WHAT loss?! Man, fuck that loss! We’re already in the playoffs, and since we won’t get the one seed,
IT DOESN’T MATTER, which seed we get!
Seeds two through seven, all need four wins to hoist the Lombardi. So us six teams, are all in the same boat. Meanwhile, seeds five through seven, basically have to do it entirely on the road. Which has been done a few times already.
In fact, it seems to happen every few years since 1997:
Oakland Raiders (1980), Denver Broncos (1997), Baltimore Ravens (2000), Pittsburgh Steelers (2005), New York Giants (2007), Green Bay Packers (2010), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)
So don’t lose hope, or sight of the goal, Eagles Fans.
Let’s get something straight, right now. Barring an inspired act of God, Dallas isn’t going to lose to Washington, which makes the outcome of our game practically meaningless. So don’t go getting hung up on the final score. What matters, is if we look like our Defense is coming back to life; and if we can be dangerous on Offense again.
Think of this game as a tune-up. Two weeks ago, we beat the giants by eight points. This time, we want to beat them by more than eight, or hold them to 21 points or fewer. Either one is a major step in the right direction.
A win has us finish the season at 12 – 5, as the 5th seed in the NFC playoffs. That is, unless Washington somehow manages to beat Dallas, making us the 2nd seed.
A loss means we finish the year at 11 – 6, and as the 5th seed. So we’re bulletproof either way.
****
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 giants
DT Jordan Davis forces RB Ezekiel Elliott to fumble
1) Contain the Run: Right now DT Jordan Davisis lining up over players, instead of gaps. Then he’s doubled more than 50% of the time. Look, no RB runs through his o-line. They run through the gaps. Davis can’t clog up a player, but he can clog a gap. Dictate the action, by lining up in a gap, and taking that gap away.
With Davis taking away a gap, the MLB has to read and fill the open gap, before the runner gets momentum enough to break a tackle. We also need our DE’s to set edges, and force runs back inside the Tackles.
2) Get To the Quarterback: Two weeks ago, these two teams met, and we got one sack from a team that surrenders an average of five per week. It was a travesty. We need 3 or 4 sacks in this one, just to prove that our pass rush is at least getting back on track.
3) Spread and Run: Stretching the opponent’s defense laterally, will let our RB’s pop into the second level faster, with the inside run plays that we like to run. Run the ball. Eat up clock. Let a Defense that has seen too many snaps recently, get some rest.
RB D’Andre Swift looked good vs that defense a couple games ago.
4) Go Deep Aggressively: Opposing defenses are playing our Slant and Out routes, far more aggressively than they did during the beginning of season. The only way to combat that, is to throw the ball deep down the field.
Whether or not we hit on the play, our opponent has to honor the idea that we will attempt it again. That loosens the box and underneath coverage again. Two deep shots in a game isn’t respectable. Between two and four, is respectable. Five or better is putting your next opponent on notice. Let’s make them uncomfortable.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
A win (at this point) is meaningless without help. A loss means we have hold as the 5th seed. So it would be no change. This game is a total freebie. We’re gambling with house money. So, more than chasing a “W”, we should use the game as a tune-up for the playoffs.
Be nice to get RB Boston Scott some redemption.
****
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Drive Killer: S Sydney Brown (TD: 1/Int: 1/ FR: 0/ 4th down stops: 0/ FF: 0)
Sack Leader: DTJalen Carter (Sacks:1.0/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 1)
Special Teams Ace: CB Eli Ricks recovered Arizona’s surprise 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: CARDINALSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Win In The Trenches: Not letting Arizona get their run game going was the key here. Instead, we allowed the Cardinals to run for 221 yards on 40 carries (5.5ypc). The hope was that DT Jordan Davis (1 tackle) would be a problem in this one. Instead, he was invisible. (NOT DONE)
2) Hands Up:“If he can’t see well, he may put the ball in dangerous places without realizing it.”
S Sydney Brown picks off a pass and returns it 99 yards for a score.
Making it difficult to see for the opposing QB, did result in an interception returned 99 yards for a touchdown by Sydney Brown. The pocket was pushed back and the QB hung a ball where he expected a receiver to be, instead of seeing that only Eagles were over there.
There were no hands up on that play, but his sight-line was comprised, and defenders did get their hands up more in this game, than they usually do. (DONE)
3) Run The Ball: Getting 16 or more carries for 72 yards, would have been enough for the win, I wrote. Instead, Swift got 13 carries for 61 yards. On the day, we had 15 hand-offs vs 24 pass attempts. So, Head Coach Nick Sirianniis steadfast about preferring to lose his way, than win someone else’s way.
Remember when Andy Reid was here, doing that shit? Wouldn’t get us a top-shelf WR. Wouldn’t pound the rock. Didn’t win shit. Goes to K.C., drafts WR Tyreek Hill, and pounds the rock with RB Isiah Pacheco. Wins two Super Bowls. (I dunno Nick, if you’re FAILING, maybe it behooves you to listen to someone besides your echo.) (NOT DONE)
4) Be Efficient: I thought Jalen Hurts was doing an excellent job of this, until the Eagles started letting a crackhead do the play-calling. Two QB runs, and a WR Screen on 3rd and 20??? The coaching staff (being cute as usual), hung Hurts out to dry after the half.
QB Jalen Hurts left on the ground.
Look, you can’t make great choices when presented with only bad options, and that keeps happening here. Coaches are supposed to put players in positions to make plays; not box them in, and squander their gifts. (NOT DONE)
++++
This week just1 of the Four Things were done, and so of course it resulted in a loss. Next week, we travel two hours up 95, to that cesspool that’s actually in (Rutherford) New Jersey, to take on the “New York” giants. Fans would like to see a win, but Sirianni might have other plans. Maybe plant some flowers, or Rochambeau while shooting hoops for three hours.
