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Eagles score win over Jacksonville Jaguars
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Eagles score win over Jacksonville Jaguars

Snapshot notes on the Eagles’ performance in their 28-23 win over the Jaguars:

Quarterback: B

Jalen hurts was effective when he needed to be in the air and on the ground. He had some questionable moments, but the quarterback played a fourth straight game without a turnover. He made two great touchdown passes to Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith and launched a beauty downfield to the latter, setting up the winning final score. In total, he completed 18 of 24 passes for 230 yards.

The injuries may have started too early a few times, but he had some nice scrambles, including a 7-yard rumble on third down in which he rushed forward for the first down. He got away with a near-interception when Jaguars safety Andre Cisco couldn’t hold on to a tipped pass in the third quarter.

» LEARN MORE: Eagles hold on for 28-23 win over Jaguars thanks to heroics from Saquon Barkley and Nakobe Dean

Revenant: A-

Saquon Barkley was once again the best player on the pitch. He rushed 27 times for 159 yards and caught three passes for 40 yards. He rushed and received touchdowns. Barkley once again dropped jaws with what might have been the first-ever successful running back hurdle in NFL history. Barkley’s ridiculous jump came at the end of a 14-yard catch in which he had already broken one tackle and gotten away from another.

He made a tough over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone and just inside the boundary for the Eagles’ first first-quarter points this season. Just before the break, Barkley scored a 19-yard touchdown on a third-and-17 draw against the Jaguars’ ghost defense.

His fumble in the third quarter was returned for a touchdown and gave the Jaguars life.

Kenneth Gainwell gave Barkley a spell here and there and finished with five carries for nine yards. Ben Van Sumeren started at fullback. He caught his first NFL pass on a checkdown. VanSumeren left the game with a concussion just before halftime.

Receiver/Tight End: B

DeVonta Smith was exceptional in the fourth quarter with a balanced game. The wide receiver got behind the Jaguars defense for a 46-yard catch. A few plays later, Smith scored a spectacular 25-yard, one-handed, dragging touchdown in the back of the end zone to give the Eagles a 28-16 lead. That day, he caught 4 of 6 targets for 87 yards.

AJ Brown left the game with a knee injury. He took time to get up after being hit on a catch late in the second quarter. Brown walked out after halftime with trainers by his side, but quickly returned to the locker room, never to return. Brown caught two passes for 36 yards before leaving.

Beginner Receiver Aïnias Smith was featured on a jet sweep and screen pass – both of which netted the Eagles the short amount of ground. Rookie Friend Johnny Wilson had a brief touchdown run just before halftime, but was flagged for pass interference. With Brown absent, Jahan Dotson caught his first and only target of the game – a 36-yard juggling grab – in the third quarter.

Grant Calcaterra started his third match in place of the injured Dallas Goedert. The tight end was often Hurts’ safety outlet and caught five passes for 30 yards. His compatriot Jack Stoll made some nice running blocks. He had a false start on fourth down Tush Push on the Eagles’ first drive.

Offensive line: B+

The O-line helped Barkley surpass 100 yards for the fifth time this season. The unit gave Hurts ample time in the pocket for most of the game. Fred Johnson held on to his third straight start at left tackle. Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen had two sacks from the right, but Johnson wasn’t completely at fault. He was up and down as a run blocker. He led the way on Hurts’ touchdown and was brought down by Cisco, who was penalized for diving at the tackles’ knees.

Right tackle Lane Johnson was on an island against Jaguars tight end Travon Walker and kept his team clean. Left guard Landon Dickerson played despite a knee injury and, with center Cam Jurgens and right guard Mekhi Bectonhelped prevent the Jaguars from pushing the pocket into Hurts. Becton was back after missing a game with a concussion and made a number of key blocks.

» LEARN MORE: Jalen Hurts saves Nick Sirianni’s bacon in messy Eagles win over Jaguars and Doug Pederson

Johnson, Becton and Jurgens opened a hole for Barkley to pick up 11 yards in the first. The latter two produced a combined block that paved the way for Barkley’s 21-yard scooter in the fourth quarter. Johnson made an effective pull block on Barkley’s 13-yard run down the left edge in the third quarter. Jurgens made a key second-level block on Barkley’s 19-yard touchdown run. Earlier, he was flagged for holding up on a running play in the second half. Becton was beaten inside on a Jaguars tackle for loss. He had a false start in the third quarter.

