The Philadelphia Eagles narrowly defeated the Detroit Lions, 38-35. Philadelphia led by a large margin, but Detroit made a game of it late, and there were apparent takeaways from the Eagles' play.
Most importantly, they came out with the victory and can work to address their problems leading up to their game next week. The Eagles are coming off a playoff appearance, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers eliminated them. They went out and were aggressive in the offseason, making themselves a potential contender this season.
With that said, here are three Eagles' takeaways after their Week 1 win against the Lions.
3. The A.J. Brown trade was well worth it
On draft night, Philadelphia traded for star wide receiver A.J. Brown, who was a significant improvement in their wide receiver room. Brown had a fantastic game, catching ten passes for 155 yards. He is one of the best young wideouts in the league and proved that in Week 1.
The 25-year-old is a physical player that can come down with jump balls and deep passes, which is something that the Eagles lacked last season. As the season progresses, Brown will open up opportunities for other receivers like Devonta Smith to thrive. He should continue to be the focal point of the passing attack.
2. The Eagles run defense needs to improve
While the Eagles came out on top, their run defense was not the reason. Detroit was dominant on the ground, rushing for 181 yards and three touchdowns with an average of 6.5 yards per carry. Deandre Swift did a bulk of the damage, with 144 yards, torching the Eagles' defense.
Detroit has not been a strong team in years and allowing this much production is concerning. While it's a long season, this is something that should be a focus for Philadelphia as it will be essential, especially in the postseason.
Next week, the Eagles will take on the Minnesota Vikings, who have a good rushing attack with Dalvin Cook. It will be a good test for Philadelphia to see what adjustments will be made.
1. The rushing attack is strong
While the defense is struggling to contain the run, the offense is winning at the line of scrimmage. The Eagles rushed for 216 yards on 39 carries for four touchdowns. Running back Miles Sanders carried the ball 13 times for 96 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Jalen Hurts rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Philadelphia has a balanced offensive attack but found more success in the run game against Detroit. They have three solid backs: Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott. Sanders is the lead back and showed why as he played well in the victory. What sets apart their run game from a ton of other teams around the league, with a few exceptions, is having a dual-threat quarterback in Hurts.
Hurts is a gifted player and a quick rusher, but he is also physical and can fight through defenders for a first down. The run game will continue to be a focal point of the Eagles' offense.
Philadelphia has a great shot at contending for a Super Bowl title this season. Although they aren't one of the favorites, they have the talent on both ends to get it done. Eagles fans should be static for what lies ahead for this team despite only narrowly defeating the Lions in Week 1.
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