5 Eagles who need to play better for a playoff run, starting with Nelson Agholor

PHILADELPHIA — First, the good news.

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and tight end Zach Ertz are having great seasons.

Jeffery, playing in just four out of seven games after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, leads the team with four receiving touchdowns. He has 14 TD receptions in his last 16 games, including the playoffs. Since the start of the 2017 season, he is second among all NFL receivers in red-zone touchdown catches with 11.

Ertz, with 57 receptions for 618 yards with one game before the season's midway point, is on pace to have the most receptions in team history. He has at least five receptions in nine straight games, tying a team record.

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Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is also off to a strong start after missing the first two games recovering from two torn knee ligaments. He has a passer rating of 108.1, has completed 70.8 percent of his passes and has thrown 10 touchdown passes against one interception.

Now, the bad news.

Despite these performances, the Eagles are only 3-4 heading into their game this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, because many other players have not played nearly as well as expected.

Here are five key players who need to play much better for the Eagles to make the playoffs:

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Nelson Agholor

The good news is that Agholor has 38 receptions, on pace to eclipse his career high set last season with 62. The bad news is that Agholor has just 323 yards receiving, behind his pace of last season when he had 768 yards.

Agholor is averaging only 8.5 yards per reception, and that's with catches that have gone for 58 and 50 yards. Take away those two catches and Agholor is averaging 6.0 yards per catch.

Against the Panthers on Sunday, Agholor had six catches for just 20 yards. 

Agholor had eight touchdown catches last season; he has just one this season.

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Corey Clement

Last season, Clement took many by surprise as an undrafted rookie free agent. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry, and had four rushing touchdowns and two receiving TDs.

But Clement was also the third running back behind Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount, so his contributions weren't as relied upon.

That's not the case this season. Blount is gone, Ajayi is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Darren Sproles has missed the last six games with a hamstring injury. Clement himself has been dealing with a quadriceps injury that has kept him out of two games.

He had just 6 yards on eight carries against the Panthers, and is averaging 3.5 yards per carry. The Eagles need more than that.

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Ronald Darby

While fellow cornerback Jalen Mills gets a lot of blame for getting beaten deep and committing pass interference penalties, Darby hasn't exactly been the lockdown cornerback that the Eagles need.

Darby was beaten by Panthers receiver Devin Funchess on an 18-yard TD when he fell for a double move, and quarterbacks are not avoiding throwing in his direction. Darby has also missed some tackles over the course of the season.

Darby, who's 24, is eligible for free agency after the season. But if he's going to get a big contract, it doesn't appear it's going to come from the Eagles.

The Eagles are reportedly interested in Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson. If true, that shows the Eagles aren't satisfied with the play of Darby and Mills.

Nigel Bradham

It's not that Bradham has been awful this season. He hasn't. He's been more like "meh." 

Bradham was much better last season. Against the Panthers on Oct. 12, 2017, Bradham took over the middle linebacker spot when Jordan Hicks left with an ankle injury and had one of the best games of his career with 10 tackles and two passes defensed.

Bradham played that way for much of last season after Hicks went on injured reserve after tearing his Achilles. Bradham was rewarded with a five-year contract worth as much as $40 million.

Bradham hasn't had a game like that so far this season.

Jason Peters

Peters has been so dominating at left tackle during his time with the Eagles that it's hard watching him play at a level that is still good, but not great.

Injuries have been an issue for Peters, who somehow played Sunday with a torn biceps. Peters also has a quad injury. Both injuries have forced Peters to leave four of the seven games this season.

Peters, of course, keeps playing because the Eagles don't have anyone better. The week off after the Eagles play the Jaguars on Sunday should help Peters. They're going to need him, beginning with their first game back against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 10.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.