Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 9/9/19.

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8 things we learned from the Eagles’ Week 1 comeback win over Washington - BGN
Carson Wentz is looking like he’s back to his 2017 form and that’s kind of a big deal. There were a number of moments on Sunday where it really felt like we were watching the Wentz we saw in 2017. You know, that one who was easily on track to win NFL MVP. Part of what made Wentz so special that year was his clutch performance on third down. Against Washington, Wentz completed 11 of his 12 third down attempts for 197 yards and three passing touchdowns (h/t Reuben Frank). That’s crazy efficiency. Wentz also completed eight of his nine attempts while under pressure for 132 yards, two touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating (h/t PFF). There were a number of plays where Wentz was ability to use his mobility to get him out of trouble and fire off a pass to an open target. Or, in the case of Alshon Jeffery’s receiving touchdown, fire off a pass to a really tight window. Just look at this ball placement!

The Kist & Solak Show #115: Eagles-Washington Week 1 Recap - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak react to the Eagles 32-27 Week 1 win over Washington! How concerned was the gang in the first half? Who gets the Game Ball (DeSean, duh)? And much more! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Washington game - PhillyVoice
OK, so Wentz was always good, but his performance on Sunday should sway some naysayers who were skeptical of his abilities because he got hurt a few times. On the day, Wentz was 28-for-39 for 313 yards, three TDs, zero INTs, and a QB rating of 121.0. He found Jackson and Alshon Jeffery twice each for touchdowns, except that one of the Jeffery passes went backwards, was considered a lateral, and Jeffery got credit for a rushing touchdown. Wentz faced a 17-0 deficit that wasn’t really his fault in any way, but he stayed poised and simply made plays, leading an impressive comeback for a win. (To note, that won’t actually count as a “comeback” in the stat sheet, since the Eagles were never behind in the 4th quarter, which just goes to show how stupid that stat is.) Wentz can absolutely have an MVP-caliber season in 2019, and, well, he’s off to a good start.

A Great Half - Iggles Blitz
My biggest takeaway is that Carson Wentz is back. His numbers were great (28-39-313 with 3 TDs), but the eye test was even more impressive. He made good decisions. He made good pre-snap adjustments. Wentz threw the ball well downfield. He moved outside the pocket and bought time for his receivers to get open. Wentz was 3 for 3 on QB sneaks. I loved the fact that he spread the ball around so naturally. Wentz looked for the open guy. He trusted the design of the plays and his eyes. He wasn’t forcing the ball to anyone. DeSean is going to be a difference-maker. When DBs make a mistake with him, it means a TD for the Eagles. The Eagles only had two TDs of 50 or more yards in all of 2018. DeSean had two of them in the opener. It is hard to quantify just how important those plays are.

The day after: Eagles lean on past experience, refuse to panic down 17-0 - The Athletic
Howard ran for 44 yards on just six carries, though he seemed to be used in something of a “closer” role to punish the worn-down Washington run defense in the fourth quarter. Sanders’ totals were unimpressive (just 25 yards on 11 carries and one catch for 2 yards), but he showed the kind of juice that was promised on a 21-yard touchdown run that was called back for a ticky-tack holding penalty on JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Sanders also looked comfortable when called upon in blitz protection. Sproles will remain a part of the Eagles’ offense as long as he stays healthy. There’s no doubt that he’s the back whom Pederson trusts the most. But it says here that his playing time is likely to edge down after Week 1 while both Sanders and Howard’s roles increase.

NFL Week 1 PFF ReFocused: Philadelphia Eagles 32, Washington Redskins 27 - PFF
DeSean Jackson torched Washington’s defense all afternoon in his first game back in Philadelphia. Jackson scored two touchdowns of 50-plus yards and will be a deep-threat target for Carson Wentz all season long. Rookie running Miles Sanders broke off a nice 19-yard gain but otherwise was held in check all day. With Jordan Howard and Darren Sproles each racking up over 40 yards with their limited carries, it may be a while before Sanders sees an increased role in the Eagles’ offense.

Phenomenal second half from Carson Wentz, Eagles offense turns opener around - PE.com
Nobody would divulge the exact phrasing that wide receiver DeSean Jackson used to speak to his teammates at halftime of Sunday’s 32-27 season-opening win over Washington at Lincoln Financial Field, but he was animated. He was excited. The Eagles were trailing 20-7 and the fans who were beyond amped to get this 2019 campaign started let the team have a heartful of emotion as the players ran toward the locker room after two quarters. “I’m going to keep what DeSean said to myself, within the team,” offensive guard Brandon Brooks said, “but he was pretty fired up. I think it helped get some guys’ attention. We had urgency – it’s impossible not to when you start the game down 17-0 – but we needed to get ourselves into a different mindset in the second half and we did that.”

