Eagles-Broncos snap count analysis: DeVonta Smith thriving as WR1 – Bleeding Green Nation

Time to analyze the Philadelphia Eagles’ snap counts from their Week 10 win over the Denver Broncos.

• Jason Kelce was down in pain in the fourth quarter but only missed one snap before returning.
• Landon Dickerson missed some playing time in the fourth quarter.
• For the second week in a row, Quez Watkins led all wide receivers in playing time. He also tied for the team lead in targets with six but only had four grabs for 33 yards.
• Birthday boy DeVonta Smith notched 66 yards and two touchdowns on his four catches. Thriving. The Eagles still aren’t getting him enough targets. He’s too good to be stopped.
• Jalen Reagor’s two touches went for a combined four yards. It was silly that he got a touch before Smith got a target in this game. Gotta stop forcing the issue here. The Eagles don’t have better alternatives behind him but, if they did, Reagor should/would be losing playing time. This is a player with nine receptions for 64 yards in his last seven games.
• Jack Stoll saw a career high in playing time with Dallas Goedert getting ruled out early due to a concussion. He was targeted three times and had two catches for six yards.
• Goedert’s injury also afforded Tyree Jackson more snaps but he did not see a target.
• Jordan Howard led all Eagles running backs in playing time once again. He led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 83 yards (6.9 average). Howard has yet to see a target in the passing game since returning to Philly.
• Boston Scott was even more efficient than Howard with 11 carries for 81 yards (7.4 average). In addition, Scott had two receptions for 24 yards.
• Kenneth Gainwell played the same amount as Scott but only logged three total touches. His two carries went for five yards and his one reception went for nine yards.
• Nate Herbig came in at center when Kelce got hurt and shotgun snapped a ball to Hurts’ feet.
• Sua Opeta temporarily replaced an injured Dickerson at left guard.
• Greg Ward hasn’t seen a target since Week 4.
• JJAW had to leave the game at one point due to “muscle cramping.” He’s been dealing with

• No Eagles defenders played every snap.
• T.J. Edwards continues to be LB1. He whiffed real bad on an open field tackle to allow a 64-yard reception at one point.
• Javon Hargrave’s first five games: six sacks, nine quarterback hits. His last five games: zero sacks, two quarterback hits. Hargrave did generate pressure in this game; he actually earned PFF’s highest pass-rushing grade. He notably got Teddy Bridgewater to drop his eyes on the play where Derek Barnett ended up finishing off the QB for the sack. That being said, would still be nice to see Hargrave show up again in the stat sheet moving forward.
• Rodney McLeod and Anthony Harris both sat out for some snaps with Marcus Epps rotating in as a top two safety. Harris’s snap percentage marks a season low for him.
• Derek Barnett logged his second sack of the season and just his third from his last 15 games. He also had two dumb penalties (“It’s always him”), including a roughing the passer that turned a third down stop into 1st-and-10 at the Eagles’ 11-yard line.
• Fletcher Cox showed up in the box score with a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. Beyond that, PFF had him down for five pressures. Good to see! Still only has two sacks in his last 14 games.
• Darius Slay had a tackle for loss on a bad throw behind the line of scrimmage early in the game. He also obviously had the 83-yard fumble return for his second touchdown this year. Big Play Slay.
• Davion Taylor was the one who came up with the forced fumble to set up Slay’s touchdown. Taylor continues to show potential.
• Josh Sweat had a hurry to help force the Broncos into a three-and-out on their first drive. Outside of that, quiet game. He had the lowest pressure rate from the Eagles’ starting defensive line. His only box score stat from the last two games combined is one assisted tackle.
• Milton Williams logged his second QB hit of the season.
• Genard Avery did not log a stat.
• Zech McPhearson saw playing time when Slay got banged up both early and late in the game. Slay seems to be fine, though.
• Alex Singleton continues to see limited defensive playing time as the fourth linebacker in the rotation.
• Once again, Ryan Kerrigan did not log a stat. He has one tackle in 219 snaps this season. Week 10 was his lowest snap count yet.
• Patrick Johnson saw his first non-garbage time action since taking a sole snap in Week 6. He tipped a pass behind the line of scrimmage and then tackled the Broncos running back, who inexplicably caught the ball, for a 9-yard loss. Nice play. Johnson should probably be seeing the field a little more often.

• K’Von Wallace had the blocked field goal that prevented the Broncos from making it a one-score game (20 to 10 instead of 20 to 13).
• Shaun Bradley had a special teams tackle on punt coverage. Big hit.
• Josiah Scott saw some ST snaps after being a healthy scratch last week.

INACTIVE: Reid Sinnett, Jack Anderson, Marlon Tuipulotu, Tay Gowan, Kary Vincent Jr.

ACTIVE: Gardner Minshew

• Tuipulotu was a healthy scratch for the sixth time this season.
• KVJ has yet to be active since the Eagles traded for him.