USA Today
Ten Day-After Observations from Eagles' Victory Against the Commanders
Here are my 10 day-after observations from the Eagles’ 24-8 win over the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field in Week 3:
Eagles receivers
OK, I tried. I just can’t come up with a better group of Eagles receivers one through four than what is currently on this team. And the 1-2 punch of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, or DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, if you prefer, is second to none that has come previously.
Why?
Brown is physical.
Smith is just smooth all around.
Quez Watkins is lightning in a bottle.
Zach Pascal is an upgrade over Jalen Reagor and Greg Ward combined.
Throw in tight end Dallas Goedert and three running backs who can catch out of the backfield and, well, who do defenses try to take away?
A question without an answer.
The point guard
That is Jalen Hurts, who’s bringing all these weapons together and has such good chemistry with them that he is confident that if he throws the ball up, one of them will make a play.
It’s reminiscent of Nick Foles who did that in the 2017 postseason with Alshon Jeffery. Except Hurts can do it with two WRs - Brown and Smith.
“The work we put in, in the offseason is supposed to show in times like this,” said Hurts. “That trust we have in one another, being on the same page to see it pan out now is great.”
Third-down Brown
The WR came into the game tied for 8th in the league among third-down receiving leaders with four catches for 72 yards on that down. He added two more receptions on Sunday and another 24 yards, with a touchdown, and is now up to 6-for-94 on third down.
Fourth downs
The Eagles were two-for-three on that down, with one conversion being the touchdown catch from DeVonta Smith as time ran out on the first half. The other came at the end of the game which allowed the Eagles’ offense to finish the game with the ball in its hands, something head coach Nick Sirianni loves.
The fourth down success was helpful when you consider the Eagles were just 5-for-15 (33.3%) on third down, well below their season average of 56.6%, which was second best in the league entering the day.
The one the Eagles missed was the fourth-and-1 jet sweep to Zach Pascal that only got back to the line of scrimmage at the Washington 8.
Washington was stacking the box looking for a Jalen Hurts sneak.
Sirianni said the Eagles should’ve called timeout.
It didn’t bite the Eagles in the long run, but it did halt a drive that had picked up four straight first downs – there of them covered 13 plays. They were a Miles Sanders run and completions to Smith and Pascal. Brown had a 38-yard catch for the other one.
T.J. the menace
The linebacker may be first in line for a contract extension if he keeps up his excellent play. He had a second straight game with 10 tackles and is the second-highest graded linebacker in the league by Pro Football Focus with an 84.9 grade.
It is a well-deserved grade. Edwards has controlled the middle of the field.
Siposs’ day
Just when you think maybe Arryn Siposs’ job could be in jeopardy, the punter pulls out a 53-yard boot that somehow stops at the Washington 6. He had two punts earlier that went into the end zone for touchbacks and dinged his net average, with one netting 29, the other 24.
Still, the punter who some fans don’t this is doing a good enough job finished with an average of 46.2 yards on six punts, with a net of 39.5.
He also has the confidence of kicker Jake Elliott as Elliott’s holder on field goals and PATs.
Wildgoose tamed
The stats show Quez Watkins without any catches, but Sirianni looked at something else.
“He forced some PI calls that were chunk yardage,” the coach said. “We count those as explosive plays.”
Rachad Wildgoose, getting his first defensive snaps of the season with William Jackson out, was victimized both times. The PIs combined to give the Eagles 40 yards and two first downs.
Draft watch
The Saints lost their second in a row and are now 1-2. The Eagles own New Orleans’ first-round pick next spring, so the Saints watch is officially on.
Mike Quick jersey
Nick Sirianni wore Quick’s No. 82 to the stadium and then to his postgame press conference.
The coach explained why.
“I was a big Mike Quick fan growing up,” he said. “I really was. … He had great success here in Washington against Darrell Green. I’m taking Mike Quick over Art Monk any day.”
Monk is in the Hall of Fame. In 27 games against the Eagles, he was 15-12 with 101 catches for 1,299 yards (12.86 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns.
Quick played 15 career games against Washington and was 4-11 with 42 receptions for 784 yards (18.67 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns.
3-0 start
What does it mean?
“It means that it’s a good start,” said Sirianni. “…We compare it to a 17-round heavyweight boxing match. You go down and sit in your corner after each round and if you think you’re too good after that round, this league does a good job of smacking you in the teeth if you do that.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
