EAGLEMANIACAL.com

PLAYOFF FOOTBALL IS HERE!!! Literally HERE. In Philadelphia, tomorrow. Even better, we’ll have QB Jalen Hurts back; and he’ll be leading an Offense that still managed 61 points in two games without him.

This week we get a Packers team that we already beat once this season. That was despite giving them four turnovers, and having to mount a comeback for the win. We however, aren’t likely to be as mistake prone this week, as we were in Week One, after not playing our starters at all in the preseason.

With a win, we move onto the Divisional Round, in a game that would also be played in Philly.

With a loss, we’re cleaning out our lockers.

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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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Packers.

1) Use Lots of Play-Action, Early: In our last meeting, RB Saquon Barkley killed the Packers, so they’ll be looking to not let that happen again. Seeing an eight man front should immediately trigger a call to either play-action or an actual run. The idea being, to open up downfield opportunities, and possibly score early and easily.

2) Bottle Up Their Inside Run: The idea isn’t to shut down their run game, just to make it an unreliable contributor. We want to put the whole game on their young QB, and the elbow of his passing arm, which he fell on last week.

3) Get Hits On Their QB: If we get shots on their QB early, the Packers coaching staff will adjust to protect him better. That means more blockers, and thus fewer receivers. That will make life easier for our Secondary. Hits will also speed up how fast the ball leaves their QB’s hand. If we can convert just one or two of those rushed throws into turnover, it will help us pin this win down.

4) No Weird Shit: Don’t turn the ball over four times. Don’t miss more than one field goal. Don’t hit the friggin crossbar on any kick attempt. No drop-kicks. Just no weird shit in this one. Keep the game manageable, and in front of us.

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

We have a million reasons to be confident about this one. That said, they are a playoff team, and based on that, they deserve our respect, and careful consideration.

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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.