Uneven Start for DeVonta Smith Foreshadows Bright Future

PHILADELPHIA - DeVonta Smith didn't play well in his NFL debut and was still arguably the lone bright spot on Nick Sirianni's offense during a 35-0 drubbing at the hands of the New England Patriots on Thursday night.

The Eagles' first-round pick had just returned to practice earlier this week after his two-week absence due to a sprained MCL.

Smith played until halftime and had two receptions for 19 yards in four targets. That included one official drop and another that was erased by a New England penalty.

Smith also failed to haul in what would have been his biggest play of the night, a perfect Joe Flacco back-shoulder fade in which Smith didn't get his head around quickly enough to adjust to the football, instead of flailing awkwardly for it.

"[It] looked like he was a little antsy at first," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. "Dropped a couple of balls, and he was a little late with his eyes on the deep ball that Joe threw him.

"He made a couple of plays there. That's what happens with young wideouts. They have to play and go through the ups and downs a little bit, and the preseason is for that to happen."

Many fans tried to defend Smith on social media putting the blame on Flacco for the back-shoulder throw, failing to realize what went on during the play.

To his credit, Smith admitted he should have done a better job on the play just like Sirianni.

Flacco, the veteran Super Bowl winner, did try his best to protect the rookie.

"It’s just kind of feel," Flacco said of that type of throw. "When you take your drop and you see how he’s doing on his route. Was he pressed to begin with? That usually has something to do with it.

"He’s one of those guys that most of the time you’re going to expect him to get a good release and run by the guy, or at least put himself in good position to throw it over the top, but that’ just kind of how I saw that one and how it played out."

Smith, though, wasn't mincing words.

"I took too long to look back at the ball," the reigning Heisman Trophy winner said. "That’s a great throw from Joe. I just have to do my part."

The real positive to Smith's game was his route-running skills which were as advertised. He easily beat coverage at the line of scrimmage with his uncanny quickness and explosive movement skills out of the block.

"He ran a good route on that return route on a third down," Sirianni said. "Thought he ran a couple other good routes, too. Again, we will look at the tape to see totally how he played, but I'm glad he got in there and was able to play a good, meaningful first half and take a couple hits and have to go against some of those tight coverage looks he had to get."

Smith also embraced the constructive criticism.

"I know what I did wrong," he said. "I have to focus on catching the ball, that’s what it is. Taking my eyes away too early. There’s nothing else to it. Those are plays I have to make."

Now that the hurdles of the early drops were cleared with two receptions, Smith believes the issue is already behind him.

"I could say that’s kind of how it is when you’re having a rough time catching the ball, then once you get that first one, it’s like OK, I got it now, so just getting back into it," said Smith.

Smith, however, didn't lean on Jalen Hurts' stomach infection resulting in a late scratch for the QB1 as any kind of excuse.

"Honestly, I really didn’t notice it until the first play, but it’s the NFL," he said. "It’s football. Next man up. We all here for a reason. We practice with each other every day, so it’s next man up. We have to roll with it and be ready to adapt."

Flacco has seen it all in a 14-year career insisted the sky isn't falling even though Philadelphia has been outscored 52-0 over its last six preseason quarters.

"It was just some little stuff here and there, stuff that you would expect to kind of connect on," said Flacco when discussing the Eagles' presumed top wideout. "It’s not like it was anything crazy down the field. I took a shot to him down the sideline.

"Obviously we would have liked to do a little bit better job but at the same time, I wouldn’t day it was anything crazy or pressing. It was good to see him get out there and run some routes against some press coverage and some physicality out there. That’s always good to get him out there and get him some action anyway."

Smith was average in his first test, but the signs are there to indicate he should be well above average with more in-game reps.

John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.