And here… we… go! For all the roster bubble players and backups looking to climb the depth chart, the time is now! To the credit of the second stringers, they made the Jets sweat until the last possession, even though they lost.
Almost Plays
Tay Gowan Forced Fumble
If this pass wasn’t bobbled, this was 100% going for six. It’s admittedly unfair to penalize Gowan for the receiver’s failure to catch, and he is worthy of praise for creating the pass breakup, but looking back, one can only imagine how the trajectory of the game would’ve changed if that was a turnover instead of an incompletion. The highlight is 19 seconds into the clip.
Hurts TD
This was shades of last season, which made me nervous considering how many plays were recalled last season due to a lack of discipline on offense. Fortunately, Hurts found Goedert for six on the very next play. This was probably best for Hurts since this saved him from being labeled a running back.
Group Plays
Kick Returns
Punt returner has been a thorn in our side for the past couple of years. It’s been difficult to watch PRs/KRs desperately scramble for yardages and not know when to field punts, so getting to the point where we field three kicks for 87 yards is promising to say the least.
SEC And You Shall Find
The Eagles are quickly becoming familiar with the talent that has been festering in the SEC for years. Two of the newest additions, Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis, quickly made their presence felt. Dean made five tackles and Davis had to be triple-teamed by the poor souls that were tasked with holding him back. Hopefully, between these two, Devonta Smith, and maybe even Jalen Hurts, this will lead to the Eagles organization not overthinking the answers right in front of them.
Individual Plays
Big Play Tay
Gowan was a guy I was pondering having the Eagles draft in 2021. Since he’s arrived, he’s become both a fan favorite and someone that’s flown under the radar. If he continues to play his role, however, he may well be on his way to moving his way up the depth chart. It’s a good sign whenever a fan can put together a compilation of different plays from a game.
Kyzir White Pick
A good way of ingratiating oneself into a new team is to make a big play the first game they are part of. White sat on the y receiver’s comeback route thanks to Zach Wilson staring down his receiver, giving the Eagles prime real estate for points, letting Minshew score without issue.
Huntley TD
Coaches preach complimentary football all the time. Takeaways statistically improve the performance of the offense, especially when they get those turnovers at the one yard line. Side note: the Eagles offense owes Kyzir White a dinner after setting him up at the 20.
Hurts 6/6
This wasn’t a TD, but Hurts having a perfect rating on the first drive could possibly be significant of something more important: Hurts’ consistency as a passer. There’s little question that Hurts elevated Philadelphia with his legs last year, but for them to get where they want to be, he needs to be an excellent passer/processor as well. I know this was just against the Jets, but Hurts having a healthy blend of running and passing gives optimism for the season
Goedert TD
After Hurts drove the team down the field, he capitalized with a strike to Dallas Goedert, who barreled past two defenders and dove backwards into the end zone. Hurts was criticized for not targeting tight ends enough in 2021, so it was nice to see him targeting the middle of the field. This opens up the defense even more and gives the opposing team an extra layer to think about.
Reid Sinnett Conversion
A field goal would have done just fine here, but it would have served little in the evaluation of players. So, Sirianni decided to be bold and go for it on fourth and short. Sinnet needed something here to prove he deserved to be on the roster, to assert himself as QB3, and he delivered with a clutch conversion. If the special team and defense didn’t sell, this would have been a very satisfying ending.
Kennedy Brooks TD
Speaking of people with something to prove, after his clutch conversion, Sinnett found Kennedy Brooks (who?) to the right of the field for an easy six points. I’m not sure about anyone else, but the pass reminded me of Foles’ pass to Golden Tate in 2018 against the Bears.
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Dylan Patrowicz is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Dylan, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
