Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Titans did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
FS Marcus Epps delivers the cold shoulder.
1) Pick the Fight: Titans rookie WR Treylon Burkes (1 – 1 – 25 – 25.0 – 1) was laid out like a cheap suit, by FS Marcus Epps (2 – 0 – 0 – 0), on a CLEAN hit. (See the picture.) Once we set the price for one Touchdown, at one Concussion, the Titans decided to avoid the end zone altogether. Or at least they played like it.
I said we have to win at the line of scrimmage? We got 6 sacks and shut down RB Derrick Henry (11 – 30 – 2.7 – 0 – 0).
I said we needed tackles that put men on the ground? Well, we didn’t hold players up to strip them. In fact, Titans ball-carriers were dropping like they were hit by sniper fire.
Hits that draw flags? See Treylon Burkes.
Send players to the blue tent? Burkes was literally knocked out of the game. CB Kristian Fulton (1 tackle) hurt his groin when A.J. Brown ran him over for a touchdown. QB Ryan Tannehill (14/22 – 63.6% – 141 – 1 – 0) acquired a second injured ankle, after being sacked 6 times. (Both Titans had to be removed from the game.)
We beat the high, holy hell out of this team. (DONE)
2) Keep Him Clean: The idea was that our Defensive Line would keep blockers off of MLB T.J. Edwards (6 – 0 – 0 – 0), so that he could make stops on Derrick Henry. The D-Line decided to go us one better, and took to stopping Henry, themselves. No complaints there!
As for Edwards? Pretty easy day. They may not even have to launder his jersey.(DONE)
3) Rush for 100 Yards: The Eagles ran for 67 yards as a team. Taking away Jalen Hurts 12 yard contribution, the RB’s ran 19 times for 55 yards (2.8ypc). Normally that would have me pretty angry. Especially considering that it represents a 300 yard swing in rushing yards, from last game to this.
Instead, I’m amused by the sheer ridiculousness of how dominant we were, having gotten soooo far away from the statement we made last week vs Green Bay. It’s unbelievable! I cannot imagine what it must be like being a defensive coordinator, and seeing Philadelphia next on your schedule. This was a HOOT! (NOT DONE)
4) Tight Man Coverage: The Titans WR’s were targeted 8 times and caught 3 balls for 35 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 concussion. Our CB’s spent the day following their receivers like unpaid bills. I knew this was going to be a poor match-up for Tennessee, but yikes. We were out there like:
(DONE)
****
So we totally slammed 3 of the Four Things this week. Next week, we take a 2 hour drive right up I-95, to visit the Rutherford New Jersey giants, and hand them the fifth loss that they should have gotten today. Friggin’ Commanders! Can’t do shit right.
****
On The Whole:
QB Ryan Tannehill getting Cox from behind. By which I mean DT Fletcher Cox.
We spent the whole week gearing up for the second coming of The Bodybag Game, and what did we get instead? A bunch of bitches whining to the refs for penalties. They should have been embarrassed. Where were the tough guys, that I’ve seen in other games?!
Sure, they brought their physical style of play. We even saw a few of our guys head for the blue tent, and then exit the game: (LG Landon Dickerson, WR Quez Watkins(6 – 5 – 37 – 7.4 – 0), and LB Kyzir White(5 – 0 – 0 – 0) ). That said, it was clear that the Titans don’t take punches as well as they throw them. And this is what passes for playoff caliber in the AFC?
In last week’s FTR, I mentioned that rookie LB Nakobe Dean (5 – 0 – 0 – 0) perhaps should see some of Kyzir White’s early snaps. After White left today’s game, Dean did nothing but make my point. That kid looked good out there!
CORRECTION!
All season long, I’ve been misspelling the first name of LB Haason Reddick(2 – 1. 0 – 0 – 0) as “Hasaan”. I don’t know where I picked up the incorrect spelling, but you can google “Hasaan Reddick” and see any number of places where I could have picked it up. However, upon seeing this Tweet from him today:
it only stands to reason that the man knows how to spell his own name! (Meaning I was wrong.)
I’m not going to go back and correct every instance of the misspelling, but I will be better going forward, and will head to the Eagles website (I rarely go there), to check ALL of my name spellings against the roster.
This is embarrassing, but in this world, we must be accountable.
LAST week DTFletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham, DE Josh Sweat and OLB Hasaan Reddickcombined to knock QB Aaron Rodgers from the game, and setting up the end of his era in Green Bay. This week we turn our gaze to deposing the supposed “king”. Now is not a good time to be considered NFL royalty. Because we’re hunting for another crown.
DT Fletcher Cox on the hunt
A win makes us 11 – 1, and keeps us at the top of the NFL food chain. There are seven seats at the playoff table. That means we have to be better than NINE teams in the conference. Winning an 11th game would mean that we can’t lose more than 6 games this season. EIGHT teams already have 7 or more losses. We’d be two Washington or Seattle losses away, from clinching a playoff spot.
A loss would make us 10 – 2. However, both we and the number two team, are playing non-conference games this week. So no mater how this weekend works out, we’ll keep the top seed. For at least one more week, the NFC belongs to us, and no one can do a goddamn thing but genuflect, and kiss the motherfucking ring.
So let’s go get this win, and kill any hope that the peasants may be harboring.
****
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: Titans
1) Pick The Fight:The Titans style isn’t one of being particularly clever, but of being physical. The Titans, almost to a man, will be looking to punch us in the mouth. As a team, the Eagles have faced adversity vs weather, on the scoreboard, and with calls by officials. This time, as individual men, they will be tested physically.
As Philadelphians we pride ourselves on being ready to drop the gloves faster than anyone else. Sunday we get to see if our team is as tough as the fans. (It’s RARELY the case though. See: Gang Green Defense, Buddy Ryan) The Titans however, are about that life! Instead of accepting their invitation to a fight, we need to start it, and finish it.
Winning at the line of scrimmage. Tackles that put men on the ground. Hits that draw flags, and send their players to the blue tent. These are the things we need to see Sunday. No finessing our way through this one. We need our toes to tickle their tonsils the hard way.
