Coaching

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 3: COMMANDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/26
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
OLB Hassan Reddick and DT Fletcher Cox have a meeting at QB Carson Wentz

THIS wasn’t a game. It was an execution.

EAGLES 24 – Commanders 8

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.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (22/35 – 62.8% – 340 – 3 – 0)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (15 – 46 – 3.0 – 0 – 0)

Receiving : (S) WR Devonta Smith(12 – 8 – 169 – 21.1 – 1)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (0 + 0 – 3 = -6) / NA

Drive Killer : (B) CB Avonte Maddox (0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) Brandon Graham (4 – 2.5 – 0 – 1)

Ace : N/A

****

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: Commanders did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

Rookie DT Jordan Davis deflects Wentz’s first attempt.

1) Invert the pocket: From the start the Eagles were on this. QB Carson Wentz (24/43 – 55.8% – 240 – 0 – 0) had no room to step-up, and was a sitting duck for 9 sacks on the day. His first attempt was deflected by rookie DT Jordan Davis (no stats), after which: The hunt, was ON! DT Fletcher Cox (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) is up to 3 sacks for the young season, where he had just 3.5 in 2021. DT Javon Hargrave (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) had a fumble recovery.

Added to this, was the Commanders in ability to run the ball. They were held to 77 yards on 22 carries (3.5), as the Eagles focused on clogging up the middle of the field. In fact 22 of those yards were from Wentz on three scrambles. Without those numbers, the Redsk- Commanders, ran for 55 yards on 19 carries (2.8). (DONE)

2) Go Deep Off Play-action: We didn’t get around to this until the second quarter, but when we did, it drew a 17 yard pass interference call. There were quite a few deep shots, but almost none of them came with the use of play-action which made things more difficult throughout the game. This was technically done, but was woefully underutilized. (DONE)

3) Score in the Fourth: Not only did the Offense not score in the fourth quarter, we began it by giving up a safety. For the third time in three games, the team fizzled out in the second half. This is beyond embarrassing. It is downright alarming.
The Eagles have scored 86 points this season, with 65 of them in the second quarter of games. We’ve scored just 7 in the first quarter (Vikings), 14 in the third (Lions). Zero in the fourth. In fact, the Offense is now giving up points directly. (NOT DONE)

DE Brandon Graham wreaked havoc in this one.

4) Set the Edges: And OB-HOY did they! Our man Brandon Graham (2.5 sacks) ATE TODAY! On the other side of the line DE Josh Sweat (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) ATE TODAY! On top of which, they kept the action bottled up, making it easier to close in on the QB. Of course, the Commanders offense featuring a seven step drop, only helps to facilitate DE’s getting to their QB. (It’s why they gave the Lions five sacks last week.)

Our DE play was aggressive, but more importantly it was sound. Contain, then rush. It’s the mindset they should bring every week, regardless of it’s a mobile QB or a statue; a power RB, or a slasher. Good technique yields consistent results, and often consistent rewards. This having been said, I still think Graham’s replacement should be top priority in the next Draft. (DONE)

****

This week saw 3 of Four Things accomplished. This week we got to smack up the QB who helped us win our first Super Bowl, and next week we try to smack up the Head Coach who won it for us. Feels like the schedule makers just felt like being bastards, and making us look like friggin’ ingrates.

****

On The Whole:

Alright. Same as last week. Gripes then glory. Let’s start.

So much of the credit for this win will go to Jalen Hurts and that’s a shame. It’s damned near criminal. He essentially phoned in the second half of this game, like he’s been doing since the season started. I wonder what it would look like if he played a whole game.

If I was RB Miles Sanders I’d start preserving my body for my next team. I wouldn’t come back to the Eagles. The way they dick around with his playing time, (in a contract year, no less!) is disgusting. Especially since the coaches keep putting lesser players on the field, in his stead. Neither back-up can break an arm tackle, and one is absolute liability in pass protection. It’s part what’s wrong with the Offense in the second half of games.

Between not playing our best players in key situations, and doing silly shit like having Devonta Smith return a punt, we’re only outsmarting ourselves. We should have buried Washington in the second half! Their back-up QB should have started the 4th quarter. But noooo! We’re too busy being fucking clever, while posting no points in three quarters.

And now for a happy tune. I want to start with Avonte Maddox tackling a TE, 67 pounds heavier than himself, in a goal line situation, to force a turnover on downs. Trap game, my ass!

WR A.J. “Swoll Batman” Brown

Eagles WR’s played outstanding today. Devonta (Skinny Batman) of course, played out of his mind today. The there was (Swoll Batman) WR A.J. Brown (10 – 5 – 85 – 17.0 – 1) who pulled a man with him into the endzone after a 9 yard strike from Hurts. Unfortunately (Fast Batman) WR Quez Watkins (no stats) only saw one target today.

Jalen Hurts had a very good first half. No turnovers, didn’t run too much, or too soon. He looked good in the pocket. His protection probably would have been better, if the play-calling involved handing off the ball more.

