The Philadelphia Eagles came out victorious on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, finishing in a blowout, 44-6. And though critics will be quick to point out the Lions’ inability to win (now with a 0-8 record), the Eagles won in a big way, regardless.
Not only did the game give Philadelphia a spark of confidence, but the offense was redefined with the use of a successful run game.
A REDEFINED OFFENSE
It’s no surprise that the Eagles have been struggling so far this season. Nick Sirianni’s reluctance to run the ball has caused an uproar of anger, with many fans ready to see the head coach on his way out the door.
The run game has been so stagnant that an Eagles’ running back still doesn’t hold the lead for rushing yards — quarterback Jalen Hurts does (432). Last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, the run game began to take a turn. Miles Sanders had six carries for 30 yards before he was injured, and unfortunately, for the offense, that was the end of their push.
However, Week 9 was an entirely different story. Without Sanders, the Eagles totaled 236 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns — for the first time in eight years. Running backs Boston Scott and Jordan Howard had two touchdowns. It became the second time in Eagles’ history that two players rushed for multiple scores.
The stats ultimately led to their 44-6 defeat against the Detroit Lions. It was the most points since their Super Bowl season in 2017.
Following the game, Sirianni stated, “We do what we need to do to win football games and what we think is best to win football games. We got some good runs early on, and when the offensive line kept coming back to the sidelines saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got a lot of momentum right here, we’re pushing them upfront.’ So, we just kept staying with it.”
The momentum was undoubtedly the spark the offense needed.
Boston Scott said, “We went out there, and we had fun. We just did our job, and that’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. That’s what the NFL is. Whenever that opportunity knocks, that’s when you got to step up, and you have to go out there and produce. Jordan and I have been motivating each other during the time leading up to this moment. I think we did a good job going out there. There are things to correct and improve on, but overall, we’re committed to helping the team. That’s all we want to do.”
Sanders was also feeling the energy from afar. Following Philadelphia’s victory, he texted Sirianni stating, “HELL YEA COACH!”
A few weeks ago, Sirianni stated that he never wanted to be above 75% in any of their plays. And, he stuck by that. The run game on Sunday accounted for 74% of their offensive plays. The Eagles rush offense now ranks sixth in the NFL.
Philadelphia can only hope that this isn’t the end of what looks to be a successful way to finish out the remainder of the season.
The Eagles host the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) on Sunday, November 7 at 4:05 PM.
