Bleeding Green Nation

Javonte Williams was listed as a stock down disappointment in the Cowboys' Week 1 loss to the Giants, a game Dallas gave their full effort to but were humbled by New York.

Jayden Daniels never looked comfortable in the Commanders' Week 1 loss to the Eagles. The source attributes his flustered and indecisive play to multiple factors: Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defensive scheme rattling him, having a new center he barely worked with throughout the summer, and a new coordinator who didn't do him any favors in play calling. Despite some big throws and runs later in the game, the overall performance was concerning.

Jalen Hurts' protection depends on the Eagles offensive line playing with better fundamentals; the group's Week 1 performance against the Commanders and upcoming depth concerns with Landon Dickerson's IR placement underscore the need for improved pass protection.

Sirianni praised Lemon's NFL debut, highlighting his consistent blocking and doing the right things in the right spots; while his targets didn't result in big yardage gains, Sirianni emphasized the young WR's unseen contributions that help win games and noted the team's trust in Lemon will help him develop, contrasting this with situations where lack of trust can stunt a young player's progress.

Sirianni praised Hurts' Week 1 performance, noting he made plays only he is capable of making across the entire league; the head coach highlighted Hurts' execution of new offensive concepts and emphasized this improvement was not a surprise given 46-47 days of training camp preparation, with the team seeing daily improvement and confidence that Hurts can execute new plays at a very high level.

Sirianni explained that Shipley got carries in critical third-down situations because the team trusts all their backs and don't want to sub out a guy when trying to go tempo; the head coach emphasized the team's faith in Shipley and the entire RB group, noting they've shown the ability to make plays in different aspects and handle carries and pass protections consistently.

Sirianni disregarded the notion that Barkley's 42-yard explosive run in Week 1 was an outlier, insisting that explosive plays count just as much as other runs; the head coach emphasized the team's commitment to the run game and that they reap the benefits of sticking with it, noting Barkley is the lead back.

Sirianni praised Goedert's consistency and clutch ability, highlighting his solid run-game performance, his ability to catch over the middle in space, his dangerous running ability after the catch, and his one-on-one matchup wins on various routes including outside receiver routes and in the red zone; the coach noted Goedert's success in critical playoff moments and emphasized his work ethic and value as a teammate.

Sirianni explained that Brown was rotated out in Week 1 and didn't get reps, but the head coach emphasized the team wants to get the WR the ball because his speed is real; Sirianni acknowledged some games players get shut out of catches and reps, and committed to making a better effort to get Brown in the game and contributing moving forward.

Benefited from Landon Dickerson's blocking on a long run during Week 1's third-down play against Washington. Head coach Nick Sirianni highlighted Dickerson's ability to cave in the side and displace the defensive tackle on this run, demonstrating the value of the guard's power when healthy.

Cole Payton is QB4 on the Eagles' roster and is in a redshirt year.

Tanner McKee was inactive for Week 1. Makai Lemon speculates there's a non-zero chance the Eagles could rotate the QB2 role to McKee against the Tennessee Titans in Week 2, though this is presented as unlikely.

Elijah Moore was kept on the Eagles' roster but did not dress for Week 1. Makai Lemon questions why the Eagles wouldn't release him and try to get him back on the practice squad, or actually play him. Based on what was seen in practice, Moore looks more ready to contribute right now than Makai Lemon and could be nice to see in more of a rotation behind the top two receivers.

Hollywood Brown did not play in Week 1 and did not have a very good summer. He was not trusted to play on offense and was not a factor on special teams, despite the Eagles paying him a good chunk of money.

Andy Dalton was revealed as the Eagles' QB2 in Week 1, though Makai Lemon notes this doesn't inspire much confidence. There's uncertainty about whether this will be the case again in Week 2, given the unusual nature of the backup quarterback battle.

Britain Covey was temporarily elevated from the practice squad to be the Eagles' punt returner in Week 1. His four returns produced 37 yards for a quality 9.7 average.

Michael Carter II is a role player for the time being in the Eagles' secondary.

E.J. Jenkins, the Eagles' TE3, mostly played on special teams in Week 1.

Darius Cooper was a beast on special teams in Week 1, logging four tackles in one game. He did not see a target on offense despite looking more ready to help right now than Makai Lemon.

Tank Bigsby was underutilized in Week 1, receiving only one touch compared to Will Shipley's three. This continues a pattern from last year where the Eagles have not given Bigsby adequate opportunities.

Will Shipley played more than Tank Bigsby and saw three times as many touches (three to one) in Week 1. Makai Lemon notes concern about the Eagles underutilizing Bigsby, a pattern that continued from last year.

