The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0. It hasn't been an easy road to 2-0, but for two straight weeks the Eagles have managed to get the job done.
Here are 10 thoughts from the Eagles' exhilarating 30-27 win over the Colts on the road in Indianapolis.
1) Don't count out the Birds
Two straight weeks where the Eagles start off slowly only to come roaring back for a victory. The Eagles have shown resiliency. They haven't folded despite ample opportunity to do just that. On the flip side, the Eagles need to find a way to get off to faster starts. Come-from-behind wins aren't always going to be there for them.
2) Darren Sproles!
The Eagles acquired Darren Sproles for the mere cost of a fifth round pick. What a pickup for Philadelphia. In Sproles' first game with Eagles, he broke a career-high by rushing for 49 yards on one play. In Sproles' second game with the Eagles, he broke a career-high mark in receiving yards with 152. ...so what the heck is Sproles going to do in his third game?!
Liking this nickname: LeSean DeCoy.
3) Nick Foles still needs to play better
Foles finished with 21/37 (56.8%), 331 yards, 8.9 average, 1 TD, 1 INT, 84.4 passer rating. It felt like there were still too many plays where he was missing wide receivers. Other times his throws were off target. Foles didn't have a horrible game by any means, but for the second straight week, he probably could have been a lot better. To Foles' credit, he did deal with a number of dropped passes.
4) Zach Ertz is a stud
Plain and simple. He's really good. He now has 7 catches for 163 yards and 1 touchdown. He's averaging an insane 23.3 yards per catch. Here's more via Jimmy Kempski:
Zach Ertz facts: pic.twitter.com/53D7UQ912h
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) September 16, 2014
5) Wide receivers need to step up
Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, and Jordan Matthews were all responsible for a number of drops against the Colts. Maclin finished with 4 for 45 yards and 1 touchdown, which was at least respectable. Matthews only caught one pass for 17 yards, however. Cooper was even less productive with one catch for 8 yards. The Colts have some decent cornerbacks but this just isn't acceptable production from starting wide receivers.
6) Offensive line holds their own
The Eagles are missing a number of key players on the offensive line: Evan Mathis, Lane Johnson, Allen Barbre, and Matt Tobin. Despite this, they didn't allow a single sack. Andrew Gardner seemed to struggle the most. The Eagles run blocking would definitely be better with the starters around. For now, this unit is buying time until the starters get back, and that's good enough.
7) Sproles wasn't the only former Saints player to come up big
Malcolm Jenkins was pretty clutch against the Colts. Not only did he have that key interception but he also batted a pass on third down at one point to force an Indianapolis punt. Sproles and Jenkins have been quite good for the Eagles so far. I wonder if the 0-2 Saints are missing them?
8) Fletcher Cox is a monster
I can't believe Cox is still only 23. He's been in the league for three years now and he's really stepped up early in the 2014 season. He's great against the run and he can rush the passer too.
9) First place in the NFC East
The Eagles are 2-0, Washington is 1-1, the Dallas Cowboys are 1-1, and the New York Giants are 0-2.
10) The best is yet to come
Good point here: the Philadelphia Eagles lead the NFL in both yards gained and points scored. Yet, they haven't even played their best football yet. It's hard not to think about this team's ceiling if/when they can put a whole game together.