Eight weeks into the season, Eagles finally discover long-lost running attack
When the Eagles figure out how to get the running game going, they sure do it in style.
The Eagles were 29th in the league in rushing yards and 31st in yards per carry coming into this weekend.
Blech.
And then Sunday happened.
After averaging 88 yards and 3.3 yards per carry through seven games, the Eagles exploded for 277 yards and 8.4 yards per carry in their 38-20 win over the Giants at the Linc.
This is only the second time in the franchise’s 93-year history the Eagles have had at least 275 rushing yards and over 8.0 yards per carry – the first time in the regular season. They just did it in January in the playoff win over the Rams.
Saquon Barkley snapped out of his season-long slumber by popping a season-long 65-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ second play from scrimmage and finished with 150 yards and backup Tank Bigsby ran for 89 of his 104 yards in the fourth quarter after Barkley left the game with a minor groin injury.
Total domination.
“I think the whole line did a really good job of dominating up front, creating space for us,” Saquon Barkley said. “It’s cool to see Tank get out there and make some big plays. I’ve never been part of a game having two 100-yard backs.
“I think (we) were rolling in the running game today. But most importantly, whether it’s in the running game or passing the ball, we won. That’s the only thing we’re really searching for.”
Barkley ran 14 times for 150 yards and Bigsby 104 yards on nine carries. They’re only the fourth tandem in NFL history to both rush for 100 yards and average 10 yards per carry in a game and the second since 1955.
How big a breakthrough was 277 rushing yards? The Eagles didn’t have that many rushing yards in any three-game span over the five weeks.
“We’ve had a desire to stay on schedule and be better on first down,” Jalen Hurts said. “And those guys up front, they played their tails off in the combo blocks and getting movement in the run game. And then Saquon being Saquon. He had those opportunities and he took them and made the most of them.
“And then Tank coming in and running as hard as he did. When you’re able to run the ball efficiently like that, it kind of gives you a flow a bit. Proud of how we were able to run the ball.”
The Eagles were so dominant in the running game it’s easy to forget that Hurts threw four touchdown passes. They became only the 12th team since 1980 with 275 rushing yards and four TD passes in the same game.
“Running the ball, we haven’t been doing a great job,” Dallas Goedert said. “So getting out started (fast) was really big for us. We’ve just got to keep growing. We passed the ball well, we ran the ball really well today, so it’s a step in the right direction.”
Games like this were routine last year, but for whatever reason – a new play caller, offensive line injuries, defenses loading the box – the big runs were elusive the first seven weeks of the season.
Get this: In the Eagles’ first seven games this year, their running backs had four runs of at least 17 yards. On Sunday, they had five.
And this was with Cam Jurgens inactive and Brett Toth making his fourth career start and second at center.
“Anytime you rush for that many yards, it takes everybody,” Nick Sirianni said. “It starts with Jalen and Brett getting us on the same page, checks, all the different things like that. Obviously, the o-line played awesome. Deserves a lot of credit. Backs ran hard.
“All the guys that got touches ran hard. Receivers were blocking down field. Tight ends were doing a good job against really good edge guys. So a great team effort to be able to rush for that many yards.”
The 276 yards are the 2nd-most the Eagles have ever had against the Giants. They ran for 295 in a 17-3 win at the Vet in 2002, and they had two 100-yard rushers that day, too – Duce Staley and Donovan McNabb.
The Eagles actually had 278 yards on 30 carries – a 9.3 average – before three Tanner McKee kneel downs to end the game. They dropped the average for the game to 8.4. Still the 5th-highest in Eagles history (minimum 20 carries).
With one remarkable performance, the Eagles increased their rushing averages from 88 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry to 112 per game and 4.1 per carry. And if it wasn’t for Braden Mann’s 34-yard intentional safety, that figure would be 4.3.
“I feel like we had the best offensive line in the league,” Bigsby said. “I feel like we can get out there and do what we have to do, impose our will.”
Eight weeks into the season, Eagles finally discover long-lost running attack
