PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson went for it on 4th-and-2 on the team’s first possession against the Houston Texans — because of course he did — and it paid off in a big way.
Foles to Sproles for some fourth-down magic.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/IYMehq6cwD
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 23, 2018
Nick Foles found Darren Sproles in the flat, and the 35-year-old back slipped past the first would-be-tackler before bullying through safety Justin Reid for a 37-yard touchdown to give the Eagles an early 7-0 lead Houston in a game that could decide their playoff fate. Driven by analytics, Pederson is one of the most aggressive coaches in the league when it comes to going for it on fourth down. The Eagles ranked second in that category last season and are tied for sixth this year (18 attempts).