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Frank Reich tries to explain Eagles' producing yards, but not points

Also, Schwartz on being a candidate for imminent head-coaching vacancies: "I'll pass on that question, because we have enough to get ready for the Rams."

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz with offensive coordinator Frank Reich during warm-ups before the Eagles play the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, October 1, 2017 in Carson, CA. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz with offensive coordinator Frank Reich during warm-ups before the Eagles play the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, October 1, 2017 in Carson, CA. YONG KIM / Staff PhotographerRead moreYong Kim / File Photograph

COSTA MESA, Calif. – It was one of the stranger statistical quirks of the Eagles' season. Their offense outgained the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night, 425 yards to 310. They went three-and-out exactly once, on their second possession of the game. Donnie Jones punted three times all evening.

And the Eagles managed only an early field goal and a late touchdown in a 24-10 loss.

What the actual heck, Frank Reich?

"It was difficult. I think we felt like we left some points out there," Reich, the Eagles' offensive coordinator, said Tuesday afternoon at the team hotel, as the team began preparing for Sunday's visit with the Los Angeles Rams at the Coliseum. "I credit them. It was hard to get a little bit of a rhythm going in the first half. We just couldn't quite produce. We had some plays, but not quite enough to get down into the red zone and get more points.

"I know the second half we got in a little bit of a pass mode and put some yards up there, but it's really all about — our formula has been play good early on, get a lead, and be able to stay balanced.

"If you're looking for a positive, when we got in a pass mode, we were able to gain some yards passing and be able to handle that pretty well and have some production there. I think you can build off that in the future, but you're not happy with the results from the game."

Fans were left complaining about an offensive approach that seemed less aggressive than usual in the early going. Carson Wentz got to halftime with just 45 yards on nine completions, in 13 attempts.

"I just think that's sometimes the flow of the game. You're not hitting on things for a quarter or two, and then all of a sudden, you find a rhythm," Reich said. "Not just in the pass game, but in protection. You hit a big play, it creates momentum and you build off of that. You start sustaining drives, convert a few third downs, and stay on the field longer. I think those are all things that can contribute. When you see a quarter or a half — I think we had four possessions in the first half, which is low. Normally you're getting five, sometimes six possessions in a half, so you just don't get as many attempts. I think that's the answer."

Birdseed

Carson Wentz's 303 second-half passing yards Sunday are the most by an Eagles quarterback at least since 1991, when that breakdown became available, the team said … Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, a former Detroit Lions head coach, was asked about becoming a candidate for head-coaching vacancies in the offseason. "I'll pass on that question, because we have enough to get ready for the Rams," Schwartz said. "I think it does nobody any good to mention that. There's really no right way to answer that. If you answer that and say 'yes,' then your eyes are on the wrong thing. If you answer it and say 'no,' and then people — it's just not the right time or place to talk about that stuff. We have our hands full with the No. 1-scoring offense in the NFL this week."

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