The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the NFL’s best offenses last season, finishing seventh in total points and essentially carrying their poor defense to the postseason. What were some of the best individual performances from their key offensive players? From five of their best players (excluding offensive linemen), how did it all shake out?
The stats we will be using are the following: Completion percentage (CMP%), yards, touchdowns (TDs), interceptions (INTs), passer rating, expected points average (EPA), touches, yards per attempt (Y/A), rushing yards over expected (RYOE), receptions, yards per reception (Y/R), and catch percentage (CTCH%). Now, here are the objective best performances from players last season.
Jalen Hurts (Week 12 vs. Buffalo)
While it might not have been his best game based on his passing totals, Jalen Hurts hit his peak in Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills. In a race for the NFC’s top seed with a 9-1 record against a 6-5 Bills team needing a win to stay in the playoff race, this contest meant a lot—there was no better stage than Sunday Night Football, either.
Hurts dueled Josh Allen in a nail-biter of a game, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime thanks to a miraculous 59-yard Jake Elliott field goal in the rain. Despite losing the coin toss, Hurts got his one possession and ended the game in style—a quarterback draw up the middle for a walk-off score. Philadelphia took the game 37-34, moving to a 10-1 record which was the best in the NFL.
Of course, everything went downhill for the Eagles after that, losing six of their last seven games including a wildcard defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that’s not something we should solely hold against Hurts. After his win against the Bills, it really did feel like he was the MVP of the league.
Final stats: 58.1 CMP%, 265 total yards, 5 total TDs, 1 INT, 57.1 passer rating, 6.0 EPA
D’Andre Swift (Week 2 vs. Minnesota)
In a Week 1 victory against the New England Patriots, D’Andre Swift only touched the football two times: a carry for three yards and a reception for no gain. Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and the Eagles decided that was actually a pretty bad idea, so they looked to the running back that they acquired via trade in the 2023 offseason—he showed that he was made for the lights when he got some looks.
On Thursday Night Football against a vulnerable Minnesota Vikings run defense, Swift got the ball on what seemed like every play once Johnson and the Eagles started looking his way. From that point forward, Philadelphia took over the game offensively and never looked back—they won 34-28.
Final stats: 31 touches, 181 total yards, 1 TD, 6.3 Y/A, 41 RYOE
A.J. Brown (Week 4 vs. Washington)
A.J. Brown had a few excellent games that could qualify here, but his Week 4 performance against the Washington Commanders was his best numbers-wise. Without him, the Eagles almost surely would have lost—this one went to overtime.
Brown, like always, was effective in both the short and the long passing game. He was a true difference-maker when the Eagles needed it badly, trailing for most of that contest.
Final stats: 9 receptions, 175 yards, 2 TDs, 19.4 Y/R, 69.2 CTCH%
DeVonta Smith (Week 2 vs. Minnesota)
DeVonta Smith was also at his best in Week 2 against the Vikings—he just didn’t get a high-end target share. Smith made the most of his night despite getting just five targets and Swift getting most of the love. With those five targets, he had as good of a game as you will see.
Smith, only being Hurts’ second-favorite target behind Brown, isn’t going to get a ton of heavy-reception weeks as long as the team is healthy. However, it’s a workload that definitely works from a team success standpoint. Signing a three-year extension in the 2024 offseason, he clearly invites this competition—winning means more than stats at the end of the day, which they ultimately did against Minnesota.
Final stats: 4 receptions, 131 yards, 1 TD, 32.8 Y/R, 80.0 CTCH%
Dallas Goedert (Week 5 at Los Angeles Rams)
In yet another early-season tilt, Dallas Goedert had his best game. The Eagles cruised to a 23-14 victory against the Los Angeles Rams on the road in one of their few low-scoring outings from early last season. Goedert was one of the ultimate difference-makers, hitting the century mark in yardage and scoring a touchdown in the process. He was incredibly efficient and got solid usage from Hurts.
Final stats: 8 receptions, 118 yards, 1 TD, 14.6 Y/R, 88.9 CTCH%
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Eagles last season, but they still had some incredible moments. The NFL preseason is just a couple of weeks away, while the real action resumes in less than two months. Soon, we will get to see the Birds back on the turf.
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