Is Jalen Hurts running too much? 4 things that could go wrong for Eagles, with a verdict
And now for your dose of reality: The Eagles might not go 20-0 this season, culminating with another Super Bowl parade through the streets of Philadelphia.
Sure, the Eagles are off to a great start at 5-0 after their hard-fought 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Sunday. It's only the third time in team history that the Eagles have started the season with five straight wins.
But we've only just passed the one-quarter mark of the season, and a lot can happen. Some of it might not be good.
To their credit, the Eagles have won in so many different ways this season, whether it was throwing the ball or running the ball, sacking the quarterback or intercepting passes, in driving rainstorms and physical slugfests.
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That's how good teams win. But the Eagles will certainly have that put to the test this Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, who are 4-1 behind a dominating defense, allowing an average of 14.1 points per game.
"I would love to win every game by a lot," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "I really would. Those are a lot less stressful. ... But that's not the reality of this league. You're going to go through the grind. In fact, more games are going to be like they were (Sunday) than they were for our Washington game (24-8 win) or our Minnesota game (24-7 win)."
Here, then, are four things that might trip up the Eagles, and the verdict on whether the Eagles can overcome that:
1. Is Jalen Hurts running too much?
Through five games, quarterback Jalen Hurts has carried the ball 68 times, averaging 13.6 carries per game, for 266 yards. Hurts has also been sacked 11 times. That's a lot of potential hits.
Hurts is on pace for 231 carries this season. That would shatter the NFL record of rushing attempts by a quarterback, set by Baltimore's Lamar Jackson with 176 in 2019.
Can Hurts keep taking hits and stay healthy enough to make it through the season? For the Eagles, it's a delicate balance.
"We never want him to take a lot of hits, or any hits, for that matter," Sirianni said. "(But) we’re going to do what we need to do to win the football game. ... He’s smart with how he takes hits."
The Eagles don't believe they are putting Hurts in harm's way. But those hits do add up over the course of a season. The Eagles need Hurts to run in order to win.
The verdict: Hurts is unique because his running is a weapon that teams have to account for. That opens up the passing game and creates holes for Miles Sanders. It's a roll-of-the-dice. It's hard to see Hurts running less than 10 times a game, so yes, they're taking a risk. At least the Eagles have a good backup in Gardner Minshew, who has 22 starts in his NFL career.
2. Dicker the kicker and not-so special teams
There have been some close calls, including on Sunday, when punt returner Britain Covey passed up a fair catch and almost fumbled the ball away in the third quarter before recovering at the Eagles' 14. The Eagles were leading by 7 points at the time, and a turnover could've been a momentum changer.
The punting game has not been great, either, as Arryn Siposs has struggled at times to pin an opponent inside the 20, although he has gotten better at that in the last four games. During that span, Siposs has landed 58.8% of his punts inside the 20. That's second in the NFL to Carolina's Johnny Hekker, who has landed 66.7%.
The Eagles were also burned on a Cardinals' fake punt in the final 2 minutes of the first half. Arizona converted the first down, which led to a field goal as the half ended.
And then there's the kicking situation. Jake Elliott missed the game Sunday with an ankle injury. He was replaced by Cameron Dicker, who was kicking in his first NFL regular-season game. Dicker hit both of his field goal attempts, the last from 23 yards out with 1:45 to provide the winning margin.
Elliott's injury isn't considered long term. But if he misses more games, can Dicker continue his success? After all, so many games are decided on last-second field goals.
Just ask Cardinals kicker Matt Ammendola, who missed a 43-yarder with 17 seconds left that could've forced overtime. Like Dicker, Ammendola was a backup elevated from the practice squad for the game.
The verdict: There are some red flags here. Covey can't risk turning the ball over deep in Eagles' territory. On kickoffs, the Eagles' average start is the 22.8, which ranks 31st. That's not awful considering that the Eagles are the NFC's highest-scoring team. In this case, safe is better than sorry.
3. Some key injuries
Injuries, of course, are a part of the game. But there are some injuries a team can overcome and some that they can't.
The Eagles have been fortunate so far, both in the number of injuries and the positions in which they have occurred. For example, the offensive line is so deep that the Eagles played well despite going much of the first half Sunday without three starters in left tackle Jordan Mailata, left guard Landon Dickerson and center Jason Kelce.
And the Eagles have depth on the defensive line as well, especially at tackle with rookie Jordan Davis and second-year man Milton Williams rotating in with veterans Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave.
The biggest dropoff would be at tight end if something were to happen to Dallas Goedert. He led the Eagles on Sunday with 10 catches for 95 yards, including a crucial catch on third-and-12 on the Eagles' final drive. The Eagles don't have another tight end nearly as reliable.
The verdict: The 2017 team had some devastating injuries, including to quarterback Carson Wentz, left tackle Jason Peters and others, but they survived. This Eagles team is deep enough to survive. But cornerback Darius Slay and wide receiver A.J. Brown would be tough to replace.
4. A tough late-season schedule
Through the first nine games, the Eagles are playing only two games against teams with winning records. They already beat one of them, the 4-1 Vikings, and will face the other this Sunday in the 4-1 Cowboys.
That changes beginning on Nov. 20 against the Colts. Six of their last eight games are against teams with .500 records or above. In all, those last eight opponents have a cumulative record of 24-15-1. What's more, the Eagles have a three-game road gauntlet in December against the Giants (4-1), the Bears (2-3) and the Cowboys (4-1).
The verdict: The Eagles won't go undefeated. But if they can take advantage of their first nine games, then find a way to hold their own over the final eight, that would help them secure a first-round bye in the playoffs as the NFC's top seed. That week of rest in January will go a long way for Hurts and the rest of the team.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.