Eagles stats: Miles Sanders’ tough running, Reed Blankenship’s stellar play backed up analytics
Sanders did most of his damage after contact, and the Eagles' surprise defensive star was also their highest-graded.
The Eagles are the first team to crack double-digit wins this season after an eventful 40-33 win over the Green Bay Packers.
They could become the first team to clinch a playoff berth next weekend if things break right. Either way, they’re well-positioned after a historic performance against Green Bay.
Here are five stats that detail the win:
95
Against the Packers, Miles Sanders put an exclamation point on what has already been a career year.
Of Sanders’ 143 rushing yards on Sunday night, a startling 95 came after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s his highest total of the season and only the third time he has surpassed 90 yards after the first hit in his four-year career.
Sanders gave the credit for the Eagles’ highest rushing total since 1948 to his blockers and Eagles offensive line coach/running game coordinator Jeff Stoutland, but the running back deserves credit for the six broken tackles PFF credited him with.
Sanders came into training camp in noticeably better shape, looking both stronger and slightly leaner. He is in a contract year and seemed determined to prove he’s one of the better running backs in the league. Through 11 weeks, he has put together a strong case. The 25-year-old has already surpassed his previous career highs in rushing yards and touchdowns.
Sanders has rushed for 900 yards, ranking fifth in the league, and his eight touchdowns are tied with Jalen Hurts for sixth. Sanders is also one touchdown away from tying his tally from the first three years of his career combined.
75.7
Reed Blankenship got his first extended playing time against Green Bay after starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down with a rib injury early in the second quarter.
Filling in for Gardner-Johnson, the NFL’s interceptions leader, Blankenship looked right at home.
» READ MORE: Blankenship picks off Aaron Rodgers, making the improbable play that his father foretold
The undrafted rookie out of Middle Tennessee State was the Eagles’ highest-graded defensive player to log meaningful snaps by PFF, earning a 75.7 on the 1-99 scale.
Blankenship became the first undrafted rookie to intercept Aaron Rodgers after baiting a throw from the Packers veteran quarterback and jumping the route. He was also a force in the running game, logging six total tackles and delivering a few hard hits.
172
The Eagles’ season-long struggles on special teams persisted against Green Bay. The Packers totaled 172 yards on kickoff returns, setting up multiple short fields for the Green Bay offense.
» READ MORE: What can be done to clean up things on special teams?
Packers return specialist Keisean Nixon has been one of the best returners in the NFL this season and had season highs in return yards and yards per attempt against the Eagles.
The Eagles’ special teams rank 24th in efficiency by Football Outsiders this season, which stands in stark contrast to the offense and defense, which both sit among the top 10 of their respective rankings.
61%
For the second week in a row, the Eagles leaned heavily on Linval Joseph.
After logging 40% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps in his debut, Joseph played 61% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps against the Packers.
Joseph played 30 snaps and was once again integral to the run defense. The defensive front struggled to contain the run, but on a handful of the times the Packers reeled off chunk runs, it was against the Eagles’ even fronts without Joseph on the field.
Joseph’s uptick in playing time is indicative of how much Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon used odd fronts to combat the run against Green Bay’s running back duo of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The formula could be the same against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday as well, especially with rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis eligible to return after missing the last four games with a high ankle sprain.
13.6%
Football Outsiders has a fun section on its site that details the most likely playoff scenarios and the story lines that would come with them.
» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts, MVP favorite, might have sent Aaron Rodgers into retirement as Eagles roll Packers
The leading candidate through 11 weeks is the Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs, or, as FO puts it, the “Andy Reid Reunion Special,” at 13.6%. It could also be considered the Kelce bowl between brothers Jason and Travis.
The “LeSean McCoy Special” between the Eagles and Bills is second most likely at 11.3% and the “Delaware Tollbooth Traffic Jam” between the Eagles and Ravens is third at 7.2%.
» READ MORE: A.J. Brown just finished a rough week. He has another ahead of him, preparing to face his old team.