Charting the Success of the Eagles' Passing Attack

Here’s something interesting. The one year the Eagles broke through to the Super Bowl was also the only year the team completion percentage was above average. In addition, the two worst years in the Reid era — 1999 and 2005 — correspond with the worst completion rates.

There’s no real correlation between completion percentage and Super Bowl appearances when you look back over 30 years, but Eagles fans will see if a bump there from a more accurate quarterback will have any impact.

Net Yards per Pass Attempt was the only statistic we found yesterday to be consistent with Super Bowl appearances. Few below-average teams make it that far. So how did the Eagles do? …

Is the Road to the Super Bowl Paved Through the Air?

Earlier today I posted about the supposedly newfound dominance of passing over running in today’s NFL. Looking at the graphs, we saw that pass-first offenses have been in the majority for almost 30 years.

But if pass-happy attacks have been around for a long time, why has every NFL commentator suddenly picked up the torch to declare this a new phenomenon? The simplest and cruelest answer is that these “experts” don’t actually know anything. But maybe there’s some other factor at work…

Why the Pass First Offense Isn't New

But the NFL today is a pass-first league. 28 out of the 32 teams in the league last year threw the ball more than they ran. And there are a million theories as to why.

Most of these theories, however, refer to some sort of recent phenomenon. Perhaps we’re in a golden age of quarterbacks, or the recent rule changes allow receivers more space, or coaches finally discovered statistics, or even the lineman are “too big.” That last one is an actual theory.

But what if the truth is much simpler than that? What if it’s not some big new change at all? What if the NFL isn’t actually any more pass-happy than it was five, ten, or fifteen years ago? That’s what the numbers say: …

Anatomy of a Play: Bernard Scott's 6-Yard TD Run

The Eagles preseason game against Cincinnati on Friday night didn’t quite go as planned. The Eagles had problems on offense — in multiple areas — and failed to stop the Bengals’ own offense on multiple occasions.

One of the worst moments for the Eagles’ first-team defense came in second quarter, when they couldn’t stop a 6-yard touchdown by running back Bernard Scott.

You can see the whole play here, but let’s break it down frame by frame to see what happened:

Quick Hit Analysis of Eagles' 2nd Preseason Game

How does the saying go: “The more things change, the more things look like the 2009 Eagles?” Something like that.

Last Friday night’s preseason debacle against the Cincinnati Bengals featured all of the troubles of last season, revisited upon these new-look Eagles: defensive front that can’t get pressure, offensive line with major protection issues, overmatched secondary, scrambling quarterback, failure to convert on third-and-short. Even special teams ineptitude.

Let’s take a closer look at my notes from the game…

McNabb Reflections with Former GM Heckert

The combination of Reid wanting to do right by McNabb and McNabb not wanting to languish in obscurity clearly accomplished one thing: Donovan was sent to a team that both men thought could be a contender. Heckert describes the natural reaction many people had to the trade, which is that they wouldn’t have sent McNabb within the NFC East.

Perhaps if Heckert had still been in Philly, then McNabb would be in Oakland right now, but it’s tough to say. Is Reid really that sentimental that he would sabotage his own team’s chances of winning? Much of the circumstantial evidence suggests that he might have cared about McNabb enough to do just that.

But what if that’s not true?

Eagles at Bengals: The Big Question

Friday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals is only the Eagles’ second preseason game, but it figures to tell us a lot more about the team. After steamrolling Jacksonville’s first team in limited action last week, this time the Eagles starters will play most or all of the first half, as they work toward opening day less than a month from now. The biggest question mark for this scrimmage:

How will the starting defense do against stronger competition?

On the Bubble: Joselio Hanson

Just a year and a half ago cornerback Joselio Hanson signed a five-year contract to remain with the Eagles through the 2013 season. Hanson had distinguished himself as a great nickel corner and looked like he would be an Eagle for years to come.

However, 2009 didn’t go quite to plan. Hanson missed four games for failing a drug test and battled injuries all season long. It was a disappointment.

Even so, Hanson came into this offseason eager to bounce back, and maybe even claim the starting job with Sheldon Brown gone. However, there is a scenario now emerging in which Hanson doesn’t even make the team…