Whew! We’ll take it.
A little tighter than my 20-10 prediction, but good enough. We ran the ball well, and the defense was great against the run. We got great contributions from new starters with London Fletcher having 10 solo tackles and Rocky McIntosh picking up a much needed sack.
We did stretch the field with a long one to Randle-El and a good attempt (though INT) to Lloyd. Those sorts of shots are important to keep a defense honest and just as often end up in a TD or pass interference penalty.
Splitting the carries between Portis and Betts kept Portis fresh and explosive (what a run for the TD), and Campbell showed some athleticism that Brunell and Collins never had. It has to be a big boost for a young QB to make a few mistakes but still be able to take the team down and score a game winner. We have ourselves a winner, I think.
All in all, a great showing against a tough defense. Of course, the scary bit is Jon Jansen who dislocated his ankle. Depending on the grade of dislocation this could be a season long injury. Stephon Heyer played pretty well in relief but did have a false start penalty. Heyer looks to be ready (and a rookie at RT is better than on the blind side) but if not, Todd Wade is getting healthy and makes another good insurance policy.
For now, I’ll take this win. Philly looked terrible against Green Bay today, and we can go into the Link with some confidence. Come back later tonight as I review the NFL weekend in general and give you some fantasy sleepers after the first week. Yea Skins! 15 more wins for that perfect season!
-DW
