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    3 Stars, 3 Duds in Eagles' Season-Opening Win

    By Nick Faria,

    2024-09-07

    It wasn't always pretty, but the Philadelphia Eagles moved to 1-0 on the season with an impressive 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers Friday night.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1C838f_0vOAzGT700
    The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers line up for the opening kickoff at Neo Quimica Arena.

    Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

    While there were plenty of stars on both sides of the ball, there were also some major concerns following the game. Today, we'll take a look at the biggest stars and duds from Friday's contest in Brazil for the Birds.

    Let's get to it.

    Star: Saquon Barkley

    Few debuts in Eagles history have looked as dominant as Saquon Barkley's Friday night.

    Over 130 total yards of offense, three touchdowns (the most of a player in team history since Terrell Owens), and a stabilizer of sorts when the offense struggles shows how good Barkley can be throughout the rest of the year.

    Dud: Jalen Hurts

    Hurts game is pretty simple to break down. At times, he looked like the kind of elite quarterback that the Eagles paid over $50 million two years ago. Other times, though, he made some bone-headed mistakes and poor decisions.

    At the end of the day, Hurts made the plays Jordan Love didn't, but there's plenty to work on going into the later parts of the regular season.

    Star: Eagles Coordinators

    Kellen Moore's offense recorded over 400 yards of offense, and 34 points despite three turnovers while Vic Fangio's defense held the Packers to a red zone rate of just 1-4.

    Friday wasn't always pretty, but both coordinators in Philadelphia looked mightily impressive throughout the contest.

    Dud: Eagles Pass Rush

    This is another one that needs added context because the Eagles' defensive line came through with some key pressures in Friday's game, but gave up over seven yards per carry. The field was horrific for this kind of group, but certainly not a good start for the likes of Josh Sweat, Bryce Huff, and Nolan Smith.

    Related: Saquon Barkley Shines, Eagles Survive Season Opener vs. Packers, 34-29

    Star: Quinyon Mitchell

    Philadelphia's first-round rookie was superb in his debut with the team Friday night.  Mitchell was third on the team in tackles against the Packers and a team-high two passes defended. He looked comfortable on the field and was rarely beat in coverage - an excellent first start.

    Dud: Avonte Maddox

    While Mitchell was very impressive, Avonte Maddox was not. While it was interesting to see Maddox in the slot instead of the safety role that he was playing for most of the year, the Packers targeted Philadelphia's veteran early and often in the contest. Maddox gave up two touchdowns in the game.

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    Christian Andrews
    09-07
    CJ was a dud and Dean actually played well yesterday
    View all comments
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