The NFL season is off to a great start between the nail biter we got in Kansas City and then the shootout we got last night in Brazil. With sloppy field conditions and a lack of reps both secondaries struggled throughout this one allowing big play after big play. The brilliance of Packers HC Matt LaFleur and Eagles OC Kellen Moore was on full display with the amount of wide-open players running through the secondary last night.
The Packers took the lead into the Half behind WR Jayden Reed’s two touchdowns in the 2nd quarter. In the 2nd half it was all Philly as they leaned into their star playmakers to get the job done. A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley combined for over 300 total yards. At the end of the game Packers star QB Jordan Love went down with a gruesome injury with his status for the rest of the season in question. Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from last night’s game.
Winners
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley
Saquon has suffered from a lack of weapons, poor offensive line play, and injuries throughout his time in New York. Last night we saw how great he can be when he is not the sole focus of the defense. Saquon went for 132 yards and 3 touchdowns in his Eagles debut. If he stays healthy this season he will be in for a BIG year on the Eagles.
Packers WR Jayden Reed
Reed had a monster performance last night and outshined every other weapon on the Packers. Reed had 5 touches for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. His big play ability was on full display last night taking plays that look like they are about to go for a minimal gain then taking it for a touchdown.
Eagles OC Kellen Moore
The Eagles offense is going to be very good under Kellen Moore. They were dynamic in their passing game while maintaining the parts of the running game that has worked in the past. Moore’s utilization of motion is making it harder for defenses to matchup with the Eagles elite weapons. Great hire.
Eagles LB Zach Baun
An offseason acquisition, Baun stepped in for the injured Devin White last night and was phenomenal. He was all over the field with 15 tackles and 2 sacks. Baun was a big part in limiting Packers RB Josh Jacobs for a majority of last night’s game. Baun might have earned himself a more prominent role going forward.
Losers
Packers QB Jordan Love
Aside from the Injury, Love had a shaky season opener last night. His accuracy was off last night finishing with a 50% completion percentage and consistently throwing behind receivers. With a poor defense, the Packers needed Love to hit those easy completions and take possessions away from the Eagles. Hoping we get to see him again this season.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
Hurts put up monster numbers last night in his first game under Kellen Moore. The expectation was for the Eagles to utilize the passing game more and Jalen Hurts to develop as a passer. There were moments last night where you were just confused on what Jalen Hurts decision making was. If the Eagles want to air it out, they can’t afford for Hurts to be so reckless with the ball.
Both Secondaries
They can blame the conditions all they want but both team’s secondaries got cooked all night. Before the night started everyone had questions about how well they would perform. There were multiple wide open big plays last night that just were uncovered or where a guy in the secondary could not wrap up. If both of these teams have super bowl hopes, they are going to need better performances from their secondaries.
The Tush Push
Seems like the magic of the tush push might have retired with Jason Kelce. There was a fumble and a failed conversion without Kelce. Those two miscues alone matched the two times the Tush Push failed all of last season. Looks like the Eagles will just have to use their star running back to convert on the goal line.
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