Roob's Random Observations: Do the Eagles even need an offensive identity?
Thoughts on the Eagles’ elusive offensive identity, an insane streak that’s now reached 26 games in a row and why Landon Dickerson needs to move to center while Cam Jurgens is out.
We’ve reached Week 8 of the 2025 season, and Week 8 used to be the mid-way point of the season, but thanks to the 17-game schedule there is no mid-way point anymore. Unless you consider halftime of Game 9.
Here’s our 10 Random Eagles Observations going into the Giants rematch at the good, ol’, traditional 47.058824 percent mark of the season!
1. There’s been a lot of talk lately about the Eagles finding their offensive identity. Are they a running team? Are they a passing team? Who cares? You know what’s the best identity for this – or any – football team? Scoring points. Moving the chains. Being unpredictable. Being multiple. Keeping defenses guessing. Forget being a running team or a throwing team. Move the ball however the defense is letting you and forget those stupid definitions. What about last year’s team finding its identity as a running team? We’ve done a little revisionist history looking back at the 2024 Eagles. As great as Saquon Barkley was, the Eagles had more passing yards than rushing yards in 11 of 21 games, and in three others they were within 10 yards. The 2024 Eagles were an incredible running team, but when teams forced them to throw they threw it awfully well almost every time. They had at least 100 more passing yards than rushing yards in wins over the Packers, Saints, Browns, Steelers, Giants and of course the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. That’s why I give Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo a lot of credit for pivoting Sunday in Minneapolis and going with what was working, even though it wasn’t the original plan. You want an identity? Win football games. The Eagles have elite players who can run the ball, who can throw the ball, who can catch the ball. Take what the defense gives you. That’s all the identity the Eagles need.
2. With A.J. Brown out Sunday, you’d really like to see Jahan Dotson show up. Dotson had that 51-yard catch in the opener vs. the Cowboys, but in six games since he’s got four catches for 52 yards on nine targets over 216 offensive snaps. Darius Cooper is the next-best option, but he’s on the injury report also, questionable with a shoulder, and he’s never caught an NFL pass. John Metchie is healthy but has four catches all year. Dotson cost Howie a 3rd-round pick just for these scenarios. He needs to show up.
3. Last three games, the Eagles have converted just six of 30 third downs, which is insane. That’s 20 percent, and that’s the 6th-worst three-game third-down percentage over the last 36 years, which is as far back as Stathead goes with 3rd-down conversion figures. Taking a deep look at their 30 snaps in these last three games, a few things stand out: The Eagles have thrown on 28 of them and run on two. All six conversions have been receptions by DeVonta Smith or A.J. Brown – three each. On Jalen Hurts’ 28 dropbacks on third down since the Broncos game, he’s been sacked five times and run three times for four yards. His 3rd-down passing numbers aren’t bad – 65 percent, no interceptions, but also no touchdowns. In fact, the Eagles have only scored two TDs all year on third down – a Hurts four-yard run on opening day vs. the Cowboys and a six-yard Saquon Barkley TD on a fake tush push in Tampa. Only the Browns, Falcons, Jets and Raiders have scored fewer TDs on third down this year. The Eagles’ average third down this year is 3rd-and-8.0, which is 3rd-longest in the league (behind the Bears and Jaguars). Not surprisingly, only the Texans and Titans have converted fewer third downs. The Eagles’ average gain on third down is 5.6 yards – 5th-highest in the league. But their third downs have been so long their 3rd-down conversion rate is 3rd-worst (32.2 percent). Pretty simple. If the Eagles are going to be better on offense, they’re going to have to be way better on third down.
4. Seven games into the season, the Eagles have the toughest strength of victory in the NFL at .586 – their five wins have come against teams that are a combined 20-14-1. Teams with the next-highest strength of victory are the Jaguars (.556), 49ers (.471) and Packers (.464). To be sitting here at 5-2 with this minefield of a schedule is impressive.
5A. It’s crazy that over the last three seasons, the Eagles rank 17th in the NFL in interceptions and 21st in sacks, yet they’ve allowed the 5th-fewest points and 3rd-fewest yards during that span. That’s because they’ve been so good in the red zone and because when they do make big plays they’re coming in critical spots. But can you imagine how good this defense would be if it could find a way to make some of those big plays? One of the reasons the Eagles were unbeatable in the postseason last year was that the big plays finally came. The Eagles had 13 INTs during the regular season but six in the playoffs. And they had 41 sacks during the regular season but 16 in the playoffs. So they averaged 0.8 interceptions and 2.4 sacks per game during the regular year but 1.5 INTs and 4.0 sacks during the playoffs. With the personnel they have on defense, those big plays should come. I don’t understand how neither Cooper DeJean or Quinyon Mitchell have never had a regular-season interception, and I don’t understand how Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari have played 688 snaps this year and don’t have a sack and I don’t understand how a defense loaded with this much talent has forced just two fumbles in seven games. I feel like the guys up front have pressured well most of the time and the secondary has covered well most of the time. The splash plays just haven’t happened. Getting Nakobe Dean back will help. Getting Jalen Carter healthy will help. Getting B.G. back soon will help. And just guys getting more experience will help. This is the youngest defense in the NFL and that’s shown at times. Ten games left. I still believe this will be a top-10 defense by the time all is said and done.
