Identifying the reasons why Eagles are struggling to start fast

It's only week three, yet the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive performances against the Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons have been anything but reassuring for a team that was a popular pick for a Super Bowl run in 2019. Particularly, the team's slow starts have been the crux of the conversation. It's not new news for the Eagles, who under Doug Pederson have been one of the slowest starting teams in the NFL. Since 2018, the team is last in points scored in the first quarter, with just 41. Still, there was a sense that this year might be different. That fleeting hope was in full force this offseason. After acquiring field-stretching DeSean Jackson, bruising RB Jordan Howard and electric rookies Miles Sanders and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Philadelphia was equipped to take teams by surprise. The one-two punch of the new-look backfield was supposed to keep the defense honest while Jackson and Arcega-Whiteside, along with Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor ran rampant behind opposing secondaries. On the contrary, what's been seen on the screen has been lethargic, segmented and at times infuriating. The offense simply hasn't been able to get on the same page early in the game. Without two long touchdowns from DeSean and some Wentz magic, the Eagles' performance would look much worse. Early struggles haven't gone unnoticed within the coaching staff. Even with a win against Washington, the team knows that wins will be hard to come by if the slow starts continue. Head Coach Doug Pederson is of the opinion that the problem is more a struggle to start the first drive than the first quarter. "It's been our execution on offense. We also strive on defense to get off the field a little faster, three-and-out or at least maybe two first downs where we're getting them off the field. And then we've had penalties that have backed us up, kept us in some third-and-long situations that we couldn't overcome, and the other thing is turnovers. If we score on the opening drive that's points in our favour, and it kind of feeds the rest of the quarter." He does have a point. While the Eagles have been one of the slowest starting teams in the NFL under his tutelage, the biggest drop off from 2017 has been the 1st quarter. In their Super Bowl-winning season, the Eagles almost doubled their average points in the first quarter, scoring almost a touchdown per quarter.

	2016	2017	2018	2019
First Quarter Points	3.5	6.4	3.2	0.0
Rank	24th	2nd	31st	32nd
Second Quarter Points	7.4	8.3	5.9	6.5
Rank	11th	7th	21st	18th
First Half Points	10.9	14.7	9.2	6.5
Rank	18th	3rd	27th	23rd
First Half Possession	51.61%	53.95%	52.08%	46.25%
Rank	9th	3rd	8th	26th

With the coach's emphasis on the first drive, let's take a look at exactly how those went for the Eagles in their first two games of the season. vs. Washington:

1st & 10 @ PHI 25	Incomplete short pass to Z.Ertz.
2nd & 10 @ PHI 25	Pass to D.Jackson for 11 yards.
1st & 10 @ PHI 36	Run M.Sanders for 2 yards.
2nd & 8 @ PHI 38	Run D.Sproles for 6 yards.(UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS - D.Jackson) -15 yards.
3rd & 17 @ PHI 29	Incomplete deep pass to N.Agholor.
4th & 17 @ PHI 29	Punt

@ Atlanta:

1st & 10 @ PHI 29	Pass to Z.Ertz for 8 yards.
2nd & 2 @ PHI 37	Run M.Sanders for 0 yards.
3rd & 2 @ PHI 37	Incomplete deep pass to A.Jeffery.(DEFENSIVE HOLDING - I.Oliver) 5 Yards.
1st & 10 @ PHI 42	(FALSE START - I.Seumalo) -5 Yards.
1st & 15 @ PHI 37	Run M.Sanders for 4 yards.
2nd & 11 @ PHI 41	Run M.Sanders for 4 yards.
3rd & 7 @ PHI 45	Incomplete pass to N.Agholor
4th & 7 @ PHI 45	Punt

The killer for both series were penalties. After positive plays in both games, penalties put the Eagles in long-yardage situations. A start to the game without any major mistakes would make a world of difference for first-half momentum. Even a minor penalty could mean the difference between starting the game with three points or none. Limiting flags isn't an exact science, but the hope is that it will get better as the season goes on.

	2016	2017	2018	2019
First Half Possession	51.61%	53.95%	52.08%	46.25%
Rank	9th	3rd	8th	26th

