Sunday Problems with Saturday Solutions: Eagles need more big plays

It’s hard to find a lot of faults and worry in a 31-6 win, but the Eagles still managed to make that happen. After weeks of defensive issues, Jim Schwartz and co. had a feel good week against the lowly Jets. The Eagles defense accounted for 14 points, so the question becomes why the offense could only muster 17 points against such a bad team.

Well, the Jets have a solid defensive front and that could account for the lack of run game and decent pressure, but the lack of big plays in the pass game remain a concern. The Eagles averaged about 11 yards a catch against the Jets, which is pretty paltry. It’s true the team is missing DeSean Jackson, which is a huge factor in their woes. But Jackson is only a short-term fix considering he’s in the twilight of his career. Where will the big plays come from in the future? Nelson Agholor seems to be just a slot receiver who only provides a modicum of big play upside. JJ Arcega-Whiteside was drafted to be a big play guy in the future but he’s got a long way to go.

Freddie Swain looks like a potential big play threat out of Florida. He looked electric against Auburn, most notably housing a short slant pass where he broke tackles and ran by the whole Tigers defense. The senior receiver is averaging 20 yards a pop this season and it’s not surprising when you see him touch the ball.

Justin Jefferson is another SEC receiver who looks like a home run hitter. The 6’3” speedster tuned up Utah for 9 catches, over 150 yards and two scores. Jefferson has scored seven times this season on 30 catches and averages a healthy 18.2 yards a catch. He’s worth watching every week and is playing himself into first round discussion.