WASHINGTON Football Team head coach, Riverboat Ron Rivera, announced that Washington’s training camp will feature an open competition for starting QB. This is HILARIOUS, and once again proof that you can take the ‘R’ off the helmet, but you can’t take it outta the team.
Let’s get a look at the competitors in this competition.
Their big free agent addition was QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, to whom they gave a 1 year, 10M$ deal. (The numbers matter, so keep an eye on them. Don’t just glaze over them.) The press has spent the last couple of months, lathering up over the idea of “Fitzmagic” teaming with WR Terry McLaurin. McLaurin himself has also expressed a great deal of exci-
Well fuck all that! It’s a competition, bitches! Ya heard?!
Our next competitor, is Taylor Heinicke. His claim to fame? Not getting blown-out, while losing in the first round of the playoffs. Heinicke has a 2 year deal worth 4.7M$.
Last and certainly least, is Kyle Allen. You may remember him from such disasters as: Trying to replace Cam Newton in Carolina; or trying to steal the starting job from Dwayne Haskins in Washington; or Karma paying his ankle a visit in 2020. He’s been handsomely rewarded for those exploits, with a 1 year, 850K$ deal. And he has a chance to start!
Yeah. Right.
So let me get this straight. Washington is going to give Fitzpatrick 10 mill this year, just so they can start a guy making 8.5% that??! No. Stop. Just… just stop. First of all, that level of stupidity can’t be possible. Even in Washington. Secondly, illegal immigrants are protesting the wage disparity between Fitz and Allen. Many of them think that Allen should sneak into Mexico, to find better opportunities.
This “QB competition” is as bogus as the one in Philadelphia, between QB Jalen Hurts and his back-up Joe Flacco. If Philly finds a way to trade for QB DeShaun Watson, then sure, things could change. Otherwise, unless Jalen hurts, he’s the starter.
Washington is Fitzpatrick’s NINTH team, and he doesn’t have a winning record as the starter of any of the previous eight. His best run was 6 – 6 with Houston, and still, currently he is the best option Washington has.
After last season, Washington fans have had a taste of hope. Now they have expectations. To start Heinicke or Allen at this point, would be inhumane. It would be the equivalent of giving a toddler $500, lighting him on fire, and sending him into Walmart alone, on Black Friday. You’d have no right to expect anything good to come of it.
There is no QB competition. There can’t be. There isn’t a large enough worldwide supply of stupidity, for Washington to fuck up that badly. I hate the Redsk- Football Team, and even I think more of them than that. They gotta make it Fitz. Because nothing else does.
Hey giants fans! This TANK, is called the Eagle 7.
LAST year the NFC East was the laughingstock of the NFL. Aggressive moves have been made to ensure that history will not be repeating itself anytime soon. While every team in the division ranks #21 or lower in the NFL power rankings, the rosters in this division are telling a different story.
Alright. So yeah, Washington is Washington. Their power moves were to sign a pair of slot receivers (Curtis Samuels and Adam Humphries), and Dr. Jekyll (Ryan Fitzpatrick) to play QB. Adding G Ereck Flowers was a sneaky good move, but hardly a transcendent one. Adding an OT and then subtracting another, was definitely not a step forward. While Washington is the early favorite to win the East, they seem to be back in self-sabotage mode.
As for the other three teams:
Dallas fans made it clear to the owner, that they were done quietly waiting for their team’s defense to improve.
In response, the Cowboys cleaned house in terms of both coaches and players. They then leaned heavy on defense in the Draft. While they may not have added free agents who are household names, they’ve sent a message from the top-down, that they are serious about getting results.
The giants took a risk adding CB Adoree Jackson, but if he can stay healthy, they have probably the best CB duo in the division. Signing Kelvin Benjamin to play TE, was a magnificent piece of outside the box thinking. Benjamin had trouble getting reliable separation from DB’s. However, if he can (very likely) gain separation on LB’s, then a Safety will have to be cheated away from a WR to help cover him. Benjamin may all at once, make the giants more explosive and help them challenge for the best TE duo in the division.
The Eagles made no fewer than FOUR non-Draft related moves. All of which look low-key at a glance. However, upon further inspection… For new DC Jonathan Gannon, signing former Vikings OLB Eric Wilson and S Anthony Harris, gives him two guys who can help quickly install his system, because they’ve played together while under Gannon. Slick move. Signing RB Kerryon Johnson was a stroke of pure genius, which I discussed in my last article (The Eagles RB’s). Then of course, there’s the addition of OLB Ryan Kerrigan.
One of my brothers speculated that Kerrigan could be Chris Long 2.0 for the Eagles. Maybe, but I doubt it. I think his real value, will be in getting young players to realize, they will have to out-produce Kerrigan, to take his spot in the rotation. He either forces them to step up, or it tells the Eagles that next year’s Draft, will be heavily spent re-arming the Defensive Line.
Getting QB Jalen Hurts a WR (Devonta Smith) that he already has chemistry with, was also a boss level move.