Interestingly enough, Pederson also pointed to a lack of possession when discussing the slow start against Washington. While the Pederson-led Eagles are used to dominating the time of possession, it seems to have little correlation with first half points. This shines the light on a possible solution to the early game woes -- the offense needs some splash plays. The big play specialist on offense will be sidelined for at least a few weeks. Also, not having Dallas Goedert in the lineup limits the Eagles' ability to exploit defenses in two tight end sets -- where the Birds have been deadly. The availability of both players will have a major impact on the offense against Detroit and Green Bay. When asked about starting slow, offensive coordinator Mike Groh took time to address injuries and how the team will function moving forward: "I think, again, it's a combination of factors. Obviously those were unusual circumstances that we were dealing with early in the game. I think it's a credit to our offensive coaching staff to work through the run game and trying to make those adjustments on the fly, not only just the coaches but the players.I think there are multiple factors involved there. Offensively as a unit, there are things we all need to improve on, starting with me and that we all need to improve to play better in the first quarter, first half." While both Groh and Pederson correctly identify that the lack of early success is a culmination of multiple issues, it is interesting that Groh mentions having to lean on the run game. With Jackson, Jeffery, and Goedert on the sidelines, common sense would assume the solution was to run the football. Yet, the Eagles handed the ball off only ten times in the first half in Atlanta. The offensive coaching staff will have to get the run game rolling to take pressure off of Wentz and the limited receiver rotation.

https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2019/09/18/despite-a-revamped-eagles-backfield-history-is-repeating-itself-early-in-the-season/

Speaking of Carson, he has been absolutely outstanding on third down, especially in the latter half of games so far this season. Therefore, it's reasonable to think that once he finds a rhythm and can get off to a hot start, first-half drives will be longer with better yields. Those incompletions will turn into completions and first downs and touchdowns will follow. Nevertheless, third downs are heavily dependent on first and second. There are some early holes that are insurmountable. Below is the script by play call against Washington in the first half on first and second down. While there is a mix of play-calling and personnel, the Eagles kept their passes short and their runs under center. The running backs were the most targeted players on early downs in the first half, for mostly short gains. Following that, against Atlanta, the script looked much different. The one thing that remained is a focus on short passes. vs. Washington:

	1st Down	2nd Down	AVG
Completed Pass - Z.Ertz	-	1	5.0
Incomplete Pass - Z.Ertz	1	-	-
Completed Pass - D.Jackson/ A.Jeffery	-	3	6.3
Incomplete Pass - D.Jackson/ A.Jeffery	-	1	-
Completed Pass - Other Receiver	3	1	4.5
Incomplete Pass - Other Receiver	1	1	-
Run from Under Center - M.Sanders	3	-	1.3
Run from Shotgun - M.Sanders	-	-	-
Run from Under Center - J.Howard	-	-	-
Run from Shotgun - J.Howard	1	1	6.0
Run from Under Center - D.Sproles	-	1	4.0
Run from Shotgun - D.Sproles	-	1	6.0
Other - Sack	1	-	-
Total Pass Plays	6	7	3.5
Total Run Plays	4	3	3.3
Yards per Play	4.2	4.7	-

@ Atlanta:

	1st Down	2nd Down	AVG
Completed Pass - Z.Ertz	2	2	7.3
Incomplete/Intercepted Pass - Z.Ertz	4	-	-
Completed Pass - Other Receiver	2	1	5.0
Incomplete Pass - Other Receiver	2	2	-
Run from Under Center - M.Sanders	-	-	-
Run from Shotgun - M.Sanders	2	4*	2.8
Run from Under Center - J.Howard	-	3	3.6
Run from Shotgun - J.Howard	-	1	2.0
Other - Sack	1	-	-
Total Pass Plays	11	5	2.8
Total Run Plays	2	8	3.0
Yards per Play	2.8	3.5	-

*includes one holding penalty There are some important points to be made that the numbers don't show. Against Washington, there were three incomplete deep throws in the last two drives, otherwise, there were no attempted passes over 15 yards. Also, three completions on first downs were to running backs. Against the Falcons, all completed passes on first and second down in the first half were under 10 yards. Continued on page 2 below. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports A major change from game to game was how Miles Sanders was being deployed. After middling success under center, the team clearly wanted to move Sanders to the shotgun. While it was definitely an improvement, it also took shotgun carries away from Howard, who has had a fair share of solid gains from that formation. He also has a solid career resume running from shotgun (4.2 y/c in 2018). Getting Sanders rolling early on in the season is a fantastic premise, however, it may come at the expense of Howard. While he isn't the most explosive back, Howard is criminally underrated and has the ability to carry an offense -- especially one that has been struggling to find big plays. The numbers that stand out the most is on first down against the Falcons. All in all, the down was particularly bad, despite some 8-or 9-yard pass plays to Zach Ertz. The biggest difference in the Redskins game was a willingness to take deep shots. Without DeSean Jackson in the lineup, The Eagles were more reluctant to try the long ball against the Falcons. Instead, against Atlanta, the team leaned on their shotgun runs on early downs in the second half. The Eagles need to take more deep shots on early downs in the first half. This will be a tall task with DeSean Jackson out of the lineup for at least two weeks. Still, the trio of Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside definitely have the ability to stretch the field and the offense needs to find a way to take advantage. We saw it on the almost-game-winning drop when Nelson was flying down the sideline. Hollins' only NFL touchdown was a 64 yard burner. JJAW made a name for himself in college continually beating defenders downfield. The absence of Jackson cannot be used as an excuse.

