Special Teams Ace: CB Josh Jobe (2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) stopped the Chiefs PR for no gain at the 9 yard line.
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Chiefs did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run the Ball:While the run game was effective when used, Swift didn’t see 16 carries. The Eagles fell behind 7 – 17 at the half, and also went three and out on the opening possession of the third quarter. So needing to play catch-up, before time became a factor, the Eagles leaned on the passing game more.
While both Swift and Hurts had 12 carries, one man had 76 rushing yards and the other had 29. Though Hurts had a couple nice runs, he looks anything but dangerous, when he runs. He looks much slower, and not at shifty now. Also I noticed that he was back to wearing a protective brace on that left knee. I’m a huge fan of that. (NOT DONE)
Somewhere out there, Dez Bryant is furious.
2) More Man Press: The were a few half-hearted stabs at it, but nobody was serious about it. In the second half, we lined up in press, but the physicality at the line never materialized. Hey here’s a question for our DB’s: If you know that you’re already lined up 5 yards off the WR, whyyyyyyy are you putting your hands on that WR, at all, during the down?! (NOT DONE)
3) Make It A Travis D: TE Travis Kelce (9 – 7 – 44 – 6.2 – 1) spent the night being harassed, and bracketed. He even had a fumble forced out of his arm. We took him away as an option, not allowing their vaunted QB/TE duo operate with impunity. That forced their QB to test his other receivers. The result were a number of dropped passes.
I’d said that to beat the Chiefs easily, we need their QB’s completion percentage at 63% or lower. So we (and his teammates), held him to 55.8%. We didn’t let him get into a rhythm, and made him spend the night scrambling, and tap dancing whilst reading. (DONE)
WR Devonta Smith hauls in 41 yard catch, but was downed at the 1 yard line.
4) Get the Slim Reaper Involved:Devonta was involved to the tune of leading both teams in receiving yardage. People may want to make the story about the Chiefs drops, but the real story isn’t about the plays that didn’t get made. No story is about what didn’t happen. Every story is about what did happen. So what matters, is that Devonta did show up and show out. (DONE)
++++
So this week we got2 of the Four Things done. Next week, we welcome an emotionally fragile Buffalo Bills team, into the Linc.
****
Game Hero: S Kevin Byard – Not only did his interception in the end zone murder a potential scoring drive; his work on TE Kelce impacted and impeded the Chiefs passing game, all night long.
SS Kevin Byard committing scoricide.
The touchdown that he allowed to Kelce, was partly the result of a pick/rub play, but more the result of how our defensive system is run. Neither Byard nor a LB was assigned to impede the TE’s release off the line. If that happens, the TE can’t reach depth for the pick/rub, and doesn’t get open quickly, which would have made the QB look elsewhere.
Game goat: OC Brian Johnson – There were at least three Bubble Screens called in this game from the shadow of our own goal post. One of which was swatted back, but could have been intercepted for a score (if Chiefs players knew how to catch). Also, calling any designed runs for a franchise QB in a knee brace, was stupid.
Coming off the field after the game, RT Lane Johnson lamented the points that were left on the field, and I don’t blame him. This week it wasn’t about stalling in the red zone. This week we gave up five sacks in one half of a game, and weren’t reaching the red zone. That can’t become a trend.
On The Whole:
Anyone taking that win lightly, doesn’t understand the sport. Oh, and with our 9th win, we are now guaranteed a winning 2023 season. But there’s more to do.
Before we get into how the Eagles “have yet to play our best game”, let it be said that the Chiefs have been kind of struggling this year as well. Then last night we met up and weren’t our best selves, together. Which was great. I believe that struggling against a quality opponent builds character, and last night we faced down the best coach in the game, and his QB who is all but assured a bust in Canton.
You want Rookie of the Year level hustle? I give you DT Jalen Carter. Look at him. Diving through legs, in an attempt to intercept a spike.
The Defensive players.They kept the game manageable when the Offense continued to sputter and shit the bed. Our defenders hustled, even when saddled with a four man rush that stopped reaching after the first sack. There were also no players on containment against the run, resulting in us being gashed repeatedly on the edges.
We didn’t start to affect their QB until after we went with a few five man rushes, but then we went back to a four man approach. Unlike the Chiefs DC John Spagnuolo, who was conjuring blitzes from everywhere. Makes me wonder what a guy like that could do with the talent on this roster.
Sack Leader: DE Brandon Graham(Sacks:1.5/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 2)
Special Teams Ace: RBRashaad Penny downed KO out of bounds to induce a penalty.
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Thingsarticles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: COWBOYSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Be Physical About Running the Ball: We had 23 hand-offs to 23 pass attempts. Also, most of the runs were between the Tackles. So it cannot be said that the runs weren’t called, or that we didn’t try to thump in the middle. We clearly did the things we needed to do. We just weren’t very productive at them. (DONE)
2) Win the Turnover Battle: This one speaks for itself. The Eagles didn’t turn the ball over at all, meanwhile Dallas fumbled on the game’s final play. It was recovered by Blankenship (7 – 0.0 – 0 – 0). It could be argued that Blankenship had two turnovers in this game. One being the fumble recovery, the other being the 4th and goal tackle, which rendered Dallas about 3 inches short of a touchdown. (DONE)
DE Brandon Graham sacks QB Dak Prescott
3) Alter Their QB’s Launch Points: We did a lot of this, but some of it looked like Dallas had planned to move him around anyway. Whatever. It played into what we needed to do, and held his completion percentage to 65.9, instead of the 71.0 that he’s been averaging this season. We did not not get a repeat of last week, where we allowed 75% to a lesser player. (DONE)
4) Bait the ‘Boys:Nope. Our run game did nothing clever in this game. It was all hand it off, and get out of the way. Look I get it. We’re trying to protect Jalen’s hurt knee; as well as not tip our full hand, to a team we have to face again, in a few weeks. Still, it would have been nice to see them playing with no confidence in the 4th quarter, as opposed to the nail-biter that we had to endure. (NOT DONE)
++++
So that’s 3 of theFour Things done in this one. It would have been nice to see things done more effectively. However, I’m not going to bitch about a division win, that makes us the NFL’s top team. Coming up next week, we get our Bye. Following that, we get a Chiefs team also coming off a bye. (Great! Andy Reid with two weeks to prepare is practically Batman.)
