Philadelphia Eagles’ run game has helped an injured defense
The emergence of the Eagles run game has taken some of the pressure off of the offensive unit and their second-year quarterback.
In the Philadelphia Eagles‘ 26-24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, it was all about the running game. The Eagles wore the Chargers down with a total of 214 rushing yards thanks to LeGarrette Blount, Wendell Smallwood, and Corey Clement.
Blount led the way with 136 rushing yards on 16 carries. Smallwood and Clement both had 10 carries a piece. Smallwood piled up 34 yards while Clement rushed for 30 yards.
Running the Ball = Success
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Not only has the run game been productive statistically, they are also controlling the time of possession in games. The Eagles dominated the game clock while holding the ball for over 39 minutes while the Chargers only had the football for a little under 21 minutes.
The Eagles are currently ranked first in average time of possession in the NFL with 35:28 minutes. They were also ranked first in 2016 in Average Time of Procession with 32:31 minutes. The team is also ranked third in Team Rushing with 572 rushing yards. To say that the spark in the run game has taken the load off of Carson Wentz would be an understatement.
Helping out the defense
The run game is also is keeping the defense fresh by controlling the clock. With the defense being ravaged with injuries, it helps when they aren’t on the field as much. When Chip Kelly was the Eagles Head Coach, the defense was always on the field. The Eagles were last in Average Time of Possession in 2013, 2014, and 2015 during Kelly’s tenure. Head Coach Doug Pederson has rectified that issue and has helped Jim Schwartz‘s defense by not forcing them to be on the field constantly.
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The Eagles must continue to run the ball and utilize their running back-by-committee system. It helps out Wentz as well as the defense. With key players such as Fletcher Cox and Ronald Darby out, the Eagles will need to continue to take the pressure off the defense.