Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

NFL Week 3: Eagles-Colts pregame statistics to know | Paul Domowitch

The Eagles were outscored 10-0 in the first quarter in their first two games. Will that change today with Carson Wentz returning against the Colts?

Eagles' Fletcher Cox tries to block a pass by the Buccaneers' Ryan Fitzpatrick, right, in the 4th quarter. Philadelphia Eagles lose 27-21 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fl on September 16, 2018. DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer
Eagles' Fletcher Cox tries to block a pass by the Buccaneers' Ryan Fitzpatrick, right, in the 4th quarter. Philadelphia Eagles lose 27-21 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fl on September 16, 2018. DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff PhotographerRead moreDavid Maialetti

Some pertinent numbers to get you ready for today's Eagles-Colts game:

What’s the point(s)?

— The Eagles didn't score in the first quarter in either of their first two games. Last season, they outscored opponents in the first quarter, 106-48. Their plus-58 first-quarter point differential was the largest in the NFL. Only the Rams scored more first-quarter points (119), and only the Jaguars, Falcons and Cowboys allowed fewer. In their 19 games last season, including the playoffs, they trailed after the first quarter just four times. They scored on at least one of their first two possessions in 14 of 19 games.

— In the first two games, the Eagles averaged just 2.0 yards per play on their first two possessions. They had just three first downs and punted on all four possessions.

— Punter Cameron Johnston has gotten off to an impressive start. Through two games, he is first in the league in gross average (53.9) and second in net average (46.6). Six of his 11 attempts have traveled 56 yards or longer. The Bucs' average drive start last week on Johnston's five punts was the 19.6-yard line.

— Seven of Jake Elliott's eight kickoffs have been touchbacks. The eighth, on his final kick last week against the Bucs, was returned just 13 yards, to the 15-yard line.

Ironman Cox

— DT Fletcher Cox has played 111 of the Eagles' 128 defensive snaps (86.7%) in the first two games, which is a little surprising considering the sauna-like weather for both games. But defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz doesn't have a lot of options. Last year, the Eagles had Tim Jernigan and Beau Allen as their other two top tackles. This year, they have 34-year-old Haloti Ngata, Destiny Vaeao and rookie Bruce Hector. Hector has played just 10 snaps in the first two games. Ngata has played 53 and Vaeao 50. Last year, Cox played 87 of 116 snaps (75.0%) in the Eagles' first two games. Ideally, Schwartz would like to keep his snap percentage around that number.

— None of the Eagles' four edge-rushers have come anywhere close to matching Cox's two-game workload. Schwartz has rotated Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Chris Long and Michael Bennett pretty evenly. Graham has played 66.4 percent of the defensive snaps (85 of 128), Barnett 58.6 (75 of 128), Barnett 53.9 (69 of 128) and Long 50.0 (64 of 128).

— Cox is the only DT with more than two quarterback pressures. He has two sacks, five QB hits and six hurries for 13 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. On the outside, Bennett and Long have the most pressures even though they have played the fewest snaps. Long has two sacks, two hits and three hurries for seven total pressures. Bennett doesn't have a sack yet, but has two hits and five hurries. Graham has one hit and five hurries. Barnett has three hurries.

Catching on

— Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz each have a team-high 16 receptions in the first two games. But Agholor is averaging just 7.6 yards per catch and Ertz is averaging 8.9. Ten of Nelson Agholor's 16 receptions have gained four yards or less. Just five of Ertz's 16 catches have gained more than nine yards.

— The Eagles have just 20 passing first downs in the first two games. That's the 10th fewest in the NFL. Ten have been on completions to Agholor (6) and Ertz (4). RB Corey Clement and TE Josh Perkins each have three.

— The Eagles are ninth in third-down offense. They've converted 41.9 percent of their third-downs (13 of 31). They're tied for seventh in third-down defense. Opponents have converted just 32.0 percent of their third-down opportunities (8 of 25).

