PHILADELPHIA -- If this had been the Philadelphia Eagles' season opener, people would be wondering why the offense was so inconsistent and where LeSean McCoy's game went.
Instead, after four weeks of such concern and mystery, Sunday’s 34-28 victory over the St. Louis Rams represented improvement for McCoy, quarterback Nick Foles and the offensive line. The Eagles weren’t much like their peak 2013 selves, but there were glimpses of that team.
"I thought we got a little bit better," coach Chip Kelly said. "Obviously, I think we blocked things a little better up front than we did the week before, but I still think we are leaving yards out there and we need to continue to try to get the ball vertical down the field, and there were times when we weren't doing that."
McCoy carried the ball 24 times for 81 yards, his season highs. Darren Sproles added 51 yards on seven carries.
"I thought there were a lot more lanes today," McCoy said. "The guys up front did a great job. I think that I have to do a better job of breaking more tackles. Today, there were too many times where one guy saved the play for them, by slapping my legs or tripping me up. For the most part, the offensive line did a tremendous job."
That had something to do with the return of right tackle Lane Johnson after a four-game suspension for PEDs. Johnson’s presence allowed Todd Herremans to move back to right guard. Backups David Molk, the center, and left guard Matt Tobin were playing their second full game together.
"I felt very comfortable," Foles said. "I felt very comfortable stepping up and I thought they did a really great job of keeping me clean. I don’t think we had a sack."
Foles was not sacked. He completed 24 of 37 passes for 207 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating was 86.2. That’s not a bad performance, but it’s not close to the level Foles delivered weekly last season.
Overall, the offense remains a work in progress, and some progress was definitely made against the 1-3 Rams. The bigger question is whether the Eagles can perform at a higher level against better teams. They will find out soon enough, since their next five opponents all have winning records.
"We do have to learn how to finish better," Foles said, "but we’re not there yet. As a team we’re not there yet, but we’re going to continue to grind because I know the guys in the locker room and we want to strive to get better each and every day. That’s why it’s a good thing. Offensively we’ll continue to improve. We’ll look at the film and we’ll improve on things."
Foles may want to work on his sliding technique. He fumbled the ball away in the fourth quarter after a 14-yard run. Instead of sliding, which would end the play as soon as he begins to slide, Foles dove forward. He lost the ball, the Rams recovered and went on to score a touchdown to cut the Eagles’ lead to 34-21.
"I was just trying to keep it going and get a couple of extra yards," Foles said. "In that situation, when you break and you start sliding, you’re down. It’s a great learning experience for me."
It was Foles’ third lost fumble of the season. He also threw his fifth interception, three more than he threw all of last year.
