WINNING with solid fundamentals, is the best way to do it, because those things show up on film, and can be built upon. We did that last week vs the Browns. We didn’t turn the ball over. We kept running the ball, even when it wasn’t producing a lot of yards. We tackled, and our coverage challenged routes, giving our pass rush time to notch five sacks.
It was a game that we never trailed in, and never seemed to lose control of. Pay no attention to the final score. Our actual play in that game, was better than that score indicates.
Often I list fundamentals, as some of the Four Things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically gives you.)
A win gets us to 4 – 2, and likely another week as second in the division, since Washington gets yet another easy assignment, vs the Panthers this week. It would also give us our first win this season, against a division rival.
A loss would make us 3 – 3, but we’d go from second in the division, to third. That’s because not only would Dallas have a division win when we wouldn’t, but it would be against the team we just lost to.
So this isn’t a must win game or anything like that, but it would sure be nice to get it.
****
The point ofFour Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So aside from running the ball, tackling over stripping, and playing lots of Man Press, here are the four things that we need to focus on this week versus: the giants.
If this picture doesn’t make you giggle now, you probably are a giants fan
1) Use A Metric Fuck-ton of Play-action:RB Saquon Barkleyis returning to the place he played for the first six years of his career. He carried that offense for six years, and they thanked him by rewarding the heaviest part of his burden, while making Saquon beg for scraps. So the Eagles gave him a huge deal, and now… now he’s with us.
Having Saquon go back to New York Shitty and bust their asses wide open, would embarrass everyone in that organization. From the owner, down to the guy who changes the player’s diapers. So expect their defense to aggressively react, every time it even looks like Saquon may touch the ball.
With them playing so aggressively towards him, if we can get them to bite on play-action, it should spring a few easy, big plays downfield. This game could be a huge day for our TE and Slot positions.
2) Chip Off the Block:With LT Lafoga Mailataout with an injured hamstring, OT Fred Johnson now gets the start. It would be foolish not to get TE Jack Stollout there, to help by chipping Johnson’s assignments. After giving a chip block, Stoll could hang out along the hashmark, to give QB Jalen Hurts an outlet receiver, if he has to run to his left.
Offering Johnson chip help isn’t because he can’t play. He can play. It’s to prevent what happened to Winston Justice in 2007, when he allowed 6 sacks in a game. At no point did the Eagles coaching staff send him any help. Due to Mailata being out, the giants will no doubt attack our LT. We have to be ready to force them out of whatever game-plan they prepared.
3) Speed Up Their QB’s Clock: Every QB has an internal clock in his head, which tells him when the ball needs to be out of his hand. We want to speed up that clock in Daniel Jones’s head, to force the ball out of his hand too early, and possibly into ours.
This week (like us), the giants are without their starting LT. Instead of trying to beat their back-up LT with only brute force, we should also overwhelm him mentally. Consistently walk a second defender into the ‘B’ gap, and force their LT to make decisions without the advantage of experience.
4) Win On First Down: It’s going to be a long day, if we keep allowing the giants to see 3rd and 3 or shorter. So we cannot constantly allow easy yardage on 1st and 10. Despite losing the game, the giants found a kind of spark last week vs Cincy. We have to make them believe that that spark, was a once in a season occurrence.
****
If the Eagles do those Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
With the giants keying on Saquon, I’m not expecting big things from the run game. That means offensively, this game is on Hurts. While he has his top two outside receivers, the chemistry with everyone else that he’ll be throwing to, is sort of a work in progress.
I’d feel better if RB Boston “The giant Killer” Scott, was still somewhere on the roster. I’m just kidding. I liked Scott, but it’s nice to see our RB’s run through arm tackles and move piles. It would be nice to see rookie RB Will Shipleyget his first NFL touches, and play well.
****
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
Note: This article was supposed to come out weeks ago, but I simply forgot it. I had a loved one in the hospital, and the world simply had to stop until she was out. By then, this article was the furthest thing from my mind. I’ve tweaked NOTHING in the article aside from adding a second note at the very end, and I’m tickled by how on the money I am after two games.
Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA – The only weakness on this unit is TE depth. While RB could also use a stronger backup, the pieces are here for a by committee approach. As far as the starters, this team has the best Offensive line in the division, and the best 1-2 punch at WR possibly in the NFL.
Weakest Offense: NEW YORK – None of the skill players scares anyone, and the QB is practically a burning orphanage on Christmas Eve. They are however, developing an offensive line for next year’s QB.
Strongest Defense: PHILADELPHIA – Entering the season, there are questions about one of the Corners, but otherwise this unit has added enough raw athleticism at every level, to compete with even units built for pure speed. That’s not to say it’s perfect, but the issues that this unit has, are pretty common throughout the division. Philly just has more depth and ability to mix and match, which limits the opportunities for opponents to find mismatches to exploit.
Weakest Defense: WASHINGTON – This team should be strong right down the middle, but they lack weapons that can consistently make a difference. By season’s end however, they just MIGHT surrender fewer points than the giants. Washington has a clock eating offensive style that will limit opponents opportunities to score. New York’s offense is so bad though, they may allow more points because they give the opponent more opportunities with better field position. The reason the giants aren’t here, is because they have enough weapons to possibly become a decent unit. Washington stands no chance of that.
Strongest Special Teams: PHILADELPHIA – This was evaluated just using the LS, P, and K. Returners were not included, because no one has any idea, of how the new kickoff rules will impact the game. The NFL has even alluded to altering rules “in-season”, but Commissioner Roger Goodell nixed that notion about a week ago. As far as why Philly was picked, just look at the reports. Philly is strong in all three areas. The other three team cannot claim the same.
Weakest Special Teams: WASHINGTON – Both Washington and New York have a reliability issue with their kicking game. The difference is, that the giants punting game improved slightly last season, so they’re on an upward trend there.
Projected Winner: PHILADELPHIA – It’s not even close. If you disagree with my assessments, go through the reports and tell me what I screwed up.
Darkhorse Winner: DALLAS – Because of course they are. The NFC East is a division of haves and have nots. The Eagles and Cowboys dine on caviar. Meanwhile, the giants and Commanders watch and wait for each other to fall asleep, so that they can attempt to cannibalize their cellmate. (Note: Given how last week (Week 2) worked out between these two, this is now my FAVORITE line of the whole damned article.)
