WHEW! We sure did shit the bed against Cleveland! At least rookie S Andrew Mukubacame to play. His two takeaways led to all 13 of our points in that game. Well, the Jets historically, love sharing the football. So maybe Mukuba, or even other Eagles defenders, will convince the Jets to share their football with us.
With this being the third and final preseason game, if we leave this game with no significant injuries, then it’s a win. And that’s regardless of whatever is on the scoreboard.
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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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the Four Things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; andTackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Jets.
1) Better Run Blocking:Last week our bacl-up Offensive Linemen could only muster enough running room to produce 33 yards on 19 carries. Don’t do the math, unless you want to cry. This week it would be nice to see OL Matt Pryor moved inside to G, where he’s better than he is at OT. Which I said last week, in the Eagles 2025 Preview.
I don’t expect to see starters playing, but I do expect to see back-ups trying to prove themselves worthy of a start. Benchmarks? If I’m pulling numbers out of thin air… Oh, 110 rushing yards as a team, with a 4.4 yard average, would be nice.
2) McCord Pushing the Ball Downfield:Against the Browns, our QB’s hardly attempted any passes downfield. Dink and dunk passing, keeps coverage close to the line of scrimmage. Close coverage also helps in shutting down the run. As a result, we couldn’t move the ball at all.
This week I’d like to see QB Kyle McCord start the first half, and attempt 4 to 6 passes that travel at least 20 yards in the air. I don’t want him to play the whole game, but I want to see him be aggressive while he’s out there.
3) Penetration and Protection from the DT’s:Penetration. For these first two games, our back-up DT’s have gotten pushed off the line, a lot more than I’m comfortable with. It would be great to see them getting past blockers and start causing more disruption.
Protection. Instead of getting pushed back into the lap of a LB trying to make a play, we need to see DT’s occupying blockers at or behind the line, and allowing clean LB’s to flow to the ballcarrier.
4) No Significant Injuries: It’s football. The football gods demand tribute, so injuries are a matter of when, not if. Just please, no key players.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Since Head Coach Nick Siriannitook over, we don’t really play our starters in the preseason, and we start slow every year as a result. Expect the same thing this year. We also make the playoffs every year, so…. I guess, expect the same thing this year.
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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 forFour Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
OPERATION Bounceback begins, as Dallas looks to pick themselves up after they finished 2024 with a record of 7-10, 3rd in the NFC East, 20.6 pspg (21st), 27.5 papg (31st).
Injuries derailed this team last season. They managed to tread water for a while, going 3-3 until their Week Seven Bye. They came back and lost four straight games, dropping them to 3-7, behind two division rivals that were ho,t and refusing to cool off. Missing the playoffs became almost a mercy killing. Head coach Mike McCarthy was fired, and replaced with Brian Schottenheimer. Brian is the son of a personal favorite of mine, the late, great Marty Schottenheimer.
Heading into the pre-season, this is how things look today:
QB: Much is expected of Dak Prescott (185 – 286 – 64.7 – 1978 – 11 – 8) but at 31 years old, coming back from a second major lower body surgery, those expectations may now be unfair. Even before his 2024 season ended, his record was 3 – 5, including 3 straight losses. He’d also thrown 5 TD’s against 6 interceptions in his last four starts. It’s too early to declare him washed, but he no longer belongs anywhere near discussions of being elite.
Gone is back-up Cooper Rush. Enter Joe Milton. He’s huge (6’5, 246), with good mobility and an extremely live arm. In fact, his high throwing velocity is the biggest knock against him. He lacks touch, so he rockets every throw, which can make him wildly inaccurate on short passes. That being said, the lad has some tools. (+)
RB: Free agent Javonte Williams is a reclamation project from the Broncos. He’s never rushed for 1,000 yards, and hasn’t broken a 25 yard run since 2021. Former Eagle Miles Sandersstill showed the ability to be explosive in 2024, but will he see enough work in 2025, to make a contribution? Hunter Luepke (12 – 38 – 3.2 – 0) is the unofficial FB.
Deuce Vaughn (17 – 70 – 4.1 – 0 – 0) hasn’t seen much action in two years, and at 176 pounds, it’s doubtful that he ever will. Rumor has it, that Dallas wants a thunder and lightning duo, between rookies Jaydon Blue a 5th rounder, and 7th rounder Phil Mafah. Both are one dimensional players. Dallas has five question marks and no answers here yet. (-)
WR: Ceedee Lamb (101 – 1194 – 11.8 – 6) was clearly hurt by the loss of his QB last year. Another thing that hurt him was a shoulder injury that worsened as the season went on, causing the Cowboys to shut him down, with two weeks left in the season. There’s been no indication of any further difficulty with the shoulder.
George Pickens (59 – 900 – 15.3 – 3) was traded from Pittsburgh. He’ll loosen coverage on Lamb and help clear out the box. The threat of him alone, upgrades the entire offense. Jalen Tolbert (49 – 610 – 12.4 – 7) will likely see his role reduced, with the addition of Pickens, but he’s a quality third. KaVontae Turpin (31 – 420 – 13.5 – 2) insists on being a real receiver, but his true value to Dallas is returning kicks (27 – 904 – 33.5 – 1). Jonathan Mingo (5 – 46 – 9.2 – 0) will likely round out the roster. (+)
TE: Jake Ferguson (59 – 494 – 8.4 – 0) should be able to produce more on the field, since opponents are usually focused on defending other players. Despite 59 catches, he produced no scores and just 18 first downs, in 2024. Luke Schoonmaker (27 – 241 – 8.9 – 1) was a 2nd round selection in 2023, but so far, has not been able to take the top spot from Ferguson.
Brevyn Spann-Ford (9 – 88 – 9.8 – 0) is a big target, but he’s a slow, lumbering runner. He won’t run many crisp routes, and offers little after the catch. There are also a couple of Special Teamers/camp bodies here. This position is practically a liability. (-)
OT: Last year LT Tyler Guyton struggled to the point of being benched. Instead of leaving him in the doghouse, the Dallas coaching staff worked with him in the offseason and they are so far pleased with what they’ve seen in OTA’s and early training camp. Terence Steele has started the last 34 games at RT. Though he’s not the greatest, he provides stability that can be built around.
Matt Waletzko, Dakoda Shepley, are experienced Cowboys back-ups, but that’s all they will ever be, barring injury. They are joined by free agent Hakeem Adeniji, who hasn’t been a starter since 2023 when he had 4 starts with the Vikings. There are a couple of late round picks down here, but no one on this bench, will ever develop into a regular starter anywhere. (+)
Rookie Guard Tyler Booker
G: With the retirement of perennial All-Pro Zack Martin, LG Tyler Smith takes over as the leader of the Cowboys offensive line. He’s been worlds better since he was moved inside in 2023. Even before OTA’s, 1st round pick Tyler Booker, was basically anointed the starter at RG. He’s a 1st rounder, but the NFL has a steep learning curve.
Depth is interesting. Saahdiq Charles comes over from division rival Washingtion, where he played OT. Not only has he changed teams, but also positions. Robert Jones comes over from Miami, where he started every game last year at LG. Both T.J. Bass and Asim Richards were Cowboys last year. Bass with three starts and Richards with one. So if Booker doesn’t pan out, there are plenty of veteran options. (+)
C: Cooper Beebe started 16 games as a rookie last year, which is an endorsement in itself. He leapfrogged Brock Hoffman, who has been with the team since 2022. There is nothing broken with this position, so the Cowboys made no move to fix it. (+)
In A Nutshell: There’s a line, some weapons, and QB who’s familiar with his supporting cast. They have the ingredients for a top ten unit. (+)
DEFENSE
Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs address the media during Cowboys training camp activities.
