Zach Ertz has become the focal point of Eagles offense
Four games into the 2017 NFL season and it is clear that Zach Ertz has become the focal point of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense.
The Philadelphia Eagles are 3-1 through the first four games of the NFL season. The lone loss coming to the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. A big reason for this early success has been the play of tight end Zach Ertz. Coming into the year, Alshon Jeffery was believed to be the main target for the Eagles’ offense, but Ertz has established himself as the go-to target for Carson Wentz.
2016 vs. 2017
One of the big issues with Ertz has been his lack of production in the early part of the season. When you look deeper, you see that the reason for a lack of production is the fact that Ertz wasn’t targeted often early in the season. For more detail on his targets and production in 2016, click here. In 2017, it’s clear that the goal has been to get Ertz involved early and often.
Through the first four games of 2016, Ertz was only targeted 16 times, with 11 catches for 131 yards and zero touchdowns. The per game averages work out to be four targets, 2.75 catches, 32.75 yds, and of course, zero touchdowns.
Philadelphia Eagles
Through the first four games of 2017, Ertz has been targeted 36 times with 26 catches for 326 yards and one touchdown. These per game averages work out to be nine targets, 6.5 catches, 81.5 yards, and 0.25 touchdowns.
You would like to see that touchdown number a little higher, but it is still a vast improvement. Ertz has established himself as the main passing threat on a team full of talented pass catchers.
What has changed?
The answer to that question is simple. A lot has. Seriously though, a year has made a huge difference for both the Eagles and for Ertz. The biggest change for Ertz has to be the chemistry with quarterback Carson Wentz.
Last year, Wentz was a rookie quarterback trying to learn an NFL playbook while gaining the respect of his teammates. On top of that, he was trying to establish a rapport with his wide receivers and tight ends. Fast forward to 2017 and you can tell that Ertz and Wentz are on the same page.
The second biggest change has been the pieces on the outside. The additions of Jeffery and Torrey Smith have forced defenses to be more cautious of the wide receiving corps. Smith forces safeties to respect the deep route (well, in theory at least), and Jeffery is worthy of additional attention due to his size and talent. This, then, opens up the middle of the field for Ertz.
Either that, or it puts him in a lot of one-on-one situations with a linebacker. Which in most cases, is a matchup that should favor the Eagles. If opposing teams start trying to focus more on Ertz, that will open up the receivers on the outside. This isn’t a stat that will show up on the box score, but it is important nonetheless.
Next: Carson Wentz’s quarter-season progress report
Conclusion
Even though it is early in the season, it is obvious that Zach Ertz has become the go-to guy for Carson Wentz and the Eagles. Ertz is currently sixth in the NFL in total receiving. Not just for tight ends, but for everyone. He has become the reliable security blanket that can be counted on for big plays. As the season progresses, his chemistry with Wentz should continue to get better which could spell big things for the Eagles. Critics have questioned whether Ertz is more than a December tight end, well, it seems they have their answer.