DRAFT reviews usually come out immediately after the event. Everyone is in such a race to get it to you first, that they rarely ever give it to you good. Not me. I like to take my time and go deeper. Really explore all those places that others tend to ignore. I want to make sure that you’re satisfied. (And accurately informed)
First off, General Manager Howie Roseman is on another level. On the surface, this Draft haul is so amazing, that it’s easy to want to jump to the end of the season, and start spouting a bunch of expectations; but we really need to pump the brakes. Me included.
Now let’s get into it.
Round 1 (9th overall): DT Jalen Carter– We started with the 10th overall pick, but Howie made a deal that moved us up one spot, to take a player widely said to be the most talented player in the entire draft. Some teams were concerned about character issues, but since when did the Eagles make a habit of taking head cases? So I have to trust their judgment on this one.
DT Jalen Carter celebrates his sack by raising the QB into the air.
As an athlete, Carter is explosive, and powerful. He’s an interior penetrator and disruptor, who also can stand a blocker up at the point of attack, not allowing a hole for the run. Better still, from what I watched of him, he keeps a QB’s feet chopping. That means the QB’s normal throwing platform, is compromised.
It’d be a mistake to judge Carters rookie season by sacks and tackles. Those numbers can’t tell the true tale of his value. What Carter does best, is make offenses run off-schedule. He has the ability to make opponents a lesser version of themselves. Wreck a blocking scheme. Make the QB throw off-platform. There’s no stat for those things, but watch how often you’ll see him do it. Pick Grade: A+
Round 1 (30th overall): LB Nolan Smith – His highlights make him seem like a DE and pass rusher, but he only had 12.5 sacks over 4 years at Georgia. Smith is an active, high-motor player, who was used more like an x-factor than a player with a dedicated role. Watching him vs Clemson, a few things jump off the screen.
The first thing I noticed was the size mismatch. He’s only 238 pounds, but Georgia liked to deploy him as a DE/Edge player too often. If the Eagles don’t make this mistake, Smith should be just fine. The next thing you notice is his speed. The guy is blur off the line, and can run with just about any RB or TE.
Georgia used him as more as a Edge player, but the Eagles are going to have to transition him into a bonafide OLB. While he’s shown an ability to set an edge and corral RB’s, as well as rush the QB; he’s also displayed the speed and movement skills to handle coverage in zone and shallow man. So he has the tools to make the adjustment. Pick Grade: A
Round 2 (65th overall): OT Tyler Steen– There is talk of moving him inside to RG, but the move will likely not suit him well. Steen isn’t a lunch pail sort of guy. He had a round 3 or 4 estimate on him, but we reached and grabbed him in the second. From what I’ve seen, there’s no way he should have been drafted at all.
Watching him in the Alabama/Tennessee game, hurt me to my heart. There was no aggression in his game. He fell off of blocks constantly; lunged and ended up on the ground a lot; and his hand usage is atrocious. In the game vs Texas, he looked like outright trash. Finishing no blocks, and watching entirely too much football.
Not an entirely accurate statement, but you get the idea.
Sometimes teams will take a diamond in the rough, because he’s extremely explosive; or has the nimble feet of Ginger Rogers; or is freakishly strong, or has other in-born traits that can’t be taught. That said, I honestly don’t see what the Eagles will try to build off of with this kid. Then again, I’m not on a coaching staff. Pick Grade: F
Round 3 (66th overall): S Sydney Brown – Word is, that he’s an in the box thumper. (I used to have a pet rabbit named Thumper, so this term always tickles me when it’s used in football).
However, watching video of him vs Wyoming, was underwhelming. It shows him watching a lot of football, when others are swarming to the ball, as well as missing tackles.
I usually don’t watch highlight vids, but even his highlight reels don’t back up the hype of him being a hitter. Maybe there’s a Special Teamer here, but I don’t see much else. Pick Grade: D
Round 4 (105th overall): CB Kelee Ringo – Watching him against Oregon, it was hard not to like the potential that was clearly on display. Rarely do I fall in love with measurables, but 6’2, 207, running a 4.36?! Yet my favorite part was watching how when he played man-press, the QB ignored his half of the field.
His tackling could be better, and his mirroring needs polish, but these things are what coaches are paid to improve. This kid has excellent tools, and will spend the next three years learning from CB’s Darius Slayand James Bradberry. Pick Grade: A
Round 6 (188th overall): QB Tanner McKee – Watching bis game against Arizona State made me wonder why the Eagles spent a pick on him. He showed zero pocket awareness, happy feet in the pocket, and seemingly has no idea what a “touch pass” is. Seriously, he strong-armed every throw on a straight, flat line.
Initially when I saw him as a pick, I figured maybe he’d compete with QB Ian Bookfor the third string. After seeing him play, he seems like just a camp arm. Essentially a salaried jugs machine. Pick Grade: D
Round 7 (249th overall): DT Moro Ojomo– Video against Alabama is always quality study material, and that’s what we have here. Ojomo is active inside, but doesn’t rush with much of a plan. So he can muddle a blocking scheme, but he runs himself out of plays just as often.
He looks like a solid rotation piece. They type who can come in later in the game, vs a tired o-line, and rely on raw strength to shine for a possession or two. Pick Grade: B
While the trade for native Philadelphian RB D’Andre Swift happened during the Draft, it’s not a pick, so it won’t be graded. It was also further demonstrated proof that the Eagles don’t draft RB’s in the first round. (At least not under this GM.) Fans clamored for RB Bijan Robinson, but I said we wouldn’t go that route, and I even told you why. I wanted two defensive lineman and that’s what we took.
Notable Post-Draft signings:
WR Joseph Ngata – 6’3 217, not a burner, but makes tough grabs in traffic, as well as YAC.
CB Mehki Garner– 6’2, 212, needs to be moved to S/NCB.
I know other sites and publications gave the Eagles (and nearly everyone else) A-pluses, A’s and B’s, but they’re grading on curve so gentle, you’d think they were a public school teacher on probation.
On the whole, after taking a deeper look than the national media could afford to, for every team, I’d give our Draft a C+. While we hit some home runs here, three of four picks just don’t look like they’ll fit here. Reaching for one of them just makes that pick hurt worse.
LAST year your Eagles finished 14 – 3 overall, 4 – 2 against the division, first place in the NFC East, Top Seed in the Conference, and lost the Super Bowl by a field goal. As is the case with successful teams, free agency has plucked a few feathers from the roster, but General Manager Howie Roseman has contained that spill. We’ve also had some coaching defections, but those may not prove as painful as the national media likes to think.
But enough chin wagging! Let’s look at how the Eagles 2023 roster looks 24 hours or so, before the NFL Draft.
OFFENSE
QB:Jalen Hurts is the class of this division, but that doesn’t mean he still doesn’t have a ton to prove. For many he answered the question of “Can he be a Franchise QB?”, by his play in 2022, and taking the Eagles to the Super Bowl. If one near MVP season, and a Super Bowl were enough, Carson Wentz would get more love than he does from this fan base. Fair being fair, Hurts has to have more than one great year, before we’re using the term “elite”.
Still, Hurts is the best in this division. His arm strength and accuracy are on par with Prescott, but Hurts forces fewer throws into underneath coverage. He’s also more mobile, and practically unstoppable with the QB Sneak (that several teams sought to outlaw). The measure failed, and now teams are pouting and vowing to imitate what they just sought to eliminate. It truly is an Eddie Murphy/Dexter St. Jacques moment, for Hurts. (Check it out. And you’re welcome.)
That said, in two seasons as the starter, Hurts has missed games in both, just as a natural consequence of how the coaching staff uses him. So it’s imperative to get the right back-up. Which is where Marcus Mariotacomes in. He’s a better scheme fit than Gardner Minshew was last season, as mobility is part of Mariota’s game.
With Mariota as the back-up, it means the RPO threat never leaves the field. This is a point that the Eagles silently hammered home, by adding Ian Book as the third stringer. (Seriously, YouTube some video of this kid in college. The Eagles scouting department seriously deserves some sort of award. (+)
RB: Gone are the 1,200 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns of Miles Sanders. Taking up the mantle (so far) is KennethGainwell. He’s fine as a utility player, but he doesn’t break tackles, run creatively, or have “take it to the house” type speed. In fact, in 225 touches (regular and postseason), he has exactly one play for 30 yards or more. Behind him is utility player Boston Scott, who is a great utility player, but who lacks the same traits that Gainwell lacks.