DE: If you go to the Cowboys website, Micah Parsons (43 – 12.0 – 0 – 0) is listed under this position. Some will want to argue that, but with Matt Eberflus hired to be the new defensive coordinator, we can’t be certain of what changes he has planned. Parsons has requested a trade over his contract situation, but as of when I hit ‘publish’, he was still on this roster.
Dante Fowler returns from Washington, where he had 10.5 sacks last year. Fowler hasn’t started double digit games since 2020, and Parsons’ could possibly end up sitting out games. So it’s a pretty strong bet that Dallas will have to lean heavily on their depth here.
Sam Williams is a 2022 2nd rounder, is coming back from an ACL tear, which robbed him of his 2024 season. Marshawn Kneeland a 2024 2nd rounder, is seen more as a run defender than a pass rusher. Payton Turner, a 2021 1st rounder, comes over from the Saints, with no career starts, but two long I.R. stints on his resume. Right now, there are no committed starters, and no back-up has any meaningful experience. (-)
DT: Mazi Smith (41 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) started every game last year and anchored the NFL’s 29th ranked run defense in yards allowed. He’s huge, but he tires quickly, and then gets pushed around easily. Osa Odighizuwa (47 – 4.5 – 0 – 0) posted career-highs in tackles and sacks, while starting every game for the third straight year. He’s disruptive, but undersized for the inside.
Solomon Jones comes over from the Jets. He’s played End most of his career, but he’s apparently being moved inside, because the Cowboys are paper thin there. Of his career 18.5 sacks, 8.5 have come in the last two years. They also have two rookie 7th rounders in Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote. Like I said. Paper thin. (-)
OLB: Donovan Ezeiruaku, rookie 1st rounder, was the 12th pick overall. So getting him on the field early, may be the reason why “others”, find themselves changing positions. Honestly, with Ezeiruaku’s body type, he might still line up with his hand in the dirt, quite a bit. Marist Liufau (50 – 1.5 – 0 – 1) will likely be the second starter, but with the new DC, it’s impossible to be sure.
DeMarvion Overshown (90 – 5.0 – 1 – 1) tore his ACL, PCL and MCL late last season, and will miss part of 2025. If he were healthy, he’d start over Liufau. James Houston is a recent signing, as pass rush insurance for the Parsons situation. The other three players at this position, probably won’t even make the Practice Squad. (-)
MLB: Kenneth Murray comes over from the Titans, in a bid to salvage his career as a starter. Already labeled as a 1st round bust for the Chargers, the Titans gave him a two year deal. Then they traded him for peanuts, after just one season. He’s athletic, and a hard hitter, and decent guy… The issue is his poor instincts when diagnosing plays. Yikes!
MLB Jack Sanborn in coverage
Jack Sanborn was a Bear for three years, and has played in Eberflus’s system. So it’s not a stretch that he could win the starting gig. But if he doesn’t, he’s great depth to have. Damone Clark started every game in 2023, but was demoted in 2024, with just two starts in fourteen games. Don’t be surprised if he’s the first ‘backer off the bench, inside or outside. (+)
S: Both Donovan Wilson (82 – 4.5 – 1 – 1) and Malik Hooker (81 – 0.0 – 2 – 0) started every game last season, and they’ll return as a tandem in 2025. Even with a new system being installed this should be an area of strength, because their communication will make it easier for them to digest the changes.
Markquese Bell (6 tackles), Juanyeh Thomas (14 tackles), and Israel Mukuamu (19 – 0.0 – 2 – 0) have all been Cowboys for at least two years. So all five of these players have been in two systems with each other, and can discuss where the similarities and differences are, in the incoming system. So they should be able to teach each other and adapt to it quickly. (+)
CB: Trevon Diggs (42 – 0.0 – 2 – 0) is coming back from 2024 cartilage damage in the same knee that he tore his ACL in, back in 2023. In the last two seasons, he’s played just 13 of a possible 34 games. Questions about his durability, and how much his athleticism is impacted, are legitimate at this point.
After losing Jourdan Lewis (Jaguars), DaRon Bland (41 – 0.0 – 0 – 1) will be the new starter. Can he regain the form he had before a stress fracture in his foot, took the first half of 2024 from him? Currently engaged in what will be expensive contract talks with him, the Cowboys will soon literally be banking (gambling) on it.
Josh Butler (21 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) started three games with the Cowboys, as a 28 year old rookie last year. He’s currently on their PUP list, as he’s rehabbing a torn ACL. In the 3rd round of the 2025 Draft, the Cowboys selected Shavon Revel. He is currently rehabbing a torn ACL and will not be available during Training Camp. Or for the start of the season. Oh, and Caelen Carson (27 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) the 2024 5th rounder who had five starts last year, is out for weeks with a hyperextended knee.
I am making NONE of this up.
So, just who is healthy? Kaiir Elam a former 1st round pick that Buffalo gave up on and traded to Dallas for basically a handful of pocket lint. (Actually, it was him and a 6th round pick, in exchange for a 5th and a 7th round pick.) The remaining six bodies at this position have a total of 1 career interception between them, and a combined 3 starts since 2023. (-)
In A Nutshell: How do you not bring in ANY serious help, for the 31st ranked defense?
SPECIAL TEAMS:
K: Brandon Aubrey (40/47 (85.1%), 30/30 (100%)) hit a 65 yarder to let NFL teams know, that if his team reaches the 50, he’s gonna be a problem. (+)
P: After boasting a 51.4 yard per punt average in 2023, Bryan Anger came back down to Earth with a 48.5 yard average in 2024. That number is almost perfectly in line with the 48.4 that he posted in his first two years as a Cowboy. His net punt however was down to 41.7 yards, his lowest as a Cowboy. Not awesome, but serviceable. (+)
In A Nutshell: The legs are reliable, and aren’t losing the field position game for this team.
The Cowboys GM be like…
BOTTOM LINE: The Cowboys are going to have to use the same formula as the Bengals to win. Every game will have to be a shoot-out, because defensively this team is trash. And that’s regardless of how the Parsons situation turns out. They went 3-3 in the division last season, this year will probably be 1-5, repeating their 7-10 mark from last year. If they stay healthy.
Sisyphus- (Oops!) Washington, now that Dan Snyder is gone.
LOST NFC Championship Game, 12 – 5, 2nd place in NFC East, pspg 28.5 (5th) papg 23.0 (18th)
Washington was by far the surprise team of the 2024 season. Capitalizing on a last place schedule, and a rookie QB playing better than anyone could have anticipated; the Commanders made a deep run in the playoffs. They even out-dueled the #1 seeded Detroit, 45 – 31. A week later, the eventual Super Bowl Champions the Philadelphia Eagles, would annihilate Washington 55 – 23, and give them much to consider in the off-season.
Heading into the pre-season, this is how things look today:
QB: Jayden Daniels (331 – 480 – 69.0 – 3568 – 25 – 9) started all 17 games, while battling through broken ribs, suffered in Week 7. He ran for 891 yards and 6 scores, with a win/loss record of 12-5. But pump the brakes. That record could have just as easily been 8-9. His four game winning drives (Bears, giants, Eagles, and Cowboys) look good on paper, but the circumstances in each of those games will tell a very different story.
But that still leaves eight clear wins over the Bengals, Saints, Panthers, Titans, giants, Cardinals, Falcons, and Browns, right? Well, none of those teams made the playoffs. In fact, Daniels generally ceased to be a difference maker, whenever the opponent had a playoff caliber QB on the field. All early indications are positive, but demonstrated consistency is needed here.
