Why Is The Eagles Passing Game All People Care About?
The Eagles are 16-3. They are 1 win away from going to the Super Bowl, and 2 wins away from a parade. They have lost only 1 game since the start of October, and that was a game where Jalen Hurts left in the 1st quarter. Yet for some reason, both locally and nationally, all people want to talk about is the struggles of the Eagles’ passing game.
I am not going to sit here and say the Eagles’ passing game has been good in the playoffs. It hasn’t. They have not moved the ball well through the air.
They also have not turned it over, but there is certainly room for improvement. Saying the passing game should be better is fair. I won’t get into the specifics though because that has been done nonstop by everyone else.
The problem is when people ignore everything else about this team. They laser focus on the Eagles’ one flaw but ignore the many things the Eagles do well. So let’s talk bout those things, and why they can make and win the Super Bowl even if the passing game never improves.
The Eagles Defense
Let’s start with what the Eagles do best. This is a Super Bowl-caliber defense. It is the best defense in the league, and certainly the best defense still standing.
Since the bye week, they have given up more than 20 points twice. The Commanders got to them the 2nd time but besides that the defense got the better of every offense they faced. They held the Bengals to 17 points, the Ravens to 19, the Rams to 22 and 20, and the Commanders to 18 the first time.
They gave up 278.4 yards per game, the least in the league. The next-best team gave up 311.2 yards per game. They gave up 17.8 points per game, the 2nd best number in the league. The next best team still alive, the Chiefs, gave up 19.2 points per game. The team they are playing this weekend gave 23 per game.
The Eagles’ defense has forced 15 turnovers in their last 4 games, excluding the Giants game where the starters didn’t play.
This defense is elite. They are good at everything you need a defense to be good at. They have a great secondary, an All-Pro LB, and one of the best defensive players period in Jalen Carter. But apparently, that is not worth talking about.
The Eagles Run Game
Saquon became the 9th RB to ever have 2000 rushing yards. As a team, they just ran for 285 yards. That is more yards than the Bills and Chiefs had in their wins this weekend total. The Eagles average 179.3 rushing yards per game.
This team has proven they can run on anyone. Even if you stack the box, they can still run. That second Saquon run came vs a stacked box. The problem with stacking the box against the Eagles is that when Saquon slips into the 2nd level, there is no one left to stop him.
Usually, you leave a safety back to stop a big pass play. Teams do that vs the Eagles to stop the run. You need a man back there because Saquon is that explosive. He now has 8 50 yard TDs. That is more than any WR has. He is the most explosive player in the league, and he is doing it on the ground, not through the air.
He also has the most 10-yard runs, 20-yard runs, 30-yard runs, and 40-yard runs. He has the most 40 or 50-yard plays period.
But apparently, they can’t win like that. People will tell you they need to throw it better. You can’t win when your running game is better than most teams passing game.
The Lack Of Turnovers
No team has won the turnover battle and lost in the playoffs. 3 teams lost with no turnovers, but that is also because they didn’t force any either. The team that wins the battle is 7-0 so far in this postseason.
The Eagles are +6. They have turned it over 0 times, and taken it away 6 times. That is not new either. Since the bye week, they have turned it over only 5 times with Hurts in the game. One of those was the bogus fumble call where Barkley was clearly down.
That is a winning game plan, clearly. The Ravens made mistakes and it cost them. The Rams made mistakes and it cost them. The Lions made mistakes and it cost them. The Eagles don’t make those mistakes. They protect the ball first and foremost.
But again, no one wants to talk about that. Let’s hyper-focus on the one area the Eagles need to improve, and forget they are the best team in every other aspect.
Eagles Are Great, Stop Doubting Them
Do not fall for the negativity. This is a fantastic team. Are they flawless? No team is. You can poke holes in all 4 teams still standing. Would it be nice if they passed the ball better? Of course. If they do that no one can stop them.
But the narrative that they can’t win the way they have been winning, is foolish. They can play exactly like they did vs the Packers and the Rams and win it all. How do I know that? They have done that all season and no one has stopped them yet.
This is a fantastic team. There are some very good teams in their way. They may not win just because the Chiefs and Bills are great too, or the Commanders have found some magic in their young QB. Nothing is guaranteed. But we need to admit this is a fantastic team, that can win it all and are currently the favorites to win it all.
Let yourself dream of a parade down Broad Street. This team is great enough to give it to you.
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