Eagles Lose 24-9 to Packers in Preseason Opener; Carson Wentz Throws 1 TD

The Green Bay Packersopened their 2017 preseason with a 24-9win over the Philadelphia Eaglesat Lambeau Field on Thursday night.It was a fairly uneventful evening all around with Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Alshon Jeffery resting, but the Eagles' first-team offense did show flashes in the first quarter.During his lone series under center, starter Carson Wentz connected on all four of his pass attempts for 56 yards, including a 38-yard scoring strike to Mack Hollins (four catches, 64yards) that was facilitated by some tremendous work after the catch.The NFL's Twitter account relayed video of the rookie's impressive jaunt to paydirt:Wentz's first three completions, meanwhile, found the waiting hands of Jordan Matthewswho is under pressure to perform in a contract year after he was plagued by drops throughout last season. Zach Berman of thePhiladelphia Inquirer noted Matthews made a pair of drive-extending catches that set up the game's first touchdown:The Packers, led primarily by Brett Hundley, had their ups and downs.Following a listless first quarter, the reigning NFC North champions broke through early in the second when 2016 fifth-round pick Trevor Davis burned past would-be tacklers and returned a Donnie Jones punt 68 yards to the house.Hundley then found his groove against the Eagles' second-team defense when he hit Jeff Janis for a 20-yard pump-and-go score midway through the second quarter.By the time third-stringerJoe Callahan enteredin the thirdquarter, Hundley had completed eightof 15passes for 90yards, one touchdown and an interception.When it came to notable rookies in action, Eagles first-round pick Derek Barnett stood out for his ability to consistently generate pressure off the right edge. The highlight of his night came in the second quarter, when he used strong hands and a quick burst to beat Jason Spriggs inside and sack Hundley, as the Eagles' official Twitter account documented:Barnett finished with two sacks, a sign that bodes well for the Eagles, considering they already had a stacked defensive line featuring Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan, Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry prior to the rookie's arrival.The University of Tennessee product will attempt to build on his strong start on Aug. 17 when the Eagles return to Lincoln Financial Field for a tilt against LeSean McCoy and the Buffalo Bills. The Packers will have a slightly longer break before they head on the road for an Aug. 19 clash with the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.
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