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John Smallwood: Numbers don't tell much about Eagles' offense
THESE ARE some of those statistical quirks that make you scratch your head - the kind that usually show up during the first couple weeks of a season.
After one game, the Eagles are second in the NFL with 38 points scored, trailing just Sunday's opponent, the New Orleans Saints, who put up 45.
But in total offense, the Birds rank 23rd.
They are one of just nine teams that had at least two touchdown passes in Week 1, yet dead last in the league with 82 net passing yards.
It just emphasizes the unusual nature of the Eagles' 38-10 thrashing of the Carolina Panthers last week.
The offense wasn't bad.
Take away the fumble recovery for a touchdown by defensive lineman Victor Abiamiri and the punt return for a score by DeSean Jackson and the offense still accounted for 24 points.
That point total would have been enough to win 13 of the games last week and tie two others. Incredibly, the lowly Detroit Lions, who lost to the Saints, 45-27, were the only losing team to score more than 24 points in the season opener.
Still, the Eagles' offense didn't get on the field for the first 8 minutes of the game against Carolina.
The Birds trailed 7-3 and then suddenly were up 17-7, scoring 14 points without taking an offensive snap. They led at the half, 31-10, and were really in downshift mode after that.
And then after quarterback Donovan McNabb broke a rib while scoring on a touchdown that made it 38-10, the offense, directed by Kevin Kolb, played just to run out with a comfortable victory.
All of which meant that the Eagles really didn't get the opportunity to unleash the full offensive game plan they anticipated against the Panthers.
It's odd to say that the Eagles didn't get a good look at their offense in a game in which they scored 38, but that's not far from the truth.
What, if anything, does it mean that the pass-happy Birds only threw for 82 yards, even with McNabb sitting out most of the second half after being injured?
Is the fact that the starting wide receivers [Jackson, Kevin Curtis and Jason Avant] only combined for five of the 17 receptions a concern, or just a function of the unusual circumstances?
Obviously, there are things to evaluate, but the way the game played out just didn't provide a solid base for determining where the Eagles' offense stacks up right now.
"It was a strange game with the offensive unit," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "It was really strange.
"I believe it was our 11th play, we scored and it's 24-7. We've run 11 plays and then the game is basically over.
"You're trying to get the run game, continue with that a little bit. Then you're trying to get [Kolb] just a little bit of [work], and you just can't do them all in that type of a game, so I'm a little disappointed with that part of it."
The bigger issue is with McNabb probably not playing on Sunday, the Eagles could find themselves in the same position after the Game 2.
If Kolb starts against New Orleans and the offense struggles, it simply could be a case of things sputtering because Kolb is making his first NFL start, so some adversity is to be expected.
Or might it point to the bigger picture - that things are still not in synch because most of the offense did not get a chance to work together as a full unit through most of training camp and the preseason?
And if the offense does perform well against the Saints, does that automatically mean things will be fine once McNabb, who can be wildly inconsistent at the start of a season as he works to find his rhythm, returns to the lineup?
Those questions don't even include the issue of how the Eagles plan to incorporate Michael Vick - who was activated to practice this week - into the offensive game plan.
The Eagles will probably spend some time working on those special packages using Vick, who is eligible for the Kansas City game in Week 3. But how will it affect things if McNabb isn't able to practice because of his rib?
Clearly, the first game of the season doesn't tell the entire story of whether it was a good performance or a poor one.
It just seems strange that after a game in which the Eagles put up 38 points, we really don't know that much more about the Birds' offense than before that game started.
Send e-mail to smallwj@phillynews.com.
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