2) Keep Him Clean:Keeping blockers off of MLB T.J. Edwards will allow him to flow to the Titans 247 pound RB, and meet him in the hole before he can gather any momentum. That means our Defensive Linemen can’t allow Titans offensive linemen to have quick, clean releases off the line of scrimmage.
With their RB being so large, he needs holes, not creases. If we can delay their linemen even half a second, it malforms the hole that the RB needs to run through. If the Defense can trap the RB between the linemen, it’ll be easier to slow their run game. Look, they’re going to run the ball a lot. So we don’t need to shut down their run game, just make it unreliable.
3) Rush for 100 yards: The Titans are 0 – 3 this season when they allow 100 yards rushing. They’re 1 – 4 when their opponent rushes for 75 or more. That said, this one is more about us, and less about them.
Running the ball successfully, is about being able to impose will on someone who is giving their all, not to let it happen. If we can do that against a team as physical as the Titans, we will have sent a POWERFUL message to the entire the NFL. If we cannot, it’s best to know it (and fix it), before we find ourselves in the playoffs.
4) Tight Man Coverage:When I say Titans WR, who’s the first person you think of? Nope, he plays for us now. Think of someone else… Can’t? Neither can anyone else, since their WR’s have COMBINED for just 3 of the Titans 11 receiving scores. No one is afraid of these guys.
Making things worse for them, is QB Ryan Tannehill, the Neapolitan ice cream of NFL QB’s. His 36 – 16 record as a Titan says reliable, but his limitations…
Imagine a slab of this, melting on a styrofoam plate, next to a square of sheet cake. Yum. Tannehill.
Watching Tannehill try to force passes to sub-par receivers, wearing CB’s Darius “Big Play” Slay and James Bradberry, like shadows, should buy enough time for our deep and talented Defensive Line, to shred their lackluster offensive line.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This is the game on the schedule that scares me. For many it’s the Dallas re-match, but I’m neither here nor there with that one. That’s a division game. Division games (like footballs) can take funny bounces. See the difference between our Washington games? Yeah. So I’ll see how I feel about Dallas, when that game gets here.
The 7 – 4 Titans score an average of 19.0 points per game, vs allowing 18.6. They don’t have the firepower to reach 30 points, and haven’t all season so far. So this game like many of their other games, they’re going to try and turn into a low scoring brawl. Usually I don’t suggest playing down to an opponent, but we need a good fist fight.
Talent-wise, the Eagles are head and shoulders above the Titans, in most areas. If we bring the same level of physicality to this game as they do, we should win this game in a walk. However, this is a different type of opponent than we’ve faced all year, and we need to be ready to meet that type of challenge in the playoffs.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 26 – Titans 17
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
Ace :(S) K Jake Elliott ( Two 4th qtr FG’s, one from 54 to ice the game)
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Thingsarticles. 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: PACKERSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Hit Their QB:We hurried him into an early interception, sacked him three times, and knocked his punk ass out of the game. Even before the Packers yanked him, you could see in his eyes that he was finished.(DONE)
2) Miles of Screens:We didn’t throw Screens to RB Miles Sanders (21 – 143 – 6.8 – 2 – 0). He did catch (3 – 3 – 17 – 5.6 – 0) everything thrown his way, while running for a career high 143 yards, but none of it was a Screen pass. This is one place where the technicality works against me, but I’ll own it, because the technicality does not diminish his involvement, nor the statement made by this win. (NOT DONE)
3) Wrap it up, B!: After their first drive we settled in and got this done. The issue this week wasn’t the wrapping up, it was getting guys in the right hole, to meet the ball-carrier. Too often our defenders weren’t getting a shot at the runner, until they were 3 or 4 yards downfield already. Still, on 20 attempts, we gave up just 106 rushing yards on the night.
SS Reed Blankenship lurk in the “Robber” position and breaks on the ball. Between this and his physical style of play, it made me think of Ronnie Lott, after he signed with the Raiders. Not comparing players, just stylistic similarities.
I like the “thump” that SS Reed Blankenship (3 – 0 – 1 – 0) added tonight. There were a couple of downs where I saw OLB Kyzir White (2 – 0 – 0 – 0) try a shoulder tackle instead of a wrap-up, leading to extra yardage for the runner. One of them looked like he was making a business decision near the right sideline. As I said in the Quarter Two Report Card, it may be time to get rookie LB Nakobe Dean some of White’s snaps. (DONE)
4) Deep Down the Middle:Nope. Most of the passing was of the short variety. I think Hurts threw more balls away, than he legitimately attempted as deep passes. (NOT DONE)
****
Yet again we finish at 2 of the Four Things, even though it’s really ore like three of them. No matter. Next week we host Tennessee’s rugby team, and get a first-hand look at their attempt to integrate the forward pass into their offense, as well as we have.
WR A.J. Brown demonstrating genuine Toe Drag Swag
****
On The Whole:
RB Boston Scott and his bodyguard, LT Jordan Mialata.
It was a vulgar display of power, and I LOVED it. We did it because we wanted to do it, and there was no way for them to stop us. And was I excited? I spent that whole game on the verge of reaching for the hand lotion. (Not really, but you get my point.)
QB Jalen Hurts on his way to running for 157 yards on the day. The most by a QB in Eagles history.
We piled up 363 rushing yards in this game. I’ve been saying that running the ball is our identity, and we shouldn’t get away from that, but DAMN. This game was just us being more physical and looking to impose our will. We’ll need more of that next week.
RB Miles Sanders goes off for a career high 143 rushing yards.
Now my concerns. And I have a few.
I worry about the cumulative damage that all this running puts on Hurts. Not the hits, but the wear and tear. The torsion in his hips, knees, and ankles. I’m remembering last year’s high ankle sprain, as being non-contact. Pocket passers almost never get that injury. If we have a lead, there should never be a designed run called for him.
Defensively, we were consistently out-schemed by the Packers Screen and Pitch game. They did a great job of keeping us off-balance, and we had to wait for penalties, to hand us third downs where we could dictate the action. A well disciplined team won’t give us that chance. A PLAYOFF team won’t give us that.
Special Teams is a joke. Not only are we abysmal at returning all kicks, but now we’re now shit at covering them too. I’d been blaming WR Britain Covey, but today he only fair caught a punt. The rest of the returning was done by RB Boston Scott (3 – 24 – 8.0 – 0 – 0) who’s returning (4 – 91 – 22.7 – 0) was also underwhelming. Yet, returners can’t be blamed for the Packers gashing us for 172 KO return yards.
