Raiders Rival Review: The Eagles Offense

On paper, the Las Vegas Raiders should enjoy a rather resounding victory this Sunday. When they welcome the Philadelphia Eagles, the Raiders will see a team that vastly underachieves, despite talent all over the field. As a result, Sunday’s game falls into the dreaded trap category. Granted, the Raiders will be favored to and should emerge victoriously. However, everything falls into place for an ugly, potentially losing effort. The Raiders need to take the Philadelphia Eagles as the serious threat they are.

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On The Rise

If you glance at Jalen Hurts’ stats, the known numbers fail to tell the entire story. Yes, that 62.5 percent completion percentage does not feel like consistently stellar work. However, peering deeper, you’ll see another number: 76.4 percent. This figure represents the percentage of on-target passes from Hurts. In just his second year, Hurts improved the immediate accuracy of his passes. Similarly, he flashes an aggressive streak that manifests itself in two different ways. First, he will take vertical chances, if he believes the wideout gained a step on the defensive back. Next, he will pull the ball on the RPO, call his own number and find the end zone. With five rushing touchdowns, Hurts presents the Raiders will another true dual-threat quarterback that will give them problems all game long.

Backfield Duo

First and foremost, the Philadelphia Eagles love to run the ball. yet, don’t expect constantly downhill, battering ram offense. In Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell, the Eagles bring forth versatile backs that will attack defenses from all angles. In Sanders, Philly uses him for the lion’s share of the carries not taken by Hurts. A slasher, Sanders displays a decisive style that gathers yards and moves the chains. Likewise, for Gainwell, the former Memphis star, tasked to handle backup duties. Meanwhile, what makes them dangerous isn’t solely contained to rushing yards. Each figures prominently in the passing game. Serving a valued target, sees them matched up versus linebackers. On the boundary, that will lead to an occasional mismatch. Sanders snags 78.2 percent of his targets, while Gainwell snares 65.2 of his. More importantly, expect to see heavy targets for both of them. They rank third on the team with twenty-three targets apiece.

One Major Headache

With the trade of veteran tight end Zach Ertz, the Eagles receivers step to the forefront. First and foremost, DeVonta Smith should draw the Raiders’ attention first. A gifted route-runner, Smith’s cuts, and ability to use his feet to make space helps Hurts’ in rhythm. Where the Raiders should attack Smith, is in his frame. Weighing somewhere near 175 pounds, an afternoon of physicality could deter certain routes and throw off any semblance of timing. Meanwhile, Jalen Reagor gives the Eagles less route-running acumen than Smith, but more potential explosion. For the Raiders, keeping Reagor from breaking a long play needs to be a priority. To this point, Philadelphia uses him as a high-volume short target.

Field Day

Where the Raiders can end this game early is getting home. In front of hurts, the Eagles battled injury and inconsistent blocking. On the edges, Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue will see an all-day brawl with Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson. Mailata possesses enough potential to sign him to a long-term deal. Right now, he’s a high-ceiling tackle with technical flaws. On the other side, the veteran Johnson returns from handling personal issues. He’s a nasty tackle that will attempt to bully Crosby and try his patience.

Overview

The Eagles employ athletic talent that can change the complexion of this game at every level. To this point, they do not show the constant playmaking flash that should scare defenses. Equally important, Gus Bradley’s defense cannot let their proverbial foot off the gas. Any of their skill position players in space become an automatic problems. As mentioned, on paper, the Raiders pass rush should thwart any offensive outburst from the Eagles.