Philadelphia Eagles Week 2: Who Impressed or Disappointed?

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.