Patriots vs. Eagles: 10 telling facts about the Eagles
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2. Punt return coverage
It should be noted that the Eagles are 4-7, which is a very mediocre record but not entirely terrible like, say, the 2-9 Tennessee Titans who the Patriots play later this month. There are some things the Eagles do well, and covering punts is one of them.
The Eagles are allowing a suffocating 4.7 yards per punt return, the single best average in the NFL. Much of that success can be attributed to 35-year-old punter Donnie Jones playing out of his mind in his 12th season in the league. The veteran is averaging 47.1 yards per punt, the eight-best in the league, and his coverage team does the rest from there.
So don’t expect the Pats to have much success returning punts on Sunday, especially now that Chris Harper has been released.
1. Forcing fumbles
The Eagles have forced a total of 16 fumbles in 11 games, which is tied for tops in the league. Players like Malcolm Jenkins (three forced fumbles), Fletcher Cox (three), Brandon Graham (three) and Walter Thurmond III (two) have led the charge in this category.
Byron Maxwell, Jordan Hicks, Mychal Kendricks, and DeMeco Ryans round-out the group of defensive players with forced fumbles on their stat sheets. Oddly enough, tight end Ertz has a forced fumble to his name as well, which gives the Eagles 16 on the season.
Next: Week 13 AFC Power Rankings
The Pats had better protect the ball on Sunday, or else this game could get interesting.