Before we get to what happened to the offense after the opening drive and what happened to the defense all game and what's happened to this team after its 3-0 start, we'll open with what happened to Nelson Agholor.

After a nightmarish game and emotional postgame interview last week, Agholor was a healthy scratch for Monday night's loss to Green Bay.

“Well, it came down to basically just letting him see the game with a little bit calmer eyes, you know, just a different perspective on the game," head coach Doug Pederson said after the Eagles’ deflating 27-13 loss (see Instant Replay). "Obviously he handled it extremely well."

Pederson said it was a "90-minute decision," meaning it was a game-time call. Inactives are announced 90 minutes before kickoff. 

"Even during the week I was still going back and forth with it," he said. "Just to let him take a step back, breathe a little bit, and see exactly how he can help this football team going forward.”

Going forward, the Eagles need all the the help they can get. And if Jordan Matthews' ankle injury keeps him out any amount of time, they desperately will need Agholor to snap out of his funk and rediscover the ability that made him worthy of being a first-round pick.

Whether Agholor plays next Sunday at Cincinnati hasn't been decided.

“We got to see and check on Jordan, make sure that Jordan is OK, evaluate the film, see how the other guys did," Pederson said. "I'm not going to rule it out at this time.”

Pederson expects to have an update on Matthews and guard Brandon Brooks on Tuesday morning. Brooks was hospitalized Monday morning with an illness.

Almost a year ago, Brooks was hospitalized with stomach ulcers, and the symptoms Pederson described after the game sounded similar. 

"He was very nauseated, throwing up, things of that nature all day," Pederson said. "So we wanted to make sure that everything's okay. So there will be more testing."

Other topics of note from Pederson's postgame press conference: 

The dismantled defense 
This unit had been so good at home. Stymied the Steelers. Flummoxed the Falcons. 

And then this.

Aaron Rodgers entered the game having been sacked 24 times this season, including 16 on the road. He left the game with the same totals.

“Yeah, it was a tough day," Pederson said. "Just too much time. You can't let a guy like Aaron Rodgers stand back there, he's going to pick you apart. You just can't hold up in the back end that long. Something we got to look at hard, try to get it fixed."

The Eagles not only failed to sack Rodgers but also barely laid a hand on him. They were credited with just two QB hits. Granted, Rodgers often didn't hold the ball very long.

“The ball was out so fast," Pederson said. "That's the thing that Aaron does a great job with, the way he manages the play clock, gets his guys in the right position. Literally the ball's out. It's fast. It's just tough to defend.”

The Eagles actually had three QB hits, but Fletcher Cox's clothesline didn't count — but it did cost the Eagles 15 yards and a ton of momentum by extending a Packers drive.

"Yeah, Fletcher and I talked. It was a good call," Pederson said. "The head and neck area ... again, it's a tough situation for a defensive lineman because we teach them to go in with hands up, try to tip passes. Anytime you strike the quarterback in the head and neck area, you're going to get flagged. 

“It's unfortunate. Those are the things that I keep talking about. Those are the mistakes that we're making, the little things that we're making that are big things in games. We have a chance to get off the field at that time and don't. It's hard to overcome.”

The beat-up offense
In addition to Brooks and Agholor, the Eagles were also missing Ryan Mathews (knee) and Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee). Vaitai was filling in for suspended right tackle Lane Johnson. 

Allen Barbre moved from left guard to right tackle. Stefan Wisniewski started at left guard, and rookie Isaac Seumalo started at right guard. 

Carson Wentz was sacked four times and pressured often. Pederson said the line "played pretty well" overall.

But ...

"But it's hard, especially with that many young players on offense," he said. "But at the same time I look at it, too, it's valuable for those guys that are playing. I still believe that we're obviously heading in the right direction as a team."

From 3-0 to 5-6 isn't the right direction. But try to remember your preseason expectations. The Eagles are still only a year removed from the Chipocalypse. 

"I think you might look at wins and losses. I've got to look at the potential of the football team and the guys that we have," Pederson said. "Are we there yet? No. Are we heading in the right direction? Yes. 

"Again, it may not show up right now in wins and losses, but I see that potential. I see that there is no quit in this team. Everybody's fighting to the end. That's a sign that things are heading the right direction.”

As is Carson Wentz, who had less to work with than usual (see evaluation).

"I think it was a good performance," Pederson said. "Obviously the way he started the game was exceptional and led the team down for the touchdown there, the opening drive. After that, you know, playing with so many guys, when Jordan went out, moving parts, things like that. Managing it well. 

"There were also times where he changed plays tonight because of pressure that the Packers were bringing. He was able to get us out of some stuff, get us into some good plays that were very beneficial. He stayed calm. He stayed right on point. He played pretty well.”

There was that one throw that was just a bit over Zach Ertz's head. 

"It just sailed on me," Wentz said.

Pressed about it a little more, Wentz elaborated. 

"Bad throw," he said.

One of many “self-inflicted wounds,” as Pederson said, preventing the Eagles from running up points on a team that had lost four straight and allowed at least 30 points in each loss. 

“Offensively I thought we obviously started the game great, going down and getting seven points, matching their seven,” Pederson said. “After that, again, just the self-inflicted stuff. Penalties hurt us. Obviously as the game wore on, I felt like the running game was efficient enough to sustain us. Too many little things. Just little detail things that caused us not to score more points.”

The 2-yard challenge
Late in the third quarter Packers tight end Jared Cook couldn't hang on to a 2-yard reception. It was ruled a catch on the field, and Pederson challenged it.

He won the challenge but lost the option to challenge another call the rest of the game. Instead of 2nd-and-8 on the Eagles' 37, it was 2nd-and-10 on the 39.

Worth it for two yards? (No.)

“Well, the thought process there was to where they were on the field," Pederson said. "Yeah, it might have been only a two-yard gain, but you take into consideration second-and-eight, second-and-10. Backs them up two yards. 

"You still want to play the field position game, whether they end up punting it or going for it on fourth down. If you can stop them, get them off the field, just an opportunity to keep them in a second-and-long situation knowing that obviously it was an incomplete pass, knowing you were going to be out of challenges. Just needed something to keep them really at a little bit longer yardage at that time and try to help our defense.”