Philadelphia Eagles: Three keys to a Week 16 win over Houston Texans

Spread the Ball on Offense

As great as Carson Wentz has been at times, one of his biggest flaws this season was the inability to spread the ball around on offense. Too often did we see him concentrate on Zach Ertz and sometimes force some throws in Ertz’s direction that should not have been thrown that direction.

Last week, we saw Foles make more of an effort to move the ball around in the passing game. One player in particular who benefitted from the quarterback change was wide receiver, Alshon Jeffery.

In last week’s game, Jeffery was targeted eight times and caught all eight balls for 160 receiving yards. Jeffery was a beneficiary of the Eagles not focusing solely on Ertz and helped to leave the defense guessing as to where the ball was going to be thrown to.

All in all, Foles completed passes to seven different Eagles. The passing game was heavily concentrated on Jeffery, but the rest of the Eagles receivers got their fair share of looks as well. On Sunday, Foles needs to continue to target Jeffery while making sure to spread the ball around to keep Houston’s defense off-balance.

The Texans have a good defense, but if the Eagles can make some plays through the air, in addition to staying ahead of the sticks on the ground, then they should be able to have another strong day on offense. But, spreading the ball around in the passing game will be a huge key to offensive success on Sunday.