Birds’ aerial attack won’t fly without star receiver
PHILADELPHIA >> Jordan Matthews is on the list of NFL receiving leaders, right there at No. 41. Running back Darren Sproles is No. 98. The list wouldn’t be complete without Mr. 108, one Nelson Agholor.
With Doug Pederson admitting to a preference for run-pass balance in his offense, the Eagles are not likely, by policy, to have a pass-catcher challenging for the league lead. But at 4-2 and in a balanced division, their expectations and opportunities have expanded.
Thus, there is the question, even after a 21-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings: Can the Eagles expect to be relevant, this season and into the gut of Carson Wentz’s career, without a single pass catcher productive enough to create a demand for his replica jersey? Don’t they need more from their wide receivers?
“I don’t know,” Doug Pederson said. “I mean, I think we need more from everybody, quite honestly — the tight ends, running backs, wide receivers, quarterbacks, the O-line. We need everybody.
“We all need to step up. The one thing I will say is this: It’s a very unselfish group. This group is very unselfish. They don’t fight for the ball. They don’t ask for the ball. Whenever the ball comes their way, they do the best they can to make the play. That’s what we need. That’s what we need in order to win tough games.”
There is a value to the team-first, stats-last clubhouse culture. And were the Eagles’ wide receivers on the field making a scene, throwing up their hands in disgust whenever the ball doesn’t fly their way, that would invite its own controversy. But the Eagles are ranked 29th in the NFL in passing yardage. And how long can they play .667 football before that statistic yanks them back to reality?
Wentz was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month in September; his highlights included throwing for 278 yards against Cleveland and dropping 301 on Pittsburgh. But two weeks ago, he threw for 179 yards in Washington, and he was held to 138 yards by Minnesota.
“Well, he’s still winning football games,” Pederson said. “That’s obviously the ultimate stat. He missed some throws against Minnesota. And we are getting deeper into the season. He is a first-time starter. He’s a rookie. And just with the longevity of the season, I’ve got to make sure that we’re keeping things very familiar for him where he can just execute and play.”
Wentz’s inexperience has not been his only challenge. He has had some passes dropped, including one by Zach Ertz in Washington, likely caused by sun glare. He has had to adjust to a new, less effective offensive line as Lane Johnson serves a 10-game suspension. Opposing defensive coordinators have more data on his tendencies.
And maybe, too, the popular cry is correct: Those receivers… they are too ordinary.
“There were a couple opportunities to make catches and we didn’t make them,” Pederson said. “We had a couple drops, so it would have helped in those situations. But he continues to manage the game extremely well and puts our team in good situations, specifically in the run game. In the passing game, we dialed up some ‘quick game’ early, which are usually completion throws. He had a nice slant to Jordan early, and Nelson made a nice catch on a hitch route. So we continue to do that.”
The Eagles knew what they had entering the season. Agholor, a 2015 firstround draft choice, was coming off a choppy rookie season. Matthews has played like a second-round pick, which he was in 2014, occasionally sparkling, but not often enough. Ertz has had a slow start, perhaps a function of the Birds changing starting quarterbacks so late in camp.
The alternatives… other than continuing to return kickoffs for touchdowns? Wentz targeted Josh Huff four times Sunday, each time connecting. And Dorial Green-Beckham was thought to be an answer in the preseason, but he only caught two passes Sunday for eight yards.
“I feel like we just came off slow,” Green-Beckham said. “You know most guys are banged up and we needed some extra bodies. And I just feel like we came off slow.
“We feel like that we just have to come out, execute and continue to do those things and work on them more in practice.”
The NFL trading deadline is Nov. 1. The performance of the Birds’ receivers Sunday night in Dallas could drag Howie Roseman into the market. ESPN has reported that the Eagles may be interested in the 49ers’ Torrey Smith. The Bears’ Alshon Jeffrey is also reported to be available in the right deal.
Until then, Pederson will attempt to boost the passing attack by continuing to work with Wentz.
“It’s a matter of him just setting his target line a little bit better,” said Pederson, a former NFL quarterback. “It’s just something he’s got to work through in practice. That’s why we practice and we work on these things, because you think it would just be second nature for any player in the National Football League. But we have to keep working on the little things and the detail things that pay off in games, which includes setting the target line.”
The Eagles have established their own target line, digging in with Wentz, for the short term, for the long term. For that, Pederson has admitted to trying to minimize his quarterback’s collisions, limiting the length of his drops, ordering more running plays, settling for quicker passes. If Wentz is going to do any suffering, better it is on the stat sheet than the medical report.
“You have to move on,” Wentz said, “and make the next throw.”
To whichever receiver is open… or close to open.