As the leaves begin to turn orange and the calendar flips to autumn, television screens across America are tuned in to the NFL, where fans are treated to jaw-dropping plays and two-minute drills. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, led by stars Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, are familiar with incredible plays and comeback wins as they look to repeat as world champions this season. The undefeated Eagles had a challenge ahead, though, facing an exciting Denver Broncos squad in week five of the NFL regular season. 

It was smooth sailing for much of the game. The Eagles held a 10-3 lead at halftime, and added one more score via a 47-yard Barkley touchdown in the third quarter to make it a 17-3 game. 

The turning point came early in the fourth quarter when Denver running back, J.K. Dobbins, plowed forward for a two-yard touchdown to cut the lead in half to 17-10. After a Philadelphia punt, the Broncos went right back down the field for another touchdown. However, instead of an extra point, Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton elected to go for a two-point conversion. The Broncos succeeded after QB Bo Nix found Troy Franklin in the end zone, giving Denver an 18-17 lead. 

The Eagles, once again, had no answer for the Broncos’ defense as they were forced to punt back to Denver. After veteran kicker Wil Lutz knocked home a 36-yard field goal to make it 21-17, the Eagles had one more chance to erase a poor fourth-quarter performance. With 15 seconds left, Jalen Hurts found wide receiver Jahan Dotson for a 24-yard gain to the Denver 29-yard line, setting up a final shot for Philadelphia. With four seconds to go, Hurts sent his Hail Mary into the end zone for Devonta Smith. However, the Broncos’ defense broke up the pass.

After their week five loss, the Eagles fell to 4-1, still a respectable record and one that boosts them to the top of the NFC East. Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the loss, however, is the complete breakdown of both the Eagles’ offense and defense in the fourth quarter. The Eagles ran just 12 plays on three possessions in the fourth quarter of their Week Five contest, while the Broncos ran 27 plays on three possessions, with all three possessions resulting in a score. 

This week, the Eagles face the Giants on Thursday Night Football as they look to sweeten up the sour taste in their mouth with a win.