Playoff Comparison: Receivers and Running Backs

By: Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly editor 

Leading up to the Eagles playoff matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday Sports Talk Philly and Eagledelphia will compare the personnel of the two teams each day until gameday is here. 

In this edition of our week-long comparison we will look at the wide receivers and running backs for both teams. 

Atlanta WRs & TEs | Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, Justin Hardy, Austin Hooper, Levine Toilolo

Atlanta has arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL in Julio Jones. Jones collected 88 receptions this season and finished second in the league in receiving yards with 1,444. Where Jones failed to produce is getting into the endzone, only scoring three touchdowns on the season. 

Their second receiver is Mohamed Sanu – one of the most reliable second options in the entire league. Sanu caught 67 passes this season and led the Falcons with five touchdowns.

In the slot is a speedster in Taylor Gabriel. Gabriel is not a high volume target but is always a threat to go over the top of a defense. 

Austin Hooper leads the tight end group in Atlanta after posting career-highs with 49 receptions and 526 receiving yards in his sophomore season. The Falcons' pass catcher are rounded out by Justin Hardy and Levine Toilolo who combined for four touchdowns on the season. 

Atlanta RB | Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Terron Ward, Derrick Coleman

Atlanta uses the duo of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman at running back. The pair combined to rush for 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season. They also combined for 63 receptions, 616 yards, and four touchdowns. 

The Falcons' running backs can hurt you both on the ground and in the passing game, and the Falcons are able to rotate the two in to keep the opposing defense off-balance. 

Atlanta also has a fullback in Derrick Coleman who rarely touches the ball but will be interesting to player to watch because of how easily he can easily be forgotten about. 

Philadelphia WR & TE | Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins, Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Trey Burton

The Falcons' have a formidable group at receiver, but the Eagles' group is nothing to be taken lightly. The Eagles are led by Zach Ertz's 74 catches and 824 yards, which he accumulated in just 14 games. 

Alshon Jeffery added 57 catches for 789 yards and Nelson Agholor caught 62 passes for 768 yards. The trio is the only group of any team to have three players with eight or more receiving touchdowns. Jeffery led the team with nine. 

The Eagles also got good support from their secondary group this season. Torrey Smith and Trey Burton combined for 59 catches, 678 yards, and seven touchdowns – five of which came from Burton. 

While the Eagles do not have one dominating player among their receivers, they do a tremendous job of spreading the ball around to open up a defense. 

Philadelphia RB | Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, Corey Clement

The Eagles do not only share the wealth in the receiving game but also in their rushing attack – and it has resulted in the NFL's third-best rushing attack averaging 132.2 yards per game. 

Led throughout the season by veteran and two-time Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount with 766 yards, the group also was aided by the emergence of undrafted rookie free agent Corey Clement. Clement led the team with four rushing touchdowns and added two receiving touchdowns. 

The group got a huge shot in the arm when Howie Roseman acquired Jay Ajayi, one of the premier young running backs in the NFL. Ajayi would go on to lead the Eagles in yards per carry (5.8) and yards per game (58.3) after joining the team. 

The Eagles have three-headed monster at running back that can hurt you at any moment, and the physical nature of their running backs allows the team to run the ball even when it is obvious that the team is going to hand it off. 

Edge

Both the matchups between the running backs and the wide receivers are extremely close. 

While the Falcons' running backs are certainly intimidating, they do not surpass the the Eagles' stable of thoroughbreds. 

The third-best running game in the NFL is set to be featured heavily in January, and the combined 679 lbs of running backs that the Eagles have will punish tacklers in the coldest months of the year. The smashmouth game of the Eagles and the versatility in personnel gives the Eagles the edge at running back. The Eagles can keep all three rushers fresh by rotating them in which will create massive problems for the Falcons' as the game stretches on. 

The Falcons take the edge over the Eagles' receivers ever so slightly. The Eagles have a bit more balance in their passing attack than Atlanta, but the elite ability of Julio Jones tips the scales in Atlanta's favor. 

Jones is a player that can take over any game at any moment, and the threat of him alone is enough to disrupt a defense, let alone when he actually has the ball in his hands. 

Sanu and Hooper will also be factors in the passing game, as well as the Falcons' penchant for passing to their running backs. 

The Eagles will be able to spread the ball as they always do, but they do not have a true game-breaker that they can rely on.