DURING the beginning of 2016 our Safeties were making plays on the ball, because opposing QB’s were testing our entire Secondary looking for soft spots. Well they found those soft spots along the sidelines vs our CB’s. After that there was no reason to risk throwing at the Safeties much.
While some of the blame can be laid at the feet of players “getting comfortable in the new system”, most of it can be put on the Corners themselves. Too often they gave up huge cushions, and didn’t do a good job of leveraging their coverage to trap WR’s on the outside, to narrow the passing windows. They just didn’t get in anybody’s face last year, and that has to change in 2017.
Our CB’s have to be more physical and do a better job of disrupting timing routes. They have to not allow “Crosses”, “Drags”, and “Slants” to develop cleanly. Anything our Defense can do to throw off the rhythm of opposing offenses, forces those offenses to improvise. This gets away from what they practiced and so not everyone is on the same page. That will usually work in favor of our Defense. It will also force opposing QB’s to hold the ball a little longer, and that gives our pass rush time to get home.
SOMEBODY (Jeffery Lurie) has to come out and declare the floor for this season. The goal is always a Super Bowl, but we’re a rebuilding team coming off of two straight 7-9 seasons. A championship would be nice, but realistically speaking, it would be an unfair expectation to have at this moment.
Still, some sort of benchmark must be set for this season. Otherwise it will leave the issue of our success or failure open to interpretation, and that can’t happen. There needs to be a clear indicator that we’re a better team than we were a year ago, so that the Front Office, coaching staff, and players all have an idea of what to build on and what to cut away.
Nine wins (at a minimum) would be a great indicator. Having just been 7-9 (sub .500), the knee jerk reaction is that 8-8 (.500) is the next step up. You know what? Maybe eight wins is the next step up. Maybe it is. But we aren’t talking about taking a step, we’re talking about a turnaround.
We’ve been losers for two years now. (Don’t argue with me. Being sub .500 is losing.) The idea is to show that we’re done with being losers, and are now winners. The best way to show that you’re a winner, is to go out there and be a winner. So a 9-7 (winning record) not an 8-8 (tied record), is the logical the benchmark.
Make no mistake, going from being a loser to being a winner requires fundamental changes. In the event that we don’t see 9 wins, we will know that enough hasn’t fundamentally changed from our 7-9 season two years ago. The changes have to be fundamental not merely statistical.
The last thing we need is to go 7-9 again, with people saying we’re better now because QB Carson Wentz‘s TD/Int ratio went from 16/14 to 26/12, or because the Defense amassed 48 sacks over last year’s 34. Better cannot be measured increments for a team serious about winning a championship.
We need a turnaround, not a step up. We need at least 9 wins, not 8. We need winning, not tied. We need that benchmark.
SLIGHTLY retooling the Eagles won’t get us out of the basement. We need a CB, a bell-cow RB, a 1# WR, and an OLB. Those are just the Starters we need. We need depth at QB, C, OT, DT, MLB, FS, and CB. Not to mention eyeing possible replacements for our aging LS and P. I also said earlier this year, that while our K’s accuracy is good, his ability to hit from distance in cold weather playoff games, is a serious concern once we qualify.
Every year the Eagles tell you that everything is on the table. This year that’s more true than most. Generally you can forecast 18-20 of next season’s 22 Starters, but this year, the list of sacred cows is much shorter than normal and it looks like this:
QB – Carson Wentz
RG – Brandon Brooks
OT – Lane Johnson
TE – Zach Ertz
DT – Fletcher Cox
LB – Jordan Hicks
LB – Nigel Bradham
SS – Malcolm Jenkins
FS – Rodney McLeod
Lots of “if” surrounding the rest of those starting spots isn’t there? You probably didn’t realize that until you just went through it in your head. Freaky right? You can include DE Vinny Curryas a guaranteed Starter if you like, but that would only be due to the remaining guaranteed money (20M) on his contract and the 9M$ cap hit he represents this year.
Our team is trapped against the salary cap, due to paying large bank on contracts to players from another coaching regime. Those same players, under two different head coaches, produced back-to-back 7-9 seasons. Everything about that situation screams “rebuild”. Anyone telling you different, thinks you’re a moron. You’re here reading this, so it’s clear to me that you can’t be one.
