The opening offers the Eagles short-term and future potential

It was the way the Eagles wanted to start a game that had no effect on investment, and it was really an opportunity to look at individual abilities for the future. With Gardner Minshew in the position of quarterback and mostly backups around, the Eagles attack went on the field on Saturday night and went to work. And while the game eventually went the other way, when Dallas played their start for the long second half against the Philadelphia substitutes and eventually won a wild reading of 51-26, the game’s first bet and then a bit. The Eagles remember the most.

The opening goal, which required 11 games and 75 yards, ended with a pass from Minshew’s tight Tyree Jackson in the scoring, and there were some sights in between that would serve the Eagles in the very short term and perhaps for years to come. For example …

• Winger DeVonta Smith started and played with the intention of staying sharp, while setting a franchise record for most receiving yards during the season from a beginner. On the first run, Smith grabbed a bent Minshew pass from corner defender Kelvin Joseph, converting the third and nine games to get 25 yards, and from there the Eagles finished impressively to get the ball into the end zone. Smith ended the evening with 3 receptions at 41 yards and ended his 17-game regular season with 64 receptions at 916 yards.

“It feels good just to get it out of the way,” Smith said. “At first I wasn’t even worried about it (the newcomer record), but when it happened, everyone around me started to congratulate me, somehow it felt good.”

• After Smith’s big game, Minshew threw a short to the right wide receiver, Jale Reagor, who caught 12 yards and running. When the Minshew assault got 4 yards, the Eagles left to work in the country.

• The recommended back defender was rookie Kenny Gainwell, who played an excellent night with 78 running yards and 12 moves. Gainwell also added 9 yards at 4 receptions. On the first run, he had four consecutive touches that reached 28 yards and showed obscurity, strength, and vision. Gainwell is part of the 2021 NFL draft class that made an immediate and consistent impact throughout the year and has shown that he can be trusted now and that he has a very bright future.

“It felt great to me,” Gainwell said. “That’s what I’ve been waiting for – to get a chance to show a lot of things and be myself and go out and attack everything I’ve learned in a week, and just go out and attack.”

• Within 10 yards, the Eagles wore something they hadn’t shown all season – twice in a row. Wide receiver Greg Ward set up to take a direct starting pass, and the former college quarterback threw a shovel pass to tight Richard Rodgers to get a 2-yard win. In the very next game, Minshew found a tight head on Tyree Jackson’s shovel and Jackson turned his first NFL reception into a 3-yard touch.

The Eagles remained in Dallas for most of the first half before the Cowboys withdrew, and most of the game’s starters, including quarterback Dak Prescott, withdrew. Philadelphia had 11 players on the Reserve / COVID-19 list, so they were shortened at first, and then head coach Nick Sirianni rested quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is still coping with his ankle injury he suffered in November against the Giants – “to get him back to 100 percent” and others to make sure everyone is healthy and “completely next week” when the playoffs begin.

“I called many people I trust, and many people were able to give me an insight into it. I promise you I didn’t leave any stone unturned,” Sirianni said of her decision to rest her appetizer, which she had never done. have been in a position to do as a coach in the NFL. “We had some guys who were worried and I really wanted to make sure we get some guys back to full speed, back to full health so we can do what we want to do in the playoffs. The goal is not just to get into the playoffs. The goal is to get into the playoffs and then move on. as far as you can go. That’s our job. “