Larry Henry Jr
The Philadelphia Eagles moved to 4-0 on Sunday after downing NFC East rivals Washington Commanders 34-31 in overtime, and although there is plenty to be excited about currently, the long-term development in the team remains high on their priority list.
Nick Sirianni and Brian Johnson’s offense are averaging 29.5 points per game in its four wins, using a variety of different playmakers to share the load. 2022 MVP finalist and star quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 319 passing yards and two touchdowns at Lincoln Financial Field while wide receiver A.J. Brown eclipsed the 100-yard mark after hauling in nine catches for 175 yards and both TD passes from Hurts.
Whether it’s Hurts spreading the ball to his talented wide receivers and tight ends, or a dynamic running back group leading the way, the Eagles are happy to just be winning.
“It’ll look different every time we step out there,” Hurts said postgame Sunday. “Whether a 300-yard passing game, a 300-yard rushing game, a 150-yard rushing game by D’Andre (Swift), or a DeVonta Smith day, Dallas Goedert’s day, A.J. Brown’s day, that doesn’t really matter to me. I think winning is the only thing that matters.”
“We’re not playing our best ball right now, but we’re still finding ways to win games,” center Jason Kelce said. “We have a lot to clean up and we know that, but we’re happy being 4-0. That’s what this league is about, you are always trying to improve and that’s where we are. We aren’t playing our best ball offensively. We know what we can do when we are at our best.”
Wait for it…#VictoryMonday | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/M8Os96HZEb
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 2, 2023
The Eagles defensive struggled for consistency on Sunday afternoon, but the offense was able to bail them out with several big plays down the field. Hurts’ continued chemistry with Brown was on display yet again as the veteran wide receiver made several big-time catches and continued to frustrate the Commanders secondary throughout the game.
The Eagles have totaled 400 offensive yards or more in three of their four victories to start the 2023 season, continuing to be one of the league’s scarier units. Tougher challenges are coming with the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and Kansas City Chiefs still on the Eagles’ schedule later this fall, but starting off 4-0 is right where the Eagles want to be in order to continue gaining momentum.
“I think we’re still putting it together,” wide receiver A.J. Brown said. “Nobody wants to be playing their best football right now. But we’re still striving each and every day to fix the little things. We’re heading in the right direction. Don’t get me wrong. We want to play really well. But we don’t want to play our best football right now in October. These are moments we are learning from. These are experiences we are learning from.
“It was a game in overtime that, if it happens again, nobody will blink because we’re put in these tough situations (now). It’s a learning experience. We’re 4-0, and Nick [Sirianni] just said in the locker room, we’ve won in every way these four games. We’re still striving to put our best out there.”
Note: Always bring a sharpie@1kalwaysopen_ | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/UupgWyVL4P
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 1, 2023
The Eagles hit the road in each of their next two games, starting with a trip to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5.
You can follow Larry Henry on Twitter (@lhenry019) and e-mail him at [email protected].
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