Eagles News: DeVonta Smith among top graded rookies from Week 1 – Bleeding Green Nation

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Grading all 32 first-round picks after Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season – PFF
PICK NO. 10: WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles. Overall Rookie Grade: 75.3 (Rank: 4/15). Week 1 Grade: 75.3 Smith’s first NFL target was a touchdown, showing an effortless ability to capitalize on a rub from his teammate on the defensive back to open up space for the throw. Smith ended the game with six catches for 71 yards on seven targets and looked every bit the part of an impressive NFL receiver right out of the gate.

Week 2 NFL Power Rankings 2021: 1-32 poll, plus which rookies made the best first impression – ESPN
1. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0). Preseason ranking: 27. Top rookie: WR DeVonta Smith. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner caught a touchdown on his first NFL reception and paced the Eagles with six catches for 71 yards in a convincing win over Atlanta. His six catches are tied for the most by an Eagles rookie in a debut since DeSean Jackson in 2000. Smith led all Eagles receivers in snaps (58), further evidence he is viewed as their lead receiver. Smith’s elite footwork allows him to gain separation off the line of scrimmage, and he knows how to find an open pocket in the defense. He should have big-time production this year so long as he stays healthy.

Roob’s 10 crazy Eagles stats from the Falcons win – NBCSP
Historic debuts: DeVonta Smith’s 71 yards are second-most in Eagles history by a player in his first NFL game. DeSean Jackson had 106 against the Rams in the 2008 opener. Smith’s six catches tied Jackson’s club record for most catches in an NFL debut. Smith and Kenny Gainwell both scored touchdowns in their first NFL game, the first time two Eagles have done that in the same game. Only two other Eagles have scored TDs in their first game in the last 20 years — Tony Hunt against the Lions in 2007 and Terrell Watson against the Cowboys in 2017 (the only game he played for the Eagles). Huge names in Eagles history. Smith and Gainwell are only the sixth and seventh Eagles rookies ever to score on opening day and the first in 28 years. The others were Ben Hawkins in 1970, Michael Haddix in 1983, Junior Tautalatasi in 1986, Keith Jackson in 1988 and Vaughn Hebron in 1993.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 2 Edition – BGN
14 – Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 24) – The Eagles entered Atlanta as underdogs and kicked some serious tail-feathers. Jalen Hurts is off to a great start when it comes to proving himself as a franchise quarterback. He was accurate, decisive, and poised. Hurts also used his mobility to his advantage, especially during an impressive two-minute drill to give Philly a two-possession lead before halftime. Philly’s defensive line, meanwhile, powered a performance that saw the Eagles allow zero touchdowns and zero plays over 20 yards. The Eagles were the only defense from Week 1 to limit that kind of damage, according to Sheil Kapadia. Strong debuts for both Nick Sirianni and Jonathan Gannon. Nothing but good vibes surrounding the Birds right now. A win over San Fran in Week 2 and they could push for a top 10 spot.

From the Bleachers #77 – The Eagles Have Juice – BGN Radio
Shamus Clancy clowns on the other NFC East teams, praises the Eagles’ radiating energy and looks forward to the future of the Nick Sirianni era.

Can 49ers first-year DC DeMeco Ryans contain Jalen Hurts’ legs? – Niners Nation
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh proved to be one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL during his tenure with the 49ers. However, while Saleh’s schemes consistently gave fits to traditional pocket passers, the Niners struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks. Over the past two seasons, the 49ers faced quarterbacks that averaged more than 20 rushing yards per game 14 times and allowed those signal-callers to accumulate 47.6 rushing yards per game on 5.9 yards a carry. Now with Saleh in New York, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is relying on first-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. In his first regular-season game as coordinator, Ryans lost his best cornerback to a season-ending injury and faced plenty of criticism from overreacting fans after the defense’s late-game collapse in their 41-33 victory over the Detroit Lions. Now, heading into the 49ers Week 2 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Ryans must design a scheme to contain dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Eagles vs. 49ers: Five matchups to watch – PhillyVoice
Hurts executed Nick Sirianni’s game plan very effectively and he had a very good command of the offense, but after watching what the Eagles did to the Falcons Week 1, there’s a good bet that the 49ers will seek to take away the short stuff in this matchup, and make Hurts prove that he can be effective pushing the ball down the field, with accuracy.

What We Learned – Iggles Blitz
Jalen Hurts Can Play A Complete Game. Hurts had a terrible habit last year of playing a good half and a bad half. He tended to start hot and then fade, but had at least one game where he started slow and then got hot. He never played well for a whole game. That certainly changed on Sunday. Hurts played well for the whole game. Sure, he made some mistakes and had a bad series or two, but he never got into a prolonged funk. He threw TDs in the first quarter and the fourth quarter. He never turned the ball over. Hurts led the Eagles to 15 points in the first half and 17 in the second half. He played well for an entire game and that’s a great sign for the upcoming season.

