Before an Oct. 20 game against the Giants inside MetLife Stadium, many Eagles fans were ready to call for the firing of coach Nick Sirianni if Philadelphia lost on the road.
Now, at the midway point of November, Gang Green has won six straight en route to taking the lead in the NFC East at 8-2. Funny how quickly and vastly things can change.
And these Eagles are surging in traditional fashion — with run-game dominance and suffocating defense.
It just hasn’t felt like Jalen Hurts is the centerpiece of this team, or even the offense.
The classic numbers would suggest he’s having a career year. But in watching him in isolation and/or diving into the advanced metrics, it’s obvious Hurts isn’t playing outstanding football. His 5.7% Big-Time Throw rate is the highest of his professional career in a single season, but his 4.6% Turnover-Worthy Play rate is also his worst and the fifth-highest in football, nestled between Joe Flacco’s and Dak Prescott’s.
His yards-after-contact and missed-tackles-forced rates are down from his standards.
However, the point here isn’t to bash Hurts, although he absolutely can play better.
It’s to highlight the offensive heartbeat for the Eagles, Saquon Barkley, one of two backs to have eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground this season through Week 11 (Chuba Hubbard enters the week third at 818 yards). Barkley’s averaging 5.8 yards per tote, which ranks third among 27 running backs with at least 100 carries to date.
On 197 carries this season, Barkley has already forced 34 missed tackles, surpassing the 31 he managed on 247 carries in 2023 with the Giants. His yards-after-contact-per-rush average is north of 3.0 for the first time since 2019. D’Andre Swift’s was 2.44 last year, 52nd among 59 qualifiers. And Barkley’s maintained his explosiveness, as 40.9% of his runs have gone for 15-plus yards. It marks the first time that average has been higher than 40% since 2020. Swift’s was 26.9% in 2023.
For league perspective, that nearly 41% Breakaway Percentage is fourth among all running backs with at least 100 carries. Barkley’s been as advertised and then some.
Swift had a fine season as Philadelphia’s lead back in 2023, rushing for over 1,000 yards at 4.5 per pop. Barkley has represented a clear upgrade over Swift. The 2024 Eagles defense has been light years better than the 2023 iteration.
And it’s mostly been thanks to additions in the back seven. First-round cornerback Quinyon Mitchell has thrived as an on-an-island boundary defender, straight out of the University of Toledo. The rookie has surrendered a catch on 48.9% of targets in his vicinity with no touchdowns and seven pass breakups. Terry McLaurin’s stat line in Philly’s Week 11 win over the Commanders was one catch for 10 yards on two targets. And he didn’t see a target on the 20 routes run with Mitchell in coverage.
Second-round pick Cooper DeJean has been a godsend at slot corner. The former Iowa star has seen 25 receptions in his coverage area but allowed a mere 161 yards on those receptions, no touchdowns, and has knocked away two passes. His given the Eagles dynamic athleticism and stability in that key secondary role for the first time since prime Avonte Maddox of 2021.
But it’s Zack Baun who’s been the most pleasant surprise of all Howie Roseman’s back-seven acquisitions this offseason. The hybrid linebacker-edge rusher the Saints drafted in the third round in 2020 is now playing a more static weakside off-ball linebacker role and flourishing.
With a loaded defensive line in front of him, he’s flowing with incredible speed to the football, which is having a ripple effect on the rest of his game. Baun’s missed-tackle rate is 8.3%, the first time he’s ever been below 13% in his NFL career. He’s already played four times as many snaps in coverage than in any of his seasons with the Saints. On those plays, Baun’s allowed 7.2 yards per grab without a touchdown, one interception, and a pair of pass breakups.
We know the Eagles are going to be strong in the trenches. They’ve been that team from Chip Kelly to Doug Pederson to Sirianni. And Hurts is plenty good even if he’s not elite.
The difference from 2023 to date has been an Offensive Player of the Year candidate running back in Barkley, serious playmakers — both rookies — at two of the cornerback spots and a revitalized veteran linebacker.
It feels like the Eagles are back.
