Needing a win, the Eagles needed to do more than just score more points than the opposition. They needed a game that could boost confidence.
There were still plenty of mistakes, but this Eagles team looked more confident in picking up their second win of the season.
After clawing their way to a 10-7 halftime lead, the Eagles scored 29 unanswered points to claim a 39-17 victory of the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 29 |
The Eagles actually started with similar struggles to previous weeks.
The Saints got the only touchdown of the first quarter, scoring on a six-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Benjamin Watson.
Sam Bradford was having greater success leading the Eagles down the field, but struggling in the redzone. Bradford threw two interceptions in the endzone, keeping the Eagles off the board.
The Eagles finally struck for points in the second quarter. Bradford connected with Josh Huff for a 41-yard touchdown as Huff raced up an open sideline after two Saints defenders collided.
Following a Saints fumble, forced by Fletcher Cox and recovered by Jordan Hicks, a 39-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis gave the Eagles the lead going into halftime.
The third quarter was all Eagles. After an opening drive for the Saints that was capped with a 21-yard field goal, the Eagles struck for 16 points in the third quarter.
Ryan Mathews capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive with a two-yard rushing touchdown. The Saints first play on the following drive was a fumble, forced and recovered by Cox. The Eagles next play was a 13-yard touchdown pass from Bradford to Brent Celek.
A 29-yard field goal by Sturgis capped the scoring in the third.
In the fourth, it was more of the same for the Eagles, who added 13 more points. Sturgis made two more field goals from 26 and 41 yards. After an interception by Walter Thurmond was returned to the Saints four-yard line, DeMarco Murray capped the Eagles scoring for the day with a four-yard touchdown run.
Brees connected on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks on the final play of the game.
Passing Summary:
Eagles
- Sam Bradford: 32/45, 333 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 88.5 RTG
Saints
- Drew Brees: 26/43, 336 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 90.7 RTG
Top-Performing Receivers:
Eagles
- Josh Huff: 4 rec, 78 yards, TD
- Zach Ertz: 5 rec, 60 yards
- Brent Celek: 3 rec, 44 yards, TD
Saints
- Willie Snead: 6 rec, 142 yards
- Brandin Cooks: 5 rec, 107 yards, TD
- Marques Colston: 3 rec, 36 yards
Top-Performing Rushers:
Eagles
- DeMarco Murray: 20 car, 83 yards, TD
- Ryan Mathews: 8 car, 73 yards, TD
- Darren Sproles: 5 car, 27 yards
Saints
- Mark Ingram: 12 car, 57 yards
- Khiry Robinson: 5 car, 30 yards
- C.J. Spiller: 3 car, 10 yards
Breakdown:
First Downs: Eagles – 34, Saints – 19
3rd Down Efficiency: Eagles – 4-for-11, Saints – 8-for-16
4th Down Efficiency: Eagles – 0-for-2, Saints – 1-for-1
Total Plays: Eagles – 79, Saints – 69
Total Yards: Eagles – 519 yards, Saints – 388 yards
Passing Yards: Eagles – 333 yards, Saints – 292 yards
Rushing Yards: Eagles – 186 yards, Saints – 96 yards
Redzone: Eagles – 3-for-7, Saints – 2-for-4
Penalties: Eagles – 4 penalties, 35 yards; Saints – 7 penalties, 78 yards
Turnovers: Eagles – 2, Saints – 4
Time Of Possession: Eagles – 34:02, Saints – 25:58
What's Next:
- Monday, October 19, 2015: vs. New York Giants, 8:30 p.m.
- Lincoln Financial Field; TV: ESPN; Radio: 94 WIP
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
