So there was no way the Eagles were going to weather the loss after Peters ruptured his Achilles tendon in late March. A downgrade was inevitable, and that's no slight to Demetress Bell and King Dunlap, the tackle who first attempted to replace Peters and the one who now fills his old spot.
"The outcome may not be quite as good as it was when he was in there," Mudd said. "I'm not trying to insult King or Demetress, but Jason Peters may knock a guy down and they don't. Maybe the hole isn't as dramatic."
The question then becomes: How much impact can Peters' absence have on the left guard who once played beside him, the chain link that is the line, the other pieces on offense, and ultimately, the team's success as a whole?
The answers from Mudd and others indicated that Peters will be missed in all of those ways, but only marginally in the grand scheme of things.
There may be a few running plays, left guard Evan Mathis said, when not having Peters at his side could affect his blocking. The quarterback may face a little more pressure, Mudd said. The running backs may have less room to run. And there would be, in turn, a secondhand effect on the offense.
In terms of how the Eagles run their offense, there will also be change, but again, only minor adjustments. The tight ends will likely stay in and help block against elite pass rushers. The running backs will probably run a little more to the right side.
In Week 1, the Eagles accumulated 456 total yards, second in the league, but they scored only 17 points. Five turnovers, four of which Michael Vick threw, accounted for the disparity in yards and points. The line had very little to do with Vick's interceptions.
But the unit did struggle in pass protection, especially early. There were missed blocks. Four of the five linemen were called for holding. But Mudd said he still liked what he saw.
"There were minimal amount of problems - minimal," Mudd said.
When offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called for runs, the blocking was sound. LeSean McCoy ran for 110 yards on 20 carries. He ran right 13 times, left the other seven - perhaps a sign of things to come?
"I don't know that Marty designs it that way," Mudd said. "Maybe if he had a choice between two places he might go to the right. He has more history with Todd [Herremans, the right tackle]. We do."
Last season when Eagles tailbacks ran behind the left tackle, they gained 7.1 yards a carry, according to Pro Football Focus. Running lanes can be created by several blockers. Peters and Mathis had success opening holes for McCoy in 2011. But Mathis said there would be only a handful of plays each game in which Peters' absence would affect him.
"When we're working double teams," Mathis said. "You get used to how certain people do it, and when someone else comes in there you have to adjust to their techniques and learn the chemistry. Jason's very fast and he gets out there quickly."
Dunlap can't move as fast. He's a lopsided 6-foot-9 and 330 pounds, while Peters is a compact 6-4, 328. Bell is 6-5, 311, and was touted as an athletic linemen who would thrive in Mudd's system.
The Eagles signed him a week after Peters' injury, but they thought he would have enough time to learn a new offense and a contrasting blocking technique than the one he used in Buffalo.
The team decided after just six snaps in the preseason opener that Bell could no longer start. The Eagles demoted him and he has slid down the depth chart to the point where rookie Dennis Kelly dressed ahead of him and was the lone reserve tackle against the Browns.
"It's always disappointing," Bell said of being inactive. "I'm a competitor. I want to be on the field, win, lose or draw. It was hard to bite that bullet."
Right guard Danny Watkins opened last year's training camp as the starter, was demoted before the opener, and did not dress for three of the first four games. Mudd took the rookie a step back, relieved him of some pressure, and then built him back up.
Could we see Bell eventually earn back the starting left tackle spot?
"We could. Sure. I've been very encouraged by Demetress over the last week and how he's assimilated things and done things with confidence," Mudd said. "So much of it is, 'Gee, I came here to be a starter. I'm not. Am I a failure?' He may not say it, but I think that weighs on him."
He isn't the only one carrying extra weight.
The Peters Principle
Make no mistake about it, the loss of Jason Peters will hurt the Eagles' offensive line and the offense as a whole. It doesn't have to be crippling, however. Last season, the Eagles had success running to the left behind the all-pro left tackle. Peters' replacement, King Dunlap, is not noted for his run-blocking. Could the Eagles, as a result, run more to the right this season? If the first game is any indication, they will. Here's a look at how the offense ran directionally last season compared with the opener against the Browns:
2011
Rush direction Left end Left tackle Left guard Middle left Middle right Right guard Right tackle Right end
Carries 44 42 58 45 40 41 23 60
Yards 144 299 281 165 142 175 151 283
Average 3.3 7.1 4.8 3.7 3.6 4.3 6.6 4.7
Touchdowns 3 3 2 2 1 1 3 4
2012
Rush direction Left end Left tackle Left guard Middle left Middle right Right guard Right tackle Right end
Carries 2 3 1 2 0 2 7 5
Yards 12 13 4 14 0 9 45 16
Average 6.0 4.3 4.0 7.0 -- 4.5 6.4 3.2
SOURCE: Pro Football Focus - Jeff McLane
Contact Jeff McLane at 215-854-4745, jmclane@phillynews.com or on Twitter @Jeff_McLane.
