Philadelphia Eagles report card in loss to the Falcons
By David Feins
After an eventful off-season, a 26-24 loss to the lowly Falcons is not how the Philadelphia Eagles imagined their opening game ending. Although the end result was absolutely gut-wrenching, there was a lot to like, as well as plenty of room for improvement. So without further ado, let’s get into grading the Eagles’ units.
Offense: B
It was a tale of two halves for the Eagles’ offense. In the first half, the offense looked downright pathetic against what was thought to be a soft Atlanta defense. Prized off-season acquisition DeMarco Murray ran for negative yardage in the half, while Sam Bradford was under constant pressure, throwing for just 119 yards and a costly interception. The interior running game never got going this game, as DeMarco Murray was held to 12 touches for 20 yards. This could be the effect of cutting starting guards Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans during the off-season. Fill-ins Allen Barbre and Andrew Gardner are both career backups, and did not look ready for prime time last night. Additionally, the Eagles felt the loss of Jeremy Maclin, as their downfield passing attack was non-existent. Despite these issues, in the second half the offense looked absolutely superb. Chip Kelly got Darren Sproles to neutralize the surprisingly stout Atlanta defense, and the Eagles’ offense began rolling like the well-oiled machine we saw in the preseason. Bradford used Sproles and Ryan Mathews as receivers out of the backfield to the Falcons, while Jordan Matthews chipped in with 10 catches and 102 receiving yards. Bradford was downright surgical in the second half, going 21-25 for 217 yards, but there were some issues with the offense as a whole that could be troubling as the season progresses.
The Eagles were absolutely awful against the pass last year, so in the off-season, they opened up their checkbook and bought in free agent cornerback Byron Maxwell from the Seahawks’ ‘Legion of Boom’ to bolster their secondary. Problem solved right? Apparently not. Maxwell looked no better than scapegoat Bradley Fletcher did last year, as Julio Jones torched the Eagles’ defensive backs for 9 catches, 141 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Safety Malcolm Jenkins put himself in position to make a couple of huge interceptions, but let the ball fall through his hands. Although they buckled down in the second half, allowing only six points, the defense still made costly errors, most notably when they were fooled by a draw play on 3rd and 15, allowing a first down on a drive that led to what ended up being the game-winning field goal. On the bright side, the pass rush did step up in the second half and Matt Ryan had a harder time picking apart Philly’s vulnerable secondary with more pressure in his face. Linebacker Kiko Alonso, who was acquired in the LeSean McCoy trade, proved his worth, making a spectacular one handed interception in the end zone, robbing the Falcons of a touchdown in the first half.
Special Teams: D
Kicker Cody Parkey missed a 44 yard field goal that would have given the Birds the lead with just over two minutes left. The second year kicker looked shaky during the preseason, and an unreliable kicking game could end up costing the Eagles multiple games this season if he does not sort it out soon. Darren Sproles looked as dangerous as ever returning punts and the coverage on punts looked sound, which saved this unit from a failing grade.
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