LOST in the Wild Card round, 12 – 5, first in the NFC East, 29.9 pspg / 18.5 papg
Despite a 3 – 2 start, the Cowboys just plugged away, and generally beat whomever was on the schedule. They worked their way into first place in the division, only to get shit-canned in their own home, by a young Green Bay team in the playoffs.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has just put together three 12 – 5 seasons in a row, with a playoff record of 1 – 3, over that same span. He’s replaced his ex-defensive coordinator with Mike Zimmer, but everything else, has been just making small adjustments. Chances are, without a deep playoff run, McCarthy is likely getting fired. Not in spite of his three year 36 – 15 record, but rather because of it. Owner Jerry Jones, isn’t patient enough to endure much more of “close, but no cigar!”
OFFENSE:
QB: Dak Prescott is the starter, but he has no idea whether or not the Cowboys want him back next year. So why did I lead with that, instead of whether he’s any good or not? One, because anyone reading this, already knows he can play. Two, because potentially having to shop himself as a free agent next year, will affect how he regards injuries this year.
You have to ask, how much will Prescott hold back, in an attempt to limit damage to an already 30 year old body? Since any holding back will affect any athlete’s play, it stands to reason that we may not see the best version of Prescott in 2024. Especially with his primary weapon missing all of camp and the preseason.
The backup, is Preseason Hall of Famer Cooper Rush. He’s 5 – 1 lifetime, in games that count. His only career loss came vs a Philadelphia Eagles team, that went to the Super Bowl that year. He’s extremely smart and very hard to fool. Unfortunately, his physical tools are underwhelming. Because of this, the Cowboys are looking past him for their next starter.
Third stringer Trey Lance, has all the physical tools of a star. However, he’d been a goofy disaster since the 49ers overdrafted him #3 overall in 2021. He started four games, went 2 – 2, and the 9ers felt they’d seen enough. Just FOUR starts, for a first round pick, and they threw the towel in on him!?
So when Dallas traded the 9ers just a fourth round pick for him, during the 2023 offseason, everyone assumed Dallas had fleeced them. Wrong. WRONG! When Dallas realized the scope of the project he was, they basically red-shirted him all last season. So far this preseason, vs vanilla defenses, Lance appeared to have regressed.
So while this team does have two good players at this position, neither is motivated to do anything besides audition for other teams right now. (+)
RB: Ezekiel Elliott returns to Dallas! Not the old version that could eat clock with a lead, batter a defense, and put away games. Instead, Dallas is getting the new version, that hasn’t seen a 100 yard game, broken a run of longer than 27 yards, or had an average of 4.0 per carry, since 2021. They’re getting the version that hasn’t averaged 7 yards per catch, since 2019.
Elliott is the best they have for now. Rico Dowdle is an undrafted, career backup who plays like it. In thirty-six games, not one is a start, and instead of promoting him, they brought in Elliott. At 5’6” 176 pounds, and being easy to arm tackle, Deuce Vaughn will never see many carries.
The Cowboys signed Dalvin Cook to their practice Squad, and it’s wise to assume he won’t stay there long. The Vikings cut him over money in 2023, and the move didn’t work out for them. He spent the 2023 regular season as a backup with the Jets. ( He signed with the Ravens for one playoff game). Though he looked like a bad fit in New York, he still showed home run capability in 2022, with a career long 81 yard run. Unless Cook can lift this group, it’s a bad one. (-)
TE: Jake Ferguson is more of a receiver than a blocker, but he’s not going to scare anybody who has to cover him. Luke Schoonmaker is more of a blocker than a receiver. Undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford, is big (6’6” 268) target. That said, he’s not much of blocker, and his feet turn over at an alarmingly slow rate. This guy is going to get cooked at this level. (-)
WR: Did the Cowboys just pay 30M$ per year for a slot receiver? Given that in 2023, 60% of Ceedee Lamb‘s targets and 66% of his receptions came from the slot, the numbers would strongly suggest that’s exactly what the Cowboys did. Look, there is no disputing that Lamb can get open, make catches, and score. The question is: Can he do it consistently against an opponent’s best cover guy; or does he need to be matched up vs a Nickel player?
Once upon a time Brandin Cooks was electric and explosive. He’s not those things anymore, but he still caught 8 scores last year. Jalen Tolbert is going to be the second outside receiver, so that Lamb can stay inside. At 153 pounds Kavonte Turpin is just considered a gadget player. Jalen Brooks is a 7th rounder from last season. Couple players, but no depth. (+)
OT: The loss of Tyron Smith was inevitable and necessary. The problem, is not having replaced him with a high caliber player. At LT, Chuma Edoga is starting the season on Injured Reserve, for the first four weeks. It’s also the sort of injury (toe) that tends to linger. So rookie 1st rounder Tyler Guyton, will protect any realistic hopes that this franchise has of the postseason.
At RT Terence Steele returns for his fifth year as the starter in this spot. Not much has been said about him recently, and the general thinking is, if not much is said about an offensive lineman, he must be doing his job. Seems weird to me, though. The NFL is always talking about future Hall Of Famer, RTLane Johnson; and how fast LT Jordan Mailata has come along. (-)
G Zack Martin making it look easy
OG: Speaking of lineman who always get a mention, future Hall Of Famer RG Zack Martin, comes back for his eleventh year as a starter for this team. Opposite him, at LG Tyler Smith returns fresh from his first All-Pro nod. Am I painting you a picture?
Behind them for depth, they have T.J. Bass who saw two starts last season. There’s also swingman Asim Richards, a 5th round pick last year, and native of Philadelphia. (+)
C: Rookie 3rd rounder, Cooper Beebe made the transition from Guard, and seems to have snatched the starting spot here. He’s a wide, squat, fan of running the ball. However, he has some physical shortcomings that could make him a liability as a pass protector, over the long haul.
Behind him is Brock Hoffman, an undrafted free agent from 2022, who expected to inherit the role after two starts last season, and the defection of Tyler Biadasz. The drafting of Beebe, should have been a clue. If the offensive system were different, I would grade this position different. But since the system keeps these players in their wheelhouse, it’s fine. (+)
In A Nutshell: Injuries are part of football, and depth is a serious issue for this unit. They’ll have to stay very lucky to stay competitive this season.
