The Eagles did lose a regular-season game Monday night for the first time in almost a full calendar year, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be stats!
And some of them are even positive ones!
We’ll get to run defense and 3rd-down issues later, but we’ll start this week’s Roob Eagles Stats with some pretty amazing accomplishments by Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Javon Hargrave.
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1. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson became the first player in Eagles history with an interception in five straight games, and that streak is tied for 9th-longest in NFL history. Eight players have had an INT in six straight games, including one-time Eagle Barry Wilburn for Washington in 1987 and Trevon Diggs of the Cowboys last year. Gardner-Johnson’s six INTs in a five-game span equal the 2nd-longest such streak in franchise history. Legendary safety Bibbles Bawel – who had 17 INTs in his first two NFL seasons – had seven INTs from Week 4 to Week 8 of the 1955 season. In the last 50 years, the only Eagles with six interceptions in a five-game span are Gardner-Johnson and Asante Samuel, who was at the game Monday night. CJGJ’s six INTs so far. Gardner-Johnson is the first Eagle with six INTs in a season since Brandon Boykin had six in 2013 and the first safety since Greg Jackson had six in 1994. The last Eagles safety with more than six INTs in a season was Terry Hoage, who had eight in 1988. Gardner-Johnson’s six INTs are most by an Eagle through nine games since Bill Bradley had eight nine games into the 1972 season.
2. And how about that Javon Hargrave? He picked up his seventh sack of the season and sixth in the last three games. He’s only the second Eagles tackle ever with 6.0 sacks in a three-game span. Andy Harmon had 7.0 Weeks 6 through 8 in 1995. The only other players in franchise history with more sacks in any three-game span since sacks became an official stat in 1982 are Reggie White, Jason Babin, Hugh Douglas, Clyde Simmons and Greg Brown. Elite company (except Babin). Hargrave is tied with Chris Jones of the Chiefs and Quinnen Williams of the Jets for the NFL sack lead among interior linemen. Hargrave needs five sacks in the last eight games to pass Harmon (11 ½ sacks in 1993) for the most ever by an Eagles defensive tackle. Hargrave is also the third Eagles interior lineman with consecutive seasons with 7.0 or more sacks. Kenny Clarke had three in a row from 1984 through 1986 and Harmon four in a row from 1992 through 1995.
3. The Eagles are one of two NFL teams that hasn’t allowed more than 250 passing yards in a game (along with the Broncos). This is the first time since 1991 the Eagles have held their first nine opponents to 250 or fewer passing yards.
4. There have only been two games in the last 40 years where a team has rushed 49 times against the Eagles. Both instances occurred in games where an opponent ended one of the two-best starts in franchise history. In 2004, the Eagles were 7-0 when they lost 27-3 in Pittsburgh to the Steelers, who rushed 60 times. And on Monday night, the Eagles were 8-0 when the Commanders rushed 49 times. Those are the only times the Eagles have ever started 7-0 or better and both streaks ended with one of the two games in the last 40 years where a team had 49 carries against them.
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5. After allowing 144 yards to the Steelers, 168 to the Texans and 152 to the Commanders, the Eagles have now allowed 140 rushing yards in three straight games for the first time in 16 years. In October and November 2006, they allowed 209 to the Jaguars, 146 to the Washington Football Team, 209 to the Titans and 237 against the Panthers.
6. The NFL has tracked 3rd-down conversions since 1992, and Washington’s 12 conversions Monday night are the most on record against the Eagles since then. The previous high was 11 three times – in 2005 vs. the Giants, 2008 vs. the Washington Football Team and 2020 vs. the Steelers. Washington’s 21 3rd-down attempts are 2nd-most on record. The Giants had 22 in 2016 (converting 10). Washington’s 12 rushing first downs matched the most against the Eagles since the Saints had 14 in 2014.
7. The Commanders had scoring drives of 12, 13, 14 and 16 plays. Since the NFL began tracking drive information in 2001, this is the first time a team has had four drives of 12 or more plays against the Eagles in the same game.
8. With two more passing touchdowns and one rushing TD Monday night, Jalen Hurts increased his career total to 55 touchdowns in his first 28 career starts (35 passing, 20 rushing), most in Eagles history. Next on that list are Sonny Jurgensen (50), Randall Cunningham (48), Carson Wentz (47) and Nick Foles and Donovan McNabb (46)
9. The Eagles’ defense hasn’t allowed a second-half touchdown in three straight games, the first time they’ve done that since the start of the 2016 season, when they held five straight opponents without an offensive TD in the second half, a streak that ended when Sam Bradford threw a TD pass to Cordarrelle Patterson in the Vikings’ 21-10 win over the Eagles at the Linc.
10. With 54 yards on 12 carries, Miles Sanders surpassed the 700-yard mark for the fourth time in his four NFL seasons. So far, he’s averaged 4.6, 5.3, 5.5 and 5.0 in each season of his career. If he finishes at 4.6 or higher this year, which seems awfully likely, he’ll join Gale Sayers, Jim Brown, Nick Chubb and Alvin Kamara as the fifth player in NFL history to begin his career with four straight seasons of 700 yards and a 4.6 average.
10A. Let’s pretend the fumble never happened and focus on Quez Watkins’ 50-yard catch from Hurts Monday night. That was Watkins’ fourth 50-yard reception over the last two years, and only four NFL players have more: Ja’Marr Chase (7), Deebo Samuel (6), Cooper Kupp (5) and Tyler Lockett (5).