- The Philadelphia Eagles awoke from a first-half nightmare to win 34-14 over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Chip Kelly's team scored 34 unanswered points after getting down 17-0 at halftime. *
Here is what we learned:
- Nick Foles' luck didn't carry over from 2013. The quarterback lost fumbles on the first two drives of the game and tossed a terrible interception in the end zone. He often threw high or off-target, floated passes and held the ball way too long in the pocket. Foles made plays in the second half to lead the comeback, but it was far from a reassuring performance.
- Allen Hurns burst into the national consciousness with a phenomenal first quarter. The undrafted rookie's first two catches went for touchdowns and his third was a 46-yard snag. Fellow rookie Marqise Lee made some great catches as the game progressed as well. The future is bright in Jacksonville.
- Zach Ertz started the season as predicted. He runs the seam well and went up and got several floating passes. He's going to be Foles' security blanket.
- The Darren Sproles Effect reared its head on a 49-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 that shook the Eagles out of their funk. His speed in the open space provided by Kelly's offense was evident whenever he was on the field.
- It was a quintessential Chad Henne game. He made good throws early and allowed his receivers to make plays. As Henne is wont to do, however, he proceeded to miss too many throws NFL quarterbacks should make. The Jags' offense sputtered as a result. Given the optimism early in the game, the drum beat for Blake Bortles is going to get louder.
- It's hard to tell which Eagles defense was the real one. The one that looked like it couldn't stop a Big Ten offense or the one that swarmed the ball in the second half?
- All-Pro guard Evan Mathisleft the game with a knee injury. It could be a big loss if he misses a substantial amount of time.
- The Jags' lack of roster depth was evident. It's a process, Jags fans. Don't give up hope yet.
The latest "Around The NFL Podcast" covers the Falcons' impressive offense, RGIII's struggles and recaps all Sunday's Week 1 action.