DEFENSE:
DE: DeMarcus Lawrence played every game for a second straight season producing 50 tackles and 4 sacks. That however, doesn’t offset the loss of pass rush, with Dorance Armstrong going to Washington. It’s doubtful that Dallas will trust Chauncey Golston or Tyrus Wheat, with the spot. Partly because of 2nd round rookie Marshawn Kneeland.
Then there’s this other thing. While he’s not listed at this position, all the chatter (and this includes the depth chart on the Cowboys own website), says that Micah Parsons will play opposite Lawrence. I’ve said for the past two years, that this day was coming. Mostly since Parsons offers little value in off-ball applications. In any case, Dallas has a few pieces to move around. (+)
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT: Osa Odighizuwa is a high motor player, who should be moved to End. Instead, they play him inside, and the season wears him down. Last season he had no solo tackles for the final four weeks of the season, a similar disappearing act has been pulled in each of his three years.
Mazi Smith was brought in to help stop the run, but he dropped under 300 pounds to try and get sacks. The new defensive coordinator told him to knock that off, and go get fat again.
Speaking of fat, Dallas traded for oft-traveled Jordan Phillips, and signed oft-traveled Linval Joseph. They played together in Buffalo last season. This position is stocked with underachievers and guys who live out of their suitcases. Not a good sign for Dallas. (-)
OLB: Damone Clark looked like a reliable tackle machine last year, until about week 14. At that point teams realized that it was easier to make yards attacking him downfield in the passing game, than it was by trying to screen him. Of the 224 passing yards he gave up in 2023, 86 were in the last four games, with 8 catches on 9 targets.
DeMarvion Overshown missed all of last season, his rookie season, with a torn ACL. Rookie 3rd rounder Marist Liufau, seems to be in competition with Overshown, over that second starting spot. This is a great way to let iron sharpen iron. If at least one of these kids can play, Dallas may have struck oil here. Until then, everything here is a huge, glowing question mark. (-)
MLB: Free agent addition Erick Kendricks, has racked up over 1,000 tackles in his nine year career. He also has some playmaking ability.
Buddy Johnson screams red flags. He was a Steelers 4th round draft pick, who signed a four year contract in 2021. The following preseason the Steelers cut him, and didn’t even add him to their practice squad. Since then, he’s been on four different practice squads, played 86 Special Teams snaps, and recorded 8 tackles. Kendricks had better stay healthy. (-)
S: Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker return for a third year of working together. That should make adapting to their new defensive system easier. Markquese Bell entering his third year here, offers experienced depth and again, interpersonal familiarity. Juanyeh Thomas and Israel Mukuamu offer depth.
All of these guys knowing each other so well, should make assimilating the new system a snap. These players have already played together and played well. If there are problems in the secondary, you know the issue is the coaching, not the players, or misunderstandings. This is still the deepest group in the division. (+)
CB Trevon Diggs seems upset about something here
CB: Trevon Diggs returns after missing fifteen games in 2023, with an ACL tear. He’s a feast or famine type gambler, who probably gave up half as many big plays, as he made. The question is: What percentage of the gambler’s luck, was left on the operating table. With the departure of Stephon Gilmore, second year man, Caelen Carson is starting opposite Diggs. .
From the Nickel, DaRon Bland led the NFL with 9 picks and returned 5 of them for TD’s, last year. Unfortunately, he has a stress fracture in his foot that will require surgery, and keep him out at least six games. Stepping in for him, is Jourdan Lewis. He has a ton of experience, and even some fair measure of success. C.J. Goodwin and Andrew Booth play Special Teams. (+)
In A Nutshell: Up front they can still be pushed around. Their two best ballhawks having suffering lower body injuries, raises serious questions about this secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Since college Trent Seig has never played any other position. He’s essentially eating a roster spot. (-)
P: Bryan Angerer went nuts last year, posting a 51.4 yard per punt average, as well as a 45.3 yard average net. Both of which were career-highs for him. At age 35. Seriously, do I need to be the one to drop the “S” word? Or to bring up the term “random test”? (+)
K: After a decade of searching, and performing an interesting comedy of errors for their division rivals, the Cowboys, finally seem to have found their guy. Brandon Aubrey is young, has a big leg, and currently owns an accuracy mark of 94.7% on his field goals. (+)
In A Nutshell: The biggest thing that this unit has needed for a long time, was stability. They have that now.
BOTTOM LINE:
After this season, this team is headed for a rebuild. With that hanging over their heads, it’s unreasonable to expect the players to not get distracted. Add to that, the alarming lack of depth in positions like QB, MLB, and OT, and do you know what you get? Deformed fingers from keeping them crossed all year long. There’s a lot of talent on this team, but the players have ridden that ride before. That may not be enough to keep the roster interested this year.
As for 2024: I’ll go out on a limb and say 10 – 7, a Wild Card loss, and McCarthy being fired less than two weeks later.
New York headed into the 2023 season, looking to build off of their 2022 playoff appearance. Instead, they got out to a 1 – 5 start, which included an opening day 0 – 40 thrashing, in their own home, by division rival Dallas. Then their starting QB got hurt for the first of two times in the same season. It was an avalanche ride into a seemingly bottomless chasm, only stopped when they crashed into the immovable end of their schedule.
While most teams set their sights on trying to win the division, or make a deeper playoff run; the 2024 giants have to ask if they are going to need a new QB next year. Or maybe a new head coach. They’re in a state of trying to repair their ship, and seem less focused on if it’s ready to sail into war with the division.
OFFENSE:
QB: Starter Daniel Jones is coming off of an ACL injury, which cost him the last eight games of 2023, after he’d already missed three. That said, with a 1 – 5 record, and 2 TD’s vs 6 picks, he was already having an abysmal season prior to injury. His 22 – 36 – 1 record over five seasons, should have benched him, but his ridiculous 40M$ per year price tag, forces NY to keep starting him.
