Did the Eagles find their offensive identity after beating the Bengals?

CINCINNATI — Whatever the expression, there is a yin and yang that coexist in football, a balance between the light and dark sides of the force.

Coaches have been trying to strike this balance for a long time; between imposing your will on the opponent and responding to the designs the opponents present on offense or defense.

Through the first five games of the season, the Eagles didn’t quite know how to accomplish either, especially on offense. Critics who supported the first approach argued that they lacked an identity, or at least a successful one.

Ram Nick Sirianni He said his offense must be adaptable above all else. Although the Eagles have won the last two games with a more diverse and balanced attack — most notably an impressive 37-17 victory over the Bengals on Sunday — they have struggled against the notion that their offense has found its identity.

“’Identity’ is overrated. I really believe that,” Sirianni said after the match. “For example, what is identity? I’ve told you this many times, our identity is to play detailed, our identity is to play physical and hard, and our identity is to play together.

“And everything else changes from week to week.”

But the quarterback jalen hurtsThe player, who easily had his best game of the season at Paycor Stadium, said that sometimes the Eagles have to play with their offensive strength, no matter how they defend.

And in the specific question posed to Hurts, that could include more of the playmaker under center.

“I think it says a lot about what you are offensively when you can be imposing,” Hurts said. “There’s more than one way to impose, right? You can do this from the gun. You can do this in the passing game. You can do this in a running game, an action game, whatever, as long as you have full control.

“And I think it’s more about the mentality that we’re trying to develop and that I’m trying to push, which is honestly about what we’re doing, not what other people are doing.”

Either way, it was because the Eagles’ offense was producing results through the air and on the ground, and the result was that the Bengals couldn’t keep up. The game, tied 17-17 late in the third quarter, was turned on its head when Hurts hit the field wide. DeVonta Smith In the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown and quarter-zone coverage.

Vic FangioHis defense also contributed to his fourth point and two turnovers in the second half. But the Eagles’ offense exploded in the second half, scoring 27 points and 244 yards. The only thing that slowed the game down was when one of Hurts’ cleats came off his foot early in the fourth quarter.

“I hate that we had to take a break on this one,” Hurts said. “I had a double knot. Usually when I wear low-top Air Jordans, I have to lace them very tightly to have good ankle support. I tied it so tightly that I couldn’t untie the knot.

“I had to go ‘Jalen Two Shoes’ for a while.”

Hurts’ self-appointed nickname may not hold up, but an offense that includes more carries under center, more shotgun action, more play action and, yes, more running might be the formula given the Eagles’ personnel and offensive strength . The quarterback’s early-season struggles.

And there’s nothing wrong with that, despite the owner Jeffrey LurieI have a hatred for this type of football.

“I think when you can run the ball effectively, it opens up a lot more,” the tackle said. lane johnsonJust three games ago, he called the offense “constipated.” “First of all, it wears out the home defenders, weakens the passing attack, and puts the fans in a difficult situation. So the more effectively we can run the blocking and create play actions, that opens up everything.”

All told, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore 21 passes are called 38 running plays. A double-digit fourth quarter lead and five Tush Pushes contributed to the imbalance, but it was clear from the bounce that the Eagles wouldn’t forget about the running back. Saquon Barkley.

Hurts had 12 carries in the first half, while Barkley and backup Kenneth Gainwell had 10 carries for just 38 yards. Film study will reveal more, but it appeared the Bengals were intent on stopping the run early by using heavy boxes and linebackers in front of them.

wide receiver A.J. Brown He said the defense played the Eagles differently with Barkley around.

“I think so too. I think you should try to stop the escape,” he said. “He’s playing incredibly. He runs the ball very well. So I think he’s definitely playing a factor.

However, Hurts and his players were not able to take advantage of this advantage as much as they wanted in the first six games. Turnovers were what bothered the quarterback before the bye. He had avoided giving the ball away in the first two games after the break, but Hurts was still missing reads and holding on to the ball for too long.

He was shaky again on the Eagles’ first two possessions, nearly interfering with a third-down pass to Gainwell. But from that moment on, something clicked. Hurts completed 13 of his last 13 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, the Bengals’ Joe Burrow threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter. Two years ago, Hurts was in the elite quarterback conversation with Burrow and a few others. A strong game won’t make up for his recent struggles, but he clearly took pride in beating a colleague.

“This is the league,” Hurts said. “I have standards for myself, too.”

But having Barkley, who finished with 108 yards on 22 carries and surpassed the century mark for the fourth time this season, being the focal point might ease some of the burden off Hurts’ shoulders.

The same goes for his inclusion in the running game; One of the reasons why the Eagles play shotgun so often. No one is saying the plus-one quarterback running game should end. A few less Tush Pushes can also go a long way, especially near the goal line when Barkley likes to eat.

But more economical use of Hurts in the running game could pay dividends. Hurts had several productive designed rushes, including a 9-yard takedown in which he tackled a defender with his patented crossover pass, and a 7-yard touchdown rushing read.

“I think the more numbers you have as an offense, the more unpredictable you are,” Hurts said.

Through the first five games, Hurts was in the shotgun more than any other quarterback. The Eagles had him under center on just 10% of their plays during that span, and that included the Tush Push. But he was under Camera Jurgens Last week it was 22% against the Giants and this week it was up to 36%.

It occasionally helped set up play action, but sometimes that just meant — with two tight sets and Ben VanSumeren at fullback — Hurts turned the ball over to Barkley and the Eagles dared the Bengals to stop them.

“The identity of this team is physical and we will try to play physically every week,” Sirianni said. “When you say physical, it doesn’t mean you have to run it all the time. “You can run, you can pass, you can be physical from both angles.”

But one hand needs to feed the other.

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