10 Things We Learned About the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1

The general consensus heading into Week 1 was that the Philadelphia Eagles would handle the Jacksonville Jaguars by two or three scores. That's exactly what happened—just not the way most expected.

It was the Jacksonville Jaguars who took a 17-0 lead against the Eagles, with undrafted rookie free agent Allen Hurns scoring a touchdown pass on each of his first two catches. But the Eagles rallied, despite a disastrous first half, scoring 34 unanswered points in the final two quarters. 

The 34-17 victory made the Eagles the first team in league history to trail at least 17-0 in the first half and come back to win by 17 points. 

Not everything went right though. All-Pro guard Evan Mathis was carried off the field after suffering a knee injury, while right tackle Allen Barbre, starting in place of suspended Lane Johnson, injured his ankle. Both will undergo MRIs tomorrow.

The Eagles have eight days to rest and prepare for Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, who are 0-1 following a Sunday Night Football loss to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. In the meantime, here are 10 things we learned about the Eagles during their Week 1 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

1. No one can shut Nick Foles down for 60 full minutes

Despite Nick Foles' ridiculous 119.2 passer rating and 27-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2013, he had more than his fair share of games where he went one, two or even three quarters without producing much of anything. The first half of the Snow Bowl against the Detroit Lions and the first half of the playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints come to mind. But no team has managed to stop Foles for a full game. (The only exception is the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, but I'm convinced that Foles played the whole game with a concussion, plus he left injured in the third quarter.)

Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars was a classic example of good Nick/bad Nick. He played arguably the worst half of football of his career in the first two quarters, losing two fumbles and throwing a costly end-zone interception. But Foles rallied the troops in the second half, throwing two touchdowns without a turnover and leading the Eagles to 27 second-half points. 

Foles' inconsistency can be maddening as a fan, but the good thing is that he always plays well enough to lead the Eagles to 25 to 35 points, regardless of his in-game struggles.

"

Nick Foles led the Eagles to 27 points in the second half after playing perhaps the worst half of football he's ever played. Incredible.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 7, 2014"

"

The Eagles have scored at least 24 points in all ten regular season games Nick Foles has started and finished since the start of 2013.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 8, 2014"

2. Darren Sproles might be the best individual offensive acquisition of the offseason

I was skeptical when the Eagles traded a fifth-round pick for a 31-year-old running back who posted easily the worst numbers of his career in 2013, both on offense and special teams. But Sproles turned in a memorable debut in Philly. His 49-yard touchdown run on fourth down in the third quarter gave the Eagles some life when the offense had been practically invisible through the first two quarters. He also caught four balls and added 62 yards on four punt returns. In all, Sproles touched the ball 19 times for 147 yards.

The most important part of Sproles' abilities is that they allow the Eagles to overcome a sluggish game from their All-Pro running back. On a day when McCoy just didn't have his best stuff, Sproles was able to provide a completely new dimension to the offense. 

"

Daren Sproles totally adds another dimension to the Eagles' offense. Beautiful Philly debut for the veteran running back.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 7, 2014"

3. Jeremy Maclin looks healthy and fast

Can Jeremy Maclin replace DeSean Jackson on the field this season? That was the big question all offseason and, through one game, it looks like Maclin definitely has what it takes to be the No. 1 receiver for the Eagles. Mac's 68-yard game-winning touchdown midway through the fourth quarter was exactly the kind of play Eagles fans had grown accustomed to Jackson making over the years. He finished the game with four catches for 97 yards and a score. 

4. Zach Ertz is the go-to guy in this offense, both on deep passes and in the red zone

The 2013 Eagles had DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant on their offense, both fine players but practically invisible in the red zone. In 2014, the Eagles added Jordan Matthews, but the big weapon in the red zone is tight end Zach Ertz. Although Ertz caught four touchdowns as a rookie last year, he's expected to take on a much bigger role on offense this season. 

His performance against the Jaguars should be a sign of things to come this season. Ertz caught three balls, all for at least 25 yards, including a beautiful leaping touchdown in the third quarter. 

"

All 3 of Zach Ertz's receptions were 25+ yards. Field stretcher.

— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) September 7, 2014"

5. Offensive line injuries could completely derail the season, just like in 2012

The entire city of Philadelphia held its breath when All-Pro guard Evan Mathis was carried off the field with a potentially serious knee injury in the first half. Things got worse when veteran Allen Barbre, filling in for suspended first-round pick Lane Johnson, had to leave the game with an ankle injury. The Eagles ended the game with a makeshift offensive line that included only Jason Peters and Jason Kelce in their normal positions. Backup center David Molk was forced to fill in at left guard, an entirely new position for him, while veteran Todd Herremans shifted over to right tackle so Andrew Gardner could play right guard. With Matt Tobin nursing a knee injury and Dennis Kelly inactive, the Eagles were an injury away from having to use Brent Celek on the offensive line. 

Early speculation is that Mathis suffered an MCL injury that won't need surgery. Barbre's injury is likely not serious either, and don't forget that Johnson returns after three more games. But it was hard not to flashback to the 2012 season, when the Eagles lost Peters to a torn Achilles during the offseason and Kelce to a torn ACL during the first game. Those two injuries basically killed the entire season before it started. If the Eagles lose one of their big three linemen (Peters, Mathis or Kelce) for a significant period of time, they're really going to struggle offensively, especially protecting Nick Foles. 

"

The offensive line is the heart and soul of this Eagles team. Really couldn't be more obvious watching this half. Just disastrous.

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 7, 2014"

6. Run defense one of the best in the league

There's a big misconception in Philly that the team needs to improve its run defense. Yes, the Eagles were gashed by the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs last year, but they also ranked fourth in yards per carry allowed in 2013. They got off to a pretty good start in 2014 as well, surrendering just 64 yards on 25 carries (2.6 yards per carry). 

7. Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks on verge of breakout seasons?

The Eagles are expecting to hand contract extensions to a number of players after the season, including 2012 draft picks Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks, Nick Foles and Brandon Boykin. While Foles and Boykin became legitimate stars during the 2013 season, Cox and Kendricks are both good players who could greatly benefit from a breakout season during a contract year.

Both were off to a great start against Jacksonville, as Cox collected the game-clinching fumble return for a touchdown, while Kendricks recorded a sack, tackle for a loss and defensed pass. Each also collected a team-high six tackles. 

"

Fletcher Cox looked very good today as well. Should quiet concerns about him.

— Robert Murray (@IgglesCoverage) September 8, 2014"

8. No reason to stick with underperforming Cary Williams at cornerback

Cary Williams is the No. 1 player I predicted to have a worse season in 2014 than he did in 2013. So far, he's doing exactly what I expected. After some unnecessary running of his mouth against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, Williams was burned for a deep touchdown by Allen Hurns, an undrafted rookie free agent. Williams spent the majority of the game covering Hurns, who finished with four catches for 110 yards and two scores. 

The Eagles have three other solid options at cornerback in Bradley Fletcher, Brandon Boykin and Nolan Carroll. Boykin is best suited to the slot, but if Williams continues to struggle, there's no reason to keep starting him over Carroll. After all, it's not like Williams will be here next season to earn $8.17 million. 

9. Cody Parkey could be the real deal

It's awfully hard to judge a kicker after just two games, but Cody Parkey has been absolutely tremendous so far. He connected on a pair of 50-yard field goals in the final preseason game to steal the starting job away from Alex Henery. In the season opener against the Jaguars, he nailed a high-pressure 51-yard kick to tie the game in the fourth quarter. He also added another short field goal and kicked well on kickoffs. 

"

Cody Freaking Parkey. Has Alex Henery ever made a kick that clutch in three seasons?

— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) September 7, 2014"

10. Special teams unit as a whole looks to be extremely improved

New special teams coach Dave Fipp was a disappointment during his first year in Philadelphia, failing to revive a special teams unit that has consistently underachieved since coach John Harbaugh left for the Baltimore Ravens in 2008. This offseason, the Eagles signed linebacker Bryan Braman and safety Chris Maragos to play on the coverage units. The Jaguars averaged just 18 yards on two kick returns and 9.3 yards on three punt returns, both solid numbers.

But the game-changing play came when reserve defensive end Brandon Bair blocked a field goal in the second quarter. Add some impressive punt returns by Sproles, an incredible punt by Donnie Jones down to the 1-yard line and Parkey's big field goal, and there's definitely reason to be excited about the special teams this season.