PHILADELPHIA — Just a season ago, the Philadelphia Eagles set records as one of the best single-season rushing offenses the NFL has ever seen. A philosophical change halfway through the season to become a run-first team led by Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, and an elite offensive line helped the Eagles win seven of nine remaining games and clinch a postseason berth.
One year later, the Eagles remain a dominant rushing attack, but their undefeated 8-0 start has been in large thanks to new highs being set through the air.
Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and A.J. Brown have proven all offseason doubts wrong in becoming an elite passing team.
The offense has had so much success throwing the football that many single-season franchise records are even on the verge of being broken:
Hurts on a historic warpath
There may not be a player in the NFL that has a better case to win league MVP nine weeks through the season than Hurts. He has taken an elite step and is leading the only undefeated team left in football.
His current season-long pace of 5,032 total yards from scrimmage would be the most by any player in Eagles history, and it is more than nine of the last 12 MVP’s. That includes other duel threats like Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton.
His historic pace doesn’t stop there. Hurts is also on the verge of breaking at least three other franchise records set by past Eagles quarterbacks.
In 2019 Carson Wentz set the record for most passing yards in a single season with 4,039 yards. The most impressive part of that feat was the fact that he did it without a single wide receiver surpassing 500 yards. Sadly for Wentz, that record looks like it will probably last just three seasons as Hurts is on pace for 4,339 passing yards in 2022.
Not only is Hurts pushing the ball down the field and racking up yards, he is also doing it with historic efficiency. Hurts is on pace to have the highest completion percentage of any Eagles QB that started at least 12 games or three quarters of the season. Sam Bradford had the highest completion rate in these parameters back in 2015 when he completed 65% of his passes. Hurts is currently sitting with a 68.2% average.
But wait! There’s more! Hurts has 18 total touchdowns (12 passing and six rushing) through eight starts. If he stays on track, he is set to finish the season with 38 touchdowns. That would be three more than Randall Cunningham’s franchise-high of 35 back in 1990.
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Receiving records aren’t safe
The weapons that general manager Howie Roseman has surrounded Hurts with is a key reason for the quarterback’s breakout season.
Trading for A.J. Brown has to be one of the most impactful non-QB acquisitions in franchise history, and it may be backed up by the record books after this season is over.
Eagles legendary WR Mike Quick currently holds the record for most receiving yards in a single season with 1,409 yards in 1983 but Brown looks like he is coming for that title.
Pro Football Focus’ top graded WR already has 718 yards through eight games. Brown is on pace for 1,526 yards on the year. That would shatter Quick’s record by 117 yards
He won’t break Zach Ertz’s 2018 reception record of 116, but he could break Irving Fryar’s record for most catches by a wide receiver ,which was set in 1996 when he finished the season with 88 receptions. Brown is actually on pace to catch 91 passes this year, which would break the record by three.
The Eagle could even see two players at the position break Fryar’s high as DeVonta Smith is on track for 85 receptions.
All-time great duos and trios
What the Eagles offense is doing individually this season has rarely been seen. Put their production together? The stability of even more records are at stake.
Back in 2013 DeSean Jackson and Riley Cooper finished with the most combined receiving yards for a duo of weapons with 2,167 yards. Brown and Dallas Goedert will very likely break that with both on pace to surpass 1,000 receiving yards this season.
In fact, the group of Brown, Goedert, and Smith could even become the first trio of pass-catchers in Eagles history to all surpass 800 yards in a season.
Of course, these records are easier to break with an extra regular season game on the schedule.
However, the current offensive core is set to not just break these records, they are set to shatter them.