This is a rebuild. Only instead of the typical purge and Free Agent spending spree, the Eagles are going back to the 1999 formula where we held onto veterans and gradually replaced them through the Draft. This is Doug Pederson following Andy Reid again, and trust me, I have absolutely no problems with that. I never understood why we got away from it, to begin with. Drafting in waves is a more stable approach. It allows veteran players to help train their replacements, instead of having a bunch of people shrugging at each other, since too many people would be new. It also allows you carry forth a culture.
Winning a Super Bowl can’t even be discussed when you aren’t good enough to even make the playoffs. Two straight 7-9 seasons where we failed to make the playoffs suggest that we need more than a retool. That’s why the Eagles are in rebuild mode. Anyone telling you different is also telling you (in the same breath), why you shouldn’t listen to them.
ASIDE from QB Carson Wentz, 2016’s Draft was a disaster. We took eight players in last year’s Draft, and aside from Wentz, not one of them is good enough to be a Starter in 2017. That being said, we should go easy on that draft. We didn’t have an idea of who we were going to be as a team yet. There was no way of predicting what character would emerge from the new culture brought in by rookie Head Coach Doug Pederson.
Sixteen games later, we now have an idea of who we are, and of who we’re trying to be. So in the 2017 Draft, we need to add players who can enhance our strengths, and minimize (if not completely eliminate) our shortcomings.
+++++
PARABLE: A man needed milk for his cereal and a loaf of bread. Having only 6$ on him, he figured he could cover both, so he went to the market. At the market he got a loaf of bread costing him 3.69, but there was no milk to be had. No pints, quarts, half or whole gallons. There wasn’t even cream or half and half. When the man asked the merchant why there was no milk, the merchant said that no milk had been delivered that week. The merchant suggested the man buy liquid coffee creamer instead. The man pointed out that even a small coffee creamer (being 2.39), was nearly 1$ more than a quart of milk. The merchant agreed. The man thinking in that moment only of his cereal, put back the bread and bought the creamer.
+++++
The Eagles have several big needs, the biggest one being a CB. However, given our first Draft spot, the CB we really need, won’t be there this year. It doesn’t matter how high of a pick we spend on a substitute CB. Spending extra on what you don’t need (coffee creamer), won’t turn it into what you need it to be (milk). Especially when it will cost you something else you need in the process (bread).
Put in terms of Draft prospects: Picking [Tre’Davious White] at #14 won’t turn him into won’t turn him into [Marshon Lattimer], and will only cost us a shot a the WR we need. Let’s address our CB need by overspending on a one-year FA, and gamble on a CB on Day Two.
(Keep in mind this is coming out BEFORE the Combine. Nothing here is set in stone)
1)(14 or 15 overall) WR [Corey Davis] should still be on the board when we pick, and that’s perfect. He has the requisite size and speed to force opponents take him seriously on the boundary. He’s also a decent blocker in the run game, and is already accustomed to being an Alpha WR. He expects that role, wants that role, and has lived up to that role at the collegiate level.
Wentz needs a true #1 to help him develop and reach his potential. Watching Wentz with his WR’s this year was like the days of Donovan McNabb being stuck with Todd Pinkston and James Thrash. If we want better from Wentz, he has to be given better tools. Start with Davis.
2)(42 overall) We need a Starting RB. Not a committee. Not a Free Agent re-tread with injury issues. We need a real bell-cow, who will scare teams into loading the box. [D’Onta Foreman] seems like he could be that guy.
I have my doubts about him being on the board at #42. If he’s there, take him. If Foreman is already gone, reach on a CB and grab RB [James Connor] in the Third.
3) (75 overall) If he’s there I take CB [Channing Stribling] before 5 seconds are off the clock. We still have yet to see if he “makes any money” at the Combine, but right now he’s still kind of below the radar.
Former Eagle Mike Zordich was his Secondary Coach at Michigan and you can see some of that lunch-pail mentality come out of this skinny (6’2”, 175) CB. He’s one of the few CB’s in this Draft who commits vs the run. At #42 he’d be called a reach today, but at #75…given a few years, he’d likely be called a steal.
4A) (119 overall) Normally I don’t include highlight reels, but I felt I had to here.
Despite the fact that teams frequently doubled DE [Tanoh Kpassagnon] (Tan-No Passon-Yo) they still ran many plays away from his side during many of those doubles. (If you want to see how that looks during a game, I have game film for you here. Be patient, it’s not exciting.)