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 (not Weeks) 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.
Note:This Report was supposed to come out BEFORE the Colts game, The records below reflect the records at that time.
STATUS: 8 – 1, 1st in NFC East, 1st in the NFC
Chips pushed to center of the table.
OPPONENTS: (After game nine)
(W ) Dallas 6 – 3
(W ) Pittsburgh 3 – 6
(W ) Houston 1 – 7 – 1
(L ) Washington 5 – 5
OVERVIEW: Bad news first. We just suffered our first loss. We are allowing an increasing number of rushing yards as this quarter wears on. Now the good news. We didn’t allows a team to reach 200 yards passing for any of these four games. We also haven’t allowed a team to reach 20 points in 3 number of those four games.
We’ve also started scoring points in both halves of ball games. It sounds like sarcasm, but it isn’t. Looking at the Raiders and Raven blow big leads repeatedly this season, makes a clear point. It’s not how many points, it’s how often points. Big, early leads that get chipped into, give the opponent confidence. However, constantly topping up our score, can make an opponent feel that they’ll always be just out of reach.
This is how to make opponents dread seeing us on their schedule.
NOTE: This Report was supposed to come out BEFORE the Colts game, but the Monday Night game threw everything off. That means no mention or consideration of the Colts game stats will figure into this report. This segment will be the only place that will mention DT Linval Josephor DT Ndamukong Suh, and even then, only to say that they aren’t discussed in this Report.
*****
GRADES:
QB: B / Jalen Hurts rushing this quarter (26 – 88 – 3.3 – 1 – 1) is way too much risk for way too little reward. Also the number of times he’s been sacked 12 in the last three games is up 11 in the first five games. The boil-down is that our QB is taking too much punishment, for too few yards. Some of it is the line, but some of it is him holding the ball too long.
When he does get the ball off, he’s just gunning defenses down. In the first five games, he threw 4 TD/2 Ints. In these last 4, he’s thrown 10TD/1 Int.
RB Miles Sanders scores in our 26 – 17 victory over Dallas
RB:C /Miles Sanders (56 – 296 – 5.2 – 3 – 0) has been effective when used, and even enjoyed a three game scoring streak. Where he’s fallen off, is just 2 targets in the last four weeks, vs 11 in the first five. His snap count was also down. Kenneth Gainwell(11 – 57 – 5.1 – 1 – 0) has been effective as a runner, but his 5 catches for 29 yards (5.8) isn’t what the team was hoping for from him. Boston Scott(15 – 47 – 3.1 – 0 – 0) has seen mostly mop-up duty, and hasn’t been part of recent games while they’re still in contest. Trey Sermon hasn’t played since week five.
This group has been less involved and it has showed itself in the slow start against the Texans and the loss vs Washington. Running is this team’s bread and butter. This has to get fixed.
TE: C / Dallas Goedert (24 – 19 – 209 – 11.0 – 2) has been a consistent catalyst for the Offense. Key third down conversions are becoming his calling card. He should see more targets when the Offense is inside the 10, but the Offensive Coordinator is in love with bunch formations and trying to get our QB killed.
Stepping up his production is blocking TE Jack Stoll (5 – 3 – 45 – 15. 0 – 0). His numbers are meager, but his last quarter as a receiver has already been more impactful, than his entire 2021 season. No other Eagles TE has caught a pass since Week 1. We have no depth here. The pending injury report on Goedert (hurt vs Washington), will tell us if we’re lucky or screwed.
WR: B /A.J Brown (28 – 16 – 289 – 18.0 – 5) has been on a tear. Aside from the Washington game where he pulled up lame early in the contest, he’s scored in each game this quarter. Devonta Smith (23 – 18 – 128 – 7.1 – 2) has become just a possession receiver this quarter. Even his two scores were both in the red zone. This seems to work better for making the QB comfortable, than it does for sustaining scoring drives. Smith needs to be opened up more.
WR A.J. Brown scores easily on a pass rusher forced to cover.
Quez Watkins (8 – 7 -105 – 15.0 – 0) has been far from featured, but at least he’s been less of an afterthought this last quarter. Zach Pascal (5 – 4 – 75 – 18.7 – 1) is still a blocker/enforcer/H-Back, but the Eagles seem to want to weaponize him more. Which is good! He’s too small (214 pounds) to consider in a TE role, but he can gives us versatility if we motion-switch alignments vs a Nickel or Dime front.
OT: B / LT Jordan Mailata (6’8”) had one bad game vs DE Jerry Hughes (6’2”), but you’d swear that the media was going to rename him Winston Justice. It did however expose that in a playoff game, at his height, Mailata might require help vs shorter DE’s who can flatten and bend the corner. Good to know in advance!
RT Lane Johnson did what Lane Johnson does. Legitimately a Hall of Fame candidate, he opens holes and doesn’t allow defenders to touch his QB. He missed about half of the win vs Dallas leaving with a concussion. Swing T Jack Driscoll came in and batted clean-up. He allowed more hits and pressure than Johnson did, but look at who we’re comparing Driscoll to.
OG: B / LG Landon Dickerson is at his best teeing off on players and imposing his will, in the run game. He’s doing a great job and not allowing sacks, but his game still feels muzzled. RGIssac Seumalo does a good job getting to the second level in the run game, but he still seems to have trouble with bull rushers. Given that he plays the right side, it makes the QB have to feint back and not get as much on his passes.
C: A / Jason Kelce has been letting it all hang out this quarter. Even pulling teammates by their helmets for extra yards! He looks like a man who wants to prove that he can still play at high level; so that when he does walk away after this year, he leaves his legend intact.
DE: F / Josh Sweathasn’t generated much heat in the last quarter. He produced a sack/fumble against Washington, but otherwise has been quiet. Brandon Graham was also practically invisible. Since coming over in a Week 8 trade, Robert Quinn has been active, but hasn’t put his stamp on the defense.
Schematically this position has been where it needs to be, on the field. What it hasn’t done, is make anyone take any notice of it. That’s led to a lot of finger-pointing (not internally), towards the wrong folks, and solutions that aren’t really.
