Frank Reich: ‘A few big plays' holding Eagles' slumping offense back

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Frank Reich says the goal for the Eagles’ offense is four touchdowns per game.

Considering that they haven’t scored more than two touchdowns in a game since September, you get a pretty good idea just how disappointing this offense has been.

The Eagles have gone eight straight games without scoring more than 24 points, and only the Bears and 49ers have had longer streaks this year. 

“We have to score more points," the Eagles offensive coordinator said Thursday. “There’s no question. So as coaches, it’s our job to put our players in the best position to make plays and to be able to sustain drives, to be good in the red zone, be good on third down, and obviously (it's) the players’ job, but really we’re all in it together as an offense. 

“We just have to find ways to be better. Every week. We’ve got to find ways to score points. Obviously as an offense, our job is to put points on the board and that just comes from executing one play at a time.”

The Eagles scored 10 offensive touchdowns in their first three games and went 3-0. They have just 12 offensive touchdowns in eight games since, and they’re 2-6.

This is the first time since 1999 they’ve gone eight straight games without scoring more than two TDs in a game.

They’re the only team in the NFL that hasn’t had a game with three TDs since Week 4.

The only time this year the Eagles scored four touchdowns was Pittsburgh in Week 3. Even last year, as bad as the Eagles were under Chip Kelly, they scored three or more TDs six times.

In fact, the Eagles had only 14 games in three years under Kelly in which they scored two or fewer TDs. They’ve already had eight in 11 weeks this year.

Asked about weekly goals, Reich said this:

“You always think four touchdowns, you expect to get a field goal or two. The ultimate goal is to score one more obviously than the other team. 

“We know our defense and special teams have played very well this year. We want to be explosive, we want to be proficient, we want to execute. Really, for us, the focus is on executing one play at a time and winning results. Scoring points results.”

What’s changed since the first three weeks, when the Eagles averaged 31 points per game?

“A few big plays,” Reich said. “Obviously we had good field position — exceptional field position in those games. We’ve had games where special teams and defense have scored. That helped. Field position is always a big thing and big plays and efficiency in situational football — third down and red zone.”

But the Eagles’ three return touchdowns have all come during the current eight-game stretch. Take out those 21 points and the Eagles are averaging 17.6 points since Week 4.

Big plays? The Eagles have been held without an offensive play of 30 yards or more in five of their last six games.

The Eagles on Sunday face the Bengals at 1 p.m. at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

The Bengals are sputtering along at 3-7-1 but they haven’t played bad lately on defense, allowing just two touchdowns in their last two games and 20 points per game in their last five.

The Eagles, at 5-6, go into Ohio with very faint playoff hopes. They haven’t won on the road since Week 2 and have just one win since Oct. 23.

Granted, they’re missing Lane Johnson, they’re playing a rookie quarterback, they have an ill-equipped crew of wide receivers and they’ve been banged up on the offensive line.

But even with all that, 17.6 points a game is very low. Certainly way lower than four touchdowns a game.

“Every game, you go back and there’s always five or six plays that you say, ‘We just missed one here, we could have done a little bit better here,’ and you’ve got to find a way to extend that drive. 

“Sometimes it’s a bad break. You don’t get a call. Maybe they interfere and it doesn’t get called. But we have to find ways. We have to control what we can control to find ways to get that one key first down that just kind of propels you.”

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