Five Things We Learned: Eagles Defense Is Up for the Task

Philadelphia’s defense bailed the Eagles out down the stretch, while Stroud has the Texans dreaming big. Plus, a new era for the Raiders is off to a great start and more in this week's five things we learned.

Week 9 was dubbed by many as the best week on the 2023 NFL schedule because of the marquee matchups between winning teams.

But not many expected Vikings vs. Falcons and Texans vs. Buccaneers to be two of the most entertaining games of the Sunday slate. NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson had a tough time keeping tabs on the shootout between C.J. Stroud and Baker Mayfield in Houston, while Joshua Dobbs was in the midst of a comeback performance in Atlanta less than a week after being traded by the Cardinals.

As for the highly anticipated games, the Seahawks became the latest NFC team to be crushed by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, and the Eagles held on to defeat the Cowboys in an NFC East clash.

Here’s what we learned from the Eagles, Raiders, Vikings, Texans and Seahawks in Week 9.

Eagles’ defense contains Prescott & Co. in NFC East clash

The Eagles’ offense has gotten plenty of attention for its fourth-down conversions using the Brotherly Shove. But the Philly defense made two critical stops on fourth down in Sunday’s 28–23 win against the Cowboys.

No stop was bigger than the Eagles (8–1) keeping the Cowboys (5–3) out of the end zone in the final seconds of regulation. Dak Prescott had Dallas on Philadelphia’s 6-yard line with 27 seconds left in a five-point game. But Prescott went backwards from there after being sacked by Josh Sweat for an 11-yard loss.

The Eagles’ defense had trouble defending CeeDee Lamb (11 catches for 191 yards) for most of the game, but they tackled him four yards shy from the end zone on the final play of the game.

With the Eagles’ offense unable to put away the Cowboys in the fourth quarter, the defense needed to make a handful of stops. One of those was safety Reed Blankenship’s tackle on rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker, preventing him from crossing the goal line on fourth-and-goal from the Eagles’ 1-yard line with 10 minutes left in regulation. Philadelphia also had a fourth-down stop midway through the final quarter.

The Eagles can also thank Prescott for stepping out of bounds on his failed two-point conversion to keep it a four-point game, and guard Tyler Steen for recovering a fumble late in the game. It wasn’t pretty, but the Eagles saw improvements on the defensive side and increased their lead in the NFC East.

Raiders’ offense wakes up in first game with Pierce

The Antonio Pierce Silver and Black era is off to a fast start. The Raiders scored more than 20 points and churned rushing yards in a dominant 30–6 victory over the Giants.

The Raiders’ offense didn’t crack 20 points in eight games with Josh McDaniels as the coach this season. Less than a week after McDaniels was fired, the offense had 24 points by halftime under its new interim coach.

Pierce’s presence gave the Raiders new life on and off the field after a messy Las Vegas tenure for McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler, who was also fired by team owner Mark Davis. The Raiders’ rushing attack also woke up after a stagnant eight games to start the season. Josh Jacobs, the reigning rushing champion, set single-game season-highs in the first half against the Giants, recording 85 rushing yards, two carries of 10-plus yards and two rushing touchdowns. He finished with 98 rushing yards on 26 carries. Jacobs entered Sunday with a dismal 3.1 yards per attempt, and his previous season-high for rushing yards in a game was 77.

It was a complete performance by the Raiders, who also received two takeaways from the defense. Maxx Crosby recorded three of the Raiders’ eight sacks against New York. The Raiders (4–5) still have a ways to go before getting in the AFC race for a playoff spot, but they took many steps forward Sunday.

Dobbs will keep the Vikings in the postseason race

The Vikings better have Joshua Dobbs’s jersey available in their team store by Monday morning after his remarkable performance in the comeback win against the Falcons.

Dobbs made thrilling plays with his arm and legs five days after the Cardinals traded him to Minnesota to fill in for the injured Kirk Cousins. Dobbs wasn’t supposed to play in Sunday’s 31–28 win in Atlanta, but he was needed after rookie quarterback Jaren Hall was ruled out early in the first half with a concussion. Dobbs was far from perfect with two lost fumbles, but he often kept plays alive to give his pass catchers a chance to produce yards. Dobbs threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Brandon Powell with 22 seconds left in regulation. He completed 20-of-30 passes for 158 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, and added 66 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

Minnesota (5–4) maintained possession of the seventh seed in the NFC, but the team sustained more injuries to key players. Running back Cam Akers exited with an Achilles injury and wide receiver K.J. Osborn sustained a concussion. Cousins was lost for the season last week after he tore his Achilles against the Packers. But this team continues to show fight on a weekly basis after overcoming an 0–3 start to the season. They have also won five of their past six games, including four straight, despite Justin Jefferson being out the past four games with a hamstring injury.

Stroud’s ceiling continues to get higher after comeback win

Many were quick to criticize the Texans for trading their 2024 first-round pick to the Cardinals for the right to draft Will Anderson Jr. with the No. 3 pick in the draft. But those who were critical overlooked that the Texans already drafted their quarterback of the future, with C.J. Stroud going No. 2 to Houston. They didn’t need that first-rounder to draft a quarterback next year. They were all in on Stroud, and the Ohio State product has proven the organization right on a weekly basis this season.

But what Stroud did in Sunday’s 39–37 comeback win against the Buccaneers showed that he’s on track for a special career—a bar set so high that perhaps college prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye won’t be able to top it next season. Stroud delivered one of the best performances of the season by any quarterback, carving up the Buccaneers for 470 passing yards to set a rookie record. He completed 30 of 42 passes for five touchdowns. He also guided the Texans on a six-play, 75-yard game-winning touchdown drive with a four-point deficit and 46 seconds left in regulation.

Stroud is the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he’s well on his way to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Oh, and Anderson provided a sack against Tampa Bay. The Texans (4–4) have gotten many decisions right in 2023, including the hiring of coach DeMeco Ryans.

Seahawks have a Geno Smith problem

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll admitted after the blowout 37–3 loss to the Ravens that he’s concerned about Geno Smith’s issues with protecting the football. Smith had an interception and a fumble Sunday to give him eight total turnovers in the past four games. To make matters worse, Smith is struggling with accuracy and has failed to get rid of the ball quickly. Smith, the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, went 13-of-28 for 157 yards and had an average of 5.6 yards per attempt in the lopsided loss to the Ravens.

Carroll also mentioned that it’s not entirely Smith’s fault for the lack of consistency on the offensive side. The offense line had another subpar performance, allowing the Ravens to sack Smith four times. Running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combined for 24 rushing yards. The Seahawks’ defense also deserves blame for the ugly loss, but they forced the Ravens to punt on their first two drives. Meanwhile, Seattle punted on its first three possessions. It was just one bad game, but the Seahawks won’t go far this season if Smith continues to be a turnover machine.