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Eagles vs. Redskins: Key pregame stats to ponder

Get ready for kickoff of the Eagles' season opener against the Washington Redskins with a dive into some key stats.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz has 247 receptions in his first four seasons.
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz has 247 receptions in his first four seasons.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Get ready for kickoff of the Eagles' season opener against the Washington Redskins with a dive into some key stats.

— Since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format in 2002, the Eagles have won 9 of 15 season-openers, including 5 of their last 6. They've made the playoffs in 5 of the 9 years they've been victorious in Week 1, but only once the last 5 times it's happened (2013).

— Since the league went to a 12-team format in '02, just 59 of the 180 teams that have lost in Week 1, or 32.8 percent, have gone on to make the playoffs.

— There have been 78 division matchups in Week 1 since '02. Just 23 of the 78 losers of those games, or 29.5 percent, managed to recover and make the playoffs.

— Jim Schwartz doesn't like to blitz, but you already know that. Last year, the Eagles blitzed on just 21.1 percent of their opponents' pass plays. In the first game against the Redskins last year, a 27-20 Week 6 loss at FedEx Field, the Eagles blitzed on just 6 of 34 pass plays (17.6%). Redskins QB Kirk Cousins was 3-for-6 for 85 yards with no TDs, interceptions or sacks when the Eagles sent extra rushers. In the second game against Cousins and the Redskins, a 27-22 Week 14 loss, Schwartz ramped up the pressure. The Eagles blitzed on 13 of Washington's 23 pass plays (56.5%). That was their highest blitz percentage of the season. Cousins was 5-for-11 for 45 yards, one TD and one INT and was sacked twice when the Eagles sent extra rushers.

— The Eagles ran 420 offensive plays on first-and-10 last season. Just 194 of those 420 plays (41.6%) were runs. That was the lowest first-and-10 run percentage in the NFC East and the 12th lowest in the league. Overall, the Eagles finished 17th in the league in run percentage (40.6%), running on just 438 of 1080 offensive plays last season. The Cowboys had the league's highest first-and-10 run percentage. They ran the ball on 248 of 405 first-and-10 plays (61.2%).

— The Eagles won't miss Redskins wide receivers Pierre Garçon and DeSean Jackson, who both left via free agency after the season. In 6 games against the Eagles over the last 3 seasons, Garcon had 40 catches for 470 yards and 4 TDs. Twenty-nine of those 40 catches went for first downs. He had 10 third-down catches. In 5 games against his former team since 2014, Jackson averaged 24.0 yards per catch. Fourteen of his 20 catches went for first downs.

— Eagles tight end Zach Ertz has 247 receptions in his first 4 seasons. But he has just 13 touchdowns, never more than 4 in a single season. He has averaged just 1 TD every 19 receptions. Eighteen other tight ends in the league with at least 200 career catches have a better TD percentage.

— The Eagles finished 16th in the league in scoring last season, averaging just 22.9 points per game. That was the team's third lowest scoring average and third lowest ranking in the last 12 years. It's the fewest points they've averaged since 2012, when Andy Reid's last team averaged just 17.5 points per game and lost 12 games.

— The Eagles averaged just 3.5 points in the first quarter last season. That was the ninth lowest first-quarter average in the league. They averaged 7.4 points in the second quarter (11th), 5.9 in the third quarter (8th) and just 6.1 in the fourth (21st).

— Pro Football Focus ranked the Eagles' offensive line sixth in pass-blocking efficiency last season. In 662 pass plays, PFF had the Eagles' o-line with 18 sacks allowed (they gave up 33 overall), 27 hits allowed and 101 hurries allowed. The 5 teams that were ranked ahead of the Eagles: Green Bay, Oakland, Kansas City, New Orleans and Pittsburgh.

— Eagles LT Jason Peters was ranked fourth overall by PFF among offensive tackles last season. In 650 pass plays, he gave up just 4 sacks, 8 hits and 13 hurries.

— Defensive end Brandon Graham finished with just 5 ½ sacks last season, but led the NFL in hurries with 57, according to PFF.

— Carson Wentz was under pressure on just 197 of 662 pass plays last season, according to PFF. His numbers when throwing under pressure weren't good: a 43.6 completion percentage, 4.2 yards per attempt, just 1 TD (he had 16 overall) and 9 interceptions (he had 14).

— The Eagles allowed points on their opponents' first possession just 4 times last season (3 TDs, 1 FG). They held the Redskins without points on their first possession in both meetings last year. On second possessions last year, the Eagles gave up points seven times (6 TDs, 1 FG). They didn't give up second-possession points to the Redskins in either meeting.

— The Eagles used "13'' personnel (1RB, 3TEs, 1WR) 115 times last season. Ran out of it 75 times and threw out of it 40 times. Carson Wentz was 30-for-39, averaged 7.5 yards per attempt and had 4 TDs and 1 INT out of "13'' personnel.

— Wentz in the red zone last season: 43-for-87, 249 yards, 12 TDs, 1 INT, 3 sacks. Twenty-one quarterbacks had more red-zone TD passes.

— The Eagles were 28th in the league in pass plays of 20 yards or more last season. They had just 39 of them. Meanwhile, the defense allowed 57 pass plays of 20 yards or more, which was the sixth most in the league.

— Comparing Wentz and Redskins QB Kirk Cousins last season:

— The Eagles lost just 6 fumbles last season. That was the fourth fewest in the league.

— The Eagles finished third in red zone defense (45.1), but 24th in red zone offense (49.1).

— The Eagles were 19th in average gain on first down (5.32).

— The Eagles were 20th in third-down efficiency, converting just 37.9 percent of their opportunities. That was the second lowest conversion percentage in the last 7 years.

— Forty-six percent of the Eagles third-downs – 103 of 224 – were 8 yards or more. Just 2 teams had more third-and-8-pluses than the Eagles – the Browns (113) and 49ers (104). Those 2 teams combined for 3 wins.

— The Eagles converted just 2 third downs of 8 yards or more in the first quarter the entire season. They were 24th in the NFL in converting third downs of 8 yards or more (22.8).

— The Eagles wide receivers had just 8 touchdown catches last year.

— The Eagles were outscored in the first half last season, 198-175.

— The Eagles were 10th on third-and-1 (68.4 conversion rate), but 22nd on third-and-2-and-3 (48.7).

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