Sean Mannion’s Eagles Offense Has Developed Some Concerning Trends

The old saying goes, “Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern.” So, after the Philadelphia Eagles’ embarrassing 27-7 loss to the Chicago Bears, it feels like the perfect time to evaluate Sean Mannion’s performance. Monday marked his third game as the Eagles’ offensive play caller and solidified some of the concerns that had emerged over the prior two weeks.

Those concerns aren’t just based on how the offense has looked. The numbers back them up. Through the first three games, here is where the Eagles rank in these key offensive categories:

• 28th in running back rushing success (34%)
• 30th in success rate versus blitz (35%)
• 32nd in screen yards (-12)
• 32nd in under center play action completions (6)

The Eagles’ Screen Game Has Become Predictable

The most frustrating recurrence of watching the Eagles offense is the self-sabotage. While penalties across the offensive line have sunken drives, the other main culprit has been the incessant use of screen passes for zero success. For the third week in a row, the Eagles ran a hitch screen off ghost motion to Makai Lemon, which once again lost yardage. When asked about the lack of success using screens prior to the game, Mannion said: “The screen game’s going to be a big part of what we do.”

Through the first three games, it feels like Mannion is calling screens because he needs to check a box, rather than using them as a counterpunch to what the defense is showing. Nick Foles offered an excellent way the Eagles could play off that tendency.

“Send him in motion, and you can pump fake to him,” Foles said. “They’re gonna come down on him because this is all you’ve done, and then you have a deep concept with the backside deep in coming into the picture. It’ll probably be wide open. I didn’t see that tonight.”

The Eagles’ lone touchdown was nearly torpedoed by the decision to call a wide receiver screen to DeVonta Smith. The play brought Philadelphia down to the 1-yard line with no timeouts remaining and nearly ended the drive altogether, as the Eagles barely got the snap off in time for the quarterback sneak.

It’s Time to Let Makai Lemon Be Makai Lemon

The use of the screen game connects directly to Makai Lemon and his poor utilization in the offense. Mannion has made a concerted effort to get Lemon designed touches, which makes some sense considering the rookie was drafted in the first round. But what he seemingly doesn’t understand is that Lemon didn’t win the Biletnikoff Award at USC last season simply by catching screen passes and being asked to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He won it by being a dynamic part of the offense, catching passes at every level of the field and consistently making plays with the ball in his hands.

Against the Bears, Lemon showed what made him a first-rounder, breaking open multiple times, including on the first play of the game, and showcasing his elusiveness, making multiple defenders miss after a catch over the middle of the field. The page in the playbook filled with screen passes needs to be ripped out and shredded. Let your talented young receiver run real routes and make his impact felt, rather than forcing him into the obligatory plays that lose yardage.

The Eagles Need Better Halftime Adjustments

The team has struggled significantly coming out of the locker room, recording only six total points in the third quarter across three games. While I have been a fan of the scripted, early drives that Mannion has schemed up, his lack of adjustments coming out of halftime has been frustrating. The Eagles were outscored by the Bears 17 to 0 in the second half.

Overall, the Bears game was Mannion’s worst day as a play caller, but on the plus side, it was also only his third game ever calling plays. It’s far too early to go full doom and gloom on the remainder of the Eagles’ season, but there have been signs and traits that have carried over through the first three weeks that raise a level of concern.