Eagles By the Numbers: Playoff Odds Take A Hit

Some stats and figures of note on your 4-5 Eagles:

40.4 — That’s the team’s current odds of making the playoffs according to Football Outsiders, down from 59.3 percent prior to the loss to Miami. In other words, that Dolphins setback cut into their postseason chances by nearly 20 percent.

The Football Outsiders’ playoff odds report simulates the season 25,000 times over. On average, the Eagles finished 8-8.

Fortunately for them they play in a poor division, and still have a 38 percent chance to win the NFC East, just behind the 5-5 Giants (38.6 percent).

1.61 — The number of points per drive the Eagles defense has given up through nine games. That ranks seventh in the league, and comes out to just a touch over 20 points per game. Billy Davis talked about the importance of this stat earlier in the week.

“We’d like to be number one in points per drive at the end of the season. That really comes down to 15 points [per game],” he said. “We did a study during the offseason where if you’re under 15 or at 15, you’re usually in the top two or three in the NFL. The greatest ones of all time hung around 13 and 14 which is very difficult to do, but it’s the goal we’re setting for ourselves.”

1.68 — The points per drive the Eagles offense has generated to date. That ranks them 23rd in the league and averages out to a shade under 24 points per game.

Pat Shurmur was asked if his side of the ball looks at this stat as well.

“Absolutely. We’ve said this all along: it’s not about plays, it’s not about yards, it’s about points, and if you want to break it down by drive, I think it’s about 11.6 drives per game when you look at the average around the league, and so you want to make the most of all your opportunities.”

And where would they like to be?

“The best in the league,” he said. “I’ll kind of leave it at that.”

The best in the league is currently (surprise) New England with a healthy 3.14 points per drive average.

14 — The number of consecutive games the defense had generated a turnover before coming up empty against Miami.

“We didn’t have any [against the Dolphins],” said Davis. “I thought our safety [Walter Thurmond] had the best shot at that turnover, but it wasn’t. We’ll continue to fire away at turnovers and points allowed.”

Though they didn’t come away with one Sunday, the Eagles still have more takeaways (79) than any other team in the league since the start of the 2013 season.

Speaking of Thurmond, who jarred the ball loose from Ryan Tannehill and forced the safety with his big blindside hit: he and Malcolm Jenkins are tied for first among starting safety tandems in turnovers created and fumbles forced (9) through Week 10.

Jenkins is the top-rated safety in the league, per Pro Football Focus, while Thurmond comes in fourth.