Tommy DeVito had six straight starts last year, with a three game win streak in the middle of those. The offense seemed to find something with him, and averaged 18.8 points in games he started, vs 13.9 points in games that he didn’t. (Remember, Jones makes 40M$ per year.) Free agent Drew Lock was brought in, but he’s never been anything special as a pro. (-)
RB: Saquo- Sorry. Force of habit. Devin Singletary heads up the giants backfield and that comes with a ton of concerns. Historically, the giants lean heavy on this position. As a result they tend towards bigger, workhorse body types. Singletary is 5’7” 203 pounds. Not exactly built to carry an offense, which is why Singletary never has. You expect your lead back to have at least 100 carries over his backup. Singletary has never done that.
There are two other players at this position. The first is Eric Gray. He’s a 5th round pick from 2023 who’s production makes it wonder that he made the 2024 roster. Then there’s Tyrone Tracy, a 5th round pick from this year. That’s it. That’s everything on the active roster. On their practice squad they have Dante “Lil Turbo” Miller, but he last played competitive football in 2022. (-)
TE: This team expected to have Darren Wallerreturn, but he kicked his football habit and retired. What they do have, is Daniel Bellinger, and Chris Manhertz. Neither is much of a receiver. Manhertz has bounced around the NFL for nine years, and has all of 271 receiving yards, in his career, and has never caught more than 6 passes in a season. In 2021 he was targeted a career-high, 9 times. Not in a game. For the season. Nine times, in a season.
Theo Johnson is a rookie selected in the 4th round this year. Over three years in college, he posted 43 – 597 – 13.8 – 5. The giants have to be hoping that they found a diamond in a box of Cracker Jack. If not, it would mean the post-Draft retirement of Waller, has ripped a huge hole in the side of this franchise. (-)
WR: Malik Nabers was the sixth overall pick in this year’s Draft, and he’s expected to be the spark that brings this offense back to life. I have my doubts. He used to live off of the ‘Shake’ route; but it’s highly doubtful that NFL secondaries are going to be as easy to solve as that. He played slot in college. Wonder where he’ll play in the NFL.
Deep threat Darius Slayton is coming off of a career year in yardage. Strange how he seemed come alive last year, after his starting QB was injured. Wan’Dale Robinson’s yards per catch went from 9.9 in 2022, to 8.8 in 2023, with only 1 TD in each year. He needs a career year.
Last year,the up and downs in Jaylin Hyatt’s rookie season, suggested that the coaches didn’t know what their plan was for him. They need to figure that out in 2024. Gunner Olszewski is mostly a return man, who’s done most of his damage on punt returns. Aside from Slayton, no one at this position has been a threat to NFL defenses yet. (-)
OT: LT Andrew Thomas missed seven games last year with a hamstring issue. He finished strong, by starting the last nine games, while playing every offensive snap in eight of those. He also didn’t draw a single penalty during that span.
RT this year will be manned by former Raider, Jermaine Eluemunor. What he is, is a well traveled pro, who understands that his job is to win at the point of attack. What he is not, is flashy, nimble, or dominant. He’s instant mashed potatoes and Heinz Homestyle gravy. You won’t starve, but you won’t rave about the meal either.
Evan Neal started seven games last year, committing 4 accepted penalties for 24 yards. Whenever his name comes up, it’s never associated with anything good, but the giants keep him on the roster. Joshua Ezeudu is a swingman here. (+)
OG: This is where New York seemed to be focused in the offseason. They added three free agents at this position, despite the fact that only two will start. The biggest get, was Jon Runyan Jr., formerly of Green Bay. Coming in as 6th round pick, Runyan played his way into being a starter for the last three years, and now into a three year, 30M$ deal with the giants. (Not bad kid. Not bad.)
Also added, were Aaron Stinnie from Tampa, and Greg Van Roten from Las Vegas. Van Roten would allow the giants to team him with Eleumunor, and reconstitute the right side that helped the Raiders only allow 40 sacks last year, vs the 85 that the giants allowed. Stinnie is a six year veteran, but he has less than a season’s worth of starts in his career. (+)
C: John Michael Schmitz started thirteen games, after being selected in the 2nd round of the 2023 Draft. Got hurt a couple of times last year, and missed four games, but that’s football. He moves well getting out on second level defenders. What is concerning, is that he’s sort of controllable for linemen at the point of attack. He has no backup on the active roster. (-)
In A Nutshell: A shitty QB; skill players who are mid-tier or lower; and an offensive line that would be better if the system were built around a powerback. Which they don’t have on their roster.
DEFENSE:
DE: Officially the giants roster doesn’t list any players at this position. Everyone is designated as a Defensive Lineman. Their depth chart on the other hand, lists two players, Brian Burns and Boogie Basham. They are however, listed as OLB’s on the giants roster, so they will be covered in that section, here. (NA)
DT: Officially the giants roster doesn’t list any players at this position. Everyone is designated as a Defensive Lineman. Alright, fine. So let’s list their defensive linemen.
DT Dexter Lawerence from a little while back
Dexter Lawrence is a menace on the inside. He’s a massive dude, who requires the attention of more than one gentleman caller at a time. Rakeem Nunez-Roches joined the giants last season, but seems to be in line for an expanded role in 2024. With a name pronounced ‘roaches’, this dude has to be tough. As depth, D.J. Davidson and Elijah Chatman have been issued helmets with the team logo on them. Lawrence had better stay healthy. (-)
OLB: At the top of the food chain, is Kayvon Thibodeaux. He racked up 11.5 sacks last year, but only 3 of them came in the second half of the season. It has yet to be determined if he’s a difference maker, or an overdrafted situational player who gets too many snaps.
Brian Burns spent the previous five seasons racking up 46 sacks, on a Carolina team that never reached .500. So he took a five year 141M$ deal, to get sacks in the Big Apple. Boogie Basham’s career went in the other direction. With no starts and 4.5 career sacks, he’s expected to backup Burns. Backups Azeez Ojulari, Tomon Fox, and Benton Whitley combine to form Reflector. (That’s a G1 Transformers nod.) They’re basically bodies for depth at all the LB spots. (+)
ILB: Bobby Okereke played every defensive snap last season, racking up 149 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 picks, and 4 FF. He was a beast. Micah McFadden is less of a playmaker, and more of scrape and sift through traffic, type of player. He fits his role. Carter Coughlin is depth. (+)
S: Jason Pinnock was awarded the starting role in 2023, and put up 85 tackles, 6TFL, 2 sacks, 2 picks, and 2FF. Safe to say he earned his 2024 starting role. Dane Belton however, is huge question mark. He has 7 career starts, with 7 career takeaways, but just 686 career snaps played. So there’s still a learning curve, with 2nd round rookie, Tyler Nubin, breathing down the back of Belton’s neck.
