A have a look at the longest QB profitable streaks in Eagles historical past, auspicious development from a rookie and the best choice of Mack Hollins stats ever assembled in a single position within the historical past of the universe.
All that and heaps extra in a Week 4 version of Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Observations.
1. The Eagles on Sunday did one thing they hadn’t achieved in 4 years. Something Jalen Hurts had by no means achieved. They received a football sport with out operating the ball. The Eagles by no means were given untracked at the flooring in Washington, completing with 30 carries for simply 72 yards and a 2.4 reasonable – lowest of the Nick Siriani Era. The Commanders crowded the road of scrimmage, bold Hurts to beat them along with his arm. And he did, throwing for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns. It used to be the primary sport the Eagles received with fewer than 75 dashing yards for the reason that 2018 playoff sport in Chicago and the primary time they’ve received with a dashing reasonable that low since a sport in opposition to the Panthers in 2014. That’s large for Hurts and enormous for this group as it displays Hurts can win a sport throwing the ball when a protection forces the Eagles to be one-dimensional. Hurts has received a large number of games for the reason that center of closing season operating the passing sport off an explosive flooring assault. But for him to cross available in the market and win a sport – a department sport at the highway on a brief week – with out the advantage of an efficient operating sport is every other signal of enlargement for the 24-year-old QB.
2. Remember when Hurts threw 3 interceptions in opposition to the Giants closing November? In six regular-season begins since then, he’s 6-0, and in the ones six games he’s finished 67 p.c of his passes, thrown for 271 yards according to sport with 12 overall touchdowns (seven passing, 5 dashing), one turnover and a 104.2 passer ranking. Only Patrick Mahomes has the next passer ranking all through that span. That six-game profitable streak is tied for ninth-longest in Eagles historical past. Here’s a have a look at the 8 longer streaks:
9 … Donovan McNabb [Week 6 – Week 15, 2003]
9 … Carson Wentz [Week 3 – Week 12, 2017]
9 … Norm Van Brocklin [Week 2 – Week 11, 1960]
8 … Randall Cunningham [Week 14, 1992 – Week 4, 1993]
8 … Ron Jaworski [Week 5 – Week 12, 1980]
8 … Tommy Thompson [Week 5 – Week 12, 1949]
8 … Tommy Thompson [Week 4 – Week 11, 1948]
7 … Donovan McNabb [Week 1 – Week 8, 2004]
3. Avonte Maddox is as vital as any one at the Eagles’ protection, and that’s an enormous loss for this protection. Especially with Christian Kirk coming to the town. Kirk performs virtually part his snaps (90 of 198) within. Slot nook at the moment is a beginning place, and Maddox has performed the fifth-most snaps at the Eagles’ protection. He’s in reality performed the second-most snaps of any slot nook within the league (at the back of the Bengals’ Mike Hilton) and in accordance to Pro Football Focus, QBs have a 61.1 passer ranking when concentrated on Maddox, and that’s 4th-lowest within the league amongst corners who’ve performed a minimum of 50 snaps within the slot. He’s been terrific. With Maddox inactive Sunday in opposition to Jacksonville with an ankle harm, the Eagles have a couple of choices – transferring Chauncey Gardner-Johnson from protection to the slot, the place he has a large number of enjoy (simply now not right here), and going with Ok’Von Wallace at protection; a instantly alternative with Josiah Scott within the slot for Maddox; and even transferring James Bradberry within and the use of Zech McPhearson at outdoor nook reverse Slay. But no matter they do, this protection received’t be as sound as it’s been with Maddox.