****
Game Hero: WR Julio Jones (2 – 2 – 34 – 17.0 – 2) – Showed the world that the Eagles DO have some depth at WR. Good thing too! Because with WR Devonta Smith (5 – 3 – 30 – 10.0 – 0) leaving the locker room on crutches and wearing a walking boot, odds are strong that he doesn’t play in the giants game.
WR Julio Jones reminds everyone of just who he is.
Game goat: The Entire Defense – This means everyone, from coaches to players. Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia, didn’t seem to have any answers to stopping the Cardinals run game, even though the answers were obvious: Stop playing 230 pound Haason Reddick (1 tackle) at DE, and tell DEJosh Sweat (6 tackles) to set the goddamned edge! Play the run on the way to the pass. This is standard NFL wisdom!
Our interior line neither made up their minds to penetrate and move the line of scrimmage, or occupy blocks and keep the LB’s clean to make stops. As for the LB’s and and Safeties, no one seemed to know where his run fit was. As a result, we were gashed repeatedly.
The Secondary was no better, allowing the ball to come out quickly, and get to receivers who a week ago, were essentially keeping benches warm. The interception by Brown was far more a product of QB error, than anybody making a play. The ball went directly to Brown, who incidentally was nowhere around a receiver on that play!
On The Whole:
This loss was disgusting. It was Seattle all over again. The team with more athletic talent, was out-coached and out-played by a bad team working with busted tools. The absolute worst part is, that the outcome was bad for both teams! It likely will cost us the second seed in the playoffs, and cost the Cardinals the second pick in the Draft.
This all comes back to the coaching. The silver lining on this is, thanks in particular to this game and Seattle, you can bet there WILL be a new Defensive Coordinator this off-season. Team Owner Jeffrey Lurieisn’t putting out all that money, just to watch one half of his team, utterly collapse on a weekly basis. Often nationally televised.
It’s hard to really talk about this one game, without getting into what the real problems with this team are. So I’m going to make that a separate article, if you’re at all interested. Every week, the players and coaches tell us that they need to fix stuff, but they NEVER say which stuff. If you want to know what that stuff is, and how fixable it really is, let me know.
WE returned to the win column, with a win over a division rival, while eliminating them from playoff contention. The home crowd bullied the coaching staff into running the football, and IT WORKED! We managed to win in the trenches on both sides of the ball, earning us another of the “ugly” wins, that we’re now famous for.
Dominating performances from QB Jalen Hurtsand OLB Haason Reddick, would go a long way towards getting us one them thar purtty wins. (Especially if we don’t give away points this week.)
This is a must win game. With a win, we go to 12 – 4. We’ve already clinched a playoff spot, sit atop the NFC East over Dallas, and hold the #2 seed in the conference. A win here helps us to hold onto all of that.
Suffering a loss would mean a stumble to 11 – 5, and a return of all those annoying questions the media asked during that three game skid. Worse yet, if the Cowboys win, then we’d be behind them in the division AND the conference.
****
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 Cardinals.
NOPE.
1) Win In The Trenches:Defensive line play isn’t always about sacks. In this case it’s about not allowing the Cardinals to get their run game going. In recent weeks DT Jordan Davis had been failing to hold the line of scrimmage and keep blockers off the LB’s. He was better last week, but we need him to wreck interior blocking schemes this week.
2) Hands Up:Again, d-line play isn’t just about the sack. Our linemen need to get their hands up and make it hard to see, for the 5’10” opposing QB. If he can’t see well, he may put the ball in dangerous places without realizing it. Would I trade a sack for an interception? Fuck yeah! Would you? Sure you would. So let’s get those big ‘ol paws up. (This is where a legit 6’5” 270 pound LDE to bookend with RDE Josh Sweat, would be great.)
3) Run The Ball: The Cardinals are the NFL’s 32nd ranked team against the run. The Cardinals are the league’s worst team against the run. No one in this league is worse against the run, than the Cardinals. I’m guessing that you understand what all that means. Let’s hope the Eagles coaching staff does as well.
A few Swift trips to the end zone would be great.
We need another 16+ carry game from RB D’Andre Swift. In terms of yardage, I think if he gets over 72 rushing yards, we should win. Listen, if 50,000 people (not all 69,000 are Eagles fans) are all yelling one thing, there may be some wisdom in listening.
4) Be Efficient: Give us four quarters of Hurtstaking what the opposing defense gives him, and using the clock as a weapon. No throwing into double coverage please! If one receiver is doubled, then someone must be wide open. When there is free yardage available, TAKE IT!
That doesn’t mean dinking and dunking exclusively. If the coverage gives us a look we can beat, by all means, take the shot! Even if it’s to back-up TE Jack Stoll, running loose. If the big play is there, pull that trigger. Just don’t try to create big plays where their potential doesn’t truly exist.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
First off, YAYYY!!!! We got a 1:00 game, again! For the first time in months, I stand a chance of getting Four Things Reviewed out on-time, without having to fight sleep to write it, with work looming the next morning. Or just bailing on it, because I couldn’t stay awake, and having to put it out late. Oh, 1:00 games. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you!
And none of that stuff.
Normally I try to focus on tactics which exploit opponent weaknesses. Not so much this week. The Eagles need some shakedown time to adjust to new Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia. Look, if you want to buy that garbage that Head Coach Nick Sirianni is selling about Sean Desai not being demoted, be my guest. He can’t bullshit me!
My gut says that the Cardinals coaching staff may not be all-in on this game.
Real talk: The 3 – 12 Cardinals hold the #2 overall pick in the Draft as of right now. Washington and New England are both 4 – 11, and right behind them. A loss keeps that pick in Arizona’s hands. A win, puts them at 4 – 12 and throws them into a (likely) three-way tie at 4 – 12.