Remember when everyone assumed MLB T.J. Edwards would lose his starting gig to a rookie? Remember when I said not so fast?

THESE LB’s! MLB T.J. Edwards (9 – 1.0 – 0 – 0), and OLB Kyzir White (8 – 0 – 0 – 0) were out there cleaning up whatever slipped through the D-Line. OLB Hassan Reddick (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 1) also ATE TODAY!

FOUR THINGS: WK 3: EAGLES – COMMANDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/24
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

DOMINATION! Monday’s beat-down of the Vikings, can’t be called a win over a bottom feeder, but maybe this next one can. This week we travel to D.C. to face a division rival that’s giving up 157 rushing yards per game, at a pace of 7.5 yards per carry. That 7.5 is NOT a typo. The last thing they needed was a visit from a ground game averaging 189 and 5.2, led by RB Miles Sanders. Damned shamed, ‘cause here we come.

A win should put us alone at the top of the division, because there is no way the giants beat the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. A loss would put us behind the Commanders, regardless of how the giants/Cowboys game works out.

****

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: Commanders

1) Invert the pocket: Commanders C Chase Roullier is on short term IR with a knee injury. So G Wes Schweitzer will slide to the middle for the time being. Schweitzer has played there twice before, and was injured both times. He’s a back-up, and also kind of smallish at just 300 pounds.

Have DT’s Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis alternate bull-rushing the “A” gap, with driving Schweitzer backwards into the QB. Don’t allow there to even be a pocket. Bend the middle backwards, and get a structure that should be shaped like a “U” to look more like a “W”. That will drive QB Carson Wentz out of the pocket. (Better to face his legs than his arm.)

2) Go Deep Off Play-action: Washington runs a 4-2-5 scheme on defense. This is emphasizing speed over power or size. We can use that to our advantage. Committing to the wrong read, pulls faster players further from the place they need to be.

Use play-action early, to scare their defense from committing to the run, later on in the game. Another launch to WR Quez Watkins in the Slot, (completed or not), would be exactly the thing to back their defense off.

3) Score in the Fourth: Whether we have a big lead or we’re trailing, we need to put up some points in the last quarter of this game. After two games with no points in the final frame, we need to show that we can finish strong, and not just “hold on” at the end of games.

4) Set the Edges: If the middle of their offensive line is compromised, then they won’t be able to run up the middle, and their QB won’t be able to step up. This means everything is either backing up, or spilling out the sides.

Hurry, Brandon!

We need DE’s Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat to define the ends of the line, so that our LB’s can fly to the ball carrier. At least while they’re still trying to run the ball. This also allows the Secondary to focus more on coverage than on filling for the run.

****

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

I saw on-line that someone thought of this as a “trap” game. There’s no way the Eagles are looking past or underestimating this Commanders team. Seemed stupid to me, so I waved it off. Then I saw it on-line a few more times. So let me address this.

Trap games tend to follow games that the team had circled on their calendars weeks earlier. What makes the trap game, so dangerous is 1) It’s an opponent that should be easily beatable; 2) The team just can’t get emotionally “UP!” for it.

The Commanders are a division rival. The Eagles will be up for it. This is our first division action, since Dallas’s starters ran roughshod all over our second and third stringers last year. So the Eagles will be up for it. QB Jalen Hurts will be head to head with Carson Wentz. You’d better believe the Eagles will be UP, for this one.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Carson Wentz is a problem. Last week, under duress all day, and sacked 5 times, the man still threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Local media keeps talking like he gifts four footballs per game. Be nice if he did that this week, but you’d be a fool to put money on it.

If we win this game 74 – 0, it will feel like a loss if Jalen Hurts gets injured. Understand, QB Gardner Minshew is more than just a capable back-up. Like when QB Nick Foles backed up Wentz, we didn’t have a starter and a back-up. What we had, were two starters. So we’re in good hands if Hurts does get hurt.

That said, if Hurts gets hurt, the emotional impact, the blow to the locker room confidence… We don’t need that. So keep him healthy.

****

Prediction: EAGLES 28 – Commanders 25

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.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 2: VIKINGS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/20
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WE Slay’d the Vikings, tonight.

EAGLES 24 – Vikings 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.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (26/31 – 83.8 – 333 – 1 – 1)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (17 – 80 – 4.7 – 0 – 0)

Receiving : (S) TE Dallas Goedert (6 – 5 – 82 – 16.4 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (12 + 1 – 4 = 9) / (S) RT Lane Johnson

Drive Killer :(S) CB Darius Slay (2 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) DT Fletcher Cox (3 – 1.0 – 0 – 1)

Ace : P Arynn Siposs – Touchdown saving tackle on CB, after blocked FG

****

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: Vikings did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Stop Being Lazy Tacklers: Tackling this week was much improved from a week ago. That said, FS Marcus Epps (6 – 0 – 0 – 0) is still leading with his shoulder, and not his hands. Solid tackling helped force the Vikings into 4th and 5, on their two opening drives. After which we scored a second time, putting game permanently out of their reach. (DONE)

2) Don’t Get Rattled: As I said, Minnesota’s victory last week only looked impressive. Then I got under the hood and saw the details and context of it. So I was able to tell you that this week, they would be without the advantage they had last week. The players just had to not get rattled by the Viking’s Week One press clippings. And they didn’t.