****
With the touch of a knee, FS Reed Blankenship brings down the TE, short of the goal line on 4th down,
Game Hero: FS Reed Blankenship – For my money it was Reed Blankenship. True, he got beaten quite a bit when covering WR Ceedee Lamb (16 – 11 – 191 – 17.3 – 0), but Defensive Coordinator Sean Desaihad no business putting Blankenship on Lamb. To Blankenship’s credit, he didn’t focus on his failures, kept his head in the game, and snuffed out two drives inside the 5 yard line. Take away either play and this game is a 28 – 29 loss.
Game goat: TheOffensive Line – Eeking out a paltry 3.3 yards per run was bad enough; but allowing our gimpy QB to be sacked 3 times, and hit 4 more??? It was primarily this unit that stalled out in the 4th quarter, precipitating two punts which gave Dallas hope. If the line had done it’s job late in the game, this would have been a double digit win. The play-calling was dreck, but the execution was also shitty.
On The Whole:
It was a divisional game for high stakes, so you had to know that Dallas was coming here to play. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that we played down to Dallas. Their roster has so many obvious holes. Their defensive system has so many blatant deficiencies. Seems like we should have been able to exploit these, and turn this game into a route.
Instead, once we got a double digit lead, the play-calling became very questionable. We had three drives stall, none of which lasted two minutes (1:31, 1:40, 0:31). Instead of leaning on the run game, and chewing up clock (like we usually do), we put the first two drives on the shoulders and legs of Hurts.
You know, for all the talk of what Hurts is “going through”, the coaching staff doesn’t seem to mind dangling him out there, like steak in front of tigers. At this rate, I hope Foles stays by his phone once the playoffs roll around.
Special Teams Ace: Hands Devonta Smith recovers Commanders onside kick attempt
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: COMMANDERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run the Ball:D’Andre Swift had just one carry in the first half. One. As a result, we had little offensive rhythm or cohesiveness. We got back on our horse in the second half, and Swift finished with around fifteen carries (16), as I said he should. Hurts had 4 carries, but only two were actual carries. The other two were kneel downs.
RB D’Andre Swift runs for a 7 yard score from the Brotherly Shove formation.
We attempted the Brotherly Shove just once with Hurts (he fumbled it away). The other time we lined it up, we pitched a Brotherly Sweep™ to Swift for a 7 yard touchdown run. The assholes wanted us to not run the Brotherly Shove, and we were happy to OH-bliiige them. Congratulation dickheads, you’ve made the Eagles more dangerous. (DONE)
2) Run Swift to Brown:I said that Washington wasn’t going to let A.J. Brown go off for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns again, and I was right! They instead let him catch all 8 of his targets for 130 yards and 2 more TD’s, while basically giving an entire coaching staff PTSD, whenever they see anything shaped like an 11. Poor Jack Del Rio, staring at his fork and just screaming and screaming and screaming.
I said they would weaken their secondary trying to keep a man in the box, and that’s precisely how WR Devonta Smith (7 – 7 – 99 – 14.1 – 1) was able to get loose for a 38 yard touchdown pass. He was so wide open on it, that he had to stop and catch it like a punt. Let’s not forget to mention WR Julio Jones(2 – 1 – 8 – 8.0 – 1) catching his first touchdown as an Eagle. Still, we ran more up the middle than to Brown’s side. (NOT DONE)
FS Reed Blankenship secures this interception.
3) Get At Least One Turnover: On a day when we allowed a mutt QB to complete 75% of his passes, FS Reed Blankenship managed to snag an interception. Our coverage again allowed free releases, while giving up five yard cushions. Really hard to generate turnovers when the ball never gets near a defender. That said, we got one in this game, and one is what was asked. (DONE)
4) Lock Up Their Run: I won’t keep you in suspense. We did this one. Their run game (13 – 73 – 5.6 – 0 – 0) looks decent until you take away their 29 yard run, and are left with (12 – 44 – 3.6 – 0 – 0) a more accurate picture of what they were relying on, down in and down out, during the game
We limited their run (12 hand-offs), and made them put the game on their QB (52 pass attempts). He threw four touchdowns, but he also threw the interception that helped put the Eagles up for good. (DONE)
++++
This week’s Four Things score is3 of 4. Normally you’d expect a larger margin of victory with 3 of 4 posting, but the Eagles waited to run the ball, and waited to play smart enough to get a turnover. This gave Washington life they should never have had.
Next week we return home to the Linc, to face the 5 – 2 Dallas Cowboys; as we wrap up the second quarter of our season, and go into our Week 10 Bye.
****
WR A.J. Brown once again hits Washington with the all-night electric freak show, on one of his two touchdown grabs.
Game Hero: WR A.J. Brown – The guy was flat-out uncoverable, and he kept us in the game even when the Offense was unbalanced and had no rhythm.
Game goat: RG Sua Opeta – The drop-off between he and starter Cam Jurgens(Injured Reserve), is huge. That’s not to take a swipe at Opeta, it just is what it is. There is a noticeable lack of re-active quickness to his game, as defenders seem to get into his frame too fast, too often. It’s allowing pressure in the middle of Jalen Hurts’ protection, and is becoming more and more problematic for the run, by the week.
On The Whole:
Offensively, turnovers and injuries are killing us, right now. The injury at RG leads to a back-up who struggles create reliable run holes, and to protect a QB who is himself nursing an undisclosed injury (I’m sure Vegas bookies LOVE that).
Not to mention that Hurts mobility usually acts as a threat, which enhances our RB run game. Hurts inability to run now, is negatively impacting the RB’s and so the Eagles run game as a whole. It would be different if we had a big back who could impose his will and force the issue, but…
OLB Haason Reddick getting the Eagles only sack of the game, on Washington’s last down of the game. Look at Haason CHOP! that ball out.
Defensively, the unwillingness to rush five, or use more press man coverage, is resulting in opposing QB’s looking like dads playing catch with their kids. This game was no different. We got one sack at the very end of the game, when Haason Reddick murdered their last gasp of hope. A QB who’d been sacked 40 times in 6 games (6.6 sacks per game), and we reached him just once.
Lesser pressure and five yard cushions with free releases, will let even a novice QB carve up a defense. Which is why we allowed that team to put 30+ points on us, twice. The only other team they put 30 on, was Denver. The way this Defense is being called, is a formula for failure, vs really good teams.
Many will say that I should be celebrating the win. However, at this point, with the gauntlet that faces us starting Sunday afternoon, I’m more concerned with cleaning up the sloppiness. These turnovers, these easy completions, this repeated stalling out in the red zone, the lack of explosiveness in the run game…
Yay for the win, but if we’re going to go anywhere in the post-season, we can’t expect that playing like scrubs will get us where we’re trying to go.
