Eagles snap count analysis: Week 9 at Texans

In their Week 9 win over the Houston Texans, the Philadelphia Eagles played 65 snaps on offense, and 60 on defense. Let's just get right to the snap counts, and some notes.

Quarterback

• 65 snaps: Jalen Hurts

Analysis: Hurts was 21 of 27 for 243 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs. On the season, he is 163 of 239 (68.2%) for 2,042 yards (8.5 YPA), 12 TDs, 2 INTs, for a passer rating of 107.8, which ranks third in the NFL behind just Tua Tagovailoa and Patrick Mahomes. He ranks fourth among quarterback in rushing yardage (326), behind Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, and Daniel Jones.

Hurts' rushing attempts are down lately. Over the first five games of the season, he ran 68 times, or 13.6 times per game. Over the last three games, he has only run 20 times, or 6.7 times per game. During that same three-game stretch, as a passer he is 55 of 80 for 683 yards, 8 TDs, 0 INT, and a 128.3 rating. He is balling without using his legs as a crutch.

Hurts has now won 11 straight regular season starts, by the way.

Running back

• 42 snaps: Miles Sanders

• 18 snaps: Kenny Gainwell

• 5 snaps: Boston Scott

Analysis: From the overhead view of the press box, it looked like the offensive line was opening up huge, gaping holes in the Texans' porous run defense. The running backs had good numbers overall, but I'm curious to see on the rewatch if they shouldn't have had more.

Wide receiver

• 58 snaps: DeVonta Smith

• 56 snaps: A.J. Brown

• 35 snaps: Quez Watkins

• 20 snaps: Zach Pascal

• 1 snap: Britain Covey

Analysis: Watkins got involved for the first time in a while. He had 2 catches (on consecutive plays for 25 yards). He hasn't had any receiving yardage since the Cardinals game. I don't think that was his fault, to be clear. It's hard finding targets for Watkins when Brown, Smith, and Dallas Goedert are all playing at a high level.

The Eagles may need him at some point though, so it would be ideal if Nick Sirianni and the Eagles' staff can figure out ways to get him involved productively.

Tight end

• 59 snaps: Dallas Goedert

• 23 snaps: Jack Stoll

• 7 snaps: Grant Calcaterra

Analysis: Goedert had 8 catches for 100 yards and 1 TD. He is now on pace for 1,107 receiving yards this season, and he leads NFL tight ends (min. 20 targets) in yards per target. Post-game, Sirianni said that Goedert deserves more recognition as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He's right. Add in that he's also a very good blocker, and there's little question that Goedert is a top five tight end. Personally, I think he's top three, behind only Travis Kelce and George Kittle.

Offensive line

• 65 snaps each: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, Lane Johnson

• 1 snap: Cam Jurgens

Analysis: Mailata had a rough game trying to block Jerry Hughes. He gave up a pair of sacks during a series in which the Eagles went three-and-out.

Jurgens actually looked the part of a slot receiver on the two point conversion. He aligned right and assigned right, which would be good enough for him to play for 2019 Eagles wide receiver coach Carson Walch.

Defensive line

• 42 snaps: Fletcher Cox

• 41 snaps: Javon Hargrave

• 35 snaps: Josh Sweat

• 26 snaps: Marlon Tuipulotu

• 24 snaps: Milton Williams

• 23 snaps: Brandon Graham

• 19 snaps: Marvin Wilson

• 7 snaps: Robert Quinn

Analysis: The Eagles missed Jordan Davis in this game, as the Texans had success running it right up the gut against the interior of the Eagles' defensive front.

Hargrave was obviously a stud as a pass rusher, picking up three sacks. None of those were gimmes, either. He won with strength and power, and was disruptive all night. Is Hargrave maybe a little underappreciated? My sense is that a lot of fans would be fine with losing him in free agency next offseason. Maybe they shouldn't be?

Linebacker

• 56 snaps: T.J. Edwards

• 53 snaps: Kyzir White

• 41 snaps: Haason Reddick

• 14 snaps: Patrick Johnson

• 1 snap: Nakobe Dean

Analysis: I'll save my review of the linebackers until I rewatch the game. I'm curious how liable they were for the Eagles' run defense difficulties.

Reddick actually had a nice pass breakup in coverage on a Texans tight end.

Cornerback and safety

• 60 snaps: Marcus Epps

• 59 snaps each: Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

• 29 snaps: Avonte Maddox

• 12 snaps: K'Von Wallace

Analysis: Gardner-Johnson now leads the NFL with 5 INTs. He was previously tied for the league lead, but now he owns sole possession. Bradberry had an up and down game. He got roasted on a double move by Phillip Dorsett that led to a big play down the field and an eventual Texans TD. He made up for it with a game-sealing INT of Davis Mills. Bradberry now has three INTs on the season.

Gardner-Johnson, Slay, and Bradberry each have at least three INTs. The Eagles haven't had three players with three INTs in a full season since 2017.

On the play that Kyzir White was flagged for defensive holding, Wallace got away with a blatant hold of his own. Dorsett was breaking toward the corner of the end zone, and Watkins grabbed onto his jersey for dear life, and did not let him go. Dorsett was rightfully shocked (and furious) to not see a flag thrown on Wallace on that play. If Wallace has to play more than just a small handful of snaps in a game, that's a big concern for the Eagles' defense.

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