Oh, and OLB Zadarius Smith (2 – 0 – 0 – 0), RT Lane Johnson kept him quiet. While we’re on the subject of being kept quiet, tonight CB Darius Slay had three takeaways. Two were interceptions, and the third thing he took away was WR Justin Jefferson (12 – 6 – 48 – 8.0 – 0). Honestly, tonight he was less effective than WR Jalen Reagor (2 – 1 – 7 – 7.0 – 0), who at least didn’t help produce two turnovers. (DONE)

3) Eagles vs Kerrigan: Jalen Hurts for sure threw some balls into the Flat. TE Dallas Goedert, WR Zach Pascal (2 – 2 – 14 – 7.0 – 0) and the RB’s made well use of the space. It was often so wide open that his completion percentage is almost gaudy for this game. (DONE)

4) Work the Hash: With Hurts spreading the wealth, everything was on the table, including the middle of the field. WR A.J. Brown (8 – 5 – 69 – 13.8 – 0) did a lot of his damage over the middle, near the hash. Goedert made some noise there as well. This opened up the area outside the numbers for WR Devonta Smith (7 – 7 – 80 – 11.9 – 0), who low-key put on an absolute clinic, on shaking coverage and presenting a clean target. (DONE)

****

This week all 4 of the Four Things were done, and the result was domination from coin toss to shower. Next week, we hop on 95 for three hours, to visit Washington D.C. Once there, we’ll have our first divisional match-up vs the Commanders.

Did I mention that our ex plays there now? Yeah, QB Carson Wentz. Thought he was the one. Even put a ring on it. But Nick complicated that. Still smile when you think of Nick, right? Then there was Jalen. You know Philly’s weakness for dark meat! Randall, Donovan, Mike… (Donovan still ranks as the best we ever had, but shhhh! You have to say that quietly.) Yeah, poor Carson. We didn’t have to do him so dirty.

****

On The Whole:

I’m going to get to the gripes first, then I’m going to hand out praise. What the fuck was up with these refs tonight?! There were three bad calls in the first quarter alone. And why was DT Marlon Tuipulotu (1 – 0 – 0 – 0) on the field again? He just gets pushed around vs the run, and offers little pass rush.

There was only one 3rd down hand-off in this entire game. Hurts again, ran the ball (11 – 57 – 5.1 – 2 – 1), too much again. His 28 carries this year, puts him on pace for 238 carries. I don’t know how this coaching staff expects him to absorb that much punishment, and still be an effective passer.

We scored no points in the fourth quarter again. Leads mean nothing late in a game, if the opponent feels as if, or knows outright, that they can get stops. At a certain point. A trailing teams start gambling with house money, with attempts to score. If they can put stops and scores together, they develop a substance called “Hope”. If we allow them hope, they may become inspired, and pull off a comeback. We have to get this fixed.

Now for the praise.

Back in June, in THE 12: #11, I wrote about using WR Quez Watkins (2 – 2 – 69 – 34.5 – 1) to run Go routes from the Slot. That 53 yard thing of beauty that Hurts threw to him, is exactly what I was talking about. With Brown and Smith demanding attention on the outside (plus Goedert), you can’t tell me that we don’t have another 8 of these in the chamber.

In that same article, I said that if Hurts gets better at reading a defense, the entire NFC, not just the East, will be on notice. His reading has clearly improved. It’s still has gaps in it, but gaps are better than the near illiteracy he exhibited at this time last year. His blitz solving skills would also benefit from a former NFL player’s guidance.

Hurts ball placement and timing, were… Look, I wanted improvement, and I believed that he could improve, somewhat. Just not this much, this fast. The question is how physically consistent can he be, as he takes more and more abuse from how the extra hits he takes running.

I’m just glad this wasn’t our situation.

FOUR THINGS: WK 2: EAGLES – VIKINGS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/17
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

AFTER churning out 216 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 5.5 yards per carry, all on the ground, guess what we’re getting! A Vikings team that allowed the lowly Packers, to run for 118 yards and a 6.2 yard average. Looks like this HOME OPENER is one of those “Just run the ball” (mainly with RB Miles Sanders) type situations. SO LET’S GO!!!

RB Miles Sanders

A win means going to 2 – 0, and holding onto the division lead by virtue of defeating two conference opponents. A loss makes us .500 and probably puts us in second place. That is, unless the entire division loses out, which would leave things just as they are.

****

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: Vikings

MLB T.J. Edwards showing what a good tackle looks like.

1) Stop Being Lazy Tacklers: Last week, there were too many repeated instances of our defenders not wrapping up. It also looked as if fatigue was a factor. Players didn’t play during the preseason, so none of them got “seasoned”. They came to camp in workout shape, but never played their way into FOOTBALL shape.

