The Eagles first win of 2020 sure felt a lot like a win from 2019.
A dominant defense. An ugly-brand of football on offense. Big plays from Carson Wentz. Great play calling from Doug Pederson.
And yes, big moments from young, mostly-unknown players.
If the Eagles take anything away from their surprising 25-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night it is that perhaps the formula that got them into the playoffs last season wasn't a fluke, or the result of bad competition.
It might not make much sense, but the bottom line is that there is simply something different about this team when they go with younger players at key spots, and that was very much on display Sunday night in front of a national audience.
One sequence with multiple big plays from younger players that helped seal the win was especially noteworthy.
With just over 10 minutes to play in the game, the 49ers had the ball and a 14-11 lead. After a run for no gain and an incomplete pass, 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens dropped back and was hit by cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc, who knocked the ball away. It was recovered by defensive Malik Jackson, and the Eagles had life.
On the next series, the Eagles' offense faced a fourth-and-four from the 49ers' 36-yard line. Attempting the long field goal to tie the game would have been an understandable decision, but head coach Doug Pederson decided to go for it.
Instead of calling a play for tight end Zach Ertz or running back Miles Sanders, Pederson dialed up a play for rookie receiver John Hightower, who entering the night had just three catches all season. Hightower held onto the ball, made the huge conversion and gave the Eagles a fresh set of downs.
Four plays later, facing 2nd-and-18, the Eagles once again went to one of their young players in a big spot. Receiver Travis Fulgham delivered. Called up from the practice squad just one day earlier, and cut twice during the month of August, Fulgham made a great catch down the sideline and dove into the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown that gave the Eagles a 18-14 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Just three weeks ago, those players wouldn't have been in position to make those plays. LeBlanc was riding the bench in favor of veteran Nickell Robey-Coleman. Hightower was behind DeSean Jackson and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside on the depth chart. Fulgham was on the practice squad.
On Sunday night, the trio all played a huge role in saving the Eagles' season — and they weren't the only young players to step up.
On the defensive side of the ball, rookie safety K'Von Wallace got his first start of the season, and first meaningful snaps as well. Wallace turned in 37 snaps on defense, and although he didn't have a stand-out moment, he did have some nice plays against the run. What matters most is that Wallace got key snaps in a big game in a big win, something that is going to be huge for his development moving forward.
Linebacker Alex Singleton, who has have never received meaningful snaps for the Eagles, finished with two tackles-for-a-loss and a crucial pick-six that ultimately sealed the win.
The young players along the offensive line also came up big.
While they weren't perfect, the Eagles were able to escape Sunday night with an offensive line that included Jordan Mailata, Nate Herbig, Matt Pryor and Jack Driscoll. The foursome had just a handful of NFL snaps leading into the game. Mailata was making his first start in a football game at any level. The lineup at offensive line was certainly jarring to see, especially after years of watching nothing but Pro-Bowl and All-Pro talent in front of Wentz.
After Sunday night, however, the Eagles can feel a level of confidence in putting any of those players out on the field moving forward. The same can be said of Wallace and Singleton. These young players getting key snaps matters, and is huge in the development of the players the Eagles will need to help carry them beyond just this season.
Ultimately the Eagles won this game in large part because of the performance of Wentz, who certainly does not fall under the "young" category anymore. But it isn't a coincidence that for the second-straight season we have seen Wentz play his best football when he is surrounded by younger, role-players at receiver as opposed to the talented veterans the team has tried to surround him with.
Like at the end of last season, Wentz just looks more in control when surrounded by players like Greg Ward, Fulgham and Hightower than he does DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor. That isn't Jackson, Jeffery or Agholor's fault, but it is a reality. For the first time all season Wentz didn't look like a mental mess out on the field, and instead, was the driving force behind the offense doing just enough to win.
When the offense is controlled by Wentz, and not being run to get the ball to specific players, the Eagles get the best version of the quarterback.
That was true at the end of 2019, and it was true as the Eagles got their first win of 2020 as well.
Moving forward, the offense will have to be better. 18 points isn't going to cut it. The Eagles won't get to play Nick Mullens every week.
But in a season that has been so hard to watch, Sunday night was different — and the winning formula of getting the younger players as many snaps as possible is one the Eagles should follow moving forward.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com