Week 1: On Cusp of Antonio Brown Addition, Patriots Roll Steelers and Tom Brady Says: ‘Let’s Go Do It’ - FMIA
The thought process: In training camp, Pederson told me he coached too conservatively last year, unlike his bold 2017 season that ended in the Eagles’ first Super Bowl victory. “I want to coach aggressive,” Pederson told me on my camp visit. “That’s what I gotta get back to. Last year was not my mentality. I’ve learned from that.” And on Sunday, Pederson said post-game he thought it was “a no-brainer. It was just inside a yard [to go]. I knew I was gonna go for it. We had success on the QB sneaks early in the game. I was coming right back to it.” The analytics: Eric Eager of PFF reports: “There have been fewer than 130 plays when a team went for it on fourth down before the fourth quarter and inside of their own 35 since 2006. The play carried significant weight for the Eagles, roughly a 33 percent proposition to win the game at the time. Punting in that situation would have made the Eagles probability of winning the game the same, while converting the first down would increase their win probability to 40 percent. Converting on all run plays for a team with the strengths of the Eagles against a team with the strength of Washington is roughly a 73-percent proposition, and given the historical rates of quarterback sneaks, likely higher in this instance. Thus, going for it did have some risk, but the benefits outweighed the cost.”

Eye-Opening Weekend: Lamar Jackson, Sammy Watkins, Dak Prescott and the Pats Light It Up - MMQB
Lots to like about Philadelphia coming out of its opener, in which the Eagles turned a 17-0 deficit into a 32-20 win, and validated the optimism that swirled around the spring and summer. And I gotta say, the fact that DeSean Jackson (eight catches, 154 yards, two TDs) is still toasting guys like he did Sunday is amazing. He turns 33 in December.

Malcolm Jenkins: ‘We deserved all the boos’ - NBCSP
“We deserved all the boos,” the veteran Pro Bowl safety said at his locker. “We heard them. When you play well, these fans will be with you every step of the way, and they’ll love you. But if you deserve the boos, you’ll hear them. That’s one of the reasons I love playing here.”

Sixers’ Mike Scott Wears Washington Jersey To Eagles Tailgate, Gets Into Fight With Fans [Updates] - Deadspin
Rumors hit late morning that Scott was involved in an altercation. Just before gametime, an account tweeted and quickly deleted a Snapchat video of a fight. It shows a person, dressed exactly as Scott is in that earlier photo, briefly fighting what appears to be two other people. Football season is back, baby!

Washington late score vs. Eagles marks first backdoor cover of NFL season - DraftKings Nation
The Eagles had a tough time in Week 1, but they stormed back from a 17-0 deficit to beat Washington. We saw a late Washington score for a backdoor cover, but it was NOT a bad beat.

Redskins Start Hot, Fade Fast in 32-27 Week 1 Loss To Eagles - Hogs Haven
The Redskins held a 17-0 lead over the Eagles early in the second quarter after entering the game as 10.5-point underdogs. From there, Philadelphia outscored Washington 32-10 despite being down 20-7 at halftime and escaped Week 1 with a 32-27 win.

Report: Chris Lindstrom may have fractured foot - The Falcoholic
I’m not going to sugarcoat how much this would suck. Lindstrom isn’t great just yet, but he had the potential to be great sooner than later, and playing time was the way he was going to get there. Depending on how severe the fracture is, where it is, etc., Lindstrom will likely miss anywhere from eight weeks to the entire season. This is a huge blow for the Falcons and a huge bummer for Lindstrom. [BLG Note: The Eagles play the Falcons on Sunday Night Football in Week 2.]

Daniel Jones fumbles during garbage time drive vs. Cowboys - Big Blue View
Unfortunately, that 5-yard run was New York’s last offensive play of the game. Jones fumbled the ball as he hit the ground, Chidobe Awuzie recovered and the Cowboys offense ran out the clock to seal the victory. “I just didn’t do a good job keeping the ball,” Jones said. “I held it to my body and let it go. I’ve got to make sure I’m secure with the ball.” Fumbles were a cause for concern for the rookie quarterback during the preseason as well.

Nick Foles injury: Jaguars quarterback breaks left clavicle, out indefinitely - Big Cat Country
“This one’s worse than 2014,” Foles said after the game. “But I’m optimistic it will heal quicker.” [...] The typical return time for a broken clavicle is anywhere from 6-8 weeks, but hearing surgery will be needed and Foles’ description of the injury himself, doesn’t leave a strong feeling of optimism of his return being on the lower end of that number.

What’s next for the Jaguars at QB now that Nick Foles is out with a broken clavicle? - SB Nation
The clear-cut best free agent quarterback right now is Colin Kaepernick, a legitimate NFL starter who led a team to a Super Bowl. He’s been blackballed out of the league for two seasons for protesting racial inequality during the national anthem, but all indications are that he’s continued to prepare for an opportunity if one arrives. A safer assumption is that the Jaguars — like every other team for two years — will sign a lesser player instead. Among the former starters on the market are Matt Cassel, Brock Osweiler, and Brandon Weeden. Yikes. Sifting through that tier of quarterbacks doesn’t look like a viable path to an AFC South title. [BLG Note: There’s been some speculation the Jaguars could re-sign Cody Kessler.]

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