Drive Killer: CB Darius Slay(TD: 0/Int: 1/ FR: 0/ 4th down stops: 0/ FF: 0)
Sack Leader: DE Josh Sweat (Sacks:2.0/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 2)
Special Teams Ace: N/A
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: DOLPHINSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run the Ball: I said 25 handoffs, we had 23. I said hand it off to D’Andre Swift 12 or more times, he got 15. Close enough. Bulls-eye. I’ll take it! Even RB Kenneth Gainwell(8 – 16 – 2.0 – 1 – 0) got in on the action, with a twisting, turning 3 yard touchdown run. This game featured some of the toughest running I’ve ever seen from Gainwell.
I hated that Hurts ran it 11 times, but I’m guessing the coaching staff will call his number a little less next week; with him wearing a knee brace, and sporting a slight gingerness to his gait. They’re either going to have to realize that he’s not a RB, or we’re going to get an extended look at back-up QB Marcus Mariota. Soon! (DONE)
DT’s Milton Williams (93) and Jordan Davis (90) got together and decided that Miami wasn’t going to run FORWARD in this game.
2) Set the Edges: The Eagles did a great job of this in the first half, as OLB Haason Reddick(4 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) was having none of it! Then in the second half, on back to back runs, they let the Dolphins get to the perimeter. After that, the Defense got their run game corralled, and limited the NFL’s #1 rushing attack, to 45 yards all night. (DONE)
3) Redirect to the No Fly Zone: Absolutely none of this was done. Dolphins receivers got free release, after free release, after free release all night. Often it looked like a game of pitch and catch out there. This is not playoff level coverage. (NOT DONE)
4) Throw Some Uppercuts:We didn’t work that area, so Swift didn’t have a whole lot of room inside, like he did early in the year, before WR Quez Watkins went on Injured Reserve.
TE Dallas Goedert powers his way into the end zone.
However, to continue borrowing from the boxing vernacular; instead of uppercuts, we threw a few kidney punches, involving TE Dallas Goedert (5 – 5 – 77 – 15.4 – 1) early. Kidney punches are illegal in boxing, but if you’ve been hit with one, that hit can’t be taken back. The damage is done, and a fighter will watch out for it.
Once Goedert became a threat, and since we stuck to the run, it let A.J. Brown run his routes easier, essentially headhunting. When Hurts hit Brown with that 42 strike in the fourth quarter, that was basically the knockout punch; leaving Miami to search for the softest part of the mat to land on. So no uppercut, but still a great tactic. (NOT DONE)
****
This week we got2 of Four Things done, which would usually indicate a closer score, but their penalties (10/70), and some timely plays on Defense really moved the needle in this one. Next week, we grab our brooms and head south on 95, to wrap-up the Washington Commanders.
****
Game Hero: CB Darius Slay – The Eagles were nursing a 7 point lead and Miami had the ball. After driving 45 yards on seven plays, Miami heaved the ball toward the endzone, to their RB mismatched with LB Zach Cunningham (1 – 0.0 – 0 – 0). Slay read the ball and peeled off of his man, to go make a touchdown saving interception.
CB Darius “Big Play” Slay, kills Miami’s drive at the goal line with this interception.
Instead of them tying the game, our lead was preserved, and our Offense went down and scored; leaving 4:46 in the game, for Miami to try and score twice. The Fish would instead turn the ball over on downs. Without Slay’s Big Play, Miami scores and the entire complexion of the game changes. We might even be 5 – 2 right now.
Game goat: QBJalen Hurts – Most will sing his praises due to him playing through a knee issue. I on the other hand, see a quarterback who is rapidly turning into a turnover machine. We give Cowboys fans shit about QB Dak Prescott. We roasted giants fans over QB Eli Manning. Fellow fans, it’s time for us, to tell it like it actually is.
Seven of the Dolphins seventeen points came directly off of Hurts hand. You can call it a fluke play if you like. Except, he had a similar fluke play happen just last week. It’s not a fluke it it’s weekly! And of course there was his fumble that led to a Dolphins field goal. Meaning that Hurts helped contribute 10 points to the opponent in this one.
On The Whole:
“Oh no! The Dolphins Offense is so fast!”
“Oh no! They put 70 on Denver!”
“Oh no! So may weapons!
As I said in Four Things: “They’re very fast and very flashy, but this is football, not a dance contest. All the action starts up-front, in the trenches. We are built for trench warfare. Miami is not.”
With the way they hyped that Miami receiver, you’d think he was as good as WR A.J. Brown here.
The result, all their speed accounted for just one touchdown all night. One. After all, we are not Denver. We have a few weapons too, and some of them are also pretty damned fast. Every media pundit talking like our season was over at 5 – 1. The disrespect was stifling. And all Miami’s vaunted offense managed was a weak 6 points. The rest was off of defense or toes.
Also let me say this, we got a guy out there who contributes to a 6 – 1 unit, and helped keep a game close last week, despite four turnovers. The guy I’m talking about, is S Terrell Edmunds (9 – 0.0 – 0 – 0). He has played every defensive snap, of each of the last three games he’s played in. Give the man some credit.
OLB Nolan Smith gets his first NFL sack.
Hey! Did you notice when rookie OLB Nolan Smith (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) broke his cherry and got his first NFL sack? Or rookie CB Eli Ricks (1 PBU) broke up a pass on Miami’s final fourth down? Or (not rookie) WR Julio Jones (1 – 1 – 3 – 3.0 – 0) catch his first pass as an Eagle, and how the crowd welcomed him? Great stuff!
Now I want to take a minute to address the Kelly Green jerseys. They were SWANKY!
Do you realize that back when the Eagle wore those, our Offensive Line was never very good? In this game, we finally got to see Kelly Green jerseys on the best O-Line in football.
Also, it felt good to see Julio Jones wearing an 80 number as a WR. Most of our receivers look like Quarterbacks, Punters and Kickers out there. Same with Defensive backs and now Linebackers. It’s a holdover from college, which mentally leads pros, (read: grown men) in the wrong direction. I’m not a fan of that. (To put it mildly.)
