GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- A few thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles' 53-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
What it means: The Eagles have played three games on the road against NFC contenders this season. They are 0-3 in those games against San Francisco, Arizona and now Green Bay. The Eagles are 7-0 in the rest of their games. That 7-3 record is pretty good, but the losses were all in playoff-type games. This Eagles' performance was the kind of all-around stinker the team seemed to be beyond. The defense could not pressure Aaron Rodgers and let Green Bay's quarterback stand in the pocket and choose from his array of weapons. The most recent time the Eagles' defense looked this vulnerable was last season in Denver, when Peyton Manning picked it apart in a 52-20 win. The Eagles recovered from that beating and improved steadily the rest of the season. That will be the challenge with games against Dallas and Seattle in the next month.
Stock watch: Mark Sanchez's stock took a plunge after he finished at a three-year high last week. Sanchez couldn't consistently hit open receivers. He threw a pass to Packers linebacker Julius Peppers, who returned it for a touchdown. Sanchez failed to hand the ball off securely to LeSean McCoy, which led to a fumble that derailed the Eagles' first possession of the second half. Sanchez, who had been 7-for-7 in the red zone in his first two games, went 0-for-2 in his first two opportunities at Lambeau Field.
Blowouts: The Packers beat the Chicago Bears 55-14 last week. They are the first team to score more than 50 points in consecutive games since the Denver Broncos did it last season. The Eagles were on the receiving end of one of those beatings, too. After the Broncos beat the Eagles 52-20 at home, they went to Dallas and beat the Cowboys 51-48. The Broncos scored two return touchdowns against the Eagles in their game. The Packers scored two return touchdowns -- one interception, one fumble -- against the Eagles, too.
Game ball: In a game with few bright spots for the Eagles, rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews stood out. Matthews continued to thrive with Sanchez. A week after he caught 12 passes for 155 yards, Matthews gained 107 and scored a touchdown on five catches.
What's next: The Eagles (7-3) have a chance to get well Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field. It will be the Eagles' last game against AFC South opponents. After that, things get very intense. Five days after the Titans' game, the Eagles play on Thanksgiving in Dallas. They then host Seattle before getting the Cowboys again at home. That three-game stretch is going to go a long way toward deciding how the Eagles' season turns out.
