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With the Eagles 2013 season over, let's take a look at how the team have performed compared to the NFL average. For fun, you can take a look at how the team ranked back after the first four weeks of the season.
GENERAL:
| Category | Eagles | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Point Differential/Game | 3.8 | 9 |
| Yard Differential/Game | 23.3 | 10 |
10-6 and a top 10 team in the NFL. Looks about right.
OFFENSE:
| Category | Eagles | NFL AVG | Difference | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards/Game | 417.3 | 348.5 | 68.8 | 2 |
| Yards/Play | 6.33 | 5.36 | 0.97 | 1 |
| RushYards/Game | 160.4 | 112.9 | 47.5 | 1 |
| RushYards/Play | 5.13 | 4.17 | 0.96 | 1 |
| PassYards/Game | 256.9 | 235.6 | 21.3 | 9 |
| PassYards/Play | 8.09 | 6.65 | 1.44 | 1 |
| Interception Rate | 1.77% | 2.77% | -1.00% | 5 |
| Sacks/Pass Attempt | 9.06% | 7.14% | 1.92% | 25 |
| First Downs/Game | 22.2 | 19.9 | 2.3 | 5 |
| 3rd Down Pct | 38.97% | 38.13% | 0.84% | 12 |
| 4th Down Pct | 50% | 47.67% | 2.33% | 15t |
| RedZone Pct | 52.63% | 55.53% | -2.90% | 18 |
| Goal to Go Pct | 70.59% | 70.47% | 0.12% | 17t |
| Points/Game | 27.6 | 23.4 | 4.2 | 4 |
Not only was the Eagles offense the strength of the team, but it was one of the best in the NFL. Call it the Chip Kelly effect, as well as Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and the tight ends doing their parts. The biggest weakness on offense appeared to be in pass protection, where the Eagles allowed a lot of sacks per pass attempt. Eagles quarterbacks tended to hold the ball on the longer than other NFL QBs, so I'm not sure the line is entirely to blame here. Red Zone and Goal to Go percentages were the only other areas the Eagles were below average on offense.
DEFENSE:
| Category | Eagles | NFL AVG | Difference | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards/Game | 394 | 348.5 | 45.5 | 29 |
| Yards/Play | 5.48 | 5.36 | 0.12 | 20 |
| RushYards/Game | 104.3 | 112.9 | -8.6 | 10 |
| RushYards/Play | 3.77 | 4.17 | -0.4 | 4 |
| PassYards/Game | 289.8 | 235.6 | 54.2 | 32 |
| PassYards/Play | 6.92 | 6.65 | 0.27 | 20 |
| Interception Rate | 2.84% | 2.77% | 0.07% | 14 |
| Sacks/Pass Attempt | 5.52% | 7.14% | -1.62% | 31 |
| First Downs/Game | 23 | 19.9 | 3.1 | 30t |
| 3rd Down Pct | 40.26% | 38.13% | 2.13% | 24 |
| 4th Down Pct | 40.00% | 47.67% | -7.67% | 12t |
| RedZone Pct | 53.06% | 55.53% | -2.47% | 12 |
| Goal to Go Pct | 66.67% | 70.47% | -3.80% | 11 |
| Points/Game | 23.9 | 23.4 | 0.5 | 17 |
And to no surprise, the Eagles defense didn't stack up as well as their offense did. The interesting thing to note is that the "per play" stats aren't as bad as the "per game" stats. This is due to the fact the Eagles don't hold onto the ball very long (dead last in Time of Possession) and therefore the Eagles defense is on the field for a lot of plays. The "per play" stats are therefore a better indicator. The Eagles defense certainly wasn't good, but it was a lot more close to average than it was being near the worst in the league.
The strength of the Eagles defense was against the run. They also were above average in other key areas such as turnovers, 4th down percentage, Red Zone percentage, and Goal to Go percentage. Without even needing to look at the stats, one area where everyone knew the Eagles struggled is on 3rd down. The Eagles couldn't get off the field often enough.
SPECIAL TEAMS (FOR):
| Category | Eagles | NFL AVG | Difference | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punt Return Avg | 6.6 | 9.4 | -2.8 | 27 |
| Kickoff Return Avg | 21.4 | 23.4 | -2 | 26 |
| Field Goals Made | 82% | 86.47% | -4.33% | 22 |
The Eagles were below in average in the return game. Adding Brad Smith to kick return duty in place of Damaris Johnson could make a difference in 2014. To no one's surprise, the Eagles were also below average when it came to field goal accuracy. That's right, Alex Henery was below average.
SPECIAL TEAMS (AGAINST):
| Category | Eagles | NFL AVG | Difference | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punt Return Avg | 8 | 9.4 | -1.4 | 11 |
| Kickoff Return Avg | 23.6 | 23.4 | 0.2 | 19 |
The Eagles were largely fine in return coverage. Punt coverage was above average and kickoff coverage was below average.
