EAGLES Aces shoot down Jets.
EAGLES 33 – Jets 18
EAGLES STATS:
New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
Passing: (S) QB Gardner Minshew (20/25 – 80.0% – 242 – 2 – 0)
Rushing: (S) RB Miles Sanders (24 – 120 – 5.0 – 0 – 0)
Receiving: (S) TE Dallas Goedert (6 – 6 – 105 – 17.5 – 2)
Offensive Line Report: (1 + 2:1 – 1)
Drive Killer: (R ) S Marcus Epps (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0)
Sack Leader: (S) DE Josh Sweat (3 – 1.5 – 0 – 0)
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I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Jets did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Play Our Aces: Second and third stringers were sprinkled in here and there, in this game. However, it was mostly just sprinkling in. There was none of the Emotional Fuckwitage of last week’s debacle, with bench players frequently in for key possessions.
Our lead RB had more carries and rushing yards than all Eagles, combined. The weekly mismatch that is our starting TE, led the team in targets and even scored twice. It’s a simple formula folks, and it worked with an unnerving amount of ease. (DONE)
2) Interior Pass Rush: While DT Javon Hargrave (2 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) did get a piece of the QB, the interior pass rush wasn’t nearly as sharp as it needed to be. The knee-jerk response will be to blame the loose coverage, which allowed the Jets to complete passes at will, early in the game. However, the DT’s weren’t rushing into those ‘A’ gaps at the snap, either. The hole in that strategy was never adjusted, and was a game-long unforced error. (NOT DONE)
3) Talent Has To Win: This was not the week to get cute. We simply needed to maul a motherfucker and run the ball. We did.
There were 37 hand-offs and 25 pass attempts, with just 4 QB runs (ratio 37:29). Hand-offs were called 56% of the time. We just butchered and BBQed whichever Human sacrifices the Jets laid on our altar. (DONE)
4) Make secure tackles: Did a great job out there today. OLB Alex Singleton (8 – 0 – 0 – 0) came to play today. Can we talk for a minute, about that killshot that SS Anthony Harris (3 – 0 – 0 – 0) put on RB Tevin Coleman (11 – 58 – 5.2 – 0 – 0)? Coleman got up with a lil’ bit o’the wavy leg. We need more hitting like that. (DONE)
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That’s 3 of Four Things completed this week and look! It results in an easy win. Go figure that! Our next opponent is the Bye Week.
Hopefully everyone gets the hell away from football for a week. Don’t even watch it. Sleep-in a couple days. Visit family. Catch-up/binge watch a favorite show. Anonymously volunteer as Santa somewhere. Just defrag and come back loose.
The four weeks that follow our Bye, will not be easy. So celebrate this week lads! Have a Bud Light with C Jason Kelce and our other friends.
For when you return, Hell and all of it’s hounds will be waiting for you at the gates off your own home.
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On The Whole:
I could rant about Defensive Coordinator Johnathan Gannon calling a passive game again, but I won’t. We just need to replace him. See? No muss. No fuss. No rant. I want to talk about something important today.
A mostly healthy group of starters, led by a back-up QB, who (wink) really isn’t a back-up QB. Sounds downright Folseian™ doesn’t it? To some extent that’s probably why Eagles fans have this glow about them right now. It feels familiar. It feels warm. We played a game where even when we were down, you were never really worried.
That 3rd and 19 play, late in the first half. That’s a pivotal moment that begs discussion. If you blink, you can easily miss it’s significance.
WR Quez Watkins (3 – 3 – 60 – 20 – 0) starts out on the right side of the formation, and crosses field to the left-side numbers. The first read apparently isn’t open, but Minshew stays alive in the pocket, and throws the ball between the numbers and the sideline. It’s not a super-accurate pass. Minshew relies on Watkins to meet the ball, and he does for a splendid 22 yard completion.
If QB Jalen Hurts is in there, and his first read isn’t open, what happens? He runs right. He gets out of the pocket, looking down the right sideline. Maybe he runs. Maybe he throws a laser down the right stripe. However, the right isn’t where the open play was. If Hurts is in there, because of his well-known lack of vision, that play to Watkins never happens. This is of supreme importance for several reasons.
Coming into this game, this season Watkins played 12 games with 10 starts. That’s 12 games with 578 snaps played (74%). He came into Week 13 averaging 35.9 yards per game AS A STARTER. The only games where he had 60 yards? This one, and the one where he caught 2 passes for 117 yards, one of which was 91 yards. This is the definition of underutilized.
Establishing a real #2 WR would help loosen things up for the TE, and the #1 WR. And oh yeah, the run too. Better QB play could make other players more dangerous.
The Eagles aren’t about to make a change at QB over the Bye. That’s not what this is about. THIS, is a heads up. This is a snapshot. It’s a jigsaw piece.
Most of the fan base can’t see the puzzle, because right now, we’re standing on it. But have patience Dear Reader. Eventually all will reveal itself. All we have to do, is play a series of games.
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