NEW ORLEANS — “Fly, Eagles Fly” has a much better ring to it than “Ground, Eagles Pound.”
But there’s no mistaking what the Philadelphia Eagles want to every game. In a league that has been moving more toward accentuating quarterback play and passing the ball everywhere, the Eagles want to run the ball with Saquon Barkley and a stellar offensive line, then play elite defense on the other side.
“No matter how we need to win the game, we’ll try to do that.” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni. “This year it has been a lot of carries for Saquon.”
Analysis of the NFL is more quarterback-centric than ever, and you’d think that there’s only one way to win in the modern game. The Eagles prove that’s not true. Nobody in the NFL passes it less often than Philadelphia. And they’re in Super Bowl LIX, having won 15 of their last 16 games counting playoffs.
“When you have a threat in Saquon, you’re able to lean on that,” quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “That has a big role in what you do offensively. He’s been a great addition to us.”
If you are tired of teams lining up in the shotgun and passing it every down — or of basketball teams living behind the 3-point line or starting pitchers going just two innings — then the Eagles are the team for you. They’re a bit of a throwback.
Eagles’ pass rate is last in NFL
Going into the Super Bowl, you get the sense that the fewer passes the Eagles throw the happier they will be.
The Eagles were last in the NFL with 448 passing attempts. Part of that was game scripts, considering they led a lot of games and were protecting those leads. But that’s not the entire reason. The Eagles were last in the NFL in pass rate over expectation (PROE). They were the only team in the NFL with a rush rate over 50%.
The Eagles ran it well too. They were second in the NFL to the Baltimore Ravens in rushing yards and fifth in rushing yards per attempt. Barkley is likely to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 2,005 yards in the regular season. Signing Barkley allowed the Eagles to lean into their simplified approach. He did his part with one of the best seasons a running back has ever had.
Steering away from the pass isn’t something the Eagles are forced into or a product of them grinding down the clock at the end of their 16 wins, counting playoffs. This is Philadelphia’s identity. The Kansas City Chiefs, who have to try to stop Philly’s running game on Sunday, know what to expect.
“An advantage in football is being able to run the football, and that opens up everything else,” Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson said. “When you have a 2,000-yard back and one of the best rushers in the league, if not the best, you don’t have to throw. And when you do fill the box, their receivers make you pay.”
It works on a complementary level too. The Eagles allowed the fewest yards in the NFL and were second in points allowed. The defense ranked first in DVOA as well.
When you can run the ball as well as the Eagles and not allow much to the opponent, you’re going to win a lot of games. You might even win a Super Bowl with that approach.
Eagles running it well
The playoffs have been a showcase for the Eagles’ strengths. They’ve rushed for 169, 285 and 229 yards in three wins. In one of those wins against the Los Angeles Rams, they had 65 net passing yards. Part of that was playing in a snowstorm, but the team from California managed to pass for 251.
The Eagles can pass it effectively when needed. Hurts had a 103.7 passer rating this season, the highest of his career. They just choose another path, which the Eagles’ great offensive line can appreciate.
“We love it,” Eagles tackle Mechi Becton, who weighs 363 pounds. “We’re five hard nosed guys that want to dominate the front line. It’s definitely a mentality we have, for sure.”
The Eagles might be a trendsetter. This season saw the revival of running backs. When the league leaned into the passing game, defenses adjusted with schemes to stop the pass and personnel that was lighter and faster. The Eagles have taken full advantage of that by reverting to an old approach.
“The NFL comes in cycles,” Eagles tackle Lane Johnson said. “It used to be fullback heavy, it goes away for more spread. It comes in evolutions. When I came into the league, linebackers were super bulky. Now they’re more of a hybrid safety because they have to cover guys like Tyreek Hill across the middle.”
There is more than one way to win in the NFL. The Eagles hope to show there’s more than one way to win a championship, too.
