Believe it or not, the beginning of the Eagles' 2014 season is rapidly approaching. Players will report back to the NovaCare Complex on April 21 for the start of the Eagles offseason program. Join us as we count down until the Eagles are back in town ...
In Chip Kelly's first season as head coach, the Eagles set a plethora of franchise offensive records including points (442), total net yards (6,676), passing yards (4,406), touchdowns (53) and fewest turnovers (19).
How often did the Eagles score in 2013? According to Stats Inc., the Eagles had 201 offensive drives and scored on 74 of them for a rate of 36.8 percent. According to the Eagles' stats, the percentage was a little higher with Nick Foles at quarterback - 40.3 percent. It was a very good mark for the Eagles, who had the league's fourth-best scoring offense, but it wasn't a franchise record. It was the highest mark since the Eagles last won the NFC East in 2010 - 39.8 percent, which is also the benchmark since 1995 when Stats Inc. started tabulating the metric.
The 2013 Eagles' drive efficiency was the third-highest rate. The 2009 Eagles offense came in second with a rate of 38 percent. If you were wondering, the 2004 NFC Championship team had a drive efficiency of 35.9 percent.
From a statistical standpoint, the No. 36 is also significant because it was the amount of catches registered by rookie tight end Zach Ertz in 2013. The team's second-round pick in last year's draft had 36 receptions for 469 yards and four touchdowns. All four of his touchdowns came in the second half of the regular season.
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BRIAN WESTBROOK**
This one is a slam dunk.
Not only is Brian Westbrook one of the greatest running backs in franchise history. He was one of the NFL's elite all-purpose players during his tenure with the Eagles. Westbrook was also one of the underrated locker room leaders during the franchise's successful run.
A third-round pick out of nearby Villanova in 2002, Westbrook played more regular season games at running back than any other player in franchise history except for Tom Woodeshick with 107. No Eagles running back played in more playoff games than Westbrook, who suited up for 11 contests including three NFC title games and a Super Bowl.
Westbrook was a true professional in every sense of the word. He was astute in the finer aspects of the position not typically appreciated including pass blocking.
After starting his career as a dynamic return specialist, Westbrook catapulted his career with the game-winning punt return (pictured above) against the Giants in 2003. Staring at a 2-4 start, Westbrook's 84-yard punt return with just 1:16 remaining sparked a nine-game win streak which helped the Eagles earn a third-straight division title and the No. 1 seed for the postseason.
Westbrook became the team's feature back in 2004 as he helped the Eagles earn a trip to the Super Bowl for just the second time in franchise history. In 2006, Westbrook registered his first 1,000-yard rushing season as he shouldered the load in Donovan McNabb's absence to help the Eagles return to the postseason. The following year, Westbrook led the NFL with 2,104 yards from scrimmage as he earned first-team All-Pro honors.
In all, Westbrook spent eight seasons with the Eagles from 2002-09. He finished his Eagles career as the franchise's all-time leader in yards from scrimmage (9,785), second in rushing yards (5,995) and third in total touchdowns (68).
First Eagle To Wear No. 36:E Ed Manske (1935-36)
Last Eagle To Wear No. 36: Westbrook
