On Second Watch: Eagles’ Offensive Line Is Saquon's Shadow MVP

Jeff Stoutland may have put together his best OL group after losing a future Hall of Famer.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In an era where running backs when been devalued the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley has been the Most Valuable Player in the NFL using Nov. 25 as the snapshot.

Coming off a historic 255-yard rushing game, the best in the nine-decade history of the Eagles and the ninth-best performance in NFL lore during a 37-20 rout of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, Barkley is setting team records weekly.

That’s the shiny bauble to distract from the shadow MVP at the NovaCare Complex, an offensive line that has somehow become more dominant after losing future Hall of Fame center Jason Kelce to retirement and celebrity.

From left to right the group of Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Mekhi Becton, and Lane Johnson with some Fred Johnson and Tyler Steen mixed in for injuries, Jeff Stoutland’s latest group is perhaps the offensive line coach's best.

Every week there are highlight-level blocks in front of Barkley’s dynamic touchdown runs. Against Washington two weeks ago, it was Mailata and Jurgens springing the dynamic superstar. Against the Rams, Dickerson and Becton pushed back an undersized front to allow Barkley to cook.

“You know what everyone's going to look at today and talk about Saquon’s 255 yards, but that offensive line is where it started,” head coach Nick Sirianni said.

On the 70-yard touchdown to open the third quarter, it was a pulling Dickerson getting a two-for-one block that imploded the typical L.A. congestion with the speedy Barkley hopping on a figurative 405 with only open road ahead.

“We blocked it really well and Jordan Mailata did an awesome job on the backside.  Landon Dickerson did an awesome job on the backside because we ran an outside zone and we were able to cut the backside off and so first and foremost to get into the open field,” Sirianni said. “It started up front.”

On the 72-yarder that punctuated the win, Becton pulled the opposite way and caved in a loaded front.

“One was an outside-zone concept, or mid-zone, whatever you want to call it,” Barkley said. “Just trusted the first one. … The other one I thought I could have hit a counter the first time, but my shoe came off and I got tackled. I asked for it one more time. I told (quarterback Jalen Hurts), ‘this one is going to pop.’ … I was able to hit it and hit a home run.”

During the 2022 NFL Draft, Eagles GM Howie Roseman explained the franchise’s philosophy after many were disappointed when Jurgens was selected at No. 51 overall with Kelce still playing at an All-Pro level and “sexier” options available.

“Unfortunately for our fans at the time, you know, I’m always going to go [offensive line], [defensive line]. That’s how we roll,” Roseman admitted. “That’s how we build this thing.”

He should have said, 'Fortunately for the fans,' whether they understood in that moment or not.

The Philadelphia faithful wouldn’t have an MVP candidate without his shadow MVPs.

“Our O-line is super smart and super versatile, and when you have that, they can block any scheme up,” Barkley said. “You can see that defenses are doing a lot of things differently to make sure our running game doesn’t get going. But they put themselves at risk also. 

“I kept trusting the system.”

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