Eagles @ Saints
Final Score: Eagles 15 – Saints 12
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
After a meltdown against the Falcons on Monday night, the Eagles traveled down to Louisiana to take on the red-hot Saints. An opening drive field goal was all the Saints could muster until the fourth quarter as Philadephia’s defense forced four punts and a turnover on downs. Meanwhile, the Eagles offense was able to move the ball down the field but was stymied by an interception, sack fumble, and two failed attempts at fourth-down conversions. Saquon Barkley broke off a 65-yard touchdown for the Eagles to take a 7-3 lead early in the fourth. Another field goal and a touchdown from Chris Olave put the Saints back in front momentarily, but Dallas Goedert‘s 61-yard reception set up Saquon’s go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion. With one minute left on the clock, Philly’s defense redeemed themselves from last week as Reed Blankenship intercepted Derrick Carr to seal the game.
Two Up
- Dallas Goedert – One of the best games of his career and the biggest beneficiary of the absence of A.J. Brown. Goedert was heavily involved throughout the game and turned a shallow crossing route into a massive 61-yard gain to set up the game-winning touchdown.
- Jalen Carter – The Eagles’ star defensive tackle has been quiet through the first two games of the year but made his mark on this one – blowing up rush attempts, pressuring Carr, and deflecting multiple passes at the line of scrimmage.
Two Down
- Both Teams’ Offensive Lines – Both the Saints and Eagles lost two starting linemen to injuries; the severity of these injuries is to be determined.
- Jake Elliott – Eagles’ Head Coach Nick Sirianni opted to attempt two separate fourth & short situations well within field goal range. Elliott’s only attempt was a 60-yarder which he failed to connect on. Elliott has proven himself to be one of the better kickers in the league, yet Sirianni’s aggressive playcalling limits his opportunities to get points on the board for his team.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 29/38, 311 Yards, 1 INT | 8 Attempts, 25 Yards, fumble
Hurts continued to show flashes of good and bad. He was fairly efficient through the air as he connected with Dallas Goedert and Devonta Smith for much of this game, and had a strong run for 21 yards. A few of his incompletions were smart plays to throw the ball away amidst pressure, except for two underthrown balls. On the other hand, he threw an interception as he forced the ball to the endzone, and a lackadaisical rollout resulted in a sack fumble that was recovered by the defense.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: 17 Attempts, 147 Yards, 2 TDs | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 9 Yards
It was odd to see Saquon not be given a single rush attempt in the entire first quarter, but his lack of participation obviously wouldn’t last. Barkley was fed the rock consistently through the remainder of the game as he gained respectable short chunk plays before exploding for a 65-yard touchdown late at the start of the fourth quarter. Any doubts that he’s not the same runner he was in college should be put in the dirt.
TAKE IT @Saquon!
65-YARD RUN FOR THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/644j4kcyAQ— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 22, 2024
Kenneth Gainwell: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards
Gainwell split opportunities to return kickoffs with Will Shipley and served as the substitute when Saquon needed a breather. It would be a surprise to see Gainwell on the field more given Saquon’s productivity, unless the team elects to manage their star back.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
A.J. Brown: DNP
Dallas Goedert: 11 Targets, 10 Receptions, 170 Yards
With A.J. Brown sidelined with an injured hamstring, Goedert filled those big shoes as he ran routes all over the field and was as reliable as Hurts could have hoped for. Getting looks in the screen game, as a shallow crosser, and longer throws over 15 air yards, Goedert stepped up big when the Eagles needed him most. Three plays went for over 30 yards apiece.
Devonta Smith: 10 Targets, 7 Receptions, 79 Yards
“The other” receiver in this offense had another solid and productive day. Almost all of his catches were in the 10-15 yard range, either in the middle of the field or comebacks up the sidelines. Hurts did look his way on a go route, but it was a poorly thrown ball due to being thrown under pressure. Another incompletion on the stat line was a target in the endzone that was intercepted – potentially Smith’s fault for not cutting his route sharp enough across the safety’s face (a route typically run by Brown). Smith left the game after taking a big hit in the fourth quarter and is being evaluated for a concussion.
Jahan Dotson: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 8 Yards
Parris Campbell: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 13 Yards
Johnny Wilson: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Britain Covey: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Derek Carr: 14/25 142 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | 2 Attempts, 3 Yards
This game is what you call a “heat-check”. After lighting it up for the first two games of the season, Carr struggled to handle the pressure brought by Vic Fangio’s defense and he couldn’t connect on any of his patented Shaheed bombs. The Saints relied heavily on the run game, and Carr was limited to short-to-intermediate depth passes as he failed to stretch the field. A pressure-induced interception on the final drive locked up the first loss of the season.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: 26 Attempts, 87 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 40 Yards
Klint Kubiak continues to run this Saints offense through Kamara, who had 29 touches on the day. A stout showing from the Eagles’ defense limited his production though, as his longest run of 16 yards was the only attempt that went for more than eight yards. He had an impressive catch on a wheel route as he jumped and reeled the ball in over the defender for a 27-yard gain. He appeared to be shaken up after a hit on the second-to-last drive of the game, but he returned to the field for the final two plays.
Jamaal Williams: 1 Attempt, -1 Yard | 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 0 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chris Olave: 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 86 Yards, 1 TD
Four of Olave’s receptions were on out-breaking routes, including his touchdown in the corner of the endzone. His longest catch on the day was a 29-yard strike up the middle of the field, finding the gap between the safeties. The Eagles’s secondary struggled to keep up with him as he created separation on every route he was targeted on, making for an easy 100% completion day.
Rashid Shaheed: 5 Targets, 0 Receptions
Three of Shaheed’s targets were on go-routes for the endzone, with all three being broken up by the defender. The other two targets were an out-route that was dangerously underthrown, making the break-up easy, and the Saints’ final offensive play of the game – Carr was pressured and threw an ill-advised ball into the middle of the field that was intercepted.
Mason Tipton: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 11 Yards
Foster Moreau: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Cedrick Wilson Jr.: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Taysom Hill: DNP