5B. Two streaks that are absolutely mind-blowing: 1) Eagles cornerbacks have now gone 26 consecutive regular-season games without an interception since Kelee Ringo picked off the Giants’ Tyrod Taylor at the Linc on Christmas Day 2023, and 2) The Eagles have now gone 12 straight regular-season games without more than two sacks, the longest streak in franchise history and the longest current streak in the NFL.
5C. Eagles cornerback regular-season interceptions in 58 games since opening day 2022: Darius Slay 3, James Bradberry 3, Josiah Scott 2, Kelee Ringo 1, Avonte Maddox 1.
6. Saquon Barkley has already had three games this year with at least 18 carries and 2.6 yards per carry or worse. Only three players in NFL history have had more in an entire season – Lamar Smith of the Dolphins had five in 2001 and four in 2000 and Curtis Martin with the Jets in 1998 and Cedric Benson of the Bears Bengals in 2010 each had four. Barkley is the first player with three in an entire season in eight years, since Doug Martin of the Bucs in 2017. The only Eagles with more than one game at 2.6 or worse in a season are Steve Van Buren in 1950, Tom Sulivan in 1974, Herschel Walker in 1992, Ricky Watters in 1996 and Duce Staley in 1999 with two apiece.
7. With Cam Jurgens out Sunday with that knee injury, the Eagles have a few options to replace him. They can do what they did last week and just sub in Brett Toth. Or they can move Landon Dickerson to center – and he was an All-America center at Alabama – and play Toth at left guard, which he’s better suited for than center. Or they could play rookie Drew Kendall at left guard, although he’s never played a regular-season snap on offense. But they do seem high on him. They could even play Sua Opeta, who just rejoined the team on the practice squad. He was solid when he started six games at guard in 2023. But he hasn’t played since then. Remember, Jeff Stoutland always prefers a 1-for-1 swap over moving guys around and potentially weakening two positions. But against this formidable Giants front it might make the most sense to move Dickerson to center and then figure out your best option at guard. Probably Toth at this point. That’s their strongest five right now with what they have. The Eagles have only had their full projected starting offensive line of Jordan Mailata, Dickerseon, Jurgens, Tyler Steen and Lane Johnson together for the Cowboys and Chiefs games. Johnson missed 71 snaps the next two weeks – and Steen missed a few in Tampa as well – and then Dickerson missed most of the Broncos game and all of the Giants game. And then Jurgens left after 15 snaps Sunday in Minneapolis. Hopefully, everybody will be healthy and good to go after the bye. The inconsistency and lack of production we’ve been seeing all year on offense isn’t entirely due to offensive line shuffling but it’s sure been a big part of it.
8. Robert Griffin III is the only rookie to beat the Eagles twice in a season. In Week 11 of 2012, he went 14-for-15 for 200 yards and four touchdowns with a perfect 158.3 passer rating in a 31-6 win at FedEx Field. Five weeks later, he was 16-for-24 for 198 yards and two more TDs and a 102.4 passer rating in a 27-20 win at the Linc. RG3’s 137.6 passer rating in 2012 is highest ever by a rookie against the Eagles, his six TD passes are most ever, his 76.9 completion percentage is highest ever by a rookie vs. the Eagles.
9. Jalen Hurts Stat of the Week: Hurts already this year has increased his career passer rating from 93.7 and 22nd-highest all-time to 94.9 and 18th-highest all-time. His passer rating is now higher than 25 of 27 quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame. All but Steve Young (95.7) and Peyton Manning (95.6).
10A. Jordan Davis’s increase in playing time from last year to this year has been remarkable and it’s paying off in a big way. Davis played 37 percent of the Eagles’ snaps last year and he’s up to 65 percent this year, a 43 percent increase. He’s already played 306 snaps this year after playing just 388 all last year in the regular season. Davis ranked 62nd among interior linemen in snaps and 59th in snap percentage last year. He’s 12th in snaps this year and 15th in percentage and playing very solid with that dramatic increase in playing time. It’s been incredible to see. He’s a new man.
10B. Davis is the only Eagle to start all 46 games since opening-day 2023. The next-longest streak of starts on the team is A.J. Brown’s 23-game streak, which will end Sunday. DeVonta Smith’s 15 in a row is next and Reed Blankenship is at 14.
Roob's Random Observations: Do the Eagles even need an offensive identity?
