Football season is finally back and for Eagles fans, tonight was one of sheer excitement. The preseason opener certainly started off that way, but it ended very differently as the Eagles fell to a disappointing 24-9 loss. What did we learn? Here are some quick hitters before our full breakdown of the game tomorrow.
Bryce Treggs makes a statement:
If I asked you before the game which receiver would lead the Eagles in yards after the first preseason opener, I highly doubt you would have said Bryce Treggs. After his hot start to his rookie campaign cooled off, Treggs was lost in the echo when the Eagles bought in some superstar talent outside. Don’t write him off just yet however. Tonight, Treggs caught 7 passes for 91 yards in just 3 quarters. Flashing his blistering speed and some reliable hands, Treggs certainly looked the part against Green Bay and maybe rekindled a fire that many assumed was close to burning out.
Fumble young man fumble:
The Eagles simply couldn’t keep hold of the football against the Packers. There were a total of five fumbles committed by the team and even though one was recovered by McGloin, it simply isn’t acceptable. The Eagles only hurt themselves here. Both Trey Burton and Billy Brown fumbled, as did Donnel Pumphrey and David Watford. It certainly raises a few points of emphasis for the next seven days.
Complete lack of rushing attack:
At halftime, the Eagles had a total of 20 rushing yards. By the end of the fourth quarter they had amassed a total of just 41. If that doesn’t sound bad, the fact that Matt McGloin was forced to throw 42 times should. Shades of last season embedded themselves into the DNA of this game. Every attempt up the middle was thwarted as the O-Line failed to get any kind of consistent push. The Eagles most successful runs came on outside runs. Up the gut, it was simply a no man’s land.
Quarterback competition:
The stats may paint a nice picture for Matt McGloin. 28/42 for 205 yards and just 1 INT…but the tape tells a very different story. One in which the Dane Train was pleaded for during the third quarter. Upon his arrival in the fourth, the former Tulsa QB began slinging darts over the middle and airing out deep passes. He may have only completed 3/8 passes and it’s safe to say McGloin got the bigger workload, but Evans moved the chains with much more ease in his limited time on the field. If Foles continues to miss time with elbow soreness, one has to wonder just how much of a QB competition there is.
Cornerbacks struggle:
To put it simply, the Eagles cornerbacks struggled heavily. The only two who didn’t were debatably Jalen Mills and Aaron Grymes. Mills made some big tackles early on, while Grymes showed his versatility in sacking the quarterback in a blitz scenario. From Patrick Robinson being burned after being sold on a slant route, to the likes of C.J Smith who started poorly and bounced back, the unit couldn’t find the consistency it craved. Rasul Douglas had a quiet night and Mitchell White eventually let up a touchdown. Tay Glover-Wright’s debut for the Eagles was less than impressive, and Jomal Wiltz allowed a huge play at the end of the game. To put it bluntly, we knew it was a problem…but now the proof is in the pudding. If help isn’t on the way, the Eagles corners are in trouble.
Mack Truck:
The Eagles only scored one touchdown against Green Bay but it was a beauty. Mack Hollins put on a clinic on the route below to haul in his first career score.
https://twitter.com/LiamJenkins21/status/895802900634517504
Hollins caught 4 passes for 64 yards, as the big target continuously shifted away from traffic and showed just how explosive he can be. The Eagles may have found a gem in the formerly underused UNC wideout.
Barnett breakout:
Before the game, I predicted that the rookie pass rusher would get his first NFL sack along with five tackles. He may have only had four, but two sacks in his first NFL outing is pretty damn impressive. Schooling third string left tackles, if Barnett was on the field he was very rarely not in the backfield disrupting the play. Needless to say, Barnett’s sheer explosiveness was a vital cog in the Eagles Defensive efforts which resulted in 5 team sacks. Barnett was easily the player of the game…at least in my eyes.
Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
