The Eagles' Good, Bad & Ugly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) —There was a lot to like, some things to dislike and some areas that show great promise in the Eagles' 29-10 victory over the pitiful Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
The Good
Quarterback Carson Wentz showed a lot of poise on the Eagles' first possession. Wentz 4-for-5 for 57 yards and a TD on his first NFL drive. The one incompletion, on a pass intended for Jordan Mathews, was a drop. Wentz went 22-of-37 for 278 yards and two TDs in his NFL debut.
Eagles' coach Doug Pederson's play calling on the first drive. He mixed formations, run-pass, play action. It also instilled some early confidence in his rookie quarterback.
Tight end Zach Ertz amazing, turnaround, back-shoulder catch for Wentz's first career completion for 14 yards. It was a highlight-reel kind of catch, as Ertz went up in the air and reached back with his left hand to snare the ball at the Browns' 49.
Safety Rodney McLeod's second-quarter interception thrwarted a Cleveland drive that could have given the Browns the lead in the second quarter. The Eagles converted the turnover into a Caleb Sturgis 38-yard field goal to into a 13-7 halftime lead.
Punter Donnie Jones' booming kicks kept the Browns pinned while the Eagles' offense sorted itself out. Jones averaged 58.7 yards a punt. Jones pinned the Browns at their 1 to start the fourth quarter.
Receiver Nelson Agholor's 35-yard touchdown reception, which gave the Eagles a 22-10 third-quarter lead.
Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, whose eight-yard sack forced Cleveland into a second-and-18 in the third quarter.
Punt returner Darren Sproles' 40-yard punt return in the first half
Running back Ryan Matthews finished with 77 yards rushing and a TD.
The Bad
Safety Malcom Jenkins' interference call at the two-yard line on a third-and-goal at the Eagles' 8, which enabled Cleveland to score its first touchdown of the game. It was actually a bad call, as Jenkins came up from behind Browns' receiver Duke Johnson to bat the ball away.
Tackle Lane Johnson had a hard time all day dealing with the speed on local product Carl Nassib, getting called for a holding call in the fourth quarter.
The Ugly
Defensive backs Leodis McKelvin, Nolan Carroll and Rodney McLeod played three blind mice on the first play of the second half, when Robert Griffin III terribly underthrew Corey Coleman—who caught a 58-yard pass. The reception set up a Patrick Murray 35-yard field goal.
The drops continue to plague the Eagles. They led the NFL in dropped passed in 2015 with 37, averaging six a game. In the first half, the Eagles dropped four passes. The Eagles finished with six total drops.
