After the opening two games of the season, there were many criticisms surrounding Doug Pederson and the imbalance on the offensive side of the ball. Since then however, there has been a seismic change in production on the ground. The Birds’ are looking extremely competitive at 3-1, but just how good has their offense been? Here are a few key eyebrow raising numbers.
Moving the chains:
The Eagles simply struggled on third down last year. In fact, that was partly what led them to signing the human battering ram known as LeGarrette Blount. Converting just 37.6% of third down attempts, the Eagles were forced into some tricky fourth and short scenarios and simply lacked the firepower to move the chains consistently.
The Eagles completed 56.3% of their 16 third down attempts against the Chargers, which tied for the team’s 9th-highest conversion rate since 1991. This season, the Eagles sit at a 50.8% conversion rate. The last time the Eagles sat at above the 50% mark in three of their opening four games was back in 1992. Green Bay and New Orleans who led the league in this metric last year, ended the season at around 46%…which says a lot about the efficiency of the offense.
Run the clock:
The Eagles led the league in time of possession last year and they’re well on track to repeat that feat. Against the Chargers, the Eagles amassed their highest time of possession total since last year’s season opener and have posted back-to-back games where they controlled the tempo for 37 minutes or more; the first time this has happened since 2011. Even more impressively, the Eagles are averaging an extra THREE minutes of possession per game on top of their league leading campaign last year.
Feel the rush:
The ground game was stagnant in the opening two weeks of the season, but Pederson and his backfield responded in the best way possible. For the first time since 1995, the Eagles have posted back-to-back games of 190+ rushing yards or more.
Blount’s exceptional game also saw his place in Eagles history cemented. Last year’s leader in rushing touchdowns became the first Eagle to rush for 136+ yards since LeSean McCoy in his final season with the team.
Psssst…The Eagles also currently have the second highest ranked offense in the league behind New England and are averaging 25 points per game.
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