Nobody in the NFC East was okay with how 2020 ended. Well… I guess Washington seems to be. Honestly, watching their fans practically give each other handjobs over a 7 – 9 season, just to be bounced in the first round of the playoffs… Their “bragging” has been really hard to watch.
As for the rest of the division, none of us is looking for a repeat of 2020. The NFL had better not get caught sleeping.
SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters. Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.
STATUS: 4 – 11 – 1, 4th in the NFC East
OPPONENTS:
W New Orleans Saints 12 – 4
L Arizona Cardinals 8 – 8
L Dallas Cowboys 6 – 10
L Washington Uhhh… 7 – 9
OVERVIEW:
Due to events in, and inside ofour Nation’s Capitol last week, I delayed putting this article out. I imagined that you’d be too preoccupied with the real world, to give much of a damn about a report like this. That is the ONLY reason that I was able to get on here and make some edits, after learning about the firing of Head Coach Doug Pederson today.
Initially I was going to put a positive spin on missing the playoffs, and getting such a high draft pick. I wasn’t going to bullshit you, just make sure that we didn’t overlook the opportunity that being in this position affords us.
Then the firing happened.
Pederson during his tenure here, has a 42 – 37 – 1 record.
He also has a Super Bowl win, chased by three years of injuries being the excuse for diminishing results. Put another way, taking out this last season (his worst), and the SB season (his best), Pederson is 25 – 23 (.520) as a head coach. For perspective, lets look at Andy Reid’ first 5 years here.
Take out Reid’s best and worst year and you still end up with a 34 – 14 (.708) head coach. So it’s not hard to see why instead of giving Pederson the increased control that he sought, Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie, would want to opt out of the partnership.
POSITIONAL GRADES:
QB – (D): This quarter Jalen Hurtshas produced 8 TD’s and 5 turnovers. If you can get him outside the pocket and moving to his right, he’s dangerous. In any other instance, he becomes a liability. What’s worse, teams seem to have already figured this out. His season finale against Washington featured him running for 2 scores, but passing 7/20 (35%), 72 yards and a pick. Nate Sudfeld saw the field for a 18 snaps in Week 17, and he looked like a guy who’d seen no snaps until Week 17.
RB – (D): In the last four games of the season, Miles Sanders’ rushing yards have gone from 115, to 64, to 57, to 0. To be fair, he was benched for the last game (Tankgate). Still, it doesn’t look good that his production has declined steadily, since Cars… Never mind. Hey, how about Boston Scott? What can I say? He started Week 17, and now we’re picking 6th overall. Well alriiiiiiight!
WR – (D): During this 4 week stretch, DeSean Jacksongraced Eagles fans with an 81 yard curtain call against Dallas. On 5 targets, 4 catches, 100 yards and TD, Alshon Jeffery showed he can still do, what it is we brought him here to do in the first place. Both will be gone next season. On the other hand, none of the young guys has emerged as a future go-to guy. Jalen Reagor hasn’t seen a 50 yard day since Week 11. Greg Ward is averaging 7.9 yards per catch, and Travis Fulgham has been on a milk carton since the Week 9 Bye.
TE – (D): The Eagles have spent the season trying to sell us Dallas Goedert as a #1, but he lacks the explosiveness or dynamism for the role. He’s Robin, not Batman. He’s like a bigger, stronger Jay Novacek. Zack Ertz had a miserable final quarter, catching 10 of 23 targets (43%) for 126 yards. In fact, his season ends with him posting a 50% catch rate for the year, and seeing his targets drop from 135 in 2019, to 72 in 2020. (But we all know what that was about.) Still, his numbers won’t make it easy for him to find a team looking pay big money to a 30 year old who’s been nicked up lately.
OT – (C): Jordan Mailata has been receiving high praise these last few weeks at LT. Some are saying that he’s the future of the spot. (I guess folks have forgotten about Andre Dillard?) Matt Pryor is trash on the edge. He’s serviceable when moved inside, but outside, pure garbage. Jack Driscollwasn’t great either, but he was a rookie, and we lost him for the year, so why sweat it?
G – (D): Isaac Seumalohas consistently lined up on the left for seven straight weeks. Hasn’t meant much, but during this quarter, he did finally play in his only win of the season. That’s 1 win in 9 starts this year. I’m just gonna leave that right there. Nate Herbighas been serviceable on the right side. (He looked better on the left though.)
C – (B): Jason Kelce kept the line together as best he could.
DE – (B): Brandon Graham despite playing an increased percentage of the snaps in the last two games, still fell short of his goal of 10 sacks this season. He got one vs Dallas, but otherwise, he really seemed to wear down as the season went on. Derek Barnett missed the last two games and didn’t impose himself in the last tow that he played. Josh Sweat had two sacks and FF vs New Orleans, was hurt early the next week, and then was injured for the final two games of the quarter. Vinny Curry started the final two games and had his strongest quarter of the season. This position did a decent job of bringing pressure, but with lax coverage behind them, they couldn’t translate into sacks and three and outs. Genard Avery played in the last three games as a rotation player, but the Eagles still don’t have a plan for him.
