Eagles stats: Blitz is working, Jalen Hurts’ completion percentage, Darius Slay remains elite

Quarterback Jalen Hurts leaped high with his arms in the air as he exited toward the tunnel at Lincoln Financial Field. Following the Eagles’ 24-7 dismantling of the Vikings, Hurts had plenty of reason to celebrate Monday night.

Suddenly, Hurts and the Eagles have sparked a sense of optimism across Philadelphia with their latest victory.

Here are six numbers that tell the story.

Let’s start it off simple. The Eagles are 2-0 for the first time since 2016. They’re one of only three remaining undefeated teams in the NFC (with the Buccaneers and Giants), and among the six undefeated teams in the NFL (including the Bills, Chiefs, and Dolphins). This is only the fifth time over the last 29 years the Eagles have started the season 2-0.

The team’s next two opponents (Commanders and Jaguars) finished last season with sub-.500 records. The Eagles won’t see a 2021 playoff opponent until Week 5, when they travel to the Arizona Cardinals. The Eagles have back-to-back games against familiar faces in former quarterback Carson Wentz and former coach Doug Pederson, but thanks to a soft opening schedule, there’s a realistic chance their record is still flawless by the beginning of October.

» READ MORE: Eagles Super Bowl odds continue to improve after Week 2 win over Minnesota

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon caught a lot of flak following his unit’s sloppy performance in Week 1. But the defense rebounded nicely during the home opener, limiting the Vikings to just seven points, including a second-half shutout. Part of the unit’s success was due to the uptick in blitz calls from Gannon. The defense had a 24% blitz rate in Week 2, according to TruMedia.

Gannon’s decision to blitz on known passing downs stood out in particular. The uptick in pressures often resulted in arid throws from Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who finished with 19 incompletions and three interceptions.

This was Cousins’ passer rating, according to Pro Football Focus, when targeting All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson with cornerback Darius Slay in coverage. Slay was elite in every respect. He didn’t fully shadow Jefferson, but when the duo was matched up, Slay was the undisputed victor. Jefferson finished with just 48 receiving yards scattered across six catches. His longest reception was 11 yards.

Slay finished with five passes defensed and two interceptions. And he could’ve had even more interceptions if it weren’t for Slay dropping the football. After the game, 76ers guard James Harden embraced Slay near the locker room at Lincoln Financial Field. Harden jokingly asked Slay, “Do those hands work?” in reference to his dropped interceptions; Slay might’ve had at least two additional picks. It was the type of performance from Slay that reminded the rest of the league that the 31-year-old cornerback hasn’t lost a step.

Said fellow cornerback Zech McPhearson: “He put one of the best receivers in the league in a car seat.”

» READ MORE: Eagles react to Darius Slay’s lockdown performance

Wide receiver A.J. Brown gave Eagles fans quite the scare during the second quarter. With the offense on the sideline, Brown ditched his helmet and walked into the blue medical tent, which is reserved for players who sustain an in-game injury. Moments later, Brown exited the tent, joined his fellow wide receivers on the sideline, and reentered the game with no issues.

After the game, Brown revealed he entered the medical tent for about 30 seconds because he needed to use the bathroom, which resulted in hilarity from nearby teammates and media members. Brown joked that fans had better get used to it because it’s something he does “all the time.” Through two weeks, Brown has recorded 15 catches and 224 receiving yards.

Coach Nick Sirianni emphasized cleaning up the fundamentals leading up to the team’s Monday night showdown with the Vikings. While some aspects were noticeably improved, such as tackling, the Eagles were still penalized at an alarming rate. Through two weeks, the Eagles have committed 18 penalties, the second-highest total in the league. Only the Denver Broncos have committed more penalties with 25.

For comparison, the Packers have the fewest penalties in the NFL with five. Across the NFC East, the Giants have been flagged 16 times, the Cowboys 15, and the Commanders eight.

The Eagles had eight penalties alone in Week 2, including three illegal men downfield calls. There was at least one — an offensive pass interference penalty called on wide receiver DeVonta Smith — that was a bad call. But Sirianni and his coaching staff will need to stress these teaching points throughout practices and meetings. During Sirianni’s first year, the Eagles led the league in penalties for the first 1½ months of the regular season.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was spectacular. He completed a career-high 83.9% of his passes for 333 yards with one touchdown, one interception, and a 108.7 passer rating. He also had 11 carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

Hurts’ completion percentage was the highest by any Eagles quarterback since Dec. 30, 2018, when Nick Foles completed 84.8% of his passes at Washington. Hurts got off to a hot start, completing his first 11 pass attempts for 151 yards. That marked the longest streak of consecutive completions to start a game in his career. His ball distribution was equally impressive. Hurts completed passes to eight receivers, including four pass catchers (Dallas Goedert, Brown, Smith, and Quez Watkins) who each finished with 60-plus receiving yards.