• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • NFL
  • NHL
  • MLB
  • NBA
  • Pro Wrestling
  • MMA
Patriots vs. Eagles: Which Team Has the Advantage in the Run Game?

Patriots vs. Eagles: Which Team Has the Advantage in the Run Game?

February 1, 2018
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Opinion: Super Bowl Viewing Guide

January 28, 2021

Blue Jays Continue Strong Offseason, Acquire Steven Matz from New York

January 27, 2021
ADVERTISEMENT
AEW Dynamite Results, Grades & Opinion: January 27, 2021

AEW Dynamite Results, Grades & Opinion: January 27, 2021

January 27, 2021
Derrick Brooks: Why Super Bowl LV Calls a Cease Fire on Bucs’ Cannons

Derrick Brooks: Why Super Bowl LV Calls a Cease Fire on Bucs’ Cannons

January 27, 2021

How Eric Fisher Injury Affects Super Bowl, Beyond

January 27, 2021
Dolphins: Breaking Down Remaining Offensive Coordinator Candidates

Dolphins: Breaking Down Remaining Offensive Coordinator Candidates

January 27, 2021
Opinion: Nope, Getting Bucs to Super Bowl is Not Brady’s Greatest Accomplishment

Opinion: Nope, Getting Bucs to Super Bowl is Not Brady’s Greatest Accomplishment

January 27, 2021
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Opinion: The 18 Year Itch

January 27, 2021
Patriots’ Top Performers from the 2020 Season

Patriots’ Top Performers from the 2020 Season

January 27, 2021
J.T. Realmuto Stays in Philadelphia

J.T. Realmuto Stays in Philadelphia

January 26, 2021

2021 Chiefs Draft Prospect: Rashad Weaver

January 26, 2021
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Opinion: Uncertain Future Ahead

January 26, 2021
  • Apply to Write
  • Contact Us
  • FullPressRadio.com
  • SHOP FPC
  • FullPressHockey.com
  • FullPressWrestling.com


Thursday, January 28, 2021
Full Press Coverage
  • Latest
    • Full Press Radio Network
    • Apply to Write
    • Feedback
    • Privacy Policy
  • NFL
    • AFC
      • Baltimore Ravens
      • Buffalo Bills
      • Cincinnati Bengals
      • Cleveland Browns
      • Denver Broncos
      • Houston Texans
      • Indianapolis Colts
      • Jacksonville Jaguars
      • Kansas City Chiefs
      • Las Vegas Raiders
      • Los Angeles Chargers
      • Miami Dolphins
      • New England Patriots
      • New York Jets
      • Pittsburgh Steelers
      • Tennessee Titans
    • NFC
      • Arizona Cardinals
      • Atlanta Falcons
      • Carolina Panthers
      • Chicago Bears
      • Dallas Cowboys
      • Detroit Lions
      • Green Bay Packers
      • Los Angeles Rams
      • Minnesota Vikings
      • New Orleans Saints
      • New York Giants
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • San Francisco 49ers
      • Seattle Seahawks
      • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
      • Washington Football Club
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • Fantasy Sports
  • Pro Wrestling
  • Other Sports
    • College Sports
    • MMA
    • XFL
    • Futbol
    • AAF
  • Podcasts
    • FPC Radio LIVE
    • Dylan and Ross Save Sports
    • The Eye Test for Two
    • Big Bad Bruins Podcast
    • Black Tuesday
    • Get Off My Lawn
    • The Sap and Kat Show
    • Talkamania
    • Crossbody of Work
    • The Salvaggio and Cratty Sports Podcast
    • All Shows
No Result
View All Result
Full Press Coverage
No Result
View All Result
Home NFL AFC

Patriots vs. Eagles: Which Team Has the Advantage in the Run Game?

Christopher Simoneau by Christopher Simoneau
February 1, 2018
in AFC, AFC East, NFL Playoffs, Philadelphia Eagles, SB LII
Reading Time: 4min read
1
Patriots vs. Eagles: Which Team Has the Advantage in the Run Game?

