As has been extensively pointed out over the past few days, the Philadelphia Eagles’ passing attack is probably at its weakest point of the season.
Even though they’re on a nine-game winning streak and two wins in their final four games away from clinching the second seed in the NFC, some are worried.
Is this a real concern? If it’s legitimate, will it matter come playoff time?
Is the Eagles’ Passing Game Struggling?
A.J. Brown had a point when he said the Eagles’ passing game could be better following a win against the Carolina Panthers. By both the eye test and the stats test, it hasn’t been as potent as it was earlier in the season.
Over their past five games (Weeks 10-14), the Eagles are 19th in expected points average per play on dropbacks and 16th in success rate. The run game has been flawless, though, ranking first in both categories.
You can go back and watch the film. Jalen Hurts, and the offense hasn’t been untouchable through the air in recent weeks. Misplays occurred, and a few times against the Panthers specifically.
Again, we’re left with one question: is this actually something to worry about?
Regular Season Implications
The good news for the Eagles is, well, probably not. Even during a poor stretch for his standards, Hurts has 11 total touchdowns to just one interception. Completing 65.5 percent of his passes on top of that, what’s there to complain about?
For the Eagles, the margin of error is fairly high right now. It’ll probably remain that way when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday (Dec. 15) and be the case for the rest of the regular season.
You see, the Eagles are an incredible football team. With their defense clicking and the running game being as good as ever, the passing game doesn’t need to be efficient. It just needs to be passable, pun intended. Even at its objective worst, it’s been more than enough to win.
Considering the Eagles’ immense talent and the fact that several parts of the team are clicking, the passing attack being pretty mediocre these past few weeks is okay. In just the last three games, they beat a Super Bowl-contending Baltimore Ravens team on the road and blew out a Los Angeles Rams team that upset the high-flying Buffalo Bills. Even at their worst, per se, the Birds are one of the best.
The Eagles could struggle to close out the season, going 1-3, and they’d still be the second seed if neither the Washington Commanders nor Seattle Seahawks go 4-0. There’s a high level of comfortability here.
Is This a Worry for the Playoffs?
With that being said, the Eagles will want to be good come playoff time, right? Even there, a decent-sized margin for error is present. NFL playoff teams aren’t as unstoppable as you might think—Philadelphia smoked both the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in 2022 without really lifting a finger.
Unless they run into the Detroit Lions, the Eagles may not have to be operating at peak efficiency. They were objectively poor against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, yet won regardless. And the Packers are one of four nine-win NFC teams—far from an easy matchup.
The playoffs may sound daunting, but the way the Eagles are going now, they’ll be fine until they go up against the cream of the crop. Then, it’s fair to worry about the passing game. If the Birds go far enough to face these elite teams, Hurts will have to be atop his game.
The concerns of the passing game shouldn’t be dismissed. In recent weeks, it has taken a step back. But as of now, the Eagles aren’t in a position to stress about it too much.
When games get tough, the expectation is that they’ll figure it out. If they do, they have a Super Bowl upside. Period.
PHOTO: Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
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