LOST in all of last week’s pouting over a tie, was the fact that the Eagles ran for 175 yards. More impressively, a career-high 65 came from QB Carson Wentz on 9 carries. His most since 2017. Better still, he looked comfortable when he was out of the pocket. Seems like the sort of thing that Head Coach Doug Pederson may want to work into his game-plan this week.
Three games, no wins, and we’re still just half a game out of first place in our division. The NFC East is W I D E open. Now is not the time to pussy out, and start talking about Draft picks. That’s quitter talk. Once a team has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, then and only then can ‘Tank Talk’ take place. Until then, it’s “Win, or go down swinging.”
Here in Philadelphia we can, and we have forgiven much. But quitting? Giving up? Punking out? True Philadelphians never forgive a lack of effort. NEVER. No matter how great, you can never live down “For who? For what?” and “We talkin’ ‘bout practice.” And its as true for turncoat fans, as it is for athletes. Full effort is demanded.
So if you truly bleed green, then get your ass behind your goddamned team, and behave like the best damned fans in all of sports!
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the 49ers:
1) Be the Aggressors: The 49ers come into this game rocking a 2 – 1 record. It’s smoke. Don’t buy into it. Their two wins are against the Jets and the giants. Their loss is against an Arizona team that LOST the turnover battle in that game. We need to ignore the records, and come out done with ties and losses. Go for the kill early. Be the aggressors.
2) Support the D-Line: The 49ers interior offensive line is injured, small, and not very good. If we can get consistent, tight coverage early in routes, it will be a very long, very frustrating day for whomever starts at QB for San Fran.
3) Run the damned ball, Doug!: The Eagles won a Super Bowl behind being a bruising rushing team. We’ve struggled since we got away from it. RB Miles Sanders has run for 95 yards in each of the last two games, and averages 5.0 per tote. Makes no sense that we aren’t pounding the rock with him and RB Corey Clement, to wear down defenses.
4) Screen the defense: What’s with all these lame passes at or behind the line of scrimmage? What happened to our RB Screen game? (Show of hands from everyone who’d like to see Clement get some of those again.) Let’s get that back, and loosen up the coverage for our outside receivers.
If we do these Four Things, the final score should be:
PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – 49ers 17
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
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