DT – (B): Fletcher Cox was Fletcher Cox, until a stinger vs Dallas shut his season down. Javon Hargrave stepped up in Cox’s absence and seemed to be a lot more disruptive than in the prior three quarters. He seemed more comfortable. I hope to see he and Cox return in 2021. Malik Jackson put up 12 tackles and a sack, during this quarter. That’s despite only starting one of the games. Undrafted rookie Raequan Williams made his presence felt, in very limited action. T.Y. McGill got a lot of snaps in the last two weeks, but will probably be best remembered for jumping offsides on 4th and 1, with 2:00 to go, vs Washington in a 20 – 14 loss. (But let’s put all the blame on the QB situation!)
OLB – (C): Alex Singleton recorded double digit tackles in three of four games, plus a sack and a FR. He’s much improved at reading angles and getting off blocks. More than that, he brought energy to the defense. Duke Riley missed the last two games, but had an interception vs New Orleans.
ILB – (C): T.J. Edwards has been serviceable in the middle of this defense. He arrived here with the label “athletic limitations”. Being put into this system didn’t do him any favors, in terms of developing his strong-suit. If he has one. Which was not made evident this last quarter.
S – (D): Jalen Mills is a good soldier, but he’s not special as a player. This was once again put on display this quarter. He plays sound team concept ball, helps corral ball-carriers, swarms the football, yadda yadda. He just doesn’t affect the outcome of games. Marcus Eppsstarted three of these four games, and turned it into a team-leading (how sad) two interceptions. Rookie K’Von Wallace got two starts, but it was too soon, in the wrong situation, with no teachers. Rudy Ford was unimpressive. If not for Epps, this position wouldn’t qualify for a grade.
CB – (F): Darius Slayplayed in three of these four games and finally snagged a pick, vs Dallas of all teams. Nickell Robey-Coleman continued to be a non-factor vs the pass. Michael Jacquetplayed in two of the four games and was utterly victimized vs Dallas. Grayland Arnoldplayed a lot vs Dallas, and he got the Week 17 start.
LS – (A): Rick Lovato added one more tackle to his impressive resume.
P – (D): Cam Johnston saw two games this quarter where he averaged less than 40 yards per boot. His 16 punts for 664 yards put him at 41.5 per swing of the leg, and he even had one blocked for the first time this season. It’s hard to say whether his leg wore out or whether he was affected by the air getting denser as the weather grew cooler. Either way, he was less effective.
K – (B): Jake Elliott was perfect on extra point kicks (when allowed to attempt them), and 2/3 on FG attempts. FOR THIS QUARTER! He had all of three tries, this quarter. I had no idea of that until I just looked it up! (Dear Doug, it’s decisions like this that get people FIRED! What, too soon?) Jake also stepped up and handled a couple of punts for us when injury struck at Arizona. That sort of
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
Entering the quarter with control of our own destiny, it largely felt like neither the Head Coach, General Manager, or Owner wanted to step up and declare a direction. As a result, the whole thing has been a rudderless mess. Did Lurie even want the Eagles to make the playoffs? Where does he stand on the tanking? What are his thoughts on Jalen Hurts? We have no clue about any of this.
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
Without a Head Coach, I have no idea what the vision for the future is. That means I can’t even try to forecast it. What I can do is take a moment to indulge my vanity, and write about what I HOPE the mission is for this offseason. Who do I hope is the next Head Coach?
MY HOPE:
Duce Staley becomes the Head Coach. Not just because he’s an Eagles lifer. Not just because he’s been patient as promotions to Offensive Coordinator have twice passed him by.
Duce should be the coach because Carson Wentz at his best, had a VERY strong run game behind him. Duce believes in running the ball. Duce’s approach can win us another Super Bowl.
Duce should be the coach because he has gotten productivity from every RB that has been brought in here. He has found a way to reach and develop players. This has been a sore spot for the Eagles for too long. Duce can fix that.
Duce should be the coach because he (like Doug when he got here), understands where he is. He understands the nature of the media that will attack him from Day One. He already gets how the fans demand so much in terms of effort, and that you will earn our hearts forever when you deliver.
And then there’s the Rooney Rule. Wouldn’t it be nice to ignore it? To not have needed it. To see critics go
Especially in this racial/political/social climate. ESPECIALLY for a guy who deserves it, and that it’s damned well overdue for?
I want the arrogance of saying to our rivals: That the Eagles were socially progressive only by happenstance. That we were doing what we wanted to do, and being forward thinking is a side effect of just being fucking better than you. I want that.
So I hope that Duce becomes our next Head Coach. That’s our Mission For This Quarter.
GENERALLY when I talk football, it’s about my Eagles. I tend to keep mum about our rivals, unless we have a game coming up against one of them. Otherwise, I’ve reserved most talk about them for my Pre-Draft Preview,which drops each April. (Look for it).
