Philadelphia Eagles Looking for 'Balance of Patience' From Ground Game vs. Dallas Cowboys
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Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson talked about what the team needs to focus on to improve its rushing attack going forward ahead of Sunday's pivotal NFC East battle against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
In an embarrassing 42-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at home on Sunday, the Eagles were held to a measly 46 rushing yards on 18 carries for an average of just 2.6 yards per rush. It was by far the team's worst rushing performance of the season.
"We gotta do a better job," Johnson said. "Part of it is finding a balance of patience, and continuing to hammer attempts, and getting guys in a good rhythm and good flow."
The Philadelphia Eagles averaged an abysmal 2.6 yards per carry against the San Francisco 49ers.
© Bill Streicher, USA TODAY
This season, Philadelphia is eighth in the NFL in rushing yards per game, averaging a solid 126.0 yards. It is also ninth in total rushing yards, with the Arizona Cardinals, who are in eighth, having played one more game.
Most of the run production this year has come from running back D'Andre Swift, who has 783 yards and four touchdowns this season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts added in 430 yards and 12 touchdowns, but has been hampered by injuries as of late, causing him to be nowhere near as effective of a runner as he was during the 2022 season.
His ability as a rusher helped the Eagles create the fifth-best rushing offense in the NFL in 2022 in terms of yards per game and total yards at 147.6 and 2,509 yards respectively.
Philadelphia also has Rashaad Penny waiting in the wings after he has been a healthy scratch for much of the season. Penny averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 2021 and 6.1 yards per carry in 2022 for the Seattle Seahawks, but missed a lot of time due to injury. He has appeared in two games for the Eagles this season.
