When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive efforts in Week 7, the conversation starts and likely ends with the name Saquon Barkley.
Taking the field against his former team in his first-ever game at MetLife Stadium not wearing a Giants uniform, Barkley recorded more yards on his own than the entire New York roster and looked every bit like an NFL rushing leader, quieting any talks of his decline for the time being.
And yet, in the NFL, even the running backs can’t do it alone, with Nick Sirianni using some of his final media availability session before Week 8 to highlight some of the unsung heroes of Week 7, who helped to open up running lanes for the pride of PSU.
“I think, first and foremost, it’s the people that they are. [WR] A.J. [Brown] and [WR] DeVonta [Smith] are just such great people and great teammates. And they take pride in the way they catch the ball. They take pride in the way they run routes. They take pride in the way they change games with the ball in their hands. And they take pride in the way they block and help their teammates succeed,” Sirianni told reporters.
“One of my favorite plays of A.J. and DeVonta is A.J. blocking for DeVonta in the playoffs in ’22 against the Giants on a little bubble screen, and how excited A.J. was for DeVonta that he scored and that he set the block off. I think that comes down to the type of teammate you are, so it starts with them. We talk a lot about team. We talk a lot about the things that it takes to be a team, and selfishness is the opposite of team, and selflessness is right in the same line.”
Wow, if you’re a casual football watcher or you decided to catch the game in split-screen action, you might have missed just how much players like Brown and especially Smith, who finished the game with -2 yards, impacted the final score. And the best part? Sirianni had more to say on the subject, as blocking is something he expects from his wide receivers.
Nick Sirianni wants to see his Eagles receivers block
Continuing his comments, Sirianni noted that in his system, Eagles receivers need to block to optimize their overall offensive efforts, as they can help to unlock additional yards down the field.
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“We talk all about that a lot. But again, it comes down to the type of guys they are and the type of team that we have, that they’re truly happy for each other in scenarios like that,” Sirianni explained.
“That’s always something, too: as a wide receiver and then also coaching wide receivers, there is a great feeling that you have when you set off a block. You’re like, ‘Oh, okay, I get to feel how offensive linemen feel on this particular one.’ And it is this great feeling that you get, that you set a long run off because of the block that you got. It’s almost – I’m not saying it’s exactly like scoring a touchdown or having an explosive pass, but it’s almost on that same level.”
While most fans know that the Eagles do have one wide receiver, Johnny Wilson, who is largely subbed into games to help in the run game, what with being the largest wide receiver in the NFL. But if Brown and Smith are able to contribute as run blockers in addition to pass catchers, it will only make the Eagles’ offense more explosive, as it will force more players into the box and more press coverage on the outside to limit their abilities to impact plays at the second level.