Coaching

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 2: RAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/09/20
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

HOW do we fix this?

Eagles 19 – Rams 37

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Carson Wentz: (26/43 – 60.4% – 242 – 0 – 2)

(S) RB Miles Sanders: (20 – 95 – 4.7 – 1 – 1)

(S) WR DeSean Jackson: (9 – 6 – 64 – 10.6 – 0)

(S) DE Brandon Graham: (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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: RAMS did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Run the football: I said 24 handoffs at least in this game, and 24 handoffs is exactly what was delivered. As a result, Wentz was sacked exactly none times this week. He also wasn’t holding the ball long, which sort of neutered all the speed we added in the offseason. (DONE)

2) Play more man coverage: We played loose man coverage, and took away the Screen game. However, we also let receivers to uncover far too quickly, allowing the Rams QB to hit on all of his first 13 pass attempts. In fact, the Rams had 21 points on the board before a single pass was contested, as the ball was delivered from clean pocket after clean pocket. We played “man”, but there was no “coverage”. (NOT DONE)

3) Get outside and play: In the 3rd quarter, Wentz hit TE Zach Ertz (7 – 5 – 42 – 8.4 – 0) on a play-action roll-out to his left, but it was the only one not born from pressure. It’s as if the coaching staff feels that they no longer have to be creative or unpredictable, now that we have more speed on the roster. FYI: We have yet to make that speed dangerous to anyone besides our own expectations. (NOT DONE)

4) Capitalize on their punting: What punting? On ten drives, the Rams scored 5 touchdowns, 1 field goal, had 2 punts, 1 drive ended by half-time, and 1 drive ended by the game expiring. We can’t stop anybody or generate turnovers. The one turnover we had today, was generated by our Special Teams. Our Defense is trash. And no I didn’t stutter. (NOT DONE)

This week we did 1 out of 4 things, (3 of 8 on the season), which is how you get keistered by almost 20 points. We were almost blown out. At home! In front of our cut-outs!

There is a metric fuck-ton to fix, in order to avoid going 0 – 3 vs Cincinnati next week.

On The Whole:

I know many fans are going to want to put this on Wentz, because he didn’t throw a touchdown, while throwing two interceptions. Fine. Go ahead. I won’t argue with that crowd.

FOR THE REST OF YOU: I’m far more concerned with our inability to stop anybody, or even seem to slow them down much. On those eight drives not ended by the Rams just LETTING time expire, they scored six times. Five of those six scores were touchdowns.

In two weeks, this Defense has also generated zero turnovers, and hasn’t even been close to doing so. Next week we face an 0 – 2 rookie QB, and run game that is sputtering. If we can’t stop that team from putting up 21, then it will be time to seriously evaluate the Defense from the top down.

This season is far from over. The two division leaders are both sloppy 1 – 1 teams. So the NFC East is by no means out of reach, or even starting to slip away. That said, we need to put up a “W”, quick, fast and in a hurry. The fastest way to do that, will be finding a way to stop opponents from scoring at will.

FOUR THINGS: WK 2: EAGLES – RAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/09/17
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LAST week we absolutely shat the bed! Instead of complaining about that, I’m focusing on the upcoming game. Please. Step into Week Two with me.

Lost in all of last week’s wreckage, was the fact that the Eagles showed an ability to start fast. Given that this week’s opponent still looks like their slow-starting 2019 edition, there’s a definite advantage to be had. If we jump on it.

The return of RB Miles Sanders with his knack for running routes and snagging passes, also gives us a decisive edge over the Rams Linebackers. In fact, the 3-4 scheme that they run, is similar to the system that Washington just abandoned. (After we swept it for three straight years.)

