Eagles vs. Dolphins film review: Why Kevin Byard was acquired and why Cam Jurgens can’t return soon enough

Regrading the Eagles’ 31-17 win over the Dolphins upon reviewing the coaches’ film (original instant grades here):

The offensive line played well. There’s little to dispute that after talking to players, coaches and watching the film. But a near-perfect grade was probably a reach upon further review, especially considering the performance of right guard Sua Opeta. Backups are graded on a scale, particularly if they’re thrust into the lineup mid-game. But Opeta was making his third straight start in place of the injured Cam Jurgens and had probably his worst outing thus far.

The Dolphins did well to pressure Opeta’s pass protection with various blitzes and games, and that’s where he struggled the most. But I’ll start with his run blocking and a play in which he should have been penalized for holding.

I don’t want to get too deep into the officiating. I typically don’t obsess over missed calls unless there is an obvious mistake that affects the outcome of a game. The thinking here is that officiating — despite how poor it can be in the NFL — tends to even out over the course of a game, and naturally the season.

The 10-0 disparity in penalties between the two teams was vast, but six of Miami’s were pre-snap fouls. There were several blatantly missed calls, however, and the below play was one. Yes, Opeta [No. 78] couldn’t wrap his arm around a guy and tackle him to the ground.

The Dolphins’ David Long [No. 51] is one of the better off-ball run defenders in the NFL and he did well to recognize the path of D’Andre Swift’s rush. Opeta didn’t appear to do anything terribly wrong. His job there was to first combo block the three-technique defensive tackle with Lane Johnson before peeling off to the second level to create what offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland calls a “vertical void.”

Opeta is strong, but he lacks the athleticism of Jurgens. Swift is probably dropped for a loss if Opeta didn’t drag Long down. So kudos to him for getting away with one. But his issues on Sunday seemed more mental than anything else as Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio blitzed quarterback Jalen Hurts on 42 percent of his drops.

All told, Opeta allowed six pressures on 38 pass blocking attempts — one sack, one hit and four hurries — according to Pro Football Focus. In truth, he probably allowed two sacks, the first of which came right before the half when he should have slid over to help Johnson vs. an edge blitz.

That pressure set up this one on the Eagles’ first drive of the third quarter. Rather than send the edge this time, Fangio dropped him and Long blitzed the “A” gap. Opeta didn’t see it fast enough and initially blocked the wrong guy.

Jurgens, who suffered a foot injury against Washington in Week 4 isn’t eligible to come off injured reserve until after Sunday’s rematch with the Commanders. The good news: Opeta jumped into that game and didn’t allow a single pressure. And he was solid the next two weeks.

But if he continues to play as he did on Sunday, the Eagles may be inclined to move rookie Tyler Steen ahead of Opeta on the depth chart.

It would be unfair to suggest that Terrell Edmunds’ performance vs. the Dolphins was the reason why the Eagles dealt for Titans safety Kevin Byard on Monday. General manager Howie Roseman had likely been working on the trade long before Sunday. But Edmunds’ shaky play may have been the final straw.

Two plays, in particular, stood out.

Entering the game, the Eagles had played Cover 2 only 3 percent of the time. But defensive coordinator Sean Desai employed it far more against a Dolphins offense that ranked No. 1 in yards after the catch. Desai mixed in other split-safety zones, some single-high safety looks and even some man-to-man defense.

» READ MORE: Sean Desai was the MVC — most valuable coach — as the Eagles defense shut down the Dolphins

But with Cover 2, he wanted his seven drop defenders to cover their specific areas with eyes on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who as safety Sydney Brown pointed out after the game, loves to throw to spots.

Edmunds, a reserve like Opeta, was pressed into duty a few weeks back when Justin Evans injured his knee. Brown got his first start on Sunday after Reed Blankenship suffered a rib injury. Both safeties didn’t necessarily perform poorly. Edmunds, though, lacked the necessary speed to compensate for instinctive mistakes.

For instance, on this third down, the Eagles are in a basic Cover 2. Cornerback Darius Slay [No. 2] passed off receiver Jaylen Waddle to Edmunds [No. 26], who got too deep and couldn’t close fast enough.

The Dolphins give their receivers some leeway in their routes, but running back Raheem Mostert [No. 31] got too close to Waddle, which is why Slay nearly made a play on the ball. The veteran cornerback had a tremendous game, even before his game-changing interception in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback James Bradberry, meanwhile, allowed several completions, but the Dolphins’ lone touchdown wasn’t on him. On the play, Desai had Bradberry [No. 24] press with a bracketed Edmunds.

Whether Edmunds was responsible for the tight end had he released or not, he was clearly charged with protecting Bradberry, who played outside leverage. But he made a fatal error with lightning-quick receiver Tyreek Hill [No. 10] the receiver.

Byard, meanwhile, comes with quite the pedigree. He’s a two-time All-Pro who has never missed a game in eight seasons. But the 30-year-old, who was traded for two 2024 third-day draft picks and Edmunds, was available for obvious seasons.

He’s not the player he once was.

“That’s a weird question to answer,” Desai said on Tuesday when asked about Byard now vs. then. “He’s really good. Yeah, I think he is still a really good safety.”

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Nick Sirianni and Sean Desai rave about new veteran safety Kevin Byard

Byard averaged 10.5 pass breakups and 3.9 interceptions in his first seven seasons. This year, he has zero in both categories. Stats don’t always tell the story, though, and evaluations from two AFC scouts who have watched film of Titans games this season suggest that Byard would be an obvious upgrade over Edmunds and Evans.

He may not cover as much ground as in the past, but he’s smart, savvy and still tackles well.

The Eagles now have three over-30 defensive backs, and potentially four, when slot corner Bradley Roby returns from a shoulder injury. But as Slay and Bradberry have shown on numerous occasions, veterans with high football IQs can offset what they lack in foot speed.

» READ MORE: Howie Roseman continues to show NFL GMs how it’s done with a no-cost trade for a former All-Pro

Desai has had to make do with youngsters like Brown, Eli Ricks, Mekhi Garner, and Josh Jobe to account for the rash of injuries in the secondary. But Slay and Bradberry have been like second coaches on the field.

“The guys that have played a lot of football and seen a lot of football, you can always rely on their bank of knowledge,” Desai said, “and we’re growing that.”