Eagles by the Numbers: Gashed on the ground

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Its time for Week 3 By the Numbers, and it comes with a warning: Much of this will not be pretty.

Lets start with the Eagles beleaguered run defense. In all three games the Eagles have played so far, an opposing running back has rushed for at least 85 yards.

Cadillac Williams ran for 91 yards in relief of Steven Jackson, Michael Turner rushed for 114 yards in the Falcons win, and Ahmad Bradshaw needed only 15 carries to run for 86 yards for the Giants on Sunday.

This is only the third time since 1961 the Eagles have allowed an opposing running back to rush for 85 or more yards in each of their first three games.

In 1986, George Rodgers of the Redskins (104 yards), Hall of Famer Walter Payton (177) and two BroncosSammy Winder (104) and Gerald Willhite (91)did it.

And in 1997, Tiki Barber (88 yards), future Eagle Dorsey Levens (91) and Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith (91) did it.

The Eagles have already allowed 394 rushing yards this year, their most through three games since 1999 (425) and fifth-most in the last 24 years.

The last 15 times the Eagles have allowed 390 or more rushing yards after three games, theyve failed to reach the playoffs (1961, 1963, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1998, 1999).

The Eagles are on pace to allow 2,101 rushing yards this year, which would be their third-most since 1985 (the 2006 team allowed 2,182 and the 1998 team 2,416).

Fourth-quarter misery
The Eagles have gone into the fourth quarter of consecutive games with a lead, only to lose both games.

The last time that happened? It was Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, 1994, against the Giants and Bengals. Rich Kotite was fired two days after the Bengals game.

The previous time the Eagles lost back-to-back games after leading both after three quarters? You have to go back to December of 1985 and losses to the Vikings and Redskins. A week later, Marion Campbell got fired.

The time before that? It was late in 1981 against the Dolphins and Redskins. Dick Vermeil won just three more games as Eagles head coach and resigned the following year.

Only four times in franchise history have the Eagles led consecutive games going into the final period and lost both times. The first three times, the coach wasnt around much longer.

More fourth-quarter misery
The Eagles were outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter in Atlanta and 15-0 in the fourth quarter against the Giants Sunday. This is the first time in franchise history theyve failed to score in the fourth quarter and allowed 14 or more points in consecutive games.

They did come close onceoutscored by the Giants in the fourth quarter 21-0 one week, 10-0 to the Portsmouth Spartans the next week and 21-0 to the Packers the next. That was in 1933the first three games in franchise history.

Speaking of fourth quarters ... Sundays game was the first in which the Eagles have allowed two TD passes of 18 yards or more in a fourth quarter in nine yearssince Patrick Ramsey had a 30-yarder to Rod Gardner and a 21-yarder to Derrius Thompson in a game the Eagles won 34-21.

Mannings 28-yard TD pass to Ahmad Bradshaw that gave the Giants the lead was only the third game-winning fourth-quarter TD of 28 yards or more against the Eagles in the last 20 years, following Tony Romos 49-yarder to Miles Austin to beat the Eagles 20-16 in 2009 and Jake Plummers 35-yarder on fourth down to MarTay Jenkins in the Cards 21-20 win at the Vet in 2001.

Before that you have to go back to Chris Millers 49-yarder to Michael Haynes in the Falcons 27-24 win in 1988.
Shady climbing the carts
OK, need some positive stats? Lets talk about Shady!

LeSean McCoy went over the 400 career carry mark Sunday, and his 4.92 career rushing average is seventh-highest in NFL history among running backs with at least 400 carries. Heres the top-10:

6.1 ... Jamaal Charles
5.4 ... Bo Jackson
5.3 ... Jim Brown
5.1 ... Mercury Morris
5.0 ... Gale Sayers
5.0 ... Barry Sanders
4.9 ... LeSean McCoy
4.9 ... DeAngelo Williams
4.9 ... Napolean Kaufman
4.9 ... Paul Lowe

With 345 rushing yards after three weeks, McCoy is one yard short of the best three-game start ever by an Eagles running back. Wilbert Montgomery had 346 yards three games into the 1981 season.

Montgomery only had 44 yards in Week 4 against the Falcons in 1981, so Shady needs only 46 yards against the 49ers Sunday to break Montgomerys team mark for best four-game rushing start.

Four more touchdown passes
The Eagles have allowed four TD passes in four of their last nine games. They allowed four TD passes in five of their previous 331 games.

Thats rightfrom 1990 through Week 11 of 2010, the Eagles allowed four TD passes in a game just five timesBoomer Esiason did it with the Jets in 1993 and the Bengals in 1997 and then former Eagle Bubby Brister in 1998 and Jake Plummer in 2005 did it for the Broncos.

Five times in 20 years.

In the last nine weeks, four more QBs have done itJay Cutler of the Bears, Eli Manning last December and again on Sunday and Matt Ryan last week.

The last time the Eagles allowed four TD passes in a game in consecutive weeks was in 1989. Mark Rypien did it in the Eagles legendary 42-37 comeback win at RFK Stadium and a week later Joe Montana did it in the 49ers equally legendary 38-28 comeback win over the Eagles at the Vet.

Esiason also had a four-TD game for the Jets against the Eagles in 1988. He and Sonny Jurgensen are the only QBs with three four-TD performances ever against the Eagles. Only Manning and Don Meredith also did it twice.

More Eli
Mannings 23 pass attempts are fifth-fewest ever by a QB throwing four TDs against the Eagles. Only Earl Morrall (15), Craig Morton (19), Jay Cutler last year (21) and Don Meredith (22) have done it on fewer attempts.

Elis 141.7 passer rating Sunday is 13th-highest ever against the Eagles, sixth-highest since 1970 and third-highest during the Andy Reid Era (behind only Peyton Manning 158.3 in 2002 and Cutler 146.2 last year).
Weird stat of the week
The Eagles had won 10 straight Week 3 games before Sundays loss to the Giants. Not only had they won 10 straight, those wins were by an average of 19 points and included wins by 35, 31, 25, 22, 20, 17 and 14 points. Their last Week 3 loss was 6-3 at Green Bay (despite Troy Vincent, Brian Dawkins and Damon Moore all intercepting Brett Favre.) Their last Week 3 home loss was 27-21 to Stan Humphries and the Chargers in 1995.

This and that
The Eagles have had 26, 27 and 25 first downs in their three games, only the second time since 1950 theyve had 25 or more first downs three straight weeks. They also did it in 2005. ... The Eagles lost Sunday despite 40 rushing attempts. They had won 19 straight games when they had 40 carries dating back to a loss in Tampa in 1991. Theyre now 81-9-1 since 1957 when they have 40 or more rushing attempts. ... Since 2000, the Eagles have allowed two TD passes of 40 yards or more in a game three times, and a Manning brother has been on the passing end all three times. Peyton had 43- and 57-yarders to Marvin Harrison in 2002, Eli had a 61-yarder to Domenik Hixon and a 68-yarder to Hakeem Nicks in 2009 and Sunday a 40-yarder to Brandon Jacobs and 71-yarder to Victor Cruz. ... Cruzs 110 yards are the most by any opposing receiver on three or fewer receptions (not counting the 1987 replacement games) since Charlie Brown of the Redskins was 3-for-124 in 1982.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com.

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