PFF data proves Eagles' deep ball passes create mammoth results on field

No one can deny that the Philadelphia Eagles' offense, while they may not pass a lot, is one of the best big play teams in the NFL.

It helps when the Eagles have running back Saquon Barkley, who can break out a massive run at any time. Quarterback Jalen Hurts also helps as he throws an effortless deep pass to either A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith, and they will make the catch.

Sometimes, statistics don't do it any justice to show how dangerous the Eagles' offense is. Pro Football Focus has the data to prove how good this offense is when Hurts is bombing the ball down the field.

PFF data shows the Eagles are one of the best deep ball teams in the NFL

PFF writer Dalton Wasserman examined the quarterbacks and teams who were the best at throwing the ball 20 or more yards down the field. The first part of the article looked at the teams who had the highest deep passing expected points average (EPA) per play in 2024. Philadelphia was at the top of the ranking with a score of 0.941.

"As they did in many categories last season, the Eagles reigned supreme as the league’s most efficient deep passing team. Though they weren’t a high-volume offense in this category, with just 57 attempts over the 2024 season, they led the NFL with a 49.1% completion rate on 20-plus-yard throws. Of course, having wide receiver A.J. Brown, who paced the league in PFF receiving grade versus single coverage, certainly helped the cause."

The next portion of Wasserman's article, which focused on the team, was the highest deep passing EPA per play from 2022 to 2024. Philadelphia once again made the top five, as they were fifth with a score of 0.523.

"The Super Bowl champion Eagles show up again with a unique, yet simple, method of completing deep passes. They take advantage of single-high defenses by throwing go routes to the outside. Since 2022, no team has racked up more yardage or posted a better PFF receiving grade on go routes than Philadelphia."

It comes as no surprise, as that has been the bread and butter of the passing game. They send Smith and Brown on deep go routes, and usually, they can either burn the defensive back or catch a contested one-on-one jump ball.

Last year, Hurts looked his best in his career, as the previous two years had been inconsistent. Especially in 2023, the majority of his career-high 15 interceptions were from him just throwing it up there and hoping Brown or Smith would come down with it. In 2024, Hurts was more methodical with it and picked his spots much better.

This will once again be an essential part of the Eagles' offense, as they are an explosive unit that seeks big plays. The Eagles will not hold back Hurts from throwing it up to his guys to go make a play for him.