Isaiah Simmons endured the worst year of his career while switching position from ILB to S, last year. Whether or not the move will pay off in 2024, is still a question. Gerrvarius Owens and Raheem Layne, make up the remainder of this position. (+)
CB Deonte Banks arriving way too early
CB: Deonte Banks started fifteen games as a rookie, last year. So it should come as no surprise that he’s getting the nod again in 2024. Cordale Flott is going from part-time starter, to full-time guy on the outside. It seems that 3rd round rookie Andru Phillips will get the Nickel job.
Behind that group of very young guys, are a couple more young guys in Nick McCloud and Tre Hawkins. This much youth could grow together into a rock solid corp. They could also come apart, when their lack of experience makes it hard to solve problems in real time, at game speed. Especially since they were not well coached last year. (-)
In A Nutshell: If the LB’s aren’t amazing this year, this defense is doomed.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Casey Kreiter has been here four years without becoming “famous” for anything. (+)
P: Jamie Gillan while his average punt dropped from 46.8 in 2022, to 46.0 in 2023, his net rose from 39.7 in 2022, to 42.2 in 2023. Subtle improvements here, can mean more often winning the hidden yardage battle, which helps lead to wins. (+)
K: Graham Gano is coming off his worst season as a pro, with a 64.7% accuracy mark on his field goals. If he doesn’t get his act together, he probably won’t finish the season as a giant. (-)
In A Nutshell: If they can fix the field goal issue, this should be a solid, but not flashy unit. (+)
BOTTOM LINE:
Maaaaaan, Daniel Jones be trippin’!
Unless Daniel Jones suddenly proves a LOT of people wrong, the offense is going to suck. I’d guess their ceiling to be around 19 points per game this year. If that’s the case, their defense will need to be stellar, which is unlikely, because 3 – 4 bases tend to wear down over the year.
As for 2024: Let’s call it 7 – 9. This is by no means a winning team, but they play a few teams with issues of their own. In a battle between dysfunctional losers (like Week One vs the Vikings), I’ll take the NFC East team, every time.
Washington went into the 2023 season having found a Quarterback to build their foundation on. They brought in Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy, from Kansas City, to revitalize their offense. After a 4 – 5 start, the team imploded, and never won a game for the remaining 8 weeks.
Head coach Ron Rivera and his staff were fired, and replaced by Dan Quinn and his. The Commanders then drafted a new QB to build their foundation on. There’s even talk of a(nother) possible name change.
OFFENSE:
QB: Jayden Daniels was drafted number two overall this year. So far he’s gotten all the important reps in OTA’s and such. Last year’s 17 game starter, Sam Howell, isn’t even on the roster. The back-ups are Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskel. Both are just warm bodies and neither will even be offered a chance to unseat Daniels. So rest assured that this is his team.
This is a rookie’s team. A rookie born in warm California, who’s college career was in warm Louisiana. A rookie who will now be playing in the coastal northeast. He may one day be good enough to win the East, but it won’t be this season. (-)
RB: The starter is Brian Robinson. More of a north-south runner, in two seasons he’s never reached 800 yards rushing, or had a run of 30 yards. Austin Ekler (Chargers) adds more effectiveness as a pass catcher, and an air of explosiveness. It’s not a bad one-two punch. Jeremy Nichols (49ers) is probably just on the roster to push Ekler. The position isn’t flashy, but when you turn the key, it’ll run. (+)
TE: The Commanders didn’t draft Ben Sinnott #53 overall, to sit him. He is however, a rookie with a rookie running the offense. So his learning curve will have dips in it. Luckily, they have Zach Ertz. While he’s physically running on fumes at this point in his career, he’s enough of a pro to help a pup along. John Bates is on the roster, but he’s limited athletically. Aside from maybe the rookie, this position won’t scare anyone. (-)
WR Terry McLaurin
WR: Terry McLaurin is the anchor of this position. However, with just one 100 yard game last year, just 4 scores in 17 starts, and a third straight season with under 80 catches, he’s no longer “Scary Terry”. After that, there’s a serious fall-off. Olamide Zaccheaus was brought in, but he’s better with the ball already in his hands, than he is at actually catching it.
Dynami Brown, and Jamison Crowder are still on the roster, despite Crowder not being a serious option since the Pandemic. Third round rookie Luke McCaffrey (yes, his brother), is getting reps in the slot. It’s so bad that they recently brought back Byron Pringle, whom they’d previously let walk. (-)
OT: Presumptive LT Cornelius Lucas is in his tenth year on his fifth team, and he had 4 starts for this team last season. He’s also the most experienced player Washington has at the position. Andrew Wylie is likely the Swingman again. Behind that, it’s bad.
They’re currently trying to get Brandon Coleman, a 3rd round rookie out of TCU to push Wylie at RT. Trenton Scott is in his seventh season with all of 22 career starts, 9 of which were in his second year. Braden Daniels was picked in the 4th round, but looks to be a bit of a project. (-)
OG: Sam Cosmi is likely still the RG, but he’s a better pass protector than run blocker. At LG, last year Chris Paul was so good, that Washington ran out and signed free agents Nick Allegretti and Micheal Dieter. So that spot is a three man race for now. (-)
C: One of Washington’s biggest addition this offseason was Tyler Biadasz. He isn’t awesome, but he’s also no slouch. Rookie Ricky Stromberg is on Injured Reserve, and is done for the year. Interestingly enough, they took Stromberg in the 3rd round. Which is high for a player at this position. (+)
In A Nutshell: Rookie passer, lackluster receivers, and no protection. (-)
DEFENSE:
DE: The Commanders again raided the Cowboys cupboard, taking Dorance Armstrong (7.5 sacks), to bolster their pass rush. He played in every game, but only had the one start. Armstrong (in Dallas), was stuck behind two All-Pros, but here he could emerge as a star. Opposite Armstrong (so far), is Clelin Ferrell. Ferrell is a first round bust, who despite starting all 17 games on a stacked 49ers defense, managed just 3.5 sacks as Nick Bosa’s bookend. Depth comes in the form of seventh round rookie Javonte Jean-Baptiste. (-)
DT: Likely the best duo in the division, are Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Stats hardly tell their story, but they did just net 9.5 sacks between them. To call them headaches or disruptive, is to earn a PhD in Understatement. They’re an outright problem for offenses, as they each require a double team. In short, they wreck blocking schemes, which slows down offenses.
