The good, the bad, and the ugly: Eagles fall in preseason opener
11 August 2017 Eagles News
The Eagles fell to the Green Bay Packers in their preseason opener 24-9.
There was a lot of things taken away from this game, both good and bad. With that being said, let’s first get into some of the good things.
The Good
Carson Wentz
Boy did Carson Wentz look good. Wentz completed four of four passes for 56 yards and one touchdown. He had a strong connection with wide receiver Jordan Matthews and his touchdown play was a thing of beauty.
A little @cj_wentz MAGIC!
And @mackhollins will not be stopped.
This was beautiful. #FlyEaglesFly #PHIvsGB pic.twitter.com/ym8Vu4swtq
— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2017
He was strong, poised and composed and although people will say it is just the first preseason game, it does not matter, Wentz went against a first team defense and looked really good.
Mack Hollins and Bryce Treggs
These two both had a very strong game. Of course, Hollins scored the Eagles only touchdown. But, he finished the game with four catches for 64 yards too. He fit right in with the Eagles first team offense and not thinking too far ahead here, but I think his spot on the team is locked.
Other than him, Bryce Treggs put on a really strong game too. He hauled in seven passes for 91 yards. Treggs has had a very good camp and is making a strong case for himself.
Derek Barnett
Derek Barnett was a monster. I touched on this before the game saying Barnett would bring the sacks back to Philly. And, boy was I right. In his first game as an Eagle, he racked up two sacks.
He was very impressive. Barnett bullied Packers offensive lineman Jason Spriggs. He even showed his athleticism today when he dropped back in coverage. Altogether, it was a great outing for the rookie. Iron sharpens iron and it looks like practicing against Jason Peters every day is really benefiting Barnett.
The Bad
Matt McGloin
Where is St. Nick Foles when you need him?
McGloin showed us he is not a good back up quarterback and I am not sure he will bet out Dane Evans for the third quarterback/practice squad spot.
Reality Check
Players who came into this game flying high in training camp did not perform. When the pads come on, it is very different.
A couple names to mention are Nelson Agholor, C.J. Smith, and others. Not to say they had terrible games, but they just extinguished some of the hype.
The Ugly
Run Game
The Eagles had nothing going for them in the run game. On numerous occasions, the Eagles running backs were met behind the line of scrimmage by opposing defenders. As a direct result, the Eagles ended the game with only 15 run plays.
The Eagles need to do a better job with their run blocking. Granted, a lot of it had to do with the backup linemen, but regardless, those players still need to be ready to play if called upon.
The Eagles cannot go another season throwing the ball like they did last season.
Photo Credit: AP Images
Ryan Neal Bryce Treggs, Carson Wentz, Derek Barnett, Mack Hollins, Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles