Roob's observations: How much will Eagles run the ball in 2022?

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Roob's observations: How much will Eagles run the ball in 2022?

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

How much will the Eagles run the ball this year? The genius of Jeff Stoutland. A couple intriguing under-the-radar roster moves. What winning the opener means for the Eagles.

Football season is finally here, and on Sunday – 238 days after that ugly playoff loss to the Bucs – the Eagles open their 90th NFL season against the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit.

No more OTAs for Roob’s 10 Random Eagles Observations. No more training camp for 10 Obs. No more practice squad.

It’s Week 1, and these observations count!

1. I feel like there’s a sense that now that the Eagles have a big-time array of receivers and a quarterback growing more comfortable in the passing game in Year No. 2 in the same offense that the Eagles are going to all of a sudden get pass-happy like they started out last year. And while I think they will throw maybe five or six times per game more than last year – when they threw less than any NFL team – the running game is going to remain a big part of this offense. Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and Kenny Gainwell combined for 1,912 scrimmage yards, 1,418 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last year and 4.9 yards per carry, and that production hasn’t gone away. With this o-line and these backs – and perhaps Trey Sermon taking over the Jordan Howard role – the Eagles will still have a top-10 running game. The difference is last year they ran because they had to. This year they’ll run when they want to.

2. I would pay $100 to sit in a room and listen to Jeff Stoutland talk. About anything.

3. The Eagles’ injury report Friday consisted of … nobody. Andre Dillard is out for a month or so and on IR with a broken arm, but nobody on the 53-man roster was even limited two days before the opener. That’s remarkable, and on top of last year’s relatively injury-free season more evidence that the Eagles’ preseason program makes sense. Now, I guess if the Eagles turn in a clunker Sunday you can try to make a case that they weren’t physically ready, but there’s something to be said for a 100 percent healthy roster leading into the regular-season opener. I was skeptical last year, but I really believe now that this training camp format makes sense and gives the Eagles the biggest chance to win. And this was not an easy training camp. The Eagles’ practices might be a little shorter than some teams’ sessions, but they’re intense, they’re fast-paced and they’re physical. They just don’t tackle to the ground. They still get good work in. It really seems like this team is ready.

4. Sometimes I watch A.J. Brown making these absurd catches in practice and I just can’t believe he’s here. The Eagles flat-out stole him. Did they really acquire a 24-year-old stud WR (now 25) for a mid-1st-round pick and a 3rd-round pick? And then lock him up through 2025 with a four-year deal? This will go down as one of the greatest moves of Howie Roseman’s tenure. I knew Brown was really good, but what I saw this preseason was scary. He’s better than I thought. Way better. Fast, tough, hard-nosed, physical, aggressive. With plenty of swagger. Brown is already one of only five WRs in NFL history with 150 catches, 20 TDs and a 16.0 average before his 25th birthday. And he just might be better than ever this fall. This is going to be fun.

5. The Eagles won’t face any quarterbacks this year that won a playoff game last year.

6. I expect Jordan Davis to get somewhere around 25 snaps Sunday, and I’ve been so impressed with his fitness level this summer that it wouldn’t bother me if it’s a little higher. Davis looks like a different guy than we saw at Georgia. And he was incredible at Georgia, he just was limited because he wasn’t in good enough shape to make plays late in games. But he’s really taken the conditioning part of becoming a pro seriously, and that’s going to allow him to be a force throughout games. The Eagles have such a luxury with Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Milton Williams and Davis. None of them is going to have to play 70 snaps. Who has four interior linemen with that kind of ability? They should all be fresh and effective in the fourth quarter, which is when the Eagles will need them the most.

7. I didn’t see one thing from Jalen Hurts during the preseason that made me question whether he’s the guy. When you combine his work ethic and hunger to learn, the upgraded weapons he has now, a second year in the same system for the first time since high school and the world’s best offensive line there really is no reason I can find to doubt him. He just looks smoother, sharper, quicker and more decisive. You know what’s really interesting? From Week 7 on last year, Hurts had a passer rating of 90 or higher in six of nine games. That’s one less than Tom Brady, the same number as Patrick Mahomes, one more than Josh Allen. And he missed two games. There was progress but it was forgotten when he regressed in the Tampa playoff game. But it was something to build on, and I’ll go this far: If Hurts doesn’t have a terrific season, I’ll be really surprised.

8. A couple roster moves last week went under the radar, but in getting running back Trey Sermon on waivers from the 49ers and quarterback Ian Book on waivers from the Saints, the Eagles quietly added a 3rd-round pick and a 4th-round pick at no cost other than their minimum-wage salaries. Book had 49 TDs and 9 INTs his last two years at Notre Dame while running for over 1,000 yards and 13 more TDs, and Sermon rushed for nearly 3,000 yards with 29 TDs at Oklahoma and Ohio State with a 6.5 average. I don’t know if Book or Sermon will ever contribute to this team, but they’re both guys that came into the NFL with a lot of promise, were good enough to be drafted in the middle rounds and have some upside. We hear so much about Roseman building the top of the roster, but these under-the-radar moves to strengthen the bottom of the roster often pay off as well. And who would you rather have, Jason Huntley and Reid Sinnett or Sermon and Book? Yeah, same here.

9. So many prominent national NFL analysts are popping up lately picking the Eagles to win the NFC or earn a high seed, and there’s no way the players don’t hear that stuff. Nick Sirianni and this team’s leaders constantly preach focusing on the process, ignoring outside noise and thinking only about the next rep or the next play. You heard Jason Kelce’s eloquent speech the other day. But blocking out the noise sometimes is easier said than done. I really believe one of the big challenges for this team will be figuring out how to shut out the "rat poison,” as Hurts calls it, and not get caught up in the astronomical expectations. I think they’re wired the right way. I don’t expect outside distractions to affect this team. But you never really truly know until the season gets underway.

10. Since 1984, the Eagles have won their opener 20 times. They’ve only had a losing record two of those seasons – 2012 and 2016 – and they reached the playoffs 14 of those years. Conversely, the 18 times since 1984 they’ve lost their opener, they’ve gone on to have a winning season (and reach the playoffs) just six times – most recently in 2010. Seems Week 1 is awfully important.

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