Lane Johnson is 33 years previous. He’s in his eleventh NFL season. And he’s coming off an offseason surgical procedure to restore a torn adductor.

And he’s enjoying in addition to ever.

How does Johnson assume his season goes up to now?

“Pretty good,” Johnson mentioned this week. “I feel like really the first part of the season just trying to focus on my body, recovering well from the surgery. You get that kind of surgery, you get a little bit of scar tissue so just handling that week to week. Feel like that’s gotten better as the year’s gone on. That’s really it. I’m just trying to feel good and not tear my groin again.”

Johnson suffered that groin damage on Christmas Eve in Dallas and missed the ultimate two common season video games of 2022. But Johnson returned for the divisional spherical and was his ordinary dominant self within the Eagles’ three playoff video games.

After the Eagles misplaced the Super Bowl, famous skilled in his discipline Dr. William Meyers carried out the surgical procedure to restore the damage.

Through the early portion of this season, Johnson has been coping with some scar tissue breaking apart however has labored his method by it. He’s considerably of an skilled and studying the way to get well from surgical procedures at this level of his profession.

“I feel like this was a lot more manageable than probably what my ankle was,” Johnson mentioned. “As far as dealing with that compared to this, it’s night and day. Really have gotten to where I’m not thinking about it much. It really just goes to the work we put in and rehabbing and all that.”

In the season opener in New England, Johnson appeared to battle a bit in opposition to rookie Keion White. In that sport, he gave up a QB hit and 6 pressures, in response to ProFootballFocus. But he’s been a wall ever since, giving up simply two whole pressures within the final 4 video games.

And Johnson’s streak of video games with out surrendering a sack has now reached 37 video games. He hasn’t given one up since Week 11 of the 2020 season.

Swift reminds you of who?

After 5 weeks of the 2023 season, Eagles operating again D’Andre Swift ranks fourth within the NFL in speeding and that’s after barely enjoying within the opener.

So what has impressed head coach Nick Sirianni most about Swift?

“I think he’s got this amazing ability to get the ball, make a cut, and then accelerate again,” Sirianni mentioned. “I feel you do not see that except you are in particular person with him and watching that occur over and over.

“I’ve mentioned this earlier than, I do not know if I mentioned this to you guys, he has the power — it is similar to what I assumed Jamaal Charles had in my time with him. The means to chop and speed up. That’s what — once more, I’m not evaluating one to the opposite.

“Just that aspect of the game reminds me a lot of that. Boom, I can make him miss and accelerate before the defense closes in on me because I’ve stopped my feet to make you miss. So that’s been really impressive.”

Charles was an excellent participant for the Chiefs, making two All-Pro groups and being named a Pro Bowler 4 instances. Sirianni was on the Chiefs employees from 2009-12 and received to witness Charles in his prime. So even when he’s simply evaluating one factor of Swift’s sport to Charles, that’s nonetheless lofty reward.

Sending the strain

In the final couple of weeks, the Eagles have been working a bit more durable to warmth up opposing quarterbacks, blitzing at the next charge they’d the earlier three weeks.

What provides?

“I think we keep evolving as a defense,” Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai mentioned. “We keep growing, and the teams that we’re playing are different. We’ve got to be able to adapt and adjust to the teams we’re playing and what we think gives us the best chance each week to impact the opposing offense. And that philosophy won’t change.”

Overall, the Eagles are in all probability by no means going to be an enormous blitz staff with this protection. They have a dynamic defensive position so it could be malpractice to go tremendous heavy blitz on a regular basis. Through 5 video games, the Eagles have a 24.4% blitz charge, which ranks 18th within the NFL.

But the Eagles have actually raised that common the final couple of weeks. Take a glance:

Week 1: 11/58 (19%)
Week 2: 10/46 (21.7%)
Week 3: 4/28 (14.3%)
Week 4: 16/52 (30.8%)
Week 5: 13/42 (31.0%)

Desai was requested this week if he needs blitzing to be part of his defensive id.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Desai mentioned. “I’d say I need our protection to be bodily and impose our will on folks. I need us to run and hit. I need us to be good. I need to be situationally good. And that is actually what our model goes to be. That’s actually as much as you guys to see how that manifests.

Killing in time of possession

Through 5 video games the Eagles are 5-0 and so they’ve received the time of possession battle in all 5 of their wins. While typically time of possession is usually a wonky stat as a result of the staff with a lead is clearly going to attempt to kill clock, the Eagles are at instances capable of management video games with their speeding assault, which actually provides the protection a break.

On Sunday in LA, the Eagles’ protection was on the sector for simply 56 snaps.

“We’ll take those games every week if we can,” Desai mentioned. “We need to be the freshest staff, and a part of that is our offense doing such an incredible job of controlling the ball, transferring the ball, controlling the clock and transferring the ball downfield.

“And it gives our guys a break and then it keeps us fresh. It manages our rep counts and makes our substitutions and rotations, manages all of that. We’ll take that in any game.”

The Eagles are first within the NFL, averaging 3:22 per drive this season. That’s forward of the Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys and Rams to spherical out the highest 5.

And the Eagles are additionally second within the NFL in time of possession per sport. They’re averaging 34:54 per sport and have held the ball for over 37 minutes thrice this season.

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