Marcus Mariota returns as the back-up. The role looks to fit him well. He’s not asked to do too much when he’s asked to play, and he still has good mobility even at 31. Sam Hartman was an undrafted rookie, added to the roster last year; and for some reason, the well-traveled Josh Johnson was added to the roster, this year. (+)
RB: Brian Robinson (187 – 799 – 4.3 – 8) scares absolutely nobody. In three seasons he has never run for 800 yards in any one of them. He is not a game-breaker. He’s a big, “pound the ball between the Tackles” type. For explosive plays, the team is counting on Austin Ekeler (77 – 367 – 4.8 – 4 / 35 – 366 – 10.5 – 0). Surely, they’ll be looking to get him more than just 112 touches this season.
Providing depth is Jeremy McNichols (55 – 261 – 4.7 – 4) who is coming off a career year in 2024, having finally had his first career start after seven years, and four prior rosters. The Commanders also have third year man Chris Rodriguez (35 – 173 – 4.9 – 2). Putting together 354 – 1,600 – 4.5 – 18 between four guys, with their front line in a state of flux, may be the most slept-on story in the division. (+)
WR: Terry McLaurin (82 – 1096 – 13.4 – 13) saw a career-highs in both touchdown catches, and catch percentage (70.1). More importantly, he seems to have developed a real rapport with the guy throwing him the ball. So his current contract hold-out/hold-in/trade request isn’t too surprising. He’s currently still under contract, so I’m including him here.
WT Terry McLaurin being shown the money.
Meanwhile, when San Fran showed Deebo Samuel (51 – 670 – 13.1 – 3) the door, Washington couldn’t simp and give him a truckload of money fast enough. Even though his game is more suited to the slot, they want him to be a #2. Partly because overpaying a slot would be silly. Right Dallas?
Speaking of not showing up in the playoffs, Noah Brown (35 – 453 – 12.9 – 1) is back from the kidney injury that ended his 2024 campaign, in Week 13. Michael Gallup (no stats) is back from retirement. Further depth includes Luke McCaffery (18 – 168 – 9.3 – 0) and a handful of camp bodies and rookies, like 4th rounder Jaylin Lane.
There isn’t a legit #2 here, and the group is built as if the focus, is to capitalize on yards after the catch. That portends a lot of receivers taking big hits from Linebackers and Safeties. Which brings into question how healthy they’ll be, by the time we start with the Fall family gatherings. Once again, it’s basically McLaurin and then a big drop-off. (-)
TE:Zach Ertz(66 – 654 – 9.9 – 7) found the fountain of youth in 2024, while playing security blanket with his rookie passer. That said, with him being 34, the time to pivot to second year Ben Sinnott (5 – 28 – 5.6 – 1) should be this season. Nobody spends a 2nd round pick on a TE, without plans for him, and while John Bates is a tough sumbitch, he’s not a receiving threat. At the bottom of the barrel are Cole Turner and Tyree Jackson. (-)
OT: In order to keep the Broken Rib fairy away from their QB, Washington traded with Houston for LT Laremy Tunsil. He’s been a perennial Pro Bowler (for whatever that’s worth anymore), while dominating in the AFC South against the Colts, Jags, and Titans. All while playing in a dome. In a warm climate. The NFC East will offer him none of that.
Taking snaps (so far) at RT, is 1st rounder Josh Conerly. This makes for a brand new pair of starters on the ends. In 2024 it was RT Andrew Wylie, and (rookie) LT Brandon Coleman. Wylie took a pay cut in March, just to keep a job. Coleman is looking for an open seat anywhere on the line. Behind them, are a couple of career back-ups, and undrafted rookie Timothy McKay.
Nice bed. Be a shame if someone…
While the new starters may be talented, how they adapt to a new team, and system, are all question marks. Last year’s starters shit the bed hard enough to cause the team to wipe the slate and start all over. If the reserves have to step in, there can’t be a ton of confidence there. So until they prove otherwise… (-)
OG: Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, may have as many as four new starters up front, going into this season. Last year it was LG Nick Allegretti and RG Sam Cosmi. This year Brandon Coleman is getting a look at LG, and Andrew Wylie seems to have been demoted to utility player.
Allegretti and Cosmi are still in the mix to start, but it’s a mix. Especially with Cosmi still rehabbing a blown ACL. Johnson completely re-tooling the line that he assembled last year, tells you how deeply disappointed he was. The real question here is, is this position any more talented than it was a year ago? The flat answer is, no. (-)
C: Tyler Biadasz is the anchor of this line, and he’s clearly the player that it’s being built around. He isn’t flashy, but he’s a consistent and stabilizing presence. He’s also the only player listed at this position. Michael Dieter is listed at G, but he’s got eight career starts in the pivot. So depth here is a mild concern. (+)
In A Nutshell: If the line doesn’t gel quickly, this offense is cooked.
DEFENSE
DE: Finally a starter (fifteen starts) Dorance Armstrong (39 – 5.0 – 0 – 0) was supposed to take a major leap forward. What happened is, he was less productive than when he was a back-up. Clellin Ferrell(26 – 3.5 – 0 – 0) also failed to be a game-changer despite his ten starts. Seeing low production from their starters (8.5 sacks), Washington decided to make a major move...
They gave a roster spot to what’s left of Von Miller. He’s collected 6 sacks in the last two years, as a situational player. Further depth looks like second year Jacob Martin (15 – 3.0 – 0 – 0); Javonte Jean-Baptiste (13 – 1.0 – 0 – 0); Andre Jones (1 tackle); and Viliami Fehoko, who was drafted in the 4th round in 2023, but has bounced around practice squads since then. (-)
DT: Jonathan Allen (Minnesota) was allowed to walk, breaking up the dynamic duo that was he and Daron Payne (42 – 4.0 – 0 – 0). Stepping up to be Payne’s new running mate, is Jer’Zhan Newton (44 – 2.0 – 0 – 1) who had eleven starts in 2024, due to Allen being injured. Newton was drafted last year to give Washington more interior pass rush and be a disruptor, but so far he’s “less of an asset” against the run.
Adding Javon Kinlaw (40 – 4.5 – 0 – 1) from the Jets, could be a good move, depending on which version of him shows up most of the time. NT Eddie Goldman came over from the Falcons, (probably as bulk vs the Brotherly Shove). He can anchor against the run, but no one is worried about his pass rush. Maybe that’s whyDeatrich Wise (20 – 5.0 – 0 – 0) was added from the Patriots? Lots of experience, but there’s a lot of high mileage, new parts to blend. (-)
I/MLB: In 2024, Bobby Wagner (132 – 2.0 – 0 – 2) recorded his lowest tackle total since 2015. That’s despite starting all seventeen games. Whether it was because it was his first year in the system, or because he was 34, is the question. Given the lack of clear depth behind him, that’s not a good question to have.
Right now, second year man Jordan Magee (9 tackles), would be the first man off the bench in case of injury to Wagner. However, he only saw 15 snaps in 2024. Further depth looks like possibly 6th rounder Kain Medrano, or undrafted rookies Kam Arnold and Ale Kaho. Nick Bellore is a Special Teamer who also plays FB. (-)
LB Frankie Luvu jumps offsides, trying to stop the Eagles Brotherly Shove play.
OLB: Frankie Luvu (99 – 8.0 – 1 – 2) had career-highs in sacks (8), and passes defensed (7). Despite Dante Fowler and his 10.5 sacks going back to Dallas, there doesn’t seem to be a hard set plan for re-stocking the other starting spot.
Instead, Washington is hoping that Dominique Hampton, a 5th roundtweener from last year’s Draft, can replace Jeremy Chinn (Las Vegas), who played a hybrid role, as a box FS/LB. You didn’t read that wrong. This is what’s happening. This is who they have, and they’re serious about rolling this out. (-)
S: Quan Martin (87 – 0.0 – 1 – 0 ) also added 3 forced fumbles last year, during his sixteen starts. They added free agent Will Harris from the Saints. With 3 career interceptions in six years, Harris isn’t exactly a ball-hawk or a game changer. He does however, bring a much needed veteran presence to a very inexperienced group.
