Eagles vs. Broncos: Behind the Numbers 2013

First off, sorry this is late! I figured there wasn't much left in question after the shellacking the Eagles endured last Sunday, and I was right. The game went how everyone thought it would, so I won't be saying too much about this game and the numbers. The Broncos are who we thought they were. The Eagles? We'll see. On to the numbers!

Well one glance at this will show you the story of the game, as the score was clearly the most lopsided statistic above. It's hard to believe that the score was 21-13 after the first half, with the final score in mind and the fact that it never felt like the Birds were ever in the game. Everything else is surprisingly similar, with the Broncos gaining only 22 more yards than the Eagles. However, they were superior on third down percent (despite only having 8 opportunities all game) and converting 35 first downs compared to only 21. Both teams played fairly clean games (no turnovers) but Philadelphia committed 8 penalties for 62 yards; Denver had just 2 for 25.

Essentially, the Denver Broncos won the game on both sides of the ball. Their defense was able to keep the potent Eagles offense in check, while the same could not be said about the Eagles defense. The Broncos offense continued to march down the field seemingly at will, as Peyton Manning showed why he is the top quarterback in the league. He sure knows how to call the shots and adjust when necessary, which is something that Philadelphia could not keep up with for 4 quarters. They definitely seemed gassed by the end of the game, and didn't show up in the second half like they did earlier in the game.

Miscellaneous:
-Just like last year, Time of Possession as an indicator of the winner is a perfect 4-0 thus far.
-Alex Henery missed another field goal, and not a long one at that. Not too keen on him this year.
-Second game in a row that the offense has gained 400+ yards but scored 20 points or less. Those two stats just shouldn't be associated with each other.
-The Eagles need to capitalize on their possessions, as once again only putting up 3 points instead of 7 adds up.Turn those 2 first half red zone possessions into touchdowns and we have a tie game at the break.
-Luckily for the Eagles, they have to face the 0-4 Giants next week, who have looked downright awful this year. With (most likely) a Cowboys loss, the Eagles can actually be tied for 1st place in the NFC East at 2-3.
-It seems early to be talking about being in 1st place after only 5 games, but keep in mind the Eagles have the easiest schedule in the NFL after that. The NFC East can easily be won at 9-7 or 8-8, or maybe even 7-9.

(Eagles at Broncos PDF)

Last week vs. Chiefs: L, 26-16
Next week at New York Giants: Sunday, 1pm