It was cold. It was windy. The five inches of snow that landed prior to kickoff had largely melted away in the mid-day sunshine at Lincoln Financial Field and by that time the Eagles had flexed their muscles, taken care of business, and put themselves into the win column with a commanding 31-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, their first shutout since a 24-0 end-of-season triumph over Washington in 2018.
The victory starts the final-month stretch of the regular season and moves the Eagles to 9-5 on the season, with a short week ahead and Washington on Saturday in Landover, Maryland. There was a lot to like in this one – including the win by Tails, in the Second Annual Reggie’s Corgi Cup Classic at halftime – so here are some observations from a feel-good kind of afternoon.
1. Loved the underrated play of the game early: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith lays out to catch a third-and-6 pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts and initially is ruled short of the first down. The replay assist reverses the call to give the Eagles first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. Great catch. It was a key play on an opening-possession drive that consumed 13 plays, 67 yards, and 7 minutes, 9 seconds off the clock to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
2. It’s safe to say that Brandon Graham is making progress. He contributed a pair of quarterback sacks, both when lining up inside and using his quickness and power off the ball to overpower the offensive interior. The Eagles overwhelmed Las Vegas at the line of scrimmage and Graham worked nicely into a role that includes him coming in and lining up inside to rush the quarterback. Graham has done this in the past, sliding down inside, and he’s had success. The look certainly is something Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio will use from time to time in the final three games of the regular season.
3. The day was a huge one for tight end Dallas Goedert, who was featured throughout the game. He was targeted seven times and had six receptions for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Goedert caught his first touchdown on a shovel pass from Jalen Hurts from 4yards out to cap that opening-possession drive and then went in motion and caught a push pass from Hurts, who was lined up in the shotgun, to score another 4-yard touchdown. The Eagles moved Goedert around in the formation, ran him on a bunch of routes, and made it clear that he was a focal point in the passing game.
