The 3rd down drop problem that plagued Eagles in loss to 49ers

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles’ season ended with a 23-19 NFC Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Despite holding a slim 13-10 lead at halftime, Philadelphia’s offense fell apart in the second half, managing only 2 of 9 on third downs and finishing 5 of 16 on third-down conversions for the game.

The Eagles recorded four drops on third down, the most they had in any game this season and more than their total third-down drops across the entire regular season. This was also the most third-down drops by any team in a playoff game since 2006, according to ESPN Insights. Wide receiver AJ Brown was responsible for the majority of those drops, including a costly one on third-and-four with 2:25 left deep in San Francisco territory. Brown finished with three catches for 25 yards on seven targets.

Philadelphia’s second-half output laid bare the whole story. After gaining 188 yards in the first half, the Eagles managed only 114 yards after halftime, with 87 of those yards coming on their final two drives. They went three-and-out three times in the second half, continuing a season-long trend in which they led the NFL in three-and-outs. In the third quarter alone, the offense produced just 36 total yards on 16 plays.

The defense gave Philadelphia opportunities, but the offense failed to capitalize on them. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell intercepted 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy twice, yet the Eagles scored only three points off those turnovers. One interception set the offense up near midfield, but the drive lost yardage and ended in a punt. The second interception resulted in a 33-yard Jake Elliott field goal, briefly giving Philadelphia a 19-17 lead with eight minutes remaining.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts finished 20-of-35 for 168 yards, one touchdown, and a 79.2 passer rating. The offense gained 307 yards, including 167 passing yards and 140 rushing yards. Philadelphia went 2-for-3 in the red zone and 3-for-5 on fourth down. Nevertheless, they stalled repeatedly on third down due to drops and conservative play-calling.

Even with running back Saquon Barkley’s 106 rushing yards, making him the franchise’s all-time postseason rushing leader with 605 yards in five playoff games, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s eight receptions for 70 yards, the offense could not sustain drives. The Eagles settled for two second-half field goals and failed to score a touchdown after halftime.

Philadelphia’s loss was largely a recap of their offensive struggles throughout the season, ranking 24th in total offense (311.2 yards per game), 23rd in passing (194.3 yards), 18th in rushing (116.9 yards), and 19th in scoring (22.3 points per game).

The Eagles will now enter an early offseason facing a host of unanswered questions.

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