(cred. USA Today)

1.5k
SHARES
3.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

When you look at matchups like the Patriots and the Eagles, it is important to decipher who has the advantage up front, and typically the team with the better combination of strong offensive line play and front seven defensive play wins the game. The Eagles have shown that they are built to win even without their starting quarterback, and that is a testament to their talent up front.

The Patriots have dealt with injuries all season, and after losing Marcus Cannon from their offensive line, and then losing Dont’a Hightower (and Alan Branch for most of the year) from their front seven, they’ve plugged in street free agents to make it work. They’ve made it work so well that they went from last in the league in points allowed over the first month to fifth overall to end the year, an incredible statistical jump.

More FromFPC

Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Opinion: Super Bowl Viewing Guide

January 28, 2021

Derrick Brooks: Why Super Bowl LV Calls a Cease Fire on Bucs’ Cannons

January 27, 2021

How Eric Fisher Injury Affects Super Bowl, Beyond

January 27, 2021

Dolphins: Breaking Down Remaining Offensive Coordinator Candidates

January 27, 2021

But here is the question- who has the advantage up front in the Super Bowl, or does either team truly have an edge? Let’s examine the matchup.

PATRIOTS FRONT SEVEN VS. EAGLES OFFENSIVE LINE

(cred. USA Today)

When one looks at the Eagles overall record, they would think that the offensive line is very talented, but when you take a deep dive into the numbers, they’re actually just an average group. Football Outsiders does a good job of tracking and grading the offensive lines every year, and they have the Eagles ranked 22nd in run blocking, which is an interesting rank when you consider that Philadelphia was 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards in 2017. Football Outsiders has a terrific breakdown that explains what the Eagles running game essentially is- finesse. Philadelphia is ranked 16th in “power”, which is basically short yardage, between the tackles-type runs. They’re also ranked 21st in “stuffed”, which means they are not the type of run blockers that come out and punch you in the face.

Philadelphia does excel blocking at the second level, which means they have talented backs and linemen that are athletic enough to stay in the play and get down the field to spring big plays. They’re ranked 4th in second level blocking, and 3rd in open field blocking, another testament to the athleticism of their offensive line. In order to get to the second level, you have to penetrate the first, and that is where the Patriots may have an advantage if they plan on slowing down the impressive Philadelphia running attack.

New England has been inconsistent defending the run in 2017, finishing 20th in total rushing yards allowed. If they didn’t beat up on certain teams, there is a chance they are dead last because teams wouldn’t be playing catch-up. Keep in mind that they had injury issues in their front seven, and the guys who were out- specifically Alan Branch- will be back for the Super Bowl. Malcom Brown was also injured, but he will be back on Sunday.

So what it comes down to is the line of scrimmage; can the Patriots stop the Eagles from getting to the next level where they do damage? I believe that they can because they’ve shown they can get it done when everyone is healthy, especially with the addition of James Harrison to set the edge. That could be the deciding factor in the game Sunday.

EAGLES FRONT SEVEN VS. PATRIOTS OFFENSIVE LINE

(cred. MassLive.com)

The Eagles had the NFL’s best-run defense in 2017, but they’ll be facing a tough test with this matchup against a New England running game that has been dangerous, especially since Dion Lewis took over as the feature back. As good as the Eagles have been against the run, the Patriots offensive line hasn’t been some slouch this year. According to Football Outsiders, the Patriots had the #1 ranked run-blocking offensive line in 2017, but they’ve done it a little differently than their opponent.

The Patriots are ranked 14th in power, 3rd in stuffed, 2nd in second-level (similar to the Eagles), and 20th in open-field, which is a surprise with Dion Lewis getting most of the carries. The Eagles allowed just 1,267 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, which amounts to 79.2 yards allowed per game on the ground. The Patriots finished 10th in rushing in 2017, and they got better every game. They ran for 1,889 yards and 16 touchdowns, so obviously, something has to give.