What happened is, they got tired, and the tackle attempts became lazy. Listen, our guys don’t need a refresher in tackling technique. They’re defensive players. They’ve been tackling people for years now. They know how to do it, they just have to not be lazy about it this week.

2) Don’t Get Rattled: Minnesota’s victory last week looks dominant at a glance, but when you get under the hood, context tells a very different story. It was a game where they scored a first quarter, and a late second quarter touchdown. Their final three scores were just field goals. From 17 points in the first half, to just 6 in the second. Green Bay clearly figured out how to slow them down. We can learn from that.

Speaking of the Packers, two of Minny’s key defensive contributors, OLB Zadarius Smith and CB Chandon Sullivan, jumped ship from Green Bay this offseason. So the Viking defense got two guys who could explain Green Bay’s defense, and who had also gone against QB Aaron Rodgers in many practices. So the Vikings had the Packers blueprints! They’ll have no such advantage this week.

3) Eagles vs Kerrigan: From 2017 and 2019, we swept the Redskins for three years straight. Our game plan was simple. Use their strength as a weakness. Since their 3-4 OLB’s (one of which was Ryan Kerrigan) were more like DE’s in a 5-2, the Flat was generally going to be 7-11 (always open). We killed them for years throwing Outs to TE Zach Ertz, and Wheel routes to RB’s like Darren Sproles and Boston Scott.

Fast forward to now. Having OLB’s who are 263, and 272 pound pass rushers, the Vikings actually have DE’s playing more of a 5 – 2 front. With their pass rush coming off the edge, and trying to contain QB Jalen Hurts, this week would be a great week for some RB Screens, and some Outs to TE Dallas Goedert.

4) Work the Hash: Hurts likes to bootleg to his right. Everyone knows it, which is why last week, Detroit repeatedly stacked blitzers on their left edge. Hurts didn’t throw any picks against it, but he was hurried repeatedly. Expect to see that keep happening, until Hurts solves it. Okay now here’s how to solve it: Passes to the TE or the Slot WR right along the hash.

Any edge blitz in a 5 – 2 they’d have to declare early. So they won’t do that. What they’ll more likely do, is walk an ILB up into a gap, and cause an overloaded end. If that happens, then the TE should be immediately open, up the hash. The only way to take that away, would be to drop the OLB, giving Hurts room to run.

****

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

Last week’s game against the Lions had no business being as hard as it was. We played down to a lesser team, and it may be providing this week’s opponent with more confidence than they would otherwise come to Philly with. Unfortunately, we created that problem, and we’re going to have it until we prove it’s no longer a problem.

As far as covering the Vikings WR’s, that’s why we have CB Darius Slay, and CB James Bradberry. We also have depth there, but the focus will be on forcing QB Kirk Cousins to hold onto the ball. The Vikings don’t run the same offense as Detroit, so stop being haunted by QB Jared Goff’s release time last week. Focus on the opponent in front of us.

If this game were being played in Minnesota, I’d write it up as a loss. There would be too many intangibles against us (opponent confidence, us being haunted by a shaky performance, their crowd, travel, etc.) However, playing here means that that playing field has been leveled.

With a level playing field, it’s down to superior talent and execution. They have a great roster, but they don’t have ours. The Vikings scored 23 points last week. We scored 24 points. In the second quarter last week. They’re a legit team, but not worth worrying over.

FYI: WR Jalen Reagor has started in an NFL Playoff game. WR Justin Jefferson has never even been in an NFL Playoff game.

****

Prediction: EAGLES 27 – Vikings 20

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.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 1: LIONS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/12
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
“And, of course, it would be real good to go out there and smack them in the mouth a little bit,”

THEY smacked us in the mouth, and then got knocked out. In their home.

EAGLES 38 – Lions 35

EAGLES STATS:

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points) + 3rd downs converted by rushes (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.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (18/32 – 56.2% – 243 – 0 – 0)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (13 – 96 – 7.3 – 1 – 0)

Receiving : (S) WR A.J. Brown (11 – 10 – 155 – 15.5 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (4 (24) + 2 (2) – 1 (-2) = 24 pts) / RT Lane Johnson

Drive Killer : (S) CB James Bradberry (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 1)

Sack Leader : (S) DT Fletcher Cox (1 – 0.5 – 0 – 0)

Ace : (B) CB Zech MacPhearson (Heads up recovery of onside kick)

****

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: Lions did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

RB Miles Sanders scores his first TD in 2 years. Which is great, because I have him on my fantasy team.

1) Run the Ball: Mixed bag here. This time we’ll say that technically the Eagles did this one, because I didn’t specify hand-offs. (But just this time!) We had 39 runs, against 32 pass attempts, but 17 of those runs were from QB Jalen Hurts, who led the team in carries. Some on designed runs, some on scrambles (often too early) from the pocket.

