SÃO PAULO – The Eagles won a back-and-forth duel against the Packers on Friday night at the Corinthians Arena in Brazil.
It wasn’t a perfect win, but the Eagles took the win in the first-ever NFL game in South America.
Let’s get to the position notes:
quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 20/34, 278 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 13 runs, 33 yards
We saw some bad decisions from Hurts in this game, and none were worse than the interception he threw in the end zone in the fourth quarter. It was just one of those bad throws that looked like the 2023 version of Hurts. After throwing 15 interceptions in 2023, Hurts threw two bad ones in the opener. But he did some good things, too. His 67-yard pass to AJ Brown was beautiful because he didn’t look like the safety. And he showed courage by leading the Eagles to a 7-25 drive late in the fourth quarter. He picked up some tough yards on the ground and in the air on that game-winning drive.
Grade: C+
Run back
Saquon Barkley: 24 carries, 109 yards, 2 TDs; 2 catches, 23 yards, 1 TD
The Eagles’ free agent signing was fantastic on Friday night. After slipping on his first touchdown as an Eagle, he ended up putting up great numbers, scoring just the second three-touchdown game of his career. Kenny Gainwell made a great catch in limited time and even rookie Will Shipley got on the field with 21 men and his pre-snap movement seemed to give the Eagles what they wanted.
Rating: A+
Recipient
AJ Brown: 5 catches, 119 yards, 1 TD
Brown’s 67-yard touchdown catch early in the third quarter was a real eye-catcher. His 2024 season has started well. DeVonta Smith also contributed 7 passes for 84 yards. Jahan Dotson had a somewhat limited role after joining the Eagles late. He was only targeted once and it was a pass that was dangerously close to being intercepted. Britain Covey and Johnny Wilson also made a few passes, but only Wilson was targeted. The big freshman also had a nice block on a Smith pass reception.
Grade: A-
Tight end
Dallas Goedert: 4 catches, 31 yards
Of the Eagles’ biggest weapons on offense, Goedert had the quietest night, but he still had a few big catches. Grant Calcaterra also had a nice 11-yard pass on a play when Goedert wasn’t on the field.
Grade: B
Offensive line
The Eagles’ offensive line held up pretty well for the most part in this game. They were the ones who blocked Barkley’s 109 rushing yards. Hurts was sacked a couple of times, but one time it came when Lane Johnson clearly thought the defender was offside.
Grade: B
Defensive line
Josh Sweat: 1 tackle, 1 QB hit, 1 TFL, 1 drawn holding call
The Eagles had two sacks in this game and neither came from the defensive line, but there were moments of solid pressure. A pressure by Moro Ojomo on third down late in the game was a big play. And an early rush by the Sweats resulted in a holding call. The problem was that the Packers were able to run the ball at times against the Eagles, and that starts up front.
Grade: C
Linebackers
Zack Baun: 15 combined tackles, 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, 1 TFL
There were definitely some good and bad moments for the linebackers. Baun was all over the field and had the only two sacks of the game for the Eagles. He also hit Jordan Love and was called for what appeared to be a fake personal foul. Nakobe Dean hit a huge drive to break a block. But there were mistakes, too. Baun missed a tackle that would have prevented a long touchdown, and there was a play where Dean got lost in coverage.
Grade: B-
Secondary
Reed Blankenship: 8 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU
The Packers threw for 260 yards, but the Eagles struggled. Avonte Maddox had a rough night at nickel corner, but Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell were pretty good on the outside. Mitchell made some plays and talked a little nonsense. At safety, CJ Gardner-Johnson made some nice plays, but missed a few. Reed Blankenship had a key interception – the Eagles’ only possession of the night.
Grade: B-
Special teams
Jake Elliott: 2/2 in FGs, 4/4 in PATs
Elliott completed all of his kicks and Braden Mann had a good night punting. Mann also took over kickoff duties under the new rules. There were two minor miscues on special teams. Kelee Ringo was assessed a penalty on the opening kickoff and Kenny Gainwell had trouble handling a squib kick. The kickoff is still new, so there is still time to work on it.
Grade: B+
Coaching
Record: 1-0
The Eagles are now 4-0 in season openers under Nick Sirianni. While this win wasn’t the prettiest, it still counts. The Eagles were penalized 7 times for 57 yards, but less than the Packers’ 10 for 71. The Eagles defense struggled a bit under Vic Fangio, but seemed to make plays when they needed to. The offense showed some newness under Kellen Moore, and that side of the football rebounded after early failures.
Grade: B
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