LANDOVER, Md. — Chip Kelly’s NFL coaching debut trumped Robert Griffin III’s return from knee surgery, and the Philadelphia Eagles earned a 33-27 win over the Washington Redskins in the season opener for both teams Monday night.
Kelly’s speedy offense ran 54 plays for 22 first downs in building a 33-7 margin just 1:26 into the third quarter.
“We don’t count plays, we never have,” said Kelly, who was 46-7 the past four seasons at the University of Oregon. “The only thing we count is points. … That’s the way it should be played.”
Kelly added that the Eagles might have let up a little too early, but he said, “I had a lot of fun tonight. It’s what I hoped it would feel like.”
Quarterback Michael Vick completed 15 of 25 passes for 203 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Vick also ran nine times for 54 yards and a score, augmenting a ground attack led by LeSean McCoy, who had 31 carries for 184 yards — 1 shy of his career high — and a touchdown. Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson caught seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.
“I felt like I was a kid in a sandbox really being able to see that tempo in a real game,” Jackson said.
The Redskins got a game they certainly didn’t expect from the Eagles, who were 4-12 in 2012.
“We were definitely wrong about this team,” said Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who opened the game’s scoring with a 75-yard fumble return. “That offense is going to be a force to be reckoned with in this league.”
As Washington fell behind by 26 points, Griffin began 6-for-14 for 62 yards with two interceptions while running twice for just 2 yards. He said the Redskins had a serious case of the “can’t-get-rights” while coach Mike Shanahan said, “It’s a 16-round fight. We lost the first round.”
Griffin led a rally that made the score and his statistics deceivingly respectable. The second-year quarterback finished 30-for-49 for a career-high 329 yards with two TD passes and the two picks. He ended the night with five carries for 24 yards.
After Alfred Morris’ 5-yard touchdown run on the penultimate play of the third quarter ended Philadelphia’s 33-0 run, Josh Wilson forced a fumble that Perry Riley recovered at the Philadelphia 35. Griffin hooked up with receiver Leonard Hankerson on a 10-yard touchdown pass 1:36 into the fourth quarter, pulling the Redskins within 33-20. The two-point conversion pass was no good.
Griffin and Hankerson connected for a 24-yard touchdown with 74 seconds left to cut the deficit to seven, but the Eagles recovered the ensuing onside kick.
The Redskins were on their heels from the start. Philadelphia drove 76 yards in nine plays in less than three minutes, but linebacker Ryan Kerrigan deflected Vick’s backward throw from the Washington 4-yard line. Hall scooped up the fumble and ran for a touchdown as the Eagles watched, believing it was an incomplete pass.
Philadelphia stormed right back, racing 51 yards in nine plays to the Washington 29 before settling for a 48-yard Alex Henery field goal.
When Morris fumbled on Washington’s next play, Vick responded with a 25-yard scoring strike to Jackson, with Hall trailing. At that point, 6:01 into the game, the Eagles had run 19 plays for 146 yards while the Redskins had one snap for 3 yards.
After Griffin’s first downfield throw — into triple coverage for receiver Santana Moss — was intercepted by Brandon Boykin, Washington had two turnovers, a penalty and a 3-yard loss among its first five plays.
The Redskins’ next series was even worse, as Griffin fumbled as he tried to hand the ball to Morris in the end zone. Morris recovered for a safety that made it 12-7 with 4:50 left in the quarter.
The Eagles expanded their lead with two second-quarter touchdowns, a 28-yard pass from Vick to tight end Brent Celek and a 3-yard Vick run.
The second half began in similar fashion, as Philadelphia cornerback Cary Williams picked off a pass, giving Griffin his first career two-interception game. Two plays later, McCoy scooted 34 yards to make it 33-7.
Morris ran 12 times for 45 yards. Hankerson made five receptions for 80 yards and the two touchdowns.
NOTES: Kerrigan was evaluated for symptoms of a concussion late in the fourth quarter. … S Brandon Meriweather (groin) was inactive for the 16th time in his 17-game Redskins tenure. … Washington’s London Fletcher started his 200th consecutive game, joining the retired Derrick Brooks (208) as the only NFL linebackers to do so. … Philadelphia only topped its 26 first half points in one full game in 2012 under former coach Andy Reid.