Few Week 1 games in Philadelphia Eagles history have had the hype of this Monday Night Football matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, as Chip Kelly’s offseason of change was going to be on display before a national audience.
The end result was a massive disappoint for Eagles fans though, as the team went down early, built a lead amidst a furious comeback, temporarily lost the lead, and then saw their opportunity end on a missed field goal and interception in the waning minutes.
Good football teams don’t play the way the Eagles did, and it was a team loss if there ever was one. Penalties, missed field goals, poor offensive chemistry, and a lack of pass rush or protection sealed the Eagles’ fate. For the Eagles to beat the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday, they’ll need a better performance from the following aspects of their team.
Cody Parkey
Something is clearly not right with Cody Parkey. After missing a field goal in two preseason contests, Parkey, a 2014 Pro Bowler as a rookie, rested his injured groin muscle in the following two while backup punter Kip Smith handled the kicking duties.
In Monday’s game, Parkey missed a 44-yard field goal at the most inopportune of times, with the Eagles dropping a two-point contest. Parkey took full blame afterwards, but it’s fair to wonder how badly he’s injured and how long Chip Kelly can put up with his missed kicks.
Nelson Agholor
The Philadelphia Eagles spent a first-round pick on Nelson Agholor and expected to see immediate dividends. Agholor profiles extremely similarly to that of Pro Bowler Jeremy Maclin, whom Chip Kelly just allowed to walk in free agency.
Agholor got the starting nod against the Atlanta Falcons, then proceeded to finish the game with just one catch for five yards. In all, Agholor played 59 snaps and ran 42 routes but was targeted just twice on pass plays (stats courtesy of PFF). He also committed a penalty.
It was a very disappointing debut for Agholor, who came in with the hype that he could be a 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate. That could still be the case for Agholor, who did have himself a very difficult matchup against top cover corner Desmond Trufant. But to see Kelly dial up a pass-first offensive game plan while Agholor failed to distinguish himself all night was frustrating.
Byron Maxwell
It was a miserable debut for the Philadelphia Eagles new $63 million cornerback. Byron Maxwell couldn’t contain Julio Jones, which puts him in equal company with the rest of the corners in the league.
But he couldn’t stop anyone. Roddy White got the best of him on all four pass attempts his way. Maxwell looked slow and nothing like the future All-Pro that Eagles fans were made to believe he was. Maxwell’s final numbers – 10 completions allowed on 11 attempts, plus an NFL-high 179 passing yards – were Nnamdi Aosmugha-esque.
Maxwell will face a Dez Bryant-less Dallas Cowboys team next week. If he struggles there, begin sounding the alarms.
Offensive Line
Chip Kelly inexplicably released All-Pro guard Evan Mathis following a contract dispute this offseason, and the Philadelphia Eagles could have used his help against Atlanta.
Filling in for Mathis was Allen Barbre, who rated per Pro Football Focus as a -3.9, allowing two quarterback hurries and receiving low marks in run-blocking.
It’s safe to say the Eagles could have used Mathis. The entire offensive line allowed Sam Bradford to be hit six times. Every single starter committed a penalty, with Jason Kelce being called twice.
For what it’s worth, Kelce was remarkably effective in getting downfield to the second level in the running game. But in all, the offensive line was subpar against an Atlanta defense not expected to be one of the league’s better units in 2015.
Pass Rush
The Atlanta Falcons entered Monday with an offensive line that could challenge as one of the worst in the league. Only left tackle Jake Matthews – and maybe right tackle Ryan Schraeder – deserved to be starters.
So the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles registered just one sack, one quarterback hit, and three hurries all night is puzzling. This is an Eagles defense that led the NFC in sacks a year ago.
Brandon Graham, in the first game of his new four-year contract, was a no-show. The former first-round pick had one quarterback pressure in 54 snaps (per PFF). Contract-year pass-rusher Vinny Curry had no official statistics. Even Connor Barwin, who posted a whopping 14.5 sacks in 2014, didn’t get in Matt Ryan’s face at all.
Chip Kelly
This was not Chip Kelly’s best game as a head coach. He was thoroughly outcoached by Dan Quinn, a former defensive coordinator making his NFL debut as a head coach. Quinn did a marvelous job of exploiting Byron Maxwell and frustrating the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense, especially early in the game.
Meanwhile, that explosive Eagles offense from the preseason was nowhere to be found. Sam Bradford was out of sync with his receivers, particularly in the first quarter. Nine offensive penalties is something to expect from an undisciplined football team, not a Kelly team that has won 10 games two straight years.
Kelly, who spent the offseason preaching a committed, run-first offensive approach, virtually ignored his $43 million running back DeMarco Murray. Instead, veteran Darren Sproles – a Pro Bowler and ridiculous talent but largely a 2014 change-of-pace back – received the bulk of the carries. It’s puzzling to think why Kelly committed so much money to Murray – and Ryan Mathews – but then threw the ball at such an unbalanced ratio and handed to Sproles when he did run.
Defensive coordinator Billy Davis was unable to generate anything from a slew of talented pass-rushers, and new $63 million cornerback – a signing done by GM Kelly – was frighteningly awful.
And Kelly’s conservative decision to kick on a fourth-and-one late in the game was questionable to say the least, especially considering Cody Parkey’s preseason struggles and groin injury. Kelly’s Eagles are now 0-1, and they’re facing an absolute must-win against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys.
