Eagles vs. Saints: The good, the bad, and the ugly

This was made possible by a once-forgotten man, Dallas Goedert, one old man, Brandon Graham, and a host of guys who are not depth-chart toppers like Tyler Steen, Paris Johnson, Johnny Wilson, and Jahan Dotson. It was made possible without A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Darius Slay, Lane Johnson and Mekhi Becton.

This was made possible despite a pile of blunders by Nick Sirianni (how many times did you fire Sirianni in your head?). They won despite a blocked punt, two turnovers, one in the end zone, starters dropping everywhere, and gaping mistakes like having too many players on the field during crucial moments of the game.

The New Orleans Saints’ potent offense was shut down, Goedert went nuts, with a career-best 10 receptions for 170 yards, including the play of the game, in the Eagles’ 15-12 victory over the Saints on Sunday at the noisy Caesars Superdome.

The Eagles are a fortunate 2-1, dropping New Orleans to 2-1, after the Saints entered the game averaging 405.5 yards a game, and an NFL-high 45.5 points a game, averaging 11 more points than the nearest team (Arizona 34.5).

Sirianni maintains that the Eagles are not going to change who they are. Well, maybe it is about time Sirianni’s Eagles do change who they are. For the second-straight week, Sirianni’s penchant for going for it on fourth down backfired, leaving probably six points off the scoreboard with two missed fourth-down tries.

Fortunately, Saints’ coach Dennis Allen came from the same inept school, trying a fourth-down conversion himself that failed early in the fourth quarter when he could have kicked a field goal. This time, an opposing coach’s blunder spelled doom for them.

The Eagles’ record says 2-1. But they are a team in trouble. If you think otherwise, time to whip out your Eagles’ footie pajamas and see if they still fit.

Jalen Hurts has become a turnover machine. He threw his fourth interception and second in the end zone in three games. The Eagles won because two Saints’ defenders ran into each other on Goedert’s big fourth quarter catch and their 32-minutes, 15-seconds time of possession wore down a tired New Orleans’ defense.

Although the defense played well against New Orleans, it is still a very suspect unit.

There was good, a touch of bad, and a pile of ugly in a deceiving 15-12 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

The Good

Safety Reed Blankenship’s diving interception that clinched a very fortunate victory with :48 to play.

Tight end Dallas Goedert exploding. He made a career-high 10 catches, for 170 yards and targeted 11 times. His eight targets in the first half were one target less than the nine times Jalen Hurts looked at him in the Eagles’ first two games combined. Goedert’s 43-yard reception on the Eagles’ second drive to the Saints’ 13 got the Eagles going. Three plays later, it was erased by Hurts’ second end zone interception this season. Goedert could be a valued weapon—when Sirianni and Kellen Moore look at him. Goedert did more in the first half against the Saints than he had done in the Eagles’ first two games. His seven receptions tallied 80 yards on eight targets. In the Eagles’ first two games, he had seven catches for 69 yards. Goedert later made a one-handed catch on third-and-five with 8:57 to play in the game for a 30-yard gain to the Saints’ 41. The Eagles squandered the chance with a missed Jake Elliott 60-yard field goal attempt. Goedert’s biggest play of the game came on a shallow cross for 61 yards with 1:05 to play on a third-and-16 at the Eagles’ 35. It was the play of the game.

Saquon Barkley’s 65-yard go-ahead TD run with 13:17 to play, breaking loose and pulling away thanks to left guard Landon Dickerson and left tackle Jordan Mailata clearing the way. Mailata kicked out Saints’ linebacker Pete Werner making it possible. It was the longest TD run for Barkley in five years. Barkley scored his second TD and the two-point conversion with 1:01 left to play that gave the Eagles a 15-12 lead. Barkley finished with 147 yards rushing on 17 carries, averaging 8.6 yards a carry. He is special and strong enough to erase the many gaffes of his quarterback.

Linebacker Nakobe Dean and defensive tackle Jordan Davis coming up to stop Alvin Kamara for no gain on the first play of the game at the Saints’ 30. Dean finished with eight tackles.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter coming alive, blocking a Derek Carr pass attempt on a third-and-14 at the Eagles’ 16 on the opening drive of the game. On that same series, Carter had combined with Brandon Graham to stop Kamara for a yard gain at the Eagles’ 25 on first-and-10. Carter blocked another Carr pass on the Saints’ third drive on third-and-two at the Saints’ 27 with 14:05 left in the half. On the Saints’ first drive of the second half, Carter came through to take down Kamara for a one-yard loss at the Eagles’ 42. It was Carter’s fourth tackle—and second for loss.

Eagles’ red zone defense on the Saints’ opening drive. Entering the game, the Eagles’ red zone defense, one good area about the 2024 Eagles’ defense so far, was tied for No. 5 with Minnesota in the NFL in overall Red Zone defense in scoring percentage for touchdowns at 28.57%.

The ageless Brandon Graham putting pressure on Carr that forced the Blankenship interception. Graham finished with two tackles, one solo and continues to be the Eagles’ best edge rusher. Bryce Huff once again did not make the stat sheet.

