Return to Form: Eagles O-Line Notes Week 8
After a rough showing against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line stepped up big time against the Detroit Lions. The Eagles allowed zero sacks this week and just a handful of pressures. Jordan Mailata returned to form after a shaky week while Nate Herbig stepped up big time when needed.
Eagles Offensive Line grades per PFF
- Nate Herbig: 80.6 (85.3 pass block)
- Landon Dickerson: 74.8 (47.1 pass block)
- Jason Kelce: 74.4 (81.7 pass block)
- Jordan Mailata: 71.4 (74.1 pass block)
- Lane Johnson: 71 (69.2 pass block)
Detroit’s defensive line is one of the weakest in the league currently, so this performance wasn’t too shocking but was still nice to see. The most prominent takeaway is Dickerson’s incredibly low passing grade. Dickerson had just one pressure and had no penalties on him, so the reason for the low grade is unknown.
Jack Driscoll went down after just five plays and was replaced by backup guard Nate Herbig. If Herbig or Dickerson got hurt, the Eagles were going to be in huge trouble. Their only other backup guards, Sua Opeta and Jack Anderson were listed as inactive ahead of the game. Luckily it didn’t get to that point, but it would’ve been interesting to see what their next move would be.
Jack Driscoll, Jordan Mailaat, Landon Dickerson, and Lane Johnson each let up a single pressure with not a single penalty called on the Eagles O-Line. Jordan Mailata returned to his usual form after the worst game of his NFL career. The lousy play was likely a result of moving back to left tackle alongside the lingering knee injury.
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside once again proves he is the best blocker on this football team, posting a team-high 84.9 run-blocking grade. There has been no news on Driscoll’s exact injury, although it appeared to be a hand injury, according to the in-game report. Nick Sirianni did say he expects him to return very quickly though so that is good news.
Sua Opeta played alright in short stints, and Nate Herbig has a lot of experience in the starting role and will be just fine. Los Angeles will be a tough challenge next week with Joey Bosa, but the rest of their line isn’t that intimidating, ranking in the middle of the NFL.
Mandatory Credit: Philadelphia Eagles