In 2017 however, I decided to try something new, and give our fan base a running commentary of what the division is doing around us. This ensures that Eagles fans actually are the NFL’s best informed, and most knowledgeable fans. (Provided you visit this site often.) These updates will come out three times during the season: After Weeks 3, 9, and 15. (So it’s a week late!)
Over the last three week the giants have fallen into the abyss. Yet, with a Washington loss and a Dallas loss, the giants could vault BOTH teams and take the NFC East!
Dallas:6 – 9, 2nd place
Following the re-emergence of their back-up QB, Dallas is on a three game win streak and poised (with a Week 17 Redskins loss) to win the NFC East. Provided that they beat the giants next.
Washington: 6 – 9, 1st place
Washington was on a four game tear, winning 4 of the 5 games started by QB Alex Smith. His missing the last two weeks with a leg injury, put them on a two week losing streak. They conclude the season next week, with a Dollar Store QB vs Philadelphia. They’ ll win the NFC East with a victory. The question is: Are the Eagles okay with letting them do that?
Get this. Next week, any team in the division EXCEPT us, could run off with the division. And while the Eagles don’t get to win the division, we basically get to decide it!
Do we want to tank to improve our 2021 Draft position?
OR
Do we want to prevent a division rival from celebrating in our house?
This shit is absolutely HILARIOUS! Dear 2020, while dancing the ‘Batusi’ naked in front of my open refrigerator, I full-on, fucking salute you! When asked “What does 2020 do for an encore?” Setting this up, has to be the answer.
My hope as an Eagles fan, is that we take the “L”, improve our draft position, and hand deliver a team without a QB, directly into the thick of the 2020 playoffs. This is the ultimate “Fuck You”. Sort of our version of Major Kong riding that bomb at the end of ‘Dr. Strangelove.’
Seriously, if we’re going to miss the playoffs, Eagles fans, THIS is the way to do it.
(S) DE Brandon Graham/DE Vinny Curry: (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Thingsarticles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned inFour Things: COWBOYS did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run the ball: Well the Eagles got 60 rushing yards from Hurts. The problem (as always), is that they stopped handing the ball off. RB Miles Sanders had just 15 carries in this game, which doesn’t look too different from most weeks. Until you realize that 11 of those were in the first half. Back when the Eagles were still in the game. (NOT DONE)
2) Rush the passer: We didn’t get enough heat on the Cowboys back-up QB, and he picked us apart, basically looking like a dad playing catch with his kids. (NOT DONE)
3) Three sacks or fewer: We kept it to three sacks, but one of them resulted in a fumble. It was recovered by LT Jordan Mailata, but it took us out of rhythm. (DONE)
4) Cover Two, where are you?: The Eagles did shift to some of this later in the game. However, for most of it, Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz, absolutely stranded and abandoned undrafted, rookie CB Michael Jacquet out in man coverage. The result was the Cowboys offense “running a train” on his ass. This was pitiful. It was shameful. Putting that kid out there to be bitch-beat like that. (NOT DONE)
One of three this week. We end the year against Washington next week. Thank god.
On The Whole:
This week we faced a QB, not a RB who can throw. It exposed two things. The first was our piss-poor Secondary. Many blame injuries, but we were looking like this Week 2 vs the Rams with everyone healthy. Yet again our defensive system was exposed.
The second thing that was exposed was Jalen Hurts. When the Cowboys made him play from the pocket, he became a shadow. It took the Saints a half to figure out that they need to stop him from scrambling to his right. The Cardinals caught on faster. The Cowboys faster still. Three games in, and he’s already been figured out. The upcoming Redskins game might put this debate completely to bed.
To everyone who blamed QB Carson Wentzand elevated Hurts as the savior, sit here beside me. Sit. Did you notice that we only put up 17 points this week? Did you notice that the QB had 1 TD and 3 turnovers? Did you notice that Hurts, yet again didn’t complete 60% of his passes? Did you notice that Hurts again had no chemistry with his WR’s? Did you notice that of the three and a half games Hurts has played in, we’ve only won ONE? Did you realize how these numbers practically mirror Wentz’s production in some 2020 games?
Anyone who claims that Wentz was the problem, but is happy with Hurts, is totally full of shit. If the idea is for the Eagles to win, then you should still be disappointed. But I know. You want to blame the coaches for not running the ball now. And the Offensive Line for not blocking better. And the Secondary for being a bucket with no bottom. Go ahead. Let me hear it. You know you want to say it…
Wrong!
If Wentz didn’t get to use these “excuses” while the head coach kept saying that it wasn’t just one guy, then when Hurts claims “full ownership”, he damned sure can’t use these “excuses”. Right?
