What happened to AJ Brown’s big play? What happened to Reed Blankenship? Why Matt Stafford and not Jalen Hurts?
We’ll see all this and more in Roob’s 10 Random Eagle Sights this weekend.
1. The biggest difference between AJ Brown’s first eight games and last eight games of the season isn’t the number of targets or catches. There is a target and a prey. Through Week 8, Brown was averaging 10.4 targets and 7.5 catches per game. In his last eight games, he has 9.3 targets and 5.6 catches per game. So these numbers have decreased a bit, with his target completion rate being 10% and his capture rate being 25%. But look at his yards per game, yards per target, yards per catch. His first eight weeks: 117 yards per game, 15.7 yards per catch, 11.3 yards per target. Last 8 weeks: 64 yards per game, 11.3 yards per catch, 6.9 yards per target. That means yards per game are down 45 percent, yards per catch are down 28 percent, and yards per target are down 39 percent. There were very few big plays. Jalen Hurts is giving him the ball – in fact, he’s fifth in the NFL in targets over the last eight games – but he’s 22nd in yards. He was also fifth in targets through the first eight weeks, but second in yards. Big plays are gone. Through Week 8, Brown tied Tyreek Hill for the most receptions in the league with 13 receptions for 25 yards. He has tied for 67th twice in the last eight weeks. Same numbers as Jalen Reagor during that period. Not ideal. Some of that goes to Nick Sirianni and Brian Johnson, but a lot of it goes to Hurts. Hurts had opportunities to connect with Brown on mid-range and deep balls, but he either misfired, took an underthrow, or missed a scramble. I like what Johnson said on Tuesday. “AJ is a great player. We have to force him the ball sometimes and make sure he gets going.” Brown is too talented to not have him make a lot of plays on the field.
2. Jalen Hurts hasn’t played to the level he did last year, but he was eligible for the Pro Bowl ahead of Matt Stafford. The Hurts have a much better record compared to winning teams, winning more games (11-9), having a higher completion percentage (66.1 percent vs. 62.6 percent), and scoring far more total touchdowns (38-24). (5 to 2 to 2 to 5). . One thing about him that may have hurt Hurts in Pro Bowl voting was that some of his big wins were against his AFC teams (Patriots, Dolphins, Chiefs, Bills). And AFC players don’t vote for the NFC. After Week 5, the Hurts were just 3-4 against the NFC.
3A. Eagles offensive line Pro Bowlers since Jeff Stoutland took over as offensive line coach in 2013: Jason Kelce (7), Lane Johnson (5), Jason Peters (4), Brandon Brooks (3) , Evan Mathis (2), Landon Dickerson (2). This brings to 23 Pro Bowl offensive linemen in 11 years. In the half-century before Stoutland became offensive line coach (1963-2012), the Eagles had only 20 Pro Bowl offensive linemen: Bob Brown (3), Peters (3); ), Jim Ringo (3), Tora Thomas (3), Sean Andrews (2), Jerry Sisemore (2), Stan Walters (2), German Mayberry (1), John Runyan (1). That means Stoutland has coached more Pro Bowl offensive linemen in the 11 years since Chip Kelly hired him than the Eagles had coached in the previous 50 years. The man is a magician.
3B. Landon Dickerson is the eighth guard in the last 30 years to make two Pro Bowls in his first three seasons. The others include the Bills’ Reuben Brown (1995, 1997), the Cowboys’ Hall of Famer Larry Allen (1995, 1996), the Bears’ Kyle Long (2013, 2014), and Carolina’s Trai Turner (2014, 2016). ), Cowboys Zach Martin (2014, 2015, 2016), Washington’s Brandon Schaaf (2015, 2017), and Colts’ Quenton Nelson (2018, 2019, 2020). Dickerson is the 15th Eagle to make two Pro Bowls in his first three years and the first since DeSean Jackson (2009, 2010).
Four. The Eagles have converted 19 of 25 on fourth down this year, and their 76 percent conversion rate is the fifth-highest in NFL history for a team that has attempted at least 20 fourth down conversions. Regardless of attempts, the franchise record is the 1990 team’s 9-for-12 at bat percentage of 75 percent. Depending on how Sunday unfolds, the Eagles could move up the all-time list. They trail only the 2006 and 2008 Patriots (80.0%), 1989 Giants (77.3%) and 2020 Raiders (76.2%).