Watching those green jerseys terrorize a QB, took me back. Every time they got him on the ground, I had thoughts of Reggie and Clyde; Jerome and the Mikes; Harmon and Fuller. Rhett Hall and those damned blood clots…
I felt the age of my fanhood, and the distance traveled. Super Bowls. Brotherly Shove. Philly Philly. Smoothies. The time is your’s. For who? For what? I’ll be back, scramblin’. They’ll have to be carted off in body bags… Decades distilled into a color.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Thingsarticles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: JETS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Kill Their Run Game: Our Defense held the Jets to 89 yards rushing, and with the exception of an 18 yard reverse, kept them to 3.5 yards per carry. (DONE)
2) No Quick Throws: We did a decent job of this early and their QB clearly was uncomfortable and frequently off target downfield. As the game wore on however, law of averages took over; and while their QB never got into a “rhythm”, he was able to do enough to provide his team with helps, not HURTS. (NOT DONE)
3) Run the Ball Downhill: The Eagles handed the ball off just 14 times in this game. Four of those were on the final drive. Despite leading nearly all game long, our dipstick Offensive Coordinator chose to be cute by calling 45 passes, and a handful of empty backfield QB runs, against just 10 functional handoffs.
QB Jalen Hurts runs for a touchdown, because handoffs are apparently taboo or something.
Incidentally, 14 handoffs and four turnovers was exactly how we lost to Washington last year. So I don’t put this loss on our idiot OC, who can’t call plays in the redzone. I put this right at the feet of Head Coach Nick Sirianni.
It’s on Sirianni to learn lessons, and lead his staff by them. Instead, he keeps needing to be re-eductated on the same shit, repeatedly. He had to learn to buckle in and lean on the run in 2021, followed by a 6 -1 win streak. He had to re-learn it in 2022 after that Washington game. Now in 2023, here he is again. It’s like he’s too simple, to keep it simple. (NOT FUCKING DONE. AGAIN)
4) Motion Slot to Brown: I saw this happen just once all game long. It worked out as the A.J. Brown catch that was challenged. That said, with the lack of running, it might not have meant much even if the Eagles had done it. (NOT DONE)
****
This week we did 1 of the Four Things and it showed. Next week, the circus known as the Dolphins comes to Philly, and our players don KELLY GREEN for the first time in decades.
****
OLB Haason Reddick celebrating one of his 2.5 sacks.
Game Hero: OLB Haason Reddick – The man has been on an absolute tear since he got his cast off. His 5 tackle, 2.5 sack performance today, clearly make the case that his slow start had to do with that thumb injury. Now that he’s got it going and will command attention on the edge, it might open things up inside (like it did today) for our DT’s.
Game goat: QB Jalen Hurts – Three turnovers. I get that a couple of them were a little fluky, but with his number being called at least 47 times in this game, you would think that a GOOD leader, would ask for help from his team.
What things could he have asked for? Maybe he calls a few audibles to a run play? Maybe doing more than pouting in his seat, on the sideline? Maybe bootlegging left, away from the two back-ups that now comprise the entire right side of his Offensive Line?! These are just off the top of my head.
After the game, I heard a term used that I haven’t heard here in couple of years: Hero Ball. That’s sounds like the hounds are about to be released. Hurts has at times been a prickly with a local media that has largely treated him with kid gloves. I’m not sure how he holds up, if the media’s tone shifts on him.
On The Whole: You know that part in movies when the the bad guy has a gun and the hero doesn’t; then (because of the script) the bad guy decides he doesn’t need a gun and wants to fight the hero hand to hand? That’s Nick Sirianni and our run game.
Sirianni has the Eagles run game, but in the heat of battle, doesn’t tell his staff to dial up the runs. Makes no sense to me! (Then again, I’m the kind of villain that shoots you in the knee, puts the hot gun muzzle in your crotch, and THEN says “Give me the codes.”) If you have an unfair, induplicable advantage, why not go to it often?
As a result, everything about the Offense is devolving into a shitshow. Weapons (players) that go under-utilized for weeks. Red zone execution regression. Now we’re looking at dropped passes, and our QB has become Dak Prescott??! At what point do these things become concerning to people inside the Eagles organization?
For weeks, the Eagles attitude has been “Shut up. Yeah we stunk, but we won! How can you complain about being undefeated?” There’s a sports axiom that states “Winning is great deodorant.” Okay, but losing to the Jets is like bathing in a landfill. Maybe now that we’ve seen a loss, we can stop glossing over our problems.
SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters.
In 2021, the NFL expanded the season to 17 games, which makes for an uneven split. So this year (at least), these Quarterly Reports will come after Weeks 5, 9, 13, and 17. (Ugh. I hate even looking at that format.)
Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.
STATUS: 5 – 0, 1st place in the NFC East
DT Jordan Davis meeting QB Kirk Cousins
OPPONENTS:
W – New England
W – Minnesota
W – Tampa Bay
W – Washington*
W – Los Angeles Rams
OVERVIEW: So it’s 5 – 0, but with some issues. Chief among them being our inability to convert red zone trips into touchdowns (19 trips, 8 TD, 42.1%). We are not converting those into touchdowns at enough of a clip to expect to be a championship team. Moreover, we have surrendered to opponents 12 touchdowns, in 16 red zone trips (75%).
Injuries have robbed our Secondary of the kind of stability that a new Defensive Coordinator needs, to steady himself and find his method. All in all, it is a 5 – 0 team, but with many not so small cracks in the foundation.
GRADES:
QB:Jalen Hurts (113/168 – 67.3% – 1262 – 6 – 4) Had sort of a rough start, but that was to be expected. I bitched and moaned about him (and the other starters) not taking a single snap in the preseason, so Hurts (and everyone else) was predictably rusty. Couple that with working in a new Offensive Coordinator, in Brian Johnson, and you have the makings of six touchdowns and (already) 4 interceptions. As for his running (55 – 206 – 3.7 – 4), he’s averaging 11 rushes per game, which is too many. His low yards per carry is largely due to short, successful conversions while running the Brotherly Shove. (Grade: C)
RB D’Andre Swift scores at home.
RB:D’Andre Swift(76 – 434 – 5.7 – 2 – 0) Had one touch in Week One, then in Weeks Two and Three, exploded for 305 rushing yards on 44 carries (6.9 ypc). He’s so far caught 88% (17 – 15 – 75 – 5.0 – 0) of the passes thrown to him, but they’ve just been checkdowns thus far. Still, a couple more scores would look better with 76 carries.
Kenneth Gainwell (39 – 128 – 3.2 – 0 – 0) has been running the same plays, behind the same offensive line, but isn’t nearly as effective or threatening as Swift has been, and seems to have lost his starting gig because of it. Boston Scott (6 – 43 – 7.2 – 0 – 0) missed a week while in concussion protocol. (Grade: B)
TE:Dallas Goedert(28 – 21 – 205 – 9.8 – 1) The Eagles suddenly remembered that he starts, and so he had a big game (9 – 8 – 117 – 14.6 – 1) in Week Five. Until then, to call him underutilized would be a massive understatement. He still contributed as a blocker in the run game, but the Eagles coaching staff has to run more plays for him. Jack Stoll is a great blocker. (Grade: C)
WR A.J. Brown’s 59 yard TD catch and run. OZ gave him a block.
WR:A.J. Brown (51 – 3 5 – 541 – 15.5 – 2) had a to a slow first two games. Then he put the word in his QB’s ear, and has posted 433 yards over the last three games. Maybe we should all chip in and get him a chef’s hat, because he’s been out there just cooking secondaries. Devonta Smith(34 – 23 – 290 – 12.6 – 2) has three games this season of just 5 targets. That can’t keep happening. He’s too reliable and he needs to be more involved.
Quez Watkins (5 – 4 – 21 – 5.3 – 0) isn’t wowing anybody, but then again, he’s not being put in a position to be successful. He’s making his catches (80%), but as his 5.3 average is testament to the shallow routes they have him running. He’s a downfield threat, not a guy who catches short and makes defenders miss in space. Olamide “OZ” Zaccheaus(5 – 3 – 69 – 23.0 – 1) is the guy that catches short and makes defenders miss in space. However it was his 34 yard TD catch that probably has put Watkins on the hot seat. (Grade: B)
OT: RT Lane Johnson continues to be arguably the best OT in the NFL. (San Francisco’s LT Trent Williams is the other side of that argument.) During the Eagles overtime victory over Washington, it was Johnson’s fourth quarter recovery of a Gainwell fumble, that saved an Eagles drive, resulting in a field goal. Without that field goal, there is no overtime. LT Jordan Mialata has absolutely no right to be as good as he is. He’s reliable as a pass protector, but an outright mauler in the run game. (Grade: A)
OG: LG Landon Dickerson is a bear in the run game, but he has to get the penalties under control. He’s been flagged 5 times (4 accepted for 24 yards). One of those however, was that bullshit offsides he was hit with against Washington, as the officials have joined in the hunt for finding a way to stop the Brotherly Shove. RG Cam Jurgenwas great for three weeks, then suffered a foot injury and is currently on Injured Reserve. Filling in for Jurgens is Sua Opeta. He has not drawn any flags, but more importantly, this year he just looks more comfortable, and seems like a more physical presence. (Grade: B)
The Brotherly Shove formation. See how the Washington player’s hand is UNDER the ball. Yeah well, Dickerson was called for being offsides here, and the hand beside the ball, belongs to Kelce.
C:Jason Kelcebrings the passion, the vocal leadership, and the ability to get to the second level in the run game, that makes the Eagles Offense almost impossible to duplicate. He is also the tip of the spear on the Brotherly Shove. (Grade: A)
DE: At the beginnings of games Brandon Graham (3 tackles) is listed as a starter, but he’s not who lines up at the LDE spot. (More on that later.) Over the last five games, Graham has only played 72 of the defense’s 318 snaps (22.6%). So his low production makes sense. Josh Sweat(15 – 2.5 – 0 – 0) has also contributed 2 Forced Fumbles, but we need to see more out of him as a pass rusher. Derek Barnett (2 tackles) has also played just 72 snaps. My gut tells me that the Eagles are going to try to move him by the trade deadline, and they don’t want him hurt, or to put out more tape of him getting flagged for stupid shit. In his career, of his 26 penalties, 11 are for some form of roughing. We just can’t have that. (Grade: D)
DT:Fletcher Cox (10 – 0.5 – 0 – 1) missed the last game with back problems. Still, his numbers do not suggest just how much of a game wrecker he’s been out there. Jordan Davis (14 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) is clearly coming into his own as a controlling force on the inside. Jalen Carter(12 – 3.5 – 0 – 0) has also chipped in 2 FF, and seems to be the odds on favorite to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. (I still can’t believe that he fell to us!)
MLB Nick Morrow and DT Jalen Carter force a fumble.
Milton Williams (12 – 0 – 0 – 0) is off to a stronger start than at this point, last season. Marlon Tuipuluto (5 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) looks far better than he did last year, when he seemed to be an outright liability vs the run. Rookie Moro Ojomo (no stats) got to play 4 snaps in the last game, due to Cox being out with the back injury. (Grade: A)
OLB:Haason Reddick (5 – 3.0 – 0 – 0) is the player who actually lines up at LDE. He started out slowed by his hand in a cast. He didn’t make excuses, he just produced when the cast came off, racking up all of his sacks in the last two weeks. I’m not a fan of using his 240 pound frame against OT’s without the benefit of speed inside, but we’ll see how it shakes out over 17 games.
Zach Cunningham(33 – 0 – 0 – 1) doesn’t have the flashy stats, but he’s been solid vs the run. Rookie Nolan Smith (2 tackles) has played in all five games, and needs to step up his production unless he wants to keep watching from the bench. (Grade: B)
MLB: During Week One, Nakobe Dean (7 – 0 – 0 – 0) was lost for four weeks with a foot injury. Since then Nicholas Morrow (21 – 3.0 – 0 – 1) has been lights out. Adding a FF and a safety, to 7 tackles for losses, he has shown up EVERY SINGLE WEEK, in all four games that he’s played, since he was activated from the Practice Squad, as a fill-in for Dean.Christian Ellis(5 tackles) looks more than just solid when he’s out there. Especially against the pass. His numbers don’t signal that, but he’s also only played 46 snaps. (Grade: A)
MLB Nick Morrow collecting one of his THREE sacks in this game.