The idea of a guy you have to double on the outside, as well as having to double DT Fletcher Coxon the inside, could mean incredible things for our Defensive Line. So far nobody is talking much about this guy, and so he could be the absolute steal of the Draft. Grabbing him this early is just a bit of a reach, but I wouldn’t bank on this guy being around in the Fifth Round.
4B) (139 overall) FS [Obi Melifonwu] is a guy who I expect to hear a lot about in the next few weeks. His measurables are of course the first thing you notice about him (6’3” 217).
Upon looking at the tape, you notice that when he’s not lining up in the parking lot or near the line, you see a guy who has a knack for squeezing passing lanes, and can reliably finish his tackles one-on-one.
5) (154 overall) As I said before, we need RB help. While taking a bell-cow early would an extremely smart thing to do, it would also help to plan for the day when RB Darren Sproles isn’t here anymore. I like RB [De’Angelo Henderson].
He doesn’t have any recent video out there, but it’s hard not to see flashes of Brian Westbrook in his game.
6) (197 overall) RT [Sam Tevi]. He’s new to the position but shows potential not just athletically, but in how he attacks his assignments.
Doesn’t play to the whistle, but then no one on his college O-line seemed to. Makes you wonder if this is something that can be corrected with a change of atmosphere. Especially since Tevi is still so raw. If not, then he’s no better than a career back-up. In any case he’s already better than the OT we drafted last year.
7)(232 overall) This is the pick that I like to use on project players, or long-shot steal prospects. Some would say wait until after the draft for those picks, and they are entitled to their opinions. This however is MY Wish List, so here’s the guy I’d pick: C [Erik Austell]. At only 260 pounds, he probably won’t be able to add the 20-25 pounds needed to be a 16 game NFL starter. What he could be is an ace H-Back, and core Special Teamer. If he could be taught to long snap, he could be worth his weight in gold.
There were other players I liked such as CB’s Marshon Lattimore and [Teez Tabor]; WR’s [Noah Brown] and [Jalen Robinette]; RB’s [De’veon Smith] and [Shock Linwood]; OT [Will Holden]; and TE [Adam Shaheen]. I wouldn’t be sad to see any of them in midnight green. However, due to where we draft, what we need, and who would realistically still be on the board when we picked later, hard choices had to be made.
I scrambled for WEEKS (on a busted computer) to get this done before Combine news started to come out. Corey Davis, Tanoh Kpassangon, De’Veon Smith and D’Onta Foreman were the guys in my head when I started this. Compiling the rest of this list was like pulling my own teeth. The truth is, this is a very weak Draft and it was hard to find players that I liked. There were a couple of pleasant surprises, but MAN, I hope next year is deeper and has a top-tier CB for us.
OVER the last several days, I’ve found myself being attacked by dozens of New England Patriot fans. Apparently I said something that offended them, when I said Tom Brady is not the Greatest Of All Time (among NFL QB’s). All I did was state A FACT, and it set off a tidal wave of poorly reasoned, badly spelled and poorly thought out responses. (I’ve posted some excerpts at the bottom of the article.)
Let the record show that I (and all other NFL fans), owe Dallas Cowboys fans a massive and sincere apology. Cowboys fans are not the biggest pain-in-the-ass fans in the NFL. That dishonor belongs to New England Patriots fans. Patriots fans are without a doubt, the least witty, most inarticulate, whiny, “sand-in-the-vagina”, group of cry-babies that can still be (loosely) classified as human beings.
The fact that Brady isn’t the GOAT, is too much for their tiny brains to process. They’ve chosen to lie to themselves, and they are incredulous that the rest of us won’t buy into their bullshit. It seems that their fan base’s idea, is to try and shout down the other 31 fan bases, until we all agree with the lie they want to tell themselves. This of course will never happen, so the fools have sent themselves on a fool’s errand. Appropriate don’t you think?
And yes, I did say that Brady not being the GOAT was A FACT. As in: It is not an opinion. It is a statement based on factual information. Here are those facts.
GOAT is not an official position in any sport. While each sport has a Hall Of Fame, no sport hands out an official GOAT award. It is a position entirely based on the consensus of public opinion. That means it’s just something most people think. No amount of yards, touchdowns, or even championship rings automatically qualifies a player. If that were the case then basketball’s Bill Russell (11 rings) would be the GOAT instead of Michael Jordan (6 rings). If pro football championships are the mark, then Otto Graham (7) “trumps” Brady (5). (See what I did there?) So factually speaking, Tom Brady isn’t, won’t be and can’t ever be officially defined as the GOAT.