There are no rivals playing each other this week. That means (in the most extreme cases), we could all win, or we could all lose. A win over the Rams gets everyone realizing that our loss last week, was a fluke. A loss doesn’t bury us, but it could give teams the impression that we’re past our prime. That’s not a stink we want on us.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: 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 FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Rams:

1) Run the football: At least 22 handoffs to RBs, have to happen. This line cannot pass protect for intermediate and deep routes, without threat of a run. Last week’s play selection (71% passing plays), will not get the job done. If we get off to a fast start again, the run game will help us sustain what we’ve built. Even if all it does is slow down pass rush on early downs.

2) Play more man coverage: The Rams like to employ WR Screens. Those are hard plays to execute with a CB shadow. It doesn’t have to be press coverage, but when the ball is in the air, the CB has to be ready to make the tackle (not hit) for a loss. Send the message early, that they have to throw away a large section of their playbook.

3) Get outside and play: Sprinkle in some play-action bootlegs with QB Carson Wentz, to open up quick underneath routes.

Instead of complaining about him not giving up on a play, why not give him options to salvage that play? Seriously. Why waste downs? The object of a drive isn’t to avoid a mistake, it’s to make enough plays to score points. QB Nate Sudfeld didn’t throw a single interception last week. Did it help? Nope. Not at all. This week, the coaching staff needs to help Carson make plays.

4) Capitalize on their punting: We need punts to come out fast and flat, or short and high. Either the ball needs to reach our PR before the coverage can get there, or it basically needs to be shanked. In either case, Special Teams would be back to being a contributing factor, and not just a daycare for back-up players.

If we do all these things we should win, with a score looking like…

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Rams 17

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK1 : FOOTBALL TEAM

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/09/14
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

EIGHT sacks allowed.

Eagles 17 – Football Team 27 

EAGLES LEADERS:

QB (S) Carson Wentz: (24/42– 57.1% – 270 – 2 – 2)

RB (S) Boston Scott: (9 – 35 – 3.8 – 0 – 0)

TE (S) Dallas Goedert: (9 – 8 – 101 – 12.6 – 1)

DE (B) Josh Sweat: (3 – 1.0 – 0 – 1)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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: Football Team did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Run the football: We handed the ball off just 16 times today. Compared with 42 passing attempts, and 1 QB sneak. Play-calling like that (71.1% pass) will get a defense not respecting the run, and teeing off on our QB to the tune of 8 sacks. Especially against a makeshift Offensive Line that took on more injuries during the game. No attempt at establishing a rhythm on the ground was ever attempted. (NOT DONE)

2) Blitz off our right: There were a couple of these after the half, but most of the game was spent with no pressure or contain on our right side. This is particularly damning given the absence of DE Derek Barnett, and the subsequent injury to DE Vinny Curry (1 – 0.5 – 0 – 0). No attempt to shore up that side was ever made. (NOT DONE)

2020DallasGoedert

TE Dallas Goedert hits paydirt on a 34 yard strike from QB Carson Wentz.

3) Throw aggressively: This was done to the point of foolishness. There were some very nice downfield throws and reads. However, when it became apparent that Wentz wouldn’t have the time to stand in the pocket, shorter routes for the WR’s were not called. (DONE)

4) Make tackles: There were some misses, but nothing egregious, or atypical of standard football. For the most part the Eagles defenders reliably wrapped up what was in front of them. Nobody got put on a poster today. (DONE)

That makes this weeks Four Things score, 2 of 4, and puts us at 2 of 4 on the year. These were easy marks to hit. The fact that we were on 50/50 on them, indicates that somebody (Head Coach Doug Pederson) was being cute today.
Here’s hoping we get some of this stuff ironed out by next week when we face the  1 – 0 Rams. The killers of Cowboys.

On The Whole:

I’m not going to harp on injuries, or use them as an excuse. We’ve been dealing with those for years. We’ve been saying “Next man up” for years. As fans, we’ve been crowing the words “Despite injuries…” for years. So we don’t get to hide behind them now. If a man is paid, he should be able to do his job.

I’m on record as saying that Boston Scott is more of a Screen guy and less of a legit RB. That showed today when he did get carries. When a defender meets him, the play is over. If RB Miles Sanders misses anymore time, we need a better response than Boston Scott.

