Eagles Takeaways: Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley Bail Out Nick Sirianni

Eagles Takeaways: Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley Bail Out Nick Sirianni

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There are many purple flags to level to in at this time’s Eagles 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints. There’s arguably extra negatives than positives to contemplate from this recreation. However to their credit score, the Eagles emerged victorious in one of the troublesome opposing environments within the league. 

Listed below are 5 takeaways from the second win of the season for the Eagles. 

1. Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert Saved The Day

Nick Sirianni had one among his worst video games because the Eagles coach Sunday. Jalen Hurts threw an interception ultimately zone and misplaced a fumble. The Eagles have been with out quite a lot of key offensive gamers for many or the entire recreation. It was Barkley and Goedert who saved the day for the Eagles. 

Barkley rushed for 147 yards, and per week after an important drop opened the door for the Atlanta Falcons within the fourth quarter, he scored each the game-winning landing and the next two-point conversion. His largest blow of the day, although, got here within the type of a 65-yard landing early within the fourth quarter: 

Nonetheless, Goedert was arguably the largest star of the sport for the Eagles. The seventh-year tight finish was actually the one established receiving possibility nonetheless standing for Hurts within the fourth quarter. On what proved to be the game-winning drive, Jahan Dotson ran good interference that allowed Goedert to get open on a crossing sample that finally went for 61 yards: 

Goedert completed the day with 10 catches for 170 yards, an enormous efficiency when most wanted. 

2. The Threat Is not All the time Price The Reward

The Eagles have been held scoreless within the first half after turning the ball over on downs deep in New Orleans territory when a Saquon Barkley run off the tush push formation did not generate sufficient yards to transform on fourth and an extended one. 

Relatively than give attention to the particular play name, the true debate right here must be whether or not the Eagles ought to have gone for it on fourth down in any respect. The Eagles have been aggressive on fourth down below Nick Sirianni, and even previous to him. It is largely confirmed to have labored. However on this case, the danger simply wasn’t definitely worth the potential reward. 

If the Eagles had transformed on fourth down, they nonetheless would have been outdoors the 10-yard line of New Orleans with two beginning offensive linemen out of the sport and no A.J. Brown. One probability on the finish zone below these circumstances is not definitely worth the probability in a 3-0 recreation that you just come away scoreless. 

Taking the factors to tie the sport made much more sense contemplating the Eagles gained the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Then once more, their first drive within the second half resulted in comparable trend to the primary. 

On fourth and an extended three on the Saints’ 34-yard line, Hurts finally took a six-yard sack with Jake Elliott, one of many recreation’s finest kickers, watching on the sideline because the Eagles handed on what would have been a comparatively straightforward game-tying subject aim. 

In no way is that this an anti-analytics level. However you need to think about the place the sport is at, and that you’re much less prone to convert on fourth down when A.J. Brown and Lane Johnson aren’t within the lineup. 

By the point Sirianni did give Elliott an opportunity to strive a subject aim, it was a 60-yarder within the fourth quarter that he pulled effectively to the best of the upright. With a 7-6 lead and your protection taking part in effectively, Sirianni virtually definitely ought to have punted right here. Whereas Elliott is able to making subject objectives this lengthy, it is so much to ask to have a man’s first subject aim try of the sport be from 60 yards midway by means of the fourth quarter. 

3. There Had been Some Optimistic Indicators Defensively

The Saints scored a staggering 91 factors between the primary two weeks of the season, by far probably the most within the NFL. Significantly given how a lot Vic Fangio’s protection struggled over the primary two weeks of the season, holding Klint Kubiak’s offense to 12 factors at house is a really constructive growth. 

Whereas Jordan Davis recorded the one sack for the Eagles, there have been quite a lot of different standout performances defensively: 

– Zack Baun recorded 13 tackles, 9 of which have been of the solo selection, as he continued his spectacular begin to the marketing campaign. 

– Jalen Carter had two tackles for a loss, two move deflections and a quarterback hit. He must impression the sport on a extra constant foundation, however his standout performs proceed to intrigue you. 

– Quinyon Mitchell obtained beat by speedster Rashid Shaheed within the second quarter, however recovered to interrupt up what would have been a landing reception. He is undoubtedly had his share of moments in his first three skilled video games. 

4. Joe Davis and Greg Olsen Is a Nice Sales space

Phillies followers are hopeful to listen to fairly a little bit of Davis on FOX‘s No. 1 MLB staff in the course of the postseason. Proper earlier than the ultimate week of the common season for the Phillies, a lot of those self same followers have been handled to Davis calling Saints-Eagles Sunday. Alongside Greg Olsen and with Pam Oliver on the sideline, it was a pleasure to hearken to this crew, which is FOX’s No. 2 NFL sales space, however feels very a lot able to being a prime sales space. 

This is not an indictment on FOX‘s present No. 1 sales space. Kevin Burkhardt is absolutely good. It is too early to make any sweeping conclusions on Tom Brady, as a lot as you is likely to be tempted to take action. And Erin Andrews is pretty much as good of a sideline reporter as there’s within the sport. 

However whereas a No. 2 sales space is likely to be the ceiling for Davis so long as he is the highest play-by-play voice for each the Los Angeles Dodgers and FOX‘s MLB protection, he is little doubt able to being one of many prime NFL voices if he ever aspires to try this. Pam Oliver was FOX‘s prime sideline reporter earlier than Andrews got here to the community in 2014, and is without doubt one of the most achieved figures within the historical past of her job. 

The star of the sales space, although, is Olsen. He is confirmed to be able to working with a number of completely different play-by-play companions, and is so good at leaping in in the course of the transient home windows {that a} colour commentator has to maximise and giving the viewers precious perception that is simply digestible. He is pretty much as good as Cris Collinsworth and Troy Aikman — each of whom I like fairly a bit — and higher than each Tony Romo and Kirk Herbstreit. There are solely so many No. 1 NFL cubicles, however Olsen deserves to be an analyst in one among them. Whether or not Brady does not finally work out or there is a change in one of many different cubicles, count on Olsen to be in a No. 1 sales space once more quickly. 

5. The Eagles Would possibly Be Actually Skinny Offensively In Week 4

In response to NBC Sports activities Philadelphia‘s John Clark, A.J. Brown trotted out of the Eagles locker room within the fourth quarter on the Caesars Superdome after moving into whereas teammate DeVonta Smith was evaluated for a concussion following a brutal hit: 

Earlier within the recreation, two-time All-Professional proper sort out Lane Johnson departed with what ended up being a concussion. FOX‘s Pam Oliver famous that when Johnson initially got here out of the sport within the second quarter, he was throwing up on the sideline: 

Huge receiver/punt returner Britain Covey — who had six catches in Week 2 — additionally did not seem within the second half as he handled a shoulder harm. Proper guard Mekhi Becton additionally missed important time within the recreation with a finger harm.  

If Brown — who initially informed ESPN‘s Lisa Salters that he anticipated to overlook “a few weeks” together with his hamstring harm — is not able to return in Week 4 towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kellen Moore’s offense might be actually skinny on expertise. Even when Brown is again, Hurts is unlikely to have something near his full offense round him in Tampa Bay. 

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