Eagles' Offensive Line Finding Continuity, Helping Offense Thrive

Two weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles offense couldn’t manufacture a single point in 60 minutes against the San Francisco 49ers, not with Matt Tobin and David Molk making their first NFL starts and not with Todd Herremans displaced.

What a difference two weeks can make.

Philadelphia’s offense crossed the goal line three times during a 27-0 demolition of the New York Giants on Sunday, one of the unit’s finest performances of 2014, and it’s no secret why. For the first time all season, Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy had space to operate.

The offensive line is getting better—and nobody should be the slightest bit surprised.

WEEK	LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Wk 1	J. Peters	E. Mathis	J. Kelce	T. Herremans	A. Barbre
Wk 2	J. Peters	D. Kelly	J. Kelce	T. Herremans	A. Gardner
Wk 3	J. Peters	D. Kelly	J. Kelce	T. Herremans	A. Gardner
Wk 4	J. Peters	M. Tobin	D. Molk	D. Kelly	T. Herremans
Wk 5	J. Peters	M. Tobin	D. Molk	T. Herremans	L. Johnson
Wk 6	J. Peters	M. Tobin	D. Molk	T. Herremans	L. Johnson

After all, Sunday also marked the first time the Eagles played with the same five starters along the offensive line in consecutive games. Tobin and Molk are growing with proper NFL experience, the second-string left guard and center both building off an exceptional preseason. And perhaps most critical was Lane Johnson’s return from a four-game suspension to restore order to the right side of the line of scrimmage.

WEEK	PASS YDS	PASS AVG	RUN YDS	RUN AVG
Wk 4 @ SF	191	4.3	22	1.8
Wk 5 vs. STL	207	5.6	145	4.4
Wk 6 vs. NYG	245	7.0	203	5.6

You can actually see the gradual improvement up front since the San Francisco debacle. It began in Week 5 versus the St. Louis Rams with four scoring drives—two touchdowns, two field goals—and a modest 352 total yards of offense.

Against the Giants, the Eagles amassed 448 yards, their second-highest of the year. Foles completed 21 of 34 pass attempts for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while McCoy really went off, carrying 22 times for a season-high 149. Darren Sproles tacked on 39 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well.

Afterward, head coach Chip Kelly confirmed what the biggest difference has been—particularly in the running game—during his postgame press conference carried live on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia.

"

Obviously, we got a little bit more continuity. It's Lane [Johnson’s] second game back, same group that played the game before played this game, so just a little more consistency. Stayed on blocks a little bit longer, ran the ball a little harder and blocked well on the perimeter.

"

Notice Kelly mentioned Johnson by name. It certainly is no coincidence McCoy has seen a boost with the return of his right tackle. For one thing, it allowed Herremans to slide back to his natural spot at guard after a brief stint outside.

Not only that, while he could be touch and go in pass protection as a rookie, Johnson happened to be an outstanding run-blocker from day one. At 6’6”, 317 pounds, the 2013 fourth overall pick is a force that is not easily replaced, in addition to possessing rare athleticism for his size.

Johnson has an opportunity to be a special player in this league. There is going to be some drop-off in performance anytime that type of talent is removed from the equation.

Meanwhile, along the interior, Tobin and Molk had nowhere to go but up after making their respective debuts. Of course, that was probably to be expected. The 49ers are a tough defense for a veteran offensive line, let alone for a couple of guys who had barely played a down in the NFL between them. That game was the very definition of being thrown into the fire.

Based on grades from metrics site Pro Football Focus (subscription required), there was actually reason to be hopeful for those two. Tobin finished exhibition games with the highest cumulative score among all offensive linemen. Molk was tops among centers.

Granted, it was only preseason, but that’s more than just a player holding his own. Those are a couple of guys who are competing.

While Tobin and Molk may continue proving to be serviceable reserves—who knows, maybe more—the best news is yet to come. All-Pro left guard Evan Mathis is eligible to return from the short-term injured-reserve list in Week 10, while CSNPhilly.com’s reported timetable for dynamic center Jason Kelce has him back around the same time.

Until then, the past two weeks have given the Eagles reason to believe offensive efficiency will continue to improve even without a couple of starters. Tobin and Molk are getting better, and Johnson is a massive upgrade. Finally having the same group working together for consecutive weeks at a time is making everybody better.

Most of all, it’s making Foles and McCoy better.