Jason Kelce has anchored the Eagles’ offensive line from the center position since 2011, and right tackle Lane Johnson has done it since 2013.
They have seen LeSean McCoy set the franchise’s single-season rushing record in 2013, and the Super Bowl team of 2017 overpower defenders behind LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi.
But both Kelce and Johnson were adamant that this year’s Eagles’ rushing attack is better than all of those, even though the Eagles likely won’t have a single rusher go over 1,000 yards. And that’s the case, even with an extra game.
Really, the Eagles’ rushing attack harkens back to the old NFL of the 1940s and ’50s when teams relied almost exclusively on the running attack.
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And it sets the Eagles up well for getting into the playoffs – and possibly even winning in the postseason.
This is not a new concept, especially in the cold-weather cities in games played outdoors. After all, in a Dec. 6 game against Buffalo, played with winds gusting over 40 mph, New England attempted just three passes and won 14-10.
That night, the Patriots ran the ball 46 times for 222 yards.
“Being able to run the football particularly in December, especially here in the Northeast … less bad things can happen when you hand the ball off,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “So especially when the weather is not the way you want it to be, we definitely rely on that run game, particularly this time of the year.”
The Eagles have done that like few other teams in the NFL over the last 40 years. It’s no wonder, then, that the Eagles can set a franchise record for rushing yards in a season when they play the Washington Football Team on Sunday.
They need 160 yards to break the previous team record of 2,607 yards set in 1949.
That shouldn’t be a problem for the Eagles.
They have run for at least 130 yards in nine straight games, the team’s longest stretch since an 11-game run spanning the 1943 and 1944 seasons. That 1943 season was when the Eagles and Steelers were combined into the “Steagles” during World War II.
In all, the Eagles lead the NFL with an average of 163.2 yards rushing per game. They have averaged 203.9 yards rushing per game in the eight games since a 33-22 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 24.
Not surprisingly, the Eagles are 6-2 since then.
‘The common denominator’
It’s clear that the best teams in the NFL have a strong running attack, especially those in cold-weather cities. Of the top 10 teams in rushing yards, seven would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
For the Eagles, the reason for their success is simple.
“I think Jalen Hurts,” Johnson said about the Eagles’ quarterback, who has 740 yards rushing, second among NFL quarterbacks. “You have a guy that dynamic, can do what he can do with his legs, it puts the defenses in a bind.
“So, I’d say he’s the common denominator when it comes down to that.”
Johnson went on to say that credit also belongs to the offensive line, including offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who is in his ninth season in that position, and the running backs led by Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard.
And it includes Sirianni and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, who have designed a running game around Hurts’ unique ability to run. It took some time, however.
Sirianni and Steichen are in their first seasons with the Eagles, and so is Hurts as the starting quarterback after the Eagles drafted him in the second round in 2020, mainly to serve as Carson Wentz’s backup.
“We’ve run the ball, just on an attempt basis, more than we ever had in my career, certainly,” Kelce said. “We’re really good at it. The coach trusts us. … Having a quarterback like Jalen who can keep the ball, and teams have to respect that, gives us a lot of even boxes and fair opportunities to run into rather than run into loaded boxes with a drop-back passer.
“The whole package really allows us to do what we’re doing this year, and the coaches trust in it.”
Strength and size
And it seems like it doesn’t matter who’s running the ball.
The streak began after the loss to the Raiders in Week 7, even though Sanders went on injured reserve. That coincided with Jordan Howard’s promotion from the practice squad and Boston Scott’s first carries of the season.
Since then, the Eagles have kept running, even though Sanders missed three games, Howard missed two with a knee injury, and Hurts missed a game with an ankle injury and was clearly limited in the two games since he returned.
In addition, the Eagles have lost their top two right guards and starting left guard to injuries, Johnson was away for three games to deal with his mental health illness, and left tackle Jordan Mailata missed two games early in the season with a knee injury.
Still, the Eagles kept running.
Just take a look at the left side of the Eagles’ offensive line. Mailata is listed at 6-foot-8, 365 pounds. Next to him is rookie left guard Landon Dickerson, who’s listed at 6-6, 333 pounds.
“There’s never been a tackle that big, that size, that can move the way he can,” Johnson said about Mailata. “Him and Landon over there on the left side, that’s a serious problem for everybody we face.
“That’s the biggest side in the league. They’ve been making waves all year. … Those guys are just demolishing people game after game after game.”
Snub miffs Johnson
Then there’s Johnson and Kelce, the stalwarts on the line. The two have been with each other through good times and bad.
A few weeks ago, Kelce openly wept when he mentioned Johnson’s battle with his mental health illness. Johnson, meanwhile, called Kelce “the brother I’ve never had.”
“We laugh a lot,” Johnson said. “We get in arguments like brothers. Most times, he’s a passionate guy because of football. So am I. … He’s been everything to this team. He’s been there for me throughout my career. He’s a special person.”
Johnson is convinced the only reason he wasn’t selected to the Pro Bowl, even as an alternate, is because of the three games he missed.
He might be right. After all, Johnson has scored more touchdowns this season (1) than sacks allowed. Johnson became the first Eagles’ offensive lineman to score since Todd Herremans in 2010 when he caught Hurts’ 5-yard TD pass last Sunday against the Giants.
“I was pissed, I’ll leave it at that,” Johnson said about the snub. “It just motivates me for whatever is left in the season.”
For the Eagles, that could include the playoffs. No doubt, the running game will have a major role.
Still, you wonder, is it this good because of Hurts, the running backs, the offensive line, or the coaching?
Perhaps the answer is as simple as yes.
After all, Sanders won’t play Sunday because of his broken hand, and Howard is questionable with a neck injury.
That could leave Boston Scott as the main running back, joined by rookie Kenny Gainwell and practice squad players Jason Huntley and/or Kerryon Johnson.
Scott hadn’t carried the ball this season until Week 7 when Sanders injured his ankle. He has 326 yards with five rushing touchdowns since. He was asked if he would be ready to be the lead back if Sanders and Howard can’t play.
“Any time,” he said.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