Injury-prone Rashaad Penny signed an heavily incentivized contract, in what is likely a last ditch attempt to have a career. When Penny is healthy, he’s explosive and powerful. He’s a physical runner who can also accelerate away from defenders; but out of the 82 games he’s been under contract for, he’s only suited up for 42 of them, with just 11 starts.
Last, and probably still least, is Trey Sermon. Sermon logged 2 carries last year for 19 yards (9.5 ypc.) so of course the logical place for him was wasting away on the Practice Squad last year. There are no clear answers here, besides the back-by-committee approach, which telegraphs an offense’s intent. (-)
WR:
At 230 pounds, A.J. Brown is the size of an elephant and runs like a deer. He caught for 1,496 yards and 11 scores, often seeming to do so at will, from anywhere, regardless of who was how close to his body. (Like in this picture.) Oh yeah! And his best friend in the world, just so happens to be his QB. And last year was their first season on the same team. And now they get to refine their connection.
If that sounds like a nightmare, consider this: If you try to double Brown, you’re just leaving room for DeVonta Smith, who is Brown’s polar opposite. Smith is a precise route runner, who capitalizes on the holes that secondaries leave when trying to contain an explosive athlete like Brown. Smith also has the more reliable hands of the two, and his grabs quietly eat up clock.
If Brown is an uppercut from Mike Tyson; then Smith is a chloroformed rag in a gloved hand, from your backseat, in a deserted parking lot. Either way, you’re going to sleeeep. Quickly. The only time that one of these guys doesn’t terrorize a secondary, is when both of them are doing it.
The fall-off after that is steep. Quez Watkins is blazingly fast, but his hands are so very suspect. He literally handed two turnovers to Dallas last year, during a 34 – 40 loss (and he’s mad that we’re still mad about that). Like Watkins, Devon Allen also sports 4.3 speed, but spent 2022 on the Practice Squad. Former Falcon Olamide Zaccheaus was just signed and he also has the speed to make house calls.
Britain Coveyspent 2022 being a very lackluster return man, and may not see final cuts this season. Tyrie Clevelandwas added to the roster from Denver, and it remains to be seen why Philadelphia did so. Unless it has to do with his college career, where he showed he could make a living, deep down the middle, as a 6’2 target with really good (not great) 4.46 speed.
Interestingly, Greg Ward is still on the Eagles roster. Ward is a decent, not great receiver, but he’s an awesome utility player. In just 40 games played, he’s caught 10 TD’s, and has some PR experience. He’s works well in the red zone; and having been a running QB in college, innately gets where he needs to be on a scramble drill. Lot of unusual tools in that box, and he’s only 28. Which may be why Zach Pascal was (surprisingly), allowed to walk. (+)
TE:Dallas Goedertis the best player at this position in the division. He is both a very good receiver, and a solid blocker. Last year he posted 702 yards and a catch rate of 79.7 percent. He did however, miss 5 games. The best ability is availability, and Goedert hasn’t played a complete season since 2018.
Jack Stoll is virtually an offensive lineman. He doesn’t have the size at just 247 pounds, but the Eagles potent run game wouldn’t be the same without him. Stoll won’t scare anyone as a receiver, but he catches what he’s thrown (78.6%). Third on the list is Grant Calcaterra. Same dimensions as Stoll, but polar opposite as a player. Catches well, but his blocking needs work.
Fact is, the Eagles need to address the lack of depth here. Goedert misses time. Period. The team needs a contingency plan for when (not if), that happens again. (+)
OT: Last year only six QB’s were sacked more than Jalen Hurts. Given that he missed two games, that’s an even more alarming stat. Of the 38 sacks allowed, LT Jordan Mialata surrendered 6.5 of them. He’s a mauling run blocker, but keeping the QB upright is the most important part of a LT’s job.
For the second season in a row, RT Lane Johnson didn’t allow a sack, and drew just three flags all season. Offensive linemen don’t get credit for yards gained, but Johnson is the best at not costing his team yards. There will a bust of him Canton, Ohio someday.
Jack Driscollcan play everywhere on the line, except the pivot. He’s filled in ably in Lane’s absence, but is ultimately better kicked inside, because he has clear issues with speed on the edge. Roderick Johnson andFred Johnson are also on the roster. (+)
G: While LG Landon Dickerson only surrendered half a sack last year, he was penalized 13 times for 89 yards. That’s enough yardage to wipe out a touchdown drive. He has to improve in that department. On the other hand, the guy is a flat-out mauler both in pass protection and especially when blocking for the run.
Sua Opeta has been a spot starter and has done some mop-up duty as an Eagle, but now he may have the inside track on the starting gig vacated by Isaac Seumalo. Tyrese Robinsonis the third player at this position. The playing is strong, but there isn’t a clear second starter. (-)
C: Future Hall Of Famer Jason Kelce returns for another run at the Lombardi. Behind him is a successor that the Eagles drafted, with Kelce’s help in scouting. That successor is Cam “Beef” Jurgens. With Kelce’s retirement being perhaps 17 games away, the Eagles want to get Jurgens feet wet soon, so there’s talk of playing him at Guard in 2023. Cameron Tom is a decent insurance policy. (+)
In A Nutshell: This Offense has no holes, but it does have cracks in the foundation. With the RB’s currently on the roster, the run game won’t scare anyone, but it’ll be functional. As long as it is, the play-action, and RPO stuff, still makes this one of the most explosive teams in the entire league.(+)
DEFENSE
DE:Josh Sweat notched a career-high 11 of the Eagles 70 sacks, returned an interception for a touchdown, and led the team with 15 tackles for loss. Brandon Grahamat the age of 34, came back from an Achilles tendon tear, to post a career-high 11 sacks, despite only starting one game. Tarron Jacksonand Matt Leo are also on the roster. Expect the Eagles to address this position early in the Draft. (+)
DT:Fletcher Cox started every game and turned in his best season since 2018, posting 43 tackles, 7 for losses, and 7 sacks. He returns at age 32 in what may be his final as an Eagle, largely to be a mentor. Jordan Davis blew no one away with his rookie stats (18 tackles, 1 for loss). This season more will expected as he’s no longer behind Javon Hargrave.
Milton Williams is more of a situational player, who despite not starting, posted 36 tackles with 9 for losses, as well as 4 sacks, He can also be moved to End. Marvin Wilson and Kentavius Streetare more penetrators than run pluggers. It looks as if these reserves are built with an eye towards pass rush, with little concern for trench warfare.(+)
OLB:Haason Reddick posted 49 tackles (11 TFL) and led the team with a career-high 16 sacks. Nicholas Morrow comes over from the Bears, presumably to fill the coverage role vacated by Kyzir White. Patrick Johnson splits his time between here and at DE. He influences lots of plays, but seldom makes one.
Kyron Johnson and Davion Taylormay not make it to final cuts this season. Taylor was drafted as a project, but the Eagles haven’t put the time in. They might be about to lose a gem.(+)
MLB/ILB: With the departure of T.J.Edwards, Nakobe Dean will become the eye of the storm, in Philadelphia. More instinctual and a better athlete than Edwards, this move is expected to be an upgrade. That however, hasn’t been seen yet. Shaun Bradleyand Christian Elliss are the reserves, but since Edwards rarely missed a down, they don’t have a ton of experience. (-)
S:
Undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship was forced into 4 starts last year, and played better than anyone had a right to expect. He’s probably going to have to compete for a starting job in 2023, but his competition won’t have an easy contest. He has more aggression than the departed Marcus Epps, and brings his arms to his tackles.
When the Eagles decided not to overpay Chauncey Gardner, they opted to bring in Terrell Edmunds. Edmunds is an in the box thumper, but his coverage is better than decent. So he’s an excellent pick-up, and possibly an upgrade over last year. K’Von Wallace and Justin Evans are on the roster for now, but the Draft is in a couple of days. So we’ll see. (+)
CB:Darius Slayturned in 14 passes defensed and 3 interceptions. His 58% completion rate was a little high, but not alarming. On the other side isJames Bradberry with 17 passes defensed, and 3 picks with a 57% completion rate, in 2022. There are no free or easy meals throwing against these guys.
Avonte Maddox is a capable Nickel, but he’s missing more and more time with injuries. You have to wonder if this is why the Eagles added Greedy Williams. Williams was a second round flame-out in Cleveland. But c’mon, it was Cleveland. So the Eagles are willing to take a flier on him.