S: With injuries changing the make-up of this group weekly, it’s unfair to give them a low grade. Reed Blankenship (34 – 0 – 1 – 0) already has as many tackles and interceptions, as he had in 2022 when he came out of nowhere and made us take notice of him. Terrell Edmunds(15 – 0 – 0 – 0) played every defensive snap in Week Four, and not a single one in Week Five. Justin Evans (15 – 0 – 0 – 1) still seemed to be ironing out his role, when a knee injury put him on I.R. for at least four weeks. Rookie Sydney Brown(3 tackles) has caught the imagination of fans, but he’s also missed then last two weeks with a hamstring injury, and those have a way of lingering when a player rushes back. (Grade: C)
CB:Darius Slay (25 – 0 – 1 – 0) has already had a pick six and knocked down 4 passes. He’ll miss Week Six with a knee injury. James Bradberry(14 – 0 – 0 – 1) had to sit out Week Two, and when he returned, he spent time filling in at NCB. Avonte Maddox(6 tackles) was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. When Bradberry filled in for Maddox, Josh Jobe (13 – 0 – 0 – 0) started in Bradberry’s place, and didn’t fare to well with the extended snaps. Mario Goodrich(5 tackles) has allowed QB’s to go 10/10 for 118 yards and TD. He started Week Five, but only saw 18 snaps in that game. Kelee Ringo and Eli Ricks have 2 tackles each, in limited action. Bradley Roby(1 tackle) was just signed last week. (Grade: C)
LS:Rick Lovato has been solid, steady, and uneventful. (Grade: A)
P: Braden Mann (5 – 208 – 41.6) so far there have only been 14 return yards against him, with zero touchbacks. That means in the three games he’s punted for us, opponents generally stay where he puts them. (Grade: B)
K:Jake Elliott (16/17 FG – 94.1% – 11/12 XP – 91.6%) Those numbers include four makes from over 50 yards (4/5). His foot is a big part of the team’s 5 – 0 record. (Grade: A)
PR/KR: WR Britain Covey punt returning (11 – 186 – 16.9 – 0) has been a plus. He leads the NFL in yards, returns of 20 yards or more (4), and average (16.9) for those with 10 or more returns. No Eagles player has more than 1 kickoff return. (Grade: C)
KC: On the season, opponents have returned 6 punts for 54 yards (9ypr), and 3 kickoffs for 91 yards (30.3ypr). Neither average is good, but the low number of attempts is a testament to player hustle. (Grade: C)
SINCE LAST QUARTER: N/A
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER: Go at least 2 – 2, and beat either the Dolphins or the Cowboys, if not both. We need a win over a team that isn’t seen as a bottom feeder. If only for our players own psyches. No one will be impressed by wins over the Jets and Commanders.
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Thingsarticles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned inFour Things: RAMSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Ground and Pound:I called for 15 – 20 carries for RB D’Andre Swift (17 – 70 – 4.1 – 0 – 0). Boom Shaakalaaka! Ask and ye shall receive! I called for 9 to 12 passes to TE Dallas Goedert (9 – 8 – 117 – 14.6 – 1). Boom Shaaklaaka! It is done!
TE Dallas Goedert scores a TD
We controlled the ball, the clock, the pace of the game, the prices at the concession stands. No one got caught over-thinking this week. No one got cute. The Rams focused on taking away our explosive plays. So we countered by gashing them on early downs, repeatedly setting up 3rd and manageable, while milking the clock. (DONE)
2) Pave the Lane: Were it up to me, most of our running would have been behind RT Lane Johnson in this one. However, what I specified was ten or more runs to the right. We ran it to the right 16 times for 64 yards (4ypc). That looks better on paper than it did in reality, as 4 of our 6 negative runs were on this side.
As for exposing OLB Michael Hoecht (5 tackles) as a liability, he was caught in coverage on Dallas Goedert, and Jalen Hurts ripped a pass and excised 49 yards of flesh from the Rams for their foolishness. (DONE)
3) Man Coverage on Nacua: Rams rookie WR Puka Nacua (11 – 7 – 71 – 10.1 – 1) faced man coverage at least 8 times (by my count) in key situations this week. Despite catching a touchdown, this was his worst outing so far as a pro, in terms of yardage, and catch percentage. So he was challenged.
The idea here wasn’t to “stop” the Rams, but to slow them down. Every NFL pundit and and even the game announcers, expected a shootout. The gambling line was over 50 points between the two teams. That’s precisely the game we didn’t want to find ourselves in. So the Eagles played to slow. To smother. And it worked. (DONE)
DT Jalen Carter collects a sack
4) Blitz off their LT: We actually did this more in the first half and git away from it in the second half. Doesn’t matter. The second half is where the sacks happened. So to Hell with what I wrote. YAY SACKS! Also, did I mention that DT Jalen Carter(4 – 2.0 – 0 – 0), also had two sacks? I didn’t? Well, DT Jalen Carter also had two sacks. So there. (NOT DONE)
****
So this week we nailed down 3 of The Four Things, in a game that was never actually as close as the score. Next week we travel to New York, to face a Jets team that may have found it franchise quartb- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Couldn’t type it with a straight face. That kid couldn’t even look good against Denver’s defense today. What’s the expression? Couldn’t get laid in a whorehouse. Yeah, we’ll be fine.
****
Game Hero:Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai – I’ve been roasting this guy’s balls over a blowtorch for about a month now. So it feels good to be able to switch gears, and give him credit. After all, as a fan, I want him to be successful. If he’s fired because he’s a bum, we have to gamble on someone else, and hope they don’t turn out to be worse.
So this is nice.
While many will tell you that Jalen Hurts is the hero of this one, they’d be wrong. Desai made some killer adjustments during half-time. The result was the Rams being shutout in the second half. They had 5 drives, for 70 yards, 3 punts, 1 turnover on downs, and 1 time expired, with a total Time Of Possession of 9:44. Way to go Sean!
Game goat:WR Quez Watkins (3 – 2 – 4 – 2.0 – 0) – Blazing 4.3 speed, everyone! (Round of applause.) Catches a pass, and makes a bee-line not between these two blockers,
Which line did WR Quez Watkins (not pictured) follow? The blue one. Motherf-
but behind them, heading straight out of bounds. There could only be two explanations for this. A) His fantasy football opponent has him starting this week; or B) He was trying to avoid contact. In football. Not a good look.
That said, I don’t want to jump the gun, and say that WROlamide Zaccheaus(no stats) should be our WR3. I’m frustrated with Quez, but he also ran a route where he was jumping around at the back of the end zone, and Hurts didn’t see him. That was another of the touchdowns that we left on the field, in this one.
To be honest, we spend a lot of time using Quez wrong. He’s a speedster. His job should be less about catching the ball, and more about blowing up coverages. Aim him at the Safeties, run him down middle, see if A.J. or Devonta Smith(5 – 1 – 6 – 6.0 – 0) gets one-on-one, then exploit that match-up. We’re making this harder than it should be.
On The Whole:
As I said, the Rams are a scrappy team. They’re a well coached team, but they just don’t have the talent to stay with an Eagles team playing at even 80% capacity.
Speaking of coaching, why are we always running the play clock down so far? I get that it also eats into the actual clock, but it’s leading to complications that we don’t need, such as wasted time outs. Just thought I’d mention it.