https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2019/09/17/ig-8/

There is also the issue of less-than-stellar pass protection. Especially to start the game, the offensive line haven't looked quite themselves. Isaac Seumalo's struggles aside, the group as a whole have looked somewhat lethargic to start games. They've failed to generate a consistent push on run plays and Carson Wentz has been dealing with pressure for almost two straight games. The Redskins and Falcons both house talented defensive lines, but the Eagles' opponents get no easier with showdowns against revamped Packers' and Lions' front sevens. Still, this is a perennially dominant offensive line and in spite of early struggles, the Eagles have not been completely inept fifteen yards and beyond. There are clear examples on field of the offense having the ability to stretch a defense, having particular success on third down. Therefore, the lack of early deep throws is confusing. There is an argument that on an offense that loves to keep the football, an overemphasis on early deep shots can be counter intuitive. However, the numbers seem to suggest that it's not an issue of possession. What the Eagles are missing is splash plays -- and you can't make an omelette without cracking some eggs. The old adage rings true, and the offense will need to heed this advice against the Lions' secondary. Facing a defence that loves to play man coverage, Carson will have to trust his young receivers to make plays down the field. The Eagles need to run the ball with Jordan Howard on first down. A complete change of pace from the last point, call this the other side to the same coin. To open room for long throws, the Eagles need to be more successful running the football -- especially on early downs. Not only does this suck the safeties towards the line of scrimmage, but it will also tire and slow down the opposing pass rush. There have been countless reports criticizing the Eagles lack of commitment to the run game since the beginning of 2018. Unfortunately, running the football successfully in the NFL isn't as simple as handing the ball off more frequently. After finishing third in rushing in 2017, Philadelphia hasn't been able to replicate their ground-and-pound potency. Last season the team was given excuses based on their unfortunate backfield situation. Smartly, Howie Roseman identified the position as a weakness and added two top calibre runners to the backfield rotation. Rookie Miles Sanders, while showing a ton of positive glimpses of talent, is still clearly fighting a stiff first year learning curve. Jordan Howard, on the other hand, has been inexplicably underused. Any time you have a running back on the roster that averages over 6 yards per carry in any particular formation, it should be on the game script. Howard's success running the football was mentioned before, but he has been particularly efficient under center. His four carries from under center have gone for 27 yards (6.8 yard average). Howard ran the ball from under center three times in the first half in Atlanta and all three runs came on second down. In total, he was on the field for only 18 offensive snaps. If the coaching staff believes the best way for Miles Sanders to prosper is in gun and plan on keeping him on the field, then mixing Howard in for bruising first down runs should be the play. Ideally, the Eagles would turn to heavy use of Howard early in the game to loosen up the defense only for Sanders to gash opponents with his change of pace. Regardless, there's hardly a reason for a two-time 1,000 yard rusher to have one first down carry in four total quarters. Howard didn't run the ball on first down at all in the first half against the Falcons. The Eagles were dreadful on first down in the first half against the Falcons. Coincidence or correlation?

https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2019/09/17/sol-4/

The Eagles need to rely on their running backs and slot receivers to generate yards on early passing downs. With options like Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor on the field, you may not believe it, but the most dependable play has on early downs has been short passes to the running backs. Such plays have accounted for 22 yards on five receptions (4.4 yards per reception). While that seems insignificant, it has been the one play for the offense that has consistently generated positive yardage. Literally, when targetting running backs on first or second down in the first half of games, the Eagles have generated no incompletions. It didn't take long for the veteran Josh McCown to realize the Eagles have some players that can make stuff happen out of the backfield. In his first two plays, McCown checked it down to Miles Sanders both times for solid gains. It's no coincidence that in his short time on the field McCown seemed to breathe life back into the offense. The other high percentage play for the Eagles, spanning beyond just this year, has been targeting Nelson Agholor over the middle of the field. Sure, there are some incompletions and missed throws when he gets farther away from the line of scrimmage. However, within 15 yards, the guy is money. You would never know he used to have an issue with drops. He offers more after the catch value than Zach Ertz, and with Dallas Goedert's status up-in-the-air the Birds will need another play maker on the inside. If nothing else, Agholor has shown the hustle and heart to make things happen.

https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2019/09/19/agg/

Although you never want to be without your top receivers, a chance for Nelson and Carson to develop their chemistry would be welcome. In his 8 touchdown season, Wentz seemed to be able to find Agholor at will. Regaining that confidence would be a fantastic addition to the offense. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports