The Eagles are off Sunday while most of the rest of the NFL is involved in Week 9 action. After Monday night’s game, the NFL will have officially reached its halfway point.
As usual, Eagles players were given the week off, but the coaches use the free time to self-scout and figure out how to build from the things the team did well for the first eight weeks and how to rectify or reverse things that didn’t.
Like most teams, the Eagles have flaws, but any flawed team would be happy with a 6-2 record, especially with wins over five playoff teams from 2024.
Here are five self-scouting keys for the Eagles before they return to the practice field next week and start preparing for next Monday night’s game against the Packers at Lambeau Field:
Keep incorporating an outside run game
The Eagles finally unlocked their run game against the Giants in Week 8, with Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby each going over 100 yards. The under-center formations and extra offensive lineman were beneficial additions to help finally spring the ground game but the better adjustment was a refocus on running the ball outside the tackles. Outside zones, pin-pulls sweeps, and off-tackle runs helped take the burden off the Eagles’ banged-up interior line to generate push up the middle on every snap and allowed Barkley and Bigsby to find space with lead blockers on the outside. Relying more on off-tackle runs is more sustainable and impactful than even using six-man o-lines. Also, keeping Bigsby involved would be a logical move. He’s got more explosion than last year's top backup, Kenneth Gainwell, and more carries for Bigsby as the season progresses can keep Barkley fresh without the offense losing too much punch.
Speed up the offense
The offense is typically at its best when using no-huddle. Jalen Hurts has always been excellent at deciding when to speed up tempo, and when to dial it back. No-huddle has always helped keep the offense on schedule and, at the right times, has prevented the defense from being able to substitute. It wears down opponents and keeps situational pass rushers from getting on the field at any time. The Eagles need to get their plays in quicker in the second half and take advantage of no-huddle to move the chains more efficiently, which should positively impact their third-down offense, which so far this season has been underwhelming.
Get A.J. Brown more involved, the right way
The Eagles don’t need to pander to him, per se. This isn’t about the squeaky wheel getting greased. It’s about finding better ways to get the ball in the hands of their most dynamic playmaker on designed pass plays, not just freelance routes or comebacks. For whatever reason, the Eagles haven’t capitalized on Brown’s biggest strength – YAC yards. He's on pace for just 192 YAC yards, per NFL Pro, which would be the fewest of his career and more than 150 YAC yards fewer than last season. They don’t get him involved enough in the intermediary game, with routes designed to have him catch the ball and turn upfield. Sure, he’s an amazing deep threat on the Go route, but there’s more variety to his game than he’s been able to show in the first half.
Figure out CB2
There’s no question the top priority for the Eagles' defense is figuring out its best option at CB2. Spoiler alert: It isn’t Adoree’ Jackson or Kelee Ringo. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio needs to get Jakorian Bennett on the field – and Bennett needs to stay healthy – so the Eagles can find out if they guy traded for in training camp can shore up a very important spot on the defense. If Bennett can be that guy, the Eagles can keep Cooper DeJean in the slot and be comfortable with their nickel package, which is their predominant defense. They’d be better off this way. If Bennett can’t hold down the spot, Fangio needs to bite the bullet and move DeJean outside, with new addition Michael Carter II working the slot.
Find best four-man pas rush
The Eagles were at the best defensively last year when Fangio could rely on his four-man rush to disrupt and harass quarterbacks, and then have seven in coverage with a mix of zone and man and post-snap movement. This year, because of injuries and the lack of an elite edge rusher, Fangio has had to blitz more and play more man coverage. That’s a tough way to live when the opponent becomes the Packers, Lions, Cowboys or other teams that have good quarterbacks and an array of playmakers. But Fangio’s edge rush will be getting a boost with the returns of Nolan Smith, Brandon Graham and Azeez Ojulari. Jalyx Hunt has played better going into the bye after a so-so start and Josh Uche has played consistently well throughout the season. We’ll see if the Eagles added to this group before the trade deadline. Either way, Fangio has options and just needs to find the best four-man rush so he can get back to blitzing less and playing more zone.
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