Yes I know we have to move on to the next big game coming up in Green Bay. But a few final thoughts on the massive effort by the Eagles against Oakland…
It is such an overall advantage for a team to run out there and grab a big early lead as the Eagles did against the Raiders this past Sunday. The reasoning is it sets you up to rest your starters at the end and to get valuable reps for the rest of your bench.
I wish these "Laffers" happened more often for the Eagles. In fact they are quite rare. But when they do happen, it's like injecting your entire team with a giant Vitamin B shot…
Bryce Brown saw 14 snaps on Sunday, his highest total in close to a month. Of his 14 snaps, he got the ball on seven of them. Watching the game it was clear that Brown was a bigger part of the game plan, and almost seemed to be splitting time with McCoy. Although McCoy played considerably more snaps, he only got five more carries (12) than Brown.
I think that it's great when you can get your #2 running back as many carries as possible. It bodes well for the health of your #1 running back, too.
Due to the blowout, every player on defense saw playing time. So it's hard to tell what the breakdown was when things really mattered. It is interesting, however, that Vinny Curry and Clifton Geathers both saw 34 snaps. The two players are very different, with Geathers excelling against the run and Curry against the pass. The 34 snaps were a season high for Curry, and could be an indication of how things will go from here on out with Isaac Sopoaga gone.
Although he started at safety, Earl Wolff saw only nine more snaps than Patrick Chung. Chung was in there with the second team at the end of the game, something that would seem to indicate that the decision not to start him had nothing to do with his injury. It looks like Wolff might be the starter from here on out. But both guys got valuable experience in the secondary that is still evolving. That's the beauty of splitting playing time when you are ahead by a ton on the scoreboard.
Every receiver who dressed got in the game, and all of them saw more than 20 snaps– except for Damaris Johnson. Johnson got on the field for just 15 plays, something Kelly said had to do with the fact that he was injured most of the week coming into the game. Johnson seems to be being phased out of the offense, however, and his playing time going forward is something to keep an eye on.
James Casey saw a season high 16 snaps vs. Oakland, which isn't much less than his total snap count for the season (29) going into the game. Kelly said after the game that the increased playing time for Casey had to do with the Raiders defense, meaning it could be a one-week thing for the veteran tight end. I don't know about that implied limitation on Casey, I just think it's great to get your back-up TE some extra game experience, because you never know when he will be called upon to save the day later in the season when another TE goes down.
Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com actually counted the snaps played of every Eagles performer in the Oakland game. His numbers are interesting:
Besides Chris Polk, the third-string running back, every member of the Eagles offense saw at least ten snaps. Here is a complete breakdown of all the position-players' snap counts from the Eagles big win:
Offense: (59 total plays)
Running Backs:
LeSean McCoy: 45 (76%)
Bryce Brown: 14 (24%)
Wide Receivers:
DeSean Jackson: 43 (72%)
Riley Cooper: 36 (61%)
Jason Avant: 29 (49%)
Jeff Maehl: 21 (35%)
Damaris Johnson: 15 (25%)
Tight End:
Brent Celek: 39 (66%)
Zach Ertz: 35 (59%)
James Casey: 16 (27%)
Defense: (95 total plays)
Defensive Line:
Fletcher Cox: 55 (58%)
Cedric Thornton: 38 (40%)
Clifton Geathers: 34 (36%)
Vinny Curry: 34 (36%)
Bennie Logan: 39 (41%)
Damion Square: 31 (33%)
Linebackers:
Connor Barwin: 79 (83%)
DeMeco Ryans: 75 (79%)
Mychal Kendricks: 72 (76%)
Trent Cole: 67 (71%)
Brandon Graham: 28 (29%)
Emmanuel Acho: 23 (24%)
Najee Goode: 20 (21%)
Casey Matthews: 16 (17%)
Cornerbacks:
Bradley Fletcher: 75 (79%)
Cary Williams: 75 (79%)
Brandon Boykin: 54 (57%)
Roc Carmichael: 20 (21%)
Safeties:
Nate Allen: 61 (64%)
Earl Wolff: 60 (63%)
Patrick Chung: 51 (54%)
Kurt Coleman: 20 (21%)
Colt Anderson: 18 (19%)
Nice to see everyone get into the act. Strategically it keeps your 1st-team guys fresh for next weekend, and ensures your 2nd- and 3rd-team guys are game-conditioned and ready for the tempo if called upon in relief the rest of the way.
That's why a blow-out win every now and then is good for the spirit of a team. Nice that we got one…and it should be cherished. In basketball the concept is known as bench strength. You're usually a better team because of the fact that you play your entire bench. I think the Eagles and Chip Kelly will benefit from exploring that team concept this past weekend in Oakland.
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