Josiah Scott had a rough 2022. He had 2 interceptions, but he also allowed 68.8% completion rate. Zech MacPhearson is a fourth rounder who acquits himself nicely, but the bench holds a strong grip on those without Draft pedigree. Josh Jobe and Mario Goodrichare longshots to make a deep roster. (+)
In A Nutshell: Every defensive lineman on this team can be described as ‘disruptive’. Every. Single. One. Point to the other team in the NFL that can say that. This unit poisons offenses at the root, by destroying blocking concepts. If you can’t block, you can’t play. Anyone expecting the Eagles Defense to take a major step back, because of a couple free agent defections, can’t see the forest because of the trees. (+)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P: Kicker Jake Elliottdidn’t attempt many Field Goals in 2022. He was 20/23 (87%) 6/8 from 40+, and 51/53 (95.4%) on extra points. Yes. 53 attempts. The Eagles were a scoring machine. Those 53 attempted XP’s, doesn’t mention how often they went for two. Elliott had a career-high 63 touchbacks on 91 kickoffs (69.2%). (+)
Arryn Siposs was a sore spot lat year. A punt is the first play on defense. It sets the Defense up with a good or a bad situation. So his 45.6 yard per punt average and his 39.6 yard net, are just too far apart. Additionally, 20 of his 44 boots (45.4%) were returned for an 8.0 yard average. All of that needs to change.(-)
In A Nutshell: Elliott isn’t needed much, but when he is, he’s a great bet. I wouldn’t call him a sure thing and risk a paycheck on him! But I could wager a pineapple without batting an eye. Our punting game however, didn’t do much to help this team in 2022. This unit is more good than bad, but when it’s bad, it’s fish rotting in a nightstand bad.(+)
BOTTOM LINE: Eagles fans are told not to expect 14 – 3 again. Fine. Keep it. Especially with 15 – 2, 16 – 1, and 17 – 0 still out there. Realistically, as it stands, this is probably an 11 or 12 win team. This team can score with ANYBODY, while making it harder to score for everybody. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to this roster in the next 48 hours.
LAST year the Cowboys went 12 – 5 overall, and 4 – 2 against the division, to finish second in the NFC East. They utterly rolled over the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, but then vs San Francisco, couldn’t get the engine of their offense to “turnover”. It would also mark the last game as a Cowboy, for C Ezekiel Elliott. In the aftermath, head coach Mike McCarthy, fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and took over the O.C. job, himself.
For the first time in a long time, there’s real interest, not just hype, about the Cowboys. People, and Cowboys fans, are curious about what happens next. So lets take a gander at the 2023 Pre-Draft Cowboys.
OFFENSE
QB: People will keep mentioning that Dak Prescott led the NFL with 15 interceptions in just twelve games, last year. Ignore it. It’s an overblown stat. John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Warren Moon, Peyton Manning, have all surpassed 15 picks PLENTY of times. Vinny Testaverde played 20 years, and one year he threw 35 picks vs 13 TD’s. What matters isn’t how many picks you throw, but when you throw them. Like Prescott’s game winner vs Jacksonville.
Prescott has never been a great passer, but his delivery skills (read + velocity + accuracy) are still (as a combination) better than most. Add to that, his comfort in his system, and it only magnifies his ability to be effective. He is not a top 10 passer and he’s no longer dynamic, but he’s very experienced and still in his prime. It would be a mistake to underestimate him.
Preseason Hall of Famer, Cooper Rush led the team to a 5 and oh wait… 4 – 1 record last year during Prescott’s absence. Be it his completion percentage of 58, or his 5 TD’s vs 3 picks, the Cowboys organization brought him back for two more years. Will Grier has 52 career attempts and 4 interceptions vs no scores. Not a sexy group, but solid. (+)
RB: Gone is Ezekiel Elliott. Currently the head of the Cowboys running attack is Tony Pollard. Pollard, who’s game is speed and explosiveness, is not yet healed from a broken ankle suffered in the playoffs, and the subsequent Tightrope surgery that followed it.
Hedging their bets, just in case Pollard isn’t himself, Ronald Jones was added to the team. Jones is a decent player who can get production if he sees touches, but he’s not special. Rounding out the list is Malik Davis, yet another 6 foot, 205-ish pound RB.
With the way that Dallas historically likes to use this position (heavy use, between the Tackles, just a handful of plays designed), this team is either about to go in a new direction, or find out they’re incompetent on offense. (-)
WR:
At first glance the Cowboys situation seems great here. Then you realize that last year’s number two and three receivers are no longer on the roster, and number four is a RB rehabbing a broken ankle. Did I mention that number two was a TE?
Ceedee getting open easily.
Leading off is Ceedee Lamb, who had a career year, but he did most of his damage from the slot. This calls up a question that’s been dogging Lamb for three years: Is he truly a number one, or is he just Robin in Batman’s costume? Brandin Cooks was signed to add a legit deep threat, but it remains to be seen how well he’ll fit into a run-heavy system, where he’ll be asked to play heavy downs, despite not being the first option even on passing downs.
Signing Cooks wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence for Michael Gallup, who sports a catch percentage that has never seen 60 in any of his five years. However, he carries a 19M$ dead money hit for 2023, so he will be on the roster this year. KaVontae Turpin is a 153 pound returner who wants to be featured more as a receiver. Thus far he’s only been thrown two passes, catching one for 9 yards. Jalen Tolbert is also on the roster.
There’s plenty of talent here. The question is, in a run-heavy system, can it be blended in a way that keeps egos form becoming corrosive. (+)
TE:Jake Ferguson is the top of the food chain in Dallas now. His rookie numbers (19 – 174 – 9.2 – 2) notwithstanding, the organization seems to believe in him. That seems odd given the team’s stated re-emphasis on the run, and Ferguson being far from a “mix it up” type player. But, oh well!
Peyton Hendershotreceived an awful lot of press for a guy who’s entire 17 game stat line, was (11 – 103 – 9.4 – 2). Sean McKeon is the third stringer here. These guys are neither scary targets, nor great blockers. It’s hard to believe that this team won’t use a Day One or Two Draft pick on this position. (-)
OT: The Cowboys are going all-in on LT Tyler Smith. This means that Tyron Smith is likely staying at RT. How many snaps he takes there is another question. Over the last three seasons, Tyron has played in just 17 regular season games, missing 33 of a possible 50.
Ready to fill-in is Terence Steele who had 13 starts last year and only surrendered 1 sack. There’s also Josh Ball 41 snaps worth of pro experience; 26 of which came in a 27 – 23 win over the Texans. There are two more warm bodies as well. (+)
Zack Martin vs J.J. Watt
G: Future Hall Of Famer Zack Martin anchors the right side. As for the left, after losing Conner McGovern to Buffalo, the Cowboys currently have Matt Farniok who started 2 games last year and didn’t embarrass himself; and Chuma Edoga, who was a back-up when he was a Falcon. (-)
C:Tyler Biadasz is not particularly quick, or strong. Sohe’s a hard place for an offensive attack to hang its hat. But it’s either him or Brock Hoffman, who has yet to play an NFL snap, on offense. (-)
In A Nutshell: The head coach has revamped the offensive system to be run-heavy, despite most of his talent being at WR, not RB. Their offensive line is fully functional, but shaky in a couple of spots (C, LG). If the run game can get going, then the rest of the offense will stabilize. That said, any form of setback for Pollard probably dooms this unit. (+)
DEFENSE
DE:DeMarcus Lawrence started every game for the first time since 2019, and produced a career-high 65 tackles, on a Top Five defensive unit. On the other end of the line, Dorance Armstrong was second on the team with 8.5 sacks. So the Cowboys are fine here.
Used as a situational player Dante Fowler contributed 6 sacks, which was a lot of bang for the Cowboys buck. Rookie Sam Williams notched 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and basically seemed to live in opposing backfields with 10 tackles for loss. Chauncey Golston rounds out the quintet, as a third rounder with so much talent ahead of him, that he barely sees snaps. (+)
DT:Osa Odighizuwa is an active and disruptive to blocking schemes against the pass. However, as a combination of his body type and play style, he can become an outright liability vs the run. He posted 43 tackles and 4 sacks last year, in 17 starts. He’s Robin in a Batman costume. Expect the Cowboys to get him some help.
Johnathan Hankins was added last year via trade with the Raiders, to beef up the run defense. That mission was a success, but Hankins comes with a few pronounced limitations, such as change of direction and motor. He produced 20 tackles last year, with just 1 being for a loss. Both were career-lows.
