49ers Week 2: A closer look at the Philadelphia Eagles

Nick Sirianni’s first game as the Philadelphia Eagles’ coach couldn’t have gone much better.

His offense, led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, piled up 429 yards, and his defense only allowed a pair of field goals in what became a 32-6 road win over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday.

Now it’s a matter of what the Eagles have planned for an encore this Sunday against the 49ers. The Eagles have not started a season 2-0 since 2016, and this will be their third meeting with San Francisco since 2017.

“We’ve been talking about dog mentality over and over again,” Sirianni said. “It’s a week-to-week thing, a day-to-day thing. If I think about on Wednesday when we come back out here how well I played in the Atlanta game, then I’m going to get my butt kicked this upcoming Sunday, so it’s living in the moment of what you are in.”

Still, the victory provided some optimism that this Eagles team can improve upon its 4-11-1 record of a year ago, a result which led to Doug Pederson’s firing as coach and quarterback Carson Wentz’s trade to Indianapolis.

“This is the first of many,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in the team’s locker room after Sunday’s win in Atlanta. “I think you guys can feel it. This is the first of many.”

Here’s a closer look at what to expect from the Eagles.

GAME ESSENTIALS: 49ers (1-0) vs. Lions (1-0) at Lincoln Financial Field, Sunday, 10 a.m., FOX (Ch. 2). ODDS: 49ers -3.5 (as of Wednesday morning).

BIGGEST OFFENSIVE STRENGTH: The Eagles have an excellent tight end tandem in Zach Ertz, the Stanford and Monte Vista High School product, and Dallas Goedert, now in his fourth season. However, the offensive line, if it can stay healthy, should be among the team’s strengths. The Eagles rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries vs. the Falcons and Hurts was sacked just once for a three-yard loss. The unit features Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, guards Isaac Seumalo and Brandon Brooks, and center Jason Kelce. Johnson, Brooks, and Kelce have been named to a combined 10 Pro Bowls. Mailata just received a new four-year, $64 million contract extension, and his devastating block on Falcons safety Richie Grant was one to remember.

BIGGEST OFFENSIVE WEAKNESS: As dynamic as Hurts is, and as exceptional as he was last week, questions about his accuracy and decision-making won’t be erased after one game. He completed 77 of 148 passes last season for a 52.0 completion percentage, with six touchdowns and four interceptions. He lit up the Falcons, though, by completing 27 of 35 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Having Devonta Smith, his former Alabama teammate, catch six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown helped, but Hurts should get a stiffer test from the 49ers.

OFFENSIVE X-FACTOR: Miles Sanders, who had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage each of the last two seasons could be on his way to reaching that figure again this year. Sanders had 74 yards rushing on 15 carries and caught four passes for 39 yards against Atlanta. He’s the first Eagles player with 2,500 scrimmage yards in his first 29 career games. Having a healthy offensive line to run behind makes a big difference.

BIGGEST DEFENSIVE STRENGTH: New Eagles coordinator Jonathan Gannon trots out a defensive line that features Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett. Cox, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, is the leader of the group. But Hargrave had two sacks, six tackles and three quarterback hits against the Falcons. Last season, according to ESPN, Hargrave ranked sixth among all defensive tackles with a pass rush win rate of 15 percent.

BIGGEST DEFENSIVE WEAKNESS: The Eagles had the third-worst pass defense in the NFL last season, giving up an average of 269.3 yards per game. The team tried to address that issue in the offseason with the addition of cornerback Steven Nelson and safety Anthony Harris. Will it pay off? Early returns are encouraging after Matt Ryan was limited to 164 yards passing last week, but there’s still a way to go before the Eagles’ pass defense can be considered formidable.

DEFENSIVE X-FACTOR: Linebacker Alex Singleton is off to a fast start in his third NFL season. According to Pro Football Focus, of Singleton’s 43 snaps vs. the Falcons, 35 came in pass coverage, and he did not allow a first down. Singleton also had a hand in eight tackles, third-most on the Eagles defense behind cornerback Avonte Maddox and Eric Wilson, who had nine each.