Philadelphia Eagles have found their true offensive identity

The last time we saw the Philadelphia Eagles wasn’t pretty, but it may have uncovered the team’s true identity on offense.

If you’ve tuned into Philadelphia sports talk radio at any point over the past two months you’ve likely heard about the dreary state of the Philadelphia Eagles offense. Under current offensive coordinator Mike Groh, the Eagles have routinely suffered from slow starts and near-constant comeback attempts that fall flat in heartbreaking fashion.

Despite all of this aggravation, Philly has managed to string together two wins in a row heading into their Week 10 bye. The reason for that turnaround is plain as day, and it starts with their running game.

If the Philadelphia Eagles hope to contend for the NFC East crown they will undoubtedly need to rely on the dual-headed rushing attack of Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard. The ‘thunder and lightning’ combination has paced the Philly offense in three of their five victories this year. That would be their victories over the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, and Chicago Bears. Howard led the team on the ground. Sanders evolved arriving as Carson Wentz‘s most trustworthy pass catcher.

With their receiving core failing to pull their weight, Philly needs to shift focus to the ground game. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank put the Eagles current rushing success into historical perspective:

This revelation could not have come at a more perfect time. The air in the northeast is beginning to chill, and the ground is beginning to harden. Former Philadelphia Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel lovingly referred to the Summer as “Hittin’ Season”, well, Winter in Northeast may as well be “Runnin’ Season”.  Philadelphia has one of the league’s highest-ranked offensive lines, and a certifiable Comeback Player of the Year favorite in Brandon Brooks blocking upfront. This bye week affords Philly the opportunity to get healthy and implement a gameplan to capitalize on these strengths for a second-half push.

Lead Chicago Bears analyst for The Athletic Dan Durkin praised the dominance of Philly’s offensive line in Week 9:

The Eagles have a brutal two-game stretch ahead of them after their bye against the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, but a strong focus on the run game could give them an advantage versus both teams. Their rushing attack has afforded them a dominant advantage in time of possession which they wielded to great success in their wins over the Bills and Bears. Philadelphia crushed both opponents in time of possession by a combined margin of 77 minutes to 44 minutes, and they outscored both opponents by a combined margin of 53 points to 27 in those contests.

The importance of time of possession will be on full display against New England in Week 11. The Patriots’ loss versus the Baltimore Ravens wasn’t caused by their overwhelming offense or a dominant defense. Goliath was slain by the Ravens’ clock management. Baltimore held onto the ball for 37 minutes to New England’s 23 minutes, and they beat the leagues’ resident dynasty by 17 points because of it. The Eagles hold this same advantage in their hands, and if they’re wise, they will use it to accomplish the same herculean feat.