Eagles grades by position after season opening win over Packers

SÃO PAULO — The Eagles won a back-and-forth battle against the Packers at Corinthians Arena in Brazil on Friday night.

It wasn’t a perfect win but the Eagles got the W in the first-ever NFL game in South America.

Let’s get to the position grades:

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts: 20/34, 278 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 13 rushes, 33 yards

We saw some poor decisions from Hurts in this game and none was worse than the interception he threw into the end zone in the fourth quarter. It was just one of those bad throws that looked like the 2023 version of Hurts. After throwing 15 interceptions in 2023, Hurts threw two bad ones in the opener. But he did some good things too. His 67-yard pass to A.J. Brown was a beauty because he looked off the safety. And he showed mettle by leading the Eagles on a 7:25 drive late in the fourth quarter. He picked up some tough yards on the ground and through the air on that game-sealing drive.

Grade: C+

Running back

Saquon Barkley: 24 carries, 109 yards, 2 TDs; 2 catches, 23 yards, 1 TD

The Eagles’ free agent acquisition was fantastic on Friday night. After he slipped on his first touch as an Eagle, he ended up putting up huge numbers and had just the second three-touchdown game of his career. Kenny Gainwell made a great catch in limited time and even rookie Will Shipley got out there in some 21 personnel and his pre-snap motion seemed to give the Eagles what they wanted.

Grade: A+

Receiver

A.J. Brown: 5 catches, 119 yards, 1 TD

The 67-yard touchdown catch from Brown early in the third quarter was a thing of beauty. His 2024 season is off to a good start. DeVonta Smith also chipped in 7 for 84 yards. Jahan Dotson had a somewhat limited role after arriving to the Eagles late. He was targeted just once and it was a pass that was dangerously close to getting picked. Britain Covey and Johnny Wilson both played some too but just Wilson got a target. The big rookie also had a nice block on a Smith reception.

Grade: A-

Tight end

Dallas Goedert: 4 catches, 31 yards

Of the biggest weapons in the Eagles’ offense, Goedert was the one with the quiet night but he still had a couple big catches. Grant Calcaterra had a nice 11-yarder too on a play when Goedert was off the field.

Grade: B

Offensive line

For the most part, the Eagles’ offensive line held up pretty well in this game. They were the ones blocking for Barkley’s 109 rushing yards. Hurts was sacked a couple times but one came when Lane Johnson clearly thought the defender jumped offsides.

Grade: B

Defensive line

Josh Sweat: 1 tackle, 1 QB hit, 1 TFL, 1 holding call drawn

The Eagles had two sacks in this game and neither came from the defensive line, but there were moments of solid pressure. A pressure from Moro Ojomo on a third down late in the game was a big play. And an early Sweat rush drew a holding call. The problem was that at times the Packers were able to run the ball against the Eagles and that starts up front.

Grade: C

Linebacker

Zack Baun: 15 combined tackles, 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, 1 TFL

There were definitely some good and bad moments for the linebackers. Baun was all over the field and had the only two sacks of the game for the Eagles. He also hit Jordan Love and was called for what seemed like a bogus personal foul. Nakobe Dean had a huge driving hit to break up a screen. But there were miscues too. Baun missed a tackle that would have saved a long touchdown and there was a play where Dean got lost in coverage.

Grade: B-

Secondary

Reed Blankenship: 8 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU

The Packers threw for 260 yards but the Eagles battled. Avonte Maddox had a rough night at the nickel corner position but Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell were pretty good outside. Mitchell made some plays and talked a little trash. At safety, C.J. Gardner-Johnson made some nice plays but missed a couple. Reed Blankenship had a huge interception — the Eagles’ only takeaway on the evening.

Grade: B-

Special teams

Jake Elliott: 2/2 on FGs, 4/4 on PATs

Elliott made all of his kicks and Braden Mann had a good night punting. Mann also took over kickoff duties with the new rules. The were two minor missteps on special teams. Kelee Ringo was called for a penalty on the opening kickoff and Kenny Gainwell had trouble handling a squib kick. The kickoff is still new so there’s time to work on it.

Grade: B+

Coaching

Record: 1-0

The Eagles are now 4-0 in season openers under Nick Sirianni. Even though this one wasn’t the prettiest win, it still counts. The Eagles were penalized 7 times for 57 yards but less than the Packers’ 10 for 71. The Eagles’ defense under Vic Fangio had some struggles but seemed to make plays when they needed it. The offense showed some innovation under Kellen Moore and that side of the football rebounded after early failures.

Grade: B

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