Eagles Win Sloppy Game On Back Of Saquon Barkley

It was not pretty. At times it was downright ugly. But the Eagles will get on the long flight back to Philly from Brazil as a 1-0 team. Thanks in large part to two guys getting their first snaps in an Eagles jersey, Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun.

The prize acquisition of the offseason not only racked up 132 total yards, he found the end zone 3 times. He accounted for 18 of their 34 points and 32% of their total yards.

For a bit, he was getting stuffed. But anyone who has watched Barkley play can tell you that if you give him enough carries, he will start getting chunks. He rattled off 50 in 4 carries at one point in the second half. He wound up averaging 4.5 yards per carry, and it was his 3rd TD in the 3rd Quarter that was the eventual game-winner. One hell of a first impression.

Devonta Smith and AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith also showed up. Brown was the only Eagle besides Saquon to find the end zone on a deep TD to open up the 2nd Half. Smith was a key part of the final drive that sealed the win and finished with 7 catches. The two of them combined for 203 yards.

But the offense turned it over 3 times. A snap miscue on a Tush Push at the end of the game almost made it 4 times. Hurts threw 2 interceptions, and both were terrible decisions by him. They scored 34 points, and we saw glimpses of a great offense, but there were too many mistakes. Mistakes that could kill them later in the season if they continue.

Hurts needs to be better. He needs to make better choices with the ball. But we also saw signs that this offense can put up crooked numbers. And we saw the benefit of having a great RB.

On defense, they at times looked lost. But despite getting torn apart on a few drives, they were 1-4 in Red Zone Defense and got several key stops that helped them win. They held the Pakcers to FG attempts after all 3 Eagles turnovers. Also, Quinyon Mitchell proved he belonged, despite getting beat once later in the game.

Then there was Zack Baun. If Saquon wasn't the game MVP, it would be Baun. The guy with the least experience at Linebacker looked like the best player on the field. He had 15 tackles and 2 sacks. The 2nd sack ended the game. He was involved in plays all over the field, getting stops behind the line of scrimmage, and chasing down players downfield.

The Edge Rushers... Well, we were worried about them going into week 1, and they gave us no reason to stop worrying. Any pressure came from the inside, or the linebackers. Their lack of success will be a story to watch. This defense needs to get pressure off the edge if it is going to be successful

It was all far from perfect. There will be a ton to pick apart over the next 10 days while we wait to see them again. But they are 1-0, and got a win over a team they will be competing for seeding with in the NFC.

In a weird game, on an awful field, in week 1, you take the win. You survived, you learned, and you get a chance to get better. Eagles fans may think back to last year when the Eagles kept winning ugly and eventually, it blew up. But this is not that, yet. It is 1 game. Lots of teams will look ugly in week 1. The Chiefs and Ravens did not look crisp Thursday night.

The important thing is the sloppiness didn't hurt them, yet. They won, and they stayed healthy. Two things the Packers can't say. They lost, and Jordan Love got injured.

16 teams won't be able to say that by the end of Monday. The Eagles can say it. So for now, be happy.

Football is here. We got the first game last night, and then the Eagles season kicks off tonight vs the Packers. At the start of the season, nearly every team has a reason for optimism. You haven't played any games, which means you haven't lost any games. Even the Panthers can pretend they have a chance. Everyone starts the season 0-0. Technically, the NFL season could go anywhere.

But do the Eagles have a chance? Can they bounce back from losing 7 of the last 8, and get back to the Super Bowl? Will the issues that caused last season's collapse plague them again? Will they look more like they did in 2022, or 2023?

The start of the season is the time to be bold. Make that crazy prediction. Go out on a limb. If in 18 weeks you were right, you can rub it in everyone's faces. If you are wrong, only a few people are going to actually remember to call you out for it.

That is not to say make hot takes. There is a difference between being bold and being stupid. Saying that Zack Baun will win MVP is not bold, it is dumb. Saying that AJ Brown will be traded for Patrick Surtain is not bold, it is dumb. Luckily I have not seen anyone say that though.

Related: Jalen Hurts Showing Signs He Will Be Better Vs Blitz in 2024

Bold predictions need to be backed by some facts. They are things that can reasonably happen. The staff of 97.5 The Fanatic all shared their bold predictions about the Eagles before the season kicked off. Check them out below.

But here are some more bold predictions before the season kicks off tonight. From Jalen Carter winning some hardware, a rookie outperforming expectations, to Hurts getting back to his MVP form.

I'm borrowing this one from Bill Colarulo because I agree with him. This is not a shot at Brown, or an attempt to pit them against each other. I think both guys improve their numbers from last year. But, I think Smith will improve them a bit more. They have been WRS 1a and 1b, but Brown has been more productive the past 2 seasons. I think that flips, at least the yards. Kellen Moore's scheme, where he gets his WRs in space, is going to take Smith from a top 15 WR to being a guy who can get to 1,400 yards.

Smith has shown he is a great WR already. For a small guy, he makes amazing catches in traffic and on the sidelines. He has the speed, the hands, and the smarts to be a top WR. I think he takes a major step this season.

Okay, this one is a bit of a shot at Nolan Smith. I just don't see it. I hope I am wrong. I hope he turns his elite traits into elite production. But I have now watched him be unproductive for several seasons at Georgia and then watched him fail to get on the field with the Eagles. Then he had an underwhelming camp. The speed off the edge is great, but speed alone won't get to the QB. These Tackles are quicker than ever. The problem with Smith is we have seen he doesn't have the power or tools to beat a guy when they beat him to the spot.

Hunt also has great traits, only he is bigger than Smith. He also flashed his potential way more in camp. When they drafted him at the end of the 3rd round, people assumed he was a project and we would not see him. But his camp was good enough that he may see the field. And while I am not saying he racks up double-digit sacks, I can see him getting 4 or 5 as part of the rotation. And I think 4 or 5 will eclipse what Nolan Smith gives you.

Everyone expects Carter to be good. He fell off at the end of his rookie season, but hitting a rookie wall is not unusual. Not just Eagles fans, but people around the NFL, think very highly of Carter. In fact, James Palmer told The Best Show Ever that "there are people around the league who say Jalen Carter could be Defensive Player Of The Year, that is how highly he is considered."

It is easy to see him touching double-digit sacks. Especially if Jordan Davis plays as well as he did in the first 11 games last season. Those two will determine where the defense goes. They need to do it over a full season, but there is a reason the defense fell off when those 2 did. They were so good over the first 11 games, that it made up for a lot of flaws in that defense.

The plan for Quinyon Mitchell was for him to play inside in Nickel or Dime Packages, and outside in the dime package. But Isaiah Rodgers, the guy who would start outside in the Nickel and Dime, will miss week 1. That may keep Mitchell outside a bit more often in game 1. I think he looks so great there, they don't go back. He stays outside, but not only that, by week 5, he is shadowing the other team's best WR all game long. That may mean following them inside in the case of Cee Dee Lamb.

Vic Fangio has not shied away from criticizing his players. He told us that Cooper Dejean still has work to do to catch up. He told us at the start of camp that Bryce Huff was not ready, yet, to be a full-time player. But he has continually showered Mitchell with praise. He has shown trust in him by playing him inside and outside. It is quite clear he thinks very highly of him, and he will eventually trust him with being the top corner on the team.

Gainwell will not start here. Saquon is locked in for 3 seasons. But there will be a role for him. The Eagles are not going to run Barkley into the ground the way the Giants did. Their goal will be to keep him healthy for January. So they will mix Gainwell in.

I see him being very productive in those snaps. Especially as a pass catcher. Good enough, that in what is a contract year for him, he will earn himself a starting job somewhere else for next season. Andrew DiCecco has said over and over again on our airwaves how impressive he looked in camp. We know the Eagles will utilize the RBs more in the passing game. Gainwell will certainly be part of that.

Fans for some reason don't seem to like him much. But he has 12 TDs in 3 seasons as a part-time player and averages 4.4 yards per carry. He is better than fans think. I say he proves it this year.

John Kincade predicted Hurts to set career highs across the board. Tyrone Johnson said he will set a franchise record for passing yards.  I agree. I think having a real offense to run is going to take him to the next level. He will be able to dump the ball off, throw it over the middle of the field, use motion, and now he has the tools to respond to the blitz.

Hurts was so good in 2022. I think that is closer to the real him than last year. People forget he was the MVP favorite after 11 games. But then the collapse happened. And he shared a role in that. But with these weapons, and Moore calling plays, I think the offense is elite this year. Winning it is hard because there are so many great players. but his name will be next to Mahomes, Jackson, and McCaffrey at the end of the year.