NFL Power Rankings: The Chiefs Maintain Their Mystique – The Ringer
The second-year pro completed 27 of 35 passes for 264 yards, three touchdowns, no picks, and a 126.4 passer rating. He benefited from a QB-friendly game plan by Sirianni, who leaned heavily on quick hitters and screens in the short area that helped Hurts find a rhythm in the pocket early on (his average depth of target was just 3.6 yards, lowest among all starters this week). But it wasn’t like Sirianni was completely hiding Hurts in the offense: Hurts made big throws all game, completing nine of 11 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns against the blitz, per Next Gen Stats. He finished fifth in completion rate over expectation (9.1 percent), displaying the ability to fit throws into tight windows. And, of course, Hurts also brought his game-changing rushing talent to the Eagles offense by running for 62 yards on seven totes. Hurts has a long way to go to prove that his Week 1 passing efficiency was no fluke. But it’s tough to imagine a better start to the Sirianni-Hurts relationship in Philly.

2021 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks for Week 2 – Fake Teams
11) Jalen Hurts – He decimated ATL last week, but this is a rough matchup. Best viewed as a low-end QB1..

DVOA Week 1: NFC West is Best – Football Outsiders
[BLG Note: The Eagles are 3rd overall in DVOA. The 49ers are 5th.]

49ers’ Raheem Mostert out for the season; Kerryon Johnson added to practice squad – SF Chronicle
On Tuesday, the 49ers placed Mostert on injured reserve and signed running back Kerryon Johnson to their practice squad. Johnson, a 2018 second-round pick of the Lions, was waived by Detroit in May after he had 1,225 yards and averaged 4.3 yards in three seasons. He was claimed by the Eagles, who released Johnson with an injury designation in August when he was dealing with a knee issue.

Grading Carson Wentz’s Performance Against the Seattle Seahawks – Stampede Blue
In the face of pressure — quite literally — Wentz showcased his ability to extend plays with both his legs and arm and made some really nice throws. Overall, the Colts had to have liked what they saw from their quarterback. When factoring in everything from the defensive blunders; to a lack of a running game and terrible offensive line play, Wentz gets a ‘B’ from me. His numbers may not ‘wow’ you, but the Colts’ quarterback looked poised, was decisive, made several really nice throws and showcased enough positive plays to build off of moving forward.

Broncos place CB Ronald Darby on injured reserve – Mile High Report
As for Darby, hamstrings can be tricky to come back from. Since he is out a minimum of 3 weeks that does put his availability right around the average time to return to action from a hamstring injury, but if he aggravates it at all his time missed could be extended. That is a situation we will have to keep an eye on moving forward.

Source: Texans signing safety Grayland Arnold to practice squad – SportsTalk 790
The Texans are signing former Philadelphia Eagles safety Grayland Arnold to their practice squad, according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly. Arnold was recently released from the Eagles’ practice squad.

Raiders signing Damion Square off Bears’ practice squad – PFT
Square, 32, is on his fourth team since May, spending time with the Browns and Saints as well as the Bears. He was with the Chargers the previous six seasons. He played 81 games for the Chargers, including every game the past four seasons, and recorded 116 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. [BLG Note: This former Eagles DT is still hanging around in the NFL after first signing with Philly as a UDFA in 2013.]

Looking at the Cowboys 2021 opponents after week one – Blogging The Boys
If Hurts is able to perform this well every week, the Eagles will contend for the NFC East title. However, this was likely a dominant performance against a bad team. With that being said, Philadelphia proved that opponents need to take them seriously.

Three key matchups to watch in Thursday’s New York Giants vs. Washington Football Team game – Hogs Haven
An ugly record against the New York Giants over the past five seasons. One of the biggest takeaways from the opener against the Los Angeles Chargers was how they exploited Washington’s pass defense. From a pass-blocking and overall schematic perspective, the Chargers challenged Washington’s linebackers and cornerbacks in the air, all while dominating up front against Chase Young and the rest of the defensive line. Washington has an opportunity against the New York Giants to improve offensively and defensively. Still, for the defense who has struggled to stop the Daniel Jones-led Giants, they will have the chance to change the narrative. Here are my three key matchups to watch against the New York Giants.

Saquon Barkley: Giants’ RB says explosiveness “is not a problem” – Big Blue View
Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants had only 26 yards on 10 carries (2.6 yards per carry) in his comeback on Sunday from a Week 2 2020 torn ACL. His longest run was 5 yards. It wasn’t, by any definition, vintage Barkley. The performance left some wondering if, or when, we will see Barkley be BARKLEY. When will we see him be the player gained 1,307 yards rushing and averaged 5.0 yards per attempt as a rookie in 2018. Barkley said he was “knocking the rust off” Sunday vs. the Denver Broncos and isn’t worried about having lost anything. “My explosiveness to me is not a problem. I feel like it’s all there still. I didn’t really give myself the opportunity or had an opportunity to break a long one, so I guess I couldn’t show that,” Barkley said on Tuesday. “Just got to stick with the game plan, stick with the runs, take the dirty runs. When I get the opportunity to make a big play, make big play.”

The ‘raw sewage’ leak on Washington fans, explained – SB Nation
Did raw sewage really rain on Washington fans? A stinky investigation.

Off Day Debrief #54: Raiders stun Ravens + Week 2 Power Rankings – The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera and Brandon Lee Gowton react to a crazy game on Monday Night Football with Kyle Barber of the Ravens and Baltimore Beatdown. Plus, we present the only 100% accurate power rankings in the NFL podcast kingdom, and throw someone in the Pit of Misery. How do the Ravens respond after getting punched in the gut? Why Kyle says you shouldn’t be worried about Lamar Jackson. Can Derek Carr sustain this level of play? Week 2 Power Rankings. MVP and LVPs of the Week. The first banishment to the Pit of Misery in 2021.

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