There's a moment as the Puppeteer dodges, where Eddie has to stop his forward movement and his stance is unsteady, swaying sideways before he catches himself.

The time taken for that recovery allows the mannequins to get uncomfortably close, with some of them crowding between Eddie and the Puppeteer. It cuts off any possibility of an attack directly targeting the villain.

Eddie takes a swing with the trident at the nearest one, to see if blunt force will work -- and if it does, to open a path out.