As far as public opinion, if there were a consensus, then Patriot fans wouldn’t be getting so much push-back, would they? Think about it. Eight years ago, if you said Joe Montana was the GOAT at QB, you got almost no debate on the subject, regardless of fan base. It was a widely (if not unanimously) accepted opinion. Montana got that consensus. Brady hasn’t. Nor can he.
Brady doesn’t have and won’t get that consensus for two very important reasons:
1) Most fans know that the Patriots are the poster-child for cheating and poor sportsmanship. To the generation where everyone gets a trophy and even the losers get ice cream, ideals like sportsmanship are just arcane notions that old people talk about. However, there are still enough of us old-timers around (I’m 41), to say that we don’t trust the achievements of a guy who is known to cheat the game.
2) More importantly and more damning, are the 2008 and 2016 seasons. In 2008 Brady was injured in the first game of the year, yet the Patriots still finished 11-5 behind back-up QB Matt Cassell (10-5). 2016 saw Brady suspended for the first 4 games. During those 4 games, the Patriots went 3-1, behind 2 QB’s (one of which was a rookie 3rd rounder). (FYI: Over 16 games that 3-1 projects as a 12-4 record.) The fact that the Patriots are essentially an 11-5 team with or without Brady, suggests that he’s as replaceable as anyone else on the roster. It also implies that maybe, just maybe, Brady is merely the product of his system; and that any starting Patriot QB would do about as well, since that is exactly what has always happened. This would essentially suggest that Brady is in fact, nothing special.
So it’s clear. Brady isn’t the GOAT. Not in any official capacity, not in pro football championships won, nor by virtue of public opinion. In every and any way that could possibly mean anything, Brady falls demonstrably short of each mark. It’s laughable that some “people” ever tried to make this a debate in the first place.
RUMOR has it that the Eagles need to draft a speedy WR. The idea is to give QB Carson Wentz a legitimate, defense stretching weapon to throw to. I have several issues with that assessment and how it was arrived at, but I’ll wait to address my beefs on that subject with tomorrow’s (already written) article. For today, I want to bring you the Good News and the Bad News.
The Good News:
For anyone hoping that the Eagles draft a WR early, you will almost certainly get your wish. The last time we had a franchise QB (Donovan McNabb), the former offensive lineman who coached this team (Andy Reid), took forever to get his QB a real WR (Terrell Owens). The very year that he did, the QB had the best year of his career and we went to the Super Bowl. A year later, the team ditched the WR and began to slowly deteriorate.
The current Head Coach (Doug Pederson) and Offensive Coordinator (Frank Reich) both used to be NFL QBs. Both men know the importance of a good WR for a QB, and they will waste no time in getting Wentz someone to play catch with. So be prepared to celebrate drafting a WR early.
The Bad News:
The 2017 Draft is dreadfully short on genuine speed, so this year that trait will be at an even higher premium than usual. Even after we were eliminated from playoff contention, our team prioritized winning games over improving our Draft position. The result was that we fell from the 8th spot to the 12th spot in each round after the 1st round. In the 1st round we get Minnesota’s pick, which is 14th overall. Teams ahead of us that also could use WR help: Cleveland (picking twice), Chicago, San Fran, NYJ, Carolina and Buffalo.
That’s not saying that all of those teams will take a speedy WR. It just means there is more demand than supply. So in order to get into position to get the WR we need from the Draft, we’ll likely have to move up. Put another way: We’ll likely have to overpay this year, to pair a WR with the QB we overpaid for last year.
That is unless we wise up.
GM (I’m calling him that) Howie Roseman said that we’re not doing “band-aids”, which he was using as shorthand for a getting a high-priced Free Agent. While that should put to bed any rumor of signing DeSean Jackson, it doesn’t have to mean that we will completely avoid signing a FA WR.
Already there are rumblings that we may be interested in Dolphin WR Kenny Stills. That would be an absolutely solid move to make. He’s 24, has the speed we’re said to need, and he’s a proven NFL veteran.
One FA name you aren’t hearing about, is Viking WR Cordarrelle Patterson. He’s been criminally underutilized for years, serving primarily as a killer KR for a borderline team. He’d likely welcome a more prominent role and the type of contracts that come with it.
