The Birds Picked Up A Big Win In Brazil. Here Are Three Key Takeaways From The Game.
We’re only one week into the new season and the birds etched their name into the history books. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-29 in the first-ever game to be hosted in Brazil. It wasn’t the prettiest effort but the team got the job done. Now that the matchup is in the rearview mirror, it’s good to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Here are three key takeaways for the team after the historic matchup.
SAQUON.BARKLEY.
If there’s one point that can be universally agreed upon as a positive for the Eagles, it’s that runningback Saquon Barkley lived up to his billing. Some around the league had concerns about his injury history and age, like his former teams’ front office. It’s only one week, but Barkley put those worries to bed in the opener.
After a slow start on offense, Barkley rejuvenated the team late in the first quarter with an 18-yard touchdown reception off a dime from quarterback Jalen Hurts. Barkley kept the momentum going scoring his first rushing touchdown in the second quarter. Barkley added his final rushing touchdown of the game in the second half.
Barkley’s final stat line was 109 yards rushing on 24 carries and 23 receiving yards alongside the three touchdowns. The runningback became just the second player in franchise history to score three touchdowns in his debut. The last player to do that for the Birds was Terrell Owens in 2004.
Barkley put on a historic performance to open the season and fans should be optimistic about his ceiling going forward.
A Successful But Sloppy Offense
The sheer talent the Eagles have on the offensive unit will be enough to win them a lot of games this year. However, the team made a lot of costly mistakes in this game they needed to cut down on. Particularly, Hurts had a very uneven performance. He had flashes of brilliance but also had some pretty concerning turnovers.
On the very first drive of the game Hurts threw a dangerous pass over the middle of the field that was intercepted by Xavier McKinney. On the next drive, Hurts had a miscommunication with center Cam Jurgens leading to a fumble and another turnover. Hurts threw another interception when the team was driving, to Jaire Alexander, in the fourth quarter. Finally in the closing minute of the game, Hurts fumbled a tush push near the end zone that could have added more of a cushion for the team if they scored.
Still Hurts also showed flashes of brilliance with his two touchdown passes to Barkley and A.J. Brown. Hurts also capped off the game with a clutch drive late in the quarter ticking down the final minutes of the game. This team has a lot of promise, but they’ll need to be more disciplined to be a true contender.
The Defense Is Still A Concern
The final of the three key takeaways has to go to defensive issues. The defense already was undermanned going into the game when it was announced they were going to be without Linebacker Devin White. The team was also down their second starting corner Isaiah Rodgers for the season opener. These two were pretty dearly missed as the team got carved up all night.
They gave up 414 yards and 29 points with multiple lapses in coverage. However, the defense did have its moments, especially in the red zone where they had multiple critical stops late in the game. At least that side of the ball has something to hang their hats on, but they’ll need to be more steadfast going forward.
Main Image: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
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