half to lose 20-17 to the Seahawks.

• Against the Giants on Christmas Day, they led 20-3 but held on to win 33-25 despite allowing 22 points in New York.

• Against the Cardinals, they were ahead 21-6, but Arizona stormed back with 29 points in the fourth quarter to win 35-31. Even uglier is that the Cardinals scored touchdowns on all four of their second-half possessions.

The Philadelphia Eagles defense has allowed 68 points in the second half of the last three games, in which they held halftime leads, and are 1-2 on that span / USA Today

So, what gives?

Are the Eagles simply worn down mentally and physically after playing through mid-February and in the Super Bowl last year and having to battle back after trailing at halftime in that six-game stretch? After all, Kansas City also made the Super Bowl and they aren’t having the season everyone expected, either.

Are there too many walkthrough practices in the days leading up to games?

Matt Patricia doesn’t think so.

“I don't really sense that at all,” said the senior defensive analyst and defensive play-caller Matt Patricia on Tuesday. “Our guys work very hard. Play very aggressive. They play fast. They work hard during the course of the week to get their bodies right and be ready for game day. I don't ever feel that on the field. I don't ever see that.”

Patricia took the blame for everything that has gone wrong since he took over Sean Desai’s job three games ago, and the second-half meltdowns are no exception.

“We have come out and played aggressive in the first half, and I think for me, when those things happen, I always kind of just, I've got to put it back on myself to make sure we are getting the right calls in or we are getting the right plays out there for them,” he said. “Sometimes they make adjustments and then we have to make our adjustments, too, in those situations.

“And then situationally, in the second half of the football game, there's so much more that comes in from a situational standpoint, the clock, the time, the down and distance, and those are things I've got to keep just going a good job of making sure that I stay in front of to allow the guys to go out there and handle those when they come up. And it comes fast in the second half. I've got to do a better job of that, certainly.”

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How about tackling? The Eagles have been inconsistent in that area, so, again, are too many walkthroughs a reason for that?

Certainly, the change in the CBA impacted what teams can and can’t do in practice, and the Eagles aren’t the only team who haven’t been as consistent with their tackling.

“I think our thing with the tackling this weekend wasn't up to what we want it to be, and I've got to make sure that we reemphasize and do a good job for me when I schedule, and the individual periods in practice and make sure we are focusing on the fundamentals of tackling, because you can still focus on it without necessarily having to have the physical side of it because we are trying to take care of their bodies,” said Patricia.

The de facto DC added that he thought the Eagles tackled well in beating the Giants, a team that Philly will see on Sunday at the Meadowlands (4:25 p.m./FOX).

“(Tackling is) something that I've got to make sure we keep the focus on each week of going and making sure that our approach angles are good and that our hips and ankles and knees are bent in the right direction; that we are leveraging the ball properly and we are not getting out of alignment from that standpoint; and our pad level is in the right place; and our eyes are in the right place when you tackle; and we are wrapping appropriately and driving through," he said. "Those are certainly things that you can walk through.”