Quinton Bohanna began last season as the starter, but then lost his spot after nine games. After 27 games with 10 starts, he’s amassed just 29 tackles, with 1 for a loss. At 6’4, 360 pounds, he’s probably too bulky to produce in the NFL. While he can eat space, he can also be run away from too easily. Neville Gallimore is disruptive, but he’s just a rotational player. (-)
Former Eagle Brian Westbrook and Micah Parsons
OLB:Micah Parsons started every game, and posted 65 tackles (13 TFL) and a team leading 13.5 sacks. Teams seemed to figure out how to neutralize him, by forcing him to cover more. Dallas also added I.R. resident Takkarist McKinley, possibly to beef up their pass rush. (+)
MLB/ILB:Leighton Vander Esch was re-signed, much to the surprise of pretty much everyone. In 14 starts he posted 90 tackles (4 TFL) and 1 sack. He no longer has to be respected in pass coverage, and never offered much as a pass rusher. Damone Clark was a fifth rounder who found himself starting 5 games. Nothing impressive, but he at least picked up experience. (+)
S: There are eight players at this position. I will only be mentioning four. Donovan Wilson had 101 tackles (7 TFL), and 5 sacks, playing more like an extra ‘backer than a DB. Jayron Kearse (77 tackles, (7 TFL), 2 sacks) also spent a lot of time around the line of scrimmage. This made the Cowboys faster vs underneath passes, but left them too small against the run.
Malik Hooker only had 6 starts last year, but he played 81% of the Cowboys defensive snaps. He turned in career-highs in tackles (62) tackles for losses (2) and tied his career best with 3 interceptions. Israel Mukuamu had 3 starts last year but didn’t do anything remarkable with them. The Cowboys have the deepest group in the division. (+)
CB:
Trevon Diggs gets emotional at A.J. Brown, after Devonta Smith scores
For most players, 14 passes defensed and 3 interceptions would be a great year. For Trevon Diggs it meant coming back down to Earth. In a bid to not give opposing offenses an easy side to throw to, Dallas traded for Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore isn’t the ballhawk that Diggs is, but his technique is much more solid. Diggs gave up a 64% completion rate last year. Gilmore won’t be so generous.
DaRon Bland provided some spicy play, picking off 5 passes last season. That Nickel spot is unquestionably his this year. Kelvin Joseph is a former second round pick who is languishing on the bench. Jourdan Lewis has a knack for finding the ball and the QB, when he’s not on the bench. Nashon Wright cuts an odd picture for this position being 6’4, but the kid can play. (+)
In A Nutshell: The Cowboys have an extremely scary secondary, with just enough pass rush to help that secondary. Their predilection for speed however, motivates them to use smaller players, which sets them up for getting pushed around vs the run. It’s a “shock and awe” unit, that doesn’t do well in a fist-fight, or low scoring games. Luckily for the Cowboys, most teams are becoming less invested in running the ball, and therefore less adept at the things needed to achieve easy victories over this unit. (+)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P:Tristan Vizcaino is the only Kicker on the Cowboys roster. In his three year career he’s been on four teams, with a career mark of 11/12 (91.6%) and no kicks from 50+. (-)
Bryan Anger is the Punter. He’s got a 48.4 yard average with a 42.8 yard net. Both are best in the NFC East. He even launched an 83 yarder in 2022. On the other hand, of his 68 kicks, returners felt froggy enough to return 32 of them, for an average of 8.0. (+)
In A Nutshell: Expect the Cowboys field goal kicking to be spotty again this year. With the way they spend money at other positions, there isn’t much left to allocate to Kicker. The P has a big leg and does a good job of setting the defense up favorably. (+)
BOTTOM LINE:
This is a team that needs 20 points or more, to win games. In fact, this team hasn’t won a game where they scored fewer than 20 points, since November of 2018. They’re at four years and counting with that.
That puts all the pressure on RB Tony Pollard, to carry the run-heavy offense. If it works, things will be fine in Dallas. If it doesn’t, elements in that locker room will want coach McCarthy to switch his philosophy back to something they’re more comfortable with.
LAST year the giants finished 9 – 7 – 1 overall, 1 – 4 – 1 against the division, and third place in the NFC East. The East ran through the NFL like an Ex-Lax smoothie, and sent three teams to the playoffs. The giants won their Wild Card match-up against the Vikings, before being obliterated by the Eagles in the Divisional round. Still, it has left giants fans with hope for 2023.
So then let’s take a look at the 2023 Pre-Draft giants, to see if they are indeed, poised to take that next step.
OFFENSE
QB: Forget Daniel Jones’s jersey, I want his ski mask! This guy in four seasons has thrown all of 60 touchdowns (15 per year), and had the unmitigated gall to ask for 40M per year. And he got it! What happened was the giants organization fell in love with his 708 rushing yards last year, and they have visions of what he can be with better weapons. Also, he’s coming off of a season where he went 9 – 6 – 1. It’s his first winning record in four tries. And they actually paid him! Backing up Jones, is competent journeyman Tyrod Taylor. (-)
RB: With Saquon Barkley having not signing his franchise tag yet, he’s technically not on the active roster. So if a game had to be played today, the starter would be, back-up Matt Breida. Breida seems to have left his explosiveness back in 2019, and at 195 pounds, isn’t built to carry the load. Behind him is Gary Brightwell, an unremarkable, 6th round pick from 2016. Last and certainly least on the list, is undrafted Jashaun Corbin, who didn’t log a touch in 2022.
Even with Barkley, this is a thin group. Without him, the load for winning games shifts entirely only the QB. This may be why Barkley hasn’t signed, given how he has to grovel for a long-term deal, while the QB that he carried, has been handsomely rewarded for Barkley’s hard work. Stay tuned! (-)
WR: Losing Richie James to the Chiefs has to hurt, especially after the way the Kadarius Toney trade turned out. Darius Slayton is a wildly inconsistent deep threat, who can disappear for weeks at a time. Even when he starts. Sterling Sheppard is a shell of himself, and can’t stay on the field. He’s played just 10 games in two years.
Isaiah Hodgins walked off the Bills waiver list midseason, and into 8 starts for the giants, as well as tying for team lead with 4 TD catches. (You can read that as either good or bad.) However, as a 6’4, 24 year old, the giants are more than willing to gamble on his upside.
Wan’Dale Robinson was a second round pick, who went down with an ACL tear during a less than promising rookie campaign. Brought in to bolster their depleted receiving corps, was Parris Campbell. Campbell defected from Indianapolis in order to upgrade the quality of QB that he plays with, and finally jump-start his career. (You want to tell him? I don’t have the heart to tell him.)
Jaydon Mickens comes over from Tampa, and Jeff Smith from the Jets. Both represent the bottom of those teams depth charts. A forty million dollar passer and no weapons? This has to be where their first pick goes. (-)
TE: On the surface, trading for Darren Waller looks like a power move for the giants. They only gave up a third rounder in exchange for one of the NFL’s most dangerous players at this position. On the surface it looks like they outright fleeced the Raiders. That being said, the player being described here, hasn’t actually been seen since 2020.
Since 2021, Waller’s career has been a mish-mash of missed games, and games where he’s flat out been invisible. And then there’s the injury history. Five injuries to his right leg. A recurring ankle injury in 2021; a knee strain in 2021; and most alarmingly two Grade 2 hamstring strains (tears) in 2022. Keep in mind, a Grade 2 strain to that same thigh, shut down his 2015 season.
Waller being traded doesn’t come from out of the blue. The Raiders nearly traded him to the Dolphins last year. So they’ve been looking to unload him. Makes me wonder if they know something about his long-term injury risk, that they aren’t letting on about. Or maybe given his drug history, they felt antsy about how he was coping with the move to Las Vegas from Oakland, where they transformed a 6th round nobody, into a Pro Bowl player. (Look it up)
Aside from Waller, the giants still have their top two from last year in Daniel Bellinger and Lawrence Cager. Bellinger caught 30 passes for 268 yards, and is more like an extra lineman than a receiver. Conversely at 220 pounds, Cager is more of a slow WR. Something had to happen here. The question now is: Did it actually happen? (-)
OT: LT Andrew Thomas has turned his career around. As a rookie he was a turnstile, just utter trash, giving up 10 sacks that year. Last year, that number was more like 3. So he’s gone from being the anchor on the line, to being the anchor of the line.
Speaking of being a trash rookie, RT Evan Neal gave up 7 sacks last year, and that doesn’t begin to describe or define his struggles. This offseason they’re working with him to change his stance and his kick-step, but with him being 6’7 and 360 pounds, physics will only let coaching change him so much. Much of a lineman’s footwork has to be in-born. It takes talent. You can’t just teach any big man to play offensive line, and re-programming only goes so far.