Johnny Mundt spent most of his time blocking inline as TE2 in Week 1. Of his 20 snaps, 12 were spent as a run blocker and four came in pass protection, meaning he ran a route on just four snaps.

Makai Lemon saw a good deal of playing time as WR3 in Week 1, but the results were poor; his five targets produced three receptions for -5 yards. Washington's defense clearly wasn't fooled by the designed touches for the rookie first-round pick.

Saquon Barkley accounted for 15 of the Eagles' 18 running back carries in Week 1, establishing himself as the clear lead back.

Dontayvion Wicks is clearly the Eagles' WR2. He ranked tied for third in targets with four, which produced two catches for 73 yards and one touchdown in Week 1 against Washington.

Dallas Goedert was only off the field for three snaps and finished second in targets with five, making four catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns. This was his most receiving yards in a game since the Eagles' overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last year, and his 43-yard reception was the longest since a 61-yard play against New Orleans in 2024.

DeVonta Smith was WR1 and only off the field for three snaps in Week 1 against Washington. He led the Eagles in targets with six, converting three receptions for 53 yards. Smith also logged a special teams snap for the game-sealing onside kick recovery.

The source expresses confidence in Jalen Hurts' ability to make plays for the Eagles after his Week 1 performance against the Commanders, framing it as a positive indicator heading into Week 2 against the Titans despite the Eagles' overall offensive struggles (10 first downs, fewest in the league).

Cole Payton was predictably inactive as the Eagles' QB4 in Week 1 with no special teams role.

Eli Stowers was placed on injured reserve in Week 1, effectively putting the rookie on the backburner to start the season.

The source states 'The good news for the Eagles is that Dallas Goedert looks awesome' in Week 1, offering an encouraging early-season assessment of the tight end's performance.

The source grades Makai Lemon a D for Week 1 and attributes his rough performance partly to scheme fit; he missed significant offseason practice time due to hamstring injury. The source believes Lemon should operate in the slot to leverage his strengths, and notes the Eagles clearly want him involved given his snap volume (29 receiver snaps, third-most at position), suggesting the team is still determining how to integrate him into the offense after DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks.

Makai Lemon received 29 receiver snaps (third-most at position) in Week 1 but finished with negative five yards on 3 catches from 4 targets, with two catches on doomed screens and one short perimeter target. The source notes his usage was odd given his skill set and that he should live in the slot to get him going, but acknowledges his slow start was expected due to hamstring injury limiting offseason participation. The Eagles are still figuring out how to deploy him after DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks.

Barkley largely struggled in Week 1 behind an offensive line that is 'nowhere near what it was in 2024.' While he broke off one long run and put up 'decent numbers otherwise,' the source indicates the new Sean Mannion scheme has not yet improved his productivity relative to last season. The offensive line struggles with both Cam Jurgens and Landon Dickerson injured/struggling directly impacted his performance.

Wicks was the target of a 64-yard deep bomb from Hurts in the 1st quarter of Week 1, described by the source as 'a thing of beauty.' This explosive play exemplifies the Eagles' reliance on big splashes rather than play-to-play consistency.

Smith has assumed the No. 1 receiver role in the Eagles' passing game following A.J. Brown's absence. In Week 1, he made a toe-dragging catch on a deep ball along the sideline in the 3rd quarter that the source describes as 'gorgeous,' showcasing his receiving skills in the new scheme.

Goedert was a primary target in the Eagles' passing game, recording two touchdown receptions up the seam in Week 1. The source highlights these as part of 'several explosive plays' that kept the offense afloat despite inconsistent play-to-play execution.

Hurts remained the Eagles' primary offensive engine in Week 1, relying heavily on his legs and deep ball accuracy to generate offensive output. He converted a critical 3rd-and-18 with a 22-yard scramble in the 4th quarter when nothing was schemed open and the offensive line was struggling; the source notes this was 'vintage playmaking by the still-fleet veteran, weaving his way through the defense.' His deep balls and ability to play out of structure generated most of the offensive output, though the source also notes he occasionally dropped his eyes and watched the pass rush when his first read was taken away.

Dart was outstanding against the Cowboys in Week 1, completing 23 of 29 passes (79.3%) for 230 yards and three touchdowns. He ran 11 times for 54 yards, got down or out of bounds when needed, and made big throws when the Giants needed them. He played the way a franchise quarterback is supposed to play.

Daniels had to make a quick judgment call on a failed 2-point conversion in the Commanders' loss to the Eagles. He followed his rules by choosing to shovel the ball inside. Quinn and Daniels stood by the call despite it being negatively viewed because of the result. Daniels said, 'The 2-point play, we just didn't execute. It was the right call. Anything Blough calls, I'm with him. Regardless of who everyone else might view it, I'm with Blough 100%.'