Here Are 3 Things On Eagles’ To-Do List During Bye Week
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles needed three shots at winning the NFC’s top seed and the valuable first-round bye that comes with it. Now, what will they do with the time off?
The unimpressive 22-16 victory on Sunday over the Giants’ scrubs — including quarterback Davis Webb, who was making his first start after six years in the league — earned the Eagles a weekend on the couch to rest and heal, but there’s work to be done in the practices they’ll hold between now and a divisional game against an unknown opponent in two weeks.
The Eagles haven’t played a game with their starting quarterback against a first-string defense since they beat the Bears on Dec. 18, when Hurts was injured. And even in that game, the offense didn’t look sharp. Their first playoff game is at least 12 days away. Here are a few things that should be on the to-do list:
Hurts isn’t the only one hurting. The time off will also allow running back Miles Sanders to rest a balky knee that was in a brace a week ago. Sanders, who rushed for just 33 yards against a second-string Giants defense, ran for 1,269 yards and 11 TDs this season, but he’s rushed for 65 or fewer years in five of the last six games.
Right tackle Lane Johnson decided to rehab a torn abductor injury instead of having surgery with the hope that he’d be able to return for the postseason. Will he be ready? The Giants’ scrubs sacked Hurts three times and pressured him on several others. The offensive line isn’t as effective without the Eagles’ All-Pro right tackle.
And what about cornerback Avonte Maddox, who suffered a toe injury and missed the last two games: Will he return?
The bye week also will help the rank-and-file players who have logged a lot of snaps, particularly the secondary and offensive line. Early in the season, the DBs — led by cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson — were dominant. Can they get back to shutting down receivers while the pass rush, which set a team record for sacks, smothers QBs?
Heading into their Week 15 game against the Giants, the Eagles had a red-zone conversion rate of 73.8%, placing them second in the league. Since then, they converted only four of 10 trips over the past three games — and they were 1-for-5 against the Giants while settling for five field goals.
Hurts’ two-game absence, rustiness and limited playbook on Sunday obviously played a significant role in decline, all but eliminating designed rollouts and sneaks. If Hurts’ shoulder won’t allow the Eagles to employ the effective quarterback sneak formation, they need to develop an alternative for short-yardage and goal-line success. Hurts has run for 11 TDs this season.
Every team self-scouts to investigate whether their tendencies to call certain plays in certain circumstances — on offense and defense — is tipping off opponents. But most, if not all, playoff teams also put a few new wrinkles on the play sheets, and that could help their stagnant offense catch a spark.
The Eagles have two of the most dangerous receivers in the league in A.J. Brown, who set a club record for receiving yards in a season, and DeVonta Smith, who caught 95 passes. Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen likely will be looking for new schemes to deliver the home runs that have been missing lately.
Chris Franklin:
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