Percy Butler (47 tackles) had five starts last year, but he had thirteen the year before. Instead of relying on him, Washingtonadded a veteran. Below Butler are undrafted Tyler Owens (who doesn’t believe in Space or other planets); undrafted college special teamer Ben Nikkel; and undrafted rookie Robert McDaniel. (-)
CB: Mike Sainristil (93 – 0.0 – 2 – 1) saw sixteen starts as a rookie last year. It started out rough, but he played through, and by season’s end, the improvement was apparent. Marshon Lattimore (4 tackles) came over in a midseason trade. He only played two games due to a hamstring injury, which he blamed for his poor performance. BUT! If we’re going to keep it 100, he’s been a shell of himself since 2022.
Noah Igbinoghene (55 tackles) having defected from Dallas last year, now has two years of this system under his belt. Jonathan Jones (Patriots) is very experienced, especially in the slot. Add a handful of young guys, which include two undrafted rookies, and you have the makings of… A mess. This is a mess. It’s one decent player, a guy who’s washed, an old slot guy, a bench warmer, and camp bodies. This is a mess. (-)
In A Nutshell : Aside from possibly Kinlaw, no clear move was made to improve this unit.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Free agent signee Matt Gay has no competition on the roster. The gig is obviously his, despite him being 11/22 from 50+ yards, over the last two seasons. Did I mention he played the last two seasons in Indianapolis? Yes, a place with a dome. In fact, 8 of those 11 misses were in a dome. However, he was 28/28 from 49 yards or less. So he’s solid, but not clutch. (+)
P: Tress Way only had to punt 50 times last season, which helped keep his leg fresh enough to raise his average punt to 46.9 from 46.0 the previous year. He won’t set the world on fire, but he’s solid. (+)
In a Nutshell: Washington is solidly going the Gay Way in 2025.
BOTTOM LINE: At the end of January, no one was expecting this team to shell out 60M$ to two WR’s, but by Week One, that is precisely what has to happen. (Right?) As a result, there wasn’t big money to spend on improving a defense which allowed 55 points in the last game they played in. Add to that, a harder schedule, and a season’s worth of tape on their QB. This team won’t sneak up on anyone this year.
Everywhere I turn, the national media has this team back in the NFC Championship game or beyond, but I just don’t see it. They just don’t have the firepower to make up for a poor defense. Let’s call it 9 – 8 and a Wild-card exit.
TWO weeks ago, we lost a game that we didn’t deserve to win. Instead of playing another game to get that taste out of our mouths, we got a Bye week. An extra week to stew on it, and look at what went wrong in that game, and frankly, what hasn’t been working all season so far.
We also got a chance to get healthy. While it’s true that some of our injured players could have suited up for that last game, it was much smarter that they didn’t. Instead they used the Bye week to get solid for the long haul. After all, a football season is a marathon, not a sprint.
So the coaches have had a chance to refine our attack. The players have had a chance to get rested and healthy. We stumbled out of the gate, and fell all the way to 2 – 2. So with refinement, we should expect to see improvement.
Our first post-Bye test, is hosting the 1 – 4 Browns. They Browns don’t do great job of scoring points or stopping points from being scored. So if we’re going to be trying out some new stuff, this is the week for it.
A win gets us to 3 – 2, and above the .500 mark. It shows that we can beat the teams that we’re supposed to beat. It’s not cause to celebrate, it’s just TCB. Thank you very much.
A loss drops us to 2 – 3, and if the giants beat Cincinnati (and they should), it gets us the basement of the division. Alone to ourselves. No bueno.
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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the four things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Browns
1) Run Saquon Early: On our first Offensive play of the game, we should be handing the ball off to RB Saquon Barkley. None of that weak shit, where QB Jalen Hurts keeps it, and then immediately gets down in the fetal position, because the other team didn’t buy his fake, and they’re already swarming him.
We need to run Saquon early, as much to legitimize our play-action, as we do for balancing our attack. Getting him 5 to 7 carries in the first quarter, will help the Offense run smoother for the rest of the game.
2) Press and Challenge: During our last game, color analyst Tom Brady, you know, this guy,
repeatedly mentioned that the Eagles were playing too much off-coverage, and allowing the Bucs receivers too many unchallenged steps into their routes. As a result, we were carved up by QB Baker Mayfield. And by George, ol’ Tomfoolery was right.
We have entirely too much man-cover talent on this team, to be playing this soft on the edges. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio alluded to making changes to that in the second half of the last game, and he said that he had adjustments to make over the Bye. Hopefully this one of them.
I’ve been saying for years now that our poor coverage is the biggest culprit in retarding our pass rush. The ball is coming out so fast, that our linemen just don’t have time to reach QB’s. Worse than that, there is almost no chance at an interception if the receiver is wide open. So it keeps turnovers low.
3) Dallas Slotted At #3:Let’s shelve the quest for a #3 WR, and just make TE Dallas Goedert that guy for us. I don’t mean that we should line him up in the Slot. I just mean we should make Goedert our #3 option. It’s okay to platoon the Slot. In fact, platooning it will allow us to experiment and change match-up reads.
For example, placing WR Jahan Dotson in the Slot, means very different things than placing WR Johnny Wilsonthere. They have to be defended differently, both before and after the catch. That can allows us to create mismatches, and force defenders out of double teams, depending on who we plug in there.
4) Stops over Strips: I honest to god, hate it when our players hold an offensive player up, to claw at the ball. Just drop him where you meet him. If a fumble doesn’t result from the initial impact, then end the play and move onto the next down.
****
If the Eagles do these four things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
We’re probably the most talented roster in the league. However, there are too many times we let the fundamentals slide, and it bites us (See: Falcons game). Then, a week later, we show that we can absolutely buckle down (see Saints game), and it makes fans wonder why this doesn’t always happen.
Dismiss the thought that the Eagles aren’t one of the best teams in the league. This team can beat anyone, at any time, if we bring our ‘A’ game. We knocked out two of San Fran’s QB’s in less than a half, and gutted the team. Nick Sirianni went toe to toe, down to the wire, with Andy Reidin the Super Bowl. Our Super Bowl hangover included sleepwalking to 10 – 0 last year. Miami hung 70 on Denver and we boxed them up, looking excellent while doing it, in our Kelly Greens. This season, in week three, the media was ready to put New Orleans in the Super Bowl, and that team hasn’t been the same team since we paid their house a visit.
Your team is a bad ass. And it has been for YEARS now.
Yes, we’ve had some recent stumbles of course. For instance. last season’s loss to San Fran, where we forgot what tackling was. Which also happened in our last game. We just have to focus better on the little things. When we do that, we’ve proven to be world beaters.
****
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.
LAST week the Saints were the most feared team in the NFL. Well, Head Coach Nick Siriannididn’t get that memo. Our Eagles went down the Saint’s house, punched them in the mouth, and took a beer from their fridge on the way out. This is despite everyone thinking we’d get run through last week.
See how the NFL’s website did us?
Yeah. We keep receipts.
This week the NFL is feeding us yet another team with a winning record. Fact is, all we’ve beaten have been winners. Green Bay is 2 – 1, Saints are 2 – 1, now we get the 2 – 1 Buccaneers. No 1 – 2 Browns. No 1 – 2 giants. No 0 – 3 Bengals. Yep, winners.
A win gets us to 3 – 1. It gives us a positive to focus on, as we head into a Bye week that seemed too early when the schedule came out. However, now amid all these early, critical injuries, a week of rest may be literally, just what the doctor ordered.
A loss would put us at 2 – 2, with an extra week to sulk as we stressed over getting healthy again.
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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 Buccaneers.