Again. Wrong. They aren’t excuses, they’re reasons. And they all are 100% true. Hurts can use them. Wentz can use them. And if we don’t fix them, then this team won’t go anywhere, with any QB. This civil war among Eagles fans has got to stop. This is not Wentz vs Hurts. This is Eagles vs sucking ass. The enemy is out there, Eagles fans. Stop arguing over the QB. Let’s fix the real problems.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for theFour Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Cardinals did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Keep running:Well, well, well. Would you look at that. This game featured 44 pass attempts, 11 QB runs, and just 18 plays where the ball was handed off. Seems the Eagles can’t win with that formula, regardless of who the QB is. (NOT DONE)
2) Contain our mirror image: The Eagles did a good job of keeping the Cardinal QB in the pocket, and he beat us from there. While Hurts was very athletic in this game, their QB beat us by actually playing QB. Still, what’s done is done. (DONE)
3) Pray for diarrhea: There was no food poisoning, so WR DeAndre Hopkins played. Pray harder next time! Get a sweat going! (NOT DONE)
4) Control the clock: We had the ball for 32 minutes, compared to the Cardinals 27. I said we needed a 36 to 24 minute split. We we were close to that mark, and we were close in the game. Horseshoes and hand grenades. (NOT DONE)
We did 1 out of 4, Four Things. Next week we get the division rival that everybody loves to hate: The Dallas Cowboys. A win will perpetuate Jalen Hurts’ legend with the fan base. But losing and having the season officially murdered? By the Cowboys?? On his watch!?! Nope. Losing is not an option next week. Can’t do it. Can’t, do it!
On The Whole:
Amid all the high fives and handjobs that the Eagles fan base is handing out for Christmas, is the fact that we are now dead last in the division. This comes after losing what Head Coach Doug Pederson called a “must win” game, which would have allowed the Eagles to make the playoffs just by winning the next two games.
We would have controlled our own fate.
So what did we see:
Well, the sacks are back. We gave up 6. Perhaps Hurts was holding the ball too long? Or, maybe his line missed blocks. Maybe we can stop blaming the guys trying not to get hit, for getting hit, when the people paid to protect them, let people hit them instead.
Having a QB willing to run RPO’s, will open up the run game! Miles Sanders averaged just 3.76 yards per carry (many publications round it up to 3.8), in this game. Interestingly enough, Sanders had 12 carries in the first half, and just 5 in the second. Perhaps what would really open up the run game, would be actually calling runs.
Remember how QB Carson Wentz was a bum for not completing 60% of his passes in most games? Well, for the third straight week Hurts has also failed to hit that mark. Those percentages, respectively, have been 41.6, 56.6, and 54.5. Maybe there is something inherently wrong with our system, that’s making it difficult for our QB’s to be more accurate.
WR Travis Fulgham is still on a milk carton. In fact, Hurts is having trouble pushing the ball down the field to WR’s, period. I hear you ask about Jalen Reagor (2 games, 12 targets, 7 catches, 95 yards, 13.5, 0TD) and WR Greg Ward (2 games, 10 targets, 6 catches, 35 yards, 5.8, 2 TD). Before the numbers become confusing, let me state this plain: That’s 5.9 yards per target, overall. Is this a glimpse of the Eagles future?
We lost a shootout to a team that isn’t anywhere near as good as their record. Anybody heartened by this, is looking at all the wrong indicators.
SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters. Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.
STATUS: 3 – 8 – 1, 3rd place in the NFC East
OPPONENTS:
(L) New York giants 5 – 7
(L) Cleveland Browns 8 – 3
(L) Seattle Seahawks 8 – 4
(L) Green Bay Packers 9 – 3
OVERVIEW:
When you drop 4 games in a row, without breaking 17 points in any of them, you clearly have systemic problems within your Offense. But we’re not going to address that, because we can ship out a franchise QB, and create some badly needed cap space. Oh you didn’t know? A number of your favs are hitting the chopping block in a couple of months, leaving you with a DECIDEDLY different team in 2021.
A lot of that was General Manager Howie Roseman constantly forwarding contract money to the future, in the form of bonuses. Well now, many of those bonuses have come due, which Howie planned for. What he could NOT have planned for, was the Covid outbreak, leading to decreased revenue for the league.
Next year’s salary cap won’t grow as in prior years. In fact, it’s actually going to shrink as the league spreads the revenue shortfall, across the next few seasons. This is a joke, since the salary cap is imposed on the owners, by the owners. But that’s a TED Talk for another day. The handle on this is, owners now have yet another excuse to look players in the eye and cry poor mouth, while holding a bag of money in each hand.
In any case, the Eagles have to make deeper cuts than they planned on, even a year ago. This is why Head Coach Doug Pederson doesn’t call certain plays. It makes our QB look goofy, and it’ll make many fans okay with him being traded to the Colts, or the Jets. We’ll be well into 5 – 7 next year, when most of the fan base even starts to realizes what happened here. Most likely won’t get it until late 2022.
