There are problems here that could get even bigger. The Eagles are 1-1 and are losing yards rushing. It’s only Week 3 of the NFL season and there are glaring defensive issues that this team needs to address or the Eagles’ 2024 season could be over in November.

Looking at the final seven games of last season, including the playoff loss to Tampa Bay, and the first two games of this season, the Eagles are 2-7. In their last nine games, they have allowed 1,278 yards rushing on over 252 attempts, averaging 5.07 yards per carry. In their first two games this season alone, they have allowed 6.4 yards per carry (315 yards rushing/49 carries), an NFL record. Worse yet, they also have no pass rush.

It will be difficult to face Alvin Kamara and the strong New Orleans Saints this Sunday at 1 p.m. in the noisy Caesars Superdome.

Behind Kamara, a good offensive line and a competent Derek Carr, New Orleans is the third-best offensive force in the NFL. In 47-10 wins over the Carolina Panthers and the surprise 44-19 win in Dallas, the team rushed for 811 yards and averaged 405.5 yards per game, ranking third in the NFL behind Baltimore (417.5) and Detroit (413). The Saints are No. 1 in scoring, averaging 45.5 points per game, 11 points more than the next team, Arizona (34.5).

The Saints’ offense comes primarily from the running game. New Orleans averages 185 yards per game, also third in the NFL, and as a team they average 4.9 yards per carry.

The Saints were a wrecking machine in Week 2, scoring on their first six possessions against Dallas, which on paper has a far better defense than the Eagles.

Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson was supposed to provide stability at the back, but he didn’t. Gardner-Johnson, not exactly a reliable tackling machine, made the play of the game in the Eagles’ heartbreaking 22-21 loss to Atlanta when he stopped Bijan Robinson at the Falcons’ 39-yard line on a fourth-and-one attempt with 5:38 left for no gain. Earlier in the same game, Gardner-Johnson was caught looking at Kirk Cousins ​​when Darnell Mooney ran right by him and threw a 41-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left in the third quarter. In Week 1 against Green Bay, Gardner-Johnson turned his body the wrong way and was injured as Jayden Reed ran right past him unhindered and threw an easy 70-yard touchdown pass, Jordan Love’s longest touchdown pass of his young NFL career.

Gardner-Johnson was unable to take part in training on Thursday and Friday due to a foot injury and his participation against the Saints is questionable.

Against Atlanta, $51 million edge rusher Bryce Huff continued to have his problems (which are magnified when Britain Covey has more tackles in the same game – 1). On the Falcons’ opening drive of the second half, the Falcons ran right at Huff as Robinson made a 19-yard run to the Eagles’ 44-yard line. Huff didn’t even show up in the stat sheet. Did anyone notice he was even on the field? The Falcons certainly noticed when No. 0 was on the edge. They knew exactly where to run. Huff was thrown around and seemed unsure of what to do.

Expect Kamara and the Saints to continue to run at Huff, especially with two impressive tackles in Taliese Fuaga (left) and Trevor Penning (right) making room. Kamara, who was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 2 after rushing for 115 yards and three touchdowns against Dallas, has 198 rushing yards and four runs this season. He is sixth in the NFL in rushing behind Saquon Barkley and averages 5.7 yards per carry. Running behind Fuaga and Penning has worked well. Expect more of the same against the Eagles.

“Yeah, the Saints definitely have that run in their repertoire,” said Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who still plans to start Huff. “They’ve run it a few times this year. And after seeing our play, they’ll probably want to run it more often.”

When asked if he would make sweeping changes, Fangio said: “You know, no sweeping changes, no. We have to, with me at the helm, better prepare the guys to play with better technique and more discipline.”

Since the Eagles’ 10-1 start last year and 42-10 loss to San Francisco in Week 13, they haven’t been anywhere near the same team they will be in 2022.