Matt Peart has been an absolute disappointment, but he’s depth, he was a third round pick, knows the system, and is still on his rookie deal. So he’ll likely survive final cuts this season. Peart was such a disappointment that last year, the giants added Tyre Phillips from B-more. Phillips ended up with 5 starts filling in for Thomas (1 game) and Neal (4 games). They’re fine at LT, but RT is in the shop, up on a lift.(-)
G: The giants have nine, NINE players listed at this position! Only five of them have a chance of sticking with the team, and that’s only until Shane Lemieux gets off of I.R. At which point his placeholder will be cut, and the number will drop to four. Shane will open the season as the fifth at this position. Sounds stupid and it is, but wait, watch, and see.
Last year they signed free agent RG Mark Glowinski to a 20M$ contract and he responded by allowing a career-high 4.5 sacks, contributing to the 44 that the line would allow as a whole. Likely to man the LG spot is Ben Bredeson. He had 8 starts last year and didn’t allow anyone to take down his QB. What’s more, the team started 6 – 1 with him in the starting lineup, and went 3 – 6 – 1 once he sat down.
Jack Anderson and Wyatt Davis represent the only real depth on this team, but they don’t have much experience. There’s a lot of “up in the air” about the depth chart here, and it will stay that way until Lemieux gets back. (-)
C: After losing John Feliciano to San Fran, and Nick Gates to Washington, the giants don’t have a player designated at this position. Perhaps they hope to develop one from their large pool of Guards, but the pivot isn’t a plug-and-play position. Someone has a rude awakening coming. (-)
In A Nutshell: Everything is wrong with this offense. The QB is grossly overpaid; which has offended the workhorse RB, who’s staying away as he begs for a decent contract offer. This will only highlight the weakness at WR. Especially if the TE doesn’t return to his All-Pro form. All of this is built on the back of an offensive line that seems much worse than they were last season. (-)
DEFENSE
DE: Because the giants favored a 2-4-5 look last year, Ryder Anderson is currently the only player listed at this position. As an undrafted rookie last year, he made two starts, grabbing 2 sacks, and 8 tackles. Not bad, but given his body type, there may not be much of role for him in this scheme. (+)
DT:Dexter Lawrence is a mountain of a man, coming off the best season of his four year career, with 68 tackles and a team-leading 7.5 sacks. He’s currently holding out of voluntary team activities, while he asks for/demands a better deal. Though talks are characterized as ‘good’, don’t expect to see him in pads until there’s a new contract.
Playing beside him, is Leonard Williams. Williams’ declining play hasn’t lived up to his contract, and now there is talk of everything from restructuring his deal, to trading him. Beyond that there’s young D.J. Davidson, and a pair of veterans Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and Vernon Butler who have both been in the league for years, but both are just guys. (-)
OLB: People are singing the praises of Kayvon Thibodeaux. While his rookie season only produced 49 tackles (6 TFL), and 4 sacks, the talk is that there is still plenty of upside for 2022’s 5th overall pick.
Azeez Ojulari missed most of last season. Still, for the 7 games he played, he netted 14 tackles (3 TFL), and 5.5 sacks. So he was impactful when he was out there. He’s expected to be healthier this year, and so the giants are awaiting bigger things from him.
Undrafted rookie Tomon Fox put together a pretty nice campaign in 2022. He posted 1 start, and ended the season with 24 tackles (3 TFL), and 1 sack. Second year player Elerson Smith, lives on I.R. (+)
MLB/ILB: The giants coaching staff was so impressed by this position last year, that they allowed Jaylon Smith to just wander off, and went out and signed Bobby Okereke from Indy. Rookie Micah McFadden started 7 games, and notched 59 tackles (9 TFL) and 2 sacks. Not overwhelming, but it portends good things. The remaining four guys are just roster filler. (+)
Been a couple years since Xavier McKinney had one of these…
S: This position is a mess. Losing Julian Love was a tough blow. Xavier McKinney missed practically the second half of last season, but started both playoff games. So far in his three year career, he’s missed half of two separate seasons. In his one complete season, he was an absolute menace. The question however, is will he play a whole season, or just half of one.
Even at his best, McKinney can’t play two spots. Which raises the question of, who gets the other job. Both Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton, each started 5 games last year. Pinnock was more of an in the box presence (41 tackles, 2 for losses, 1.5 sacks), while Belton (31 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 interceptions) seemed to be more suited to coverage. Everything here is a question. (-)
CB:Adoree Jackson started the first 10 games last season, missed the rest of the regular season, but returned in time for the playoffs. He’s serviceable, but hardly a difference maker anymore. Darnay Holmes played Nickel last year, but may move into a more prominent role with the departure of Fabian Moreau.
Cordale Flott made 6 starts last year, as a third round rookie, and was made to look like one. On the other hand, last year could be great for experience and as a teaching tool. Nick McCloud saw a lot of action last year, and may be asked to step up in 2023. Rodarius Williams, and two more warm bodies are drawing paychecks at this position.
This position wasn’t very good in 2022, and the loss of Moreau doesn’t help. (-)
In A Nutshell: Personnel turnover is part of any business, but the giants haven’t been able to mitigate key losses. Especially in the secondary. This doesn’t bode well at all. (-)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P: KickerGraham Gano was 29/32 (90.6%) last year, hitting 18/20 from 40+, and connecting on 32/24 (94.1%) extra points. Of his 84 kickoffs, 50 were touchbacks (59.9%). Big leg. Reliable. What’s not to like? (+)
Punter Jamie Gillan is maybe out-kicking his coverage a little. Last year he averaged 46.8 yards per punt, with a net of 40.1, which is fine. The issue is, of his 74 punts, 28 were returned (37.8%) for 277 yards (9.8ypr). While no opponent took a kick to the house last year, they often had room to try. Again, not a huge problem, but something to work on. (+)
In A Nutshell: Being able to rely on their kicking, especially in Met Life stadium where the wind swirls, and can change direction, helps the giants in any game where they can keep the score close. This has allowed them to steal quite a few games over the years, and will probably help them steal 1 or 2 more this season. (+)
BOTTOM LINE: Personnel losses and holdouts are the story of the giants offseason so far. While other teams are talking about what they’re adding to get stronger, the giants are clearly having trouble just treading water. Every indicator says that they will take a step back in 2023. A 9 – 8 finish would be a strong mark for them this year.
LAST year the Commanders (armed with their latest name), finished 8 – 8 – 1 overall, 2 – 3 – 1 in the division, and dead last in the NFC East. With the league essentially firing Washington’s owner during the offseason, there was no one to fire their coach. Sooo, he’ll be back. This team entered 2022 with a lot of questions, none of which seemed to get answered.
Let’s get a look at the 2023 Pre-Draft Commanders roster, to get an idea of who this team is today.
OFFENSE:
QB: They jettisoned Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke, and held onto this guy,
Oh, so they didn’t have one either.
Sam Howell, who was a 5th round rookie last year. Howell had just 19 attempts, but currently owns a 1 – 0 record as a starter. Washington is apparently so high on him, they signed Jake Fromm (NYG), and threw 8M$ at Jacoby Brissett (CLE). Brissett is essentially Tyrod Taylor 2.0. He’s a decent journeyman passer, and is likely only on the roster to teach Howell how to be a pro. Problem is, Washington needs someone to show Howell how to be The Man, and Brissett has never been that. The season is already starting off badly for this team. (-)
RB:Brian Robinson seems to be who the Red- sorry, Commanders- are hanging their hat on, as the basis of their 2023 attack. Robinson’s a physical, between the Tackles runner (797 rushing yards, 3.9ypc). Those traits played a role in him taking away the starting job last year, from Antonio Gibson. Gibson is a niftier runner, but his lack of physicality is hard to ignore. Especially for a 220 pounder.
Jonathan Williams started the last two games of the season and was absolutely forgettable in both games. Jaret Patterson and FB Alex Armah are also on the roster. All these players were here last year, and were totally unremarkable. Perhaps the coaching staff is looking to fine tune their approach, because all signs point to not adding anyone. (-)
WR:Terry McLaurin is the only player on this team’s offense, that defensive coaches feel a need to gameplan for. On just 13 more catches, McLaurin’s 1,191 receiving yards, were 535 yards better, than the 656 posted by Curtis Samuel last year. Last year’s rookie, Jahan Dotson led the team with 7 TD’s and added 523 receiving yards of his own. So perhaps the Reds- The Footb- Are they still the Commanders this year? Do we know that yet??? In any case, maybe “This group of people” are expecting Dotson to take a big step in 2023.