POSITIONAL GRADES:
QB: (F) – Over the last 4 weeks Carson Wentz has thrown three interceptions, against just 4 touchdowns. The Eagles have scored just 17 points in each of the 3 games he has completed. Balanced against the balance of the rest of his 2020, it was enough to get him benched for half a game. (At least.)Jalen Hurts in a relief role provided a spark, but was a long way from being able to ignite a fire. A passer throwing both a touchdown and interception while completing just 41.6% of his passes, is nothing for a franchise to hang its hat on. There are MUCH deeper problems here, but this position is the place where they show up the most, albeit not clearly.
RB: (C ) – The Eagles run game has been highly productive, but used sparingly. Miles Sanders is an electrifying runner, but beyond that, his game is fraught with small problems. Poorly run routes, dropped balls, missed blitz assignments, slips… While Boston Scotthas been nice in spots, he’s not starter material, so is incapable of truly pushing Sanders to hone his game. This is the reason for the re-entry of Jordan Howard, who looked good in limited action vs Green Bay. To his credit Corey Clement has 2 carries for 11 yards and score in the last 4 games.
WR: (F) – Over the last 4 weeks Travis Fulgham has 4 catches for 32 yards on 16 targets. Jalen Reagorhas 12 catches for 114 yards on 20 targets. I point them out first, because they appear to be the 2021 starters. Greg Wardhas caught 12 of 18 this period for a meager 108 yards. Alshon Jeffery has started the last two games, producing 2 catches on 5 targets for 15 yards. A lot of these horrific numbers are due to these guys generally taking several weeks to get open. Whether player technique or the scheme is at fault, the underlying cause is a coaching breakdown. This is a de-fanged offense.
TE: (C ) – Dallas Goedert has been the Eagles leading receiver in each of the last three games, but failing to reach 80 yards in any of them. The question of whether he can replace Zach Ertz has been answered, and the answer is “No”. Ertz has more dynamism and is more sudden in his breaks. Unless the Eagles have plans on spending a high draft pick here, they’d better be willing to spend some serious coin. Richard Rodgers over the last 4 games has 9 grabs on 13 targets, for 161 yards (17.88) and 2 scores. This position has been productive, but not threatening enough to help others get open.
OT: (C ) – Lane Johnson was lost for the year, and Jason Peters was moved inside. Jordan Mailata looked better before being sat down for Peters during weeks 10 and 11. We found out that Matt Pryor is only viable if he’s playing between Pro Bowlers. Thus, rookie Jack Driscollgot his third start vs the Packers. Mailata shows promise, but he looks far more like a RT than a LT, if we’re being honest. (I still want to see him catch a pass!)
OG: (C) – Despite all the wreckage around him, it’s hard to feel like Isaac Seumalo’s return upgraded the O-Line. Jason Peters broken/dislocated toe is the world’s worst kept secret. Opponents are targeting it and beating him inside, as his ability to pivot on it is almost non-existent. Nate Herbig shows potential as a plugger at LG, but still needs to hit the weights if he’s going to play RG.
C: (C ) – Jason Kelce seems like he’s not always mentally checked in. Bad snaps, or delayed snaps, his errors have become too frequent for a guy playing his position. My guess is that these next four games will be the last of his storied career.
DE: (C) – Brandon Graham started the season on fire. Since the second half of the year, his tackles are down, QB hits are down, and sacks are nonexistent. Derek Barnett on the other hand, is coming off of his best quarter of the season so far. Josh Sweat doesn’t get enough snaps. He’s active and brings plenty of heat. Don’t be surprised to see him starting in 2021. Vinny Curry is doing a good job rotating behind Graham, but he’s so much better and more impactful on the other side.
DT: (B) – Fletcher Cox has a sack in 3 of the last 4 games along with 9 solo tackles. Javon Hargravehas stepped up his statistical production, and has become difficult enough to make life easier inside for Cox. Malik Jackson hasn’t been the same since Hassan Ridgeway went down in Week 7. Still, this interior is the heartbeat of this Defense. It’s the primary reason we’ve been able to hang in games, despite losing them.
OLB: (C) – Alex Singleton wants a starting job in 2021. He’s no longer sticking to blocks as much, actually can get penetration, and for the last couple of games really seems to be feeling the action more than reading it. He’s nothing flashy, but if paired with a difference maker on the other side, the second level would make our Defense nearly impossible to game plan for. Duke Riley is a special teams player, and not capable of impacting a game. Davion Taylor was being trusted with more defensive snaps, but he suffered a serious knee injury and may be done for the year.
MLB: (D) – T.J. Edwards has been serviceable. Mostly doing clean-up duty vs the run, he’s not been much of a factor vs the pass, or as a pass rusher. In fact, his sack this quarter is the result of a QB slide while he was in pursuit. In the last 4 games, 6th round rookie Shaun Bradley has logged 8 downs. Clearly he is not progressing as fast as was hoped.
S: (F) – No Eagles Safety has a deflection, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, NOTHING in 4 weeks.
CB: (F) – Darius Slay has been getting prison raped this quarter. Teams know how to make him look bad because he has no support opposite his leverage. Avonte Maddox is straight trash. (We covered that last quarter.) Nickell Robey-Coleman is very good at cashing his paychecks.