1) Our Reserves Must Gainwell: We are almost definitely going into this game without WR’sA.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, as well as RTLane Johnson. That means another week of leaning heavily on RB Saquon Barkley and TE Dallas Goedert. The Bucs know this, and will work to take those two away as options.
This means we need at least one of our back-ups, to step up in a big way. A 60 yard day from WR Jahan Dotson, would be great! Or RB Kenneth Gainwelllining up in the slot a few times, and making 40 yards or so catching the ball. WRJohnny Wilson as a red zone threat? These are just examples, but they’re the kind of things we need.
2) Get to Baker: Aside from their win over a Commanders team without a defense, the Bucs are giving up an average of 6 sacks per game. In that pressure-free game vs Washington, QB Baker Mayfield threw for four touchdowns and zero interceptions. In each of his next two games, he threw a touchdown and an interception.
Since he’s clearly a different QB under pressure, LET’S GIVE HIM SOME! The best part is, that most of the sacks on Mayfield have come from defensive linemen. So we shouldn’t need to send blitz after blitz to lay hands on him.
3) Run the Ball:Since we’re missing key weapons on Offense, we clearly need to lean on Saquon for production. That part is a no-brainer. So the Bucs will try to take him away. Which is great! We need them to think exactly that.
We need to get Saquon involved early, in order to sell our play-action. Focusing on him and being drawn out of position, opens up opportunities for our reserves. The more dangerous we make them, the more things loosen up for Saquon to run inside.
4) Own the GCG Box:Deform the pocket and don’t give Mayfield anywhere to step into his deliveries. That Guard-Center-Guard area, not the Tackles, should be our focus this week. Hit them where they’re weakest. If we control their offensive line, we control their offense. Ask the Saints about that one.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
We’re down three very important players this week, and we’re on the road. Again. Possibly on another sloppy field. Versus a winning opponent. If most teams were facing this degree of difficulty, their coaches would already be planting the seeds of excuses.
Not here.
That says a lot of about the culture of this team. That says a lot about it’s leadership. The last time we faced the Bucs, they blew us out 32 – 9, in the playoffs. Yet, there’s been no talk of revenge or score settling. That says a lot about the focus of this team. Which again, says a lot about the leadership.
There are people out there calling for Sirianni’s firing, because they disagree with his aggressiveness on 4th downs. Ask the giants if they wish Brian Dabol had a little bit of that aggression in him, tonight against Dallas. I’d rather my coach go down swinging, believing in his team, than have him sit and accept a more popular form of losing.
So I’m standing behind my coach. Never stop fightin’ Nick.
****
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.
Note: This article was supposed to come out weeks ago, but I simply forgot it. I had a loved one in the hospital, and the world simply had to stop until she was out. By then, this article was the furthest thing from my mind. I’ve tweaked NOTHING in the article aside from adding a second note at the very end, and I’m tickled by how on the money I am after two games.
Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA – The only weakness on this unit is TE depth. While RB could also use a stronger backup, the pieces are here for a by committee approach. As far as the starters, this team has the best Offensive line in the division, and the best 1-2 punch at WR possibly in the NFL.
Weakest Offense: NEW YORK – None of the skill players scares anyone, and the QB is practically a burning orphanage on Christmas Eve. They are however, developing an offensive line for next year’s QB.
Strongest Defense: PHILADELPHIA – Entering the season, there are questions about one of the Corners, but otherwise this unit has added enough raw athleticism at every level, to compete with even units built for pure speed. That’s not to say it’s perfect, but the issues that this unit has, are pretty common throughout the division. Philly just has more depth and ability to mix and match, which limits the opportunities for opponents to find mismatches to exploit.
Weakest Defense: WASHINGTON – This team should be strong right down the middle, but they lack weapons that can consistently make a difference. By season’s end however, they just MIGHT surrender fewer points than the giants. Washington has a clock eating offensive style that will limit opponents opportunities to score. New York’s offense is so bad though, they may allow more points because they give the opponent more opportunities with better field position. The reason the giants aren’t here, is because they have enough weapons to possibly become a decent unit. Washington stands no chance of that.
Strongest Special Teams: PHILADELPHIA – This was evaluated just using the LS, P, and K. Returners were not included, because no one has any idea, of how the new kickoff rules will impact the game. The NFL has even alluded to altering rules “in-season”, but Commissioner Roger Goodell nixed that notion about a week ago. As far as why Philly was picked, just look at the reports. Philly is strong in all three areas. The other three team cannot claim the same.
Weakest Special Teams: WASHINGTON – Both Washington and New York have a reliability issue with their kicking game. The difference is, that the giants punting game improved slightly last season, so they’re on an upward trend there.
Projected Winner: PHILADELPHIA – It’s not even close. If you disagree with my assessments, go through the reports and tell me what I screwed up.
Darkhorse Winner: DALLAS – Because of course they are. The NFC East is a division of haves and have nots. The Eagles and Cowboys dine on caviar. Meanwhile, the giants and Commanders watch and wait for each other to fall asleep, so that they can attempt to cannibalize their cellmate. (Note: Given how last week (Week 2) worked out between these two, this is now my FAVORITE line of the whole damned article.)
EAGLES in flight, don’t look backwards. This week we get a Saints team that has dismantled two one-dimensional teams. What do I mean by one-dimensional? I mean neither of them could run the ball (Panthers 29th , Cowboys 26th). So it was easy to play defense against those teams, and repeatedly get them off the field quickly, resulting in lots of possessions for the Saints.
This ain’t that type of party. The Eagles are the 8th ranked rushing team in the league, and RB Saquon Barkley is the #5 runner. So we can mix it up, work the clock, and not hand a bundle of quick possessions to our opponent. So whatever else happens, the Saints won’t be scoring 40 points again this week. That streak has come to a end.
Winning this week, moves us to 2 – 1. Where we’d be sitting in the division standings doesn’t really matter, because it’s just Week 3. It would be nice to be at the top, but if we’re in second place heading into Week 4, big deal.
A loss, would mean another week of listening to my fellow Eagles fans whine.
****
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 Saints.
1) Win the Line Of Scrimmage: I said this last week and we let Atlanta’s zone blockers off the line too easily. Part of the problem was with our interior defensive linemen lining up across from their offensive linemen, instead of across from gaps.
This week we need DT’sJordan Davis andJalen Carter to put their helmets in the “A” gaps; and let the Saints release into their blocks for cheap and easy penetration. Don’t try to delay their blockers. Instead, defend the space he’s vacated, and right there, should be a confused RB.
2) Set the Edges: These last couple of weeks have featured no DE’s setting the edge, vs the run. They line up angled in, and then crash inside, allowing the Tackles to close the gap to the Guard. This creates the clusters that we keep seeing our pass rushers in.
We need for DE Bryce Huff and OLB Josh Sweat, to make their first step up the field instead of inside. This is to keep those Tackles wide of the Guard, and give the DT’s room to work. We can’t make our four man rush effective, if all four guys are clumping themselves into one area, and almost blocking themselves.
3) Go To Goedert: The Saints defense is full of players who like to “shoot their gun” and their players been given the green light to do so. Their aggression is evidenced by their last two games, and the number of guys they already have on their injury report. This is perfect for us!
Again, we’re the #8 team in rushing. The Saints will be looking to shut that down. So, play-action passes to TE Dallas Goedert, will make their players slow down to read more. That takes them out of the comfort zone that they’ve had these last two weeks. It makes them function not at their best.
4) Don’t Settle for Early Field Goals: Many fans complained about the Eagles going for a 4th down, instead of taking a field goal early in the Atlanta game. Not me. It was the 100% right thing to do. The Saints can move the ball. Explosively. We do not want to get into a match where we’re trading field goals for touchdowns, while we don’t have the services of WR A.J. Brown.
