If you haven't watched any recent Philadelphia Eagles games, you might assume that they run the ball. And then they run the ball some more. And then they run the ball even more, continually going with the rushing attack and jamming the ground game down their opponents' throats until it ultimately becomes too much to handle.
And for the most part, you'd be right. From Week 8 to Week 16, Nick Sirianni has dialed up a run 319 times, which is almost 50 more than the next team on the list (Indianapolis Colts, 263). They have the most rushing yards (1,631) in that span, again beating out the Colts (1,431) and are tied with Indy and San Francisco with 14 touchdowns on the ground in that span. Oh, and they had a bye week mixed in there, too.
But it's not all about running, and DeVonta Smith is exhibit A. With five catches for 80 yards and a score in Week 16 — and the touchdown was truly a sight to behold — he continued to establish himself as a legitimate WR1, which is something the Eagles have been lacking for quite some time.
In fact, you could reasonably argue that early-career DeSean Jackson was the last true WR1 they had had for a sustained period of time — though not for lack of trying — starting with his exciting rookie campaign in 2008.
With 912 yards, Jackson has held the franchise rookie record for receiving yards, but we'll see how much longer that lasts. Spoiler alert: Smith is pretty close to holding that very record, and he could realistically attain it with a strong outing in Week 17 against Washington. Here's how the list stacks up (via Stathead):
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If you're rooting for Smith to break D-Jax's record, you should probably hope that it happens this week. Not only would that likely go a long way in helping to fight for the Eagles' playoff berth, but it would also avoid the complications that would come if Smith broke the record in Week 18. Does that mean an asterisk goes there, given the extra game of action he got to achieve the feat? Would we still say that Jackson is the worthy owner of the franchise record? With enough to debate about in Philly sports, that's one topic of contention that I'd rather avoid.
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Whichever way you frame it, you've got to be pretty happy with what you've seen from Smith. He leads the Birds in targets (94), receptions (58), receiving yards (821) and receiving touchdowns (5), and he's doing so in an offense that has oftentimes been either completely lifeless or almost exclusively set around the ground game.
The future is bright for No. 6.
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