LS: (A) – I have yet to hearRick Lovato’s name or notice a bad snap from him.
P: ( C) – Cam Johnston’s punting average has come down significantly this quarter. These last 4 games have seen him averaging just 44.8 yards per boot. Then again, 21 boots is the most he’s made in a quarter this season, so it could be wear and tear on his kicking thigh, or fatigue on his plant leg. Either way fewer punts mean fresher leg. We need to start scoring points.
K: (D) – Two missed extra point in the last two games, and just 4 field goals fromJake Elliott, in the last 4 games. Also, of his 16 kickoffs, 9 were returned for an average of 21.7 yards. No scores, but that’s not the point. Every return is a chance for the opponent to bring a kick back and change the momentum or break a game open. Part of kickoffs is to stifle hope, dim confidence, and let our Defense start off feeling that the wind is at their backs. Elliott isn’t giving us that.
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
We managed to go 0 – 4, and now our franchise QB is on the bench. He might start against New Orleans. He may have already played his last snap as an Eagle. There is no longer any rhyme or reason to what is happening with this team. Usually that means that something is brewing in the Front Office.
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
Sake of argument, playing Devil’s Advocate. Let’s say the Saints don’t wipe the floor with us (regardless of QB), we squeak past the Cardinals, sweep the Cowboys, and split with the Redskins (don’t start with that shit). That puts us at 7 – 8 – 1. Will that be enough to win the NFC East? Do we even WANT to at this point?
Let me nutshell this for you. At this point, the season should be considered a wash, and we should start playing the guys who will be on this team in 2021.
Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, Alshon Jeffery, Carson Wentz, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Zach Ertz, Jalen Mills, Vinny Curry. These guys should be benched and the youth movement that is about to start, should begin to see significant action together. If we win, we win. If we lose…
Look, the performances of the young guys will tell us where, and how badly we need to draft a position. There is nothing to be gained by sweating out a bullshit QB controversy. There is nothing to be gained by fiddling around with makeshift O-lines. There are no fans to boo at games. The blow can be delivered now, with minimal impact.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Saints did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Lose the game: Didn’t happen. Now the Eagles exist in a third place limbo that neither helps their playoff chances, nor Draft position. Needing SERIOUS salary cap relief, this team will need a massive infusion of young contributors, if we’re not trying to make a habit of sitting behind New York and Washington. Both of which are respectively 2 and 1 year ahead of our rebuild effort. The win may have felt good to the fans, but a look at Owner Jeff Lurie’s face, as he sat in the press box with his team ahead in the fourth quarter, will plainly tell you this win was NOT in the plans. (NOT DONE)
2) Don’t bench Hurts: This was only for if he looked shaky out there, and he didn’t. Total freebie. (DONE)
3) Give up 35 points: Nope. The Defense played very well, thanks in part to the Saints starting a QB made of tofu. They insisted on playing into the strength of the Eagles Defense, even after 75% of our starting Secondary was hurt on one play! Our Secondary is trash on a good day, and their RB/TE/KR/FB/H-Back/QB was too dumb all day long, to audible into anything that could have hurt us. Any Eagles fan who sees this team part ways with DT Fletcher Cox, or DE Brandon Graham, will see it as a step back. Especially without the Draft capital to replace such players. (Now are you starting to see how all this fits together?) (NOT DONE)
4) Doug has to look clueless: Don’t look now, but Pederson has just out-coached Sean Payton, with a rookie QB. Calling a plethora of plays that we haven’t seen for 12 games (that 40 yard Slot Drag to WR Jalen Reagor was a poorly executed thing of beauty!), the Saints had no answers, as everything they studied this week had to do with a pocket-based offense. Next week the Cardinals will be trying to keep Hurts from immediately bootlegging right, but this week it took the Saints an entire half to even try to start a containment. (NOT DONE)
Put plainly, the team won the game, but it was a MASSIVE step back for the Front Office. We’ll see what shakes out next week at Arizona. And please don’t get too caught up in the “who starts at QB” thing. We’re 4 – 8 – 1. At this point, that’s window dressing. Look ahead to the BIG picture.
On The Whole:
Allow me to bring up a few points.
Fewer than 200 passing yards, less than a 60% completion rate, one touchdown and one turnover. But the fans are happy?
We didn’t give up a sack, largely because the QB was running from the pocket. Even before pressure. On practically every down. But the fans are happy?
Before you make the Michael Vick comparisons, remember what his hand looks like. Lamar Jackson? Kyler Murray? Cam Newton? Robert Griffin III? Randall Cunningham? All terrifying runners. Not one ring between sixty fingers.
Guys like Russell Wilson, Steve Young (HOF), John Elway (HOF), and Aaron Rodgers all use/used their mobility to buy time to make a throw. Not to outright sprint for sidelines. As a result…they have rings.
