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.
Eagles Defense Bends, But Doesn’t Break
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
Eagles Survive, Get On The Plane 1-0
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.
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