Listen, it’s real hard to argue with 216 rushing yards, a 5.5 team-wide per carry average, and 4 rushing touchdowns from four different players. That said, Hurts can’t be this big a part of it, if he’s going to be the long-term answer at Quarterback. He’s on a 289 carry pace for this season. It’s unsustainable. It’s ill-advised. Credit for this week, but going forward, “Run the ball” means HAND-OFFS. (DONE)

2) Make Goff Run: I came into this season thinking the Eagles had solved not being able to get pressure, with a four man rush. Well, that problem seems to persist. We didn’t make QB Jared Goff (21/37 – 56.7% – 215 – 2 – 1) run much. We didn’t make him feel unsafe. In fact, despite being behind a makeshift o-line, Goff was largely a statue in the pocket. It was embarrassing. (NOT DONE)

3) Challenge Their Receivers: The mission was to hold WR D.J. Chark (8 – 4 – 52 – 13.0 – 1) and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (12 – 8 – 64 – 8.0 – 1) to fewer than 100 yards each. The result was that despite each scoring, they had just 116 yards between them. Neither could claim to have had a good game.

This was Bradberry’s first career pick six. He broke his cherry as an Eagle.

As the cherry on top, CB James Bradberry (2 – 0 – 1 – 0) got us a pick six. He sat on an outside route, and was able to get to a ball tipped by OLB Kyzir White (5 – 0 – 0 – 0). (DONE)

4) Get ‘im!: I said at least 8 passes have to be thrown to whomever CB Jeff Okuda (10 – 0 – 0 – 0) was covering. I counted just 5. While Hurts seems to have a good connection with WR A.J. Brown, getting the ball effectively to anyone else, seems to be a challenge. His under-usage of TE Dallas Goedert (4 – 3 – 60 – 20.0 – 0) is practically criminal. Especially when a blitz is telegraphing itself. (NOT DONE)

****

So we open the season at 2 of the Four Things. That’s a .500 marker. Let’s not let that, nor this close score, be an indicator of the sort of year we’ll have.

We’ll look to bounce back next week, vs the 1 – 0 Minnesota Vikings. Ever since we molly-whopped them in the 2017 playoffs, they’ve had our number, with wins in 2018 and 2019. Next week in our home-opener, we’ll be looking to have a stop put to that.

****

On The Whole:

DE Brandon Graham and DT Fletcher Cox bag a Lion on safari.

I’m glad and grateful for the “W”. Let’s say that up-front. The Lions came out jacked up on adrenaline, and had a standing room only sized crowd making noise for them. They punched the Eagles in the mouth, right out of the gate. We didn’t panic. Didn’t point fingers or whine for flags or calls. (More on that in a couple minutes.)

What we did was respond, slow the game down, quiet their adrenaline, take the crowd out of the equation, and prove that once again, this game, the season, all of it, every part of it, is a marathon, not a sprint.

There are however, some things to work on! The effects of Starters not playing during the preseason, showed up in this game. Poor tackling, the Defensive Line sticking to blocks, this is what happens when you don’t tackle to the ground in drills, and you don’t play through blocks in drills. Teaching a technique without the finish, isn’t teaching the technique. This needs to get worked on this week.

Hurts not being able to handle the blitz, is an indictment on this coaching staff. His inability to work out of anything besides the Shotgun, is an indictment on this coaching staff. Running RPO’s would be far more effective if he started out from under Center. Think of how effective it was with a non-running QB like Nick Foles. Coaching staffs should fear Hurts. Instead, they run undisguised blitzes at him, because they know he hasn’t figured them out. This must be worked on.

This CANNOT be tolerated.

Lastly, all of the hits Hurts took after slides today, should have been penalties. Any player in a slide has “given himself up”, and therefore falls under the “defenseless player”umbrella. Head Coach Nick Sirianni has to go to Owner Jeffrey Lurie and get him to write/call/email the referees, and also make an on-air public statement, saying that Hurts should receive proper protections, and not be the victim of “running QB” bias.

FOUR THINGS: WK 1: EAGLES – LIONS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/10
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LOCKED and Loaded. That’s the name of this season. We spent the offseason prepping for an arms race, while the team that won our division seemed to dismantle themselves. They however, aren’t on the menu this week. Detroit is.

Speaking of dismantle, the last time we saw Detroit we hung 44 points on them. In their house! Meanwhile, all they could do was curl into the fetal position, as their coach yelled about biting knee caps. True, they’ve made a few improvements, but c’mon, NOBODY made as many improvements as we did.

There’s a good chance that we can come out of this week, as the only team in the division with a win. While one game isn’t a large lead, it can definitely serve to help set an attitude. You wanna do something big? You start by doing something small.

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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Detroit Lions.

1) Run the Ball: Play to our strength, and let QB Jalen Hurts ease into having more of the game put in his hands. His perfect preseason was cute, but he’s about to face a gameplan. As for Detroit, their new 4-3 will feature five guys who our Offensive Line absolutely mauled, manhandled and fucked over, last October. Ultimately Debo-ing them for 4 rushing touchdowns and 236 rushing yards. Seeing five of the same victims, making up a front seven that we romped and frolicked through, all I see is a second helping. Run the ball!

