Eagles by the Numbers: Good news for the run defense

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Who could have imagined wed be leading this weeks By the Numbers with an Eagles run defense stat ... and it would be a positive one?

Read on!

The longest run by a Redskins running back in the Eagles 20-13 win Sunday at FedEx Field was a six-yarder by Ryan Torain in the first quarter.

For a team that entered the game ranked 30th in the NFL in rush defense, a team that had allowed runs of 61, 47, 40, 37, 25 and 22 yards in its first five games, a team missing both Antonio Dixon and Trent Cole, thats quite an achievement.

Especially against Torain, whose 7.1 average entering the game was tied for highest in the NFL among running backs. Backup QB John Beck had a 12-yard run Sunday, but if you cant remember the last time the Eagles did not allow an opposing running back a single run longer than six yards in a game, thats understandable.

It was 283 games ago.

Last time no opposing tailback had a six-yard run in a game against the Eagles was in September 1995, in Ray Rhodes second game as the Eagles head coach. The Eagles beat the Cards 31-19 and held the Cards to 30 rushing yards on 23 carries.

The Cards longest carries were a pair of five-yarders, one by Garrison Hearst and another by Larry Centers.

Where was that game played? Sun Devil Stadium, where Torain played his college football for Arizona State.
Piling up the yards
The Eagles have netted 400 or more yards in five of their first six games. Only two teams in NFL historythe 1983 Chargers and 2007 Patriotshave had more 400-yard games (six) through Week 6.

Six others have had five, including the Saints and Patriots this year. The Eagles had 376 yards against the Giants, falling 24 shy of becoming the third team to open a season with six straight 400-yard games.
Big yards from Shady
LeSean McCoys 126 rushing yards Sunday gave him five games over the past two years with 120 or more rushing yards. Only Arian Foster (six) has more during the same span.

Were only six games into the season, but in Eagles history only Wilbert Montgomery has ever had more games in a full season with 120 rushing yards. Montgomery had four in 1979.

The Eagles have never lost a game under Reid when a back has had 28 or more carries, and theyre 20-3 since 1960. Their last loss when a back had 28 or more carries was in 1998, when they lost 20-17 to the Cards despite 141 yards on 30 carries from Duce Staley.

Maclin moving up
Jeremy Maclins 101 yards Sunday jumped him up from ninth to seventh on the list of all-time receiving yards among players who havent reached their 24th birthday. Maclin already has 2,434 career yards and doesnt turn 24 until May.

Next on the list for Maclin to chase are Koren Robinson (2,760), Isaac Bruce (2,855) and teammate DeSean Jackson (2,978).

You think Grossmans bad?
Grossmans 23.7 passer rating Sunday is only the eighth-worst against the Eagles in 13 years under Andy Reid. Whos been worse? Troy Aikman (0.00 in 2000), Anthony Wright (21.8 in 2001), Ryan Leaf (21.6 in 2001) and Tony Romo (22.2 in 2007), all Cowboys; along with Eli Manning (16.9 in 2004), Tim Rattay (21.3 in 2005) and Jake Delhomme (14.7 in 2009).

But Grossman is the first QB to throw four INTs against the Eagles and complete 40 percent or worse of his passes in 20 years, since Babe Laufenberg -- also of the Cowboys -- was 13-for-36 (36 percent) with four INTs (Eric Allen two, William Frizzell, Ben Smith) in a game the Eagles won 17-3 at the Vet in 1990.
Vicks picks
Michael Vick is the first Eagle quarterback with eight or more interceptions through six weeks in 22 years, since Randall Cunningham had nine six games into the 1989 season.

Vick is the first Eagle QB with an interception in five straight games since Donovan McNabb had at least one in Week 12 through Week 16 in 2001. The last Eagle quarterback with a longer INT streak is Ty Detmer, who threw at least one interception in seven straight starts the last seven weeks of 1996.
Lots of yards, not many points
With 513, 489 and 422 yards the last three games, the Eagles became only the second team in NFL history and the first in 17 years to go three straight weeks gaining 420 or more yards without scoring more than 24 points in any of those games.

The Eagles netted 513 in a 24-23 loss to the 49ers, 489 in a 31-24 loss to the Bills and 422 in their 20-10 win over the Redskins.

Only 18 teams in NFL history have had three games in an entire season with 420 yards and 24 or fewer points. The Eagles are the first to do it three times within the first six weeks of a season.

The only other team with three consecutive such games: The Vikings in November of 1994494 yards in a 21-20 win over the Saints, 440 yards in a 26-20 overtime loss to the Patriots and 461 yards in a 31-21 loss to the Jets.

This and that
The Eagles are only the second NFL team since 1964 with 1,000 rushing yards and a per-carry average over 5.5 six games into a season. The other? The 2006 Falcons, led by Vick ... Vince Young is the first Eagle QB to go 0-for-1 with an INT since Koy Detmer against the Cowboys on Sept. 3, 2000, after replacing McNabb at the end of a 41-14 win at Texas Stadiumthe Pickle Juice game ... The Eagles have already had four games this year with at least 170 rushing yards. Last time they had more than that in a full season was 1990, when they had eight.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com

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