The Eagles returned home to face the Saints in Week 5 of the regular season. View the full gallery here...
Dressed in midnight green with splashes of pink, the Eagles returned home to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Saints in their annual Eagles Tackle Breast Cancer game. Following the first quarter of play, Philadelphia trails, 7-0.
The Eagles started the afternoon with possession. On the kickoff, Josh Huff returned the ball to the Eagles' 43-yard line, picking up 40 yards. The Eagles' offense quickly grabbed a first down following two short passes from Sam Bradford to Riley Cooper. From the New Orleans 42, the offense moved the ball 2 additional yards before bringing up a fourth-and-7. The team went for it, but turned the ball over on downs after an incomplete pass to Cooper.
Getting possession at their own 39, the Saints did their best to take advantage, but the Eagles' defense came out ready and hungry. Fittingly, former Saint Malcolm Jenkins had the first stop of the game, tackling C.J. Spiller for a loss of 3 yards on a screen pass. After a big third-down conversion, a pass from quarterback Drew Brees to Ben Watson for a 21-yard gain, Bennie Logan made his presence felt. He recorded his third career sack and first of the 2015 season by bringing down Brees for a loss of 7 yards. On third-and-17, Brees' pass fell incomplete, and the Eagles forced the Saints off the field.
Back out and starting from the Philadelphia 20, Bradford began the second drive with two quick passes to tight ends Zach Ertz and Brent Celek to pick up 14 yards. Failing on its first third-down attempt of the afternoon, the Eagles converted on a third-and-9 as Bradford connected with Cooper once again, this time for a 14-yard pick-up. The passes continued as Ertz and Huff both picked up two more catches to bring the team to the New Orleans' 12. But, the Eagles drive would stop there as a Bradford pass intended for Cooper was intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Brandon Browner. The Saints' offense took over at the 20-yard line after the touchback.
The Saints then took their turn to march down the field, thanks in large part to the play of running back Mark Ingram. He picked up 28 yards on four touches. A 25-yard pass from Brees to Brandin Cooks brought the team to the 10-yard line and two plays later, it completed the drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to an uncovered tight end Watson and scored the first points of the game.
Allowing points off its turnover, the Eagles' offense got back to work to try and even the score. Running back Ryan Mathews was involved in the first four plays. He picked up 4, 7, 16 and 13 yards on each, moving the team from its own 20-yard line to the New Orleans 40. Another former Saint, Darren Sproles then picked up an additional 10 yards. On the final play of the quarter, Mathews ran to bring up a second-and-4 at the Saints' 23. The Eagles will continue this drive as the second quarter begins.