Passing Game
The addition of Jordan Howard already seems like a slam dunk simply based on what he bring to the running game. He couldn’t possibly improve the passing attack — snicker. It’s already been explained what a successful inside rushing attack can add to the passing lanes in Doug Pederson’s offence (or any offence for that matter). So what can Howard bring to the passing game individually?
First, his inefficiency as a pass catcher has been grossly oversold. He infamously had troubles with drops early in his career, leading the league in 2016 and tallying another six in 2017. That number fell to one last season. Here are his numbers compared to the other backs on the Eagles’ current roster:
| Drops | Targets | Catch Rate | Drop Rate | |
| J. Howard 2017 | 6 | 32 | 71.9% | 18.8% |
| J. Howard 2018 | 1 | 27 | 74.1% | 3.7% |
| J. Adams 2018 | 2 | 13 | 53.8% | 13.4% |
| W. Smallwood 2018 | 3 | 35 | 80.0% | 8.6% |
| C. Clement 2017 | 2 | 15 | 66.7% | 13.3% |
| C. Clement 2018 | 0 | 25 | 88.0% | 0% |
Aside from Clement’s outstanding numbers in 2018, what the numbers prove is that Jordan Howard’s pass catching is on par with what the Eagles expect from their running backs. He’s better than Adams and about as efficient as Wendell Smallwood. In terms of play making after the catch, he doesn’t bring as much to the table because of his speed and agility. However, the idea that he is a liability is distorted.
What he does add to the equation that the others don’t is pass blocking. Clement was counted upon to be the Eagles’ feature pass-blocking back. Then he got injured. In his time on the field, Corey held his
Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
