Getty Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce was sporting a new blonde hairdo during Week 1.
Leave it to Jason Kelce to steal the show on and off the field. After setting the tempo upfront all afternoon on Sunday, the starting center for the Philadelphia Eagles was feeling a tad thirsty. So Kelce took a friendly fan up on his offer and enjoyed an adult beverage.
That’s right. The three-time All-Pro took a frosty Bud Light from the outstretched hand of a fan as he was walking off the field following the Eagles’ 32-6 win in Week 1. The guy yelled: “Kels, I gotta you a beer dude!” To which Kelce replied: “Can I have it?” Needless to say, the 295-pounder grabbed the beer, cracked it open, toasted the fan, and proceeded to chug. Has any athlete in the history of Philadelphia sports understood the fan base better than Kelce? Probably not.
Jason Kelce always finds a way to be cooler than you thought
The victory marked the first one of the Nick Sirianni era and the players celebrated in the locker room as if they had just won the Super Bowl. They really wanted to get their new head coach off to a flying start. And boy did they ever do that.
“There are not a lot of feelings that are better than when you’re in the locker room after the game celebrating, hugging, doing your handshakes, whatever it is,” Sirianni told reporters, via the Eagles’ website. “There’s not a better feeling in the world, unless you’re connected to the people across from you. If we didn’t think about connecting every day and we went out and won that game, it would feel really sweet and those hugs would feel really cool, but when you connect with somebody those hugs mean even more and those are special moments.”
The latest Eagles news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Eagles newsletter here!
Eagles Release Veteran Defensive Tackle
The Eagles activated veteran defensive tackle T.Y. McGill from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday and subsequently waived him. Players on the reserve list don’t count against the 53-man roster. The 6-foot-1, 293-pounder played 127 defensive snaps in seven games for the Eagles last season. McGill finished with nine total tackles and half a sack in parts of two seasons in Philly.
How dominant was the Eagles’ D against the Falcons?
Atlanta ran one play in Eagles’ territory over the final 44:52 of the game: Matt Ryan’s intentional grounding in the 2nd qtr.
That’s it.
The Eagles watched their defensive line eat in Week 1. They racked up three sacks and nine quarterback hits on Matt Ryan, highlighted by a monster day from defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. He paced the pass-rushing attack with six tackles (two for loss) and two sacks. Hassan Ridgeway also enjoyed a nice afternoon with two tackles (one for loss) and one sack.
“We knew they were going to have to drop back and pass and we’re really confident with everybody in our room that we could get to the quarterback,” Hargrave told reporters. “So when it came to those downs everybody was just trying to get there and I just so happened to be the one that was winning.”
Keeping Track of Colts QB Carson Wentz
Meanwhile, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz rebounded from a foot injury in training camp and started in Week 1. He played all 76 offensive snaps during the Colts’ 28-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Wentz went 25-of-38 for 251 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. The one-time franchise quarterback for the Eagles looked pretty good out there.
The numbers from @cj_wentz‘s debut.
More importantly, Wentz made it through the game unscathed. Remember, he has to play 75-percent of the Colts’ snaps in 2021 – or 70-percent of the snaps with a Colts’ playoff appearance – for the second-round pick the Eagles acquired to convert into a first-rounder.