I hope to see Head Coach Nick Siriannimake the same call this week, if presented with the same choice. To hell with early field goals. You saw what happened to Dallas. If it’s in the first half, if we’re inside their 30, on 4th and 3 or less, just go for it. Don’t think, just go. If it’s the second half, that’s different. Then you weigh the situation.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
We fans complained during the preseason. We said this team, (running a new offensive scheme and a new defensive scheme), needed shakedown time in live situations. We were worried that the players wouldn’t be on the same page. Well, we were right! So let’s stop being mad over what we all saw coming, two months ago. Let that shit go..
This week, Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, said he was sticking with Bryce Huff as his starter at DE. Of course he is! If Huff’s contract didn’t dictate that, then the fact that he needs time to learn how to be starter, absolutely does. He was a situational rusher with the Jets. Now he has to read situations and manage his energy. He has to make the mistakes, before they can be corrected.
Offensively, I’m not too worried about the Birds. We can run the ball, and WR DeVonta Smithhas stepped up. He needs more help than WR Britain Covey can provide, which is why I brought up Goedert. That said, QB Jalen Hurts needs to get WR Jahan Dotson, more than one target per game. Starting this Sunday.
****
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.
LOST in the Wild Card round, 11 – 6, second in the NFC East, 25.5 pspg / 25.2 papg
The Eagles ripped out the gate to a 10 – 0 start. However, they aand may of us writers, never quite seemed comfortable, because the Eagles allowed the games to be more difficult than they should have been. Then the wheels fell of, the team utterly collapsed, and no explanation has yet to be given. (Good. I wouldn’t want to hear it anyway.)
The Eagles responded by replacing the offensive and defensive coordinators. They also allowed General Manager Howie Roseman, to go all Tanya Harding on the entire city of New York, by taking RB Barkley from one team, and trading OLB Hasson Reddick to the other.
OFFENSE:
QB Jalen Hurts
QB: Jalen Hurts experienced a little problem with turnovers last year. Whether it was an anomaly, or it’s because teams have figured him out, remains to be seen. He still has trouble punishing the blitz, but his 99 touchdowns in three seasons as a starter (despite four missed games) makes you wonder what he could be, if he fixed that glaring flaw.
Kenny Pickett has plenty of arm talent and moxie. Half of his 12 career wins, are comeback victories. Which is a heck of a feat, given the lack of protection he was working with in Pittsburgh. Tanner McKee is a big, strong, tough player, and his teammates like playing for him. He is however, the definition of a pocket passer. (+)
RB: Saquon Barkley. Seeing how good he’s been with trash players and coaching surrounding him, only makes you wonder how good he can be now. However, it’s him being over 230 pounds that most excites me. No knock on all-time leading rusher LeSean McCoy, but the Eagles have had a lot of success here, with guys 220 pounds and up.
Kenneth Gainwell is a man without a real role. He isn’t special at anything. Will Shipley is a 4th round rookie, who seems like a big effort, hard nosed type. Neither backup is built to be an NFC East style workhorse. Which raises the question of: Who carries the load if Barkley gets hurt? Barkley is a great starter to have, but the depth is a question. (+)
TE: Given some of the other names on this team, it can be too easy to overlook Dallas Goedert. However, even as a third option, he’s been quietly putting up around 600 yards per season, for the last five seasons. There doesn’t seem to be a plan for third year man, Grant Calcaterra, as his blocking never wowed anyone. Again, this is a case of excellent starter, no real depth. With just two active, the position is also thin. (-)
WR: A.J. Brownis flat-out uncoverable. Hands, speed, size, vertical leap, route running… He owns every tool in the hardware store. On the opposite sideline, is DeVonta Smith, who puts on a clinic with every route that he runs. He posted a 72% catch rate last year. As a BOUNDARY receiver, with over 100 targets. Those are star receiver numbers, and he’s the #2.
Jahan Dotsonwas traded for, to give the Eagles a legit slot receiver and real depth. Rookie 6th rounder Johnny Wilsonis the #4 receiver. He’s 6’6” 228 pounds, but he has slow feet for this position. Having played at 245, if his blocking improves, a position switch might suit him. Britain Covey is primarily a return man. (+)
LT Jordan Mialata
OT: LT Jordan Mialatahas become a team captain. It still feels a little premature to call him ‘elite’, but his name does keep coming up in the national conversation. RT Lane Johnson is elite. There is no media outlet that refers to him, without calling him a future Hall Of Famer, somewhere in the conversation. It can be debated who the best OT in the league is, but there is no debate that the Eagles have the best starting pair.
LT Fred Johnsonhas been with the team since last year, and even saw a little bit of action. While RT Darian Kinnard played a lot during the preseason, you could tell he was a lock to make the team. I think coaches just wanted to be sure he was really as good a he seemed out there. (+)
OG: While LG Landon Dickersondoesn’t get the credit, he’s the real reason that the Brotherly Shove works as well as it does, as consistently as it does. As if to acknowledge this, the Eagles low-key made a point of giving him a four year extension, in March.
At the RG position is Mekhi Becton. He was a 2020, #11 overall draft pick, who the Jets had at RT, until he suffered two right knee injuries. At 6’7” 363 pounds, he’s an absolute monster of a man. So instead of playing him at RT, the Eagles chose to kick him inside, where he can wrestle with opponents in a phonebooth. He was good enough in camp to take the starting spot.
Tyler Steen is the second year man, who was supposed to start. Until Becton came along. I wasn’t big on Steen last year, but word is he’s improved noticeably. Rookie Trevor Keegan was selected in the 5th round this season. Not much is expected of him yet. (+)
C: Cam “Beef” Jurgensis taking over for the retired future Hall Of Famer Jason Kelce. Jurgens has 28 career starts at G, although the pivot is his natural spot. Not only did Kelce helped hand-pick Jurgens in the 2022 Draft, he mentored him. Groomed him to be a ready when the moment comes. This is that moment. Oh and there is no back-up. (+)
In A Nutshell: This roster is so stacked it’s ridiculous. And there may be even more help on the way.
DEFENSE:
DE: Brandon Graham is returning for his 15th and final ride, with the only NFL roster that was ever lucky enough, to have him grace it. He’s no longer a starter, but his snaps are impactful, as he plays the position classically. By which I mean, he plays the run on the way to the pass. Most modern players at this position, just play pass first, and so often fail to contain the edge.
Free agent Bryce Huff, comes over from the Jets, and will likely be the starter that Graham rotates with. He didn’t start a game last year and still led that team with 10 sacks. So of course, instead of starting him, the Jets let him walk. (+)
DT: I won’t keep you in suspense. The Eagles are literally SIX players deep at this position. Every guy here could start on a team somewhere in this league. Jordan Davis is a mountain of a man and the centerpiece of the Defensive Line. By his own admission he wore down in 2023, and has dedicated himself to his conditioning in 2024. Stay tuned. Jalen Carter grabbed 6 sacks and finished in second place for rookie of the year, last year. Milton Williams is a tweener, who gets moved around, to create and enhance mismatches along the line.
Moro Ojomo has made plenty of noise in preseason games. Now it’s time to translate that to games that count. Byron Young was a 3rd rounder last year, but was a victim of a 2024 numbers crunch in Las Vegas. Thomas Booker was an End in Houston last year. All three of these guys are tweeners, in that they’re Big End/high motor Nickel Tackle, types. Too much depth here. (+)
OLB: Josh Sweaton paper, changes position from DE, but in no way will that change how the Eagles utilize him. He gets lots of pressure and hits on passers (23 in 2023). The Eagles are just trying find a way to turn those into sacks (just 6.5 last year.) Nolan Smithwas supposed to be a steal in the 1st round of last year’s Draft, but he can’t produce from the sideline.