Eagles WR’s barely showed up today. Part of it was a lack of protection. Part of it was just rookies being rookies (8 targets, 2 completions). Detail stuff like, not coming back to the ball on Curl routes. Nothing to panic over. It’s why you call a rookie a rookie. This was their first NFL experience vs. guys not on their team. Understanding how to leverage a teammate that you see everyday in camp, is different than leveraging guys you’ve never seen. This will get fixed.

The O-Line is a nightmare. On Tuesday I had no idea that RT Lane Johnson would miss this game. For some reason C Jason Kelce was a game-time decision. No one on the right side of our line had ever started an NFL game. You cannot dangle a Franchise QB, on 42 pass attempts, behind a duct taped O-Line IN WEEK ONE! Unless you’re trying to kill him, or get him injured.

Defensively we seemed to pick up where we left off:

Too much room with the cushions.

Too much Nickel.

An unwillingness to blitz.

An inability to generate turnovers.

Our Defensive Line can never reach it’s full potential, if the Secondary keeps allowing receivers to uncover quickly.

There is a great deal that needs addressing this week. Injuries be damned.

FOUR THINGS: WK 1: EAGLES – FOOTBALL TEAM

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/09/10
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, free agents, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

EAGLES vs “Football Team”. My god. How does Washington not see how stupid that looks?

The 2020 season sees last year’s Division Champs, your Philadelphia Eagles, return with a bigger, beefier QB Carson Wentz. Back comes DT Malik Jackson. Added was NT Javon Hargrave. Now DT Fletcher Cox will see more one-on-one blocking. The same Fletcher Cox who beats double-teams! We added the power to control offenses.

Then we realized that we needed speed. Speed was our need. Greasy, fast speed!

So we added it. WR DeSean Jackson returns! Instead of making him our only source of speed, the Eagles also added WR Marquis Goodwin. Then WR John Hightower. Then WR Quez Watkins. Goodwin opted out of 2020, due to Covid-19 concerns. That leaves us with “only” three players who can blow the lid off of the defense, this Sunday.

A badly wounded Eagles team won the division in 2019. Then we lost in the first round of the playoffs. That made the team angry. And hungry. So they spent the offseason, sharpening, honing,  their edge so fine, that you can hear a breeze splitting against it. If the Eagles could defend in 2019, they can hunt in 2020.

Win the division and we’re in the playoffs. No nonsense about being the 7th team, or getting help to qualify. Win and we’re in. Beating 2020 means winning the division. So that’s the mission: Beat 2020.

The first Adam’s Apple that even now, trickles blood at the point of our sword? Washington.

Settle your affairs Washington! The Eagles are coming.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: 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 FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the (ahem) “Football Team” :

1) Run the football: That means at least 24 handoffs this week. Washington’s defense is sporting a new scheme. That’s true. Still, their interior is the same guys that our Offensive Line has physically been pushing around for years now. This year however, they’re smaller at DE and OLB. That won’t fare well vs our 2-TE sets. Especially if we don’t give them a strong-side to read easily. I guess they could always walk the SS into the box. Right, DeSean?

2) Blitz off our right: The loss of LT Trent Williams was massive. So Washington is attempting to plug the hole with OT Geron Christian Sr. Yes, Senior. He’s just 24 years old, and he’s already listing himself as “Senior”. I suppose it’s so he isn’t mistaken for his 3 year old son. In any case, he’s basically Halapoulivaati Vaitai, in a Redsk- Football Tea- (Lord, give me strength), Washington jersey. Overload his side. Confuse him. Force their RB to give blitz help on the edge, and take away one more receiving option. Let’s get their QB holding that ball a little bit longer. 

3) Throw aggressively: SS Landon Collins is one hell of an ILB. Too bad that’s not what they signed him to play. That has led to one the most flammable secondaries you’ve ever seen.The funniest part was this offseason, when they gave CB Ronald Darby a boatload of money to pretend he’s hurt after blowing some more coverage assignments. This couldn’t be happening to a better team, and I mean that sincerely. A better team wouldn’t pay him. Get that ball down the field, Carson!