Having already been eliminated from playoff contention, why also ruin that Draft spot? Especially since the world knows that Arizona wants to move on from their current QB. Given that he could be trade-bait for teams like Washington, Tennessee, Vegas, and Atlanta, why risk all that for a meaningless win?
A loss hurts us, and a win hurts them. Both teams would have to fuck up ROYALLY for the Eagles to not end up 12 – 4 by Sunday night.
****
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Sack Leader: LB Shaquille Leonard (Sacks:1.0/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 7)
Special Teams Ace: PR Britain Covey (3 – 66 – 22.0 – 0) 54 yd return set up TD
****
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:
CB Kelee Ringo will wins some, will lose some.
1) Go Get Some Cutlets:The goal was five sacks on QB Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito (9 – 16 – 56.2% – 55 – 0 – 0), but he was pulled at the half, for poor performance. Still, we only collected 1 sack all game long, as our linemen no longer remember how to disengage from blockers. (NOT DONE)
2) Secure the Run:We were better here than we’ve been in weeks. Especially at setting the edges. The “A” gaps still require some work. RB Saquon Barkley (23 – 80 – 3.4 – 1 – 0) piled up 80 on the ground, but it took a lot of touches, and at no point did it ever look like he would break a long one. (DONE).
3) Spread and Run: In this game, I counted FIVE runs of 10 yards or more. One from Hurts, one from RB Kenneth Gainwell (6 – 41 – 6.8 – 0 – 0), and three from Swift. Opening up the formation helped greatly. Even more helpful, were the NINE targets to TEDallas Goedert (9 – 7 – 71 – 10.1 – 0), which forced the giants defense to honor him as a receiving threat, not just as a blocker. (DONE)
4) Passes On the Rusher: Playing a 4 – 2 – 5 alignment, allowed the giants to move OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (no stats) around. Assigning a receiver to settle into his rush wake, was the hope. That was rarely possible. Still, when given the opportunity, the Eagles did not shift to take advantage of this. (NOT DONE)
++++
So we did 2of the Four Things, and as a result, we got the win. A close win. An ugly win. But a win, nonetheless. Next Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals, come to town. With a record of 3 – 12, they would currently draft #2 overall; and I don’t imagine their coaching staff is eager to jeopardize that position.
****
RB D’Andre Swift dart through the middle for a TD
Game Hero: D’Andre Swift – The guy ran with a purpose all day. Trying to wrestle his way into the endzone; reversing field and scoring (called back); making two guys miss him in a phonebooth while scoring. All with zero turnovers, or personal foul penalties, which led directly to eight points, Jalen.
Swift even showed some situational awareness. At the end of one run, Swift slid to stay in bounds, and keep the clock running out on the giants. As opposed to not running out of bounds at the end of the half, to stop the clock and give the Eagles an extra shot at a touchdown. Right, Jalen?
Game goat: SReed Blankenship(6 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) – That 70 yard touchdown he gave up was just bad recognition and technique. Knowing that he’s the last line of defense, he had to read pre-snap, that he didn’t have the depth to challenge a Go, Post, or Fade route. So why he didn’t drop farther back or turn and run sooner, is beyond me.
On The Whole:
CB Kelee Ringo wins this one. His interception seals our victory.
It wasn’t a pretty win, but would you rather we lost? So stop complaining, folks. Take the “W”! All of the issues you want to complain about today, are the issues that you’ve been complaining about all season.
The issues, were turnovers. First, RB Boston Scott (1 – 3 – 3.0 – 0 – 0) fumbling a kickoff return, by running into his own man. Then Jalen Hurts throwing a pick six, and horse-collaring the player as he scored, thus making the two-point conversion almost automatic. These turnovers led directly to 15 of the giants 25 points. This game is potentially 47 – 10 otherwise.
Yes, we want the issues fixed, but Head Coach Nick Sirianniis a typical NFL head coach, in that, he’d rather lose his way, than win somebody else’s. As long as Sirianni doesn’t believe there’s a problem, there won’t be a serious attempt at fixing it. Unless team OwnerJeff Lurie tells him there’s a problem.
Defensively, I can’t complain about the wayMatt Patriciais calling things. Aside from the 70 yard pass, our Defense kept a pretty tight lid on the giants offense. However, we might be keeping the pass rushing too vanilla, and making things too easy on opposing linemen.
IN last week’s loss, we handed the ball off 24 times for 95 yards (3.9ypc). Unless things get out of hand quickly, it’s going to take that sort of commitment to the running the ball, to win this game. While RB Boston Scott has been the boogeyman against the giants, most of the carries need to go to Philly native RB D’Andre Swift.
While this city is famous for its cheesesteaks, hoagies and roast pork sandwiches, we also love a good cutlet. So lets hope that DEJosh Sweatand OLB Haason Reddick bring their appetites, because the giants are known for allowing multiple servings. So mangia! Mangia, boys! Don’t leave anything left.
Grabbing the win would move us to 11 – 4, and end our three game losing streak. Which would make for a great Christmas present. It would also put us a step closer to winning the NFC East, for the second year in a row.
Losing means 10 – 5, and another week of fans acting like the season is over, for a team already guaranteed a playoff spot.
****
The point of Four Thingsisn’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 giants.
DE Brandon Graham gets a sack
1) Go Get Some Cutlets: Five sacks in this one should be our minimum goal. In seven games, giants QB Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito has been sacked 35 times. This would indicate that perhaps his offensive line isn’t very good.
We’ve gotten some impressive play as of late, from DT Jalen Carter and DT Fletcher Cox. The hope is that we can get our edge rushers going as well. Both Sweat and Reddick were quiet last week. Reddick has yet to force a fumble all season. Changing both would help the team immensely.