Can the Eagles deal with the strong offensive line of New England, or will they succumb to the always-improving offensive line that Dante Scarnecchia puts together every season? It is a great question, and with the talent Philadelphia has, they absolutely have the ability to pull it off, but sometimes ability loses out to strong game planning and adjustments, so I guess we’ll all have to wait until Sunday at 6:30 to see how this plays out.

THE VERDICT

This is a very interesting matchup because both teams run the ball well, and the Eagles top-ranked run defense poses a threat to a Patriots running game that has been very good, especially over the last two months. The Patriots don’t have a highly ranked run defense like the Eagles, but anyone who has watched this team knows that when they have all their defensive linemen healthy, they are extremely hard to run on. Something has to give…or maybe the passing game will just take over the game.

 

–Chris Simoneau is a Staff Writer for Full Press Coverage Sports Media. He covers the New England Patriots. Follow him on Twitter @chris_simoneau

Tags: New England Patriotsphiladelphia eaglesSuper Bowl LII
Share598Tweet374
Previous Post

Texans Draft Prospect: Jordan Whitehead

Next Post

Making The Case to Trade Away Anthony Castonzo

Christopher Simoneau

Christopher Simoneau

Next Post
Aug 19, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Taco Charlton (97) in action against Indianapolis Colts tackle Anthony Castonzo (74) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Making The Case to Trade Away Anthony Castonzo

Oakland Raiders Draft prospect TE Dalton Schultz

2018 Raiders Draft Prospect: TE Dalton Schultz

Comments 1

  1. Alan says:
    3 years ago

    The Patriots are not going to run the ball, and they won’t have to–they are going to get it done with their passing game.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Packers 2021 Mock Draft 1.0

Packers 2021 Mock Draft 1.0

January 1, 2021
Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chicago Bears: Predictions For Week 6 Matchup against Carolina Panthers

October 14, 2020
Love

Cavs-Warriors Discussed Kevin Love Trade

November 14, 2020
Nov 17, 2018; Athens, GA, USA; Massachusetts Minutemen wide receiver Andy Isabella (5) runs past Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Christopher Smith (29) to score a touchdown after catching a pass during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings Mock Draft 3.0: Post-Combine Edition

8
Chicago White Sox: MLB’s Most Overrated Team Going Into 2020

Chicago White Sox: MLB’s Most Overrated Team Going Into 2020

7
LeBron

LeBron, not Michael, is the Greatest of All Time

5

How Eric Fisher Injury Affects Super Bowl, Beyond

January 27, 2021
Dolphins: Breaking Down Remaining Offensive Coordinator Candidates

Dolphins: Breaking Down Remaining Offensive Coordinator Candidates

January 27, 2021
Opinion: Nope, Getting Bucs to Super Bowl is Not Brady’s Greatest Accomplishment

Opinion: Nope, Getting Bucs to Super Bowl is Not Brady’s Greatest Accomplishment

January 27, 2021

A Twitter List by iglen31

FPC Podcasts

  • Ep 20: A Conversation With Pro Football HOFer Derrick Brooks
    by Full Press Coverage on January 27, 2021 at 6:03 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/43148695/eyetest_20.mp3
  • Ep. 62: 2021 Atlanta Tigers Preview
    by Full Press Coverage on January 27, 2021 at 5:07 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/track/G481GD/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADV2309858826.mp3
  • Ep 61: 2020 Championship Sunday Reaction
    by Full Press Coverage on January 26, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/track/G481GD/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADV4552133577.mp3
  • The Storm Before the Sens - Jan. 26, 2021
    by Full Press Coverage on January 26, 2021 at 9:00 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/track/G481GD/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADV8046890889.mp3
  • 1/26 - The Religion of "Stats" and the Narrative Around Tom Brady
    by Full Press Coverage on January 26, 2021 at 7:13 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/track/G481GD/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADV3665005692.mp3
  • 1/25 - NFL Conference Championship Weekend Recap w/ John Sapochetti
    by Full Press Coverage on January 26, 2021 at 7:05 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/track/G481GD/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADV9153429955.mp3
  • Ep 19: Tom Brady Talk w/ Gary Myers
    by Full Press Coverage on January 26, 2021 at 6:37 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/43130520/eyetest_ep19.mp3
  • Ep #87: Chiefs Heading Back To Super Bowl
    by Full Press Coverage on January 26, 2021 at 6:23 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/track/G481GD/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADV4402952440.mp3
  • Ep.174: A New Start
    by Full Press Coverage on January 26, 2021 at 6:11 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://pdst.fm/e/chtbl.com/track/G481GD/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADV9566705407.mp3
  • Full Press Saints EP 4: Season Recap
    by Full Press Coverage on January 25, 2021 at 8:08 pm

