Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Eagles Outlast the Pack

Posted September 7th, 2024 | Comments Off on Eagles Outlast the Pack

The Eagles went to Brazil and put on a show. Sometimes that was a very impressive show and other times it was a disaster show. But I guarantee you the fans in Brazil were highly entertained by the Eagles 34-29 win over Green Bay. There were a lot of big plays and memorable moments.

While there is a lot to be fixed, don’t overlook what a big win this was. The first few weeks of the season can be crazy. We’ve seen plenty of good teams blow games they shouldn’t have in those situations. The Eagles had to overcome some sloppy play and key mistakes, but they made a lot of big plays and beat a good team. That isn’t something to be taken for granted.

Saquon Barkley made his Eagles debut and was every bit as good as hoped. He was 24-109-2 on the ground and added an 18-yard TD catch. His combination of power, footwork and burst was impressive. The Eagles haven’t had a RB like this in a long time.

Zack Baun made his Eagles debut and got his first start as an off-ball LB. He led the team with 15 tackles and added a TFL and 2 sacks. He sealed the game with a sack of Malik Willis, who had come in to replace the injured Jordan Love.

The key to the game was Jalen Hurts, in a good and bad way. He made an impressive throw to AJ Brown for a 67-yard TD pass. Hurts ran over a defender to get a 1st down late in the game. That was a big play. He threw a slant to DeVonta Smith to all but seal the game. Hurts finished 20-34-278 with a pair of TDs.

But…he also threw a pair of INTs. Both were awful plays. The first came when the Eagles were backed up and faced 3rd and long. Hurts lofted the ball over the middle of the field and it got picked off. Late in the game he threw toward the sideline and a DB dropped what would have been a long pick-six. On the next play, Hurts was late over the middle and his pass was picked off in the end zone, costing the Eagles three points. They were up 34-29 at the time. Getting a FG would have given the Eagles an eight point lead. You cannot make that mistake.

Hurts decision-making was problematic way too often. I hope this was sloppiness from him not playing in the preseason. Still, a veteran QB should know how to protect the ball better than Hurts did. That bears watching.

The new offense was impressive. The Eagles piled up 410 yards and scored 34 points.

The new defense was up and down. They gave up 414 yards and 29 points. That’s not ideal. They gave up a 33-yard TD run and a 70-yard TD catch. That’s not ideal. But the defense made some key plays. They held GB to just 1 of 4 in the red zone. The Packers were 3 for 11 on 3rd downs. The Eagles had three turnovers and the Packers only got nine points out of that, which is really impressive when you consider two of the drives started in scoring territory.

The defense must tackle better. There were some blown coverages. Let’s do remember the Packers had one of the best offenses in the league last year so this isn’t the kind of team you expect to shut down.

If the Eagles had played a clean game, this could have been a blowout. They didn’t. The Eagles were sloppy, which had a lot of people flashing back to last year. There is a huge difference, though. The Eagles handled the adversity this time around.

Nick Sirianni should be happy with his team. They won a big game under strange circumstances. That could be big come playoff time when the Eagles hope to have a high seed. There is plenty to fix. The good news is that the Eagles don’t play until a week from Monday. They’ll have plenty of time to get over the jet lag and prepare for the Falcons.

Good start to 2024.

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