Jalyx Hunt is a 3rd round rookie, who had no business still being on the board when the Eagles got there. Patrick Johnson’s value lies in his flexibility (LB/DE), and his Special Teams play. While Eagles have parts here, getting production from them has proven to be challenge. (-)
ILB: Free Agent Devin White came over from Tampa. His resume shows that he can be a playmaker, but with most Eagles starters playing no preseason snaps, it’s impossible to judge how he fits. Zach Baun comes over from New Orleans, having been a spot starter and situational player. When the Eagles go to their 5 – 2 alignment, these two head the depth chart.
Nakobe Dean has so far not panned out as planned, but this new defensive coaching staff, seems excited about him. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will initially get stuck on Special Teams, but his heads-up style of play, suggests that coaches will find defensive snaps for him. Oren Burks was a late preseason acquisition who has starting experience, and has made some plays. Ben VanSumeren is a born Special Teamer.
The position is stable and solid up top. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that the free agents we added, are stunting the growth of the young guys we have (who seem to have more upside), by keeping them off the field. (+)
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (CJGJ) intercepts a pass
S: C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns, after a year in Detroit that he’d probably like to forget. His 2022 season here, saw him lead the NFL in interceptions and play in the Super Bowl. He’s back to get a taste of that again. Reed Blankenship isn’t a burner, but he possesses pretty much any other trait you’d want at this position. If the communication between these two is good, the middle of the field will be a dangerous place to venture.
Rookie 2nd rounder Cooper DeJean, fist best at this position. Yes, the coaches love his schematic flexibility, but ultimately, player play best where they play best. Tristin McCollumwas a longshot to make this roster, but here he is. (+)
CB:Darius “Big Play” Slaydoesn’t get the respect that he deserves. Even playing in a heavy cushion cover scheme, he’s picked off 8 passes in three seasons. Isaiah Rodgers was brought in a year ago while on suspension. We have yet to see him play. Quinyon Mitchell is a 1st rounder from this year. While he’s well thought of, he’s still a rookie. There’s an education coming.
Kelee Ringo is a big guy, who plays with an aggression and swagger that will either make him a star pr run him out of the league eventually. Eli Ricks is another tall one, who made a few clutch plays as a reserve in 2023. Fact is, Slay is great, but there’s no way to vouch for the other side yet. (-)
In A Nutshell: This unit should be strong down the middle. The edges of the defense is where the question marks are.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Rick Lovato notched 3 tackles and forced a fumble, in 2023. (+)
P: Braden Mann posted a punt average of 49.8, and a net of 43.8. Both of which were career bests for him. (+)
K: Jake “The Make” Elliottmade a career-high 93.8% of his field goals, and even made 7 of 8 from 50 or more. (+)
In A Nutshell: The Eagles have long understood the battle of hidden yardage, and it continues to show.
BOTTOM LINE:
This is team went on a 10 – 0 start last year, while never looking like a dominant team. I personally am getting the vibe that they won’t get out to a long undefeated streak, but they will absolutely land on a few teams this year.
As for 2024: A record of 12 – 5 seems to fit like Cinderella’s glass slipper. Let’s go with that.
FINALLY! Eagles football will be played again, for real stakes. After Head Coach Nick Sirianni decided to not play the starters at all in the preseason, we’re finally getting a look at our team. I wish it weren’t in Brazil, but right now I just want FOOTBALL!
A win means that we don’t start the year in the bottom of our division. There! There’s the motivation.
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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 Packers
1) Establish the Inside Run:Getting RB Saquon Barkleygoing early, between the Tackles. It sets a tone, and later will draw their safeties into the box. Once that happens, it opens up the deep passing game for QB Jalen Hurts to pile on points, and salt away the game.
2) Take Away the Run:The Packers interior o-line averages 310 pounds. Get DT Jordan Davisand DT Jalen Carter into the ‘A’-gaps, pinch the C, and clog up the run. Shift the game solely onto their young QB’s shoulders. Speed up his internal clock, and let him make mistakes, as he tries to force the ball to his mid-level (at best) receivers.
3) Drive A Dotson:Adding WR Jahan Dotson should make our offense corrosive to even the best defenses. This is where we need Dotson to do his thing, and to step-up, as a complement to WR A.J. Brown and WR DeVonta Smith. Good slot play will also loosen the box for our run game.
4) Mix It Up: If we’re going to play off-coverage, we need to at least sprinkle in some aggressive man. We can’t keep telegraphing our coverages and expecting opposing QB’s to be too stupid to figure it out.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
I just want them to get out to a fast start. I want to see the Eagles do something this year that they didn’t do even once last year. I want them to blow a team out.
****
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 useFour 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.
LOST in the Wild Card round, 12 – 5, first in the NFC East, 29.9 pspg / 18.5 papg
Despite a 3 – 2 start, the Cowboys just plugged away, and generally beat whomever was on the schedule. They worked their way into first place in the division, only to get shit-canned in their own home, by a young Green Bay team in the playoffs.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has just put together three 12 – 5 seasons in a row, with a playoff record of 1 – 3, over that same span. He’s replaced his ex-defensive coordinator with Mike Zimmer, but everything else, has been just making small adjustments. Chances are, without a deep playoff run, McCarthy is likely getting fired. Not in spite of his three year 36 – 15 record, but rather because of it. Owner Jerry Jones, isn’t patient enough to endure much more of “close, but no cigar!”
OFFENSE:
QB: Dak Prescott is the starter, but he has no idea whether or not the Cowboys want him back next year. So why did I lead with that, instead of whether he’s any good or not? One, because anyone reading this, already knows he can play. Two, because potentially having to shop himself as a free agent next year, will affect how he regards injuries this year.
You have to ask, how much will Prescott hold back, in an attempt to limit damage to an already 30 year old body? Since any holding back will affect any athlete’s play, it stands to reason that we may not see the best version of Prescott in 2024. Especially with his primary weapon missing all of camp and the preseason.
The backup, is Preseason Hall of Famer Cooper Rush. He’s 5 – 1 lifetime, in games that count. His only career loss came vs a Philadelphia Eagles team, that went to the Super Bowl that year. He’s extremely smart and very hard to fool. Unfortunately, his physical tools are underwhelming. Because of this, the Cowboys are looking past him for their next starter.
Third stringer Trey Lance, has all the physical tools of a star. However, he’d been a goofy disaster since the 49ers overdrafted him #3 overall in 2021. He started four games, went 2 – 2, and the 9ers felt they’d seen enough. Just FOUR starts, for a first round pick, and they threw the towel in on him!?
So when Dallas traded the 9ers just a fourth round pick for him, during the 2023 offseason, everyone assumed Dallas had fleeced them. Wrong. WRONG! When Dallas realized the scope of the project he was, they basically red-shirted him all last season. So far this preseason, vs vanilla defenses, Lance appeared to have regressed.
So while this team does have two good players at this position, neither is motivated to do anything besides audition for other teams right now. (+)
RB: Ezekiel Elliott returns to Dallas! Not the old version that could eat clock with a lead, batter a defense, and put away games. Instead, Dallas is getting the new version, that hasn’t seen a 100 yard game, broken a run of longer than 27 yards, or had an average of 4.0 per carry, since 2021. They’re getting the version that hasn’t averaged 7 yards per catch, since 2019.
Elliott is the best they have for now. Rico Dowdle is an undrafted, career backup who plays like it. In thirty-six games, not one is a start, and instead of promoting him, they brought in Elliott. At 5’6” 176 pounds, and being easy to arm tackle, Deuce Vaughn will never see many carries.
