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Commanders: Ranking the NFC East offensive backfields for 2022

By Jonathan Eig

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 27: Jalen Hurts #2 and Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles look on prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field on September 27, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 27: Jalen Hurts #2 and Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles look on prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field on September 27, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /

2. Philadelphia Eagles

There is no consensus yet on Jalen Hurts. That is Philadelphia’s biggest concern. If you add up their next five biggest concerns, they do not equal the concern over the quarterback.

There are those who think Hurts is on the verge of a breakout year. He has solid weapons across the offense. The offensive line and the receiving corps are the best they have been since the Super Bowl run in 2017.

But Hurts is inconsistent. He is not the most accurate of passers. He fumbles. His touchdown to interception ratio is low by modern standards. Whether that is simply a function of a quarterback who will be making just his 20th professional start in week one of 2022, or whether it is a sign of a ceiling he will consistently butt up against, only time will tell. Hurts has a great arm and he can run. I suspect he is still growing and will be a better quarterback in the coming years. And that does not bode well for the rest of the NFC East.

Behind him, they have the Mullet (Gardner Minshew).

The Eagles running backs are an underwhelming group. That’s largely tied to the unreliability of their most talented runner, Miles Sanders. Sanders simply cannot stay healthy. He has missed a quarter of his games over the last two seasons, and even when he plays, he is often hampered. If he could ever play an entire season at full strength, the Eagles would have another dimension. But that seems unlikely.

So the mighty mite Boston Scott comes in to make a play every now and again. And they just claimed the disappointing Trey Sermon, who couldn’t succeed in running back friendly San Francisco despite his 3rd round draft pedigree.

But the player who may take over in the Eagles backfield sooner rather than later is Kenneth Gainwell. He is the most dynamic back they have, and he is coming off a solid rookie year in which he showed good production in a limited role. Plus, he’s Fletcher Cox’s cousin, so no one is likely to mess with him in the locker room.

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