PHILADELPHIA − For the Eagles, the quarterback sneak is a misnomer.
Everyone knows it’s coming when the Eagles have about a yard or less to go for a first down or a touchdown. Yet just about every time, quarterback Jalen Hurts will line up under center, take the snap from Jason Kelce and push his way forward.
Sure enough, the Eagles made it work late in the first quarter against the Cowboys on Sunday night, when Hurts converted a 3rd-and-1 from Dallas’ 18. The Eagles ran the QB sneak seven times last week against the Arizona Cardinals, converting five times.
It’s easy to see why the Eagles are so good at it, and why they do it so often.
“If you run the play properly as an offense, you should execute it most of the time,” Kelce said. “You only need a yard. You know when the snap count’s coming. There aren’t many reasons why it shouldn’t work.”
PARSONS PROJECT:Should Eagles have drafted Micah Parsons over DeVonta Smith? Why that’s the wrong question
Then Kelce added an aspect that Hurts brings to the equation, even though it’s not a prerequisite.
“Obviously, having a quarterback that squats 600 pounds helps,” he said, referring to Hurts. “Carson (Wentz) couldn’t squat 600 pounds, though, and he was just as decent at it, too.”
Hurts downplayed his success at it, saying, “It’s a testament to the guys up front. And I just kind of follow their lead.”
But Hurts does bring a dynamic to it that other quarterbacks don’t, beyond the willingness to sacrifice his body and keep churning his legs forward for that 1 yard.
Against the Cardinals, the Eagles faced a third-and-1 from the 2 early in the second quarter. Hurts ran the sneak and got the first down at the 1. He ran it again and was stopped for no gain. He ran it a third straight time and scored. That gave the Eagles a 14-0 lead in their 20-17 win.
Hurts also scored the Eagles’ other touchdown on a sneak from the 1.
But there’s an art to it, too, as Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson explained:
“It starts with the center, the center and guards creating that wedge, getting low,” Johnson said. “It looks like a dumpster dive every play. That’s pretty much what it is, a dumpster dive. And we’ve gotten pretty good at dumpster diving.
“Teams know that we’re doing it. Really, the thing for us is staying low, moving your feet and trying not to jump offsides. Sometimes these guys (on defense) will move last-second (before the snap) and try to get you to jump offsides.”
Eagles make a penalty work
It was risky even for the Eagles, going for it on 4th-and-4 from the Dallas 10 near the end of the first quarter. But it worked out when Cowboys linebacker Dante Fowler was whistled for lining up in the neutral zone.
The Eagles scored on the very next play as Miles Sanders took the ball up the middle from the 5, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
The run culminated a 15-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up 7 minutes, 36 seconds.
Eagles fully healthy on O-line
The Eagles are back to full strength on the offensive line after left tackle Jordan Mailata, who missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury, was cleared to play. So were Jason Kelce and Landon Dickerson, who missed some plays last week.
In addition, RB Boston Scott was cleared to play after missing two games with a concussion. Cornerback Avonte Maddox was also cleared to return after missing two games with an ankle injury.
Left tackle Andre Dillard was activated off injured reserve Saturday and is expected to be on the game-day roster. Dillard was placed on IR after breaking his forearm during a practice in late August. Dillard would have started in place of Mailata last week.
The Eagles’ inactives included a surprise in DE Tarron Jackson, their sixth-round pick last season. The others were QB Ian Book, CB Josh Jobe, S Reed Blankenship, RB Trey Sermon and G Josh Sills.
For the Cowboys, quarterback Dak Prescott, listed as questionable after injuring his thumb in the season opener, was not on the game-day roster. Neither was tight end Dalton Schultz.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