John Ridgeway, and Phidarian Mathis serve as back-ups. The depth here ain’t great, but the top of the order is about as good as it gets on the planet. (+)
OLB: The Commanders yet again ransacked the Cowboys roster, taking Dante Fowler (4 sacks in 2023). Fowler’s been a situational player since early 2021. He’s listed as a starter today, but he’ll probably split time with Jamin Davis. Davis was moved outside in 2023, in an attempt to get more pass rush from him.
LB’s Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu
Free agent addition, Frankie Luvu brings passion and energy, but physically, he’s nothing special. Which is likely why he spent his first four years as a Special Teamer. What Washington is banking on, is for his intangibles to help change their culture. Mykal Walker adds a body, but not much else. Everything here is a gamble. (-)
ILB: Tackle machine Bobby Wagner will now get to roam freely behind a loaded d-line. Despite being 34, if he puts up 200 tackles or 100 solo this year, it wouldn’t be a shock. If anything happens to Wagner, then Jamin Davis will likely slide back into this spot. (+)
S: Jeremy Chinn is a S/LB tweener who has been less productive every year. Instead of being a powerful Safety or a fast Linebacker, he’s become a slow Safety or a weak Linebacker. He is very much a reclamation project. Percy Butler made 13 starts last season for this team, but was largely ineffective.
Quan Martin was splashy in limited action last year, so he’ll likely get an early look. Darrick Forrest and Jeremy Reaves have yet to show any special qualities, but they’ve been here for some years, and will likely be the first layer of depth, ahead of the aforementioned Butler. (-)
CB: This position has added a first round pick (Emmanuel Forbes), and a second rounder (Mike Sainristil), since last year. Sainristil is projected as a starter for this season, while it seems that Forbes will sit. Ballhawk Benjamin St. Juste (1 pick in three years) returns, and free agent Michael Davis defects from the Rams on a one year deal.
No one in this secondary set the world on fire last year, but it was initially chalked up to the growing pains of a young unit. Instead of giving them room to show what they learned, this position was reshuffled, with stop-gap players atop the depth chart. With this being a deliberate move, it’s hard to give it nod of approval. (-)
In A Nutshell: The middle of this defense should be impenetrable. Everything on the perimeter however, is there for the taking. (-)
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Tyler Ott has played some (blocking) TE in college, as an added value to the unit. (+)
P Tress Way
P: Tress Way returns for his 11th year in D.C. He brings with him his career 46 yard per punt and 41 yard net average. Numbers he maintained almost exactly in 2023. (+)
K: Cade York is the new king of this hill. Drafted by Cleveland in 2022, the Browns traded for a second Kicker in the offseason, and cut York in 2023 preseason. He then bounced around a couple of practice squads, but no active rosters. Now he has this job. (-)
In A Nutshell: They didn’t fix what wasn’t broken. Then they didn’t fix was broken. (+)
BOTTOM LINE:
This has the feel of a team that’s already tanking the 2024 season. They have four picks in the top three rounds of the 2025 Draft, with no scary contracts to weigh yet. So it seems like Operation Stockpile, is already in motion. So yeah, even before it starts, Washington looks to have written off the season. But keep your eye on what they do in March.
As for 2024: Let’s call it 6 – 11, and the head coach suddenly realizing that too much losing, kills a winning culture in it’s cradle.
DRAFT Day is today. Well actually it’s three days, the 25th, 26th and 27th, but you get the idea. Over the coming days, I’m going to do a position-by-position breakdown, of each team in the division. Just to compare known players apples to apples, and get everyone on the same page, before we start talking about the rookies, who haven’t actually even been to OTA’s yet.
Today we breakdown (cities are in alphabetical order): The Hunters
NOTE: This article won’t be doing the OLB/ILB/MLB thing. Too many teams like to move their Linebackers around these days. What I will do, is throw players listed as “Edge” into this category. It’s a weak designation, and I personally hate it. However, since teams use it, it must be taken into account.
DALLAS: Micah Parsons posted a career-high 14 sacks last year. After early career struggles vs the pass, the Cowboys severely limited his exposure in coverage. From 36 targets as a rookie, 11 in his second year, to just 5 in 2023. If he isn’t listed at DE next year, I’ll be surprised. Damone Clark is a secure tackler, but he’s an outright liability vs the pass.
Damone Clark
With the looming (now confirmed) retirement of Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas signed Eric Kendricks, hoping to bolster their interior run defense. DeMarvion Overshown is an oversized Safety, who has the sort of speed Dallas loves, but who doesn’t have enough thump to be a true in-the-box player. Buddy Johnson is still on the roster.
NEW YORK: Kayvon Thibodeaux posted 11.5 sacks last year. He’s a dangerous passrusher, but brings little else consistently to his position. He’d probably make his unit more dangerous if he played with his hand in the dirt. The other passrusher on this defense is Brian Burns, who averages 9 sacks per year, but he doesn’t do much else.
Bobby Okereke joined the giants last season, and had his best year as a pro. He’ll be looking to build on that. Micah McFadden is coming along nicely as a 5th rounder who has become a starter. He will of course have to get his 18% missed tackle rate, down considerably.
Azeez Ojulari will likely get first crack as the top back-up, but he’s been largely inconsistent thus far. Allow me to mention Boogie Basham, mostly because his name tickles me. He’s 274, but still listed at this position. The giants coaching staff just doesn’t get it.
PHILADELPHIA: On the surface, losing Haason Reddick was bad. However, judging from his statistical decline, slowness to recover from injury, his age, and his size; I have more than once wondered publicly, if the Eagles know something about his health that they aren’t disclosing. It would explain why they dug their heels in so hard, and so early, over his contract talks.
Nolan Smith gets Tua the QB, for his first career sack.
Entering his third season,Nakobe Dean is flirting with going from Draft steal to bust. Second year player Nolan Smith will almost definitely be a starter. Free Agent Devin White was added, possibly to have a seasoned vet’s voice to the meetings. These three almost definitely comprise the guts of this position. After this, it’s a lot of spare parts and longshots.
