Eagles keep moving well, except in the zone where it counts most

The Eagles have some cushion to iron out the red zone issues plaguing them this season, as they take on the New York Jets next weekend before launching the most difficult block of their schedule.

The good news is the Eagles lead the opposition this season in plays run per game, and not just by a few snaps. The Eagles average 73.2 offensive plays per game, the opposition 59.8 plays. Teams generally don’t score many points if they don’t have the ball. And of course, it’s difficult for a quarterback watching the game to find his rhythm from the sideline.

That said, the Birds held a 78-55 edge in plays on their way to a 23-14 decision over the Los Angeles Rams Sunday. They could have had at least another field goal, and probably should have tallied another touchdown.

“We’re doing a nice job moving the ball up and down the field,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Monday. “We’ve got to do a better job on first and second down in that high red zone. I think that’s where it’s happening a little bit and into the low red zone. We left some points on the field. But credit to (the Rams), too. It’s a good defense with arguably the best player in the NFL (Aaron Donald) over on that other side. And you know, sometimes it’s them making a play, too.”

When the Eagles absolutely, positively needed a play they got it from quarterback Jalen Hurts, who broke out his run game Sunday. Hurts threw for 308 yards and a TD and rushed for a team-high 72 yards and a score. What is baffling and at times amusing is the Eagles (5-0) are on such a perfectionist jab as they are among just two unbeaten teams in the league along with the San Francisco 49ers (5-0), that they have become hyper-critical of how they got there.

It showed when TV cameras panned Sunday on Sirianni jawing with Hurts after the quarterback was intercepted in the end zone by Ahkello Witherspoon.

At another point Sirianni ripped off his headset when a third-and-short bubble screen to Quez Watkins blew up, necessitating a field goal attempt.

Later in the game Sirianni appeared to be consoling wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who had one catch while A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert both went well over 100 receiving yards.

The most animated display of frustration featured Eagles veteran center Jason Kelce waving his arms and venting in a sideline pow wow with Sirianni and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland in the fourth quarter. By then the game was all over but the math. Approached after the game, Kelce declined to reveal the content of his rant.

“I’m not going to get into it,” Kelce said. “I think that I love everybody in this building like a family. I’ve been here a very long time. And I think, I just got a little bit too heated. The red zone has been frustrating, I think, for everybody. We’ve left a lot of points on the board. And I let myself get too frustrated, too animated. And it wasn’t productive. So, for me and I cannot overstate this, I think I always get the most heated and the most emphatic with the people that I love and respect. I don’t know why that’s the case, it’s just always been the case.”

The Eagles are 26th in the NFL in red zone offense, having converted just 45.4 percent of their opportunities into touchdowns. Contrast that with the 49ers, who rank 20th in that category with a success rate of 53.9 percent.

Hurts predicted the red zone success would come, and that right now it’s just a component of the just-past quarter-pole of the 17-game season.

“I think we’re still growing and we’re still building as a team and honestly feel that every other team in the NFL right now is doing the same thing,” Hurts said Sunday. “We just want continue the steady climb of being eager every day to get better and being intentional with our time at the building and on the field and pulling the most out of ourselves.”

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Hurts has won 22 of his last 23 regular season starts (.957). With his rushing score Sunday, he became the first NFL quarterback with 30 or more rushing TDs in the first 50 career games.

Hurts finished with 375 yards from scrimmage Sunday. It was his fifth game with at least 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards, tied with Russell Wilson for the third-most such games in NFL history.

Only Steven Young (eight games) and Josh Allen (seven) have more games with 300 passing and 50 or more rushing yards.

With 2,104 rushing yards in 50 games, Hurts passed Cam Newton (2,058) for fourth-most by a quarterback in his first 50 games in the Super Bowl era.

Only Lamar Jackson (3,185 yards), Michael Vick (2,563) and Bobby Douglas (2,148) rushed for more yards over 50 games.

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NOTES >> Eagles returner Britain Covey leads the NFL with seven punt returns of 20 or more yards dating back to last season. Covey rolled out a 20-yard return against the Rams. … Sirianni is 28-11 (71.8 percent) with the Eagles, the top regular season win percentage (.718) in club history. Since 2021, only Andy Reid of the Chiefs has a better win percentage, the former Eagles coach sporting a record of 30-9 (76.9 percent) with Kansas City. … With 2 sacks Sunday, Jalen Carter became the first Eagles rookie with multiple sacks in a game since Derek Barnett during the 2017 season. Carter is just the third Eagle to produce 3.5 or more sacks in his first five career games. Corey Simon (4.0 in 2000) and the late Reggie White (4.5 in 1985) are the others.