4. There are handiest 14 gamers league-wide who’ve a minimum of 10 catches with a minimum of a fifteen.0 reasonable. Three of the 14 are A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. No different group has 3. In truth, 22 groups don’t have any. Last time the Eagles had 3 guys at 15 yards according to catch after 3 weeks used to be 1969, with Gary Ballman, Harold Jackson and Ben Hawkins. This offense places such a lot power on defenses down the sphere, and to do this with out turning the ball over is unusual and makes this offense extraordinarily bad. The Eagles are No. 1 within the league with 53 performs of a minimum of 10 yards and No. 2 with 6.5 yards according to play (at the back of handiest the Ravens), however they’re tied for first in fewest turnovers with only one. The Eagles are handiest the tenth group in NFL historical past to reasonable 6 ½ yards according to play with one or fewer turnovers after 3 games. Keep getting the ball down the sphere with out turning it over and this offense goes to be onerous to prevent.
5. The Eagles also are handiest the 9th group in historical past to reasonable 6 ½ yards or extra according to play and make allowance 4 ½ yards or much less according to play via 3 games and the primary for the reason that 2007 Patriots. The closing NFC group to reach that uncommon double used to be the 2001 Rams.
6. Re-watching the Washington sport, something that in point of fact caught out used to be that Jordan Davis used to be a beast. He’s by no means going to be a man who places up elite stats, however in his 3rd NFL sport we in point of fact noticed what made him one of the vital very best defensive gamers within the nation closing 12 months. He took on double groups, he stopped the run and most significantly he confirmed some actual power on passing downs, and even supposing he didn’t get credited for any sacks, he had so much to do with a minimum of two of the Eagles’ 9 sacks. Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Marlon Tuipuilotu, Milton Williams and Davis are all enjoying between 32 and 57 p.c of the snaps, and the rotation is operating. They’re all contributing. But if Davis helps to keep enjoying like he did Sunday, the snaps will come. They’ll have to.
7. Three weeks into the season, the Eagles rank twenty ninth within the NFL in reasonable beginning place (their very own 25-yard-line) however 5th in scoring (28.7 issues according to sport), which is exceptional. Nobody is operating tougher for their issues. Just believe what number of issues they will rating in the event that they in reality get some first rate box place?
8. It’s so uncommon to discover a big-time NFL vast receiver who’s humble and unselfish and now not obsessive about shameless self-promotion. And the Eagles have two of them. We know the way gifted A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are. We’re 3 weeks in, and so they’ve already each and every had a profession sport. They’re the primary WR tandem in Eagles historical past with 225 yards each and every after 3 games. But what’s simply as spectacular is how Brown and Smith are final group gamers. If they don’t catch a go – like Smith in Week 1 – they don’t whinge. If they have been requested to block each and every snap of the sport to assist the group win, they’d feel free to do it. Whatever the group wishes it, they’ll do it. Brown and Smith can each do anything else. Except center of attention on themselves. Great gamers, nice teammates.
9. MACK HOLLINS STAT TIME!!! Mack Hollins closing weekend was handiest the 3rd participant in NFL historical past with 158 receiving yards and a finished go in the similar sport. Hollins had 8-for-158 within the Raiders’ loss to the Titans and likewise finished a four-yard go to Josh Jacobs. Hollins, the Eagles’ 4th-round select in 2017, surpassed his earlier profession top for receiving yards through 86. He had 72 yards closing 12 months for the Dolphins in opposition to the Jets. His greatest sport as an Eagle used to be a 1-for-64 as a rookie in 2017 when he stuck a 64-yard go from Carson Wentz in opposition to Washington. Hollins already has a profession top with 240 yards this 12 months. In his first 67 profession games, Hollins had one 40-yard catch. In Nashville Sunday he had two. In the fourth quarter on my own Sunday, he had 129 yards. That’s 13 p.c of his profession overall. The most sensible two receivers in Week 3 have been each Howie Roseman draft alternatives – DeVonta Smith (169 yards) and Hollins (158 yards). The closing two Raiders with 150 yards in a sport? Nelson Agholor and Mack Hollins.
10. Brent Celek didn’t have a 40-yard catch till his twenty fourth profession sport. Zach Ertz didn’t have one till his forty sixth sport. Dallas Goedert didn’t have one till his forty seventh sport. Grant Calcaterra had one on his first NFL goal.
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