Instant Observations: Eagles Vs. Browns


Here’s what I saw during the Eagles’ 17-16 win over the Browns.

OFFENSE

* Michael Vick had an extremely rough go. He went 29-for-56 for 317 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. But with 6:25 left in the fourth, he engineered a 16-play, 91-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown to Clay Harbor. It wasn’t even close to being a good enough outing, but the Birds somehow escaped with a 17-16 win.

* The offensive line had a rough time too. Vick was under constant pressure, especially early. He was sacked twice, but hit 11 times. King Dunlap, Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins were all called for holding penalties. Mathis added a false start in the fourth quarter.

* Vick threw a bad first-half interception, scrambling to his left and throwing across his body. He started off 6-for-6 and then struggled for much of the first half before connecting with Jeremy Maclin on a pair of passes at the end of the second quarter. One was a beautiful 46-yard toss down the left sideline. The next was an 18-yard bullet in the end zone. Vick’s fourth-quarter interception was returned for a touchdown by Browns linebacker D’Qwell Jackson.

* Maclin had seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. DeSean Jackson had four catches for 77 yards. Jackson did a good job of breaking up a possible interception in the fourth. Brent Celek had four catches for 65 yards.

* LeSean McCoy had 20 carries for 110 yards. The Eagles called 60 pass plays and 23 runs, which was dumbfounding when you consider how much Vick and the offensive line struggled.

* McCoy fumbled on his first carry. He had one fumble all of last season (273 carries).

* Vick slid a couple times in the first half. The only problem? He went head-first. On the final drive, on 3rd-and-10, he fought for the first down and took a big hit.

* Vick and Jason Kelce had a fumbled snap, but the Eagles recovered.

* Demetress Bell went from being the starter at left tackle in the preseason opener to not even dressing today He was inactive, and rookie Dennis Kelly was the backup.

* A collision between McCoy and Sheldon Brown knocked the former Eagle out of the game with a shoulder injury.

DEFENSE

* Kurt Coleman came up big with a pair of interceptions. One came in the first half after Nate Allen broke up a pass intended for wide receiver Greg Little. The second ended the game late in the fourth quarter.

* Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie also had a pair of picks. He ran step-for-step with Travis Benjamin and came down with an interception. He had a second interception in the third quarter.

* DeMeco Ryans looked really good, leading the Eagles with five tackles, including one for loss.

* Jason Babin made a couple of nice plays against the run and also had the team’s first sack. On the flip side, Babin lined up offsides, negating a Trent Cole sack in the first. The Eagles finished with 12 penalties for 110 yards.

* Nnamdi Asomugha was beat on a 24-yard slant by Mohamed Massaquoi early, but played well after that. He made a tackle downfield after a 35-yard gain on a reverse by Benjamin. He also broke up a couple slants.

* The first-team defensive line was Babin, Cullen Jenkins, Derek Landri and Cole. The second team was Phillip Hunt, Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton and Darryl Tapp. Brandon Graham also mixed in. Cox had his first career sack.

* Ryans and Mychal Kendricks stayed on the field in nickel. It looked like Brian Rolle was used as the lone linebacker in certain dime packages.

* Akeem Jordan had a strong game on special teams.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.