Eagles-Patriots takeaways: Jalen Hurts, offense underwhelming in opener
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles snuck out of Gillette Stadium with a 25-20 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday in the season opener.
Just like last year's season opener vs. the Detroit Lions, it wasn't pretty, but at the end of the day, the Eagles are 1-0 entering Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings in their home opener Thursday night.
Here are three takeaways from the win.
Eagles' offense looked nothing like 2022
The explosive Eagles offense that ranked top three in the NFL last season didn't step foot on the field Sunday in Foxborough. They lacked big plays, weren't in rhythm and didn't spread the ball around enough to their top playmakers.
The Eagles finished the game with 252 yards of total offense. Their lowest yard total in 2022 was vs. the Washington Commanders in Week 10 with 264, so Sunday would've been the worst offensive game in the 2022 season.
By simply looking at Hurts' stats: 22 for 32, 170 yards, one touchdown, an 89.2 passer rating to go along with 37 rushing yards and a fumble -- they're not the worst. But Hurts and the Eagles' offense were never in sync Sunday and his fumble nearly cost them the game.
Hurts missed several pass catchers while going through his progressions, particularly tight end Dallas Goedert on a play when he fired a ball deep the A.J. Brown in double coverage.
The play-calling from first-year offensive coordinator Brian Johnson was suspect, to say the least. The weather might've played a factor, but they were too conservative. The majority of Hurts' passes didn't travel farther than 20 yards down the field.
As evidenced by last year, the Eagles' offense works best when Hurts is attacking downfield to his top three pass catchers -- Goedert, Brown and DeVonta Smith. Brown and Smith finished the game with 10 targets apiece, but Goedert was uninvolved.
Goedert only had one target, and that wasn't until the second half. That should never happen again.
The Eagles were gifted a defensive touchdown and short field on their only offensive touchdown to take a 16-0 lead in the first quarter, but then never found the end zone again.
Here's how the Eagles' possessions went after the Smith touchdown in the first quarter:
- Punt
- Punt
- Punt
- Punt
- End of half (1 play)
- Field goal
- Field goal
- Field goal
- Fumble
The Eagles were clearly rusty, and head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game he would reevaluate playing starters in the preseason next year -- the starters didn't play last month.
Plus, the running back usage was odd. Rashaad Penny, who was signed by the Eagles in free agency, was a healthy scratch. D'Andre Swift barely got any touches. He finished the game with one carry for 3 yards and one reception.
How the running back rotation played out in the regular season was a storyline to watch and it was clearly the Kenneth Gainwell show. He nearly got 20 touches -- 14 carries and four receptions.
But the Eagles should get Swift and Penny more involved as the season progresses.
Middle of the defense exposed
Heading into the 2023 season, the Eagles' linebackers and safeties were the biggest question marks on defense. Both position groups were exposed vs. the Patriots.
New England continued to attack the middle of the Eagles' defense with tight end Hunter Henry.
In his first start with the green dot at linebacker, Nakobe Dean left the game with a foot injury. Dean had seven tackles in the win, but it wasn't an ideal start for the Georgia product. He'll need a quick turnaround if he hopes to play Thursday night in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.
If Dean can't go, Christian Elliss would likely get the start in his place alongside Zach Cunningham.
At safety, Reed Blankenship had a solid afternoon, finishing with 12 total tackles and two pass deflections. But Justin Evans was underwhelming in his start next to Blankenship.
Maybe we see rookie Sydney Brown or veteran Terrell Edmunds starting next to Blankenship in Week 2.
The middle of the Eagles' defense will be tested once again vs. the Vikings with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.
Carter, Davis, bright spots for Eagles
For the majority of the game, the Eagles' pass rush was nowhere to be found. It was surprising given the Patriots were down multiple starters on their offensive line.
But, some of the bright spots in this ugly win were the young Georgia products -- defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Jalen Carter recorded six pressures, which is the most by any rookie defensive tackle over the last five seasons.
Carter recorded the first sack of his NFL career and it came at a huge moment with less than one minute in the fourth quarter with the Patriots threatening to take the lead and ultimately win the game. He was in the pocket all game, and nearly had multiple sacks in the contest.
The rook came up big on his first career sack@breadmanjalen | #FlyEaglesFly
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 11, 2023
📺: #MINvsPHI on 9/14 on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/qbuIppbOC5
Davis recorded a half a sack to go along with six tackles and one quarterback hit. He also forced a fumble on Ezekiel Elliott. The fumble was recovered by Cunningham, which led to a Smith touchdown a few plays later.
With the Eagles' veterans on the defensive line like Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham one year older, it's crucial for younger players like Carter and Davis to make an impact this season.