The Philadelphia Eagles walked away with a victory in the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday. They beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-20. However, it wasn't all lollipops and rainbows for the Eagles. Although grinding out wins is essential in the NFL, the team showcased some noticeable flaws that could make repeating as Super Bowl champions more difficult than originally anticipated coming into the season. So just what stood out in a bad way for the Eagles?
Where did the Eagles fall short in their Week 1 win?
The Eagles have now won 17 of their last 18 games dating back to last season. The results can't be complained about, and Philadelphia will certainly be in the running to make another deep playoff push. However, fans should be less optimistic about their chances of going back-to-back as champions after their first game of the year.
The Eagles had a rough offseason in which they lost a number of important players from their championship run. Those departures certainly were noticeable against the Cowboys. Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Isaiah Rodgers all found new homes in the offseason.
Both the front seven and the secondary looked worse in the game against Cowboys than they did for the vast majority of last season. Williams' departure was enhanced by Jalen Carter being ejected from the game after spitting on Dak Prescott. But the defensive tackle issues the team had signaled towards greater depth issues in the trenches.
Javontae Williams scored twice against the Eagles as the team allowed him to look more like his rookie self than the version of a ball-carrier Denver Broncos fans saw in recent years after he suffered a gruesome knee injury.
The pass rush was also weaker without Sweat. The Eagles did a good job of replacing their former star edge rusher. They brought in Azeez Ojulari, Josh Uche, and Ogbo Okoronkwo to pair with Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith. However, none of those players are as advanced at getting after the quarterback as Sweat was.
The secondary was the biggest concern in Week 1. The Eagles moved on from all of their veterans and relied on players like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, who were standout performers as rookies. It resulted in CeeDee Lamb putting up big numbers.
Lamb had seven catches for 110 yards. But he could have nearly doubled that total if Lamb hadn't been plagued by drop issues. Had he been reliable in securing big plays towards the end of the game, the Cowboys very well may have walked away with a victory.
There were also concerns with Philadelphia's offense. While Jalen Hurts thrived rushing the ball, and Saquon Barkley had some big moments, the team's dynamic receiver duo did next to nothing. DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown combined for just four catches and 24 yards.
This was a game that the Eagles very well could have lost. And a fluky performance from Lamb as well as a weather delay for over an hour were factors that helped the Eagles end up victorious. The team still has a great chance of winning Super Bowl 60. However, their odds of repeating as champions seem lower now than they did before their first game of the year.