Julian Okwara is a situational passrusher who may find more snaps here, than he did in Detroit.Terrell Lewis may be getting a look there as well. Veterans Oren Burks andZack Baun were also added, but aside from NFL experience, the reason why is unclear. Neither seems to offer more upside than second year man, Ben VanSumeren.
This position is in the dark, groping along the wall for a light switch. It’s got tons of youth going for it, but that can also be used against the Eagles as well. Coaching will be key to seeing how it turns out.
WASHINGTON: Talk about a makeover! Jamin Davis is the returning starter from last year, but with the players Washington has added, him starting in 2024, is no guarantee. While he hasn’t really been a playmaker, he’s a solid tackler, and stable player to build off of.
Free agent addition Bobby Wagner will be 34 by the time the season starts. People keep saying that he’s not what he used to be, but last year he started 16 o f 17 games and put up a career-high 183 tackles. Frankie Luvu didn’t miss a start last year and posted 125 stops. Mykal Walker has been a starter, but wasn’t last year. So there is some depth here.
SO WHO’S THE BEST? A solid group of Linebackers, playing behind (what seems right now), the best line in the division, with a defensive head coach. The nod here goes to Washington, and they have everyone else beat by a mile.
Bobby Wagner is a can’t miss addition.
Based on the players, Washington may be exploitable in underneath pass coverage, but they’ll be a problem vs the run and dialing up blitzes.
DRAFT Day is April 25th. Well actually it’s three days 25th, 26th and 27th, but you get the idea. Over the coming month, I’m going to do a position by position breakdown, of each team in the division. Just to compare known players apples to apples, and get everyone on the same page, before we start adding rookies, which can include anything from 1st round busts, to 6th round sure-fire Hall Of Famers.
Today we breakdown (cities are in alphabetical order): The War Machine
NOTE: To make this article, players must be either a DE, DT, or NT. Being listed at OLB, LB, or Edge, puts them in another article. This is done to keep down confusion and banish semantics like “Well he’s mostly a passrusher, so….” We’ll have none of that here.
DALLAS: The Cowboys lost some firepower with DE Dorance Armstrong defecting to rival Washington. While DE DeMarcus Lawrence is still a pro’s pro, he’s no longer anyone to fear. He’s collected just 24.5 sacks…over the last five seasons. On the other side, Sam Williams has shown flashes as a passrusher, but he’s not great vs the run. Chauncey Golston plays the end and also Nickle DT, but is more of a utility player than a threat.
DT Osa Odighizuwa is too small vs the run over 17 weeks
On the inside, DT Osa Odighizuwa is a 3-4 DE being used completely wrong. He starts the year almost foaming at the mouth, but wears down. Especially vs the run. DT Mazi Smith was a first round pick last year, and was statistically blanked in eight games, playing 20 or more snaps in just six games. With Jonathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore leaving, Smith will be asked to do more. Much more. Carl Davis is a NT that may not be with the team much longer.
NEW YORK: The heart of this 3 – 4 line is DE Dexter Lawrence. Strong and enormous, he presents obvious problems vs the run. He’s listed at DE, but the giants play essentially a 5 – 2 front with 3 DT’s. The other “End” could be Rakeem Nunez-Roches, or D.J. Davidson, or any other name picked out of a hat. They added DT Jordan Phillips during the offseason. While Phillips doesn’t put up numbers, he’s huge and he’s disruptive.
The giants will continue to rotate their linemen, in and out of those three spots along the line. It’s meant to keep their opponent guessing and create mismatches, but it seems to backfire at key times. Eye discipline is different for DE’s and DT’s, but this giants coaching staff doesn’t seem to get that. They should be stout inside vs the run though.
PHILADELPHIA: Losing a player like DT Fletcher Coxwould gut most teams. However, the Eagles have massive pocket-crusher DT Jordan Davis; DT Jalen Carter, who just finished 2nd for Defensive Rookie of the Year (despite starting just 1 game); and DE/DT Milton Williams. DT Marlon Tuipulotu also provided quality play in 2023. Last year DT Moro Ojomo, would have made most active rosters, but here he got caught in a numbers game. None of these players are older than 24.
DT Jordan Davis is hard to ignore or lose sight of.
The starters at DE will likely be Josh Sweat, and DE Bryce Huffadded from the Jets. Sweat is a mid-level passrusher, who’s killer first step creates consistent pressure. Huff is coming off of a 10 sack season, where he didn’t start a single game. The Eagles are hoping more snaps translates into more production.
Coming back for his 15th and final season, is DE Brandon Graham. Odds are, he’ll be a situational player who won’t play much, unless injury dictates. There are rumors that the Eagles will switch from a 4 – 3 to a 3 – 4. If that happens, then some of the DT’s will see time at DE. If they play more of a 5 – 2, like they did in 2022, this line will be formidable.
WASHINGTON: Once again, the Commanders raided the Cowboys cupboard, taking both DE Dante Fowler (4 sacks in 2023) and DE Dorance Armstrong (7.5 sacks), to bolster their passrush. Both played in every game, but only Armstrong got to start (just 1 game). As depth, Washington is relying on DE’s Clelin Ferrell and K.J. Henry.
DT Daron Payne closes in.
It’s the interior where this group shines. In the middle of this line are DT Jonathan Allen and DT Daron Payne. To call them headaches or disruptive, is to earn a PhD in Understatement. These two are an outright problem for offensive gameplans, as they both require a double team. In short, they wreck blocking schemes, which slows down offenses.
Back-ups include DT John Ridgeway, and DT Phidarian Mathis. Neither is a real threat, so the fall-off from starter to back-ups is absolutely massive.
SO WHO’S THE BEST?
On the interior, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington are all talented, but only Philadelphia has any depth. More to the point, they have loads of it. Again, on the outside, for THIS article, we are not discussing “passrushers” who play LB/Edge, but actual listed Linemen.
Of the listed DE’s in the division, Dallas is unremarkable, but at least know what to expect of their starters. New York’s DE’s are more like DT’s. Philadelphia may be the most explosive here, IF their new addition wasn’t a one year flash as a Jet. Washington has one defined starter, and everyone is in a new scheme.
