In Roob Sightings: How Creepy Is Quinyon Mitchell?

In Roob Sightings: How Creepy Is Quinyon Mitchell? Originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Where are the deep balls? How many starters are left from the 2022 Super Bowl defense? And just how good is Quinyon Mitchell?

We address these questions and a bunch more during our 10 random Roob Eagles observations from NFC Championship Game Weekend. Click here for the first batch.

Another win and two very important things will happen: 1) the Eagles will be on their way to another Super Bowl and 2) we will have 10 daily sightings from New Orleans!

1. Where are the Big Pass Plays?

Since Week 10, Kenny Pickett has completed as many passes of 40 yards or more as Jalen has done poorly. Two for Pickett in 39 attempts, two for Hurts in 197 pass attempts. The Big Pass game disappearing in the Eagles offense is definitely a concern on Sunday. They won without explosives, but it’s just easier to beat really good teams if you hit those big plays in the passing game. In nine games in Week 9, Hurts had nine 40-yarders, tied with Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy for most in the league. His only 40 yards since the Jacksonville game are a 44-yarder to AJ Brown in the Cowboys’ first game and a 43-yarder to Barkley in Washington’s first game. Now, this isn’t entirely Hutts’ fault. Brown dropped what would have been a 45-yarder against the Rams, and Kellen Moore adopted a low-risk play calling philosophy the second half of the season. And, hey, it worked. But as opponents get tougher – which they are at this point – you have to do more, and that’s where the Eagles are now. Maybe they can beat the Commanders and win a Super Bowl with the same approach. But these big plays make life a lot easier for the offense.

2. The value of Kenny Gainwell

Kenny Gainwell’s 5.1 playoff rushing average is 15^th-Highest all-time among runners with at least 40 races and 5^th-Highest among active non-quarterbacks behind teammate Saquon Barkley (6.3), former Eagle Raheem Mostert (6.0), Jahmyr Gibbs (5.8) and Deebo Samuel (5.5). Gainwell trails only Barkley in Eagles history among rushers (although Donovan McNabb at 5.9 is also higher). Just a really solid backup carry. He never knows when – or if – he’s going to play and it’s a difficult role. But he handles it beautifully.

3. Almost an entirely new defense

It’s crazy that the Eagles are back in the NFC Championship Game with only three defensive starters left on the Super Bowl 2022 defense roster – Darius Slay, Josh Sweat and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (who doesn’t wasn’t here last year). Other defensive starters in the 2022 NFC Championship Game at the Linc against the 49ers: Linval Joseph, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Haason Reddick, TJ Edwards, Kyzir White, James Bradberry and Marcus Epps.

4. How good is a Dallas Goedert?

It was a little scary when Dallas Goedert missed the first two practices of the week, especially in light of his two extended layoffs this year – three games with a hamstring, four games with a knee. How much is Goedert worth? Not only has he now caught more passes in the playoffs than anyone in franchise history and all but 10 tight ends in history, not only has he caught at least four passes in eight straight playoff games – the 2^n/a-The longest streak ever by a tight end – he has caught 80.7% of his targets this year, one of only three tight ends to catch at least 50 passes and 80% of their targets. The others are George Kittle (83.0) and Pat Freiermuth (82.9). Goenert’s 50 yards per game, including playoffs, are 6^th-Highest among this year’s tight ends. And get this: According to the NFL’s NextGen Stats, in the 12 games Goedert has played this year, the Eagles have averaged 6.2 yards per rushing attempt and in the games he has missed, they have averaged 4.8. Goedert was back at practice Friday and was listed as a full participant, which is great news for the Eagles and especially Jalen Hurts, who seems more comfortable throwing to Goedert than anyone right now.

5A. I was wrong about Oren Burks

I wrote in last week’s OBS that I expected Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to get considerable playing time on the Rams’ defense with Nakobe Dean and thought he was the team’s best option. Eagles, ahead of veteran Oren Burks. Bad again. As it turned out, Burks played the entire game and played very well. The Rams never really challenged him in the passing game, with Matt Stafford targeting him just twice and going 1-for-2 for minus a yard. Now the challenge is a much bigger Sunday because Austin Ekeler is an elite catcher from the backfield. His 475 receptions since his rookie year in 2017 are 3^rd-Most in the NFL (behind Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey), and he killed the Eagles in the opener, with season highs of 8 for 89 – the most yards against the Eagles by a running back since 2018, when Saquon Barkleyy was 99 – then didn’t play in the rematch. Burks was impressive last Sunday and the Eagles need him again against the Commanders.

5b. One thing about Jayden Daniels is that he spreads the ball unlike any other rookie quarterback. Seven Commanders have 24 or more receptions this year (including the playoffs) and six have at least 450 yards. This is such an intriguing matchup between the hottest quarterback in the NFL and the #1 pass defense in the NFL.

6. The Quinyon Mitchell is an incredible section

6a. Opposing quarterbacks when targeting Quinyon Mitchell in the playoffs: 3-for-8 for 14 yards.

6b. That’s the lowest defensive passer rating from a corner in the postseason since the Packers’ Jaire Alexander had a perfect 0.0 in 2020 (on 1-for-7 for minus-3 yards).

6C. I’ll be shocked if Mitchell isn’t a professional bowler in 2025. And many years beyond.

6d. The Eagles have had some Pro Bowl corners recently – Darius Slay, Asante Samuel, Troy Vincent – but their latest Pro Bowl corner is Lito Sheppard, their 1^st-How final in 2002.

7. Saquon > Hall of Fame

Thurman Thomas, Edgerrin James, Gale Sayers, Leroy Kelly, Larry Csonka and Eric Dickerson are all Hall of Fame runners. Saquon Barkley had more 60 touchdown yards this year than all of them had combined in their entire careers.

8. Buddy never got the right to offend

Buddy Ryan coached three playoff games as head coach of the Eagles – a conference semifinal against the Bears at Soldier Field in 1988 (The Fog Bowl) and home games against the Rams and Washington in 1989 and 1989. The Eagles had 44 offensive possessions in those three games, and those 44 possessions resulted in 20 punts, nine turnovers, six field goals, two missed field goals, four unsuccessful fourth downs and two late in the half or end of the game. And a touchdown. The Eagles went 10 for 42 on third down in those three games and were outscored 61-25. They are one of only two teams to lose playoff games in three straight seasons by at least two possessions. The 49ers did so from 1985 to 1987. The Eagles are one of only three teams in NFL history to reach the playoffs three consecutive years and score just one touchdown in that three-year span. The others are the Bears from 1988 to 1990 and the Buccaneers from 1999 to 2001.

9. Nick knows what he’s doing

It’s funny how this time of year, no one ever complains about the way the Eagles practice. You hear it all summer from analysts and broadcasters who aren’t even in training camp and from former players who believe that because they had to endure three hours of two days of live action all summer long, players current ones should also. The reality is that the Eagles’ practices during training camp may be shorter and less frequent and off the ground, but they are fast, intense and productive. Training camp is no longer designed to beat guys. It’s designed to prepare them for a long season, Nick Sirianni understands how to prepare his guys. We go through this every summer and the same people keep nagging about how the practices are too easy. And every year, the Eagles are ready for the start of the season and in the playoffs at the end of the season. But it won’t stop. We will hear all about it next August. Because there will always be experts who don’t know what they’re talking about.

10. It wasn’t really that long ago

The Eagles have won more playoff games since 2003 than before 2003.

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