Looking Back at the Opener
Posted: January 8th, 2025 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 2 Comments »It seems like a lifetime ago, but it has just been four months since the Eagles beat the Packers 34-29 in the season opener. In Brazil, no less. That victory gave Eagles fans a lot of hope. It also raised more than a few questions.
Jalen Hurts threw for 278 yards, including a 67-yard TD pass to AJ Brown. That was impressive. He threw a pair of bad INTs and got lucky that number wasn’t higher. Hurts did an amazing job of protecting the ball in Training Camp. That ended quickly when the real games began. Hurts protected the ball well in 2022 and the Eagles went to the Super Bowl. He was a turnover machine in 2023 and the season was a disappointment.
The performance in Brazil made you wonder what direction the season would go for Hurts. Luckily, he overcame a slow start and had a really strong year, only throwing 5 INTs. Two of those came in the opener so he really clamped down and protected the ball after that. Hurts didn’t throw a ton of passes. He did finish with a career high in completion percentage and passer rating.
The other huge question coming out of the opener was whether the defense would be any good. They were 30th in points allowed and 26th in yards allowed last season. Vic Fangio was hired to give the Eagles a veteran defensive coordinator who could fix the unit. The Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. They signed CJGJ. Those moves were expected to fix the porous secondary.
Green Bay had 414 yards and scored 29 points in the opener. There were blown coverages and missed tackles. Everyone wondered if it was simply a matter of a new coach and new players in their first game together or if 2024 was going to be a continuation of 2023. Eagles fans had their own version of PTSD after seeing the epic collapse of last season.
While there were red flags, there were some good signs if you looked carefully. Here is something I wrote from September.
The Eagles gave up 29 points and 414 yards so you’re inclination might be to say the defense is the same. I would differ on that. The defense made some key plays that proved to be the difference in the game. They held the Packers to 1 of 4 in the red zone. Last year the Eagles allowed TDs on 65 percent of red zone possessions (good for 29th in the league). The Eagles had an INT that led to points. Last year the Eagles had 9 picks all year long. The Eagles closed out the game with a sack. There were multiple games last year where the Eagles had a chance to do that and couldn’t.
After an up and down first month, the Eagles defense played lights out. They finished first in the league in yards allowed. They were second in points allowed, but there is a caveat.
So not to be a stickler, but the Eagles defense actually allowed the fewest points in the league this season at 288. The #Chargers defense allowed 299. The 301 total for LAC factors in Saints safety. The 303 total for PHI factors in a JAX defense TD and a CLE blocked FG TD.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) January 6, 2025
So close to being first in both categories. Ugh.
Let’s get into a bit more detail from that game. The tackling was bad. Even Zack Baun missed a couple. All teams can be sloppy in the opener since there is virtually no tackling in Training Camp. Nakobe Dean blew a coverage that led to a big gain. He’s a smarter, more experienced player at this point. CJGJ looked lost a couple of times. He had me worried after that game. The field was slick and both teams struggled to consistently rush the passer.
Josh Jacobs had 6 carries for 4 yards in the first half of that game. The second half was a different story. He ran 10 times for 80 yards. Green Bay made adjustments and their running game came alive. The Eagles didn’t play their gaps well on some of those plays.
The defense had no answer for WR Jayden Reed. He was 4-138 as a receiver and 1-33 as a runner. He caught a 70-yard TD and the 33-yard run went for a score as well. He was spectacular in Brazil.
The Eagles offense used motion a lot in the opener and Hurts did well with it.
Jalen Hurts was significantly more effective as a passer when the play featured motion, completing 15 of 21 for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Without motion, Hurts finished 5 of 13 for 66 yards and 2 interceptions.#GBvsPHI | @Eagles pic.twitter.com/eKfUG8BnPv
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 7, 2024
If you adjust for scrambles, the Eagles threw more than they ran in the opener. Boy has that changed. Saquon Barkley did have 24 carries so it wasn’t like they were pass happy. Kenny Gainwell only had one rush.
Cam Jurgens mostly played well, but did have a couple of bad snaps. Mekhi Becton made his first start at RG and showed a lot of potential. Still, the OL wasn’t in the kind of groove that we saw by midseason.
The Eagles were good enough to win the opener despite having some issues. That shows you how talented this team is. The coaches were able to develop players and their schemes in the ensuing weeks and months. The Eagles won 12 of their final 13 games, with the only loss coming in the final seconds. You can argue that the Lions, Chiefs and Bills are better, but you can also make a case that the Eagles are the best team in the league.
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If you want another perspective on the opener, Old Man Bowen quit yelling at kids to get off his lawn and shared his thoughts on the game.
He’s a pretty good writer. He ought to consider doing that for a living.
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Shocking news…Jalen Hurts crawled out of his grave and came back to practice. Truly a miracle. Nick Sirianni must be more surprised than any of us.
Lane Johnson said Jalen Hurts looked sharp today. Says Hurts was dialed in.
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) January 8, 2025
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Another day, another Dawg.
We have signed DB Lewis Cine to the active roster and have opened the practice window for DT Byron Young. pic.twitter.com/ZWDv89brMb
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 8, 2025
I like this move. I was a big fan of Cine when he was coming out. The Eagles need more depth at safety so Cine is a good addition. This is his third team so there isn’t a guarantee he’ll pan out, but he does have talent.
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[…] Looking Back at the Opener – Iggles Blitz […]
[…] Looking Back at the Opener – Iggles BlitzIf you adjust for scrambles, the Eagles threw more than they ran in the opener. Boy has that changed. Saquon Barkley did have 24 carries so it wasn’t like they were pass happy. Kenny Gainwell only had one rush. Cam Jurgens mostly played well, but did have a couple of bad snaps. Mekhi Becton made his first start at RG and showed a lot of potential. Still, the OL wasn’t in the kind of groove that we saw by midseason. The Eagles were good enough to win the opener despite having some issues. That shows you how talented this team is. The coaches were able to develop players and their schemes in the ensuing weeks and months. The Eagles won 12 of their final 13 games, with the only loss coming in the final seconds. You can argue that the Lions, Chiefs and Bills are better, but you can also make a case that the Eagles are the best team in the league. […]