— Nick Foles is 17th in third-down passing (84.8). He has completed 13 of 19 passes on third down, but for only five first downs. Foles had a 158.1 third-down passer rating in the 2017 playoffs. He completed 26 of 32 third-down pass attempts. Twenty-two of those 26 completions produced first downs.

— Before he got hurt in Week 14 last season, Carson Wentz was the league's best situational passer. He finished first in third-down passing (123.7) and first in red-zone passing (116.0). A league-high 14 of his 33 touchdown passes came on third down.

Personnel breakdown

— The Eagles' depleted wide receiving corps prompted Doug Pederson to use a lot less "11'' personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) and a lot more "12'' personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) against the Bucs last week. Against the Falcons in Week 1, the Eagles used "11'' personnel 76.6 percent of the time and "12'' just 17.2. Last week, "12'' shot up to 44.0 percent and "11'' dropped to 49.3. Though there wasn't a big difference since the second tight end in their "12'' personnel groupings was 6-3, 223-pound Josh Perkins, a former wideout. Perkins played just four snaps in Week 1. He played 26 last week and had four catches for 57 yards. He also had three drops.

— Thirty-seven of the Eagles' 51 rush attempts have been with "11'' personnel. They're averaging just 3.2 yards per carry with "11'', 6.9 with "12'' (10 carries) and 3.7 with "13'' (4 carries).

— In the first two games, Nick Foles averaged 5.9 yards per pass attempt with "11'' personnel and just 4.9 with "12'' personnel. In the Eagles' three playoff wins last season, Foles averaged 10.4 yards per attempt with "11'' and 6.3 with "12''. What a difference the presence of Alshon Jeffery makes.

Run D strong again

— The Eagles defense is first in the NFL in run defense (58.5 yards per game) and first in opponent rush average (2.9). They've given up just two runs of 10 yards or more. Those two came on the Falcons' first two carries in Week 1.

— They held the Bucs to 43 rushing yards on 23 carries last week. Eighteen of the Bucs' 43 yards came on their first two carries of the game. They gained just 25 yards on 21 carries the rest of the game.

— The Bucs had just one rushing first down. The Eagles have given up just five rushing first downs in the first two games.

— Opposing tight ends and running backs have 14 receptions for 190 yards and one TD in the first two games. That's 13.6 yards per catch. One of them was Bucs TE O.J. Howard's 75-yard catch and run last week.

— Just 26 of the Eagles' 139 offensive plays have been run from under center. They are averaging 6.3 yards per carry from under center (15-95). They are averaging 3.0 out of shotgun (36-109).

This and that

— In the first two games, only 20 of Nick Foles' 79 aimed throws, or 25.3 percent, traveled more than 10 yards in the air. Forty-three of his 79 attempts, or 54.4 percent, were throws of zero to 10 yards. Sixteen, or 20.2 percent, were throws behind the line of scrimmage.

— Ertz was targeted 23 times by Foles in the first two games. Just three were throws longer than 10 yards (13.0%). Last year, 27 of the 132 throws targeted for him (20.4%) were longer than 10 yards.

— The Eagles' average drive start in their first two games was just the 24.0 yard line. Their opponents' average drive start was the 31.0. That's a minus-7 yard field position differential.

— The Eagles have scored on their first possession just twice in their last 11 games, including the playoffs.

— Jim Schwartz's defense is 27th in the league in yards allowed per first down play (6.72). Last week, the Bucs averaged 7.7 yards on first down against the Eagles, highlighted by two 75-yard touchdown passes. Three-hundred sixty-three of the 735 net yards the Eagles have allowed, or 49.4 percent, have come on first down.

— The Eagles went for it on fourth down five times against the Bucs. They converted three of them.

Get insights on the Eagles delivered straight to your inbox with Early Birds, beat writer Zach Berman's newsletter for Eagles fans. Click here to sign up.

Our mission is to provide top-notch coverage for the best fans in sports. We can't do it without your support. Join us: philly.com/birdseag