Philadelphia Eagles: A checklist to make a playoff run

Run the football

Despite having a quarterback like Wentz in their corner, the Eagles would be foolish not to lean heavy on the run game in order to reach the postseason.

The numbers say it all. The three highest rushing totals for the Eagles offense were against the Buffalo Bills (218 yards), Green Bay Packers (176 yards) and Chicago Bears (146 yards).

The Eagles went 3-0 in those games.

Conversely, the three highest passing yard totals for the Eagles offense were against Washington (313 yards), the Vikings (292 yards) and Detroit Lions (246 yards).

The Eagles went 1-2 in those games. The one win against Washington came at the expense of a 17-0 first-half hole.

There seems to be a more direct correlation between the Eagles running the ball well and winning, as opposed to passing the ball well.

Eagles running back Jordan Howard has averaged over four yards a carry in six of Philly’s nine games this season. The former Indiana University running back has six rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown on the year.

However, Howard faces injury issues. According to the Eagles injury report, Howard is questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the New England Patriots with a shoulder injury.

The Eagles could even utilize their running backs on screens or short passes, forming a sort of extended running game.

Eagles rookie running back Miles Sanders has caught at least three passes in five straight games, including 86 yards receiving in the Eagles loss in Minnesota.

To shore up their backfield, the Eagles announced they signed running back Jay Ajayi Friday. Ajayi found success with the Eagles offense during their Super Bowl run in 2017 before he tore his ACL during the 2018 season.