DT: C / Much has been asked of Fletcher Cox. Statistically he isn’t posting numbers, as he’s been asked to play over 70% of the snaps in three of the games this quarter. Last week he played 70 snaps (85%). SEVENTY! For a d-lineman at age 31, that’s a ludicrous ask., But he’s been game to try. Honestly, at his age he should be playing more strong-side DE, if we’re using a lot of outside rush, but I don’t coach the Defense, so…
DT Javon Hargrave pitchin’ woo!
Nearly (but not quite) as much has been asked of Javon Hargrave, who’s racked up 6 sacks , 5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a partridge in a pear tree. (Note: He was in on 13 tackles with just 1 being for a loss this week vs Washington. This is telling.) Rookie Jordan Davis is on I.R. with a high ankle sprain. He wasn’t racking up stats, but he’s the rock that our run defense is built on. We haven’t been right since he went down.
Milton Williams also moonlights at End and probably needs to play out there more. He’s a not really an inside penetrator, or a pocket collapser, but as a Nickel body, he’s ideal. Marlon Tuipulotu has a sack and a fumble recovery this quarter. The thing is, he plays entirely too much football south of his finger divots. He’s just not very quick off the snap.
OLB: C / Hasaan Reddickhas added 2 sacks and 5 QB hits this quarter. What he hasn’t done is force a turnover or be much of force against the run. One or the other needs to be part of his game. Opponents have been careful about throwing the ball around Kyzir White, but more and more runs are being tilted towards his 216 pound frame. (It may be time to start giving rookie Nakobe Dean some of White’s snaps early in games.)
Patrick Johnsonmoonlights at End, and is producing no impact plays at either spot. If you listen closely, you can almost hear his replacement being drafted.
MLB: B / T.J. Edwards has racked up 45 tackles in the last 4 games. He makes plays despite not being kept very clean up front. He’s at his best when he just drops ball-carriers, instead of holding them up as they fight for (and gain) more yards. (It’s an attempt to slap the ball out, and every team teaches it.)
SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson with one of his TWO interceptions in our 26 – 17 victory over Dallas.
S: A / If you hear Jaws music while you’re Christmas shopping, it just means that Chauncey Gardner-Johnsonis in the area. Grabbing 5 interceptions and 1 sack over these last four weeks, to QB’s this guy has been scarier than cancer. Marcus Epps continues to play every single down, of every game this season. He still doesn’t have any wow stats, but the way the Secondary is playing may be all the wow he needs.K’Von Wallaceis has seen an uptick in downs this quarter.
CB: B/ Darius Slay is not coming off of his best game, allowing (8 – 6 – 104 – 17.3 – 0) vs Washington. Otherwise (9 – 5 – 23 – 4.6 – 0), he’s had an extremely strong quarter (17 – 11 – 127 – 11.5 – 0) and owns his corner. James Bradberry (26 – 11 – 124 – 11.2 – 1) has seen more traffic, but owns his corner as well. Both have an interception each, in this quarter.
Avonte Maddox is currently on I.R., but he forced a fumble and recovered one (on two different plays) vs Pittsburgh this quarter. Josiah Scottfilled in at Nickel for Maddox, and on 54 downs this week, only 1 ball was thrown his way. That said, he wasn’t a huge help vs the run, as Washington ran 49 times vs throwing it just 29.
LS: A / Rick Lovatohasn’t blown any snaps and even helped on a tackle this week. Finally! I was beginning to think the Rickshaw wouldn’t run over some poor sucker this season.
P: C / Arryn Siposs has only had to punt 14 times this quarter, and his average of 47.1 yards per boot, which is a two yard improvement over last quarter. Unfortunately this quarter there have been 6 returns for 56 yards (9.3), which isn’t great on two fronts. First, there seems to have been some out-kicking of the coverage. Second 6 of 14 punts is a high return rate. Also smacks of out-kicking.
K: B / Jake Elliott hasn’t made a Field Goal attempt since Week 6. In fairness, he’s only attempted one since Week 6. He’s been 13 of 13 on extra points this quarter.
PR/KR: F / Britain Covey during this quarter has returned 4 punts for 32 yards. He’s been better about attempting kick-off returns with 7 this quarter vs just three in th first five games. He’s only garnered 137 yards for an average of 19.5 yards. Meaning we’d be better off if he’d stayed shy about returning the ball.
*****
WR A.J. Brown tattooed FS Minka Fitzpatrick with THREE touchdown catches like this, in this game.
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
Last Quarter having the Offense play a full game of football was listed as the mission. On a side note, Jalen Hurts throwing for more than 4 measly touchdowns over five games, didn’t seem like too much to ask. Well both prayers were answered.
So we’re on track, as far as maturing as a team. We aren’t peaking too fast, and we’re being thrown some adversity to overcome and learn from. This is all good for us. Even the Washington loss. Perhaps most especially the Washington loss. We had a couple of weaknesses exposed. It’ll be interesting to see how we respond to that.
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
Secure a playoff berth. Even a Wild Card. Sounds ridiculous as the #1 overall seed in the conference right now, but mathematically, we’ve secured nothing yet. There are seven seats at the table, so we officially need to be better than nine other teams.
This expanded playoff format will keep the playoff picture cloudy, longer than in past years. However, over the next few weeks, by virtue of how many losses they have, the math will eliminate some teams. Possibly as soon as Week 13. By the end of this Third Quarter, we need to lock a berth down
BEATING the Colts last week was the sort of gritty, character building exercise, which will serve the Eagles well down the stretch. We took a jab to the chin, but shook off the cobwebs, then fought off both the Colts and the referees. (I’ve been refraining from making an issue of the officiating, but it’s getting ridiculous.)
Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichenneeds to get his head out of his ass, and start involving RB Miles Sandersfrom start to finish. Running is this Offense’s identity. When we get away from that, it makes life easier to opponents. The Packers have given up 25+ points in five games this season. We need to help them allow a sixth.
A win gives us 10! That of course would make us 10 – 1, keeping us at the head of the NFC East, and entire NFC itself. We are currently in 100% control of our own outcome.
