Game ball, three stars, and snap count analysis: Week 3, Eagles at Saints

In their Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints, the Philadelphia Eagles played 72 snaps on offense and 56 on defense. Let's just get right to the snap counts, some notes, and some special recognition.

Quarterback

• 72 snaps: Jalen Hurts

Notes: Hurts was 29 of 38 for 311 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT. The INT was an ill-advised throw to DeVonta Smith, who ran an uncharacteristically bad route. Still, even with a good route, it was a bad decision nevertheless, as Tyrann Mathieu read that play the whole way, and was clearly in good position to make a play on the football. Hurts also had a careless fumble when he held the ball away from his body in traffic.

Otherwise, Hurts commanded the offense well, made some very good throws, and had a clutch fourth quarter drive to take the lead.

Running back

• 58 snaps: Saquon Barkley

• 14 snaps: Kenny Gainwell

Notes: NFL rushing leaders:

Saquon Barkley, PHI: 351
Jordan Mason, SF: 324
J.K. Dobbins, LAC: 310
Alvin Kamara, NO: 285
Derrick Henry, BLT: 281

Wide receiver

• 63 snaps: Jahan Dotson

• 55 snaps: DeVonta Smith

• 36 snaps: Parris Campbell

• 24 snaps: Johnny Wilson

• 7 snaps: Britain Covey

Notes: Smith had 7 catches on 10 targets for 79 yards before he took a vicious hit, and was seemingly knocked unconscious momentarily.

Wilson had a catch and a broken tackle that resulted in a first down. Covey had a catch and then made a defender miss before picking up a first down.

Dotson did an outstanding job on a rub concept that helped Dallas Goedert get wide open for his 61-yard catch and run.

A.J. Brown missed his second game with a hamstring injury. The Eagles will pray that he is able to return Week 3 if Smith is going to be out for a while.

Tight end

• 62 snaps: Dallas Goedert

• 27 snaps: Grant Calcaterra

• 13 snaps: Jack Stoll

Notes: Goedert was an obvious star of the game (literally, below 😉). Calcaterra had a rough game as a blocker.

Offensive line

• 72 snaps: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens

• 58 snaps: Tyler Steen

• 54 snaps: Fred Johnson

• 18 snaps: Lane Johnson

• 14 snaps: Mekhi Becton

Notes: Becton left with a finger injury and did not return, while Lane Johnson left with a concussion and did not return. Tyler Steen filled in for Becton at RG, and Fred Johnson filled in for Lane Johnson at RT.

It felt a lot like the backups played well, but I'm interested in getting a better look at those guys on the rewatch.

On Barkley's TD run, watch Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson.

Mailata knocked Chase Young (99) back with a simple shove, then sealed off Pete Warner (20) to the outside. Dickerson shoved Bryan Bresee back, then finished off Young. Huge hole, and Barkley did the rest.

Edge defenders

• 35 snaps: Brandon Graham

• 34 snaps: Josh Sweat

• 21 snaps: Nolan Smith

• 18 snaps: Bryce Huff

Notes: Huff is now a situational rusher only after a very concerning performance Week 2. Credit Vic Fangio for seeing an issue and doing something about it, regardless of his pay.

Graham had a bunch of good pass rushes, and I thought Sweat was more active in the backfield than he has been as well.

Interior defensive line

• 50 snaps: Jalen Carter

• 37 snaps: Milton Williams

• 29 snaps: Jordan Davis

• 16 snaps: Moro Ojomo

• 10 snaps: Thomas Booker

Notes: The interior of the line was disruptive all day. Carter was a menace:

Davis, Williams, Booker, and Ojomo all flashed as well.

Linebacker

• 56 snaps: Zack Baun

• 55 snaps: Nakobe Dean

Notes: Baun had 13 tackles, and Dean had 8. Credit the interior of the Eagles' line for the stellar run defense, but Baun and Dean had something to do with that too.

Cornerback and safety

• 56 snaps each: Reed Blankenship, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Quinyon Mitchell

• 47 snaps: Darius Slay

• 29 snaps: Avonte Maddox

• 11 snaps: Kelee Ringo

Notes: Slay had to leave the game after the Trevor Penning cheap shot, and Kelee Ringo — not Isaiah Rodgers — filled in. It's tough to say if Ringo is simply ahead of Rodgers on the depth chart or if he's only ahead of Rodgers because he's hampered by a recently broken hand.

Quinyon Mitchell was beaten initially on a double move by Rashid Shaheed, but he recovered nicely and made a play on the football, causing an incompletion.

Blankenship had a game-sealing interception, and then stayed on the field for the Eagles' three kneeldowns.

Three stars 🤩

I've always liked the hockey tradition of awarding "stars" to each of the three best players in a game, so let's apply that to Eagles games.

⭐⭐⭐: RB Saquon Barkley: 17 rushes, 147 yards, 2 TDs, one of which went for 65 yards and finally got the Eagles in the end zone when they desperately needed a spark.

🌟🌟: TE Dallas Goedert: 10 catches, 170 yards, and four receptions of over 20 yards.

✨: DT Jalen Carter: 4 tackles, 2 batted passes doesn't sound like a monster game, but that's exactly was Carter had. He was a beast.

Eagles game ball 🏈

🏈: Vic Fangio: The embattled Eagles defense turned in an outstanding performance after a Week 2 game that had many understandably believing that it could be a long season on that side of the ball.

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