Commentary

FBO: The Eagles' "Death Star" defense

As the loss to Oakland shows, Philly's D is a force -- with one major exploitable hole

Originally Published: October 20, 2009
By Vince Verhei | Football Outsiders

In Any Given Sunday, Football Outsiders examines the most surprising result of each NFL weekend and where the two teams involved can go from here. Week 5's result is the shocking defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles by the Oakland Raiders.

The Eagles' loss to the Raiders on Sunday was set in motion all the way back in training camp, when injuries befell Philadelphia linebacker Stewart Bradley and offensive linemen Todd Herremans and Shawn Andrews. When left tackle Jason Peters joined his fallen teammates on the sideline in the first quarter against Oakland, it put a fourth backup on the field.

All four backups failed to deliver.


To read more about this game, including why the Eagles' defense makes you think of the movie "Star Wars" and how -- if at all -- the Raiders can build on this victory, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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