A loss would stall us out at 9 – 2, but we’d still be at the head of the division, and the conference. Even though we’d be tied at 9 – 2 with Minnesota, our head to head victory over them, gives us the outright tie-breaker.
****
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: Packers.
1) Hit Their Quarterback:Aaron Rodgers is playing with a broken thumb on his passing hand. It has already led to some of his routine passes getting away from him, or coming out without their typical spins. We need to get hits, not just heat on him. We need to repeatedly introduce his body to the Earth.
This isn’t about hurting his thumb. It’s for getting inside his head. He can be made to emotionally check out of games; and I can’t think of faster way to make that happen, than to beat him up when he’s injured. Also, when trying to protect himself, if his feet aren’t set, it just magnifies the ball delivery issue he’s having.
2) Miles of Screens: The Packers are another 3 – 4 team, that’s actually more of a 5 – 2. Also their best pass rusher is on I.R., with a rookie replacing him. Normally I would say “Run the Kerrigan Plan” and run up the score. However, with TE Dallas Goederton I.R., we have yet to see a back-up TE emerge, who can be the tip of the spear.
Instead of trying to force back-ups to be heroes, we should throw a few Screens to RB Miles Sanders. I said to RB Miles Sanders. Not WR A.J. Brown. Not RB Boston Scott. Let our WR’s keep the defense spread, then throw the ball to a player who can break a tackle. Make the Packers take a pass rusher off the field, to be able to cover us.
3) Wrap It Up, B!:We only have one loss. So teams are still trying to figure out the formula, or the blueprint…, incantation(?) for beating us. The best guess they have now, is still “Run the ball a ton, and control the clock”. The thinking now is that the Washington made it work, but Indianapolis couldn’t keep making it work.
We’re going to see that approach until we’ve made it abundantly clear that Washington was a fluke. Our Defense has shown that they know where their run fits are. The entire issue is tackling. Once we started doing a better job of that last week, Indianapolis’s run game dried up. We’ll need a second week of that.
4) Deep Down the Middle: Over the last three weeks WR Quez Watkins has seen more attempts to get him involved in the Offense. That could pay dividends this week. The Packers have a pair of good Corners, so the middle is probably the easiest place to attack going deep. (Though CB Rasul Douglas has trouble with real speed.)
Playing a virtual 5 – 2, the Packers hurt their pass rush every time they take away an “OLB” to play a Nickel or a Dime. This what they’d have to do to cover Watkins (or Sanders in the Screen game). Covering Watkins with a starting S leaves either WR A.J. Brown, or WR Devonta Smithwith a one on one match-up.
So it’s pick your poison. They can hurt their pass rush to play Nickel/Dime. OR they can consistently create a one on one. OR they can try to cover Watkins with a 270 pound LB, which would be the same as not covering him at all. Wait. It doesn’t have to be Watkins. Just get the ball deep to WHOMEVER lines up in the Slot. Hows that?
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
I can’t tell you the last time I saw a 9 – 1 team get less buzz.
While I have never put stock in Power Rankings, it does feel nice when I see the Eagles atop the list. Wednesday night the NFL had us at #2. Behind the 8 – 2 Chiefs.
Right now, the blueprint for beating us, mentions running the ball and keeping our Offense off the field. It does NOT mention how that formula also required THREE turnovers (one of which was bullshit), to produce a five point lead, which was in jeopardy until the final play of the game. Glazed right on over that.
The consensus is that we haven’t played anybody. Until somebody else beats a team that we beat. Then suddenly, that team that we beat is good, and we get a sort of grudging acknowledgement (not respect), for having beaten them first.
If the NFL treated us and promoted us like they do a few other teams, we’d have grown less hungry, and we’d be 7 – 3 or 6 – 4 today. Keep it up, dumbasses! I might just have to buy stock in dog masks.
And lo’ ! Down in the valley slept the Packers (and the remainder of our schedule), unaware that the disrespect that has been snowballing, is about to trigger an avalanche.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 27 – Packers 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.
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.
Drive Killer : (S) MLB T.J. Edwards (0 – 1 – 0 – 0 – 0)
Sack Leader : (S) DE Brandon Graham (3 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)
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: Colts did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
QB Jalen Hurts with THE DAGGER!
1) Run the Ball: I established at the beginning of the season that “Run the ball” means “hand it off”. That has to be clarified with a QB like Hurts. His running isn’t always a called run by the coaching staff. In fact, it rarely is. So our commitment to running can’t be determined by his carries, regardless of how many he has in a game.
That said, Hurts carried the ball 16 times today. The three RB’s on the roster combined for just 17. Starting RB Miles Sanders(13 – 47 – 3.6 – 0 – 0) had all of 5 carries in the first half, and was frequently subbed out for lesser players, who keep proving that. We made our bones running the ball. It’s our identity. Getting away from it is the primary reason why it keeps looking like the Eagles have forgotten how to play offense. (NOT DONE)
2) Drop’em!: Little bit of irony on this one, but we’ll take it. Our Defense had a bad opening drive, where the Colts rushed for 50 yards, on a 75 yard drive for their touchdown. Singular. They ran for 99 yards on the day, again with 50 of it on that first drive.
We got punched in the face, tightened our chinstraps, and went back in. Face first. You see the final score, right? We put players down and weren’t having all that pile pushing nonsense. At one point the Colts thought they had a pile moving, but we held the ball carrier up and FS Marcus Epps (5 – 0 – 0 – 0) clawed the ball out of his hand, and Edwards recovered. But we didn’t spend the game doing that! (DONE)
WR Quez Watkins goes in for six!
3) Open up the Passing Game:Without TE Dallas Goedert here to catch half a dozen TE Screens, the ball had to be distributed differently this week. That 22 yard TD to WR Quez Watkins (2 – 2 – 31 – 15.5 – 1), across the deep middle was exactly the sort of attempt that we need to see on a weekly.
Better still Smith, wasn’t running a bunch of six yard routes, which helped create room for Hurts to take off. Shallow routes stymie the run game by keeping defenders close to the line of scrimmage. Run those turkeys off! We did a great job of that this week with the route running alone. The completions were icing on the cake. (DONE)
4) Get Heat On Matty Ice: We got 4 sacks on him, but we really didn’t seem to rattle him much. The ball was where it needed to be, when it needed to be there. Honestly, to look at him, to look at his eyes (check it out if you catch a re-broadcast), I don’t think there was much we could have done to rattle him.
