At the beginning of the football season, some coaches like to recap how the previous season went, showing statistics and rankings of each major category that is important within the organization.
When the Eagles look at this information, they would see that they had a decent first year under head coach Nick Sirianni, finishing with a 9-8 record and a spot in the playoffs. Their offense led the league in rushing offense but showed room for improvement in the passing game. The defense statistically finished in the top-10 in total yards allowed per game but allowed a high completion percentage to some of the better quarterbacks in the league.
After several offseason additions and the returning players, the Eagles’ goals and aspirations will also increase.
Here are five realistic goals for the Eagles to accomplish in the 2022 season:
Finish in the top 5 in red zone scoring
According to TeamRankings, the Eagles finished with the eighth-highest red-zone touchdown rate in the league last season (62.9%). With the addition of A.J. Brown, it will be tougher for opposing defenses to double team tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver DeVonta Smith. Goedert, who led the Eagles in red zone targets last year (12), should have some more one-on-one matchups close to the goal line and could capitalize on the space created by Brown.
Jalen Hurts finishes with 4,600 total yards
It is no secret that the Eagles offense will go as far as quarterback Jalen Hurts will take it. Hurts, who is entering his second straight season as the starter, finished last season with 3,928 total yards (3,144 passing yards and 784 rushing yards). With the recent additions to the offense, coupled with an additional year in the offense and more weapons surrounding him, Hurts could be in line for a stat line that looks like 3,800 passing and 800 yards rushing in 2022. If Hurts has a performance like that, something that he is capable of doing, it will make the offense hard to defend.
Defense has at least 40 sacks
The Eagles only had 29 sacks last season, a disappointing total given that the Eagles invested heavily in their defensive line. However, with the additions of defensive tackle Jordan Davis, the team’s first-round draft pick in this year’s draft, along with signing linebacker Hasson Reddick in free agency, the Eagles’ pass rush should be able to reach opposing quarterbacks. The Eagles should have more than 40, but the new total would put them in the middle of the pack of the 2021 sack totals around the league.
Winning the NFC East
There has not been a repeat champion in the NFC East since 2004, when the Eagles won their fourth straight division title. This seemingly puts the Eagles in a good position because the Dallas Cowboys won the division last year.
After finishing 3-3 in the division last season, the Eagles and their improved roster appear to be in a good position to take advantage of the changes made by the other NFC East teams.
The Giants are in the middle of a rebuild and are still trying to learn new head coach Brian Daboll and the system he is bringing along with him from the Buffalo Bills. The Washington Commanders have question marks with former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz starting for them and some questions surrounding the consistency of their defense. The Cowboys lost several key players, including edge rusher Randy Gregory.
The Eagles need to figure out a way to finally beat the Cowboys, who they have lost to in three straight games. If they split the season series, they will still be in a good position to win their first division title since 2019.
Win a playoff game
One of the benefits of winning the division is hosting a playoff game. The Eagles should be able to accomplish that next season and use the experience from last season’s wild-card round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to help them in the 2022 postseason.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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