The 49ers outplayed the Eagles defense on Sunday, resulting in a 42-19 defeat. It cannot be said in any other way.

The 49ers forced two fast three-and-outs before going on six straight drives with scores; the first five of those drives were longer than 75 yards. Sean Desai’s team had a really difficult game.

But what was most concerning about the performance for the Eagles’ first-year defensive coordinator?

“I need to respond to certain calls in a different way, a little faster, and in better circumstances,” Desai stated. That’s what I need to be capable of.

That is what will enable our guys to perform in a more organized manner. That’s something I need to do better, therefore. We got right into the game. We had a great first quarter of play, but I didn’t get to the stuff we needed to get to quickly enough.

It’s possible to argue that the Eagles’ inability to find answers in this game was more of an issue than their inability to find any answers at all. The 49ers’ touchdown drive at the end of the game marked the only other instance in which the Eagles’ defense allowed no touchdown after the first two possessions.

In the second half, the 49ers’ first four drives resulted in touchdowns.

Desai remarked, “I have to be better for them because they’re looking to me.” “I need to get them into the correct call more quickly and reliably. That, in my opinion, is what matters most.

Desai was questioned on Tuesday regarding how he attempts to find his answers when playing a game.

Desai stated, “To be really honest with you, I think we’ve done a good job of it this year, I really do.” “I believe that throughout the game, the coaches and I have discussed it and have continued to lean in on one another.

All I have to do is call the appropriate play when it’s needed.

Give credit to them, they hit more right plays at the right time than I did.”To be fair, Desai is correct in one respect. This season, he has made adjustments in a few games, and the Eagles have ended strongly as a result. In Week 11, the Eagles shut out the Chiefs on the road in the second half, and in Week 7, they limited the high-flying Dolphins to only seven points in the second half.

But in the 49ers game? In the second half, they were virtually unstoppable, which was evident after the Eagles forced a few three-and-outs to begin the game.

After those two early stops, how did the Eagles fare differently?

“I believe that the 49ers made a wise decision by focusing on their 4-1 passing game,” Desai remarked. “They accomplished it on several mixed down scenarios, and I was able to get our responses to the 4 by 1 game a little faster and more consistently.

They performed an excellent job of calling it that way, sort of playing off of some of their run-pass recommendations. On some, we performed well, and poorly on others. We were exposed in space when we performed poorly on the play call there. I’m responsible for that. I have to continue getting better.

This season, Desai has accomplished some fantastic things and had some truly moving moments, but the general quality hasn’t been very outstanding. The NFL’s No. 22 defensive and No. 29 passing defense are possessed by the Eagles.

Nick Sirianni, the head coach, may be most concerned about his defense’s situational shortcomings.

With a 47.3% conversion rate through 13 weeks, the Eagles’ third-down defense is the worst in the NFL. The league’s second-worst third-down squad? The Cardinals of Jonathan Gannon.

What’s even more concerning is that the Eagles rank sixth in the NFL in terms of first downs surrendered on third-and-7 or longer, with a 29.3% rate. Even trying to force teams into 3rd and long and go hunting hasn’t succeeded.

Of all the NFL teams, the Eagles have allowed the most first downs (29), especially on third-and-7 plays and longer plays.

They also do poorly in the red zone. In terms of red zone defense, the Eagles rank 29th, giving up touchdowns on 68.3% of possessions that end inside their 20.

The Eagles must make immediate improvements in those two areas to defeat the Cowboys, who are 17th in the NFL in terms of red zone performance but second in the league on third downs.

Desai declared, “It’s a high focus and it’s going to get even higher.” “As a staff, coaches, and me leading the staff, we need to improve in those areas. We also intend to. There, we’ll perform better.

It’s about maintaining greater consistency over time. We’ve managed to get them to third down on their last few excursions into the red zone. We then lost on the third down. To put our troops in a better position to go forward and execute down there, we just need to perform better.