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The Eagles are suddenly red hot after becoming a run-first team. It was the players’ idea.

The team has won four straight games since the bye and leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards per game over that time.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the ball as Lane Johnson blocks Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller on Sunday.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the ball as Lane Johnson blocks Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller on Sunday.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

After the Eagles’ rough start to the season, the offensive line knew what the Birds needed to do to get the offense on track — run the ball.

On the latest episode of unCovering the Birds, Jeff McLane talked with the offensive line about its conversations with coach Nick Sirianni — and how running back Saquon Barkley has repaid that faith with some of the best games of his career.

“We want to [expletive] win,” said left guard Landon Dickerson. “Whatever it takes to win.”

“A lot of it was, we’ve got [expletive] Saquon Barkley back there,” said right tackle Lane Johnson. “Let’s [expletive] give him the ball.”

The linemen wanted to return to an offense similar to the 2021 one, which powered the Eagles to a Super Bowl run, led by Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and Kenneth Gainwell on the ground, in addition to the running threat posed by quarterback Jalen Hurts. Barkley is one of the most talented running backs the Eagles have ever had, opening up even more possibilities in the run game.

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley backward hurdles his way into becoming the centerpiece of the Eagles offense

“I would kind of make it similar to 2021 when we played Detroit,” Johnson said. “The game changed to that style.”

But McLane said the Eagles’ ground game is a result of Sirianni’s increased involvement on offense. The Eagles’ overall run-pass ratio during their four-game win streak is 64% run, 36% pass. The first four games, the ratio was 55% pass, 45% run.

Since the bye, the Eagles have reintroduced the run concepts from 2021 that Sirianni and former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen installed, which helped Hurts rush for 784 yards. Siranni is also mixing in new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s passing concepts and pre-snap motion, blending the two styles to best utilize the Eagles’ talented skill position players.

“I think it’s just multiple people putting egos, pride aside and looking at our team and saying, this is how we function the best, this is how we operate the best,” Johnson said.

Over the last four weeks, the Eagles lead the NFL with eight rushing touchdowns and 195.8 yards per game.