Analysis: Eagles open title defense with sloppy yet telling win
What Jalen Hurts and Kevin Patullo showed in escape vs. Cowboys
From The Reporter: https://tinyurl.com/ytrbs24f
The Eagles stayed in the locker room while their Super Bowl banner was raised before kickoff, then they stumbled into a night of chaos.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. A 64-minute lightning delay left players stretching in hallways. And new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo watched his unit oscillate between brilliance and stagnation.
When it was over, after Thursday became Friday, the defending champions had eked out a 24 20 win over Dallas that said as much about what they still need to fix as it did about their resilience.
Hurts’ legs carry a sputtering passing game
Quarterback Jalen Hurts bailed out the Eagles. Patullo’s debut as offensive coordinator eagerly featured motion and misdirection — a three-tight-end shift preceded Saquon Barkley’s early 16-yard gain, for example — yet the passing game rarely threatened Dallas’ secondary. Hurts hit on 19 of 23 throws for an efficient 152 yards, but the only explosive completion was a 51-yard strike to Jahan Dotson.
Hurts and Dotson worked together in the offseason and the QB predicted he’d be a bigger part of the offense this year. But star receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were barely targeted in the opener, allowing the Cowboys to sit in two-deep coverage.
Hurts compensated by running. He scored on four- and eight‑yard keepers and finished with 62 rushing yards and two touchdowns (no passing TDs). He scrambled to convert a critical third‑and‑3 in the final minutes and protected the ball against second‑half pressure, taking only one sack. Still, averaging 6.6 yards per pass attempt and targeting Brown and Smith only four combined times underscored the offense’s reliance on his legs.
Patullo’s debut: early wrinkles, late drought
Promoted when Kellen Moore left for New Orleans, Patullo promised small tweaks to the offense. Early drives delivered: three touchdowns and a 58‑yard Jake Elliott field goal. Barkley had 11 carries for 61 yards before the lightning delay. But after the delay, Dallas blitzed more and forced Hurts to stay in the pocket, and the next three drives produced just three points. Patullo leaned on tight end Dallas Goedert (seven catches for 44 yards) and Barkley, but one deep strike and the miniscule targets for Brown and Smith are insufficient for an elite receiving corps that commanded major investments.
Brown’s quiet night
Brown spent much of training camp nursing a hamstring injury and he didn’t have a ball thrown his way until the final two minutes. He finished with one catch for eight yards and said afterward that he can control only his effort. He admitted the Cowboys were shading coverage toward him but rightly pointed out, “It’s not anything I haven’t seen before.” Coaches used him as a decoy on clear-outs and he blocked aggressively.
In fairness, and perhaps due to his hamstring, he didn’t gain early separation. Hurts looked his way several times as the first option and then continued through his progressions.
Despite his quiet night, Brown’s presence helped free space for Dotson and Goedert. With extra rest before Week 2, the Birds are hoping Brown can return to his usual workload.
Offensive line injuries and depth
The Eagles’ offensive identity depends on a dominant line, but injuries emerged. Left guard Landon Dickerson, who had meniscus surgery in August and entered Week 1 with a back issue, started the game but departed in the fourth quarter after the rainy delay and being rolled up on. Brett Toth replaced him and held his own.
Right guard Tyler Steen impressed as the new full-time starter. The line surrendered only one sack and helped produce 38 rushes for 158 yards and three TDs. But depth concerns linger. Dickerson’s injury history and injuries to fullback Ben VanSumeren and second-year running back Will Shipley strain a unit that usually dresses only the minimum of eight linemen.
Positives, negatives and what’s next
There were encouraging signs. It’s clear Hurts’ confidence, composure and leadership continue to grow, and the only stats he cares about are Ws. Dotson’s long catch hints at a vertical dimension and third option absent last year, when he was thrown into the fire after the Eagles acquired him late in the preseason.
The Birds converted eight of 13 third downs and controlled time of possession by nearly 11 minutes. Vic Fangio’s defense, gashed early, tightened up with stunts and blitzes. Dallas gained 16 first downs on its first four drives and just five thereafter, and a red‑zone fumble forced by rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell and defensive tackle Byron Young preserve the lead. Also, an effort play by linebacker Zack Baun to chase down former Eagles running back Miles Sanders proved pivotal.
“Zack had our team’s back right there,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “I mean, that’s a seven-point tackle, really. At the end of the day, that’s what it is because then a couple plays go by and we force the fumble after that. So, great effort. I felt the same great effort by Jihaad and (S) Drew (Mukuba).”
The negatives were equally glaring. The Eagles committed nine first‑half penalties for 110 yards. The offense stagnated after halftime, raising questions about Patullo’s ability to keep Brown and Smith engaged. Injuries limit depth heading into Week 2, and relying heavily on Hurts’ legs is unsustainable over a season.
Bottom line
The Eagles are 1‑0, but the opener spotlighted both resilience and flaws. Hurts’ heroics masked an offense still searching for rhythm under Patullo, which is to be expected. Brown’s one target, though alarming, underlines the need for patience after his hamstring injury and for better schemes to free him and Smith. The offensive line’s health will dictate how far this team can go.
A messy Thursday night escape gave the Eagles a win and extra time to address the imperfections revealed on banner night.
—
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.