5 Takeaways: Saquon Barkley Goes Off & More From Season-Opening Win for Eagles

5 Takeaways: Saquon Barkley Goes Off & More From Season-Opening Win for Eagles

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The Eagles Week 1 win over the Inexperienced Bay Packers was good for sports activities radio. They received 34-29 and are 1-0. However it was a sloppy victory that noticed the Eagles flip the ball over 3 times, so there are many respectable criticisms to be made. 

This is 5 *principally* measured takeaways from Week 1 for the Eagles. 

1. It Did not Take Lengthy For Saquon Barkley To Make His Presence Felt 

As Saquon Barkley lined up within the backfield behind Jalen Hurts within the first quarter of Friday’s sport, it was nonetheless onerous to consider the previous No. 2 total decide is now an Eagle. Within the first sport of a three-year/$37.5 million contract that ensures him $26 million, Barkley lived as much as the hype. 

No. 26 scored the primary landing of the season for the Eagles early within the second quarter, catching an 18-yard cross from Hurts: 

Later within the quarter, Mekhi Becton and Cam Jurgens mixed to half the pink sea, with Barkley bursting via the opening for an 11-yard landing rush: 

Barkley made it a trifecta within the third quarter, speeding for a two-yard rating just some performs after Reed Blankenship picked off Jordan Love in Inexperienced Bay territory: 

Barkley ran for 104 yards and scored three complete touchdowns in his Eagles debut. He additionally fell on a fumbled snap late within the fourth quarter. 

Nick Sirianni, Kellen Moore and the Eagles could have an fascinating stability to strike this season between getting probably the most out of the immensely-talented Barkley, whereas ensuring a participant who has had his justifiable share of accidents is wholesome when January comes round. 

2. The Discipline High quality Was Unacceptable

It isn’t bitter grapes to say that the sector high quality at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix harm the probabilities for the Eagles to win Tremendous Bowl LVII, as a dominant cross rush did not handle a single sack in a 38-35 loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. 

One way or the other, the sector at Corinthians Enviornment in São Paulo, Brazil was in even worse form Friday evening. 

Just about each time a participant lower or hesitated within the first half, you held your breath. Right here had been among the most obvious moments that the floor produced. 

– First Quarter: Packers’ huge receiver Christian Watson slipped in the long run zone and wasn’t in a position to catch a third-and-five cross from Love for a landing, forcing Inexperienced Bay to accept a area objective. 

– Second Quarter: Peacock’s broadcast in the reduction of from business to point out the sector choose having his calf examined, seemingly having sustained a decrease leg harm on the sector. Do you bear in mind ever seeing this earlier than? 

Second Quarter: Jordan Love linked with Jayden Reed for a 70-yard landing. On this play, Bryce Huff clearly struggled to get his footing as he tried to hurry the passer. Perhaps C.J. Gardner-Johnson overcommitted in attempting to sort out Reed, however the situations did not appear to assist his try and restrict the harm on the play both. 

Each groups appeared to regulate as the sport went alongside, however the situations of the sector Friday had been inexcusable. Given that there is a full slate on Sunday and no different video games scheduled in Brazil this season, we’ll possible all neglect about this quite shortly. However hopefully the NFLPA makes a stink concerning the situations, as a result of they weren’t even near as much as par and put gamers on each groups in hurt’s approach. 

3. The Eagles Misplaced The Aesthetics Battle 

Is there a extra basic look within the NFL than the Packers’ inexperienced jerseys, combined with yellow pants and yellow helmets? The Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys can all make their respective arguments, however Inexperienced Bay has a robust case. 

Evaluate that to what the Eagles wore in Week 1, debuting a brand new uniform mixture. Not one of the three gadgets within the look had been new, however the black helmet had by no means been worn with the white jersey/black pant mixture that the Eagles have combined in for the reason that begin of the 2021 season. Hopefully, that is one and achieved. The white jersey and black pants already seemed dangerous collectively. The black helmet made it worse. 

The black helmet was launched in 2022 to go along with the all-black uniform that the Eagles put on as an alternate. It was changed as an alternate helmet by the Kelly Inexperienced lid in 2023, however the Eagles evidently bought permission so as to add a 3rd helmet to the rotation in 2024. I would argue it is simply not an excellent trying helmet. It simply appears to be like like a worse model of the midnight inexperienced helmet, and it’s a must to squint to appreciate it is black since midnight inexperienced is already a darkish shade. The distinction of the midnight inexperienced helmet appears to be like higher with the all-black uniform, however the black helmet is satisfactory with it. It simply flat out appears to be like misplaced with the white jersey. 

On one other uniform observe, the wordmark that the Eagles launched in June of 2022 made its common season debut on the jerseys this night. It was additionally featured in the long run zone for the Eagles. This is not an authentic take, however it’s a significant downgrade over its predecessor, as you possibly can see on this picture of the midnight inexperienced jersey from Uni Watch. 

4. A.J. Brown Is As Good As It Will get 

Brown’s second season with the Eagles resulted in weird trend. He appeared disillusioned with the offense down the stretch of the season, and finally missed a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers within the Wild Card spherical with a knee harm. 

There was some hypothesis getting into the offseason that Brown may search a change of surroundings. As an alternative, the Eagles rewarded him with a three-year/$96 million extension, a pact that assured him $84 million. 

As Brown raced into the tip zone for a 67-yard landing on the second play from scrimmage within the third quarter, you had been reminded of why the Eagles made positive their star receiver was completely satisfied within the offseason: 

Brown completed the evening with 5 catches for 119 yards, fairly the begin to his third season in Philadelphia. Maybe after having to accept Second-Workforce All-Professional picks in every of his first two seasons with the Eagles, Brown will recover from the hump and earn a First-Workforce nod in 2024. 

5. What Was Jalen Hurts Doing On The First Drive Of The Fourth Quarter? 

If you happen to’re searching for scalding, prisoner-of-the-moment Eagles takes, On Pattison won’t be your website. The unique plan was to not have a Hurts level right here, as a result of he is so overanalyzed. Each Eagles sport doesn’t should be a referendum on Hurts, particularly when he did have some good moments to assist salt away a victory. 

However what on the earth was Hurts doing on the primary drive of the fourth quarter? We will not not discuss that. 

Shortly after practically throwing an interception on the left sideline, Hurts reared again on third-and-13 and determined to throw the ball in opposition to his physique into the tip zone. Not surprisingly, Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander picked it off: 

Let’s take into account the scenario right here. The Eagles are up 31-26 early within the fourth quarter. They’re on Inexperienced Bay’s 14-yard line, and assured a Jake Elliott area objective that might have prolonged the result in eight factors if nothing opened up on third down. Slightly than managing the sport, Hurts made a throw {that a} highschool quarterback would get lambasted for, a lot much less a fifth-year professional. 

Hurts was picked off 15 occasions a yr in the past, after throwing 15 picks complete between 2021 and 2022. He began off the 2024 marketing campaign with two interceptions (and Brown broke up one other potential one for Alexander late within the fourth), which is definitely one thing value monitoring because the season goes alongside. 

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