EAGLEMANIACAL.com

WE just played an “L” of a game, but for a while there, we were throwing it all over the yard. We saw WR DeVonta Smith get his first 100 yard game of the year; and RB Saquon Barkley had a 47 yard catch and run touchdown, off a simple Wheel route. Behold, the giants! Who are 25^th in the league against the pass. So yeah, we need to hack that bone.

However, the giants are also 26^th against the run! Probably need to dial up a bit more of that too.

Sooooo, we’re gonna need our Eagles, to go ahead and hand it off more than eleven times this week. Yeah. That would be great. 

A win improves us to 5 – 1. It would maintain our seat atop the NFC East division.

A loss, would stall us at 4 – 2. It could possibly drop us to second in the division, depending on the outcome of the Washington/Chicago game.

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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 giants.

1) Don’t Overthink It: There are only six teams in the NFL that are worse at defending the run, than the giants are. The Eagles are a better team when our identity is as a running team. We need to establish the run, and in a big way. If we don’t get it done against the giants, future opponents will smell blood in the water.

2) Strangle Their Pass Rush: Guys being injured on our Offensive Line, means that part of protecting QB Jalen Hurts will have to be scheme. Run hot routes to the vacated areas behind the giants DE’s. These will be short throws, but they’ll A) avoid sacks, B) keep down and distance on schedule, and C) act as an extension of the run game.

The best part is that, this key isn’t blitz dependent, but it works against the blitz with no adjustment needed. If the giants want to counter by having their MLB play man coverage, then Hurts can grab an easy five rushing yards directly up the gut.

3) Push the Interior Pocket: The giants are starting a rookie QB, who likes to run. Look, let’s not get too hung up on trying to trick or confuse him. He can grow past that. We’re going to be seeing this guy twice a year, for who knows how long. This is his first meeting with the Eagles. Let’s focus on beating some PTSD into the lad.

He likes to run? Fine. Push the pocket into his lap, and let him dart into hits by LB Zack Baun and LB Jihaad Campbell. Maybe get a fumble or two out of it! Surging that line segment backward, will also work against their run game.

4) Take Away Anything Easy: Don’t let them beat our coverages, with quick throws. Advertise a ton of man coverage, but muddy up the underneath, when playing Zone defense.

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

The Eagles have all the talent in the world on this roster. So identifying what they need to do, and assigning it to the right players, is child’s play. The problem is, that the Eagles are not always quick to apply what they’ve learned. They can be very obstinate about how soon to fold in a new wrinkle.

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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.