In a contest marred by miscues from the Philadelphia Eagles in their 27-7 defeat to the Chicago Bears, new starting center Drew Kendall continued to put his best foot forward, delivering a stout performance in his second straight start.
The second-year man out of Boston College built on an encouraging Week 2 start against Tennessee in Week 3, emerging as arguably the brightest spot in the starting line unit for the visitors.
Kendall was the lone man up front to not allow a single pressure (35 drop-backs, 31 pass-block snaps) on the evening, paving the way for several strong Saquon Barkley runs. In the waning moments of the first half, Kendall helped get his hurried offense situated as the clock dwindled, firing out to drive a pair of Bears backward as Jalen Hurts barely eluded the end of regulation to power his way to paydirt.
And while flags flew early and often (10 Philadelphia penalties), Kendall played an aggressive but clean 60 minutes at center, suggesting the future is in good hands at the pivot.
Early returns suggest Drew Kendall could be a long-term anchor for Eagles line
Just a week removed from his debut holding down the pivot spot for this Eagles offense, the difference at the position, with Kendall now leading the way, has been noticeable. Kendall has looked sprier and more powerful than former starter Cam Jurgens, who now has to fight to do the job at left guard after Landon Dickerson's injury.
When Dickerson first went down, much of the speculation about the team's next move suggested Kendall was destined for left guard, but the former BC standout has proven he's more than capable at center. While he has experience at both spots, most of his previous game action has come at center, and so far, his acclimation to starting duties has been seamless.
Meanwhile, the line as a whole still hasn't returned to its previous form through the team's first three games. Penalties and blown assignments remain underlying issues this group must fix.
In the Week 3 loss to Chicago, an early deficit put extra pressure on the offense to perform in the second half. But that's where things went sideways: the line surrendered two sacks and six pressures in the second half, leaving Hurts under constant duress and unable to operate in a clean pocket nearly enough.
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Alarm bells have been sounding at several spots on this Eagles roster of late, as the team's performance in Chicago was concerning for a variety of reasons. However, at a spot where serious questions had surfaced, Kendall has already shown he is ready to run with this opportunity, and not look back.
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