In Roob’s Eagles Stats, the good (not much), the bad (a lot), the ugly (even more)

In Roob’s Eagles Stats, the good (not much), the bad (a lot), the ugly (even more) originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Oh yeah, this is going to be a fun one.

Another blowout loss. Another turnover for Jalen Hurts. Another first quarter without a point. This week’s Roob Stats column isn’t exactly brimming with numbers that are going to fill your heart with joy.

But the show must go on. There must be stats. Every week. No matter how badly the Eagles lose. Those are the rules around here.

So we’ll start out with some fun Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert and Brandon Graham numbers, but after that? 

Just please remain seated for your own safety.

1. With 84 yards on 10 carries Sunday (8.4 average) after 147 yards on 17 carries against the Saints (8.6 average), Saquon Barkley became the 13^th player in NFL history with consecutive games with double-digit carries and at least an 8.4 rushing average. Among the others to do it are O.J. Simpson, Tony Dorsett, Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson but also Herman Heard, Tatum Bell and Matt Breida. Barkley has 435 rushing yards, a 6.0 rushing average and five touchdowns and is among only eight running backs in NFL history to open a season with at least 400 rushing yards, a 6.0 average and five TDs after four games. Barkley’s 6.0 average is tied for the highest in franchise history by a running back after four games (minimum 15 carries per game). LeSean McCoy was also at 6.0 four games into 2013. Barkley is the sixth Eagle with two games in a season with an 8.4 average on 10 or more carries, the first since Michael Vick in 2010 and the first running back since Timmy Brown in 1965. Only eight other running backs have had two such games in their entire Eagles career, and Barkley has done it within his first four games. The eight others are Brown, Steve Van Buren, Bosh Pritchard, Swede Hanson, Don Johnson, Billy Ray Barnes, Tom Woodeshick and most recently Wilbert Montgomery in 1980 and 1982. Barkley’s 520 scrimmage yards are the most ever by any player in his first four games as an Eagle – 100 more than anybody else. It’s also 3^rd-most ever by a free agent running back in his first four games with a new team, behind Stephen Davis of the Panthers in 2003 (617) and Derrick Henry of the Ravens this year (525).

2. Dallas Goedert has caught 73.2 percent of his career targets (331 of 452), the highest by any tight end since 1992, when the NFL began tracking targets. Austin Hooper is second all-time at 72.5. Goedert’s 73.2 figure is 3^rd-highest in Eagles history by players at any position, behind only LeSean McCoy (78.3 percent) and Brian Westbrook (73.6). Goedert has 331 career receptions and needs 13 to pass Jeremy Maclin (343) and move into the all-time Eagles top 10. At his career pace of 3.8 catches per game, he would finish this season with 380 catches and also pass Pete Pihos (361), Mike Quick (363), Keith Byars (371) and DeSean Jackson (379) and move into sixth in franchise history. Goedert leads all NFL tight ends with 24 catches, 301 yards and 10.8 yards per target.

3A. OK, we’re near the end of the little positive section. How about this: Brandon Graham’s sack Sunday was the 74^th of his career and moved him within two of Clyde Simmons for third place in franchise history, behind Reggie White (124) and Trent Cole (85.5). With his sack in Tampa Sunday – his first in 12 games – Josh Sweat now has 36 career sacks and moved past William Fuller, who had 35 ½ into the all-time Eagles top-10. He’s 3 ½ behind Andy Harmon (39 ½) and two behind Seth Joyner (37). This was the first time in 12 games that multiple Eagles edge rushers had a sack in the same game. Last time it happened was Week 9 of last year, when B.G., Sweat and Haason Reddick each sacked Dak Prescott in the Eagles’ 28-23 win at the Linc.

3B. Speaking of B.G., on Sunday he’ll become the first player in Eagles history to play in 200 games. Six Eagles have played in at least 180 games – Harold Carmichael (180), Brian Dawkins (183), Fletcher Cox (188), David Akers (188), Jason Kelce (193) and B.G. (199). Eight of the top 10 Eagles in terms of games played – a list that also includes Jon Dorenbos, Tra Thomas, Chuck Bednarik and Brent Celek – played for Andy Reid.

