The Eagles were able to sneak past the Houston Texans after having a very off start to the game. The offense and defense both looked off in the first half and the Texans took advantage. In those games is where you learn a lot about “great” teams.
Philadelphia came back in the second half and played to their strengths which led to a 29-17 win over Houston but the Eagles were far from perfect and have been far from perfect this season despite their record. This is a good thing though, it just means that we have yet to see a complete game from the NFL’s most console roster, sorry Buffalo.
Eagles vs the run
One of the departments that are far from perfect just so happens to be the run defense. When Jordan Davis went down with a high ankle sprain, the thought was that their run defense would take a huge blow without the big guy. While it did against the Texans, the fact of the matter is that their run defense has been sup par even with his presence.
The Eagles have the 29th-ranked run defense in the league and they’ve been allowing teams to rush for 5.2 yards per carry against them. They’ve also allowed 6 rushing touchdowns to opposing offenses in which they’re ranked 12th. It’s a bend don’t break method but it’s also the result of having a very good pass defense.
Philly’s secondary has 12 interceptions this season with 5 of them coming from their safety C.J. Gardner Johnson. As a whole, the Eagles’ defense is first in the league in turnovers which is huge compared to years prior. The secondary has only allowed a completion rate of 58% against them which is why teams are running the ball more.
Fortunately for the Eagles, they have led going into the second half of their games in all but one matchup, which means that teams that are running the ball in the second half while they are down are playing into the hands of the Eagles. Philly is daring them to throw it while knowing that it’s a very risky move for opposing offenses.
With players like James Bradberry and Darius Slay manning the outside receivers and C.J. Gardner Johnson looking like Kenny Lofton in center field, the Eagles could have a big recipe for success but it may come at the expense of their run defense.
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
