Mind-blowing rushing offense numbers. Mind-blowing rushing defense numbers. All kinds of mind-blowing numbers this week in our latest edition of Roob’s Eagles Stats.
1. The Eagles out-rushed the Vikings by 231 yards (259 to 28) and the Bucs by 160 yards (201-41). This is the first time in 73 years they’ve had consecutive games with a rushing margin of at least 160 yards. Last time it happened was vs. the Rams on Oct. 7 and Colts on Oct. 15 in 1950 – a 172-yard margin vs. the Rams [298-126] and 189 yards vs. the Colts [254-65]. With a 160-yard rushing margin and a 138-yard passing margin in Tampa, this was only the second time since 1954 the Eagles have outgained a team by at least 135 yards both rushing and passing. They also did it on Nov. 15, 1981, in a 38-13 win over the Colts at the Vet.
2. This is the first time the Eagles have rushed for 200 or more yards with an average of at least 5.0 yards per carry in consecutive games since 1948, when they did it three straight games: 42-21 vs. Washington (376 yards, 6.3) 45-0 vs. Boston (220 yards, 5.1) and 35-14 vs. the Giants (269 yards, 6.3).
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3. Reed Blankenship is the first undrafted Eagle with two or more INTs in his first 12 career games since Brenard Wilson in 1979. Before that, Herm Edwards in 1977.
4. In the win over the Vikings, D’Andre Swift ran for 175 yards and DeVonta Smith had 131 receiving yards. On Monday night in Tampa, Swift ran for 130 yards and A.J. Brown had 131 yards. In the Eagles’ first 1,260 games in franchise history – from opening day 1933 through the Patriots game two weeks ago – the Eagles had four games with both a receiver and a back both gaining 130 yards. Now it’s happened twice in a row. Here’s the full list:
Sept. 25, 2023, at Tampa [Swift 130, Brown 131]
Sept. 14, 2023, vs. Vikings [Swift 175, Smith 131]
NFL
Dec. 21, 2021, vs. Washington [Sanders 131, Goedert 135]
Dec. 12, 2010, at Dallas [Shady 210, DeSean 210]
Nov. 7, 1965, at Browns [Timmy Brown 186, Retzlaff 151]
Nov. 28, 1965, at Rams [Timmy Brown 180, Retzlaff 148]
5. With his career-long 52-yard punt return, Britain Covey improved his career punt return average to 11.1, 4th-highest in franchise history behind Brian Westbrook (11.7), Darren Sproles (11.6) and Brian Mitchell (11.3). Covey’s 11.1 career average is 14th-highest in NFL history by an undrafted player. Covey’s 52-yarder was the longest punt return by an Eagle since Jalen Reagor’s 76-yard TD against the Packers in 2020 and longest by an undrafted Eagle since Damaris Johnson’s franchise-record 98-yard TD in 2013 in Dallas.
6. In the second half Monday night, the Eagles had a time-of-possession edge of 23:35 to 6:25. They ran 44 plays to 15 for the Bucs. The 23:35 is the Eagles’ largest 2nd-half time-of-possession edge on record. Available records on time of possession by quarter only go back to 2000. It's their 2nd-largest ToP advantage in any half on record. In 2018, they held the ball for 23:49 in the first half (and 43:19 overall) in a 24-0 win over Washington at FedEx.
7. The Eagles outgained the Bucs 472-174, and that 298-yard advantage was their largest in 15 years and 9th-largest in the last 68 years. Last time they recorded a larger yardage advantage was in the 2008 opener, a 38-3 win over the Rams at the Linc. The Eagles finished with a 356-yard edge, outgaining St. Louis 522-166. Monday’s 298-yard advantage was the Eagles’ 9th-largest ever on the road and biggest since they outgained the Bucs 506-196 in 2006 – also at Raymond James Stadium – but lost on Matt Bryant’s 61-yard field goal as time expired.
8. The Eagles are the fourth team in NFL history to rush for at least 550 yards and allow fewer than 150 rushing yards through three games. The others were the 2000 Giants, 1957 Colts and 1947 49ers. Their 412-yard margin (557-145) is 16th-largest in NFL history through three games and 4th-largest in the last 40 years.
9. This is the first time since at least 1948 that the Eagles haven't allowed a run longer than 12 yards in their first three games. Long gains for games before 1949 aren't available. They're the only NFL team that hasn't allowed a run longer than 12 yards.
10. Here’s a bunch of D’Andre Swift stats:
I. Swift is only the 14th player in NFL history with over 300 rushing yards and a rushing average of at least 6.8 three games into a season. Among the others who’ve done it are Kareem Hunt, Tiki Barber, Jim Brown and Thurman Thomas. His 308 yards so far are 5th-most in Eagles history after three games, behind LeSean McCoy twice (395 in 2013, 345 in 2011) and Wilbert Montgomery twice (345 in 1981, 327 in 1980). And that's with one three-yard carry in the opener. His 6.8 average is the highest by any Eagles running back in franchise history after three games (minimum 20 attempts). The previous high was McCoy’s 6.4 in 2013. Three quarterbacks - Michael Vick (7.4 in 2010), Randall Cunningham (1988) and Jalen Hurts (6.9 in 2021) - had higher per-carry averages after three games.
II. With back-to-back games of 130 yards in prime-time games, Swift is already tied for 2nd-most lifetime rushing performances of at least 130 yards in night games by an Eagle. Shady had seven and Bryce Brown, Miles Sanders and Hurts two each.
III. The only Eagles with more 130-yard rushing games in a season than D'Andre Swift are Steve Van Buren, McCoy and Sanders. And that's with 14 games to go.
IV. Only seven players in Eagles history have more career games with 130 rushing yards than Swift: Shady [11], Van Buren [9], Wilbert [6], Duce [6], Sanders [4], Ricky Watters [3] and Brian Westbrook [3].
V. Swift’s 305 yards against the Vikings and Buccaneers are 7th-most in Eagles history in a two-game span and the most since Brown ran for 347 yards against the Panthers (178) and Cowboys (169) in 2012. The team record is 379 by Steve Van Buren in 1949 against the Bulldogs (174) and Steelers (205). Here's a look at all the 300-yard two-game rushing totals in Eagles history:
379 … Steve Van Buren, 1949 [174 vs. Bulldogs, 205 vs. Steelers]
347 … Bryce Brown, 2012 [178 vs. Panthers, 169 vs. Cowboys]
324 … Wilbert Montgomery, 1979 [197 vs. Browns, 127 vs. Cowboys]
311 … LeSean McCoy, 2011 [126 vs. Washington, 185 vs. Cowboys]
308 … Swede Hanson, 1934 [190 vs. Reds, 118 vs. Dodgers]
308 … Steve Van Buren, 1948 [vs. 137 vs. Yanks, 171 vs. Washington]
305 … D’Andre Swift, 2023 [175 vs. Vikings, 130 vs. Bucs]