Jalen Carter recorded two sacks, and Darius Cooper caught a 62-yard touchdown pass as the Eagles took a 14-7 halftime lead over the Jaguars
on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Philadelphia overcame another scoreless first quarter, Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s ejection and a foot injury to Will Shipley to score twice in the second quarter. A late goal-line stand protected the lead after Jacksonville drove 68 yards on 17 plays.Here are seven takeaways from the first half.
Jalen Carter is controlling the line of scrimmage
Carter finished the half with four tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. Jacksonville recovered both fumbles, but Carter’s disruption helped keep the Jaguars from building on their early lead.
Without the bulky cast on his right wrist, Carter
repeatedly disrupted Jacksonville’s offense. His production anchored a defense that allowed just 33 rushing yards on 13 attempts. The Eagles needed that resistance while their offense worked through another slow start.
Jalen Hurts found answers against the blitz
Hurts completed 11 of 16 passes for 122 yards, one touchdown and a 112.0 passer rating. He was not intercepted or sacked.
He did his most important work as Philadelphia assembled its first scoring drive. Hurts beat the blitz on consecutive third-and-long situations, helping the Eagles sustain a 13-play, 64-yard possession that lasted 7:27 and ended with Shipley’s 2-yard touchdown run.
Philadelphia converted four of six third downs. With little support from the running game, Hurts’ ability to extend possessions was essential.
Darius Cooper keeps turning limited opportunities into touchdowns
Cooper needed one reception to produce Philadelphia’s biggest offensive play: a 62-yard touchdown that gave the Eagles the lead. The second-year receiver now has four touchdown catches on just six receptions this season. His first-half catch accounted for more than half of Philadelphia’s 122 passing yards.
Cooper continues to contribute significantly without a heavy target volume.
The running game remains a problem, and Shipley’s injury adds another concern
Philadelphia rushed for just 16 yards on 10 attempts. Shipley had six yards on five carries, Dameon Pierce gained eight on three attempts, and Hurts added two yards on two carries.
Shipley was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-1 attempt at Jacksonville’s 37-yard line in the first quarter. He later scored a touchdown to seal the win, but the Eagles struggled to make consistent gains.
Shipley was listed as questionable to return with a foot injury. His first regular-season touchdown was a bright spot, but his availability became another question mark in the second half. Jake Majors started at center in his NFL debut. An injury to edge rusher Jalyx Hunt added another concern for Philadelphia.
The opening ejections changed both teams’ personnel
Trotter and Jacksonville's Brian Thomas Jr. were ejected after a confrontation during the opening kickoff. Penalties also nullified a Jaguars return touchdown. Philadelphia still received six tackles apiece from Zack Baun, Riq Woolen and Michael Carter II.
One coverage breakdown supplied Jacksonville’s touchdown
Parker Washington scored on a 51-yard reception during Jacksonville’s second possession. He finished the half with three catches for 74 yards.
Jacksonville finished with 162 total yards, including 129 net passing yards after Carter’s sacks. Keeping explosive plays out of the second half will be critical.
The goal-line stand preserved the lead
Jacksonville’s final first-half possession lasted 17 plays, covered 68 yards and ended on downs. Philadelphia protected its seven-point advantage despite the Jaguars holding the ball for 17:03.
Britain Covey also supplied useful return production, gaining 42 yards on one kickoff return and 32 yards on two punt returns.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles-Jaguars halftime takeaways: Jalen Carter dominates