2) Make Goff Run: In six seasons QB Jared Goff has 401 rushing yards. For comparison, through six years, QB Peyton Manning ran for 582. I bring this up to illustrate just how adverse Goff is to running. Anything that changes or challenges his throwing platform, is alien to him. So we need to disabuse him of any sense of comfort and safety. Last year we caught him in the pocket quite a bit, so if he still wants to just stand there… Okay.

Also their starting G Halapoulivaati Vaitai is out. His back-up is having back issues, and their C has a groin issue. Against this line, we sacked Goff five times last year. So their interior is weak, and we have DT’s Fletcher Cox, and Jordan Davis. Get Goff out of the pocket.

3) Challenge Their Receivers: We’ve been hearing about WR D.J. Chark for years now, based solely off of his 2019 season. In the last two seasons, he has just 60 catches for 860 yards, and a 52% catch rate. On the other side is WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. (Love the name. I had a cat named Amon-Ra. Golden tabby with gold eyes.) He’s a bum. Not the cat, the WR. He’s one of those “12 targets, 8 catches, for 73 yards” type of receivers.

Unleash CB’s Darius “Big Play” Slay and James Bradberry! Mug these chumps and get us a pick six. Okay, maybe that’s asking too much, or being too specific. More generally, don’t let either receiver see 100 yards. That sounds about reasonable.

4) Get ‘im!: Wherever CB Jeff Okudah is, that should be the receiver who gets the ball. At least 10 passes have to go to who he’s covering. During his two year career, he’s played a total of 9 games, and ended both years with season-ending injuries. Last year it was his Achilles, and now he gets to try it out vs WR Devonta Smith’s route running, or WR A.J. Brown’s explosiveness. Pick on him. Hound him! Harass him! Make him Vontae Davis 2.0!

Remember when Vontae Davis retired during halftime?
Just said “NOPE!” and grabbed his car keys.

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

I want to give the Lions some benefit of the doubt, but the more I look at this game, the more it looks like Mike Tyson vs Queen Eliz- (Nope! Gotta change that now. Wrote that joke nearly two weeks ago and now… You really committed to ruining my joke, Liz! Just leaned all the way in.) Ugh! It looks like Tyson vs Skip Bayless. Yeah. We like that imagery, right? Let’s go with that.

I can’t believe the NFL is going to sanction this match-up. Everything about it is all wrong for the Lions. It’s as if Roger Goodell wrote “SQUEAKY TOY” on a baby, and handed it to a pit-bull.

It’s madness! Their offensive line can’t protect their over-drafted QB. Their defensive front is an affront to the idea of defense. Their WR’s would be average vs an average secondary, and our’s is a shark tank. They have one dangerous CB, and the other is practically wearing a bull’s-eye! But the NFL is going to let this happen anyway? It’s madness!

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Prediction: EAGLES 30 – Lions 10

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.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK P3: Dolphins

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/08/28
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

NAH see, what ha’ happened was, right…

EAGLES 10 – Dolphins I don’t wanna talk about it (48)

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd downs converted by rushes – sacks allowed = 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.

Passing:(B) QB Reid Sinnett (12/22 – 54.5% – 104 – “0” – 1)

Rushing:(B) Jason Huntley (11 – 93 – 8.4 – 1 – 0)

Receiving:(B) WR John Hightower (6 – 5 – 52 – 10.4 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer: (1 + 2 – 2 = 1) / (S) C Cameron Tom (FR)

Drive Killer: N/A (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD)

Sack Leader: (S) LB Patrick Johnson (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

Ace: WR Devon Hall (Forced muff)

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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: Dolphins did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Pass Rush: “Someone get a sack”. We didn’t have one all preseason, and LB/DE Patrick Johnson gets one on the opening drive. Good under any circumstances, but given that Miami put out their starters vs our second string, it was doubly impressive. Johnson already has a spot on the active roster, so he didn’t play much after that. (DONE)

2) Some TE involvement: Rookie TE Grant Calcaterra (3 – 2 – 30 – 15.0 – 0) finally wore pads to a preseason game. He made a couple of grabs, including a holding call that wiped out a TD run by RB Kennedy Brooks (9 – 33 – 3.6 – 0 – 0). TE Noah Togiai (2 – 1 – 8 – 8.0 – 0) dropped an easy ball, and failed again to be a difference maker vs back-ups. Still, it was five passes thrown to the TE position, which is involvement. (DONE)

Allen doesn’t make the stop, but he holds him until the cavalry arrives.

