The Eagles Week 1 win was either incredibly encouraging or very disappointing — depending on what side of the ball you look at.
The offense had a mostly outstanding debut, while the defense struggled and kept the game close in a 38-35 win over the Detroit Lions.
Here are some instant takeaways from the game:
Jalen Hurts: All offseason there has been lots (and lots) of debate on whether Jalen Hurts will come out an improve player.
Hurts started the process of ending that debate on Sunday.
Hurts looked like a much improved player from last season against the Lions, showing consistent accuracy he didn’t have last season and moving the ball through the air on key downs.
Hurts made a few big plays early on to help the Eagles offense stay above water when the entire team was struggling. He ran for a 1st down on 3rd-and-15 on the opening drive. He made a great throw in a tight window on 3rd-and-4 at the start of the second quarter, giving the Eagles a fresh set of downs inside the Lions five-yard line. Four plays later Hurts ran it in from two-yards out to tie the game, 7-7.
The Eagles were very lucky to have a mobile quarterback early on in the game as Hurts legs kept multiple plays (and drives) alive.
Hurts impressed with his arm as well. His best throw of the day was a perfect placed, elite throw to AJ Brown at the end of the first half on 3rd-and-4 that went for 54-yards. He had a really nice pass on 3rd-and-2 at the start of the third quarter, hitting Zach Pascal for seven yards and a first down. The throw won’t make any highlight real, but it was a very nice throw by Hurts and displayed an improvement in his ability to be consistently accurate.
What really stood out about Hurts was the lack of poor throws. His completion percentage didn’t end up being great but that was due to drops, throwaways and pressure. There were not many throws (probably only a handful at most) of bad throws by Hurts on Sunday.
Not every opponent will be the Lions, but if the Eagles get this version of Jalen Hurts each week, they are going to be much better than they were last year.
AJ Brown: The Eagles traded (and paid) for AJ Brown so they would have a legit, No. 1 wide receiver.
They certainly got just that in his debut on Sunday.
Brown dominated the Lions, finishing with 155 yards on 10 catches. Three players really stood out for Brown.
The first was on an under thrown ball by Hurts down the left sideline, which Brown went down low to get. The second was on the 3rd-and-4 play mentioned above, where Brown took a short, quick pass and turned it into a 16-yard gain. The third? A 54-yard catch down the right sideline, showing he can stretch the field as well if needed.
Defensive: The defense has it’s moments of good play, but overall, they certainly did not have the game you would have hoped to see going against a bad Lions offense.
Eagles allowed an opening touchdown drive that was 9 plays, 75-yards, but actually gave up 85 yards because of penalties. They allowed the Lions to convert from a 2nd-and-20 and then also from a 3rd-and-9. Tackling was an issue on the opening drive with James Bradberry and Kyzir White both missing tackles on a 48-yard Lions run.
After the opening drive the defense briefly settled down, forcing a three-and-out on the next three drives, allowing only seven yards total.
The issue on the day was allowing drives at inopportune times. The Eagles offense put up points on nearly every possession after a slow start, but each time they pull away, the Eagles defense gave the Lions hope again.
The bottom line is 35 points is too much to give up to the Lions. The Eagles better hope the poor showing against Detroit was the result of a defense with six new starters needing snaps together as opposed to a bigger issue.
Offensive Line: Protection was definitely an issue for the Eagles on Sunday, and after a somewhat poor training camp, it could be something to start monitoring. Hurts was running for his life on most snaps Sunday, and if not for his ability to move and create on the run, the Eagles might have lost.
Miles Sanders: Miles Sanders got into the end zone for the first time since 2020 on Sunday, scoring a touchdown midway through the second quarter that gave the Eagles a 14-7 lead. Sanders is going to be the team’s clear No. 1 back this season so expect plenty more touchdowns to come his way — and 2021 will look more like a fluke than a sign of a bad player.
Sanders 24-yard run on 3rd-and-2 with just over two minutes to play was huge in helping to seal the win. Sanders looked much stronger in training camp and the long run was proof as he fought through a pile of defenders to break free.
Sloppy Start: The Eagles looked unprepared for this game early on. The Lions came out as the team that looked ready to play and was far more aggressive. Those expecting to see a much different Eagles team easy on didn’t get anything close to that. The start will certainly spark the debate again on whether the Eagles took it too easy in training camp (spoiler: they didn’t).
Atmosphere: Give Lions fans credit — they certainly were ready for the start of the game. The atmosphere inside Ford Field was crazy at kickoff, with the game feeling like the Lions’ Super Bowl more than a Week 1 matchup. It showed early on as the Lions came out intense, but to the Eagles credit, they weathered the storm and eventually pulled away. Good sign for a young, new team that they didn’t collapse from the pressure.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com