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WHAT loss?! Man, fuck that loss! We’re already in the playoffs, and since we won’t get the one seed,

IT DOESN’T MATTER, which seed we get!

Seeds two through seven, all need four wins to hoist the Lombardi. So us six teams, are all in the same boat. Meanwhile, seeds five through seven, basically have to do it entirely on the road. Which has been done a few times already.

In fact, it seems to happen every few years since 1997:

Oakland Raiders (1980), Denver Broncos (1997), Baltimore Ravens (2000), Pittsburgh Steelers (2005), New York Giants (2007), Green Bay Packers (2010), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)

So don’t lose hope, or sight of the goal, Eagles Fans.

Let’s get something straight, right now. Barring an inspired act of God, Dallas isn’t going to lose to Washington, which makes the outcome of our game practically meaningless. So don’t go getting hung up on the final score. What matters, is if we look like our Defense is coming back to life; and if we can be dangerous on Offense again.

Think of this game as a tune-up. Two weeks ago, we beat the giants by eight points. This time, we want to beat them by more than eight, or hold them to 21 points or fewer. Either one is a major step in the right direction.

A win has us finish the season at 12 – 5, as the 5^th seed in the NFC playoffs. That is, unless Washington somehow manages to beat Dallas, making us the 2^nd seed.

A loss means we finish the year at 11 – 6, and as the 5^th seed. So we’re bulletproof either way.

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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the giants

1) Contain the Run: Right now DT Jordan Davis is lining up over players, instead of gaps. Then he’s doubled more than 50% of the time. Look, no RB runs through his o-line. They run through the gaps. Davis can’t clog up a player, but he can clog a gap. Dictate the action, by lining up in a gap, and taking that gap away.

With Davis taking away a gap, the MLB has to read and fill the open gap, before the runner gets momentum enough to break a tackle. We also need our DE’s to set edges, and force runs back inside the Tackles.

2) Get To the Quarterback: Two weeks ago, these two teams met, and we got one sack from a team that surrenders an average of five per week. It was a travesty. We need 3 or 4 sacks in this one, just to prove that our pass rush is at least getting back on track.

3) Spread and Run: Stretching the opponent’s defense laterally, will let our RB’s pop into the second level faster, with the inside run plays that we like to run. Run the ball. Eat up clock. Let a Defense that has seen too many snaps recently, get some rest.

4) Go Deep Aggressively: Opposing defenses are playing our Slant and Out routes, far more aggressively than they did during the beginning of season. The only way to combat that, is to throw the ball deep down the field.

Whether or not we hit on the play, our opponent has to honor the idea that we will attempt it again. That loosens the box and underneath coverage again. Two deep shots in a game isn’t respectable. Between two and four, is respectable. Five or better is putting your next opponent on notice. Let’s make them uncomfortable.

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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

A win (at this point) is meaningless without help. A loss means we have hold as the 5^th seed. So it would be no change. This game is a total freebie. We’re gambling with house money. So, more than chasing a “W”, we should use the game as a tune-up for the playoffs.

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WARNING: 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 Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.