Philadelphia Eagles: Standout Performances from Eagles' Win Over Saints

The Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) secured a crucial 39-17 win at home against the New Orleans Saints (1-4) on Sunday, advancing their bid for the NFC East crown.    

It was thanks in large part to tremendous performances by defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and breakout receiver Josh Huff—to say nothing of large contributions from other players, such as strong safety Walter Thurmond and running backs DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews on both sides of the ball.

After high preseason expectations for an Eagles team flush with new talent failed to materialize, the season seemed as if it were charted far from the road leading to the postseason. Sunday, however—perhaps for the first time since those August games—the team convincingly clicked on all cylinders. 

And although Philly fans should be cautious in entertaining as much optimism as this fan...

...there's no doubt that Sunday's performance leaves a positive impression. Both free-agent acquisitions and veteran Eagles did their parts.

Perhaps no one did a better job of doing his part than Cox. 

His six tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles read as some defenders' stats for the entire 2015 season, but he packed that kind of play into 60 minutes!

His motor was running at full steam the entire game, particularly in the first half, when his teammates had yet to hit their highest level of intensity. 

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Cox manhandled the Saints' offensive front for much of the day, capping off his sensational stats with his second strip in which first-round pick offensive lineman Andrus Peat was burned by the defensive tackle—who shed him and charged after Saints quarterback Drew Brees with ease. 

Aside from playing keep-away via forcing turnovers, Cox's contributions extended to disrupting Brees and the passing game—not allowing the famed signal-caller to get into a rhythm and deliver the kind of game-changing throws he's capable of.  

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly didn't seem surprised in his postgame interview, however, acknowledging that the veteran has been solid for a long time. 

And as terrific as Cox was, he wasn't the only defensive game-changer. The newly acquired Walter Thurmond III snatched his third pick of the season.

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Nearing the end of the fourth quarter, Thurmond leaped to intercept a ball headed for receiver Brandon Coleman and returned the snag for an impressive 44 yards to the Saints 5-yard line. 

Although the turnover occurred when the Eagles had essentially put the game away, Thurmond, much like Cox, put in some serious work disrupting Brees' passes, accumulating two passes defensed and four tackles on the day as well, per NFL.com. 

And besides, laying on some extra points (seven after the team capitalized on the interception) certainly never hurt a low-morale team like the Eagles looking to build some momentum just a little later than a third of the way into the season. 

in stirring a little fight in Philly's season as well.

Murray and Mathews supercharged the running attack, taking the pressure off of quarterback Sam Bradford. For the first time all season, the two looked to be the elite rushing tandem many expected they would be.

After some early struggles, Murray seems to have put all the silly memes poking fun at his sour start behind him. The former Dallas Cowboy churned out 83 yards and one score on the ground plus 37 more through the air. 

Matt Rourke/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press

Mathews, likely playing with a chip on his shoulder after he lost what was presumably a starting role to Murray, put up an above-100 total-yardage day as well, rushing for 73 and catching three passes for 23 yards. 

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Coach Kelly discussed the importance of the running game's success for his team after the contest, but the proof is, as they say, in the pudding.

By taking over on the ground, the Eagles were able to win the crucial time-of-possession battle, controlling the clock for 34:02, slowly but surely putting up points and limiting the amount of time the Saints had to stage a comeback. Much of the New Orleans' defensive attention shifted the running game's way, leaving receivers like Huff open and in a position to make big plays. 

Big plays, as NFL analyst Bucky Brooks pointed out, are exactly what the Eagles badly needed.

Fortunately for them, Huff, a 2014 draft selection, proved capable of providing that.

Early in the second quarter, with the Eagles down 0-7, Bradford zipped a pass to Huff, who ran down the sideline for a 41-yard score, igniting the shift of tide that would ultimately carry the team to victory.

Huff caught three more passes, combining for a total of 78 yards, best among all Philadelphia receivers, per NFL.com.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

With the departure of Jeremy Maclin to the Kansas City Chiefs and temporary loss of Nelson Agholor to injury, which forced him to exit early during Sunday's game, Huff will not only be granted further opportunities to shine, but will be necessary to the Eagles' continued success.

Kelly had some positive things to say about him to reporters after the game, and judging by what may be the first in many of his fantastic performances, it's easy to see why.

With quite a bit of momentum behind them, Philadelphia's future has brightened quite considerably, mostly through the effort of these players.

As NFL analyst Rich Eisen pointed out, the Eagles and the NFC East rival New York Giants will have an opportunity to square off on a national stage come Week 6.

What initially may have seemed to be a dud of a matchup is so far shaping up to be a contest of particular importance (and substantial entertainment value).

If the Eagles can clean up some of their mistakes—such as Bradford's two red-zone turnovers—while their blue-chip talent maintains the current high level of play, they could be the proud owners of a .500 record and a crucial tiebreaker.