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/43113020/full_press_ep_4_mon_1227.mp3

  • AEW Dynamite Results, Grades & Opinion: January 27, 2021
    by Evan Gomes on January 28, 2021 at 3:44 am

    AEW Dynamite Results: January 27, 2021 A.K.A. The One With The Good Brothers Results: Eddie […]

  • WWE: Fantasy Booking The 2021 Men’s Royal Rumble Match
    by Evan Gomes on January 25, 2021 at 2:00 pm

    With the Royal Rumble coming this Sunday, I wanted to try something a little different. We’ve […]

  • Crossbody of Work Episode 47: AJ Lee
    by Evan Gomes on January 23, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    Welcome to Crossbody of Work, a show where we break down a wrestler’s career through five of […]

  • WWE NXT Results, Grades & Opinion: January 20, 2021
    by Evan Gomes on January 21, 2021 at 5:21 am

    WWE NXT Results: January 20, 2021 A.K.A. Fight Pit 2: Electric Boogaloo Results: Leon Ruff & […]

  • AEW Dynamite Results, Grades & Opinion: January 20, 2021
    by Evan Gomes on January 21, 2021 at 3:53 am

    AEW Dynamite Results: January 20, 2021 A.K.A. The One With -1’s Birthday Results: “Hangman” […]

More Wrestling News

  • Penguins GM Jim Rutherford Resigns
    by Luke Talotta on January 27, 2021 at 8:53 pm

    Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford has resigned on Wednesday, the team announced. […]

  • AHL Central Division Schedule Breakdown
    by Elaine Shircliff on January 27, 2021 at 8:44 pm

    After much anticipation, the American Hockey League dropped their schedule for the 2020-21 season. […]

  • Penguins Sign Defenseman Yannick Weber
    by Luke Talotta on January 27, 2021 at 8:16 pm

    The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Defenseman Yannick Weber to a one-year, two-way contract work […]

  • Pens Defeated By Bruins in OT; Snap Four-Game Winning Streak
    by Luke Talotta on January 27, 2021 at 7:38 pm

    The first of two meetings between the Penguins and Bruins was an exciting one that ended with a […]

  • An Early Look at The Rest of the NHL Awards
    by Chris Wassel on January 27, 2021 at 4:14 am

    Who are some of the early favorites for this year's NHL Awards? The post An Early Look at The Rest […]

More Hockey News

  • Ep 52: Bruins Early Season Struggles
    by Full Press Coverage on January 21, 2021 at 10:51 pm

    Ian and Chris react to the first few games of the season and wonder what […]

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://anchor.fm/s/cc094d0/podcast/play/25536904/sponsor/amsj67/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2021-01-21%2F3056b20d5e95c23e9c23b40f379c9029.m4a
  • Ep 51: Bergeron Dons The "C", Picking Up the Chara/Krug Slack; Season Expectations
    by Full Press Coverage on January 13, 2021 at 10:20 pm

    Mike Cratty of the Sal and Cratty Show and BlackNGoldHockey.com joins Ian […]

