Nelson Agholor caught two passes for seven yards. Dorial Green-Beckham and Bryce Treggs were never even targeted.
The Eagles' wide receiver woes grew even deeper Sunday, when everybody other than Jordan Matthews combined for just those seven yards that Agholor generated on five targets.
DGB doesn’t have a catch the last two weeks. Agholor continues to make zero impact. Treggs showed promise with his long catch against the Giants but was a non-factor Sunday.
Head coach Doug Pederson was asked several times in several different ways Monday afternoon about the absence of production from the wide receiver position but said each time that he’s not concerned.
Matthews is on pace for just over 1,000 yards this year, but Agholor is averaging just 29 yards per game and Green-Beckham is averaging 22 a game. Josh Huff was at 10.3 yards per game before he was released for non-football reasons before the Giants game.
Treggs has only two career receptions but has the second-highest career yards-per-game figure on the team among wide receivers at 34.5 yards.
Asked repeatedly Monday about the absence of the receivers other than Matthews, Pederson simply emphasized how well the Eagles ran the ball in their win over the Falcons Sunday.
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“When you rush the ball for 200-some yards, it's hard,” Pederson said. “I mean, what are you going to do? You’re going to give something to take something? And I just felt (Sunday) that our running game, and Ryan (Mathews), the way he was attacking the defense, and the way our offensive line got after them a little bit, I just felt like that was the way to go yesterday, and didn't have to dial up many throws if we didn't need them.”
The Eagles did run the ball 38 times for 208 yards, but the reality is that Pederson also dialed up 42 pass plays — 36 Carson Wentz throws, four Wentz runs and two sacks.
Matthews caught six passes for 73 yards in the Eagles’ 24-15 win at the Linc, but the other wideouts made no impact.
The Eagles are on pace to have just one wide receiver over 500 yards for a second straight year, something that last happened in 1978 and 1979.
Pederson was given several chances to explain the absence of receivers other than Matthews but each time went back to the running game.
“Gosh, the running game was so big yesterday that we didn't have to throw the ball as much as we have in the past,” he said. “I’ve said all along that if we can keep Carson to 25 attempts or 30 attempts, it's a good day usually.”
Again, Wentz threw 36 times.
Pederson also said the matchups Sunday favored throwing to the running backs and tight ends instead of the wideouts.
“The design of some of the matchups we had with (Darren) Sproles on their linebackers, (Zach) Ertz over the ball, and some opportunities vs. man coverage with Jordan over the middle.
“Just some design things we had during the game plan that were not necessarily a reflection on Nelson or any other guys, it was just a matter of the design and the contour of the play, and who was the primary on that play.”
But the bottom line is that Agholor, a first-round draft pick last year, has 547 yards in 22 career games.
His career average of 24.9 receiving yards per game is worst in the NFL over the last two years among wide receivers who have started at least 20 games.
Tavon Austin of the Rams is second-worst at 32.3 yards per game.
Why? Why does this team have just one wide receiver who can catch a football?
And can the Eagles win without a contribution from any wide receiver other than Matthews?
“It’s a tough question, because there is only one football and there are like five skill guys, you know?” Pederson said.
“It's something, too, that maybe by the design of the play, it's not necessarily designed for Nelson on this play or DGB on this play.
“We do have plays intended for those guys, but in this offense — keep in mind, this is a progression offense — and if (the first read) is not there, then (the second read) should be there and (the third) should be there.
“So that's how we teach the system and that's how we teach our quarterbacks. A lot of it is by progression based on what they see.
“And again, (Sunday), just by the nature of their defense, just gave us Sproles, gave us Ertz and gave us Jordan on those specific plays. And we were able to make those plays.
“Again, it kind of stems back to the run game a little bit, being able to run the football and alleviate some of that pressure on your quarterbacks and your receivers.”