As the Eagles relax on their weekend off and prepare to get back to work on Tuesday, here's a look at five interesting statistics about the team through the first 11 games of the season ...
1. BIG PLAY MACHINE
According to Stats Inc., the Eagles have produced 99 plays of 20 yards or more this season, the most of any team in the league. Of those 99 plays, 43 have come on the ground, which ranks fourth in the league.
Through the air, though, the Eagles have an impressive 56 plays of 20 yards or more. The second place teams in that category have only 46 such plays.
2. YAC-ITY YAC
Part of the reason behind the Eagles' ability to get big plays in the passing game has been the production of the team's receivers after the catch. Of course, having a high average of yards after the catch means that not only are the receivers being explosive with the ball in the open field, but the quarterback is hitting them with the ball at the right time, in the right place.
On the season, the Eagles are averaging 7.18 yards after the catch per reception, which ranks, you guessed it, first in the league. The Green Bay Packers are second with a 6.64-yard average.
On an individual basis, LeSean McCoy leads the league with an average of 12.4 yards after the catch per reception.
3. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY? HOW 'BOUT BOTH
LeSean McCoy ranks atop the league with 1,009 rushing yards on the season. So he's got the league beat when it comes to quantity.
When it comes to quality, McCoy is right there near the top once again. Stats Inc. traces a stat called "Quality Rushes," which measure any run that results in 1) at least 40 percent of the yardage necessary for a first down on a first down run, 2) at least 50 percent of the yardage necessary for a first down on second down, 3) a first down on a third- or fourth-down run and 4) a touchdown on any down.
Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks ranks first in the league with 110 quality rushes, but McCoy is right on Lynch's heels with 108 quality rushes to his credit. They are the only two running backs in the league with at least 100 quality rushes.
4. DEFENSIVE FUNDAMENTALS
One of the keys to the Eagles' defensive turnaround from 2012 has been the unit's improvement in something as simple as tackling. Last year, the Eagles defense missed a tackle on 13.2 percent of their opportunities, which ranked 31st in the league.
Under defensive coordinator Billy Davis, the reliability of the Eagles defense has skyrocketed. Now, the team missed a tackle only 9.0 percent of the time, good for sixth-best in the league.
5. IMPRESSIVE RANKINGS
For our final breakdown, we break down and cheat a little bit. Here's a sampling of the Eagles who rank atop or near the top of league in certain individual categories, as first explored earlier this week ...
SIMPLY THE BEST | ||
---|---|---|
Category | Player | Stat (Rank) |
Passer Rating | Nick Foles | 27.9 (1) |
Yards/Attempt | Nick Foles | 9.6 (1) |
TD Percentage | Nick Foles | 9.9% (1) |
INT Percentage | Nick Foles | 0% (1) |
Rushing Yards | LeSean McCoy | 1,009 (1) |
Rushing Attempts | LeSean McCoy | 213 (1) |
Yards From Scrimmage | LeSean McCoy | 1,408 (1) |
First Downs | LeSean McCoy | 62 (2) |
Receiving Yards | DeSean Jackson | 985 (3) |
Interceptions | Brandon Boykin | 4 (T-3) |
Punts Inside The 20 | Donnie Jones | 22 (T-3) |