Top Storylines From Eagles Week 1 Postgame Presser

Despite three turnovers on offense, the Philadelphia Eagles hung on to defeat the Green Bay Packers , 34-29. After a slow start, the offense locked in and ran the ball effectively, while also finding some success in the passing game with A.J. Brown .

A win is a win, but this felt like a game that the Eagles stole. They were all over in the passing game, and their secondary was still struggling throughout the night, as Jordan Love threw for 260 yards before exiting with a leg injury. If the Eagles want to prove to be legitimate contenders, they’re going to need to be better in the secondary, and limit the number of turnovers on offense.

But ultimately, wins are hard to come by in the NFL , and the Eagles beat a talented Packers team. After dropping six of their last seven games to end the 2023 season, it’s promising to see them get back on track to start the 2024 season.

Increased Use Of Motion

Kellen Moore’s historically high use of motion helped the Eagles offense get into a rhythm as the game progressed.

Kellen Moore made his impact immediately in his first game as the Eagles offensive coordinator, as the offense put up 410 total yards and won the time of possession.

Clearly, Jalen Hurts was far more productive when Moore implemented motion into the offense. It was practically a brand-new offense for Hurts and the rest of the Eagles offense to learn, but it was beneficial in helping them eliminate turnovers and become more efficient in the passing game. Seeing that both of Hurts’ interceptions came when they didn’t use motion, shows when the Eagles’ quarterback felt the most comfortable in this new offense.

With the increased use of motion, and a more condensed passing game, the Eagles should be much more efficient and eliminate some of the unnecessary turnovers that they had last year, and tonight.

Saquon Barkley’s Debut

In his Eagles debut, Barkley scored three touchdowns and finished with over 130 total yards.

One of the biggest storylines heading into this game was Barkley making his Eagles debut, after he signed a lucrative contract this offseason. The Eagles invested heavily in signing Barkley, and it appears to have paid off. His first game as an Eagle was about as impressive as it could be, as he completed the hat trick.

While the passing game was inconsistent throughout the night, turning the ball over three times, Barkley showcased all of his traits in the run game, and made a huge touchdown catch to get the Eagles in the end zone first.

This catch would go down in the record books as the first NFL touchdown to ever occur in South America. From that moment on, Barkley never really slowed down. He was elusive in the run game, using his speed to get downhill quickly, while using his ability to make defenders miss to break open a few big plays.

Despite how good of a game he had in Week 1, Barkley was very humble in his postgame press conference, as he compared his situation with the Eagles to when he was with the New York Giants .

Barkley didn’t have that type of talent surrounding him in New York, so his situation is completely different now. From his first game as an Eagle, the sky appears to be the limit for their new running back.

Improvements From The Linebacker Group

Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean were impressive after a year when the Eagles’ linebacker group was the defense’s biggest weakness.

A year after the Eagles’ Achilles heal was their linebacker room, it looked completely different with strong performances from newly acquired Zack Baun, and third-year player, Nakobe Dean.

Both players were all over the field, making crucial tackles, while also providing support in coverage. Dean was a highly coveted player coming out of Georgia, but he fell in the 2022 NFL Draft due to injury concerns. After a challenging first two seasons, it appears he’s finally putting things together.

Vic Fangio also sought out Baun, who had played four years with the New Orleans Saints . Baun signed with the Eagles on a one-year deal in free agency, and it’s already paying dividends as he was the team’s leading tackler.

Not only does the linebacker room appear to be an improvement, but it could be a strength with the emergence of Dean and Baun.

All stats are courtesy of ESPN.