These are examples of moves we could complete well in advance of the Draft. It would save us a high draft pick, but more importantly, Wentz would have a proven vet to work with. Otherwise we’re risking the development of our franchise QB, on a highly drafted rookie that we hope won’t be the nextNelson Agholor.
MY April prediction of 9 -7 and winning the division was incorrect, andI admitted as much weeks ago. We weren’t 2 wins better, and the division shook out differently than anyone (even Dallas fans) expected it to. The Eagles finished in 2016 where we finished in 2015: as a 7 – 9 team. That record isn’t good enough for this fan base, and apparently neither is 10 – 6.
Vice President of Football Operations…(No. I’m not typing all that every time I talk about him.) General Manager Howie Roseman said this week “10-6 isn’t good enough to get home-field advantage, to compete for a championship”. Wow, right? We didn’t even qualify for this year’s wild card, and our GM is talking home-field throughout the postseason? That got my attention, but what got me excited was when he said “We’re trying to compete with the best teams in the National Football League, and we’re certainly not there right now as we stand. … We have a lot of work to do here.” And in that statement, he confirmed what I told you on November 1st .
In April, I expected the Eagles to do their normal routine of running away from the necessary re-build and patching us enough to be competitive. Then something weird happened. The Front Office began signaling that we were re-building. For cultural reasons they couldn’t and didn’t say it in plain English, but it was clear the rebuild was needed. That it’s happening is no surprise. The surprise was the Eagles brass actually just saying it for the first time since OwnerJeffrey Lurie hiredAndy Reid in 1999.
With a rebuild just about every option is on the table. Last January nobody, (even me) thought that was the case. The moves we made in March seemed like just more re-tooling. (So it makes me wonder, at what point in the preseason did they decide to scrap 2016?)
Openly calling this a rebuild allows us to discuss the Eagles in a way that hasn’t been possible in 17 years. Back then you and I wouldn’t have been part of that discussion, and while We The Fansstill haven’t been invited to the table, I’m going to try and organize a way for us to get us heard.
Given that this year Philadelphia is hosting the NFL Draft for perhaps the last time in most of our lifetimes, it would be a great feeling to know that we fans, somehow had an impact on this rebuild. This opportunity is truly once in a lifetime. We would be fools to let it pass and spend the rest of our lives looking back wondering “What if we had done more than nothing?”
If you want to be art of the effort we’ll start small. Get in here and leave comments on who you’d like to see the team draft, so we can build some sort of consensus that could carry some weight. Before you dismiss the strength of our collective voices, keep in mind that it’s fans who buy tickets and jerseys. It’s easy to ignore the guy in the stands waving a sign (“I’M A MORON, I WANT A WR” for example) because he already bought his ticket.
Your voices in here in the offseason represent potential and stability for the Eagles organization’s bottom line. Selling out games and huge merchandise sales aren’t a given for any team, especially after two back to back 7 – 9 seasons. From a business standpoint the Eagles need to hear from you, even if they would NEVER dare tell you that.
So get yourself heard! Early and often. Be part of this team in a way we’ve never been able to be before, and may never be able to be again.
2017 ended with our starters churning out a 27 – 13 win, over our hated rival’s second and third string. It ended with us dropping from the 9th to possibly the 14th spot, in the 2017 NFL Draft, (starting in the 2nd round since Cleveland has ours and we have Minnesota’s pick in the 1st round).
But what about the stuff that the stats don’t reveal? That’s the reason for these “Four Things” articles. To have an idea of what needs addressing BEFORE the game, so that we’re forced to honestly answer questions AFTER the game.
So, of the Four Things we were looking for in this last game, what exactly did we see?
1) Get pressure on QBDak Prescott. We got pressure on the QB, and came away with 3 sacks on the day. Since Prescott only played a series, most of the pressure wasn’t on him, but the important part was the pressure and that mission was accomplished. DONE
2) Keep containment.We held the Cowboys to 69 yard on 21 carries (3.3ypc). DONE
3) Run the ball directly at DERandy Gregory. We did a fair amount of attacking the edges, capping the Cowboys pass rush and controlling the clock 35 minutes to 24. DONE
4) Show blitz. We didn’t do this really, but that I think has to do with the fact that Dallas had back-up QB’s in, and we didn’t need to blitz to get pressure. Even though this was technically not done, we didn’t need it, so you won’t hear a complaint from me over it. NOT DONE
So this weeks score is 3 out of 4, and a victory. Goes to show that, if you play fundamentally sound football, you have a better chance to win games.
