WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Notes, Quotes

The Sports Xchange

December 14, 2018 at 5:05 pm.

–The Eagles ran the ball just 14 times for 34 yards in their overtime loss to the Cowboys last week. Of course, they only had the ball for just over 22 minutes, so there weren’t many plays to go around. If the Rams have a weakness defensively, it’s against the run. They surrender 124.2 yards on average per game, which is 10th most in the NFL.

“Obviously studying them it was surprising to find that out given who they have up front,” said offensive coordinator Mike Groh. “We have to put a good plan together and we have to give the backs creases to run in; we have to cover these guys up; we have to sustain our blocks; do a great job blocking on the perimeter when we call the runs. We have to stick with them.”

–The Eagles may have just eight interceptions in 13 games this season, but they have gotten picks from seven different players. Rasul Douglas leads the team with two. The players with one each are: Corey Graham, Malcolm Jenkins, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Avonte Maddox, Ronald Darby, and Nate Gerry.

–Rams running back Todd Gurley II is having an MVP-worthy season, rushing for 15 touchdowns while gaining 1,203 yards and averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

“Every week it starts with stopping the running back,” said defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. “We have to make teams one dimensional. If teams are able to run the ball on us we’re in for a long game. Everybody has to stay calm, get guys to the football, and get them in (second- and third-and-) long situations and get after the quarterback.”

BY THE NUMBERS: 28 and 42 — The first number is the amount of points the Eagles have scored in the first quarter this season, the fewest of any other team in the league. The second number is the amount of points they have scored in the fourth quarter in the last three games. Can anyone say slow starts? Eagles head coach Doug Pederson seemingly talks about them every Monday after a game.

“Again, it goes back to how am I teaching plays, how am I teaching the openers?” said Pederson on the Monday following his team’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys in a game that the offense did not score at all in the first half. “I put a lot of that on myself because I’m the one calling the play and I have to start with that.”

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