Defensive line: B+

The Eagles’ impressive defensive performance had all hands on deck. The D-line dominated the Jaguars up front and allowed only 60 yards on the ground. Jalen Carter was the monster in the middle. The defensive tackle broke down a blocker at the point of attack and got a run stop near the line in the second quarter. The Eagles didn’t employ many 5-man fronts, but the nose tackle Jordan Davis helped clog up the middle against the run. Milton Williams ate up blockers who helped off-ball linebackers rush to the ball.

The D line was just as effective in the pass rush. Carter hurried for a few moments. Defensive end Josh is sweating had a third-down sack following a bull run on the Jaguars’ first possession, thanks in part to Williams’ initial pressure up the middle. Bryce Huff didn’t play until late in the second quarter for some reason. The end put pressure on an inside run that helped force a third stop. He played sparingly the rest of the time.

Nolan Smith started and played many more snaps than Huff. He had a relatively quiet game, but got close to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and knocked him out of bounds during a short scrimmage. Brandon Graham there’s also a slight increase in shots with Huff watching more than he’s playing. He attacked Lawrence on several occasions.

Linebacker: A

The Eagles’ off-ball linebackers were instrumental in the victory. Zack Baun was perhaps the best overall defender and led the way with 10 tackles. He also made his first interception of the season – and second of his career – when he caught a bounced pass in the second quarter. On Jacksonville’s first series, Baun had a downfield pass breakup. On the next play, he threw a block for a running tackle near the line. And then a few plays later, he made an open field tackle on a checkdown.

Dean Nakobe surged forward on the game-ending interception. He wasn’t around the ball as much as Baun, but didn’t have any glaring mishaps. He had a pass breakup on a first-quarter throw over the middle and was in coverage when Jaguars running back Travis Etienne’s ball deflected to Baun for a pick.

Cornerback: B+

Isaiah Rodgers I got the green light outside with Kill Darius sidelined. Rodgers and his counterpart Quinyon Mitchell get credit for keeping No. 1 receiver Brian Thomas in check. Thomas was questionable before the game due to a chest injury, but his two catches for 22 yards showed how well the Eagles cornerbacks performed.

slot corner Cooper De Jean continued to shine in his first season. He tackled Jaguars tight end Evan Engram for the pass breakup on fourth down — a week after he had another big stop on fourth down — in the second quarter. A drive later, DeJean had a sticky coverage on a third-down pass to receiver Austin Trammell who he also threw to the grass. He trailed Trammell on his 18-yard catch in the third quarter.

Avonte Maddox Didn’t play much on the Eagles’ staff, but was flagged for pass interference late in the game.

Safety: B

The Eagles’ safeties played a big role in the Jaguars’ gain of just 32 yards in the first half. With Lawrence forced to pass more after the break, there were a few breakdowns at the back. But Reed Blankenship And CJ Gardner-JohnsonUltimately, I have never been beaten overboard.

Gardner-Johnson had a few free moments on the Jaguars’ first touchdown and was beaten by Thomas on the two-point conversion. Blankenship allowed Engram to get a head start on him on the Jaguars’ next two-point conversion. He made a run stop for no gain on the Jaguars’ first series of the second half.

Special teams: B+

Sydney Brown made the Eagles’ first big play of the game when he knocked the ball out of Trammell’s hands on a punt return and Kelee Ringo recovered. The turnover set up the Eagles’ first touchdown. Beginner Will Shipley had an open field tackle Braden Mannthe second punt.

Mann averaged 45 net yards on three punts. Kicker Jake Elliott wasn’t called upon much, with the Eagles playing on fourth down and two-point conversions. He connected on a 43-yard field goal and extra point, but missed from 57 yards late. DeJean just caught all four of his punt return attempts.

Coaching: B-

Nick Sirianni was probably sweating towards the end of what probably shouldn’t have been a close game. He was on the losing end of a series of fourth-down and two-point conversion gambles. But the coach has the Eagles 6-2 and on a four-game winning streak heading into a divisional game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Although the Tush Push wasn’t as effective on a few failed two-point conversion attempts, Sirianni’s decision to attempt a fake sneak on fourth-and-inches late in the third quarter was questionable.

Kelly Moore stuck with the Eagles’ new run-based identity, but the offensive coordinator may have been too conservative against one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses. He also had a good time. Moore had a quarterback draw — with a new wrinkle that had Gainwell moving in the backfield — which allowed Hurts to scramble into the end zone from 18 yards out. Ainias Smith’s sweeps and fake sweeps aren’t worth much.

Vic Fangio‘s defense was dominant in the first half but not as much in the second half. He got strong performances from his players in decisive moments throughout the streak.