Philadelphia Eagles fans know only too well how important every single snap is when you're playing for the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. One misstep can be the difference between a championship and a bitter defeat.
And that means even seemingly insignificant personnel decisions can ultimately be what makes or breaks the game. And that's something Nick Sirianni and co. should be taking very seriously.
Benching an offensive role player might not seem like a big deal, but it could very well be the deciding factor in this game.
Benching Jahan Dotson Could Win the Eagles the Super Bowl
Jahan Dotson has seen 2 receiving targets in the postseason and even has a touchdown. So why should he benched, right? And further, why would benching him decide this game? Because players' impact goes way further than what you see on the stat sheet.
Dotson has played at least 55% of the Eagles' offensive snaps in all three postseason games. And the NFL is about as far from an individual sport as you can find — all 11 players matter immensely on just about any given play. Dotson hasn't just been a non-factor as a receiver, he's been a liability to the team's success. And the Eagles also have the perfect replacement on the roster.
Dotson's Liability
When a team runs as much as the Philadelphia Eagles, run blocking is crucial. Accordingly, Dotson has been a run blocker on at least 15 snaps in each of the last five games (per PFF) and for nearly 300 snaps on the season. And those are nearly 300 wasted snaps.
You don't expect a wide receiver to be a star run-blocker, of course, but when you're lucky to get 2 passes thrown your way in an entire game, you better contribute elsewhere. And Dotson never even seems to be making an effort when he's asked to block.
PFF has him ranked as the Eagles' worst run-blocking wide receiver this year, with a grade of 51.2. Even 170-pound DeVonta Smith, who is exerting a lot more energy making plays with the ball in his hands, grades out ahead of Dotson. And this isn't just a down year. That grade is in fact better than the egregious marks of 36.3 and 41.8 he earned in his first two NFL seasons.
Who Does it Better?
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Parris Campbell, who has played only 11 snaps this postseason but who deserves significantly more if we're basing things off run-blocking effort. His 70.4 grade is easily tops among Eagles wideouts, and it even beats out every single Eagles tight end this year.
This too is not a one-off fluke. Campbell has graded out above 60 as a run blocker in four of his six NFL seasons.
Why it Matters
So why bother benching Dotson for Campbell? Because running the ball will make or break the Eagles in this game.
The Chiefs' pass-rush is among the best in the league, and for as good as Jalen Hurts has been this season, his biggest weakness is easily his play when facing pressure. Keeping him clean in the pocket won't be easy, and that means running the ball and throwing screens will be the key to getting one over on the KC defense.
And if you're trying to spring receivers off of screen passes and free up Saquon Barkley to break off long runs, what do you need? Receivers blocking downfield.
It's not a sexy facet of the game, and it's often not one you can even see on your TV broadcast, but it's a crucial one. And it's one that could cost the Eagles a Super Bowl if they don't take seriously.
More Philadelphia Eagles News and Rumors: