The Eagles climbed back into the win column.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith made big plays in their return, Cooper DeJean had some solid moments in his first defensive start, and the team, after two weeks away, stitched together enough of an effort that topped a struggling Cleveland team, 20-16, at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
Are the Eagles' problems solved? Hardly by the looks of it – the Browns' own internal chaos helped out a lot, too.
But for the time being, they have a victory to try and get themselves headed in the right direction again.
Here are the pivotal plays that defined Sunday in South Philly…
Stumbling out of the gate (again)
The Eagles got the ball to start Sunday, then just as quickly gave it to the Browns.
A Saquon Barkley run to open up chipped off five yards, but then Jalen Hurts tried to force passes over to A.J. Brown and then Dallas Goedert that Cleveland's secondary was right on top of.
The Eagles' offense went three-and-out to begin, for the third time in three games, and set the tone for another scoreless first quarter.
The home crowd at Lincoln Financial Field was not happy.
First offensive drives for the Eagles this season:
Week 1: INT
Week 2: Punt
Week 3: 3-and-out
Week 4: 3-and-out
Week 6: 3-and-out— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) October 13, 2024
Coop's debut
The Eagles' offense wasn't hurt too seriously for starting off slow again.
The Browns' offense, which has been severely incompetent with Deshaun Watson under center through the first few weeks, wasn't doing much themselves either, and to the credit of the Eagles' defense, they were putting pretty steady pressure on – something they just haven't been able to do at all consistently after four games.
Late in the first quarter, on a 2nd and 9 from the Philadelphia 49, rookie DB Cooper DeJean ran a corner blitz straight to Watson with the pocket collapsing and took him down.
Moro Ojomo broke the play and got straight to Watson but had his tackle shed, though that bought an extra couple of seconds for DeJean to get there from the edge and wrap him up, with a 0.5 sack credit to Bryce Huff for grabbing an ankle.
DeJean, the 40th overall pick from this past April, made his first start at the nickel corner spot on Sunday, and it didn't take long to register his first sack.
DIAL UP THE BLITZ ‼️ pic.twitter.com/6aDT4LqWos
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 13, 2024
Later on, he also had Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy covered up on a shot to the end zone that went toward holding Cleveland to a field goal late in the first half.
DeJean also continued to return punts and didn't get hit by a teammate or had someone knocked into him while trying to field the ball this time, so that's a plus, too.
Welcome back, A.J.
A.J. Brown had been out since Week 1 with a hamstring injury, and it wasn't hard to tell that the Eagles missed him.
So with him back in the lineup on Sunday, Hurts went looking for him right away (and DeVonta Smith returning from a concussion, too), though perhaps to the offensive flow's detriment.
But on the Eagles' fourth offensive series, after two punts and a field goal, something finally clicked.
It really started with Grant Calcaterra's 34-yard gain at the start of the drive. Filling on for an injured Dallas Goedert, Calcaterra ran a block and release that Hurts flipped to him with an open lane. He took off with it down to the 50-yard line.
Then, on 2nd and 11, Hurts found Brown on a stop and turn that the receiver slipped the tackle on for a gain of 16 into Cleveland territory.
A few players later with a push further to the Cleveland 22, and a pre-snap motion that drew Brown into a 1-on-1 matchup with cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., Hurts tossed it up for the end zone. Brown lept up and powered off Emerson to come down with the ball. The Eagles went up, 10-0.
AJ BROWN IS BACK.
📺: #CLEvsPHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/U1QF0FGRjI— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
The Eagles have been struggling to run a cohesive offensive gameplan, and Sunday against Cleveland didn't exactly show all that much improvement in that regard.
But when everyone's healthy and at their best, the Eagles can overwhelm opponents with talent and turn the tides with just one big play.
They did it here, but some bad luck and a lack of execution elsewhere kept them far from out of the clear.