3) Kick Return Impact: What was asked for was a big return or two. Instead, the impact we got in the kicking game was WR Devon Allen playing Gunner of Special Teams. On punt coverage, he got downfield so fast that that returner wasn’t even able to take a second step, before Allen was on him. Allen didn’t make the tackle, but he held the guy there and others did. On Allen’s next trip, his proximity made the returner muff the punt. Eagles recovered and we got 3 points out of the deal. This is not what I specified, but I NEEDED a place to praise Allen, and say that he needs a roster spot. (NOT DONE)

4) Flash from a DE: We got the sack from Patrick Johnson, but it was LB Kyron Johnson (5 – 0 – 0 – 0) that had my attention. Damn his 5 tackles! Most of them came with him crossing to the opposite side of the field, to make the stop. While others saw the stops, I saw something else. On almost every snap he played, he crashed down the line, instead of setting the edge. That resulted in miles of open real estate on his side of the line, and at least one score for the Fish. And no one! No one! Not himself, not his teammates, nor the coaches, bade him do anything different. (NOT DONE)

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Of the Four Things we put up 2 of 4. It wasn’t nearly enough, but there are mitigating circumstances. In any case it hardly matters now. It’s time to focus on Week One and defeating the Lions on 9/11.

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On The Whole:

We put out our Defensive back-ups playing a 3-3-5 alignment. Clearly our coaching staff wanted to further evaluate some of the DB’s, so they gave more of them an opportunity to play and shine. Miami came out with their offensive starters, and nature took its course. Lions ate sheep.

Former Dolphins QB Reid Sinnett, finally figures out how to throw a touchdown to Miami’s players.

With the Eagles looking to evaluate, and Miami balling out to win an exhibition game, I knew immediately it was going to be a long night at the office. Still the Eagles gave us a few bright spots.

We know that WR Devon Allen can play Gunner as effectively as any player I’ve ever read about, in addition to being able to rotate in as a deep threat on Offense. We saw WR John Hightower use his speed to uncover quickly, and more importantly, he was sure-handed. We should be able to sneak him onto the Practice Squad. We saw S Reed Blankenship (3 – 0 – 0 – 0) bring the attitude and wood tonight. I hope he makes the PS.

FOUR THINGS: WK P3: EAGLES – DOLPHINS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/08/26
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 Comment

OUR Offensive Line kept our QB’s upright, and kept our ground game churning out yards and scores. When the dust settled it was Eagles 21, Browns 20. We’ll look to improve on that dominance this week, against the Miami Dolphins.

A win would be cute, but it’s neither here nor there. The NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. We have seventeen, possibly twenty, very long weeks coming up, and injuries are part of the game. This week isn’t about the opponent. It’s about picking the best depth possible, from the men battling to keep their dreams alive.

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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus the: Dolphins

1) Pass Rush: Someone get a sack. Doesn’t matter who. Two games and not one sack so far. That’s not Eagles football. Wait, let me amend my statement! It does matter who gets it. The sack has to come from a player who isn’t a DB. Also, it has to be a tackle in the backfield. None of that QB run out of bounds for a loss, bullshit. A real sack.

2) Some TE involvement: The passing game is all WR right now, and that doesn’t work. WR’s help keep S’s out of the box, but it’s a TE who’s a receiving threat, which loosens the box for the RB. No one is asking for a 50 yard bomb to a TE, but TE Noah Togiai’s 6 catches for 35 yards (5.8 ypr) represents the team’s best, through two games. 

3) Kick Return Impact: If someone can break a couple of big returns, they will make this team. This team needs a return threat. Period!

4) Flash from a DE: Even if a DE doesn’t get a sack, something has to pop out there. For both of these games, we’ve been gashed for rushing yardage on the boundaries. If not dominant pass rush, we need to see a DE show real run contain. That means make, or cause a tackle for a loss, on his side of the line.

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

This is just a preseason game. Winning doesn’t mean the final score, it means finding the right pieces to help us build our roster. If they’re smart, our guys will compete against each other, and not the Fish.

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Prediction: EAGLES 21 – Dolphins 18

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.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK P2: Browns

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/08/22
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster, stats, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THIS win was a very mixed bag.

EAGLES 21 – Browns 20

EAGLES STATS:

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd downs converted by rushes – sacks allowed = score); as well as the Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

New 2022 Category Ace, is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.

Passing: (S) QB Gardner Minshew (14/17 – 82.3% – 142 – 0 – 0)

Rushing: (B) RB Kenneth Gainwell (11 – 46 – 4.1 – 1 – 0)

Receiving: (B) WR Deon Cain (6 – 5 – 66 – 13.2 – 0)

Offensive Line Report / Enforcer: (2 + 5 – 1 = 6) / (S) C Cam Jurgens

Drive Killer: (B) S Jaquiski Tart (0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader: N/A

Ace: N/A

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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: BROWNS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

DT Renell Wren makes a tackle for minimal gain, while being held

1) Don’t get gashed: I know I said that I’d set aside big runs to the outside, but contain was so bad, so often, that I’d be deliberately misleading you if I did that. So I’m throwing it in, as well.

