Eagles Decline, By the Numbers
Jeffrey Lurie was banking on a rebound season. He looked at the players on this roster and envisioned a rise in production across the board that would take this team out of mediocrity and back to elite status.
Instead, the output has dipped. Very few on the roster are even flirting with the possibility of having a career year. Some have fallen off dramatically.
To illustrate, we compared individual performances from last season with the projected totals for 2012. (The projected numbers are under the premise that the player would appear in the exact number of games this season as they did in ’11.) Some players are pulling their weight. Others, not so much.
First up, the rushing game.
| 2011 Rushing | Carries | Yards | Average/Carry | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeSean McCoy | 273 | 1309 | 4.8 | 17 |
| Michael Vick | 76 | 589 | 7.8 | 1 |
| 2012 Projections | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeSean McCoy | 266 | 1,125 | 4.2 | 3 |
| Michael Vick | 82 | 443 | 5.4 | 1 |
LeSean McCoy is putting up good numbers, especially given the circumstances. But there is no doubt he misses Jason Peters and company. As you can see, Michael Vick‘s yards/carry was down pretty significantly prior to suffering the concussion.
Speaking of Vick, here are the passing numbers:
| Completion % | Yards | TD | INT | Fumbles Lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Vick | 59.8 | 3,303 | 18 | 14 | 3 |
| Projected 2012 Vick | 58.5 | 3,127 | 16 | 15 | 7 |
There is not one category that he was/is on pace to get better in. The lost fumbles really jump off the page.
Next up, the receiving game.
| 2011 Receiving | Catches | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeSean Jackson | 58 | 961 | 4 |
| Jeremy Maclin | 63 | 859 | 5 |
| Brent Celek | 62 | 811 | 5 |
| 2012 Projections | Catches | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeSean Jackson | 66 | 1,037 | 3 |
| Jeremy Maclin | 52 | 649 | 6 |
| Brent Celek | 66 | 814 | 2 |
DeSean Jackson is seeing a statistical rise post-contract, though the big play and touchdown totals are lower than desired. Brent Celek looks to be having a similar year, but this doesn’t account for his seven drops. Jeremy Maclin‘s numbers are the most alarming considering that 2011 was the stronger campaign, and it was a season where he was dealing with a health scare for much of the year. Maclin was expected to break out this season, but he went the other way.
The sharpest statistical decline can be found along the defensive line. The defense had 50 sacks last year. They are currently on pace for 26 in 2012. That is due in large part to the dip in production from Trent Cole, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins.
| 2011 Pass Rush | Sacks | Hurries |
|---|---|---|
| Trent Cole | 11 | 44 |
| Jason Babin | 18 | 37 |
| Cullen Jenkins | 5.5 | 25 |
| 2012 Projections | Sacks | Hurries |
|---|---|---|
| Trent Cole | 2 | 41 |
| Jason Babin | 7 | 45 |
| Cullen Jenkins | 3 | 27 |
It is interesting to note that the hurries from last year to this season are pretty similar, but the sacks are way down. Like many of their teammates, they are not finishing the job.
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