2) Secure the Run: Usually it’s either “set the edges” or “play the ‘A’ gaps”. This week it’s both. We have injuries to our LB’s, so there might be a lot of subbing going on. This is a great opportunity for miscues, because someone isn’t in their run fit. Our D-Line has to set the lanes and boundaries, so everything is easier for back-ups to read.
Bottling up the run on first and second, sets us up for third and long. When we see third and six or longer, we have got to make plays that get us off the field. Making tackles at the sticks won’t cut it. They’ll just play for the markers.
3) Spread and Run: It’s an overly simplistic strategy, but right now the Eagles offensively need a re-set back to fundamentals. Asking the Eagles to play from under Center is out of the question. It would fix a ton of what’s wrong with us, but it won’t happen. So the next best thing, would be to stretch the box laterally.
LT Jordan Mailata and RB Boston Scott
Every week, I chart how many runs we have of 10 yards or more, and at no point have we had more than four in a game. We had four vs the Vikings, Bucs, and Chiefs. Half of these were from our QB. If we can stretch the box laterally, and get Swift to the second level quickly, maybe he can break a couple of these run.
4) Passes On the Rusher: While giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux is listed as a LB, he’s basically a DE. If he’s not going to line-up outside of the Tackle and not drop into coverage, then we need to be about the business of attacking the Flat on his side. Why not take something they’re likely to give us, all game long?
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This past week, Head Coach Nick Sirianni said this offense (meaning the system), is the same offense from the last two years, and it’s being run the same way. I don’t doubt that the playbook is the same. (Notice that opponents seem to have figured us out.) What is bullshit, is that it’s being run the same way.
It doesn’t matter who gets the blame for fucking up the offense. If Sirianni wants it, hey, I’m happy to give him shit for it. Whether it’s Sirianni or Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson, the play-calling is atrocious to the point of almost being amateurish. Heavy Shotgun; no motion; called QB runs on first down; route concepts that look like they came off of Madden ‘96. All of those are bad things.
And don’t say that we were fine with it when were winning, because TONS of us weren’t. Sirianni and the players, this very season, repeatedly stood at the podium after games, saying the team had yet to play it’s best football, and then seemed confused when fans weren’t thrilled with “a win being a win”.
It was also an issue last year. Not starting fast. Or starting fast and then letting opponents creep back into games. So this year’s issues aren’t new. We want to see an Eagles team consistently give us four quarters of good football. And we want to see a head coach who can get that out of his players.
I think this run of games is more important to Nick Sirianni than many might expect. To go from the one seed, to not winning the division… I’m not sure how team Owner Jeff Luriewould stomach that. So I think this is a must win game for Sirianni.
I have no hard news to back that up. It’s just my gut feeling. That being said, my gut has an extremely good track record, in regards to this team.
****
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
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: SEAHAWKS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run the Ball: Tire out Seattle’s defensive front. Don’t be one dimensional. Get 75 rushing yards for RB D’Andre Swift(18 – 74 – 4.1 – 0 – 0). We did those things, and it helped to keep Hurts from being sacked. (DONE)
2) Deploy the Kerrigan Plan: Didn’t get within a 80$ cab ride of this. There were four RB Screens thrown, but because of the constant WR and TE Screens, no one was in the Flat. So Seattle’s defense just hung around looking for screens, like horny boys outside of a girl’s Catholic school. (High school was fun.)
Making things worse, it seems like Hurts either doesn’t see crossing routes, or just refuses to throw to them. It also seems like opponents have figured this out, because again this week, there were plenty of gimmies left on field. Both of the uncovered and loosely covered variety. (NOT DONE)
3) Peter Out Their Line: This couldn’t be done because OT Jason Peters didn’t play. As a result, the left side of the Eagles Defense was gashed by the run, and no sacks were generated from there. A few times the Eagles went to a five man line, and were effective when not rushing in straight lines.
The reality is that OLB Haason Reddick(2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) is too small to keep lining up at DE. He’s at his best as a stand up rusher, playing outside of a true DE. When he lined up at DE in this one, he just got washed around vs the run and, was a non-factor rushing the pass (NOT DONE)
4) Just Make the Tackle:We were doing a great job of this in the first half. In the second half there was rare edge setting, guys weren’t in their run fits, and watching DT Jordan Davis (2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) repeatedly driven off the line, was something I didn’t understand. (NOT DONE)
++++
So this week we did 1 of the Four Things and surprise surprise, we lost. Next week the giants come to Philly to gift us with a win on Christmas day.
****
Game Hero: RT Lane Johnson – Coming back into the game after twisting his ankle, was a big time move. Psychologically the Eagles don’t stay in this game, if Hurts is sick and Johnson is sidelined.
Game goat: QB Jalen Hurts – Running Back Jalen Hurts threw 2 interceptions, and was off all night, with his passing. Yet at no point was he selfless enough to admit that he wasn’t getting it done. While RB Hurts scored twice, QB Hurts turned the ball over twice. What’s that, two straight games without a passing touchdown?
On The Whole:
Hear me out.
The loss was stunning, but this game wasn’t nearly as bad as it seemed. While the replacing of Sean Desai with new Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia, may have felt like “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”, it really wasn’t.
There are only so many changes that can get made in eight days. Postgame, it was said that Patricia changed nothing. Supposedly, the only thing that changed were the people. This is smart, because Patricia needs to figure out if the problem was Desai, or the players. Players suddenly asked to do unfamiliar things, just means new mistakes.
For example, the go-ahead touchdown thrown on CB James Bradberry(5 tackles). He said that he was playing the sticks (the first down marker), and not expecting Safety help. Well then, he shouldn’t have let his man get behind him. Regardless of what the called defense was, Bradberry should have made that mental adjustment.
With Bradberry not making that simple adjustment, it says in this case the error is player not scheme. On the other hand, watching Reddick at DE, being repeatedly washed out against the run, says in that instance, the issue is scheme. Patricia now gets to evaluate and make his adjustments.
