THIS one is directed at our Defense. We need to bring the pain on every tackle. Sometimes recklessly. Sometimes drawing flags, fines, and suspensions. Every time an opponent jogs off the field on Sunday, when they look at their schedule and see PHILADELPHIA next, their shoulders should sag a little.
“It’s about sending a message.”
Football has Rugby at the core of it’s DNA. That in itself makes it an inherently violent game. Despite what old, rich men who never played may think, you can’t legislate the violence out of football. Just like you can’t legislate blood from a bullet wound. It’s just part of the package.
The Eagles are in re-build mode. Go ‘head, say it. Don’t be afraid of the word. Re-build. That means veterans like DT Fletcher Cox, and DE Brandon Graham will be phased out, beginning either this year or next year. Soon either way. Especially given that we have a new coaching staff coming in.
As old faces step out, new ones will be stepping in. More importantly, young faces already on the roster will have to start stepping up, and showing the rest of the NFL who they are. Particularly here in the NFC East, where most years we don’t have a division winner, we have a division survivor.
This is a physically tough division, in part because Philadelphia, Washington, and New York are East Coast teams that get cold weather. Wind off of water. Snow and ice. Temperatures that turn a football into a rock, thrown at you by a friend. So rushing is key to winning this division. Which automatically means that tackling is key to stopping opponents.
Whether it’s a RB getting stoned at the line of scrimmage, a receiver being lit up in the middle of the field, or a QB being concussed during a sack. We need to make every opponent understand that PHILADELPHIA week, isn’t the week to skip their insurance payments.
Remember these guys?
Opponents used to HATE playing here! From coaches putting bounties on Kickers, to defenders trying to maul you. From the turf that ate knees and whole careers, to the fans who prepared for games by not taking their meds. EVERYTHING about playing against Philadelphia seemed like a bio-hazard, because when you played against Philadelphia, you played against PHILADELPHIA.
We need to recapture that edge. And we can start by making sure that we bring the pain on every tackle.
“It’s about sending a message.”
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