The second tier represents almost no substantial depth. Dynami Brown averaged 28.6 yards per catch last year, and 18.1 during his two year career. However his 43.6% catch rate, means he won’t be trusted with many targets. Dax Milne is a return man. The other three on the roster are just camp bodies. (+)
TE: This team has to spend a high pick here. Maybe a round one pick. Logan Thomas (39 – 323 – 8.3 – 1) is the top of the order here, and not a soul is losing a wink of sleep over matching up against him. He’s good for the run game, but otherwise he’s no threat. John Bates and Cole Turner aren’t causing anyone to worry either. Armani Rogers is QB trying to transition. There is also a guy named Curtis Hodges.
This is what it is. I’m not holding out on you. I’m not under-reporting in order to be funny, or make a point. You see Logan Thomas’s numbers? This is what they have. They didn’t add to it. Given their feelings on 5th round QB Sam Howell, it’s entirely possible that Washington could go into 2023 with this same group, like they did in 2022. Fucked if I know why though. (-)
OT: For the second year in a row, LT Charles Leno didn’t miss a start. That said, giving up a career worst 8 sacks after signing a three year extension last January, was probably not what Washington had in mind. Surely they were hoping for a star, when they stole him from the Bears.
RT Cornelius Lucas isn’t an All-Pro, but he’s better than decent.
As far as depth, Sam Cosmi was called on to start 6 games last season, but played at least 40% of the snaps in 6 other games. That means he saw time at other spots. He may have given up 4.5 sacks last year, but with that much movement in a second year player, the experience will only pay dividends down the road.
Free agent Trenton Scott was recently added to the team. This means players like Drew Himmelman, Alex Akingbulu, and Aaron Monteiro don’t really have deep shots at sticking around long. (-)
G: Andrew Norwell signed with Washington last year, and proceeded to give up a career high 3 sacks in 16 starts. The line was pretty inefficient running the ball as well. They ranked 12th in the league, despite the 4th most attempts, ranking 28th in average yards per carry.
They lost Wes Martin to Cleveland, so they replaced him with KC’s Andrew Wylie who surrendered 8 sacks and was penalized 5 times for 36 yards last year. They already had Saahdiq Charles on the roster, and spent a fourth round pick on him a few years ago. Still they chose to go get Wylie instead. Yikes.
Chris Paul had a start here last year, and didn’t embarrass himself. There are two other guys behind him, but that fourth spot should belong to Paul. (-)
C: Nick Gates fled the giants and joined a division rival for a three year deal paying him 5.5 per season. This automatically gives him the inside track on the starting gig. Tyler Larson got 8 starts last year, but Washington still felt they needed and upgrade. Chase Roullier got 2 starts and wasn’t awful. He’s actually been pretty solid no matter where Washington has used him during his career. Seems weird that they went so far out of their way, just to circumvent their roster. (+)
In A Nutshell: Washington isn’t a place that’s going to attract much top free agent talent, which is why they couldn’t do much to upgrade their offensive line. Unless they surprise everyone, they also don’t have a QB. You can’t win in the NFL without one of those. (-)
DEFENSE:
DE: Chase Young has played in 27 of a possible 50 games over his three year career, netting a totals of 75 tackles and 9.0 sacks. I doubt the team will pick up his fifth year option. Montez Sweat is a passing down specialist, who has been asked to play too many snaps for most of his career, due to injuries to Young. Sweat isn’t a liability against the run, but his 6’6 frame doesn’t help him win many battles in the trenches.
James Smith-Williams in addition to stealing all the last names, has grabbed himself a regular role as a starter, despite being a seventh round pick who plays like one. Efe Obada is coming off probably his best year after defecting from Buffalo. He matched his career-high 24 tackles, and added 4 sacks to boot.
Casey Toohill, and William Bradley-King all have at least a year in Washington’s system, so as depth they’re at least “scheme sound”. (+)
DT: This position is the beating heart of this teams defense, as two of the NFL’s best play side by side, as they did in college. Jonathan Allen posted his annual 60+ tackles and posted 7.5 sacks, as well as a career-high 16 tackles for loss, along with his first interception. Daron Payne earned a new contract buy posting career-highs in tackles (64), tackles for loss (18) and a team-leading 11.5 sacks. He also bagged his first safety. There’s a ton of fight in these two.
Of the reserves John Ridgeway’s 280 snaps (4 starts) far exceeded any other back-up. His number aren’t great, but to his credit, the team was 2-1-1 when he started. That only loss being to San Francisco. Phidarian Mathis was drafted in the second round last year, but in his first game, he tore the meniscus in his knee, and was put on I.R.
Benning Potoa’e (not Potatoe, Mr. Quayle) and David Bada were so good last year, that Washington went out and signed well-traveled Abdullah Anderson, most recently from Atlanta. Anderson finally saw real playing time last year (8 starts) and responded with 40 tackles and a sack. (+)
OLB: Washington is a muddled read here. Last year they had Jon Bostic and Cole Holcomb. Neither is (nor will be) on the roster this season. They added a free agent, and they have a couple of players they could elevate. It remains to be seen which route they’ll take.
Free agent Cody Barton had 136 tackles (5 TFL), 2 sacks and 2 interceptions last year for Seattle. That stat line gives him the inside track on starting, but he’s only signed to a one year deal. Indicating that Washington has someone waiting in the wings. Not exactly an internal vot of confidence for Barton.
Of the three guys who were on the roster last year, no one seems like a favorite to win the job. Khaleke Hudson started 1 game, playing 67 of the 72 snaps he’d play all season. Milo Eifler and Nathan Gerry combined for just 6 defensive snaps all season long. All 6 belonged to Eifler. (-)
MLB/ILB: Jamin Davis can chase and make tackles. Given the line in front of him, you’d expect him to be more of playmaker. David Mayo is just a guy, but he’s been around long enough to know what’s required of a pro, whenever he gets out there. So he’s depth. De’Jon Harris is also on the bench. (+)
S: In just 11 starts Darrick Forrest managed 88 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions. Kamren Curl put up 83 tackles (6 TFL), and 1 sack, but is pickless for a second year in a row. Percy Butler is the third man. It’s not pretty, but it’s stable. (+)
Kendall Fuller being held up by family
CB: Alright. Washington has nine players at this position, but I’m only going to mention six, because the remaining three are hot, roasted trash. Kendall Fuller started every game, grabbed 3 interceptions, deflected 13 passes, and scored twice. But unless you’re a Commanders fan, you’d have to be me to know that. Benjamin St-Juste took over the starting spot in Week 5. While he didn’t make many plays on the ball, he did record 2 sacks. (Not that pass rush is what most seek in a DB.) Danny Johnson also had a sack. And an interception.
Looking to upgrade their secondary, the Commanders ran out and added Cameron Dantzler. Off of waivers. From Minnesota. (-)
In A Nutshell: They’re still solid down the middle, but they’re years behind the division, on the edges. For years Washington has relied on it’s defense to keep them in games, and maintain some semblance of respectability for the franchise. After years of the same coaches, running same system, with more talent going out than coming in, that will all come to an end in 2023. (-)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P: Joey Slye is the Kicker right now, but another season like last year could change that. Actually it’s hard to believe that there isn’t already a second Kicker on the roster. His 25/30 (83.3%) mark only looks worse when you factor in, him being 12/16 from 40+. Even his extra points were an adventure at 24/28 (85.7%).
Where he shined was his 60 touchbacks on 77 kickoffs (77.9%). All season long, opponents only had 15 KO returns in 17 games. That’s helps win the hidden yardage battle and sets the defense for success. (-)
Punting for Washington is Tress Way. Returners felt encouraged to make hay on 34 of his 83 punts (40.9%), but the coverage team gets down there fast enough to preserve 43.0 yards of Way’s 46.8 yard average. (-)
In A Nutshell: There are no clutch performers here, just grinders. This unit is treated like it’s an extension of the defense. It isn’t geared to making a sudden plays. Instead, it makes a creeping difference in games, with regard to field position. It’s a playing not to lose, instead of playing to win. Which shows up in an 8 – 8 – 1 record. (-)
BOTTOM LINE: Barring a couple of miracles in next week’s Draft, this is a 5 or 6 win team for 2023. Which could be great for 2024.
Offensively, letting a 5th round draft pick QB the team is brilliant. He’ll either be a revelation; or he’ll lead them to a top pick in the 2024 Draft. Their best weapon is WR, but with a leaky offensive line and a questionable QB, they may not get a chance to use him like they need to.
Defensively, they’ll just be on the field too much, and wear down in games where their offense can’t keep up. The defense won’t be awful talentwise, but they may end up being statistically awful.
As a team, there just aren’t enough difference makers in any unit. They have a WR, and two DT’s to be concerned about. That’s it. Most everything else is stuff you’d find at a yard sale.