Offensively, having a sick QB run the ball 13 times, and absorb the beating that goes with it, was a sign that our coaching staff suffers from CTE. The extra fatigue from the beating he was eating, showed up in Hurts ball placement. Note how he didn’t put the ball where only his guys could get it.
There had to have been six Screens thrown in this game. None of them good. Unless it’s to a RB, we should knock that shit off. What creates room for a Screen, is moving players away from the line of scrimmage. Stacking receivers, who then cluster at the line like a doo-wop group, only attracts defensive players. Like it did in this game.
SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters.
In 2021, the NFL expanded the season to 17 games, which makes for an uneven split. So this year (at least), these Quarterly Reports will come after games 5, 9, 13, and 17. (Ugh. I hate even looking at that format.)
Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.
STATUS: 10 – 3, 2nd place in the NFC East
[pic]
OPPONENTS:
W – Kansas City
W – Buffalo (OT)
L – San Francisco
L – Dallas
OVERVIEW:
We played K.C., Buffalo, and San Fran, all in the span of thirteen days. Both the K.C. and Buffalo games were played in driving, cold rain. The San Fran and Dallas games were blowout losses, with both opponents coming off of ten days rest. Not an excuse, but fatigue plays major a factor in an NFL season.
In the San Fran game, we started well but then… we just looked gassed. Then we came out flat against Dallas, and lost three fumbles. Two in the red zone (Hurts and Smith), and one (Brown) on the opening possession of the second half, when we were down 6 – 24. Uncharacteristic, and highly unlikely to be repeated.
There is reason for concern, but the Eagles still control their own fate with regard to winning the NFC East. So the sky is not falling, despite what the Panic Party keeps shouting from the clock-towers. We have however, lost the number one seeding. That however, could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
GRADES:
QB Jalen Hurts after walk-off TD vs Bufffalo
QB: Not a great quarter.Jalen Hurts(76/125 – 60.8% – 845 – 4 – 2) threw 3 touchdowns against Buffalo, but just 1 total in the other three games. Play-calling gets lots of blame, but Hurts is on he field, selecting which receiver to go to with the ball. Also, coaches are not who is holding the ball too long.
As ineffective as he’s been as a passer, his rushing (38 – 144 – 3.7 – 5 – 2) has also diminished greatly. He’s still shows the ability to pick up a first down, but he no longer deserves the respect afforded to dangerous runners. This last quarter, he justified every team who passed on him in the first round of the 2020 Draft.
RB:Why get a player and not use him?D’Andre Swift(43 – 208 – 4.8 – 1 – 0/10 – 6 – 42 – 7.0 – 0) averaged under 11 carries per game last quarter. In our two losses, Swift ran for 39 and 13 yards. In our two wins, he ran for 80 and 76. Those look like clues, to me! Let’s give a couple to the coaching staff.
Kenneth Gainwell (9 – 60 – 6.6 – 0 – 0/ 10 – 8 – 56 – 7.0 – 0) continues to whelm. Of those 60 yards, 23 came on one run. The remaining 8 carries produced 37 yards (4.6ypc).Boston Scott (8 – 33 – 4.1 – 0 – 0 / 2 – 1 – 27 – 27.0 – 0) worked more than last quarter, but for an average of just two carries per game.
TE: He missed all but one game last quarter with a broken arm, but Dallas Goedert(4 – 4 – 30 – 7.5 – 0) looked decent in his one game back. Let’s hope for no setbacks.
Jack Stoll(4 – 2 – 17 – 8.5 – 0) looked good on a 14 yard catch and rumble vs Buffalo. He however, doesn’t have his QB’s trust, as even when wide open, passes didn’t come his way. The Eagles have other players at this position and someone should remind them of that.
WR: After going on a tear earlier this year, things have slowed for A.J. Brown (39 – 23 – 253 – 11.0 – 1). Opponents have begun more aggressively bracket covering him, which has opened things up forDevonta Smith(37 – 27 – 374 – 13.8 – 2), who has posted his strongest quarter so far.
WR Olamide Zaccheaus with the 29 yard score.
Olamide Zacchaeus (3 – 2 – 57 – 28.5 – 1) has seen all of 15 targets this season. It’s insulting given the results that he provides. Quez Watkins(4 – 3 – 28 – 9.3 – 0) returned from a hamstring injury, and posted all of this quarters numbers vs San Fran. Help me understand this, Julio Jones (5 – 3 – 5 – 1.6 – 0). Why did we sign him, if we have no plans for him?
OT: I’m kind of glad that RT Lane Johnson has allowed a sack. Now it can stop being a mandatory mention. Even better, I can say that even though he’s allowed a sack, we still have the best RT in the game. He was hit for a false start vs both San Fran and Dallas, so that’s 10 free yards on Lane.
I feel I owe LT Jordan Mialata, not really an apology, but an acknowledgement that I was judging him too harshly. A lot of the pressure he gives up, is a result of the QB holding the ball too long, and dropping beyond the pocket. Jordan picked up a holding call and a false start last quarter, giving away 15 yards.
Swingman Jack Driscoll stepped in for us during Lane’s absence in the Buffalo game, and battled well enough to help us earn the win. Despite playing 66 snaps in a soaker, that went into overtime, Jack yielded no free yardage.
OG: It will come as no surprise that LG Landon Dickerson was hit with another bullshit offsides when executing the Brotherly Shove, last week. He was also hit with a false start vs Buffalo. Landon is THE GUY who makes that play work.
The return of RG Cam “Beef” Jurgens, didn’t revive the run game as many expected. Then again, you have to actually hand the ball off, to have a run game. At times Cam can be susceptible to bullrush, which only makes it worse when the QB takes forever to throw the ball, either to a receiver or away.
