What Is the Eagles’ Identity?
Going into perhaps the most important game of the season, the Eagles stand at 7-2. They lead the NFC East currently, with Washington trailing right behind. As Philadelphia welcomes the Commanders into town on Thursday, this game will be pivotal in the divisional race. Washington is 7-3, with rookie sensation Jayden Daniels having one of the best rookie seasons the league has seen. As the Eagles head into the ladder stretch of the season, it appears that all pieces of the puzzle are slowly coming together. They are 5-0 over the last month and have had three victories by at least 20 points in three of those games. As tackle Jordan Mailata is also set to return to the lineup, Philadelphia is fortunately very healthy heading into a critical stretch. With all aspects considered, what is the Eagles’ identity as they prepare for a deep playoff run?
For starters, the most obvious aspect for Philadelphia to play into February will rely on their run game. They are second in the NFL in rushing, thanks in large part to superstar Saquon Barkley. Barkley has stormed onto the scene in Philadelphia, as he has accumulated 991 rushing yards and six touchdowns to this point of the season. Barkley is currently the second leading rusher in the NFL, only trailing Ravens star Derrick Henry. The offense will go as far as Barkley goes. When Barkley can break through for big gains, the play-action opens up for the offense collectively. Jalen Hurts will need to continue his consistent stretch of taking care of the ball and spreading the passing game between A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. If Hurts only targets Brown and limits Smith, then the Eagles will fall short. The offense performs at its highest level when all weapons are incorporated. As we head into the second half of the season, it will be interesting to see if offensive coordinator Kellen Moore opens up the playbook more or keeps his cards within the house before the playoffs begin.
Switching gears to the defense, they have mightily impressed through the first half of the season. To this point, the defense has only allowed 17.9 points per game, which ranks fifth in the NFL. The pass rush continues to progress, as they are now 11th in the NFL with 25 sacks. The Eagles hit a home run with the signing of linebacker Zack Baun, who has recorded 55 solo tackles, along with three forced fumbles. His solo tackle percentage ranks him fifth in the NFL and he is tied for third in the NFL in forced fumbles. He’s been amongst the best linebackers the Eagles have had in quite some time. Rookie sensations Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean continue to shine, both making immediate impacts this season. Mitchell is yet to allow a touchdown on over 300 coverage snaps he has seen thus far. His development has excited Eagles fans everywhere.
While the team started off shaky before the bye week, things have settled in for Philadelphia. They’re in the midst of their best stretch of the season, and have a crucial month coming up. While the formula is evident, it will be up to the execution of all phases of the team to carry them into a divisional championship, and a deep playoff run. The Philadelphia Eagles could be in the midst of a special 2024 season.