4) Make tackles: Seems like a silly thing to say, but winning has a great deal to do with confidence. Start out by doing things right, and the confidence will bloom. Not just that, but missed tackles might make Washington’s suck-ass players feel like they have a chance. Take a chainsaw to that shit while it’s still in the cradle. Make those tackles.

If we do all these things we should win, with a score looking like…

PREDICTION: EAGLES 34 – Red- (Ughhhh! Fuck it!) Redskins 17

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

GAMBLING AT LEFT TACKLE.

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/31
Posted in: Coaching, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

jason-peters-jordan-mailata

FOR anyone who doesn’t know this already, the LT position is the premier offensive line assignment, in football. That position is the one which protects the QB’s blindside. It’s not one that smart teams gamble with. Let me ask you: Are you okay with gambling on protecting QB Carson Wentz’s blindside?

Jason Peters was brought in after RG Brandon Brooks was lost with an Achilles tear. Peters was asked to play RG and given a 1.8M$ deal. Fans were excited. Partly because we figured that if something happened to LT Andre Dillard, or if Dillard didn’t pan out, we could always move Peters back out to LT.

Well something did happen to Dillard, and now people are acting confused over how we should deal with it. Whom shall we put out at LT? How do we protect our Franchise QB? If only we had a Hall Of Fame, perennial All-Pro caliber player, nicknamed “The Bodyguard”. This is the easiest decision to make since “and now another breath”, but here we are over-thinking it.

Some fans figure that perhaps OL Matt Pryor can take over at LT. Or even OL Jordan Mailata. No disrespect, but Pryor has played almost exclusively at RG, for a career grand total of 79 downs. Both times were in relief of Brooks. Mailata has yet to play a single down in the regular season. Again, are you okay with gambling on protecting Carson Wentz’s blindside?

LT is not a position to trifle with, and big time talent, costs big time money. In fact, if you look across the NFL, you’ll find that the highest paid offensive lineman on most teams, is generally the starting LT. Which brings me to another point.

There are fans and sportswriters irritated that Peters wants more money to move back to LT. Let’s clear this up immediately: Peters SHOULD ask for more money. The market value of a G is significantly lower than a LT. Moreover, based on their understanding of the market, the Eagles Front Office should have had the class to offer a re-worked deal, when they came to ask him to switch positions.

Look at the market for starting LT’s. None of us working stiffs will make NFL money in 2020, but we all understand the value of not allowing our employers to underpay us for good work. Look at this through that lens.

Here in 2020, the average NFL team pays out 10.3M$ on it’s LT position, as shown here. So far in 2020, the Eagles (counting Dillard) are spending 3.77M$. TOTAL. The only teams less invested at the LT position, are Jacksonville (3.72M), then Washington (2.68M), and then the giants (1.56M). Is this the kind of company we should be keeping? Is this who the Eagles are now?

The cap space is available in terms of the 21M$ that we want to roll-over into 2021’s salary cap situation. Upping Peters deal an additional 6 or 7M$ cuts into that, but again: Are you okay with gambling on protecting Carson Wentz’s blindside? That’s the issue here.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK #42: JETS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/30
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Fans, Four Things, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Still not sure if this was a game, or assault and battery.

Eagles 63 – Jets 23

EAGLES LEADERS:

Carson Wentz: (32/39 – 82.0% – 544 – 5 – 1)

Miles Sanders: (31 – 181 – 5.8 – 2 – 0)

DeSean Jackson: (8 – 5 – 167 – 33.4 – 3)

Brandon Graham: (4 – 3.0 – 0 – 1)

Jets Coach Adam Gase. That moment when the Ex-Lax hits during your press conference.

