You're absolutely right about the obsession with surface stats. It's why our Mountain Lions have quietly built a contender while everyone fawns over portal QBs with pretty highlights. That third-down conversion jump you mentioned is exactly what separates contenders from pretenders. The problem is most analysts don't watch the film, they just read the box score. They'd rather talk about a 50-yard spring game bomb than a 7-yard completion on 3rd and 5 that keeps a drive alive. Your Eagles' improvement there last year is legit, and it's the kind of thing that wins championships. The national media just isn't equipped to have that conversation.