Eagles’ explosive offense will be tested by Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys’ stingy defense
Big plays weren't easy to come by last week for the Eagles, but they can be the difference against the Cowboys on Sunday.
After every Eagles game, coach Nick Sirianni grabs his trusty game book and huddles with his coaching staff. Sirianni’s eyes then veer toward a particular statistic.
Explosive plays
In Sirianni’s mind, winning the explosive play battle can be a main factor in the game’s outcome. Explosive plays are defined as either pass completions longer than 16 yards or rushes exceeding 10 yards. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s scheme revolves around preventing big gains, while the offense is led by a dynamic quarterback in Jalen Hurts.
Through five games, the undefeated Eagles lead the league with 58 explosive plays. Hurts ranks first in explosive plays with 42.
However, against the Cardinals in Week 5, the Eagles registered their lowest total all season. They connected on just eight explosive plays (five passing, three rushing), including only one 25-yard-plus pass play — a 31-yard completion from Hurts to tight end Dallas Goedert.
Should the lack of downfield shots spark any concern?
“Every game is going to be different,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said Tuesday. “Obviously, we want to push the ball down the field. That game was a little different the way it played out, but we want to create those explosive plays.
“That’s something we want to create every week. Hopefully, we’ll get that done this week.”
Hurts has shown that he possesses the arm strength required to unleash the deep ball whenever his coaches dial up a shot play. His 53-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Quez Watkins against the Vikings in Week 2 is one of the season’s top highlights. While Watkins’ game is predicated on his top-tier speed, Hurts has established trust with his other receivers and their willingness to make plays on contested catches. Hurts’ 45-yard completion to wide receiver DeVonta Smith that occurred in Week 3 at Washington ranks second in completion probability (8.1%) among all catches this season, according to Next Gen Stats.
But against the Cardinals, the Eagles neglected to attempt any shots downfield. They relied heavily on the screen game — 13 passes to receivers on screen plays — and Hurts registered just 3.8 air yards per attempt, which was the lowest among all NFL quarterbacks in Week 5. Despite the emphasis on short completions, Hurts finished with 300 combined yards.
» READ MORE: Eagles stats: Analytics reveal Dallas Goedert’s dominance, Eagles’ overreliance on screens
The Eagles still rank second in total offense (419.8 yards per game) and fifth in scoring (27 points per game).
On Sunday, though, they’ll face arguably one of the toughest defenses they’ll see all season. The Cowboys defense ranks third with just 14.4 points allowed per game. No team has scored more than 19 points against the Cowboys. Their defensive front is led by former Penn State star and second-year linebacker Micah Parsons.
“They’re very sound in what they do,” Steichen said of the Cowboys defense. “They play hard. They’re physical. It’s going to be a heck of a challenge for us — one we’re really looking forward to.
“Parsons has to be accounted for on every play. He flies around. They line him up all over the place. Really good pass rusher — he has speed, he has power. We have to be aware of him.”
As for Steichen’s relationship with Hurts, and the quarterback’s involvement with making adjustments at the line of scrimmage — such as his key third-down completion to Dallas Goedert on the final drive — Steichen discussed the communication involved between the two of them.
“That’s just the preparation part of it and being in the system for two years and understanding what we’re trying to do offensively,” he said. “It’s the trust we have with him at the line of scrimmage getting to the right play.”