MORE: Eagles win in a game that provides more questions than answers
The big swing
Time was winding down in the first half, and the Eagles' two-minute drill got held up at the Cleveland 39 on a step short of the marker from Saquon Barkley and then a 3rd and 1 play call that got blown up immediately with a sack of Hurts for an eight-yard loss.
Jake Elliott and the special teams unit went out there to just take the three points and make it a 14-point heading into to the break. Disappointing on Philadelphia's part, but the sensible call from Nick Sirianni and his staff – one they were seemingly going out of their way not to make a few weeks ago.
Then that blew up in their face, too.
Myles Garrett jumped the snap and then over Tyler Steen to get a hand up and knock down the 57-yard attempt. The ball rocketed over to the left sideline as everyone registered what had happened and gave chase.
Rodney McLeod, the former Eagle, now a Cleveland Brown, was the first one there, and then he was gone. Touchdown Browns, and after a narrowly made extra-point kick, a suddenly tied game at 10-10 with only seconds left in the half – and with Cleveland getting the ball back for the second.
MYLES GARRETT BLOCKS THE FG.
BROWNS RETURN IT FOR THE TD.
📺: #CLEvsPHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/mTsIcPOEfQ— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
All credit to Garrett. That was an insanely athletic play, and for Cleveland an instant and massive swing in momentum.
The Eagles weren't outright running away with Sunday, but they were generally in the driver's seat (though that might be putting it generously, too), outgaining the Browns 200-71 in total yards for the half while winning the possession battle 17:20-12:40.
Yet all the Eagles had to show for that was another stagnant opening half that they left tied with an opponent that, on paper, they really shouldn't have been struggling with.
Gift of a miss
The Browns took the ball to start the second and pushed down to the Philadelphia territory before getting held up at the 34 on a 3rd and 1 stop from Brandon Graham that pushed Cleveland running back Cedric Tillman five yards back.
Dustin Hopkins ran out for a 52-yard field goal try for the lead, but sailed it wide to leave the game in a 10-10 draw.
It was a break for the Eagles, a smaller one for sure compared to Garrett's field goal block, but one that didn't leave them trailing and in decent field position to start their next drive.
They went three-and-out.
Welcome back, DeVonta
The Eagles and Browns traded field goals to stay in a 13-13 deadlock.
But just as Brown returned from injury to make a big play in the first half, DeVonta Smith took his turn in the second, running a dig route across the middle that mixed up the Browns' coverage, and left the star receiver taking off down the right sideline for a 45-yard score as soon as the ball hit his hands.
DeVonta Smith strolls in for the 45-yard TD!
📺: #CLEvsPHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/0clWcCRL9z— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
The Eagles went up 20-13 with 7:54 left in the game.
But of course, with some bad luck and a lack of execution elsewhere, the Birds were hardly out of the clear.
Checkmate
The Browns' offense started putting the workings of a decent drive together late – after the special teams were responsible for Cleveland's only touchdown all game.
Watson hit a way-open Jeudy over the middle for a 35-yard gain and worked the openings in the secondary's coverage to get further down into Eagles territory.
Cleveland got as close as the Philadelphia 3, but in a make-or-break situation, the Eagles' defense held the line to keep it at a field goal, 20-16, with 3:54 left for Hurts and the offense.
Now, the Eagles haven't done a lot right this season so far, but one thing that has stayed relatively consistent: When they have a lead and the offense has the ball, they're excellent at draining out the clock.
Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the offense chipped away to get a couple of first downs to get within two minutes left.
Then Hurts aired one out for Brown down the left sideline with a perfectly placed pass over the receiver's shoulder in coverage. He caught it, and that was checkmate – an extremely bold one, but the clincher nonetheless.
HURTS DEEP TO BROWN.
Clutch deep ball connection.
📺: #CLEvsPHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/zMI5ASMBmH— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
The Eagles kneeled it out.
Their problems are hardly solved walking away from this, but for now, they're 3-2 and back in the win column.
MORE: 10 awards from Eagles-Browns
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