The Eagles are the NFL's #1 Rushing Team and First to Run for 175 Yards in Seven Straight Games Since the 1985 Bears
Remember at the beginning of the year, when fans were DEMANDING that Nick Sirianni run the football? We had that one game where Miles Sanders logged a grand total of one first half carry, which seems borderline ludicrous considering that Jordan Howard and Boston Scott weren’t yet in the 2021 season picture.
Fast forward to December 22nd, and the Eagles are the NFL’s #1 rushing team, averaging 165 yards per game. That’s more than the Colts, Ravens, Titans, and Browns, who round out the top five and are running guys like Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb. It is truly unconscionable that the Eagles team we saw in weeks one through four has now evolved to this point. It’s amazing.
Along the way, they became the first team since the 1985 Chicago Bears to run for at least 175 yards in seven straight games, and Nick Sirianni was asked about it on Wednesday night:
It takes everybody. It does. It always starts with the offensive line, and we’ve got some gritty guys up front. I don’t want to single out (anybody, it’s) all of them. What a great job by Sua Opeta to step in and play a great game, too, to be able to run the ball like we did and protect like we did against, again, like I said, a really good defense that I have a ton of respect for with some good front guys.
And so it starts there. Our backs, we’ve got a good stable of backs, we’ve got our receivers blocking on the perimeter. Dallas Goedert is one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL not to mention what he did catching the football. I think Jack Stoll is really coming along, and Jalen Hurts just gives you another element to the run game that’s hard to stop.
Front side wins games, back side wins championships is what I’ve always been taught. I know that we’re not in a championship mode, but it’s a saying that says back side is so important. When you have a quarterback like Jalen that, really makes the back side, they have to almost respect the back side in case he pulls it.
It’s all true. Really it’s a four-headed monster they are rolling out there, maybe five if you count Kenneth Gainwell. The Eagles rushing attack does resemble the mythological beast known as the hydra, which I think can have up to eight heads, but that’s unclear. Maybe we can get a Dungeons and Dragons dork in here to clear that up.
Through 14 games, here’s how the Birds are rushing individually:
- Hurts: 133 carries for 733 yards and 10 touchdowns
- Sanders: 130 carries for 709 yards and 0 scores
- Howard: 66 carries for 343 yards and three touchdowns
- Scott: 61 carries for 285 yards and four touchdowns
- Gainwell: 55 carries for 209 yards and four touchdowns
- Reagor/Minshew/Watkins: 11 carries for 39 yards
It’s impressive, and as an aside, Sanders having 709 yards but no touchdowns is crazy. That has to be nearing a record. I’ll see if I can pull that stat and update the story.
For some context here, the last team to go for 175 ground yards in seven straight games was the 1985 Chicago Bears, who went 15-1 and hammered the Patriots in the Super Bowl. They were known for their historically awesome defense, featuring Pro Bowlers like Otis Wilson and Richard Dent (27.5 combined sacks), but that team had Walter Payton running the ball and just rammed it down opposition throats on a weekly basis. They gave the ball to their fullback, Matt Suhey, and Jim McMahon even added 252 ground yards.
That’s great company to keep. The Birds aren’t the ’85 Bears, but it’s really nice to see the Eagles run the ball and roll that Blount. Ground and pound.