I think his benching a couple weeks ago, shook him harder than any sack ever could. As a former player, I should have taken that into consideration. Calling for us to rattle him, was a lost cause in the first place. Like frequent reader Andrea, he’s an Exton product. We were never going to shake him. (NOT DONE)
****
This week we got 2 of the Four Things, and walked out of Indy with a GUARANTEED WINNING RECORD for the 2022 season. Now we get to “welcome” Green Bay to the Linc, in prime-time, to see if they want to contribute to our pile of W’s.
****
On The Whole:
DE Brandon Graham checks for bullshit flags.
ONCE AGAIN, THE NFL’S NUMBER ONE TEAM, AT 9 – 1!
How ‘bout them Cowboys! Doing something useful for a change, and dropping Minnesota to 8 – 2, for us. That gives us not only the head-to-head tie-breaker over Minny, but a one game margin of error at the head of the Conference.
New York being literally run over for an ‘L’ of their own, makes them and Dallas both 7 – 3, and gives us a TWO game margin of error in the Division. This means rooting for the giants to beat the Cowboys on Turkey Day, to ruin a Dallas sweep and dampen any tie-breaker advantage. Big picture, folks!
Now back to THIS game itself!
DT’s Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph combine for a sack in their first game as Eagles.
First of all, hats off to Defensive Line Coach Tracy Rockerfor integrating DT’s Ndamukong Suh (2 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) and Linval Joseph (4 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) in less than a week. Hell, Joseph even started this game. We gave up 152 rushing yards on Monday. We gave up just 99 six days later.
But enough handjobs and high-fives. I have few serious gripes. There was entirely too much of the Eagles trying to be cute, and giving carries to a couple of RB’s who don’t break tackles. Hurts picked up a game deciding first down on 4th and 2, late in the 4th quarter, but the handoff to RB Boston Scott (2 – 4 – 2.0 – 0 – 0) on the prior 3rd and 4, was a bad call. That’s a down for a franchise QB, not a back-up RB.
Also on Hurts fumble, why was Sanders blocking DE Yannick Ngakoue (3 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) one-on one? On a down like that either a better protecting need to be called or Hurts has to get that ball out of his hand immediately.
He’s the DT that the Eagles have put on Injured Reserve. Remember when they carted him off the field on Monday ni-, oh right. They didn’t. The Eagles put him on I.R. on Wednesday the 16th. This is Sunday morning the 20th. Quick! What’s his injury? Anybody? Anybody? His injury is sucking ass, and being pushed aside for two better players, that’s what his injury is. Please! Go to the Eagles website and get the details on this “injury”. I’ll wait…..
Over the last 5 weeks, the Eagles have allowed 124 rushing yards or more, in every game. It got really bad after the Bye week, when we allowed 144, 168, and 152 respectively. Many things factor into that. Not bringing arms to tackle attempts, holding runners up to claw at the ball, tackling shoulders instead of thighs. All of which are quickly correctable.
The biggest reason we’re getting run through however, is because we’re getting beat on the line of scrimmage. The knee jerk from fans, has been to either blame DT Fletcher Cox for falling off, or to blame the injury to DT Jordan Davis. Both are correct, but only in a round about way.
Cox was being asked to play more snaps than usual, as the coaching staff hoped he could fill the hole left by Davis, both as a presence and rotationally. As a result, we’re running Cox into the ground. In fact, we’re using him the opposite of how we should be using a player his age. (More on that in the upcoming Quarterly Report. Yes, it’s late. I know. Bear with me.)
Linval Joseph working the “One Half” technique. Ndamukong Suh gets a taste of Philly’s sports media.
So the Eagles added 34 year old DT Linval Joseph, and then DT Ndamukong Suh, who is 35. While Joseph is more of a space eater for the run game, Suh is a flat-out disruptor of blocking schemes. Even when he doesn’t make the play, he frequently causes havoc.
Understand, the worst of our run defense has coincided with the ramp up in snaps for Tuipulotu. Over the last three games, he’s averaged 33% of the defensive snaps. And that is not a good thing! I made it clear in last years Draft Reportthat I didn’t see selecting him as a good move. He stuck anyway.
I repeated my point about Tuipulotu in this year’s Pre-Draft Preview. My specific choice of words: “Marlon Tuipulotu played like trash, with a side order of ass last year,”. Yet he kept seeing the field this year. And the more he did, the more others like Cox were asked to compensate for everything that Tuipulotu can’t do. Which, you know, is pretty much everything.
Cox eats double teams and disrupts the pocket; DT Javon Hargrave is an ‘A’ gap penetrator who gets to QB’s; Davis is a space eating, pocket collapser. Those are our true DT’s. While DTMilton Williams can play that spot, he’s more of a DE/DT tweener. He’s coming along, but we still don’t really know who he is, just yet. Tuipulotu is just a 300 pound guy. Hell, I’M a 300 pound guy! There should be more qualifications than that, to get a roster spot.
When Davis went down, we were left with a bum (Tuipulotu), and two guys who specialize in slipping the point of attack, not holding it. That’s not saying that Cox and Hargrave can’t play the run! We all know that they can. But that’s not where their salary size comes from.
Do you realize that at worst, if Suh and Joseph don’t contribute much as players, those two, plus Cox and Hargrave, will be pouring wisdom into Davis. Meanwhile we have no timetable on Tuipulotu’s return date. Which is totally understandable without an actual injury to assess.
STILL atop the NFL! Despite last week’s loss to Washington. We did some things last week that are uncharacteristic for us. We barely ran the ball. We turned the ball over four times (two real, one bullshit, one on the game’s final desperation play). Even still, up until that last play, we were only down five points.
Now because Washington ran the ball a lot and controlled the clock, rumor is, this is the blueprint for how to beat us. So expect the Colts to try to copycat. Of course, the operative word in that sentence, is “try”.
Last time I checked, we still had LT Jordan Mailata. We still had LGLandon Dickerson. We still had Hall of Fame C Jason Kelce. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t RT Lane Johnson still play here? I get the feeling, that they’re going to want to impose their will on an undersized Colts defensive line. Like I said… Just a feeling.