C: Sort of a weird quarter for Jason Kelce. He had 3 false start penalties (2 Buffalo, 1 San Fran), and a bad snap vs Dallas, putting 15 yards on his tab. I often wonder about the expiration date on his deal with Father Time. Jason throws the ‘R’ word around pretty liberally, and talks easily about it these days.
DE: The release of Derek Barnett, leaves starter Josh Sweat(11 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) and part-timer Brandon Graham(4 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) as the only two legit players at this position. Everyone else who lines up here, is just part of a package. This has severely impacted the effectiveness of everyone at the position. This position will require help via the Draft.
DT: Fallout on the ends has also stymied the interior. Fletcher Cox (7 – 2.5 – 0 – 1) continued to make his presence felt, despite missing a game last quarter. Jordan Davis (16 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) is no longer living in opponent’s backfields. That has to get corrected.
DT Jalen Carter’s first NFL touchdown.
Jalen Carter (11 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) returned a FR for a 42 yard score, but otherwise has been on milk cartons. Milton Williams(9 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) missed the Buffalo game, and Marlon Tuipulotu(11 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) is getting far too much work for someone that far down the depth chart. This is due to all the sub-packages.
OLB: Sadly, because he gets moved to End so much, Haason Reddick (13 – 3.5 – 0 – 0) doesn’t really line up here. It’s part of what’s crippling our pass rush. Zach Cunningham (26 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) missed the San Fran game, and his secure tackling was missed.
Nolan Smith (2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) we’re told, is about to receive an uptick in playing time. Idiotically, they pay him opposite Reddick, instead of in rotation with.Patrick Johnson and Ben VanSumeren are Special Teams players and emergency depth.
MLB: At less than 220 pounds, Nicholas Morrow(31 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) doesn’t have the interior presence for this position, over a 17 game schedule. Morrow shows quick hands in coverage, but the fatigue is showing up in his tackling. This may be part of why Darius “Shaq” Leonard (2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) was brought in.
S:This position will also see an early Draft pick. Reed Blankenship (29 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) will likely still be on next year’s roster, but last quarter he essentially played himself out of a starting role next year. Sydney Brown(15 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) hasn’t played great, but he’s a draft pick. So the Eagles will give him every chance to beat out undrafted Blankenship next year.
New acquisition S Kevin Byard denies QB Pat Mahomes
Kevin Byard(31 – 0.0 – 1 – 0) picked off Patrick Mahomes in the endzone, to contribute to a win. Also, Byard convinced coaches to let the DB’s scout opposing WR’s for the next game. Usually coaches handle that. Is Byard making a cultural impact?
CB: The eyeball test says that he’s struggling. The analytics say that Darius Slay (17 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) over this last quarter has been targeted 22 times for 10 completions (45.4%), 112 yards and zero scores. And Dallas completed none of the four passes they threw at him. James Bradberry (10 – 0.0 – 1 – 0) has been targeted 30 times, for 17 completions (56.6%) for 187 yards, and touchdowns in three of the four games last quarter.
Bradley Roby(17 – 0.0 – 0 – 1) hasn’t given up any scores, but his 64% completion rate, isn’t helping on third down. Neither Eli Ricks nor Kelee Ringo played enough to factor much this quarter.
LS:Yet again, Rick Lovato has been solid, steady, and uneventful. (Grade: A)
P: I thoroughly dig Braden Mann(16 – 794 – 49.6) kicking the ball half the field on average. We are allowing 8.0 yards per return, so he may be out kicking his coverage a bit. His 28 yard pass on a punt fake, was beautiful (Grade: A)
K: Not exactly news here, but Jake Elliott was 5/5 on Field Goals, and 9/9 on Extra Points. Shocker, right? Especially after that collar pop in Buffalo. Driving rain, against the wind, 59 yards out? For Jake the Make, it’s a gimme. (Grade: A)
PR/KR: WR Britain Covey (6 – 89 – 14.8 – 0) He has a great average, but he has never had a return, where I thought he might break it open. (Grade: B)
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
We went 2 – 2 over this last stretch and Dallas was not one of the wins. As a result, we are no longer in the lead for the #1 seed. Instead, we are currently, one of three 10 – 3 teams, but are behind San Francisco, and also behind Dallas by virtue of a tie-breaker. Up and down the Offensive roster, there is rampant under-utilization of players. That speaks to a lack of creativity and not understanding as a coach, how to use each players gifts.
It doesn’t always go our way.
Defensively, we essentially are just jogging alongside our opponents, on their way to a score. The pass rush that got us 70 sacks last year, just got us 6 over the last four games.
This is ridiculous! It’s egregious. It’s outrageous! This is simply inexcusable and unforgivable, and it has to get fixed. I’m going to say something I have never said in nine years of writing these articles. I don’t care how it gets fixed. Just fix it!
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
It will take some help to regain the #1 seed, so that shouldn’t be the focus. The focus should be doing what we can to bring about the ending that we want.
If we win out, we win the NFC East. Due to Dallas’s loss to Arizona earlier this year, if we beat Arizona, then we win the tie-breaker with Dallas. So the mission is to win out. The Arizona game is a MUST win situation.
THE loss we suffered last week, wasn’t surprising. Being blown out however, was. Since the way we lost was uncharacteristic, it’s nothing to panic over. Luckily a second blow-out in a row, on national television, nationally embarrassed the brand and Team Owner Jeff Lurie; who looked to be seething during last week’s game. And that lads, portends change. (Hence the ‘luckily’.)
There can’t be a million changes in eight days, but for a start, our practice schedule was altered. The normal walk-through, became a padded practice, to work on fundamentals. Things like tackling, run fit assignments, hand-off mesh, blitz recognition. This was an excellent place to start, and a well-measured response.
This week we visit a 6 – 7 Seahawks team, that is 4 – 2 at home. The run game both on offense and defense, has become a problem for them over the last month. Likely because teams have noticed that their smallish defensive front, is built for pass rushing. Their offensive line isn’t very good either.
