Philadelphia Eagles' Season-Opening Win Was Painful at Times, but Necessary

The first half of the Philadelphia Eagles’ contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars was like getting a root canal: It was an uncomfortable, sometimes painful experience, but it was also necessary.

Although most of us do not enjoy getting our oral cavity probed by a stranger, we realize that it’s essential for us in the long run.

Similarly, the Eagles hung in there for 30 minutes of game time but gained some peace of mind by the time the clock hit zero.

Was there a clean bill of health at the end of it all? Not exactly.

Nick Foles, though increasingly more composed as the day progressed, looked more like his Napoleon Dynamite doppelganger out there than the dominant quarterback he was a season prior, coming up a turnover shy in two quarters of matching the total he had in ten games last season.

Two key components of an already depleted offensive line went down with injuries, including a potentially devastating blow to All-Pro guard Evan Mathis, who suffered a sprained knee during Sunday's game, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.

And frankly, it’s never a good thing when your MVP at halftime is the opponent’s kicker.

But regardless of how much of a pain it was to experience (and witness!) all of the above, it was all necessary.

For one, it’s not every day that a team that trails by 17 winds up winning by the same amount. In fact, this was the only day. It never occurred before in nearly a century of pro football, according to The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

Meanwhile, Darren Sproles arrived as advertised and more, making fans salivate over the future explosive possibilities of this offense by running, receiving, and returning his way toward 147 total yards, including a momentum-turning 49-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-1 in the third quarter.

Furthermore, this was a straight-up character win.

Even the most optimistic Birds fan had doubts that the men in green would turn things around. In fact, they were lucky to only be down by three scores. It was not long ago that a more pedigreed roster wearing the same uniforms would have likely laid down and died under the same circumstances.

How often do you see a team fall behind by that much that early —and with its top running back struggling to find space behind a patchwork line, to boot—and still commit to the run? Chip Kelly refused to panic, though, calling for a play on the ground 32 times. 

"You can't lose your head out there," Kelly was quoted as saying after the game, per the AP. "You have to understand that it's a long game. We felt there were plays to be made."

When all was said and done, the worst half of football in the Kelly era was followed by the best.

But just like a dentist visit, the Eagles and their respective fans are glad it’s over and hope it’ll be a while until they see the likes of that again.