Cleveland rushed for 174 yards on 32 carries (5.4 ypc). Our defensive line got almost nothing in the way of penetration all day, being repeatedly blown off the line throughout the game. (NOT DONE)

2) Cut the Engine: There were far too many upright tackle attempts in this game. Lack of penetration or contain against the run, just made for bad tackle angles in pursuit. As a result, Browns runners were bouncing off of Eagles defenders, like everyone had opposing magnetic charges. It was distressing to see. I was distressed. (NOT DONE)

3) Clean Interior Pocket: All day long, Eagles QB’s enjoyed clean pockets, and huge passing windows. Some of it had to do running so much RPO stuff early, but mostly it was just soundly executed football. Even QB Reid Sinnett’s (4/9 – 44.4% – 69 – 1 – 0) 12 yard run for a first down, was facilitated by a massive alley right in front of him. (DONE)

QB Gardner Minshew had no trouble seeing his receivers in this game.

4) Solid Team Culture: There were plenty of vocal and jovial players from guys who are guaranteed spots on the roster. There wasn’t nearly as much camaraderie amongst players fighting for jobs. This is of course, to be expected from the average person.
It however, speaks to how each man handles pressure. It asks the question: Do I want this man on my team? The Eagles have a certain culture, and to perpetuate it, it helps to have people who intrinsically lean into it. I didn’t see many standard bearers today. (NOT DONE)

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This week saw the Eagles accomplish 1 of 4 on the Four Things list. Really it was more like three things, as the last one wasn’t strategy, but observation of reactionary behavior(s). In any case, we’ll take the ‘W’ and hope for better next week, against the Miami Dolphins.

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On The Whole:

Lots of mixed feelings today. Tons. But we won, right?! It’s hard to be super-critical of back-ups, and players who won’t be players, in a week. So instead of criticism, how about some praise for a couple of these players.

If we keep six WR’s, Deon Cain has got to be one. I doubt he’d look quite as crisp against starter level players, but his hands, body control, and sideline awareness would all be what they are, against any level of competition. What I don’t want, is us releasing him, and seeing him show up in Dallas. (Given their receiver troubles.) Can’t we just trade Reagor to them, now?

Also WR Devon Allen’s route on that 55 yard bomb. His subtle jab step to the right, widened the alley between the CB and the S. So instead of Sinnett having to throw into a tight window, all he had to do was put the ball in the area code. That little step was delicious! I don’t know if Allen should be one of the six, but he’s certainly got my attention finally. Not for his speed, but that crafty bit of route running.

FOUR THINGS: WK P2: EAGLES – BROWNS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/08/20
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Crazy Talk, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Preview, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LAST week’s narrow loss to the Jets, saw our starters basically put us up 14 – 0; before calling it a night, in the second quarter. Don’t expect to see starters at all in this one. Instead, get ready to find out which Eagles back-ups are ready to break through, and put the world on notice.

While the wins and losses mean nothing to us fans, they mean a great deal to the lower draft picks, the undrafted, and aging back-ups. Understand this, almost no one who plays in this game, is guaranteed a roster spot. You will see players this Sunday, who will be gone next Sunday.

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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Browns

1) Don’t Get Gashed: Given the players that we have at DT, we have no business giving up a ton of rushing yards up the middle. It’s preseason ball, so there’s bound to be some miscues. So a long run broken to the outside, isn’t a big deal, right now. It’s all the routine runs.

LB Nakobe Dean and DT Jordan Davis.

Setting aside any 30 yard runs (Pitches, Tosses, Sweeps) directly to the outside, keeping the Browns under 80 rushing yards and 4.0 yards per carry, is a decent goal for back-ups.

2) Cut the Engine: Wrap the thighs, to kill forward progress at the point of the tackle. That’s the tackle technique I’m looking to see. Hard to get helmet to helmet penalties when a player is aiming for thighs

3) Clean Interior Pocket: Guard, Center, Guard. They have to keep defenders out of the gaps and away from the passer. The QB needs to be able to step into his throws, and those three players especially, make that happen. Also, when a defender jumps to bat down a ball, that interior pocket (G-C-G), needs to make his landing a rough one.

4) Solid Team Culture: Every player you see out there, is likely playing for his football life. Despite the inherent competition for survival, it will be interesting to see which players offer each other encouragement, and cheer for their competitors. We will get a taste of just how strong the team culture, really is.

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

The win or loss only means something to players. Some of whom will suit up for the last time on Sunday. For the rest of us, it’s being billed as lesser than the joint practices, which the teams conducted this week. Let me tell you what it really is.

2010: Rookie, 7th round, S Kurt Coleman enters game four of the preseason as a player “On The Bubble”. This is a do-or-die game. Not for the team, but for Kurt. His dream is on life-support. During the game he recovers not one, but two fumbles, and he returns them both for scores.

The Eagle lose the game, but Kurt makes the team. He goes from 7th rounder with barely a chance in 2010, to being a starter in 2011. He plays 10 seasons. Intercepts 7 balls in 2015 (the NFL leader had 8). And all of it hinged… on a single game like this. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll see the next Kurt Coleman in this game.

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Prediction: EAGLES 17 – Browns 13

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.