4. The Eagles have gone six consecutive games without scoring in the first quarter for the first time since 1955, when they had a seven-game stretch of games without a 1^st-quarter point. That streak started in Week 4 in at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh in a 13-7 loss to the Steelers and continued through Week 10 and a 23-21 loss to the Rams at Connie Mack Stadium. It finally ended in Week 11 when Dick Bielski kicked a 24-yard field goal in the first quarter of a 27-3 win over the Cards, also at Connie Mack. The Eagles’ last 1^st-quarter touchdown was scored by Julio Jones.

5. Their two takeaways – both Reed Blankenship interceptions – tie the 3^rd-fewest in Eagles history after four games. The 1940 and 1998 teams had one apiece after two games. Their minus-6 turnover ratio matches their worst after four games since they were minus-8 four games into the 1977 season. And their eight turnovers are as many as they had after 10 games in the 2022 Super Bowl season. The Eagles have now gone 31 consecutive games with one or no interceptions, the 4^th-longest streak in NFL history. They’ve also set a franchise record by going 12 straight games forcing one or fewer turnovers. That’s also the 5^th-longest streak in NFL history. And they’ve now gone 12 straight games without winning the turnover battle. That’s their longest since a 15-game stretch over the 1967 and 1968 seasons. Good grief.

6. The Eagles didn’t trail by 17 or more points at halftime in any of the first 48 meaningful games Nick Sirianni coached – games where the starters played. They’ve now trailed by 17 or more at halftime in three of the last 10 meaningful games he’s coached – 24-6 in Dallas in December, 24-0 vs. the Giants this past January and 24-7 Sunday in Tampa. Additionally, they’ve now lost five times by 17 or more points in their last 11 games – 49ers, Cowboys, Giants and Bucs late last year and the Bucs again on Sunday. Last time the Eagles lost five games by 17 or more points in an 11-game stretch was 1998.

7. Jalen Hurts is also only the sixth Eagles quarterback since 1960 to open a season with four consecutive games with a passer rating under 90. The others are Mike Boryla in 1976, Ty Detmer in 1997, Doug Pederson in 1999, Donovan McNabb in 2003 and Carson Wentz in 2020. Overall, Hurts has had a passer rating below 90 in five straight regular-season games. Hurts was sacked six times for 44 yards. The six sacks match the most of an Eagles quarterback since Wentz was sacked eight times in Washington on opening day in 2020, and the 44 yards are the most since Wentz absorbed 62 sack yards in that same game. Eagles QBs have only taken that many sack yards five other times in the last 25 years.

8. The Eagles have now allowed at least 445 scrimmage yards in five games since opening day 2023, more than any other NFL team. They’ve actually allowed 445 or more yards in five of their last 14 games (under three different defensive coordinators). This is the first time in Eagles history they’ve allowed at least 445 yards five times in 14-game span.

9. The Eagles averaged only 3.2 net yards per pass play, their lowest in a meaningful game in 15 years. In 2009, they averaged 2.7 net yards per pass play in a Week 1 game they somehow won 38-10 over the Panthers in Charlotte (thanks in part to return touchdowns by Victor Abiamiri and DeSean Jackson). In that game, Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb combined for 82 net passing yards on 29 attempts. Kolb replaced McNabb after he suffered a broken rib that sidelined him for the next two games. The Eagles averaged less than 3.2 yards twice in games they played without their starters – a loss to Washington on the final day of the 2020 season where Nate Sudfeld played most of the second half and a loss to the Cowboys on the final day of the 2011 season when Kolb played in place of starter Michael Vick).

10. This was only the fourth time in the last 35 years where the Eagles allowed at least 220 more passing yards than they gained. The Bucs netted 334 passing yards and the Eagles had just 114. Tampa had three times as many passing first downs (18) as the Eagles (6).

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