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
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: Chiefs did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) No Clean Releases:All we did, was give them clean releases into their routes across the board. They were running routes unimpeded, like they were in unopposed drills. The Chiefs QB could have thrown the ball just on timing, with his eyes closed. This was an embarrassing display of non-adjustment by the coaching staff. (NOT DONE)
2) Attack their LB’s and NCB: We lived on this in the first half. It lulled the Chiefs to sleep, opening up a nice 45 yard scoring strike to WR A.J. Brown(8 – 6 – 96 – 16.0 – 1). The second half seemed to feature more runs for our QB, which led to points, but seemed to leave most of our weapons a lot less involved. We still made use of the TE and such, but it wasn’t nearly as pronounced later.(DONE)
3) Force their QB Left: We didn’t do this. Instead he mostly went to his right repeatedly, and gutted us for 3 scores, and not one turnover. We let him do what he’s good at, and we let this game become a shootout. Which is the only kind of game they can win.
Our pass rush sacked him all of ZERO times, as we rarely sent five and allowed receivers to roam where they chose.
Some may choose to blame a shitty field surface, but the Chiefs had to play on that field too. Beating us for two touchdowns on a play, run twice, based on quick change of direction. (NOT DONE)
4) Quick Throws Off of Play-action: The Eagles handed the ball off, all of 17 times, to three RB’s. No one had more than 7 carries. The Chiefs simply didn’t buy the play-action and Hurts was the QB who spent most of the day under duress. (NOT DONE)
****
So we end the season on a note of 1 out of theFour Things getting done. The score was only this close because the Chiefs defense was really, really porous.
****
On The Whole:
While everyone else wants to fawn over Hurts three rushing touchdowns, I feel it necessary to bring up how his fumble was the biggest single moment, difference in the game. Those seven points off the board, would have netted him a Lombardi. Instead, there is no guarantee that he ever sees another opportunity.
Though that moment was indeed huge, it wasn’t why we lost.
Defensive coaching is why this game was lost. Or better said, a lack of defensive coaching is what lost this game. I’m on record REPEATEDLY expressing my lack of trust in Defensive CoordinatorJonathon Gannon. I was really hoping that he was going to take a head coaching job, and leave Philly. Sadly, it looks like we’ll still have him next year.
I know some will point out 70 sacks, but I’m pretty sure most DC’s could find success with this much talent. In fact, other DC’s may have found a way to keep the turnovers coming. Given that we likely won’t be able to afford as much talent next season, Gannon may have blown our shot.
WHEN the Eagles last took the field, we knocked two QB’s out of a game, and set a record for rushing touchdowns (39) in a season, breaking a 50 year old record of 36 (not 37 that’s a typo) set by Vince Lombardi’s 1962 Packers. Sorry Vince, Eagles got you again.
In two playoff games, the Eagles have allowed exactly 7 points in both. Both games were blowouts (38 – 7 , and 31 – 7 respectively). This is despite QB Jalen Hurtsstill nursing an injured shoulder, and playing far from his best. Let me type that louder for the people in the back: WE’RE DOMINATING DESPITE PLAYING FAR FROM OUR BEST BALL.
RT Lane Johnson having his way with DE Nick “Forty-Whiner” Bosa
Now as a final hurdle, we get a Chiefs QB with a bum leg, and everyone is waiting for the kid’s next miracle finish. What’s hilarious is that no one seems to understand that he’s going to spend the night running for his life, and fucking up because of it.
Seriously, he was sacked 3 times in his last game, by a Bengals team that managed 30 sacks all season long. That Bengals pass rush was the 4th worst in the NFL! And now they get to face the Eagles?! This isn’t sheep being fed to lions. This is Apollo being fed to Drago. This game may get very sad before it’s over.
Game wrecking OLB Haason Reddick racks up yet another forced fumble
A win makes us the champs. It means the mission was completed. It means a bunch of our guys will deserve to ask for a little bit more at the bargaining table. It means that us picking 10th overall in the upcoming draft, is a vulgar display of power, and fistful of dirt and salt in the wound of EVERY team that picks after us.
A loss still says we got the formula right, but couldn’t quite ring the bell. What’s FUNNY is that since this is two #1 seeds, with identical records, a loss couldn’t be classified as a “choke”. So that bullet is already dodged. Still, let’s just go win the game. GO BIRDS!
****
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: Chiefs
1) No Clean Releases: No one is saying that OLB Kyzir White and NCB Avonte Maddox have to play tight Man Coverage, but the Chiefs are accustomed to free releases into their pass routes. This leads to their passing game running like open drills. Stop that. Get hands on them for a second or two.
Let’s get their passing game to run just a couple seconds off-schedule. That’s all we need. That gives our pass rush time to get more pressure. Also if we can get their QB routinely improvising, it minimizes the detailed planning of Head Coach Andy Reid, and their likelihood for making mistakes goes waaay up. So take away those free releases. Especially for their TE.
2) Attack their LB’s and NCB: Their second level isn’t very instinctive. In an effort not to waste steps, they tend to watch a lot of football, before firing into the play. So let’s pick on that weakness. They’re already going to be struggling with our RPO game, so we won’t need to make them do anything they aren’t already doing.
TE Dallas Goedert scoring on KC in 2021
So if their second level is going to be frozen in space, TE Dallas Goedertshould romp and frolic, finding open spaces 10, 11, 12 yards down. (No need to rely on Screens and risk illegal man downfield penalties!) This will keep the pocket loose for RB Miles Sanders to run, and not tax Hurts shoulder too much.
3) Force Their QB Left: While the Chiefs QB has displayed ambidextrous ability as a passer, he’s at his best as a right-handed QB. All of his muscle memory, processes, and mechanics are for his right hand. Forcing him left, also means that he can’t step into his passes. So they won’t arrive as accurate, nor as fast, as his receivers are used to. (See how this all adds up?)
If the routes unfold slower, and he has to read more, while moving unnaturally, we’d already be keeping him from being the best version of himself. All of which is subtle. The more subtle it is, the harder it is to diagnose, so it goes on longer before it’s fixed. While they look for ways to protect his leg, let’s attack his habits instead.
4) Quick Throws Off Play-action: EAGLES FANS! Remember how when Andy was the coach here, our LB’s were employed more as clean-up guys, and almost never got to dictate the action? Well the same thing is happening to the Chiefs LB’s under Andy and DC Steve Spagnulo. That “bend but don’t break” bullshit that we all hated.
QB Jalen Hurts wins the motherfucker.
Eyes not instincts, are what their LB’s rely on, and they do so heavily. Trying not to finish behind our run game, is going to lead those guys into leaving gaping holes underneath. The only reason why they wouldn’t, is if the Chiefs are hanging back and letting us run the ball. Which would be wonderful! Hand-offs > Passes.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Let me talk about our opponent first. In 17 games, they allowed 20 points 12 times. At no point did they hold a team to a single digit score. They’re a team that scores a lot, because they have to. This is despite playing in a poor division, vs anemic pass rushes. That team is nowhere near as good as it’s advertised, which is why they frequently require miraculous last minute plays, and stunning overtime wins (2).
Top to bottom the Eagles are the better team. In just 8 games did we allowed 20 points, with 4 games holding opponents to 8 points or fewer. Two of which were playoff opponents! Our division featured three playoff teams, and none of our wins were in overtime. Guess which team had more blowouts (wins by a 20 point margin). Go ahead. I’ll wait…
We don’t rely on smoke and mirrors. We’re physical. We’re methodical. We don’t generally beat ourselves. For our opponents to get a win, it requires lots of help from us…
And I don’t see the Chiefs getting much help from us on Sunday.
One more game, folks. GO BIRDS
****
Prediction:EAGLES 28 – Chiefs 21
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, you are 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.
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
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: 49ers did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Set Hard Edges: Set the edges and don’t fall for the misdirection stuff they like to do. The idea was not to shutdown the run, just make it unreliable. The idea was to make them one dimensional, and force them to pass. The result was that we held them to 71 rushing yards on 24 carries (2.9ypc). So the run game was unreliable. We also made them one dimensional. Forcing them to pass…not so much. Still, this one is easy to mark as accomplished. (DONE)
After Haason chopped, it wasn’t Purdy.
2) Pick Purdy: Once we took away the run game, we were supposed to force Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy (4/4 – 100.0% – 23 – 0 – 0) to beat us. But we knocked him out of the game pretty early, with an elbow injury that rendered him basically unable to throw. Then we knocked his back-up out of the game, forcing Purdy who was unable to throw, back into the game.
