Can This Be the Greatest Eagles Offense Ever?

Can this be the greatest Eagles offense ever? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

When the Eagles had the highest-scoring offense in modern franchise history, Mark Sanchez started half the season, LeSean McCoy had his lowest rushing average as an Eagle, Riley Cooper started all 16 games and guys like Jeff Maehl, James Casey and Josh Huff had roles.

If that offense could score 28 points per game, what can this offense do over a full season?

It’s scary.

The Eagles have never had what they have now. An offense with no discernable weakness.

Their starting wide receivers are both studs, and their third receiver has the 6th-most 50-yard catches in the league since opening day 2021.

Their running back has the 6th-highest rushing average by a running back since 1960, and the backups have scored 15 touchdowns in the last 21 games.

The tight end is top-five in the league. Maybe top-three.

The offensive line is stacked with current and future Pro Bowlers.

And the one guy who was closest to a question mark coming into the season is now an MVP candidate.

They can run the ball. They can throw the ball. They can hit big plays. They can grind out the yards. They can protect the quarterback. They don’t turn the ball over.

It’s only four weeks, but if this group plays the way it has for the first month of the season, we could be looking at the best offense in Eagles history.

Some early highlights:

- EXPLOSIVE: The Eagles are averaging 436 yards per game, 2nd-most in the NFL and five total yards fewer than the Lions. They’re on pace to shatter the franchise record of 417 yards per game set by Chip Kelly’s 2013 no-huddle group.

- MOVING THE CHAINS: The Eagles are averaging 24 ½ first downs per game, 2nd-most in the league (and just one first down fewer than the Bills). They’re on pace to break the franchise record of 22.3 first downs per game, shared by the 2011 and 2014 teams.

- SMASHMOUTH: With 165 rushing yards per game, the Eagles are 5th in the league on the ground, but they lead the league with 10 rushing TDs. That’s the most by any team after four games since the 1995 Cowboys – with Emmitt Smith – had 11, and it’s tied for 9th-most ever four games into a season. Only five other teams have had 10 rushing TDs after four games in the last half century.

- CONSISTENCY: The Eagles have scored at least 24 points in each of their first four games for the first time since 2006 and only the third time since the 1960 NFL Championship season. They also did it in 2002. They’re 4th in the league in scoring at 29 points per game, and their 23 points per game in the first half is by far highest in the league and 8th-most ever in a first half through four games (and most since the 2002 Raiders averaged 24.3). Their 85 2nd-quarter points are most in NFL history by a team through four games.

- LONG DRIVES: The Eagles lead the NFL with six touchdown drives of at least 80 yards.

- BALL SECURITY: They’ve committed just two turnovers, tied for fewest in the league after four games. That matches the fewest in franchise history after two games.

- BALANCE: The Eagles are also one of only seven teams in NFL history with at least 1,050 passing yards and 650 rushing yards after two games. They have 40 first downs rushing and 49 passing. They’re the only NFL team with at least 40 of each. They're the only NFL team that has three guys with 10 or more catches and at least 14 yards per catch.

- BIG PLAYS: The Eagles already have nine offensive plays of 30 yards or more, tied with the Saints for most in the league this year.

- TOUCHDOWNS: The Eagles are getting the ball in the end zone. Their 15 touchdowns are third-most in the league this year, behind only the Lions and Chiefs, and their third-most through four games since 1955. They had 16 in 1980 and 2002.

The Eagles weren’t bad offensively last year – 12th in scoring, 13th in yards per play, 14th in yards.

But considering it was Nick Sirianni’s first year as a head coach, Shane Steichen’s first year as an offensive coordinator, QB coach Brian Johnson’s first year in the NFL and Jalen Hurts’ first year as a starter, you knew there was a chance for dramatic improvement if Hurts could show more consistency.

Which he has.

Then factor in Steichen’s ability as a play caller. He wasn’t even the play caller till the middle of the last year but was able to grow in the role all offseason, and he’s got a tremendous command of the offense right now.

Then consider the addition of A.J. Brown, one of the NFL’s best receivers, the return of guard Isaac Seumalo, who missed all but 1 ½ games last year, the development of second-year players Landon Dickerson and DeVonta Smith, a healthy (so far) Sanders and Dallas Goedert for the first time spending a full season as the No. 1 tight end, and you have a unit that at times has looked unstoppable.

There are still concerns.

The Eagles rank 29th in the league with only 23 second-half points and 30th with only nine 4th-quarter points. And they’re 8th in the NFL with 26 penalties – 17 of them on the offense.

But while it’s too early to draw any conclusions, it’s not too early to recognize the enormous potential of this unit.

The Eagles are loaded on offense, and if they keep playing the way they have, it’s going to take a team that’s loaded on defense to slow them down.