Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Birds’ sloppy offense wasn’t just the rust
PHILADELPHIA » Let’s try not to overreact the way fans did when they booed the Eagles for digging a 6-3 hole in the first half Thursday night.
No one expected the Super Bowl champs to pick up where they left off in Minneapolis, with Nick Foles matching Tom Brady touchdown pass for touchdown pass and Doug Pederson outthinking Bill Belichick.
But let’s be honest about how appealing the Eagles’ offense was in that seasonopening 18-12 win over Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.
Exciting? Maybe for one Philly-Philly play.
Predictable? No more than the old tune, there’s got to be a morning after. If we can hold on through the night.
It’s more fun watching Gabe Kapler manage the Phillies’ bullpen than Foles trying to do something in this offense. It’s not just Foles, who is at his best after he gets into a rhythm. Certainly, his numbers could have been worse than a 50.7 passer rating with one interception, two sacks, and a 6.2 yards average on 19 completions. There was at least one, maybe two more picks the Falcons dropped.
Then again, there’s only so many times you can throw deep to Mike Wallace (three, to be exact) before it’s obvious he’s not going to come back to the ball or fight for it the way the injured Alshon Jeffery would. It has to hit Wallace in stride, in the hands. Otherwise he looks for a flag.
There are only so many touches running back Jay Ajayi has considering those chronically bad knees that required major rest last year, and lately have taken a back seat to pain he has in his foot. You can’t use all 15 in the first half.
There are only so many times you can force the ball to tight end Zach Ertz, who was doubled, bracketed and interfered with so often he caught just five passes (10 targets) for 48 yards. There are only so many times Foles can catch passes on plays like PhillyPhilly before Nate Sudfeld is the Eagles’ quarterback.
The latter is because Carson Wentz is going to be out a lot longer than Pederson spun it. Sorry, Doug, but you’ll be without Wentz for a few more weeks. You can thank the NFL Network for the leak that theoretically at least, saves you from further meltdowns.
Jeffery told a reporter he could be out another game or two. He’s coming back from rotator cuff surgery. Mack Hollins, placed on injured reserve, at least would have helped on special teams.
Considering the injuries to the wide receivers, it wouldn’t hurt Howie Roseman to trade for one because of the bodies out there now, Dez Bryant has lost a step and Breshad Perriman, familiar to vice president of player personnel chief Joe Douglas from their Baltimore days, is an injury waiting to happen.
It wouldn’t hurt the Eagles to evolve schematically, either. Not trick plays with Nelson Agholor throwing, but something for Ertz that the other team can’t see coming from a mile away. Agholor’s 16-yard end around was the fourth-longest play of the game for the Eagles. He also had a 50yard reception coming out near his own end zone.
The play-calling operation of Pederson with new offensive coordinator Mike Groh and quarterbacks coach Press Taylor had its challenges. Pederson took a timeout late in the first half instead of a delay of game, and it left enough time for the Falcons to put the full-court press on rookie punter Cameron Johnston.
The run game operation overseen by offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland at least has a sample of Ajayi limitations to work with. The Eagles got 15 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns out of the J Train.
The Eagles’ defense blew a couple of chances to get off the field. Linebacker Nate Gerry almost made another acrobatic interception. Rodney McLeod dropped a wouldbe pick in the red zone.
It looks like the defensive line, even without injured tackle Tim Jernigan, is strong enough to carry the Eagles this season. It had four sacks only because penalties wiped out two other sacks. Linebacker Jordan Hicks and Chris Long had 1½ sacks each. Ronald Darby broke up three passes ticketed for Julio Jones. Tackle Fletcher Cox blew up the Falcons’ run game.
Sure, Exton-product Ryan and the Falcons struggled offensively, as well. Clearly the Eagles have Ryan’s number, as he’s 1-5 in Philly. But that doesn’t discount the challenges ahead for the Eagles.
The Eagles are 1-0. But for this group, it’s got to be fun. There are only so many ugly, greasy games an offense can have before it becomes a burden.
Case in point, the Falcons. They got 10 points out of five red zone possessions. How bad was it? Their last five plays, they lined up with five receivers and threw to Jones almost every down, and were all incomplete. The Eagles’ pass rushers and defensive backs weren’t fooled.
Right now, except for a little Philly-Philly, the Eagles aren’t fooling their opponents, either.