Now, go enjoy this 5 – 0 record, and our perch atop the division!
OLB Haason Reddick gets a second sack forcing a turnover on downs
They called a penalty on US on this play, despite all the neutral zone violations, and a Washington player actually touching the ball. Trying everything they can to stop the Brotherly Shove.
Sack Leader: LB Nicholas Morrow (Sacks:3.0/ FF: 1/ Tackles: 11)
Special Teams Ace: K Jake Elliott 4/4 FG including OT game winner
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: COMMANDERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Unleash Reddick:Didn’t happen. OLBHaason Reddick (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0), all 230 pounds of him, spent the day playing DE in a 4 – 3 alignment. Although DE Brandon Graham (no stats), was listed as a starter at the beginning of the game, it was Reddick who spent most of the day there.
To his credit, Reddick did record his first sack of the season, but the new defensive scheme is keeping him from being the player he was last year, when the Eagles frequently rushed five players with Reddick mostly at OLB, not DE. Is there a difference? You saw those games, and you watch these. So you tell me. (NOT DONE)
WR A.J. Brown waved hello to the red zone, on his way through it, on this 59 yard catch and run TD.
2) Finish in the Red Zone: On the day we had ten possessions, three were touchdowns, four were field goals, three were punts. Only two of our drives saw the red zone. One produced the 5 yard touchdown run from Swift, the other a 36 yard field goal by Elliott. That puts us at exactly at 50% in terms of touchdown production.
I said that touchdowns are the mission, and right behind that, I said that coming away with a field goal, beats coming away empty handed. Again, we only saw the red zone twice, but we scored a TD 50% of the time, and points 100% of the time. It’s good to have high standards, but folks, we also have to remember to be reasonable. (DONE)
3) Get ‘Em Down: Last year, the Commanders beat us by running 44 times for 142 yards (3.2 ypc). They didn’t do a great job of it, just a committed one, and our inability to tackle on 3rd and 4th and short, resulted in 1st down after 1st down. So of course they started out trying that approach again.
Getting the Commanders RB’s on the ground was done resoundingly. Their RB’s combined rushing numbers (20 – 64 – 3.2 – 1 – 0), produced the same overall average, but moment to moment they weren’t able to duplicate last year’s game flow, and had to lean on the pass in this one. (DONE)
4) Make Penny Make Sense: This one was contingent on RB Rashaad Penny being on the active roster for this game, but he was left inactive instead. So this one almost shouldn’t count for this week. But…
Real talk? With the Eagles piss-poor commitment to running the ball in this game, I doubt that Penny would have seen a single touch. (NOT DONE)
****
So this weeks Four Things was a dissatisfying 2 of 4. This is how you end up having to win it in overtime. Next week we head out to Los Angeles, to take on the 2 – 2 Rams, who also needed OT to win this week.
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Game Hero: Lots of people will tell you it was Jake Elliott, or A.J. Brown, but for my money it was Nick Morrow. I was high on his signing to replace Kyzir White, and felt a little salty when he was cut this year.
LB Nicholas Morrow, FEASTING!
The Eagles brought Morrow back due to the LB Nakobe Dean (foot) injury, and he’s been an unsung impact player every week. He had a fumble recovery vs Minnesota; he recorded the safety vs Tampa Bay; he notched 3 sacks, a forced fumble, and 11 tackles in this game. He has done nothing but ball-out since he got here, and it’s high time he got his flowers.
Game goat: Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai– For the third straight week, I’m naming the same person. I’ve been complaining about the cushions that we give WR’s for weeks now. Cut to this game. On 3rd and 6, with 9:21 left in the 4th quarter, our CB’s lined up with 5 yard cushions. Commentator Daryl “Moose” Johnston even mentioned how weird that was. We would give up an quick, uncontested 7 yard pass on the outside, for a 1st down.
Desai is not only misusing Haason Reddick, but his coverage concept is resulting in easy completions like we were giving up under Jim Schwartz, and Bill Davis. I was no fan of Jonathon Gannon, but his man concepts at least forced QB’s to read, meaning hold the ball. That helped result in sacks. Remember those?
Speaking of Gannon, we lamented his inability or unwillingness to make in-game adjustments. Desai seems to have caught that same disease, because not only is he not making adjustments in-game, but he also seems to not make them game-to-game. We are discussing the same problems every week!
As of now, the giants and the Seahawks have yet to play, but at the moment, we rank as the 5thworst pass defense in the NFL. With CB’s Darius Slay and James Bradberrymaking 80M$ over the next three years. With a deep and talented defensive line, featuring DT’s Fletcher Cox and Jalen Carter, we rank 27th out of 32.
Player talent is not the issue. We’ve seen these players perfom better under other leadership. It feels as if at DC, we’ve gone from Jimmy Johnson, to Barry Switzer.
On The Whole: I can’t be too angry at a 4 – 0 team. It just feels ungrateful. There’s much to clean up, but between rust from not playing guys in the preseason, rookie coordinators, a rash of injuries in the Secondary, at RB, and our signal calling MLB; look, this team being 4 – 0… I will take it. And I will show gratitude for it.
RB D’Andre Swift evens up the game with this 5 yard TD run.
That said, we need to see improvement soon. The winning will stop if we don’t flat out fix a few glaring issues. An evolution on Defense, and more commitment to the run, being the primary two. This game featured 37 passes, 9 Jalen Hurts runs, and just 18 hand-offs.
You know, because of the Eagles coaching staff’s resistance to learning, I have QB Marcus Mariotaon my bench in fantasy football. At this pace, the question isn’t if. It’s not even when. It’s “How long this time?”
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: BUCCANEERSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run to Set-up the Pass: We were late to the party on this one. We got around to it, but not until the second half. As a result, Jalen Hurts looked shaky and threw two interceptions on the night.
Head Coach Nick Sirianni, said this would be a RB by committee team, and that the Eagles would “ride the hot hand” at RB. Well hands don’t get much hotter than D’Andre Swift starting of with 4 runs for 36 yards (9.0ypc). So why the sudden shift to a less effective RB Kenneth Gainwell (14 – 43 – 3.0 – 0 – 0)? We are over-thinking this. (NOT DONE)
2) Rush Five:Nope! This game was started with us in an honest to goodness 4-3 alignment, with OLB Hasson Reddick (No stats) used as part of 4 man rushes. The result was our third straight week of just two sacks.