Jalen Hurts can run, but we have yet to see him play QB. This game featured him running to a side, and then operating on that side. So before you become enamored with that style of play, scroll back up and take a long look at the two lists I put up. The fans were happy with the win on Sunday. But by the time you read this, it will be Monday.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned inFour Things: Seahawks did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Attack, attack, attack!: Yardage-wise, the Seahawks are the worst defense in the league, on their way to being the worst pass defense in NFL history. Unfortunately, it seems like the Eagles have forgotten how to do simple things. Something as simple as getting open and catching a ball. Something as simple as spotting a wide open man. Something as simple as both players knowing the play. (NOT DONE)
2) Run the damned ball:This game featured 51 passing plays (45 attempts, 6 sacks), and just 9 TOTAL handoffs, all game long. This game at no point, had gotten out of hand. There was no reason to abandon the run. (NOT DONE)
3) Go For Two: Get two turnovers was the mission. We didn’t sniff even one. (NOT DONE)
4) Do Better with Hidden Yardage: HA! We were penalized 9 times for -79 yards, and returned 2 of 3 punts for a total of 19 yards. So we weren’t exactly helping our struggling Offense with advantageous starting field position. (NOT DONE)
WR Jalen Reagor being interfered with.
This week we hit0 of 4 marks. It’s hard to believe the Eagles can be this bad, without making a concerted effort at it. Honestly, I’m starting to believe this is being done deliberately. Next week we get just what every reeling team needs: A trip to Lambeau Field, in December! We beat the Packers at home last year, but that was in September. I sense a prison shower scene, in our near future.
On The Whole:
Let me start by saying, I told you so. Those rumors about QB Jalen Hurtsgetting extended playing time this week, were just that. Rumors. This was evinced by the standard THREE snaps (officially two), that Hurts logged in this game. I’ve been telling Eagles fans all season, that Wentz is your starter. Monday Night Football went as far to put up a graphic depicting why the Eagles are financially tied to Wentz until 2022. (Unless a trade is made.) That graphic, by the way, repeated what I said to you last week in ‘DOUG CAN’T BENCH CARSON‘.
Now to the game.
Aside from not being able to play football, our Offense is in great shape. We have blockers who can’t, receivers who don’t, and a coaching staff that seems hell-bent on getting the QB murdered.
For all this talk of Wentz not having to play “hero ball” and “not having to wear the cape, all the time” it damned sure looks like he does. Please point out to me the other player attempting to carry the Offense during the game, or shoulder the blame after a loss.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Thingsarticles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned inFour Things: BROWNS did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) The limit is 150: We held the Browns to 137 yards rushing. So technically we hit the mark. However, our Defense wore down, and began to wilt under an attack that saw 34 handoffs in inclement conditions. Compared to just 22 pass attempts. The Browns coach did a masterful job of calling this game. Didn’t he Doug?(DONE)
2) Hand it off 20+ times: The Eagles handed the ball off 21 times this week. So technically we hit this mark too. Of course NINE of those attempts came on one drive. Specifically on the first possession. So, for the remainder of the game, we only handed it off 12 times. Or roughly 4 times per quarter. The rest of the game was put on an unprotected Carson Wentz’s shoulders. This is probably why Miles Sanders attempted to rip a handoff away from Wentz on a critical 3rd and 7. (DONE)
3) Return punts:The Browns punted 5 times.WR Greg Ward returned 2 punts for 8 yards, with his longest return being 10 yards. Do the math. The Offense is getting no support at all this season from Special Teams. Hidden Yardage used to be this team’s middle name. Now we can’t be bothered to try to earn any. (NOT DONE)
4) Go zero to sixty: For the first time in 6 weeks, Wentz completed 60 percent of his passes. Exactly 60 percent. I won’t knock it. He spent the day being beat to shit, the only people catching balls were TE’s, and his coach stopped dialing up runs, on a day that was a rainy mess. (DONE)
The underdogs put together 3 of the 4things, and made a game of it. Makes you wonder what ONE fewer turnover would have meant. (Or if the Brown’s QB fumbling wasn’t ruled as stopped forward progress.) In any case, next week we get a Seattle team that beat us 17 – 9, TWICE last year. We’ll be heavy underdogs in that one as well.
On The Whole:
Three takeaways from this game. (Get it?! Too soon?)
1) LB Alex Singleton wants a starting job next year. The guy was all over the place today, and did a much better job of getting off blocks than he did a week ago. It’s good to see evolution in at least one guy out there.
2) CB Avonte Maddox is trash. He doesn’t cover, can’t catch tipped balls, and won’t tackle. I don’t understand why the coaches keep starting him. CB has to be THE priority in this next Draft. One in the first, and a tall Nickel in the fourth, if we can swing it.
3) It’s time to move LTJason Petersto RG. The truth is, Peters will be excellent in the role, and will have people (who have short memories) wondering why we didn’t stick to this move earlier. Sadly, if a move to LG had come a couple years ago, moving him inside wouldn’t feel like a demotion.