A win moves us to 11 – 3, and guarantees us a spot in the playoffs. We’ve been chasing that mark for a couple weeks. Now is the time to punch our ticket, and not let it become a point of panic for the weaker minded.
A loss, puts us at 10 – 4. Still not a place for panic, but if we can’t beat a lesser opponent like this, there have to be some real questions asked about next season, regardless of how this one works out. Namely, how do we go about upgrading the coaching room, as we do all the obligatory annual roster upgrades.
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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 Seahawks
Something like the Brotherly Sweep would be great this week.
1) Run the Ball:Don’t be one-dimensional. Tire out the Seahawks smaller front. This is the easy stuff. Low hanging fruit. If this doesn’t happen, then you know that the Eagles have a FUNDAMENTAL problem with how they approach offensive football, and that an offensive coordinator must be part of our shopping list, next season.
Usually I write-in a carry mark of around 14. Not this week. This week RB D’Andre Swiftneeds 75 yards rushing. Give or take. (We’re not going to split hairs over 68 or so in a win.) My point is, another 39, or 43 yard day won’t cut it. The Seahawks won’t treat our run game as a threat, if it’s led by QB Jalen Hurts.
2) Deploy the Kerrigan Plan:Everyone knows to watch out for WR’s A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Word around the campfire is, they run predictable routes, and for this week, there is no need to change that. Opponents “knowing” where we want to be, tells us what their DB’s will try to protect. That leaves just the LB’s as obstacles.
This is where the Kerrigan Plancomes in. Press their Safeties back, with WR Quez Watkins or Julio Jones, to clear the underneath. Get passes out to the Flat for players like TE Dallas Goedert, and WR Olamide Zaccheaus. Throw a couple of RB Screens, not WR Screens!
Once we establish a presence in the Flat, it’ll dial back the Seahawks pass rush, and Hurts will have more time to go deep to Brown and Smith, vs one-on-one coverage.
3) Peter Out Their Line:At this point in his career, RT Jason Peters is essentially stealing money every time he puts on a football helmet. I’m sure that right now he’s still as strong as a bull. However, when he finished up here in 2020, his issue was matching outside speed. Folks, allow me to present OLB Haason Reddick!
Do you know how strong you have to be, to catch a grown man out of mid-air? I do. Firsthand. And you have to be pretty fucking strong.
Lining Reddick up over Peters is likely a mistake. Remember that day in 2016, when Peters caught RB Ryan Mathews out of midair, to make sure he landed safely? It’s not 2016, but I’d still lay a grand that Peters can ragdoll Reddick in a phonebooth. So play Reddick at OLB not DE, and force Peters to struggle with the counters.
4) Just Make the Tackle:Stop keeping runners upright, to claw at the ball. That just allows them to fight for extra yards, and gives their teammates a chance to push the pile. (Which the NFL is fine with, unless WE do it.) Just get the ball-carrier down. Immediately.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This doesn’t have to be a statement game. A win by one point, is the same as a win by forty. Meaning, it only counts for one win. So let every man take care of his responsibilities, cover his assignments, and trust his teammates to be doing the same.
This isn’t a big game. It just feels that way, because we’re hungry for a win, after two straight losses. This is a game we should win. And we’ll get absolutely no credit for it when we do.
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WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Thingsas a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Special Teams Ace: P Braden Mann 4th down punt fake, 28yd pass
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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: COWBOYSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Use A Brute Force Run Game:We didn’t really lean into handing the ball off, until the second half when we were down 6 – 24. Nearly all of the runs were between the Tackles, which was good. Not so good, was how often these tried to utilize misdirection from the Shotgun. That will fool fans in the stands, far more often than players on field.
Our leading rusher had just 11 carries, against 28 dropbacks, and 5 designed QB runs. I guess there’s a Zen sort of alignment in not investing in the RB position financially, since we no longer invest in it philosophically.
The Philadelphia region RESOUNDINGLY implored the team, to not be stupid this week, but alas, Head Coach Nick Sirianni and Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson, could not help themselves. Nor the players they coach. Insult to injury: None of the three fumbles we lost, were by a RB. (NOT DONE)
Rookie DT Jalen Carter recovers fumble forced by DT Fletcher Cox, and takes it back for SIX!
2) Take Away the Quick Throws: At times we did this. We played more Man Press, challenged more passes, and got their QB to hold the ball longer than he wanted to, at times. The problem was, we didn’t do it consistently. This is an aspect to build on. I just hope they see that during film review. (NOT DONE)
3) Win the Turnover Battle:HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Okay, seriously, we gave away two red zone fumbles and a bonus third one, while only getting one in return. The lost fumbles are uncharacteristic for WR’s A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith (10 – 5 – 73 – 14.6 – 0). So there’s nothing to panic about with these two. Can’t say that for Hurts though, as fumbles are anything but rare for him.
Look. the turnover battle is hard to win, if you depend on your opponent to give you gifts. Turnovers have to be forced, and the two best ways to get turnovers; are violent hits on the ball (for fumbles), or close coverage (for interceptions). Our zone coverage and drag down tackling while pulling at the ball, won’t get the job done. (NOT DONE)
4) Spread Them Out: Not much was done to spread the Cowboys defense horizontally, until they decided to do so when blitzing. For a team that loves to throw Screen routes, we didn’t see one thrown to a RB all night. Even with frequent blitzing. (NOT DONE)
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This week we did none of the Four Things, which led to the shit-canning that we endured for a second week on national television. Next week we’re on national television again, as we travel to Seattle to beat up on the Seahawks.
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DT Fletcher Cox forces a fumble.
Game Hero: DT Fletcher Cox (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) – Forced the fumble that was recovered by DT Jalen Carter and returned for a touchdown. This week’s hero designation could have gone to Carter, or Haason Reddick. It was razor thin. What tipped the scale for me, was Cox’s postgame interview at his locker.