A win here, and the Eagles are guaranteed to finish above .500, and will still have a strangle hold on the NFC East. Also, we’ll still sit at the head of the table in the conference. Especially if Minnesota loses to the Cowboys. (That game works for us regardless of how it goes.)
A loss here, and the Eagles still are at the top of the division. Even when the giants beat Detroit. Coupled with a Minnesota win, we’d lose the NFC’s top spot, but if we lost, then we’d sort of need a Cowboys loss more, to keep a tighter grip on the East.
Both us and Minny losing keeps us in the NFC’s top spot, but the Cowboys would inch closer to us and the giants.
****
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: Colts
1) Run the ball: If only for the sake of letting our Defense get a breather. We brought in reinforcements for DTFletcher Cox, but DT’s Linval Joseph and Ndamokung Suh are coming off their couches. (Maybe off-the-couch players, is how you beat an off-the-couch coach? Perhaps there’s some wisdom couched in that there somewhere? I’ll stop. I’ll stop. C-OUCH! Banged my knee.)
Seriously though, the Colts also have an undersized front seven. They have LB’s who can fly around and make stops, but they don’t generate many big plays. We hardly touched our run game last week, so our big fellas must be hungry for some contact. It’s time we let them impose their will, and show the NFL that the KING, still lives.
2) Drop ‘em!: Enough with this holding the ball-carrier up, to swipe at the ball, bullshit. Just make the gall-dang tackle! Just get the guy on the ground!! There is no reason to let a RB churn a 2 yard gain, into a 5 yard gain. There even less reason to let it happen consistently. It makes 3rd down almost impossible to win.
3) Open Up the Passing Game: In nine starts this season, WR Devonta Smith has averaged double digits per reception in just three of them. In nine games (three starts), WR Quez Watkins has seen all of 17 attempts in his direction. His shock at getting his hands on a ball, and his over-eagerness to make a play was evident in him trying to do too much, and fumbling.
With TE Dallas Goedert on I.R., this Offense will need another home run hitter, who can threaten a defense, and open things up inside for the run game. We can’t keep making WR A.J. Brown the only deep threat in town.
4) Get Heat On Matty Ice: Before he was benched in favor of a rookie, QB Matt Ryan was already out there seeing ghosts. So we need to hit him early, even if it’s late. By which I mean, be willing to draw a couple of flags, just to rattle him. We need to get him off his game early.
Ryan has never been the most athletic QB, and his arm isn’t what it used to be. He is still in this game at his age, because of all the mental parts of his game. Take that away from him, early. The rookie they had replace him, looked bad with a week of practice. If for any reason Ryan has to come out of the game, that rookie will have less prep time. Or maybe we’ll get to see third string QB Nick Foles.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
We go eight games with no losses and the NFL barely notices us. We lose one game (and make no mistake, Washington didn’t win it, we lost it), and suddenly people are picking the Colts to beat us.
The disrespect is real!
No matter. The Eagles have a point to prove this week. They didn’t last week and came out flat. Actually if we’re keeping it Wilt,
the Eagles have started flat for a couple of games now. Last week’s loss was just the kick in the pride, that this group of grown men needed. Hell, it got General Manager Howie Roseman to flex his phone call muscle, and Owner Jeff Lurie to flex his check writing muscle.
Don’t expect flatness to follow moves like that.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 25 – Colts 16
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (6 + 1 – 2 = 5) C Jason Kelce
Drive Killer : (S) DE Josh Sweat(0 – 0 – 0 – 1 – 0)
Sack Leader : (S) DE Josh Sweat (2 – 1.0 – 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:
1) Set hard edges: Can’t really complain about this one, though. Washington didn’t do a great job of running the ball (44 – 142 – 3.2 – 1 – 0), but they did commit to it. So it was enough to do two very important things A) Keep the ball out of our Offense’s hands; and B) Tire out our Defensive Front seven.
We wanted Washington to run inside, and Washington wanted to run inside. So in a weird sense, both teams got what they wanted. At least on first and second downs. There were many third downs that were marked as 3rd and 1, that were more like 3rd and a foot, foot and a half. Unfortunately, even though these runs happened where we wanted, those were easy to convert, and kept our Defense on the field. Still we kept most runs bottled, and no one broke anything crazy. (DONE)
2) Invert the Pocket: Nawp! Their QB not only made a habit of getting the ball out quickly, but we didn’t push the pocket in the middle much. That’s a little harder to do, when a defensive lineman is gassed from eating double helpings of run blocking.
Of course, our pass rush wasn’t helped at all, by all the off-coverage that was called in this game. For half the game, I had trouble figuring out who Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon wanted to win the game. There was more heat in the second half, but by then Washington had a full head of confidence. (NOT DONE)
3) Run the Ball More:In our victory, there were 21 hand-offs, so in this one, the order was for MORE of that. Instead, in this game there were just 14 hand-offs, with all of 2 (to two different RB’s), in the first half. (NOT DONE)
4) Devonta De Decoy: I said that if Washington doesn’t shade to whichever side WR Devonta Smith (8 – 6 – 39 – 6.5 – 1) is on, then the Eagles should do what we did in the first game and, let Smith put on a clinic. And we did just that!
Sadly, with us not running the ball, Smith didn’t have as much room to operate and ended the night averaging under seven yards per catch. It also created no room to roam for the other receivers. So this was clearly done, but the spirit of it was corrupted by a lack of commitment to core football. (DONE)
****
Despite doing 2 of the Four Things, we lost still lost the game. Next week do battle with the NFL’s strangest situation, as we travel to Indianapolis to take on the 4 – 5 – 1 Colts.
****
On The Whole:
This game was a well-deserved loss. The Eagles did everything they could to lose this game, and the more I think about it, the more grateful I am for the loss. To non-Eagles fans that will come across like bullshit. Fuck ‘em. As an Eagles fan, keep reading and you will soon get where I’m coming from. (And you’ll likely agree.)
Right now, it’s 3:33a.m. I’ve changed the cat litter, grabbed a shower, and put dinner in the crock-pot. My point is, before I started writing, I had some time to think, instead of just writing in the moment. So much of that game didn’t sit right with me, and eventually I figured out what it was. It felt like Chip Kelly was coaching.