Jordan Davis makes an appearance, pulling down Carr for a 12-yard sack at the Saints’ 24 on the Saints’ first play of their second drive. It was Davis’ first sack of the season.

The Eagles’ defense containing the potent Saints’ offense. The Eagles had held the Saints to 71 yards of total offense in the first half, which translated into 2.6 yards per play. New Orleans picked up just five first downs—four coming on the Saints’ opening drive. The Saints finished with a season-low 219 yards of total offense, and 12 first downs. Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean were exceptional.

Rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell continues to impress. He almost had a pick-six on the Saints’ first play of the second half, coming up on the Saints’ dangerous Rashid Shaheed on a first-and-10 at the New Orleans’ 40. Earlier, Mitchell made a huge play on third-and-eight at the Eagles’ 40 when Derek Carr looked for Shaheed deep left with 4:08 left in the first half.

The Eagles stopping the Saints on fourth-and-one at the Eagles’ 18 on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Eagles held, thanks to Baun and Graham converging on Kamara and stopping him short.

The Bad

Losing Darius Slay on a late hit by Saints’ tackle Trevor Penning, on a third-and-four at the Saints’ 44 with 5:18 to play. Slay was lost, replaced by Kelee Ringo, who two plays later was burned by Chris Olave for a 29-yard reception on a second-and-10 to the Eagles’ 25 with 4:55 to play.

Losing DeVonta Smith with 13:53 to play, after he caught a five-yard pass on a first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 30. Smith finished with seven catches for 79 yards on 10 targets.

Hurts failing to see a wide open Goedert on a first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 18 after holding the Saints on a fourth-and-one with 14:58 left to play. Hurts looked at Goedert eight times in the first half. He somehow forgot him here wide open down the field.

Flagged for too many men on the field on third-and-two with 1:37 left in the third quarter. This is borderline ugly. This is coaching. They should know what personnel should be on the field. The Eagles had a makable third-and-two situation at the New Orleans’ 44, when a communications blunder put 12 players in the huddle, making it third-and-seven at the Saints’ 49.

The Eagles losing right tackle Lane Johnson and right guard Mekhi Becton to injuries in the first half replaced by Tyler Steen at right guard and Paris Johnson

The Ugly

Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson burned for a 12-yard touchdown reception to Olave on a second-and-10 from the Eagles’ 12 with 2:03 to play. Gardner-Johnson was nowhere near Olave. The Eagles’ defense had been solid all afternoon, when this scoring drive spilled out. For the third-straight week, Gardner-Johnson was stung for an important touchdown. In the season opener, Gardner-Johnson turned the wrong way, when Jayden Reed ran right by him unchecked for an easy 70-yard TD toss. Against Minnesota, Gardner-Johnson got caught looking at Kirk Cousins as Darnell Mooney ran by him for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left in the third quarter.

Edge blocker Nolan Smith not even noticing J.T. Gray, who

Did Sirianni learn anything from Monday night’s debacle against Atlanta? Apparently not. On fourth-and-one at the Saints’ 15, Peter Werner and Chase Young squashed Saquon Barkley for no gain with :14 left in the half, when Sirianni could have—and should have—opted for the field goal. On Monday night, Sirianni opted to go for it on the Eagles’ second drive on a fourth-and-four at the Atlanta nine in the first quarter. That failed when Hurts tried to force the ball into Goedert. For the second straight week, Sirianni’s decision took a give-me field goal and a total of six valuable points off the scoreboard. Sirianni tried—and failed again—on the Eagles’ first drive of the second half, when on fourth-and-three at the Saints’ 39—well within Jake Elliott’s range. This time, Hurts was sacked for a six-yard loss. At that point, the Eagles’ drive chart read a highly unusual: Punt, interception, fumble, downs, downs.

Hurts’ first half. His fourth interception of the season was his second interception in the end zone this season. He followed that with his second lost fumble of the season for an NFL-high six turnovers in three games. Hurts leads all NFL quarterbacks with 26 turnovers since 2023. In the last two seasons combined, Hurts has thrown an NFL-high 19 interceptions when Tyrann Mathieu picked him off and returned the second-quarter interception to the Saints’ 19. Hurts later lost his second fumble of the season on the Eagles’ third drive, when Saints’ defensive end Carl Granderson pulled him down from behind for a six-yard sack at the Saints’ 47. Willie Gay Jr. picked up the loose ball, but the Saints blew the chance a second time. The Eagles’ first three series on their drive chart read: Punt, interception, fumble.

The Eagles’ first offensive series. They were minus-9 yards of offense after Hurts was taken down on the Eagles’ first play of the game for minus-3 yards, on a poorly designed play, and then Hurts was snowed under on an eight-yard sack back to the Eagles’ 21 on third-and-11.

Edge rusher Bryce Huff was going in the opposite direction on the Saints’ first third down. You will notice No. 0 running right toward the pile at the line of scrimmage as Kamara ran by him for an eight-yard gain on a third-and-one at the New Orleans’ 39. You will see Huff running inside, leaving the outside wide open for Kamara. For the second-straight week, Huff was shutout on the stat sheet.

Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written feature stories for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project piece for ESPN.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is most noted for his award-winning ESPN.com feature on high school wrestler A.J. Detwiler in February 2006, which appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.