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September 28, 2020

Eagles snap count analysis: Week 3 vs. Bengals

In their Week 3 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Philadelphia Eagles played 91 snaps on offense, and 72 snaps on defense. Let's just get right to the snap counts.

Quarterback and offensive line

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• 91 snaps each: Carson Wentz, Nate Herbig, Jason Kelce, Matt Pryor, Lane Johnson

• 89 snaps: Jason Peters

• 3 snaps: Jalen Hurts

• 2 snaps: Jordan Mailata

Analysis: Peters had a brutal afternoon, as he got roasted repeatedly, mostly by Carl Lawson. He came out late in the game with what looked like a lower body injury. His status for Week 4 is to be determined later this week.

Hurts got his first opportunity to touch the football in the NFL. He had 2 runs for 8 yards. He also fumbled, but was able to get it back. 

Running back

• 71 snaps: Miles Sanders

• 13 snaps: Boston Scott

• 6 snaps: Corey Clement

Analysis: The expectation was that Sanders would get one of the heaviest workloads of his young career, given Wentz's struggles and the fact that the Bengals' run defense stinks. He got 18 carries, which isn't necessarily a low number, just generally speaking, but it wasn't enough, seeing as the Eagles had 91 offensive snaps. There's an argument to be made that he should have been up around 25-30 carries.

Wide receiver

• 78 snaps: John Hightower

• 76 snaps: Greg Ward

• 39 snaps: Deontay Burnett

• 28 snaps: DeSean Jackson

• 18 snaps: J.J. Arcega-Whiteside

Analysis: Welp, that didn't take long. Jackson is already missing time with a hamstring injury. The idea that the Eagles were heading into this season trusting that Jackson would remain healthy always felt like an obviously ill-advised one, and he has been less productive than expected when he has actually been able to play.

Arcega-Whiteside barely got on the field with the Eagles' top two receivers out, and even Richard Rodgers was getting snaps over him... at wide receiver... and in the red zone, which is where his skill set is supposed to be a positive.

Tight end

• 84 snaps: Zach Ertz

• 33 snaps: Richard Rodgers

• 6 snaps: Dallas Goedert

Analysis: Goedert could be out a while with an ankle injury. Personally, I'd have rather seen what Noah Togiai could have done rather than watch Rodgers get any snaps at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Defensive line

• 58 snaps: Brandon Graham

• 55 snaps: Fletcher Cox

• 42 snaps: Malik Jackson

• 38 snaps each: Josh Sweat and Derek Barnett

• 32 snaps: Javon Hargrave

• 15 snaps: Hassan Ridgeway

• 11 snaps: Genard Avery

Analysis: For the first time this year, the defensive line played really well. They combined for 6.5 sacks and 15(!) QB hits. The team had 8 total sacks and 18 QB hits. A look at the DL stat sheet from Sunday: 

Player Tackles Sacks QB hits 
 Brandon Graham
 Derek Barnett
 Fletcher Cox
 Josh Sweat
 Malik Jackson0.5 
 Genard Avery


It's at least good to see young guys like Sweat and Barnett making some plays, and Cox reminding us that he still has the ability to dominate at times. Graham is also a veteran worth keeping around for the re-build, if that becomes the direction of this team.

On the downside, Hargrave has played 57 snaps so far this season, and he has not yet registered a single statistic.

Linebacker

• 70 snaps: Nate Gerry

• 51 snaps: T.J. Edwards

• 7 snaps: Duke Riley

• 1 snap: Alex Singleton

Analysis: We'll see if this is a week-to-week thing, but Edwards obviously out-snapped Riley by a wide margin. A week after giving up TDs left and right to Tyler Higbee, Gerry appeared to have another game to forget.

Cornerback and safety

• 72 snaps: Rodney McLeod

• 71 snaps: Jalen Mills

• 66 snaps: Darius Slay

• 59 snaps: Cre'Von LeBlanc

• 39 snaps: Avonte Maddox

• 32 snaps: Trevor Williams

• 26 snaps: Nickell Robey-Coleman

• 8 snaps: Marcus Epps

• 1 snap: K'Von Wallace

Analysis: Like they have the last few years, Eagles defensive backs started dropping like flies on Sunday. There were times in which both Slay and Maddox were out, and guys like Trevor Williams had to fill in. After injuring his ankle, Maddox tried to run on the sideline to get back in the game, but it was clear just watching him struggle not to limp that he wasn't going back in. He shouldn't be out for an extended period, but his status for Week 4 could be dicey.

Jim Schwartz rightfully benched Robey-Coleman for LeBlanc.

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The Eagles opened as 3.5-point underdogs. That line has already jumped to 6, via TheLines.com.

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