Remember scoring quickly and leaving the Defense out there, unable to get off the field? Remember having our Defense grow more and more tired as the game went on? Then there was Gannon doing his Bill Davis impersonation. Big time talent at CB, playing on huge cushions, making sure that we couldn’t get pass rush. Remember two seasons of 10 – 6, that led to zero playoff wins?
I would rather lose this game, and have Head Coach Nick Sirianni learn that he can’t get away with Kelly-ing, then to have him (and the team), think that this is a viable formula. Take the loss now, so that we don’t try this shit in the playoffs. Take it now, so that we don’t take it against a Colts team, coached by a guy with a 20 – 16 high school coaching record.
Look, we got away with sleepwalking against the Texans last week, which is probably why we came out so flat this week. We got away with it last week. Taking this loss to an inferior Washington team is embarrassing, but not humiliating. It’s a decent wake-up call, but it won’t wreck anyone’s confidence. It’s just a hard slap in the face.
Better still, teams are going to look at this as the blueprint for how to beat us. Heavy run, control the clock, get turnovers from each of our top four receivers. There are no subtleties about that formula. Nothing is nebulous. Everything is broad. So it gives the Eagles things to work on both as a Defense, and as an Offense.
It gives us some specific things to focus on, which could go a long way to fixing the problems we’ve been having all season long. Things like not playing well for four quarters. Taking our foot off the gas. This loss could make us stronger than we truly were, when we were undefeated. So I’m grateful that it came exactly where it did.
There are no moral victories here. This isn’t about silver linings. In fact, if we don’t put in the work, there’s no reason for optimism. However after this, if this team puts in the work, our best football will be here shortly.
UNSTOPPABLE. We rolled through Houston last week, while practically in sleep mode. I still can’t tell if it was funny, that they were so helpless once we stopped hitting the snooze button; or if it was terrifying, that even playing sub-optimal football, we still cruised to a double-digit win margin.
This week we get shot at sweeping the Commanders. Understand, the last time we faced them, we rolled over them 24 – 8, in their house. A freak scene in their backfield the last time we hit it, sacking their QB nine times. That’s not a typo. It was NINE TIMES, with DEBrandon Graham leading the way with 2.5. This time they have a lesser QB back there. This time they’re in our house, not their’s. This time, we have an immediate goal.
And they, are standing in our way.
A win here, puts us at nine victories for the year, guaranteeing us to finish above the .500 mark. A win here, means that we swept a division rival. A win here, sees the Eagles at the head of the NFL table, for yet another week. A win here, makes the Eagles 9 – 0 for the first time in franchise history. A loss would see us at 8 – 1, but still atop both the NFC East, and the NFL. Damn. It’s good to be the king.
****
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) Set hard edges: This is another repeat from the last time. It shouldn’t be hard to do this since neither of the Commanders runners are Toss or Sweep guys. So they likely won’t fight us on it. They mostly like to run between the Tackles, and we want them trying to do exactly that.
The idea is to gum up the middle, define where the trouble spots will be, and let MLB T.J. Edwards patrol those lanes. Once their run game is contained, then we can pin our ears back and hunt the QB.
2) Invert the Pocket: The Commanders are healthier up front than they were the last time, but we just need to be disruptive. Send DT’s Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave through the ‘A’ gaps. Force their QB to move his feet, so he can’t set them, and drive the ball. We just got 9 sacks and a couple batted passes doing this to QB Carson Wentz.
This time we face back-up QB Taylor Heinicke, who’s 4 inches shorter, with an arm nowhere near as strong as Wentz’s. He plays the same brand of “hero ball” that Wentz does. However, unlike Wentz, Heinicke knows that he’s playing with house money, so he’ll play without fear of getting yanked. His eyes see openings that his arm can’t deliver on, and that’s where the Eagles need to capitalize (or should I say Capitol-ize? Get it?!)
If we can keep his feet moving, the ball will sail on him. And we have SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson lurking out there. It’s unreasonable to expect as many sacks as the last time, but last time we didn’t get any interceptions. Let’s see how that shakes out Monday night.
3) Run the Ball More: Last time we played, QB Jalen Hurts was sacked 3 times. He had 35 pass attempts and ran 9 times. That’s 44 plays with the ball in his hand. Conversely, there were only 21 hand-offs. So it’s not a wonder that Hurts spent the day getting beat to shit.
How about not letting them tee off on Hurts? (I mean, if our playoff hopes are serious.) We didn’t do a great job of running the ball last time (30 – 72 – 2.4 – 0 – 0), but a hand-off isn’t always about yardage. Sometimes it’s about keeping the defense honest, and stopping them from pinning their ears back to hunt your QB. Capiche?
4) Devonta De Decoy: Earlier this season WR Devonta Smith lit the Commanders secondary on fire for 8 grabs, for 169 yards, including this crazy, 45 yard, ladder climb.
I would expect them to shade Safety coverage to his side early, in this game.
If they don’t shade to Smith’s side, then we should just pick up where we left off. Use Smith to put on another clinic on dissection of a secondary. If they do make the adjustment, then play-action towards Smith, should repeatedly result in a pair of one-on-ones to the opposite side. At which point Hurts just has to deliver the ball to a spot.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This is far from a replay of the last game. The interior of their offensive line is back, but we’re missing DT Jordan Davis(I.R.), who was a huge part of our win over them. They’ll also have the services of their hard running rookie RB, who gives them a presence they just didn’t have, when last we met.
So expect them to be more physical. Expect them to try and make this game into a street fight. Usually as a Philadelphian, I would say, “Pack a lunch and come on wit’ it! ‘Cause we’re going all 15 rounds.” But not this time.
We have playoff hopes. They don’t. We don’t need to spend any more time or energy on this opponent, than it takes to put them down. We know what’s coming. This is just us deciding how it’s going to play out. We’re the better team, but this game isn’t about proving that. We’re just taking care of business. We’re walking into a room, shooting an animal with a bag on it’s head, turning on heel, and walking out. That’s it.
This isn’t a game. It’s an execution. Just like last time.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 29 – Commanders 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.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 