Five. One name that hasn’t been talked about much in the recent collapse of the defense is Reed Blankenship, but the second-year safety has struggled over the past six weeks. He was so good last year and the first half of this year that it’s amazing to watch. The usual Pro Football Focus disclaimer — consider their grades for what they’re worth — but his average grade in his first eight games (through Kansas City) was 71.5. He is averaging 56.7 points over the past six games (missing games against the Dolphins and Vikings). That’s quite a drop. While we don’t expect Blankenship to be elite in coverage, the concern is that the areas Blankenship struggles with are tackling and run defense, and he did so last year and in the first few months of this year. There are two areas that stand out. Sometimes undrafted players reach a point of diminishing returns, and whatever constraints were holding them back from being drafted will eventually catch up with them the more they play and the more their weaknesses are exposed. I hope that’s not the case with Blankenship, and I don’t think that’s the case. He’s currently learning to play defense for the third time in two years, and like many players on the ball side, he’s not playing very well. But he’s 24 years old, has only started 18 games in his career, and he’s playing a lot more football than he’s ever played, with three times as many snaps as last year. And I think he has the right combination of toughness, intelligence and instincts to make up for that lack. Rather than ideal speed or athletic ability. I still project Blankenship and Sidney Brown to be the Eagles’ starting safeties next year, but nothing is set in stone. The immediate concern is that Blankenship will return to playing like he did a few months ago once the postseason begins.
6. D’Andre Swift hasn’t had a 100-yard rushing game since Week 3 in Tampa. He is the first Eagles running back to start 13 consecutive games without a 100-yard game since Brian Westbrook had back-to-back 18-yard yards in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The longest streak in franchise history was Keith Byers, who started 77 consecutive games without a game of 100 yards or more from 1988 to 1992. He gained 102 yards on the final day of the 1987 season against the Bills and didn’t gain any more, but after joining the Dolphins and becoming a Pro Bowler, he switched to tight end.
7. The last four quarterbacks drafted with top-five picks to play for at least four different teams were all with the Eagles at some point in their careers: Mark Sanchez (Jets, Eagles, Commanders, Cowboys) ), Sam Bradford (Rams, Eagles, Vikings, Cards), Carson Wentz (Eagles, Colts, Commanders, Rams), Marcus Mariota (Titans, Raiders, Falcons, Eagles). Who was the last first-round QB to play for four teams but never for the Eagles? That was 2002 No. 1 overall pick David Carr (Texans, Panthers, Giants, 49ers). Before that? Michael Vick (Falcons, Eagles, Jets, Steelers). In the past 50 years, other Eagles first-round picks besides Wentz have played for four teams: Keith Byers (Eagles, Dolphins, Patriots, Jets), Rito Shepard (Eagles, Raiders, Jets, Vikings), and Nelson. Agholor (Eagles, Raiders, Patriots, Ravens).
8. With DeVonta Smith out Sunday and scheduled to miss a game for the first time in his three-year career, I’m left wondering who will be the last Eagle to start every game in his first three seasons. Ta. After all, the Eagles opened with three tight ends (Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Tyree Jackson) and one receiver (Jalen Reagor), so Smith is technically a starter against the Jets in 2021. He never participated. Smith played 44 snaps, but he was not a starter. After all, no Eagle has started 48 of 48 games in his first three seasons (and even more since the 17-game season began). Through his third year, Smith holds the record for most starts by an Eagle with 49 (16, 17, 16). Tra Thomas from 1998-2000 and Hank Fraley from 2001-2003 each started 47 of 48 games, but the last Eagle to start every game in his first three seasons in the NFL To find out, you have to go all the way back to tight end Charles Young. He only started every game in the 14-game seasons of 1973, 1974, and 1975, but he also appeared in the Pro Bowl each year.
9. Jalen Hurts has 67 first downs this year, and Christian McCaffrey’s 83 are second-most in the league and second-most by a quarterback behind Lamar Jackson’s 71 in 2019. It is a record. Hurts could break Jackson’s record if he gets five first downs on opposing territory. Giant. He has rushed for five or more first downs in 21 career games, most recently for the first time two weeks ago against the Giants. The last Eagle with 67 or more rushing first downs in a season was LeSean McCoy with 68 in 2014.
Ten. Josh Sweat has played 382 snaps without a sack over the last seven games. This is the most snaps in seven games without a sack by a defensive end or edge rusher since 2018, when the Jaguars’ Telvin Smith had 450 snaps in seven games without a sack, according to Stathead Player Spanfinder. becomes.
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