Eagles-49ers: The numbers that matter | Paul Domowitch

Carson Wentz has thrown 11 touchdown passes in the last three games. He had just six in the first four.

Wentz has thrown just two interceptions in his last 160 attempts.

The second-year Eagles quarterback is fourth in the league in passer rating (104.0). He's thrown an NFL-high 17 touchdown passes and is fourth in yards per attempt (7.98).

Wentz is second on the Eagles in rushing with 196 yards on 40 carries (4.9 yards per carry). He had a career-high five rushing first downs last week against the Redskins and has 15 for the season. The only Eagle with more: LeGarrette Blount (16). The only QB in the NFL with more: the Panthers' Cam Newton (20). In his last 14 games, Wentz has 26 rushing first downs.

Wentz is first in third-down passer rating (133.1) with a 67.6 completion percentage, a 9.97 yards-per-attempt average, eight touchdowns, and one interception in 68 third-down attempts. He's averaging a TD pass every 8.5 third-down attempts. Thirty-seven of his 46 third-down completions, or 80.4 percent, have resulted in first downs. Only Aaron Rodgers has a better third-to-first percentage (87.5).

Wentz has a 125.9 passer rating on third downs of 8 yards or more. That includes 11.6 yards per attempt and three TDs. Last year on third and 8 or more, Wentz had a 63.6 passer rating.

The Eagles are the best third-down team in the NFL. They have converted 50.5 percent of their third-down opportunities through seven games. They were 20^th last year (37.9 percent). They've converted 39.5 percent of their third downs of 8 yards or more.

Zach Ertz and Nelson Agholor are tied for 11^th in the league in third-down receptions with 11. Alshon Jeffery is right behind them with 10 third-down catches. Agholor is averaging 22.5 yards per catch on third down. Three of Ertz's five TD catches have come on third down. Two of Agholor's five have.

The Eagles are third in red-zone touchdown percentage (65.2). Only Green Bay (73.9) and Dallas (66.7) have been better inside the 20.

Wentz is second in the league in red-zone passer rating (116.3 rating), just a half-point behind the Saints' Drew Brees (116.8). Wentz has a 64.5 completion percentage in the red zone (20 for 31). He has 12 red-zone TDs and no interceptions. He's one of just three QBs with at least 15 red-zone attempts who hasn't thrown an interception or been sacked in the red zone yet. Last year, he had a 49.5 red-zone completion percentage.

Ertz has been one of the most productive red-zone receivers in the league. He has seven catches inside the 20, including five for touchdowns. He's tied with the Packers' Jordy Nelson and the Texans' DeAndre Hopkins for red-zone TD catches.

Jeffery and Agholor are the only other Eagles with multiple red-zone TD catches. Both have two. The three other Eagles with red-zone TD catches: running backs Corey Clement and Blount and tight end Trey Burton.

Ertz has 26 receiving first downs. That's the fourth most in the league behind only the Steelers' Antonio Brown (35), the Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald (28), and the Chargers' Keenan Allen (27).

Ertz has been targeted by Wentz a team-high 58 times in the first seven games. He's caught 39 of those throws for a 67.2 catch rate, which is the fourth best in the league among tight ends. In the Eagles' two games against Washington this season, Ertz was targeted 13 times and had 13 catches.

Wentz has attempted 13 passes of 20 yards or more in the last three games. He has completed seven of them. In the Eagles' first four games, he was 5 for 22 on throws of 20-plus yards.

A breakdown of Wentz's aimed throws (excluding throwaways and batted passes) in the first seven games:
20-plus yards: 12 for 35, 526 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
11-19 yards: 30 for 42, 489 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs
0-10 yards: 80 for 120, 707 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs
Behind the line of scrimmage: 21 for 28, 135 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs

Jeffery was targeted 16 times in the last two games, but had just six catches. For the season, he's been targeted 54 times and has 26 receptions (48.1 catch rate). In his last four seasons in Chicago, Jeffery had a 58.0 catch rate (targeted 483 times, 280 catches).

Just four of Torrey Smith's 14 receptions have been on third down.

The Eagles' predominant personnel grouping, as with most teams in the league, has been 11 personnel (1RB, 1TE, 3WRs). They've used it on 62.4 percent of their offensive plays (291 of 466). They've used 12 personnel (1RB, 2TEs, 2WRs) 24.4 percent of the time (114 of 466) and 13 personnel (1RB, 3TEs, 1WR) 9.4 percent (44 of 466). They've used a variety of other personnel groupings the other 3.6 percent.

Fifty-three of Blount's 84 carries, or 63.1 percent, have been on first down. He's averaging 4.9 yards per carry on first down.

Blount has 12 runs of 10 yards or more. That's the eighth most in the league. The Eagles as a team have a league-high 28 runs of 10 yards or more.

The Eagles have just three rushing touchdowns in the first seven games. That's the sixth-fewest in the league.

The Eagles have outscored opponents, 44-9, in the first quarter. They have scored on their first possession in four of their first seven games. They're averaging 6.1 yards per play on their first possession.

The Eagles defense has allowed just two scores by opponents on their first possession in the first seven games. Both were field goals, by the Chiefs in Week 2 and the Redskins in Week 7.

The Eagles also have been fast starters in the second half. They've outscored opponents, 48-23, in the third quarter.

The Eagles have trailed at the end of a quarter just four times this season — after the second, third, and fourth quarters against Kansas City, and after the first quarter against Washington last week.

Six of the Eagles' 20 touchdown drives have been four plays or fewer. Four have been 10 plays or more.

The Eagles are first in the league in run defense, holding opponents to 67.0 yards per game. Just one team has rushed for more than 80 yards against them (Kansas City, 112). That said, teams also aren't running the ball very often against them. Opponents are averaging a league-low 17.6 carries against the Eagles. Just one team — Carolina — has run the ball more than 19 times against them (25).

The Eagles have allowed just 24 rushing first downs. That's the third-fewest in the league. They've also given up the third-fewest double-digit-yard runs (14). And six of those 14 have been by quarterbacks.

They've given up just two runs of 25 or more yards. They gave up eight last year.

In their last five games, they've held opponents to 2.2 yards per carry on first down (52 for 113).

The Eagles' overall pass-defense numbers aren't very good. They're 18^th in opponent passer rating (89.1), 30^th in passing yards allowed (272.9 per game), 24^th in TD passes allowed (12), and 17^th in yards allowed per attempt (7.0). But they've done a very good job against the pass on third down. Opposing QBs have completed just 56.3 percent of their passes on third down, have one third-down TD pass and five third-down interceptions. Just 52.5 percent (21 of 40) of opponent third-down pass completions have resulted in first downs. The Eagles' five interceptions on opponent third downs are the most in the NFL.

The Eagles have only blitzed 22.8 percent of the time this season, but have been very effective when they've sent extra rushers. Opponents have a 45.1 passer rating when the Eagles have blitzed. That includes a 45.3 completion percentage and 3.4 yards per attempt. Six of the Eagles' 18 sacks have come on blitzes, including two last week against Washington. Opponents have completed just six of 21 passes for 49 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on third down when the Eagles have blitzed.