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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, in order to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: JETS did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) No biting: Upon being flagged for delay of game, Wentz tore off his helmet, and ran right at the referee. But he didn’t bite him! So we’re making progress there. Carson’s new training regiment has made him a ton more aggressive, but he’s learning to manage it now. That being said, RT Lane Johnson bit a LB, and K Jake Elliott bit a hot dog vendor. So, it’s happening less… (NOT DONE)

2) Eliminate penalties: Unlike last week’s 6 penalties, this week had only 1 penalty. Head Coach Doug Pederson stayed fully dressed, and saved his taunting for the post-game handshake. At which point he yelled “Open neck, no respect!” and smacked Jets coach Adam Gase in the back of his head. It was hard enough to make Gase choke on his chewing gum. Luckily, LT Jason Peters’s fingers were long enough to dig the gum out of Gase’s airway. Vomit was everywhere. (DONE)

3) Fewer points allowed: The Eagles gave the Jets a pre-game, 20 – 0 lead, which was erased by the end of the first quarter. (NOT DONE)

4) Use the scoreboard: Yet again DT Fletcher Cox was invited into the home of a rival coach, by their wife. Cox said that nothing happened though, because Gase’s wife “looks an evil potato that learned how to smile”. Still, seeing it on the big screen was enough to unnerve coach Gase, and provide us an advantage. (DONE)

That makes this week’s FT score a “Meh” 2 out of 4. Which brings the season total to uhhh…This far in, I’m no longer even counting. Tune in next week, when the Eagles harass and heckle yet another team into playing a game. Maybe the Ravens again? I’m hoping for the Ravens.

On The Whole:

This one got out of hand quickly. Easily the highlight of the day was Carson Wentz lining up at weakside LB, and sacking QB Sam Darnold. The sack celebration got a little weird, when Carson grabbed Darnold by the collar, and started shouting that Darnold had “no right” to red hair.

Upon releasing Darnold, Carson went to the sideline, while repeatedly shouting German curse words. Not curse words in German, but the literal words “German curse words”. Weightlifting is making that guy scary.

By the half it was 34 – 23, and the Eagles began letting their fans take snaps here and there. The halftime show involved Earl Thomas and his brother counting out quarters to “go halves” on a hooker. Did you notice my 7 yard run in the third quarter? 

I cannot wait to see what the next game brings us.

RANDOM THROW-IN: December 2, 2012. This is one of the TWO games he ever played in.

FOUR THINGS: WK #42: EAGLES – JETS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/28
Posted in: Coaching, Crazy Talk, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

THE WIN STREAK CONTINUES!!! After having won the Super Bowl 21 weeks ago, the Eagles chose not to end the season, and keep going from city to city, pounding on doors and picking fights GAMES, against other franchises. After having played every team in the league already, this week we’re trying to instigate a second game against the Jets.

Last week’s 60 – 26 squeaker over the Falcons, allowed the Eagles to give some of our fans a chance to takes a few snaps. QB Carson Wentz continues to riddle secondaries with touchdowns, in between jugs of Muscle Milk and weightlifting on the sideline. The Jets utter inability to stop the run will be handily exploited this week, with RB Miles Sanders running behind recently converted FB Jordan Mailata.

No longer playing for the Lombardi. (Got it). Not really playing for the money. (More is already on the way.) These Eagles are playing for pride. Specifically to take someone else’s away. When they finally lose a game, the team has promised to shut it down. Until then…

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: 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 FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Jets :

1) No biting: Let’s not have another Denver Incident. (Hey Carson, everyone knows you have his ear. We saw you take it. It’s on video tape. Video tape! Just give it back, and we can finally say that our National Nightmare has come to an end.

2) Eliminate penalties: We don’t need a repeat of Head Coach Doug Pederson being flagged for semi-naked taunting. (As he was several times last week.)

3) Fewer points allowed: Please stop spotting teams 20 points before kickoff. If the game hasn’t started, there shouldn’t be a score. Much less a score of 0 – 20. It just looks weird. Please stop doing this.

