Grayson’s Grades: Eagles vs. Cowboys

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles took the starter break while the Dallas Cowboys played their part in the fourth round. The result was exactly what you’d expect under those circumstances when the Cowboys took down the Eagles 51-26.

The Eagles had a good teamfight with the match being drawn at 5pm at halftime. However, the Cowboys overcame the Eagles with a score of 34-9 later.

The Eagles were locked into a playoff spot and opted to rest their start rather than play for the win and potentially move up to the sixth seed instead of the seventh. I agree with that decision.

Multiple backups saw almost all the errors. On top of that, it looks like the Eagles have implemented some basic offensive and defensive play to avoid putting anything meaningful in the movie against their first-round opponent.

Here’s the final 2021-2022 regular season edition of Grayson’s Grades:

ONE

Kenneth Gainwell – Gainwell took the opportunity and cashed in on those extra touches for a solid performance. He used his explosive speed to get through some holes and also displayed some good passing. Gainwell averaged 6.5 yards per take. He dashes 12 times with 78 yards and a touchdown. He also added four catches in nine yards.

Jason Huntley – Huntley looks fine. He seems more like the Jordan Howard stereotype, who rarely disappoints on first contact. He fought through a lot of contact to move the stake forward or break an expected player and win even more yards. Huntley has also amassed some solid warm-up second-leg playing field and may have earned more regular opportunities in that role in the future. Huntley made 13 tackles for 51 yards. He also had three returns from the kick for 84 yards, which is an average of 28 yards per return.

Nick Sirianni – Sirianni made the right choice to ensure that his starters are healthy and rested as they head into the first playoff of their career as head coach. The risk versus reward of playing them in this game is not worth it. There is little difference in earning a six seed versus a seventh seed. If the Eagles win this match, there’s no guarantee they’ll get the sixth seed instead of the seventh seed. So, I agreed with the decision for the resting starter. On top of that, he knows that some players are within reach of milestones or records and allows those to capitalize on that. Sirianni started Jason Kelce to keep his streak alive. He also started DeVonta Smith and left him in the game until he was able to break the Eagles Franchise Rookie Record for receptions and pick up yards previously held by DeSean Jackson. Allowing players to achieve those things goes a long way behind the scenes for team integration. Who cares the Eagles lose this game? What matters is what Sirianni will do next week.

Quez Watkins – Watkins had the opportunity for more goals and capitalized on those in this game. He showed his speed in a touchdown and helped the Eagles move the ball in the first half. Watkins caught five passes for 84 yards and one touchdown.

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EASY

Gardner Minshew – Minshew played behind an inexperienced front line and it showed. Know, however, that he should avoid holding the ball when he steps back to pass. Minshew was fired three times and almost fired more than that. He is forced to scramble and barely cross the boundaries of the script to avoid those plays being seen as sacks. He holds the ball for too long, looks like he wants to run when he leaves the field and lacks the acceleration to get up to the second line of defense so often when he does. Sure enough, Minshew is also playing with the backup receiver. JJ Arcega-Whiteside should have absolutely got a knock-down pass that got him his hands on. That will help Minshew’s total stats. But Minshew fell short in this game. Many of his throws fly high. Minshew completed 19 of 33 186-yard passes and two touchdowns with one interception. He also does the ball five times in ten yards.

Attack Line – This offensive line did a horrible job at defending the pass. There have been many times when Gardner Minshew missed his header and was blocked by a defender. It’s hard to throw accurately with that kind of pressure. Sure, he could have done better getting out of it quicker and without keeping the ball, but fear a rushed pass could lead to bad decisions. The line did a good job at blocking runs. Eagles dashed 149 yards as a team. The biggest name in the line was formerly the first pick Andre Dillard. He looks good at thwarting his elder and shows solid technique. Dillard was inconsistent and missed some blocks blowing up some plays.

Jalen Reagor – Reagor has to play a lot of snaps and run many routes in this part. He didn’t take advantage of that. Reapor has consistently shown this season his inability to run jet sweeps. He kept trying to get the edge and was always running out of real estate with those plays often negative pitches. Reagor refused to look for a hole and cut it in the field for positive yards. He does the ball three times in 10 yards. Reagor managed just three goals from Minshew and caught two passes for 19 yards. Maybe Reagan can still be the type of player they imagined when the Eagles picked him in the first round. Obviously that’s not going to happen this season.

F

JJ Arcega-Whiteside – JJAW once again showed why he shouldn’t have been included in the second round two years ago. He had a touch pass in his hand and he dropped it. He continued that by taking a free kick that jammed the offensive pass on the same path that resulted in the Eagles settling for an on-court goal. JJAW has shown his highest value is in special teams. So far, that selection has not been successful. JJAW must make every effort to follow its route and especially complete the chase when given the opportunity. He was targeted three times in this game and ended up with zero catches.

Aaryn Siposs – Siposs conceded two penalties in the second half and both gave the Cowboys a great spot on the field as a result. He has been a phenomenal player throughout the season, which raises some concerns about his health as he prepares for post-season. Siposs was defeated three times. The first he went 42 yards, but his next two shots only averaged 22.5 yards.