November 11, 2019
Every Monday this season, we have taken a look at how the Philadelphia Eagles' snaps have been distributed, with analysis, for each individual game. Since the Birds didn't have a game this week, perhaps this is an opportune time to take a look at the season as whole through the team's first nine games.
(Snap counts via FootballOutsiders.com and PFF.com.)
• 622 snaps: Carson Wentz
• 15 snaps: Josh McCown
Analysis: Heading into the start of the season, the Eagles' No. 1 concern, by far, was whether or not Carson Wentz could stay healthy through a 16-game season. With the exception of a weird circumstance in Atlanta which the league radioed to the Eagles bench that Wentz needed to be tested for a concussion -- and a few missed snaps in preservation mode late in blowouts -- Wentz has not come off the field.
• 638 snaps: Lane Johnson
• 637 snaps: Jason Kelce
• 636 snaps: Isaac Seumalo
• 618 snaps: Brandon Brooks
• 352 snaps: Jason Peters
• 280 snaps: Andre Dillard
• 78 snaps: Halapoulivaati Vaitai
• 1 snap: Matt Pryor
Analysis: Let's first start with the positive. It is amazing how quickly Brandon Brooks has come back from a torn Achilles in the divisional round of the playoffs a season ago, and the level at which he is playing. If he continues to play the rest of this season the way he has played through the first nine games, he should be a First-Team All-Pro.
On the negative side, Jason Peters is predictably injured, again. In his place, Andre Dillard has improved each week, and had a very good game Week 9 against the Bears. He should be the starting LT going forward, regardless of Peters' availability.
Doug Pederson was asked about that upcoming decision.
"I think moving forward, something we'll evaluate this week, I've been really impressed with Andre, number one," he said. "Gosh, he had another good game yesterday with these two pass rushers, Khalil [Mack] and Leonard [Floyd], he played well. I do think when JP is healthy and comes back, I still think it's JP's position moving forward."
I don't think Doug actually means that. We'll see when that time comes.
• 279 snaps: Jordan Howard
• 241 snaps: Miles Sanders
• 103 snaps: Darren Sproles
• 21 snaps: Boston Scott
• 3 snaps: Corey Clement
Analysis: There's no reasonable argument on why Darren Sproles should be getting snaps over Miles Sanders, who is a better runner, more explosive, a better receiver, and has been surprisingly good in pass protection.
Jordan Howard was a rare veteran acquisition hit this offseason among a slew of misses. He has proven to be a solid runner and a good team guy.
• 565 snaps: Nelson Agholor
• 411 snaps: Alshon Jeffery
• 374 snaps: Mack Hollins
• 175 snaps: J.J. Arcega-Whiteside
• 65 snaps: DeSean Jackson
• 2 snaps: Greg Ward
Analysis: Alshon Jeffery is on pace for 15 games played, 64 catches, 662 yards, and 8 TDs (we'll count his "rushing" TD here too). That's not anywhere close to good enough for a player who is scheduled to count for $15,446,500 on the cap in 2020 and $18,536,500 in 2021. He might have the worst contract on the team.
Meanwhile, we've already beaten Nelson Agholor's struggles to death, and the complete lack of production from Mack Hollins and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. Jordan Matthews shouldn't be mistaken for an answer to the Eagles' wide receiver problems, but he'll be better than Hollins and Arcega-Whiteside.
• 548 snaps: Zach Ertz
• 344 snaps: Dallas Goedert
• 6 snaps: Alex Ellis
Analysis: For a team that has two tight ends each playing 70 percent of the snaps in recent weeks, it seems crazy to me that the Eagles only carry two, and it feels like the Atlanta game won't be the only time that dynamic really hurts them this season.
If Zach Ertz or Dallas Goedert go down at any point in a game going forward, the Eagles are going to have to throw out a substantial part of their playbook.
• 435 snaps: Derek Barnett
• 427 snaps: Brandon Graham
• 423 snaps: Fletcher Cox
• 248 snaps: Hassan Ridgeway
• 201 snaps: Akeem Spence
• 192 snaps: Vinny Curry
• 169 snaps: Josh Sweat
• 64 snaps: Timmy Jernigan
• 32 snaps: Malik Jackson
• 30 snaps: Bruce Hector
• 24 snaps: Anthony Rush
• 21 snaps: Albert Huggins
• 20 snaps: Daeshon Hall
• 8 snaps: Genard Avery
Analysis: Yeah, so that's a long list of players. The Eagles have played six different defensive ends this season and eight (!) different defensive tackles.
At defensive tackle, once Malik Jackson went down, it's been an injury-weakened version of Fletcher Cox (though he seems to be getting back to his old self) and a bunch of replacement-level players.
The defensive ends have largely played pretty well, in my view, at least after the first quarter of the season. They're perhaps being a little under-appreciated at the moment. I think what you'll see a bit of down the stretch is that there will be times in which four of the above DEs -- Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat, and Avery Genard -- could all be on the field at the same time on obvious passing downs, with Graham playing DT next to Cox, and Genard playing something of a joker role in which he can either blitz, drop into a short zone, or spy the quarterback.
• 348 snaps: Nigel Bradham
• 310 snaps: Nate Gerry
• 275 snaps: Zach Brown
• 192 snaps: Kamu Grugier-Hill
• 63 snaps: T.J. Edwards
• 10 snaps: Duke Riley
Analysis: Zach Brown and L.J. Fort were both cut during the season. Brown was a starter, and Fort has become a solid contributor in Baltimore.
Meanwhile, Nigel Bradham hasn't been healthy (and also not the same Nigel Bradham from 2017), Nate Gerry has come along a bit but isn't an ideal starter, and Kamu Grugier-Hill has not made the big jump that many of us thought he might.
• 567 snaps: Malcolm Jenkins
• 566 snaps: Rodney McLeod
• 416 snaps: Rasul Douglas
• 233 snaps: Andrew Sendejo
• 222 snaps: Avonte Maddox
• 218 snaps: Ronald Darby
• 214 snaps: Sidney Jones
• 158 snaps: Jalen Mills
• 84 snaps: Orlando Scandrick
• 68 snaps: Craig James
• 15 snaps: Johnathan Cyprien
• 1 snap: Rudy Ford
Analysis: He's not having a Pro Bowl type of season, but there's no questioning Malcolm Jenkins' heart. He hasn't missed a snap since 2017. Rodney McLeod's availability was in question during training camp, but he has played all but one snap this season. Andrew Sendejo was rightfully waived in favor of a 2020 (projected) fourth-round compensatory pick.
As for the cornerbacks, the starters going forward will be Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby, with Avonte Maddox in the slot. Rasul Douglas is back on the bench, though he'd be the first guy back on the field in most injury scenarios. We'll see how Cre'Von LeBlanc fits in if he ever comes off of injured reserve. Sidney Jones has become a healthy scratch, a bad blow for his career.
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