Eagles stats: Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and Miles Sanders are generating impressive numbers

The Eagles are roughly halfway through the regular season and still sit atop the NFL standings at 8-0.

Coming off a 29-17 road win against the Houston Texans, here are five stats that help tell the story of the Eagles at the midway point.

The Eagles are plus-15 in turnover differential, which leads the league by a startling margin. There are three teams tied for second at plus-six.

Some of the Eagles’ turnover “luck” is hardly luck at all. Jalen Hurts has a track record of being responsible with the ball relative to how many passing attempts and carries he has each game. He has only five lost fumbles in his career and has kept his interception percentage low as well.

Defensively, the Eagles have playmaking cover guys and disruptive pass rushers, each of whom has played a major factor in the league-leading 18 takeaways.

There will likely be some regression to the mean for both sides as the regular season progresses, but the Eagles’ win streak has shown that the team has the makings of one capable of winning the turnover battle on a consistent basis.

Hurts has 20 rushing attempts in the last three games with only four recorded scrambles. Subtracting quarterback sneaks, Hurts’ rushing attempts go down to 13.

His passing numbers over that stretch are significant: 68.75% completion percentage, eight touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 128.3 quarterback rating. Hurts’ completion percentage over expected (2.8%) for the season ranks second among full-time starters behind only Geno Smith. Jameis Winston ranks higher but has nearly half the passing attempts that Hurts has.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts puts on a ‘Southside’ show for Houston in an Eagles win vs. the Texans that furthers his MVP case

These numbers confirm what is apparent each game: Hurts has made significant strides as a passer and his confidence has increased sharply as a result. He had a tendency to bail out of clean pockets in his first two seasons when the picture wasn’t clear for him. This year, he’s much better at staying put and working through reads even if things are a bit muddy.

A.J. Brown has accounted for 45% of the Eagles’ targeted air yards, confirming the eye test that he accounts for a significant portion of the team’s downfield passing game.

Brown has been particularly efficient on third downs. According to TruMedia, Brown is second among qualifying receivers in yards per route run on third down, trailing only Bills wideout Gabe Davis.

Brown has 11 catches for 191 yards on third downs this season. His yardage total ranks seventh in the NFL. Third-down numbers can sometimes serve as a litmus test for impact players in the passing game. When the Eagles need a positive play in a pivotal situation, Brown is the player they most often turn to.

It’s time to check in on the historical context of the Eagles’ record once again.

There have been 17 teams since 2000 to start the season 8-0. What can we learn from them?

All 17 made the playoffs. The 2013 Chiefs had the worst finish among them at 11-5. The average regular-season record was 13-3.

In terms of playoff results, four of the teams lost in the wild-card round, five lost in the division round, and two in the conference round. Of the remaining six that made it to the Super Bowl, two (the 2009 New Orleans Saints and 2006 Indianapolis Colts) won it all.

The 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers were the last team to start 8-0, but a second-half collapse riddled with injuries led to them being one of the four teams that made wild-card exits. The 2019 San Francisco 49ers lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Miles Sanders had 54 yards after contact against the Houston Texans, which was his third-best tally of the season.

Sanders had a handful of impressive runs, including one when he tossed rookie cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. to the ground with a stiff-arm.