LB Nick Morrow and DT Jalen Carter, combine to force a fumble
This isn’t to say that we never rushed five. It was just damned infrequent, and on some of those occasions, a late blitzer was the fifth rusher. While there was plenty of pressure provided, the QB who committed the most turnovers, was ours. I’m pretty sure there’s a lesson in here somewhere… (NOT DONE)
3) More Man Coverage: NOPE! Our Secondary play is eerily reminiscent, of the Jim Schwartz era. Big cushions, resulting in quick and easy completions, and a neutered pass-rush. Regardless of our record, you cannot look at this Defense and say that it doesn’t fell like we’ve regressed. (NOT DONE)
4) Unleash the Pass: The middle of the field was open for business, with A.J. Brown making a couple of big snags of over 20, going over the middle. New Eagles WR Olamide Zaccheaus (3 – 2 – 58 – 29.0 – 1) hauled in a beautiful 34 yard TD strike from Hurts, giving the Birds a lead that they would never relinquish. (I told you that OZ would see an opportunity.) (DONE)
This week’s Four Things score is 1 of 4. That being said, the stats, the box score, none of it tells the story of of this game, quite accurately. No time to whine about it though. Because next Sunday, we get a 1:00 game against division rival, Washington.
****
Game Hero: RB D’Andre Swift – His running (specifically HIS running), forced the Buccaneers to load the box, Which opened up opportunities for the receivers over the middle.
Game goat: DC Sean Desai – Still has no idea of how to use OLB Hasson Reddick properly.
On The Whole: We are 3 – 0, but are still, a work in progress. While this one wasn’t a blowout, it is the first win of the season, that’s by a double digit margin. Imagine what we may look like, once we’re firing on all cylinders.
There are a lot of hidden details in this one. For instance, Tampa Bay came into this game, having trouble running the ball. However, instead of playing down to them, the Eagles Defense put shackles on the Tampa’s run game (17 – 41 – 2.4 – 0 – 1). It forced the Bucs to be one dimensional, and allowed the Eagles to walk away 3 – 0.
Special Teams Ace: LB Nicholas Morrow: 3 Tackles, 1 FR
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: VIKINGS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run Swiftly: Boy, did we ever! I suggested 12 – 15 carries. Instead, the Eagles gave him 28, and he went off for 175 yards. Collectively, the Eagles ran 48 times, for 259 yards (5.3ypc). Take that, cherry necks! (Matt, that was for you.)
Most of our run game’s success tonight, was set up by the Vikings inability or unwillingness to adjust. If you get a chance to watch the replay of this game, look at how often the Vikings went with a three Safety look in the middle. With two cornerbacks on the outsides, that’s five in the secondary, leaving just six up around the line scrimmage.
Our five Linemen, plus the Running Back, plus a Quarterback who has to be accounted for in the ground game, means either we should have been calling run plays, or audibling into them. And we DID! (DONE)
2) Rush Five: The Vikings offensive line was down two starters and they lost a third during the game. They couldn’t run the ball, and their QB isn’t very mobile. Yet all we got, were two sacks in this game. Our Secondary just isn’t covering long enough, for a four man pass rush to get home. (NOT DONE)
3) Slay Jefferson: Going by the stats, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (11 – 159 – 14.4 – 0) looks to have gotten the better of CB Darius Slay in this one. What actually watching the game will show, is that it took Jefferson about 400 yards of running, to earn the 159 that he posted.
For most of the night, the Vikings coaching staff had Jefferson in pre-snap motion to change his match-up; or they had him running crossing routes running away from Slay’s side of the field. Slay less took Jefferson away, and more escorted him to his own little play-area, where he couldn’t damage us, and others had to step up.
SS Terrell Edmunds was JUSTIN time to help WR Jefferson turn the ball over to us.
The result was 159 of the emptiest calories ever consumed on prime time television. You probably can’t recall the last time you saw a player with nearly 160 yards, have so little impact on a game. That is, aside from his fumble, which prevented mini-sota from a touchdown and instead resulted in a field goal for us. (DONE)
4) Oh My Goedert: The idea was to get TE Dallas Geodert(7 – 6 – 22 – 3.6 – 0) involved to open up the run game, by loosening the box. However, instead of running him down the field, the coaching staff had him horizontally stretch the box. While it was gross to watch Goedert catching balls in the backfield, it helped allow us to run for 259 yards. So we can’t bitch about it, too loud. (DONE)
****
Not bad! We did 3 of the Four Things, and improved to 2 – 0. Now we get ten days off, before we travel down to Tampa Bay, to lock horns with Ryan Lea- Johnny Manz- Sorry, Baker Mayfield, in our quest for 3 – 0.
****
Game Hero: RB D’Andre Swift (Stats above) – Hometown boy makes good! I can walk out my front door over to the 15 bus stop, and take it to Saint Joe’s Prep, where Swift played. He’s not a “local product” likeJoe Flacco, or Matt Ryan, or Corey Clement. Swift is Philly. Honest to god, Philly.
A great deal of the credit goes to our Offensive Line, for being smart enough to exploit the weakness (6 man box) that the Vikings wouldn’t stop presenting. However, all of Swift’s traits which I extolled in Four Things, were on display in this game. I’m telling you, if they try to start RB Kenneth Gainwell in Week Three, there will be a fan uprising.
Me looking at Sean Desai continue to not reach with four
Game goat: Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai – It was another toothlessly called game, and the result was QB Kirk Cousins (31/44 – 70.4 – 364 – 4 – 0) being sacked only twice. The turnovers that we generated weren’t coming from our scheme forcing mistakes, but from our player’s hustle. At this point Desai is passenger, not a driver.
On The Whole:
We are 2 – 0, having played two games where the game was in question, in the last five minutes of the game. Both wins were what we’re calling ugly.
Not so fast.
Do you realize that in two weeks we’ve scored 59 points? While 7 were the result of a defensive return (and extra point), the other 52 have resulted from driving the ball. That’s an average of 27 points per game, with an offense that we would describe as “sputtering”, “inconsistent”, and “rusty”. Can you imagine what this team is going to look like when they start to put it together?
Mama, there goes that man again! WR Devonta Smith on a blazing 63 yard catch and run touchdown
Defensively, we’re dealing with more injury issues than it seemed we had all last year. We had guys out there in this game, who had been elevated from the Practice Squad, who had previously been cut altogether. Nick Morrow was one of them, and he got us a turnover. WRBritain Covey is another, who… Let’s not talk about him.
I don’t want to sweep our troubles under the rug, but I think it’s important to point out, that the Kings of the NFC may be wounded, but we are far from dead.