4) Use the scoreboard: Video of DT Fletcher Cox being invited into the homes of opposing coaches (by their wives), always seems to make it hard for opponents to focus on a strategy, or make adjustments. Keep doing this.

If we do all these things we should win, with a score looking like…

PREDICTION: EAGLES 84 – Jets 6

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

DOUG BACKED ME UP.

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/23
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, playoffs, poll, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

BACK in June, I said that Nate Sudfeld would be our back-up QB for 2020, and rookie Jalen Hurts wouldn’t challenge for that spot. Actually, to quote myself verbatim, what I said was:

“if Wentz goes down, Sudfeld is our only QB who is well versed in the Offense. If Wentz goes down for the year (knock wood), and we’re already out of the playoff picture, sure, start Hurts. If we’re still in the playoff hunt however, Sudfeld has to be the guy. He has to be.”

Again, I said that back in June. So of course, when Head Coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday that “Nate is our No. 2, and obviously Jalen is still learning”, it felt like Doug put an official stamp on my statement. Yet people still want to have the debate about whether or not Hurts should be our back-up. Fine. Let’s do it.

Let me be clear about this first. I’m counting on QB Carson Wentz starting 14 regular season games, and winning in the playoffs this year. So for me, this is a moot discussion. It’s just an exercise in debate for debate’s sake. BUT, since we are talking about the #2 spot, we have to start the discussion from a point of Wentz being out again. So folks…

The Eagles will be a projected 84 – 87M$ over the salary cap in 2021. That means names like DT Fletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham, TE Zach Ertz, WR Alshon Jeffery, WR DeSean Jackson, and G Brandon Brooks, could all be potential trade candidates to help clear cap space. Not all, but any three or four of them, could be traded for chicken feed, just to get a team to take their contract.

Would you waste what may be their last season, as well as the possible swan songs of G Jason Peters, C Jason Kelce, and DE Vinny Curry, just to develop a kid that will still be Wentz’s back-up in 2021? Or would you rather we try to ride this roster to one more deep playoff run?

While it’s not impossible to win a SB with a rookie QB, it’s also never been done. So if you picked the deep playoff run, then you’re picking Sudfeld. And you’re bullshitting yourself, to tell yourself anything else.

This time next year, we’ll be having a stupid debate over whether Hurts should be the starter. (The local media will see to that.) So obviously I’m sure that Hurts is the #2 next season. Sudfeld’s deal is one year, his body of work is unimpressive, and Hurts has gifts that cannot be ignored. So the handwriting is clearly on the wall, regarding next year’s pecking order.

That being said, do not be surprised to see Sudfeld back in 2021. Most teams have a starter, we could use the depth, and he knows it here. And it’s not like he’ll get a better shake elsewhere. He lacks the resume for that. Especially if Wentz stays healthy and Sudfeld doesn’t play in 2020.

 

 

 

 

STUPID FOOTBALL TEAM AWARD

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/19
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

ENVELOPE please. The award for the 2020 Stupid Football Team of the Year goes to…the Football Team! Hey Coach Ron Rivera, could we get a statement from you?

You know how other bad teams realize that they’re a shit-show, fire everyone, and start to rebuild? They get a new President of Football operations. Then that President and the Owner either hire a General Manager, or a Head Coach who doubles as the GM. In cases where a GM is separate, they help hire the new Head Coach. From there they assemble the roster. Often taking a swing at drafting a Franchise QB.

The 2020 Redskins said to their fan base: “Hold my beer and watch this.”

The Redskins exited 2018 with a 7 – 9 record, and knowing that head coach Jay Gruden was on the hot seat. So of course, in the 2019 Draft, they selected QB Dwayne Haskins seventh overall. Now that he had a rookie to groom and grow, Gruden found job securit- He was fired before the 2019 season came to a close. Haskins didn’t win Rookie of the Year.

Enter former Carolina Panther head coach, Ron Rivera. Rivera is a defensive coach, but he’ll get the young QB on the right track. All Haskins needed was a sense of stabili- Say whaaa? Rivera did what now? His first move was to bring in his back-up QB from the Panthers?

