Since Doug Pederson became the Head Coach before the 2016 season, the Philadelphia Eagles have two seasons with some of the worst Wide Receiver play in the NFL (2016, 2019). Suffering from injuries and the lack of explosiveness at the position, the Eagles needed tremendous improvement at the wide receiver position.
In the off-season, the team hired Vanderbilt receivers coach Aaron Moorehead. Moorehead, 39, has been the receivers coach at Vanderbilt for the past two seasons. Before that he had the same position at Texas A&M from 2015-17 and at Virginia Tech from 2013-14. He began his coaching career as a grad assistant at New Mexico in 2009 and held the same position at Stanford from 2010-12 (when Zach Ertz was there). Moorehead is the Eagles’ sixth receivers coach in six years and their fifth in five years in the Doug Pederson Era.
As of Week 7, the Eagles have had thirteen plays of 40-plus yards this season. Among all of the issues from the team thus far, the Eagles receiving corps have been nothing short of good. They are doing it all without their top 3 wide receivers.
John Hightower now has a 50-yard catch in consecutive weeks.
As a TEAM, the Eagles had two 50-yard catches in all of 2019 (both by DeSean Jackson).
Hightower is the first #Eagles player with 50-yard catches in consecutive weeks since Jeremy Maclin in Weeks 8-9 in 2014.
— Cody Swartz (@cbswartz5) October 23, 2020
The Eagles’ best wide receiver has been Travis Fulgham. Fulgham gained traction with the Eagles after being waived by both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in a two-week span in August. Heading into Sunday’s games, Fulgham ranked second among NFL WRs with 357 yards since Week 4, when he was promoted from the practice squad to the Eagles active roster, behind Robby Anderson (362). His 357 yards are the most by any player in their first four games as an Eagle since Terrell Owens had 364 in the Super Bowl Season of 2004.
“Maybe it’s some things are going on in your personal life, maybe it’s you and the quarterback aren’t on the same page, maybe it’s you and the coaching staff that aren’t on the same page,” Moorehead said. “I can’t say that one thing or another has happened to Travis, but I know this: When he came here, there was a sense of comfort. Something about him, as soon as he got here, he started practicing — I don’t know if it was some weight off his shoulders, maybe he didn’t feel any pressure — but all of a sudden, the guy just starts making plays.”
Travis Fulgham: 90.3 PFF Grade
2nd highest-grade among all WRs pic.twitter.com/Nd2iVoyuyq
— PFF (@PFF) October 22, 2020
Despite other issues on both offense and defense, Aaron Moorehead deserves a lot of credit from the Philadelphia fan base.
The Eagles are currently on top of the NFC East as they head into a must win matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Moorehead and the team will await decision on the return of Jalen Reagor, but even without, we can trust in Moorehead and the active receivers to take care of business against a disastrous Cowboys defense.
