Eagles Rank 29th in Passing: That Has to Change Now
Hunter Martin / Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are 3-0, which is the start we all wanted, but the passing game still looks stuck in neutral.
Through three weeks, they’re ranked 29th in the NFL in passing yards, which is ridiculous considering the weapons they have. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Jahan Dotson, this is as stacked as any receiving core on any team in the NFL; yet the offense keeps leaning on Saquon Barkley and hoping the defense bails them out. That’s fine when you’re playing from ahead, but against Tampa Bay this week, waiting around is asking for trouble.
Look at last week’s game, the Eagles didn’t get going until they had no choice, and once they finally opened things up, the passing attack looked unstoppable. Brown had 109 yards and a touchdown, Jalen Hurts made the throws downfield that he needed to make, and the Rams could not keep up.
But why did it take nearly two quarters to figure that out?
Brown himself said it best: “When something isn’t working, stop banging your head against the wall and adjust.” The problem is the Eagles are taking too long to get there.
This can’t happen in Tampa. Todd Bowles is going to blitz Hurts all game; he always does. His defense brings pressure nearly 40% of the time. If the Eagles wait till the second half to test the Bucs’ corners, they’re going to be playing right into Bowles’ plans.
The book on Hurts says that when he throws at least 30 passes, he wins. He’s 23-11 in those games, and he hasn’t thrown a pick in 217 attempts. Those are numbers that should instill confidence.
The Eagles are perfect in the red zone so far, with a touchdown on all eight trips, which is fantastic. But you don’t want to live and die on long drives every week. They need to mix in quick strikes, the kind that flip the game and momentum. A 50-yard shot to Brown or a seam route to Goedert will put the defense on its heels. The running game will look a whole lot better if you make the secondary fear the deep ball, and the linebackers cheat back. Keep grinding out 12-play drives, and eventually one gets blown up by a blitz or a penalty. Tampa’s defense is built on creating chaos; the Eagles have to be the ones to dictate the chaos.
This Eagles team has too much talent to keep being a run-first team. The defense is strong, the run game is very good, and the passing attack is what separates the Eagles from everybody else right now. The question is whether they’ll use it from the opening drive or keep playing catch-up with themselves.
If they want to beat the Bucs and remind the league what this offense is really about, they need to stop waiting for the right moment and air it out early. Make Tampa adjust and take control before Bowles brings the house.
Against Tampa, the longer you wait to get your passing game going, the more likely you’re the one who will be playing catch-up.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
Get new articles emailed right to your inbox.
