NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
What do you do when you have the No.1 rushing attack in the NFL in 2021? The best logical thing you can do. You go out and grab one of the best receivers in the game. That’s exactly what the Philadelphia Eagles did this offseason when they made the huge trade for AJ brown. But on paper, it all looked good. What the Eagles had to do was show that their offseason plans were the right moves on the field.
In their season opener against the Detroit Lions, the Eagles proved once again that they will be a force on the ground. However, what they also proved was that adding Brown may be the key to a very positive season.
Jalen Hurts started the onslaught with his legs before his arm ever got going. For the game, Hurts tucked the ball 17 times for 90 yards and a touchdown. While most were designed runs, Hurts escaped the relentless pressure of the Lions’ defense and was able to extend drives for the offense. A QB gaining 90 yards, well, that’s something to be concerned about for any opposing defense.
But wait, it just didn’t end there. RB Miles Sanders found his form again to the tune of 96 yards and a score on just 13 carries. As a team, the Eagles rushed the ball 39 times for 216 yards and 4 TDs. That’s a solid offensive outburst in itself but that wasn’t the entire story for the Eagles.
In his first game with the Eagles, Brown showed why this team could make a serious run. It’s hard enough stopping Hurts and Sanders but now that Hurts has a reliable safety blanket in Brown, that ground game will become even more potent as the season drags along.
Brown accounted for 10 receptions on 13 targets for 155 yards. Although he didn’t reach the endzone, his presence was felt. TE Dallas Goedert caught 3 passes for 60 but it was the non-factor of DeVonta Smith that made this win even more satisfying.
The Eagles Offense Will Be Scary
Hurts targeted Smith just 4 times. While Smith had 0 catches, he still commanded attention. And by doing so, left the middle of the field open for Brown to do most of his damage. In the game, Hurts completed 18/32 passes for 243 yards. While no passing touchdowns may seem like a staggering stat, why should that matter when the ground game reached the endzone 4 times?
Defenses can no longer stack the box in hopes of containing Hurts, Sanders or Gainwell. If that’s the plan, that does leave Brown, Goedert, and Smith mostly in man coverage. And how can any defense cover all three of these players? One of them is going to hurt you. If Hurts can continue to deliver the ball as he did against the Lions, the sky is the limit.
Week 1 was an example of what having a successful ground attack can do. It opens up the playbook. Running the ball was never the issue. Their trouble was finding reliable playmakers on the outside.
The success of the Eagles’ season will be with their rushing attack. Although they did finish last season as the best team in that department, their record reflected one that still needed to find balance. The Lions are not the Buffalo Bills or the Los Angeles Rams but they were a great test to see where the holes are in the offensive side of the ball. If Week 1 is any indication of what the offense of the Philadelphia Eagles can do, their fans are in for a wild ride. The balance is there. But it all started with the backfield.
So far, so good.
