Red Zone Success Is The Key To Eagles 5-2 Start

It has not been the picture-perfect start to the Eagles' season many hoped for. The run game has been a disaster. Before this past week, the pass game was a bit of a disaster. And the defense is feeling the loss of some key players last season, specifically at Edge and at CB2. But there is a reason that despite all of those issues, they are still 5-2. They are still elite in the Red Zone on both sides of the ball.

Last year, the Eagles' defense was elite in every facet of the game. They gave up the fewest yards per game, the 2nd fewest points per game, and had the 6th most takeaways. 2025 has been a different story. They currently sit 23rd in yards allowed per game and 20th in points allowed per game.

They lost a lot of players. Moro Ojomo has done a nice job filling in for Milton Williams. But they miss Josh Sweat on the Edge, and they miss the combination of Isaiah Rodgers and Darius Slay. Teams have been able to run very well on the Eagles this year, and have picked them apart through the air at times.

But despite those issues, there is still one thing this defense does better than almost any other. They buckle down in the Red Zone, and keep teams to FGs. The Eagles are 3rd in the NFL in red Zone Defense, holding teams to a TD on just 43.48% of trips. And holding teams to FGs has literally been the difference in 3 of their 5 wins.

That is the difference of 12 points vs the Rams, 8 points vs the Bucs, and 20 points vs the Vikings. This team could easily be 2-5 if the Red Zone defense is not this stout.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles' issues on offense have been clear. They are 27th in 3rd Down Conversion rate, and 26th in yards per game. But despite that, they are still 14th in points per game. How could they be middle of the pack in points while being among the worst teams in actually moving the ball? Because on the occasions they can move the ball, they almost never settle for FGs.

The Eagles have the best Red Zone Offense in the league, scoring a TD 82.35% of the time when they make it to the Red Zone. Hurts has the best completion rate in the NFL while in the Red Zone at 70%.

How have they had that success? It is a mix of things. Some of it is once they get to the 1-yard line, a TD is automatic. But they have also schemed up some creative plays involving Dalla Goedert who has 5 TDs, 4 of which came in the Red Zone.

They have their issues on offense. The run game and the run blocking are a big issue that they need to fix fast. Kevin Patullo has rightfully taken a lot of heat for his play-calling. They are often predictable. But one thing they do better than anyone is punch the ball in when they get to the Red Zone.

NFL games are usually pretty close. Every point matters. And when you settle for a FG, it is only 3 points. If you get into the End Zone, it is 6 points, with either an Extra point or a 2-point conversion adding on. At the very least, it is 3 extra points. In most cases, it is 4 extra points.

As shown above, that was literally the difference in 3 of their wins. The Rams and Vikings games could have been blowouts if either the Eagles had to settle, or their opponent did not have to settle. Instead, they get the TD, and they make them settle for a FG, and they escape with a win.

Games are not decided by yards. They are decided by points. TDs go for more points than FGs. And so far, the one game where they lost the Red Zone Battle was their worst game of the season, vs the Giants. And the other game they lost vs the Broncos was decided because the defense allowed a Red Zone TD and a 2-point conversion near the end of the game.

Can the Eagles continue winning by being outgained but just getting it done in the Red Zone? Maybe not. But this is something you can hang your hat on. It is something that the Eagles are elite at, and something that makes all the difference in close games.