There’s nothing better than starting a regular season on a positive, and Philadelphia is on the plus side of the action after a sloppy, 25-20 win over the New England Patriots.
Kenneth Gainwell got the start at running back, while Jalen Hurts took the field for official game action for the first time since February’s Super Bowl loss.
Buy Eagles TicketsThe Eagles jumped out to a 16-0 lead off the back of two Patriots turnovers but surrendered 14 points heading into halftime.
Philadelphia was able to hold on in the second half, securing a much-needed season-opening win with the Minnesota Vikings heading to Lincoln Financial Field for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime.
Here are the studs and duds from Week 1.
Stud--Jalen Carter
The All-American defensive tackle recorded his first NFL sack, but his performance was about more than that one stat.
Jalen Carter recorded 6 pressures and a sack on 32 pass rushes in his NFL debut, tied for the most pressures by any rookie defensive tackle in a game over the last five seasons.#PHIvsNE | #FlyEaglesFly
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 11, 2023
Dud--OC Brian Johnson
It is just one game, and Shane Steichen had some bad outings in his first season, but Johnson’s debut as a play-caller in the rain at Gillette Stadium left a lot be desired.
Philadelphia jumped out to a 16-point lead after two early New England turnovers.
They proceeded to gain a net of two yards on their next five drives.
Only Nick Sirianni can explain D’Andre Swift’s 18 snaps on Sunday, and outside of a few Jalen Hurts scrambles or timely throws on the outside, the Eagles were able to win because of the severe talent gap on both eams.
Dud--DC Sean Desai
The play-caller was different, but Philadelphia again allowed Mac Jones to comfortably operate from the pocket until late in the game when Jalen Carter logged his first career sack.
Jones was 35-54 passing, for 316-yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
The Eagles forced two turnovers, and were improved against the run with the return of Jordan Davis, but Philadelphia will have to improve up-front with Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson heading to town.
Stud-- K Jake Elliott
Elliott is approaching Justin Tucker status with his reliability in the biggest moments.
On Sunday, Elliott carried the Eagles, finishing 4-for-4 on the afternoon, including blasting a 56-yard kick that was good.
Stud--A.J. Brown
Brown got off to a solid start on Sunday, logging 7 catches, for 79-yards on 10 targets in the rain.
Dud--Dallas Goedert
It’s not his fault, but a potential Pro Bowl and All-Pro tight end shouldn’t go without a catch or target.
Stud--Reed Blankenship
The second-year safety is always in the mix and opened up his second season with a 12-tackle performance on the road.
Stud--Jordan Daivs
The second-year defensive tackle had six tackles, .5 sacks, and one quarterback hit.
Stud-- Darius Slay
The Eagles won by five points on Sunday, and Big Play Slay provided a touchdown on a 70-yard interception return of a tipped Mac Jones pass.
