Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles Week 2: Who Impressed or Disappointed?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Who impressed or disappointed for the Philadelphia Eagles in their Week 2 victory over the Chicago Bears?

The Philadelphia Eagles made a stop in the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football to wrap up Week 2.

Bears’ quarterback Jay Cutler came into the game looking to get his team their first win of the season after they fell to the Houston Texans in Week 1. In that game, Cutler was sacked five times, so a point of emphasis for the Bears in Week 2 was protecting their quarterback. And, Philadelphia has an elite defensive line, so it was one of the biggest matchups to watch out for.

The Eagles won that battle. They sacked Cutler three times, with one injuring the veteran gunslinger. Another one of the three sacks forced a fumble that the Eagles recovered. Their defense forced three turnovers total on the night.

Not only did the Eagles defense come to play, their offense did too. Many fans felt the Bears defense is an upgrade from the Browns defense, but it did not seem to matter as the Eagles scored three touchdowns and controlled the ball for 36:05.

It was a big win for the Birds, giving them a 2-0 record, which can only be said for two other NFC teams (New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings). Now let’s see who impressed or disappointed in the Eagles 29-14 victory over the Bears.

Sep 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Carson Wentz: Impressed

The rookie quarterback Carson Wentz shined in his NFL debut and then followed that up with a dazzling performance in Week 2.

The Eagles opened the game with an empty set and Wentz completed his first pass to Nelson Agholor for nine yards. Instead of huddling up, like they usually do, the Eagles trusted their rookie to run the no-huddle offense. Throughout the 13-play drive, Wentz called the plays at the line of scrimmage, while also calling audibles and making sure his guys were lined up in the right place. Had you just turned the game on and did not know who Wentz was, you would think he was a 10-year veteran because of the way he navigated the drive.

The number two overall pick didn’t look back after he started well on the first drive. Wentz showed the poise and command of a franchise quarterback the entire game. He was taking some hard hits, but he showed toughness and grit as he threw dimes while knowing he was going to get hit more.

When the final whistle sounded, Wentz completed 21 of his 34 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. However Pro Football Focus pointed out that the Eagles had three drops that would have netted 82 yards and a touchdown.

This is back-to-back weeks that Wentz has impressed, but they play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. So, we will get to see how he does against a Super Bowl caliber team.

Sep 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews (81) reaches for a pass as Chicago Bears cornerback Bryce Callahan (37) defends during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Matthews: Disappointed

I mentioned the dropped passes, with one of them that could have been a touchdown. The player who dropped that pass was wide receiver Jordan Matthews. The 2014 second-round pick has had a solid season through two weeks. He leads the Eagles with 13 receptions for 185 yards and a touchdown. In Week 2, he hauled in six catches for 71 yards, but failed to score a touchdown—which he should have had.

Dropped passes have haunted Matthews in his career, but his drop against the Bears was terrible.

There was 19 seconds left in the second quarter and the Eagles were losing 6-7. Wentz took his drop, set, and threw one of the best passes of his young career. Matthews did not even break stride as the ball was perfectly placed into his hands (which obviously were made of stone or were greased before the play). The only problem was Matthews ruined the play by just flat-out dropping the ball. It bounced right out of his hands and fell incomplete, leaving the 35-yard touchdown on the field. Luckily, the Eagles kicked a field goal to go up 9-7 at halftime, but 13-7 would have been sweeter.

Matthews needs to start catching the ball more because that dropped pass was one of the lowest points of the game for the Eagles.

Sep 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tight end Trey Burton (47) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second half at Soldier Field. The Eagles won 29-14. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Trey Burton: Impressed

One of the biggest questions for the Eagles heading into Week 2 was who would and how would the Eagles replace starting tight end Zach Ertz?

Ertz was injured early in Week 1, but he played through it. The only problem was that after the game was over, the injury was found to be more serious than expected. With Ertz ruled out, the Eagles turned to third year tight end Trey Burton.

Burton was inactive in Week 1 because of a quad injury, but was healthy and ready to go for Week 2. He arguably had the best offseason out of any Eagles player and was looking to translate that to actual NFL game success.

In his first “start” (Brent Celek was technically the starter, but wasn’t used like Burton was) Burton showed he is a weapon for the Eagles. He caught five passes for 49 yards and a nice red zone touchdown. He actually could have had two touchdowns, but Wentz didnt throw the ball accurately enough and it was knocked away by a Bears defender. It was impressive to see him run routes and catch everything thrown his way in Week 2.

Sep 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) and center Jason Kelce (62) and offensive guard Allen Barbre (76) in action against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kelce: Disappointed

Heading into the 2016 NFL season, center wasn’t a position of need for the Eagles. The reason for this was because they had 2014 Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce.

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Kelce, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, started all 16 games as a rookie. He then injured his knee, only starting two games in 2012. His comeback from the knee injury went well, starting all 16 games in 2013 while earning First Team All-NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

After the impressive 2013 season, Kelce did even better in 2014, earning himself his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Fans loved him and were excited to see how much better he could be in 2015, but he played poorly. The down year wasn’t a cause for concern considering he had played so well prior to 2015. But through two games in 2016; Kelce’s poor play is now a concern.

His Week 2 performance against the Bears was horrendous. He was called for numerous penalties and was getting dominated by the Bears defensive line and linebackers. He played so poorly in Week 2, combined with Week 1, that he is currently the worst rated center by Pro Football Focus. Kelce needs to play better in Week 3 and throughout the year or the Eagles may have a need at center during the offseason.

Sep 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) strips the ball from Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles defeated the Browns, 29-10. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Graham: Impressed

Eagles’ starting defensive end Brandon Graham could win defensive MVP this year and there would still be an Eagles fan who says, “We should have taken Earl Thomas.”

The Eagles traded up in the 2010 NFL Draft, with fans believing they would take Thomas. Obviously they did not, selecting Graham instead and forever connecting the two in Eagles’ fans minds. To make matters worse, Graham hadn’t been great in his NFL career coming into 2016, but has flashed some potential.

After six NFL seasons, 2016 may finally be the year where he shows why the Eagles took him over Thomas. Through two games, Graham has two sacks. His career-high sits at 6.5 sacks, but as of now, Graham is on pace for 16. In Week 2, Graham had an impressive sack and he also had three hurries.

The best aspect of his game is his pass-rushing ability, but Graham has been a factor against the run as well. It seems like he is always around the ball and he had a couple of nice run stops this week.

According to Pro Football Focus, Graham is currently the third best edge defender in the NFL with an 85.0 overall grade. The 86.5 that Pro Football Focus gave Graham in Week 2 was the highest for any Eagles defender, highlighting his impressive play.

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