The Eagles have struggled through two games to consistently execute the run-pass option. It’s a bad-news-good-news situation, though.
As Philadelphia (1-1) prepares to visit the NFL’s hottest team on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX), the bad news is a glaring lack of production. Jalen Hurts has thrown for only 18 yards on seven RPO passes. Plus, the Eagles drew three ineligible-man-downfield flags in their loss to Atlanta on Monday. The good news is tackle Jordan Mailata sees an easy solve: Timing.
“It’s just a timing thing on our own end,” Mailata told NJ Advance Media on Thursday. “It’s a simple fix. Put a tag on the playcall so we know that we need to hold onto the blocks a little longer. That’s pretty much it. It’s not that complex of an issue. It isn’t.
“Again, once you add that tag, you become more clearer on what read comes first and what you need to do as an offensive lineman. It’s not that deep. Everybody’s making a big deal about it, but it’s not a big deal on how to fix it.”
RPOs are a big deal for Kellen Moore. The Eagles’ new offensive coordinator kept the element in the Philadelphia playbook because Hurts has used it in past seasons to effectively move the ball. Moore explained Thursday that the RPO is part scheme and part technique, and timing is critical.
“We had some really, really good discussions just because it’s been a really successful component for us,” Moore said. “So we don’t want to lose that element of our offense.”
Speaking of offense, Philadelphia will likely need a lot of it to beat New Orleans (2-0) on Sunday. The Saints’ 91 points are the most by an NFL team in its first two games since Sean Payton and Drew Brees recorded 93 in 2009 en route to a Super Bowl XLIV victory.