The Cowboys signed Dalvin Cook to their practice Squad, and it’s wise to assume he won’t stay there long. The Vikings cut him over money in 2023, and the move didn’t work out for them. He spent the 2023 regular season as a backup with the Jets. ( He signed with the Ravens for one playoff game). Though he looked like a bad fit in New York, he still showed home run capability in 2022, with a career long 81 yard run. Unless Cook can lift this group, it’s a bad one. (-)
TE: Jake Ferguson is more of a receiver than a blocker, but he’s not going to scare anybody who has to cover him. Luke Schoonmaker is more of a blocker than a receiver. Undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford, is big (6’6” 268) target. That said, he’s not much of blocker, and his feet turn over at an alarmingly slow rate. This guy is going to get cooked at this level. (-)
WR: Did the Cowboys just pay 30M$ per year for a slot receiver? Given that in 2023, 60% of Ceedee Lamb‘s targets and 66% of his receptions came from the slot, the numbers would strongly suggest that’s exactly what the Cowboys did. Look, there is no disputing that Lamb can get open, make catches, and score. The question is: Can he do it consistently against an opponent’s best cover guy; or does he need to be matched up vs a Nickel player?
Once upon a time Brandin Cooks was electric and explosive. He’s not those things anymore, but he still caught 8 scores last year. Jalen Tolbert is going to be the second outside receiver, so that Lamb can stay inside. At 153 pounds Kavonte Turpin is just considered a gadget player. Jalen Brooks is a 7th rounder from last season. Couple players, but no depth. (+)
OT: The loss of Tyron Smith was inevitable and necessary. The problem, is not having replaced him with a high caliber player. At LT, Chuma Edoga is starting the season on Injured Reserve, for the first four weeks. It’s also the sort of injury (toe) that tends to linger. So rookie 1st rounder Tyler Guyton, will protect any realistic hopes that this franchise has of the postseason.
At RT Terence Steele returns for his fifth year as the starter in this spot. Not much has been said about him recently, and the general thinking is, if not much is said about an offensive lineman, he must be doing his job. Seems weird to me, though. The NFL is always talking about future Hall Of Famer, RTLane Johnson; and how fast LT Jordan Mailata has come along. (-)
G Zack Martin making it look easy
OG: Speaking of lineman who always get a mention, future Hall Of Famer RG Zack Martin, comes back for his eleventh year as a starter for this team. Opposite him, at LG Tyler Smith returns fresh from his first All-Pro nod. Am I painting you a picture?
Behind them for depth, they have T.J. Bass who saw two starts last season. There’s also swingman Asim Richards, a 5th round pick last year, and native of Philadelphia. (+)
C: Rookie 3rd rounder, Cooper Beebe made the transition from Guard, and seems to have snatched the starting spot here. He’s a wide, squat, fan of running the ball. However, he has some physical shortcomings that could make him a liability as a pass protector, over the long haul.
Behind him is Brock Hoffman, an undrafted free agent from 2022, who expected to inherit the role after two starts last season, and the defection of Tyler Biadasz. The drafting of Beebe, should have been a clue. If the offensive system were different, I would grade this position different. But since the system keeps these players in their wheelhouse, it’s fine. (+)
In A Nutshell: Injuries are part of football, and depth is a serious issue for this unit. They’ll have to stay very lucky to stay competitive this season.
DEFENSE:
DE: DeMarcus Lawrence played every game for a second straight season producing 50 tackles and 4 sacks. That however, doesn’t offset the loss of pass rush, with Dorance Armstrong going to Washington. It’s doubtful that Dallas will trust Chauncey Golston or Tyrus Wheat, with the spot. Partly because of 2nd round rookie Marshawn Kneeland.
Then there’s this other thing. While he’s not listed at this position, all the chatter (and this includes the depth chart on the Cowboys own website), says that Micah Parsons will play opposite Lawrence. I’ve said for the past two years, that this day was coming. Mostly since Parsons offers little value in off-ball applications. In any case, Dallas has a few pieces to move around. (+)
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT: Osa Odighizuwa is a high motor player, who should be moved to End. Instead, they play him inside, and the season wears him down. Last season he had no solo tackles for the final four weeks of the season, a similar disappearing act has been pulled in each of his three years.
Mazi Smith was brought in to help stop the run, but he dropped under 300 pounds to try and get sacks. The new defensive coordinator told him to knock that off, and go get fat again.
Speaking of fat, Dallas traded for oft-traveled Jordan Phillips, and signed oft-traveled Linval Joseph. They played together in Buffalo last season. This position is stocked with underachievers and guys who live out of their suitcases. Not a good sign for Dallas. (-)
OLB: Damone Clark looked like a reliable tackle machine last year, until about week 14. At that point teams realized that it was easier to make yards attacking him downfield in the passing game, than it was by trying to screen him. Of the 224 passing yards he gave up in 2023, 86 were in the last four games, with 8 catches on 9 targets.
DeMarvion Overshown missed all of last season, his rookie season, with a torn ACL. Rookie 3rd rounder Marist Liufau, seems to be in competition with Overshown, over that second starting spot. This is a great way to let iron sharpen iron. If at least one of these kids can play, Dallas may have struck oil here. Until then, everything here is a huge, glowing question mark. (-)
MLB: Free agent addition Erick Kendricks, has racked up over 1,000 tackles in his nine year career. He also has some playmaking ability.
Buddy Johnson screams red flags. He was a Steelers 4th round draft pick, who signed a four year contract in 2021. The following preseason the Steelers cut him, and didn’t even add him to their practice squad. Since then, he’s been on four different practice squads, played 86 Special Teams snaps, and recorded 8 tackles. Kendricks had better stay healthy. (-)
S: Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker return for a third year of working together. That should make adapting to their new defensive system easier. Markquese Bell entering his third year here, offers experienced depth and again, interpersonal familiarity. Juanyeh Thomas and Israel Mukuamu offer depth.
All of these guys knowing each other so well, should make assimilating the new system a snap. These players have already played together and played well. If there are problems in the secondary, you know the issue is the coaching, not the players, or misunderstandings. This is still the deepest group in the division. (+)
CB Trevon Diggs seems upset about something here
CB: Trevon Diggs returns after missing fifteen games in 2023, with an ACL tear. He’s a feast or famine type gambler, who probably gave up half as many big plays, as he made. The question is: What percentage of the gambler’s luck, was left on the operating table. With the departure of Stephon Gilmore, second year man, Caelen Carson is starting opposite Diggs. .
From the Nickel, DaRon Bland led the NFL with 9 picks and returned 5 of them for TD’s, last year. Unfortunately, he has a stress fracture in his foot that will require surgery, and keep him out at least six games. Stepping in for him, is Jourdan Lewis. He has a ton of experience, and even some fair measure of success. C.J. Goodwin and Andrew Booth play Special Teams. (+)
In A Nutshell: Up front they can still be pushed around. Their two best ballhawks having suffering lower body injuries, raises serious questions about this secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Since college Trent Seig has never played any other position. He’s essentially eating a roster spot. (-)
P: Bryan Angerer went nuts last year, posting a 51.4 yard per punt average, as well as a 45.3 yard average net. Both of which were career-highs for him. At age 35. Seriously, do I need to be the one to drop the “S” word? Or to bring up the term “random test”? (+)
K: After a decade of searching, and performing an interesting comedy of errors for their division rivals, the Cowboys, finally seem to have found their guy. Brandon Aubrey is young, has a big leg, and currently owns an accuracy mark of 94.7% on his field goals. (+)
In A Nutshell: The biggest thing that this unit has needed for a long time, was stability. They have that now.
BOTTOM LINE:
After this season, this team is headed for a rebuild. With that hanging over their heads, it’s unreasonable to expect the players to not get distracted. Add to that, the alarming lack of depth in positions like QB, MLB, and OT, and do you know what you get? Deformed fingers from keeping them crossed all year long. There’s a lot of talent on this team, but the players have ridden that ride before. That may not be enough to keep the roster interested this year.
As for 2024: I’ll go out on a limb and say 10 – 7, a Wild Card loss, and McCarthy being fired less than two weeks later.
