The official snap counts from the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers are in. Let’s take a look and run through some analysis.
OFFENSE
- Jordan Mailata is the only Eagles player to play 100% of the team’s offensive snaps this season.
- The Eagles should be able to score more than one touchdown when Jalen Hurts and the starting offensive line combine for just 12 missed snaps (a banged up Landon Dickerson missed some time with Brett Toth filling in for him).
- A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith logged identical playing time. Brown saw a team-high 13 targets for six receptions and 100 yards. He obviously had some costly drops, one of which resulted in a tipped pass for an interception and another that resulted in a touchdown not scored. Smith saw eight targets for four catches and just 37 yards.
- Saquon Barkley saw his fifth-highest snap count percentage of the season but only logged his seventh-most touches in a game despite the fact the Eagles went into overtime. The Eagles couldn’t get him going as a receiver with his two targets resulting in zero yards.
- Jahan Dotson’s three targets resulted in one catch for three yards and two interceptions. Hurts is really not going to throw his way now.
- Darius Cooper had a great block on the Eagles’ sole touchdown run and he caught his sole target for a 19-yard gain. Make him WR3.
- Grant Calcaterra logged his third-lowest snap count percentage of the season. Good to see him utilized less … and yet the Eagles still ran behind him a number of times and he continued to struggle as a run blocker. What a shock.
- Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby saw identical playing time behind Barkley. Bigsby took his first carry since Week 12 and it resulted in a four-yard gain. He didn’t touch the ball again. But he was on the field for an RPO that resulted in the defense biting on the run and Hurts completing a ball to Dallas Goedert to move to the 2-yard line. So, he can be a positive impact even if he’s not touching the ball.
- Cameron Latu continues to have a limited role as TE3/fullback.
- Kylen Granson played his lowest snap count percentage of the season. He did have a nice tackle on special teams.
- If I’m not mistaken, this is the first game where Cooper DeJean took an offensive snap in an Eagles loss. He was on the field for the Eagles’ kneel down in regulation to get to overtime.
DEFENSE
- DeJean and Zack Baun are still tied for the lead in snaps played by Eagles defenders this season (98.76% each). They’re tied with New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke for the third-most snaps played (874) by any defender in the NFL this season. Only Patrick Queen (885) and Jalen Ramsey (880) have played more.
- Not ideal that the Eagles’ defense had to play snaps into the 70s yet again. Their last three games: 74, 87, and 74. That’s 235 total. That’s four games worth of snaps in three weeks. Impressive that they’re still playing at a high level despite having reason to be pretty tired by this point in the season.
- Marcus Epps overtook Sydney Brown as the Eagles’ starting safety next to Reed Blankenship. Epps had a really good third down tackle for no gain to force a Chargers field goal at one point.
- Nakobe Dean’s playing time dipped down a little from the 94.3% it was at in Week 13. Hard to take him off the field when he’s playing well, which he was on Monday night. He had a bad moment in his coverage early on but his blitzing value was huge.
- With Jalen Carter out, Moro Ojomo led the way in defensive tackle snaps. Ojomo logged an assisted tackle but no other stats.
- Jordan Davis logged his seventh-highest snap count percentage in a game this year. He was really active with 1.5 sacks and two TFLs. Good to see him step up with Carter out.
- This was Nolan Smith’s highest snap count percentage since returning from injured reserve. The Eagles seem to be trusting him to play more.
- Despite being third in edge rusher snaps, Jalyx Hunt had a team-high 2.5 sacks to go with one TFL. Hunt is up to 4.5 sacks and 6 TFLs on the season after only having 1.5 and 1, respectively, in the regular season as a rookie. He’s making a second-year leap.
- Byron Young logged his first career sack in this game and finished with 1.5 total. He was DT3 with Carter out.
- Brandon Graham played his biggest role by far in a game this season with 30 snaps. His previous high was the 10 he played against the Green Bay Packers in his first appearance after unretiring. The Eagles gave him some work as an interior defender to help fill the lost Carter snaps.
- Jihaad Campbell saw zero snaps in Week 13. Vic Fangio admitted that he could have done a better job of incorporating him more than not at all. It’s good to see Campbell saw some playing time on Monday night.
- Ty Robinson wasn’t a healthy scratch this week but it’s clear that the coaching staff doesn’t trust the rookie defensive tackle to play very much.
SPECIAL TEAMS
- Sydney Brown was relegated to special teams duty one week after starting for the Eagles in place of an injured Andrew Mukuba. Fangio clearly doesn’t want to have to play him.
- Andre’ Sam had a special teams tackle after being temporarily elevated from the practice squad. Trying to make the most of his limited opportunities.
- Jake Elliott missed a 48-yard field goal. In a dome.
- Britain Covey averaged 18.0 yards per punt return on three ties. He’s good at it. Weird that the Eagles had him on the practice squad but didn’t want to use him as a punt returner until after it cost them in a Week 12 loss.
- Jakorian Bennett has played 22 special teams snaps and zero defensive snaps in four games since being activated from injured reserve.
DID NOT PLAY
INACTIVE: Lane Johnson, Jalen Carter, Joshua Uche, A.J. Dillon, Mac McWilliams, Sam Howell
ACTIVE: Tanner McKee
- Seems like Johnson might be able to play in Week 15.
- It’s unclear when Carter will be able to return but the Eagles didn’t put him on injured reserve … so they could try to bring him back at some point if they feel they really need to do so.
- Why is Dillon on the roster?