It wasn’t just what Cox said, it was how he said it. He didn’t keep making attempts to leave. He stood there and answered the questions. He expressed trust in his locker room, and issued a challenge to the true leaders and elite players on this team. He was calm, and even keeled. He was every bit the leader the Eagles need right now.
Game goat: Jalen Hurts – The stoic body language may work for when the team is winning, but when we’re being embarrassed on national television, someone has to keep the troops dialed in and focused, and he cannot be counted on for that.
Rallying the troops?
For the record, I’ve never been a fan of Hurts’ sideline demeanor, as my nature is very different. On a sideline, I was Brian Dawkins. Bill Romanowski. An agitated doberman roaming without a leash. I was fire, and rage, and an absolute head-case. But I was always a constant source of energy for my side. I was downright contagious at times.
Watching the postgame show, it was interesting to see pundits who’d been praising Hurts’ stoic body language, suddenly say they didn’t like it. They said he was almost sulking. To be fair to Hurts, I didn’t see much different from how he usually is. What I think is happening here, is that losing is robbing him of the benefit of the doubt. Which is bullshit. Ride with his demeanor or don’t. Don’t waffle on him.
During his first couple of years, the local media largely backed off of our young QB. Then last year, and up until now, all the winning brought passes for his flaws. So Jalen Hurts has never experienced the Philadelphia media with their claws out. It’s been easy going the whole time he’s been here.
Well, losing the number one seed, by losing to Dallas, while giving away the ball in the red zone, and appearing visibly dispassionate about the whole thing, may end up changing some things for him. Very shortly, he may end up experiencing pressure and adversity that he can’t simply transfer out of.
On The Whole:
Before I get into it. I won’t discuss Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai, because I’m tired of saying the same shit over and over, with Sirianni never making sure that change happens. But add to the regular defensive woes, our three offensive fumbles, and suddenly Desai is largely off my hook this week.
Missed it byyyyy that much!
This was another one where we were out-coached folks! Fundamentals? What are those!? Instead of trying to win the game, once again our coaching staff was hell-bent on showing us how clever they are. The result was three drives ending in turnovers, two ending in field goals, and one turned over on downs.
While Brian Johnson can’t be blamed for those fumbles, Nick Sirianni certainly can. His team came out flat, played uninspired, and ended up looking tighter and tenser as the game wore on. In instances like that, a team needs someone to rally them back into the fight, and ignite their pride and their passions.
Knowing that his QB either can’t be, or won’t be that guy, Sirianni needs to be that spark. He can’t just be a preening cheerleader, posing with his kids after his team wins. He also needs to be someone his players can lean on during adversity IN games, not just a blah-blah guy between the games.
Understand, the Eagles didn’t just lose this game. We were thoroughly defeated in it. Both from the inside and the outside. It won’t take much to fix what ails us, but it WILL require actually fixing it. Let’s see if darling Nicky has more in store for us than lip service this week.
OH no! We’ve fallen to first place in the NFL! Idiot pundits are calling for benching QB Jalen Hurts. Whatever shall we do!? Well step number uno is, not to overreact. Look, it was Rocky vs Clubber Lang 1.0 last week. It was an embarrassing loss in Philly, to an extremely aggressive opponent, who was dying to prove themselves.
This week, we go out to the West Coast to spar with Apollo, while getting our groove back. This is an opportunity to not only brush up on the skills that made us the NFL’s top team, but to maybe even evolve somewhat. Because Rocky vs Clubber Lang 2.0 is coming.
In the meantime, this Sunday we need to out-spar, and out-run our biggest rival, before we can frolic in the surf. Cue the montage!
A win, and we improve to 11 – 2. We’d also clinch a playoff berth, while all but buttoning up the NFC East.
A loss would see us fall to 10 – 3, and award the Cowboys the top spot in the division by virtue of Common Opponent tie-breaker. (We both fell to the 9ers, but they beat the Jets.)
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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 Cowboys
1) Use A Brute Force Run Game: The run game isn’t just for balancing an attack, it’s also for tiring out an opponent. The Cowboys have a smallish front seven, as they are built to rush the passer. Running the ball not only takes them out of what they do best, it exposes a built-in flaw that will become impossible to mask as the game goes on.
Getting RB D’Andre Swift18 carries has to be part of this week’s game-plan. Even if we fall behind early. He got 18 carries the last time we played. Though it was for just 43 yards, it balanced nicely with Hurts 23 pass attempts. We kept their defense guessing, and it kept our chains moving.
2) Take Away Quick Throws: A huge help would be playing a lot more Man Press. We have to stop giving opposing receivers, free releases off the line. We also can’t have LB’s covering WR’s, again this week. That’s a mismatch right from the time both sides line up.
3) Win the Turnover Battle: Playing a turnover-free game would be great. Even better, would be taking the ball away from the Cowboys. Tighter coverage would help create opportunities.
4) Spread ‘Em Out:Stretching their defense horizontally, makes it easier to get Swift to the second level of their defense, with room to roam. The chance for chunk run plays multiplies, if we can stretch their defense side to side.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This is all simple and straight-forward stuff. We’re facing a division rival. They know us. We know them. So a reliance on smoke and mirrors, is a bad idea here. Besides, after being manhandled last week, it would be great to show the league, that we can still maul a motherfucker.
No excuses, but honestly, last week we were playing our third game (two of which were wars), in a thirteen day span, going against a good team, that was coming off of ten days rest. Nowhere in the multi-verse did we win that game. And that’s okay.
This week we’re on the road, going against a good team that “doesn’t lose” at home. Sounds good! Beating up on a tomato can would prove nothing to anyone. This is exactly the fight we need, in the moment when we need it.
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WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 