Miles Sanders’ future, T.J. Edwards’ efficiency and the most important snub in Eagles historical past.

It’s a brief week and Nick Sirianni didn’t need us to over-do it with the postseason arising, so we solely have six observations right now!

No, simply kidding! Here’s this weekend’s Eagles 10 Random Observations! 

1. Chatting with Miles Sanders Thursday at his locker room he spoke at size about how decided he was to have a profession 12 months this 12 months, and he definitely delivered, with 1,100 yards, a 5.2 common and 11 touchdowns going into Dallas and his first Pro Bowl choice. Sanders, like half the roster, isn’t signed past this 12 months, and he’s declined to talk about his contract state of affairs all 12 months, selecting as an alternative to give attention to making an attempt to assist this staff get to a different Super Bowl. Sanders did say one factor that Thursday that stood out when requested about Eagles GM Howie Roseman and his future: “He knows I would like to be an Eagle forever.” Sanders wears his coronary heart on his sleeve, and his agent most likely wouldn’t need him saying stuff like that as a result of possibly you lose slightly leverage. But it was so heartfelt and so real you couldn’t assist suppose possibly they’ll get one thing executed. But Roseman is sensible sufficient to not let emotion information him in contract talks, and though operating backs don’t get very massive contracts, some staff goes to pay Sanders someplace between $6 ½ and $7 ½ million per 12 months. It’s onerous to think about anybody in Philly that doesn’t need that staff to be the Eagles. Sanders clearly included.

2. T.J. Edwards was by no means going to make the Pro Bowl. It could be powerful for unheralded, undrafted gamers to get that type of recognition except they put up ridiculous numbers. But what a season he’s having. He’s the one NFC linebacker with two or extra sacks, 120 tackles and eight tackles for loss, and he’s simply been a pressure all 12 months in protection, in opposition to the run and pressuring. Incredibly sensible, versatile and constant. Everything you need in an inside linebacker. Very properly may very well be the Eagles’ defensive MVP when all is claimed and executed. Pro Football Focus charges him because the No. 3 linebacker within the NFL (behind Bobby Wagner and Dre Greenlaw, two different Pro Bowl snubs). Hell of a 12 months.

3. The Eagles picked off 12 passes of their first eight video games however they’ve simply three within the final six – and none of their final three. A giant a part of that’s the absence of injured Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who nonetheless shares the NFL interception lead regardless of lacking three video games now. But Darius Slay and James Bradberry, who had a mixed six INTs after eight video games, have none within the final six. The first eight weeks of the season the Eagles led the NFL with 12 INTs and 18 takeaways, to not point out plus-15 in turnover margin. The final six video games, they’re nineteenth in interceptions, twelfth in takeaways and twenty third in turnover margin (minus three). All of this makes the Eagles’ top-ranked cross protection and No. 2-ranked general protection much more spectacular. They’re nonetheless shutting individuals down with out interceptions. During these final six video games, they’re nonetheless the Fifth-ranked protection regardless of solely a handful of takeaways. This is an elite protection any method you measure it. And a part of that is that groups simply don’t throw very a lot in opposition to the Eagles – simply 166 instances these final six video games, Third-fewest within the league – as a result of they wish to keep away from the Eagles’ ferocious cross rush. But the Eagles are making life loads tougher on themselves by not profiting from the takeaway alternatives after they’ve had them. And in opposition to actually good groups – just like the Cowboys or whoever they face within the postseason – they’re going to want these massive performs to win.

4. A.J. Brown has a shot on the franchise file for receptions in a season by a large receiver. He’s acquired 74, and the file is 88 by Irving Fryar in 1996. We don’t know what number of extra video games Brown will play, however he’s averaging 5.3 catches per recreation and is 14 behind Fryar. And he has 21 receptions in his final three video games. What a 12 months he’s having.

5. Crazy that Donovan McNabb and Nick Foles are chargeable for 13 of the Eagles’ 16 postseason wins during the last 40 years. And Randall Cunningham, Rodney Peete and Jeff Garcia with one apiece.

6. It’s so onerous to win on the street within the NFL, however the Eagles are 7-0 away from the Linc this 12 months, and their nine-game street successful streak – which dates again to Gardner Minshew’s win over the Jets final Decemver – is very spectacular. It matches the longest in franchise historical past – the Eagles gained 9 street video games in a row twice below Andy Reid, over the 2000 and 2001 seasons and the 2003 and 2004 seasons. There have solely been 15 street successful streaks in NFL historical past of 10 video games or extra 100-133. League-wide each different staff has a .412 successful proportion on the street this 12 months, and each different staff has at the very least two street losses. Says loads about this staff’s skill to focus in troublesome circumstances and be at their finest when confronted with adversity.

7. No Eagles quarterback has ever crushed the Cowboys twice in a season in a 12 months the Cowboys had a successful file. Sonny Jurgensen beat them twice in 1961, Randall Cunningham in 1988, 1989 and 2000, Donovan McNabb in 2000, 2001 and 2004 and Michael Vick in 2011. Each 12 months, Dallas had a dropping file. 

8. The greatest Pro Bowl snub I ever noticed was Clyde Simmons in 1989. Clyde had 15 ½ sacks – and a 60-yard INT return for a landing – that 12 months and was second amongst NFC defensive ends in sacks. But since he was a Ninth-round choose who performed throughout from Reggie White, the Pro Bowl voters ignored him. The actuality was Simmons was an amazing participant in his personal proper, and we noticed that when he had greater than 50 sacks late in his profession when he wasn’t enjoying with Reggie. Not solely was Clyde a monster cross rusher, he was pretty much as good a run stopper as you’ll ever see from an edge rusher. And do you know Clyde by no means missed a recreation in 15 years? Played 236 of a attainable 236 video games, lacking solely the three substitute video games in 1987 when no one on the Eagles crossed the picket line. Clyde lastly made his first of two Pro Bowls in 1991, and Jerome Brown was so blissful for him he punched a gap in a wall within the Eagles’ locker room on the Vet.

9.  An indication of simply how constant the Eagles’ cross rushers have been: The Eagles have three or extra sacks in eight straight video games, which matches the longest streak within the NFL for the reason that Seahawks had a nine-game streak in 2005. If they file three sacks Saturday night time in Dallas – and the Cowboys are No. 1 within the NFL in fewest sacks allowed – they might match the 4th-longest streak in historical past with 9 straight video games of three or extra sacks. They’ve already tied the NFL file with six sacks in three straight video games going into Dallas. 

10. It speaks volumes about how beloved Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson are round right here that their Christmas album has already raised over 1 / 4 of 1,000,000 {dollars} for the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center. That’s unimaginable. These guys are all so related with the Philadelphia neighborhood and so dedicated to causes which might be necessary to all of us. Kelce is from Ohio, Johnson from Texas, Mailata from Australia. But it’s onerous to think about anyone being extra Philly than they’re.