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://anchor.fm/s/cc094d0/podcast/play/25157918/sponsor/amsj67/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2021-01-13%2F4542c465ec7a3234f146bea647ede57e.m4a
  • Ep 50: Mr. Chara Goes to Washinton
    by Full Press Coverage on December 31, 2020 at 9:14 pm

    Ian and Chris react to the Capitals signing of Bruins longtime captain, […]

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://anchor.fm/s/cc094d0/podcast/play/24623669/sponsor/amsj67/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2020-12-31%2F26d5b85c06ec2255c2f6cfc78b24cf94.m4a
  • Ep 49: Bruins New Division; Chara's Future in Boston
    by Full Press Coverage on December 23, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    Ian and Chris return to discuss the NHL's 56-game season, the Bruins new […]

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://anchor.fm/s/cc094d0/podcast/play/24356084/sponsor/amsj67/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2020-12-23%2F5755949a0115f50df8582cc32916323a.m4a
  • Ep 48: Jake DeBrusk Signs; Reverse Retro Jerseys; Thanksgiving Food Draft
    by Full Press Coverage on November 26, 2020 at 5:54 pm

    On this Thanksgiving episode of the Big Bad Bruins Podcast, Ian and Chris […]

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://anchor.fm/s/cc094d0/podcast/play/23142833/sponsor/amsj67/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2020-11-26%2F52d6fc857b1cd37d19b4fe24752398f6.m4a
  • Ep 47: Recapping the Bruins Offseason to this Point
    by Full Press Coverage on October 21, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    Ian and Chris the free agent moves the Bruins have and haven't made as […]

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://anchor.fm/s/cc094d0/podcast/play/21440275/sponsor/amsj67/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2020-11-26%2F5e55ff65a935458b843f84f596268c6e.m4a
  • Ep 46: NHL Free Agency Wishlist; Krug and Chara's Future; Rask to Stay
    by Full Press Coverage on October 9, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    Ian and Chris recap the Bruins draft and take a look ahead to the start of […]

    Your browser does not support the audio element. But you can check this for the original link: https://anchor.fm/s/cc094d0/podcast/play/20863092/sponsor/amsj67/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2020-11-26%2F02c7a7b0f8c9979d30155fe48c48dfba.m4a
Full Press Coverage

© 2020 Full Press Coverage

Navigate Site

  • Staff Portal
  • Apply to Write
  • Contact Us
  • Have a news tip?
  • Privacy Policy
  • FPC Radio Network
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • FullPressHockey.com

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest
    • Full Press Radio Network
    • Apply to Write
    • Feedback
    • Privacy Policy
  • NFL
    • AFC
      • Baltimore Ravens
      • Buffalo Bills
      • Cincinnati Bengals
      • Cleveland Browns
      • Denver Broncos
      • Houston Texans
      • Indianapolis Colts
      • Jacksonville Jaguars
      • Kansas City Chiefs
      • Las Vegas Raiders
      • Los Angeles Chargers
      • Miami Dolphins
      • New England Patriots
      • New York Jets
      • Pittsburgh Steelers
      • Tennessee Titans
    • NFC
      • Arizona Cardinals
      • Atlanta Falcons
      • Carolina Panthers
      • Chicago Bears
      • Dallas Cowboys
      • Detroit Lions
      • Green Bay Packers
      • Los Angeles Rams
      • Minnesota Vikings
      • New Orleans Saints
      • New York Giants
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • San Francisco 49ers
      • Seattle Seahawks
      • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
      • Washington Football Club
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • Fantasy Sports
  • Pro Wrestling
  • Other Sports
    • College Sports
    • MMA
    • XFL
    • Futbol
    • AAF
  • Podcasts
    • FPC Radio LIVE
    • Dylan and Ross Save Sports
    • The Eye Test for Two
    • Big Bad Bruins Podcast
    • Black Tuesday
    • Get Off My Lawn
    • The Sap and Kat Show
    • Talkamania
    • Crossbody of Work
    • The Salvaggio and Cratty Sports Podcast
    • All Shows

© 2020 Full Press Coverage