DT Ndaukong Suh knocks QB Josh Johnson out of the game
With them being unable to throw at all, all Purdy could do was hand it off, into the teeth of our predatory Defense. It was like feeding sheep to lions. I almost felt bad for them. Then I remembered them dressing the Rocky statue, and Jesus said “Fuck them dudes.”(DONE)
3) Run the Ball: We didn’t shatter any yardage records but we had an effective day on the ground (42 – 150 – 3.5 – 4 – 0) Gainwell once again led the team in yardage, but once again RB Miles Sanders (11 – 42 – 3.8 – 2 – 0) was were the load was really carried. Sanders was the early hammer, with Gainwell and Boston Scott (6 – 21 – 3.5 – 1 – 0) helping to salt the game away.
RB Miles Sanders hits paydirt. (Maybe literally.)
With drives of 13, 20,16, and 9 yards, our running gave our Defense time to catch their breath. As a result they were able to attack with reckless abandon. Much of this win has to be attributed to our ability to hold the ball for 37 minutes vs the 49ers 22. (DONE)
4) Throw It Deep: There were a few attempts over 20 yards, but the only one that went for yardage (the 29 yarder to Smith) wasn’t really a catch. Otherwise, Hurts was out of sync and very off target in this one. I suspected that the coaching staff had him on a pitch count last week. This week confirmed it.
The coaching staff was trying to protect Hurts still tender throwing shoulder. We were able to get away with it this week. (NOT DONE)
****
This week we did3 of the Four Things, and the resulting blowout punched our ticket to Super Bowl LVII (57 for Millennials). There we’ll meet up with Head Coach Andy Reid(after a Bye) and QB Patrick Mahomes.
****
On The Whole:
All week long, people talked like this game was evenly matched. I said plainly that it wasn’t. If this game were a boxing match, they’d have thrown the towel after we bounced Mr. Irrelevant’s back-up from the game. All the talk was about how physical the game would be. How good the 49er defense was. How well that QB with respectable mobility, manages his offense.
Folks! We’d already played and won this game. Remember? Week 13, it ended 35 – 10 vs the Tennessee Titans. We played that one at home too. (And it also featured knocking a player out of the game.)
RT Lane Johnson held DE Nick Bosa to 4 tackles and nothing else.
Like the Titans, we found that the 49ers don’t take punches as well as they throw them. Once they became frustrated, they just mentally unraveled out there. They committed personal foul penalties like they were part of their game plan. As I said in Four Things, they got fat off of teams that harm themselves. We aren’t that team.
ABSOLUTE domination from start to finish last week. The national media spent last week hyping a hollow giants team, and we beat the numbers off their jerseys. This week’s opponent has grown fat off of teams that specialize in hurting themselves. This week they have the wrong opponent. In the wrong house. In front of the wrong crowd.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is going to show what it means to lead a team to victory, instead of just being along for the ride. Which is what’s happening on the 49ers sideline. I mean, could you imagine hyping a QB for playing like the best version of Daniel Jones?
The national media isn’t saying “Look at him make jaw-dropping play after play!” They’re saying “Oh look at how he doesn’t make huge mistakes!”Well, OLB Haason Reddick, DT Javon Hargrave, SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, CBDarius Slay, and others, are about to put that kid to the test. Context is on the way!
A win punches our ticket to Super Bowl LVII. While I cannot guarantee a win like I did last week, the odds of winning are HEAVILY in our favor. We are all but inevitable.
A loss cannot be entirely ruled out here. The chance exists that we don’t pull this one. Having acknowledged it however, the chance is pretty damned small.
****
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: 49ers
DT Fletcher Cox, is on the hunt
1) Set Hard Edges: The 9ers are a run-based offense that uses lots of misdirection to open holes. Stay disciplined, and don’t fall for the eye-candy. With the way they like to goof around in the backfield, if we don’t fall for the smoke and mirrors, their ball carrier is liable to run smack into a defender.
Have DE’s Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat establish hard boundaries on the ends of the offensive line, to either bottle runs up inside, or force them far outside where there’s no blocking. Understand, the idea isn’t to “shutdown” their run. (They’re too good for that.) The idea is to just make it unreliable, and destabilize their offense.
2) Pick Purdy:You’ve heard the expression “Pick your poison”. Here we should pick their rookie QB. Yep! Just force them to beat us with a seventh round, rookie QB, making his eighth start, on the road, in one of sport’s most hostile environments. Oh, I promised you context.
This kid’s wins? A bad Tampa Bay with no offensive line; Seattle’s 26th ranked defense; The Commanders; The Raiders 28th ranked defense; Arizona playing their 3rd string QB; Wild Card Seattle on the road; and Dallas last week. THIS is what all the hype has been about! So if I’m picking my poison, I’m picking that Purdy lil’ QB.
3) Run The Ball:Usually I mean hand-offs when I say this, but against this opponent, I mean anybody. While RB Miles Sanders should be our hammer early, RB’s Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott should each see at least 6 carries apiece, mostly in the second half.
Also, the 9ers defense is smallish upfront. The DE playing across from 365 pound LT Jordan Mailata, is only about 245. They don’t have a LB over 230. We need to physically wear them down, and then wear them out. It also bears mentioning that all four of their losses came against mobile QB’s. (Note: They didn’t face QB Kyler Murray at all this season.)
4) Throw It Deep: Do not allow their defense to dictate our attack. Two of their three CB’s are decidedly overrated. They all do a great job of taking away the quick stuff, but downfield, the Wards can be had.
They play a lot of Cover Three, but we should be able to short circuit that, with WR Quez Watkinsworking deep in the Slot. Even if they’re just dummy routes to hold the FS. With enough protection that’s a one-on-one down either sideline.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
There are a ton of surface indicators which make this game seem a lot more even, than it truly is. What people seem to be (deliberately) looking past, is context. As you know, I never look past context. Context is what makes facts come alive!
At times this season, when the kid has gotten into trouble, their coach has protected him by getting the ball out of his hands with either quick passes, or more running plays. If we take those away, he has to play big boy QB, which puts him right in DT Fletcher Cox’s cross-hairs.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 24 –49ers 15
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, you are 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.
RB Kenneth Gainwell rips off 35 yard touchdown run on a day where he was also a giant killer
TOLD you we wouldn’t lose.
EAGLES 38 – giants 7
EAGLES STATS:
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
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: GIANTS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Feed Miles Sanders: Early on the Eagles made a point of feeding RB Miles Sanders (17 – 90 – 5.2 – 0 – 0), who led the team in carries. It wasn’t until the 4th drive that Philadelphia began using Sanders to impose our will on New York, but once we did, a tone was set, and then the volume was cranked way up.
We ran for 268 yards on those scrubs. Kenneth Gainwell led the team with 112 yards, but RB Boston Scott(6 – 32 – 5.3 – 1 – 0) also chipped in. Our run game allowed us to control the clock for 35:43 of the 60 minute contest. As a result our defense was well rested, and able to play fast and relentless. We used one side of the ball to enhance another. Excellent! (DONE)
2) Time for the Kerrigan Plan:Getting the ball to TE Dallas Goedert(5 – 5 – 58 – 11.6 – 1) worked like a charm! We were able to get it to him at will. Though we surely left some money on the table, the run game was too efficient to turn away from.
In the meantime, covering Goedert popped the giants defense open like a steamed clam. Since the run game kept chewing up real estate, there was no need to overdo things. That said, next week’s opponent won’t be getting much sleep this week.(DONE)
3) Set those edges HARD: We were a lot better about this in the middle of the game. We started slow and finished slow with this, but we did enough to make their run game unreliable, which was the entire point. (DONE)
4) You Shall Not Pass:Show everyone EXACTLY who QB Daniel Jones (15/27 – 55.5% – 135 – 0 – 1) really is. For weeks now, we’ve been hearing how awesome this awful QB is. The idea was to take away the run (CHECK!), put the game on his shoulders (CHECK!), and see just how great this overblown bust really is.
OLB Haason Reddick chops down QB Daniel Jones
We spent the game harassing him, and sacking him 5 times. He was not up to the pressure of the moment, and in no way resembled the QB who tore into a fraudulent Vikings team last week. See his numbers? See that final score?(DONE)
****
This week we hit ALL FOUR THINGS, and how! Next week some other poor sucker has to make the trip to Philadelphia for the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, just to be put on a plane, and sent home to clean out their lockers. No clue who they’ll be, but with any luck it’ll be San Francisco.
****
On The Whole:
This game was worse than the 48 – 22 blowout from a few weeks ago. Not only was the point margin larger, but we dominated across the board. Anyone in the giants organization who doesn’t now see that the giants are years behind the Eagles, doesn’t have an opinion worth listening to.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 