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WHILE I can’t speak for you, fellow Birds fan, I can tell you that I’m starving for some Eagles football. I also want to get a look at the core concepts of the new offensive system being run by Offensive Co-ordinator Sean Mannion. More QB under C. More pre-snap motion. More play-action. And even better, play-action that teams have to respect now.

Whether we win or lose this game is meaningless, but that doesn’t make the game itself meaningless. Some of the guys we’ll see in this game, will be playing for their right to an NFL career. Their very dreams will be on the line. So I expect a spirited and lively display out there.

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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner. It’s to discuss which tactics will give our Eagles the best chance to defeat this week’s opponent. Except in preseason. Winning would be nice, but these games aren’t for that. They’re for helping us establish depth, and to perhaps uncover a gem or two.

So here’s what I’ll be keeping an eye on, in this match-up

DT Ty Robinson from 2025

1) The Defensive Interior: Winning the point of contact is key So, I want to see how often DT Ty Robinson and DT Uar Bernard, gain penetration, stone a blocker, or otherwise impact a play at the line of scrimmage.

2) Flip-Flop: We know that rookie OT Markel Bell is seeing extensive work at RT, especially with him being mentioned as RT Lane Johnson’s heir apparent. The question is: How much work will he see at LT, tonight? It’s a great time to see if he’s up to playing the Swing, at the NFL level.

3) A Second Look: WR Hollywood Brown was brought in to be the vertical threat here, but so far the dude is showing why he’s on his fourth team in eight years.

WR Quez Watkins scores in 2022

Interestingly, after a two year hiatus, WR Quez Watkins is making a return in Eagles green. Like Brown, Watkins is a speed merchant, with a rep for not being clutch. I’ll be keeping a keen eye on these guys.

4) Bottom of the Roster: I want to look a couple of long-shots in, RB Ja’Quinden Jackson and TE Stone Smart, to see if they can make a case for themselves. Not necessarily to make the active roster, but see they can get into the discussion. These are likely Practice Squad guys, but I like parts of their game.

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Not going too deep on this one. Been a while since I just sort of sat back, and watched a game as a fan. I think I’m going to mostly focus on that, with this game. I’ll round into shape in time for the season, but for right now… I’m just glad to be cheering for my Birds again.

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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.