Damn. I mean, I get it. But damn. That was some cold-blooded shit, right there.

So, top ten drafted QB? CHECK! New head coach who doesn’t give a fuck about the prior regime’s draft pick? CHECK! So what else did the Football Team need? What else should they add just one month before this weird Covid-addled season kicks off?

How about a new team President? AWESOME!

And you know what? He needs to be Black. To prove that the Redskins, sorry, the “Football Team”, isn’t racist. And make him frightfully young for the position, at just 38! And woefully inexperienced, having never even been any sort of NFL executive! Now start him immediately, in a situation where he can’t put his stamp on the team, because kickoff is in 3, 2…

You realize that when President Jason Wright fails (and he will), no one will cut him any slack because he was the president when the season started. Besides, NFL fans don’t generally consider context. So when this minority hire bombs, folks will say “Well, they did give one a chance…” Even though nothing of the sort ever happened. He never had a chance.

The Redskins totally built this thing inside out, upside down, and backwards. It’s the most stupid thing ever done by a football team, or by a football team named Football Team. Pretty strong statement given that we all remember the Cleveland Browns.

JASON AVANT IS AN EAGLE AGAIN

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/07/30
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

player-jasonavant550px.arrowheadaddict

JASON Avant working with the Eagles WR’s feels like an investment in Karma. It’s bringing him home to an Eagles franchise that he’s never strayed far from. Even when he played in Kansas City. Under head coach Andy Reid. (See what I mean?)

Avant was always a bit of a coach/mentor. Even as a player, he was one of a handful of players that young guys innately felt that they could talk to, and ask questions of. And why not? He carried an air of professionalism and credibility. While those things never jump out at you, over a period of time they build a level of gravitas that attracts people to you.

Never one that could be mistaken for a deep threat, Avant was known for running great routes and having even greater hands. Other sportswriters will tell you that his career was built on ‘precision’, but let me explain what that word actually means in relation to football. It means his career was about study, discipline, repetition, and habits.

avant catch.jpg

If you liked Odell Beckham’s catch, then you have to LOVE the original version.

Avant the player walked what he talked. And THAT is who now is among the teachers for young WR’s Jalen Reagor, J.J Arcega-Whiteside, John Hightower, Quez Watkins, and possibly most beneficially, Greg Ward.

It’s worth noting also that Avant and WR DeSean Jackson were teammates from 2008 to 2013. So there’s a dynamic at play where Avant and DJax can reminisce about playoff games, with the youngin’s in the room. The proof of what they say will be evident just by the fact of those two men being in that room. That level of credibility is hard for hungry players to ignore.

Jason Avant and Desean Jackson vs Den

I specifically mentioned those four young WR’s, because beyond 2020 there is little chance of seeing DJax and/or WR Alshon Jeffery in midnight green. At which point we will likely be starting Reagor and Arcega-Whiteside. That in mind, it would be wise for the 2020 Eagles to keep six receivers, with Jeffery, DJax, Ward, A-Dub (I’m introducing that nickname today), and Reagor at the top five.

(Sidenote: Rookie RB Adrian Killins (5’8″, 177lbs) will probably log as many NFL carries as RB Donnel Pumphrey (5’9″, 176lbs) did. Meaning zero. The smart move would be to put Killins on the 2020 Practice Squad, and try to transition him to WR. You don’t let speed like his just walk out the door, unless you are 1012% certain that he can’t play.)

While Avant isn’t the WR’s coach, having his voice in the room, is huge. It’s the voice of a mid-level talent who made an 11 year career, out of being a first rate professional. That can’t be anything but a huge Avant-age (see what I did there?) for the young stable of receivers we have here.

I’m thrilled with the move.

CHANGE MY MIND

BTW I found out TWO new things last night: 1) This guy’s name is Steven Crowder, and 2) We have the same birthday