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BALL SEC PART 2: An Eagle on the rise?

by PurdueAndy | 7 years ago | 0 Comments

BALL SEC will be a continuing feature chronicling the Eagles laughable woes improvement in protecting the football. This is the second of many posts to come.

The preseason ended.....disastrously. I am not going to detail how Joshua Winters couldn't feel a slight breeze without losing a grasp on the ball or how Jase Hallen was making horrible reads and throwing picks left and right and right and left. The preseason ended.....and all signs were indicating that the ball protection issues would be an immense problem this year. 

The Eagles kicked off the season against the Giants and in total Andy fashion allowed a huge run from old nemesis J.T. Tuman for a touchdown on the very first play from scrimmage. And then something incredible happened. The Eagles stormed right back. Tying the game at 7 and then proceeded to go blow for blow with the Giants for most of the game.

The Eagles had not yet committed a turnover. The Giants had an 8 point lead and the ball on the Eagles’ goal line on 4th down. Possibly foolishly, they decided to go for it, but a pass to Evan Engram was stuffed by Jalen Collins for no gain and the Eagles had the ball with a chance to tie the game. The drive from their own 1 started good but eventually Jase Hallen threw an interception on 4th down to end the drive and essentially the game.

Even in defeat, this felt like a small victory for the Eagles who had struggled mightily moving the ball in previous seasons, and being ridiculously turnover prone. Being able to go toe to toe with a Giants team who had crushed them in both meetings last season gives the Eagles confidence that perhaps they can take a step forward.

Jase Hallen threw for 403 yards and 2 TDs, with only one interception, good enough for most passing yards and tied for most passing TDs in week 1 as of this writing. No one on the Eagles lost any fumbles. There was never a thought to bring Joshua Winters or Craig Wahle into the game. This is clearly Jase Hallen’s team heading into week 2 vs the Lions.  It is a small step, but a step indeed.