SUNDAY 1:00 Lincoln Financial Field, PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania
NEEDS TO STEP UP:
Ourselves as Fans: Our shitty national reputation is largely undeserved over a handful of incidents that have been massively overblown. However, with NFL schedule makers sending Dallas to South Philly on the one day of the year when Philly practically celebrates compromised judgment, it sets the stage for a few jack-offs (usually from Jersey) to make us look bad as a whole. So we as Philadelphians need to keep an eye out for folks taking things a bit too far. It’s our home and our rep. Let’s not allow knuckleheads to take a shit on either one.
WE MUST CONTAIN:
Knuckleheads: Hey idiots! Just because you are IN Philly, it doesn’t automatically make you “Philly”. The difference between here and the in-bred suburb you come from, is that here crimes actually get reported. Since most maps don’t include your shitty little town/borough, when you’re arrested (usually at the scene), the national media (as a form of shorthand) will report you as being from Philadelphia. However, locally we all know it will be a different story. So do everyone a favor: Leave your stupid at home. If you find that you cannot remove your stupid, then by all means, stay home with it.
EAGLESSTORY LINE:
This game only means something if we lose it and move up a spot or two in the 2017 Draft. Aside from that, we’re just playing out the string. That said, I feel like the Eagles will win this one, because they can’t help but kick me in my balls. Also that’s just the kind of year 2016 has been for me. Happy New Year everyone.
BOTTOM LINE:
I’m just hoping to see no players (Eagles OR Cowboys) get hurt in this game. I’m also hoping no Cowboys are harmed on their way to, or from this game.
LAST time these two teams met, Dallas won 29-23 in overtime. It was a road game for the Eagles. This one will be played here, on (are you fucking kidding me?) New Years Day. I don’t know what genius decided to put the Cowboys in South Philly on New Years Day, but I’m pretty sure that they’re trying to generate a headline or twenty. This really does feel like someone in the NFL is trying to put the Cowboys in harm’s way. This sort of scheduling should never be allowed to happen again. Ever.
Most teams who come to Philly stay at the Loews hotel on Market street. That’s some 30-odd blocks north of the stadium. Most weeks it’s no big deal, but this is New Years Day. The Cowboy’s team bus has to make it from the hotel to the stadium, past South Philly revelers who’ve been up drinking, (and God knows what else) all night long. That bus has to make through 20+ residential blocks, filled with generations of blue collar, die-hards. It only takes a few bad apples to make a city look bad, but on that day with all the celebrating, there could be be more than just a few bad apple this time. A lot more.
Under these very unique circumstances, if the Cowboys make it to the game without incident, I will consider the day a success. Especially given the Mummers judging going on (with 100’s of people watching), just 3 blocks away from the Cowboys hotel. This is a recipe for a potential public relations disaster.
A picture I snapped on 1/8/08, of a few Mummers playing music during the Mayoral Meet and Greet at City Hall.
As far at the actual game goes, neither team stands to gain anything from winning this match-up, but both teams will be playing their starters anyway. I’ll be damned if I know why. This is a situation that is all risk and no reward. BUT, since it seems like Head Coach Doug Pederson wants wins to close out the year.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to look for, Week 17 versus Dallas :
1) Get pressure on QBDak Prescott. We got more pressure on him than he was used to facing and in the process we made the rookie phenom look damned ordinary. We’ll need to repeat that formula.
2) Keep containment.We allowed ourselves to pulled out of alignment and played undisciplined on the edges. The result was a room for Dallas runners to roam between the Tackles. We need to constrict those interior lanes, especially given that the Dallas RB is only effective when running behind his pads.
3) Run the ball directly at DERandy Gregory. He’s not very stout and coming off of a long suspension, he’s got fresh legs, but his endurance isn’t back yet. So wear him down, while working the clock and neutering their pass rush.
4) Show blitz.Even if we don’t bring it often, showing the blitz right over TE Jason Witten will keep him in as a blocker and take away a major security blanket for the QB, as well as the Cowboys second leading receiver.
If we won this game with back-ups it would be great, but winning it with starters is meaningless. Meanwhile, a loss here would help us move up a spot or two (starting in the second round) of the 2017 Draft, while a win might cause us to slide back a spot or two. As far as I’m concerned Dallas can have the meaningless win. if we were smart we’d play for the future. We’ll see how it shakes out on Sunday.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 