DT’s Allen and Payne are a menace. An absolute MENACE!
Philly is tops inside, Dallas is top(ish) outside. However, Philly has question marks at DE, and Dallas’s interior is practically a liability. The giants line is built to occupy blocks, not make plays. Washington has two DE’s who, (while not stars) are both proven passrushers. So we’ll give this nod to the Commanders.
DRAFT Day is April 25th. Well actually it’s three days 25th, 26th and 27th, but you get the idea. Over the coming days, I’m going to do a position by position breakdown, of each team in the division. Just to compare known players apples to apples, and get everyone on the same page, before we start adding rookies, which can include anything from 1st round busts, to 6th round sure-fire Hall Of Famers.
Today we breakdown (cities are in alphabetical order): The Engines
G Zack Martin, handling his business.
DALLAS: The Cowboys lost LT Tyron Smith and C Tyler Biadasz in Free Agency. Brock Hoffman is now the starting C. Ideas for protecting their QB’s blindside, include either moving All-Pro LG Tyler Smith to LT, or drafting one and hoping the rookie is a star. At RT Terrence Steele is essentially a turnstile. Depth at this position is Matt Waletko (2 years, 4 games, no starts.)
On the inside they still have RG Zack Martin, one of the best in the game. However, moving LG Tyler Smith to LT, would leave a two player hole, right next to Martin. So the Cowboys recently overpaid to retain FA journeyman G Chuma Edoga, who already knows the offense. Anyway you cut it, 40% of this line is about to be just a couple of guys.
RT Jermaine Eluemunor is back on the East Coast.
NEW YORK: The giants loaded up on linemen in FA. They lost one, but signed five. Of what they already had, C John Michael Schmitz and G Ben Bredeson, as well as T Andrew Thomas are likely to be starters in 2024. Beyond that, this room is loaded with journeymen and draft busts. Of the five guys they signed, not one of them has been to the Pro Bowl. Even as an alternate.
The biggest o-line addition was probably oft-traveled RT/RG Jermaine Eluemunor, who gets to play near his native Scranton; followed by G Jon Runyan Jr. Both started elsewhere last year. Which brings up the question of where LT Evan Neal fits in. He was a 2022 #7 overall pick, but so far he’s been an injury prone disaster. Does adding Eleumunor close the book on Neal?
Everyone else ranges from shrug-worthy vet, to just some guy in a jersey.
C Jason Kelce passing on pearls of wisdom to future C Cam “Beef” Jurgens.
PHILADELPHIA: Future Hall of Fame C Jason Kelce retired this offseason. Normally that would seem like a huge blow, but honestly, Kelce’s wisdom and energy may be missed more than his on-field play. Kelce helped the Eagles scout his replacement, C Cam Jurgens. Jurgens spent 2023 at RG in Kelce’s hip, learning when, how, and why certain things need to happen.
As for the rest of the line, LT Jordan Mailata and RT Lane Johnson might be the top pair of bookends in the entire league. On the inside, LG Landon Dickerson is the true engine of the Brotherly Shove play. With Jurgens sliding over, RG is now a question mark. The top candidate for the job is Tyler Steen, but he’s been underwhelming in the run game, so far.
Coming over from the Falcons is C Matt Hennessy, so he could man the pivot, and allow Jurgens to stay at RG. The loss of T/G Jack Driscoll, opens the door for T/G Brett Toth, who spent last year with Carolina, but has 17 starts under his belt as an Eagle. The rest of the depth is unremarkable and may have an uphill climb just making the roster.
Washington’s GM during a trip to Dallas.
WASHINGTON: One way to improve your strength in a division, is to steal talent from rivals. The Commanders did exactly that when they added C Tyler Biadasz. He’s not great, but he’s better than what they had. It’s to be assumed that Sam Cosmi is starting at RG, and LG will probably be Nick Allegretti. He was a career back-up in Kansas City, but Washington gave him 16M over 3 years (5M+ per year), so they probably don’t expect him to ride pine.
On the ends, RT Andrew Wylie is another KC defector, who quietly started 15 games for Washington last year. The LT spot however, was a nightmare last year. The Commanders outright released Charles Leno, and dragged their feet re-signing Cornelius Lucas to a 1 year deal. Without a legit blindside protector, their QB will be in for a rough year in this division.
They have a number of bodies as depth, but no one who won’t be a liability if they have to start a game. To be honest, even their starting line-up is shrug-worthy on paper. Unless the coaching staff can find enough magic to make this group more than the sum of its parts, this might be one of worst lines in football.
SO WHO’S THE BEST?
Even though Washington should be better than last year, they will likely still be awful. Dallas has clearly taken a couple of steps backward. That part can’t even be disputed. Both have question marks at LT, which is the last place on the o-line that a team needs questions. New York is unremarkable, but they do have parts they can move around, and possibly turn out a decent unit.
Philadelphia had a great line last year, and are bringing back 60 percent of it in place, and that could be as high as 80 percent if they so choose. They have a question that needs an answer at RG; but they even have depth whose starting experience is with their team, in the system they currently run.
There is no question that Philadelphia has the most complete, and deepest offensive line in the NFC East, at this point. And it’s not even close. You’d have to be an idiot, with your certificate hanging in a frame on your wall, to even argue.
DRAFT Day is April 25th. Well actually it’s three days 25th, 26th and 27th, but you get the idea. Over the coming month, I’m going to do a position by position breakdown, of each team in the division. Just to compare known players apples to apples, and get everyone on the same page, before we start adding rookies, which can include anything from 1st round busts, to 6th round sure-fire Hall Of Famers.
Today we breakdown (cities are in alphabetical order): The Last Line of Defense
DALLAS: With Jayron Kearse still an unsigned Free Agent, the top of the ladder is Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker. Neither man made many plays on the ball last year. In fact, both combined for just 3 interceptions and 6 passes defensed. Up front they totaled just 3 TFL (tackles for losses).
Behind them is Markquese Bell who’s a more “in the box” type. Same for Juanyeh Thomas, who is more like a small Linebacker than a legit NFL Safety. Israel Mukuamu will likely have to battle to keep his spot in camp.
NEW YORK: After losing Xavier McKinney to FA, Jason Pinnock is the guy they are building this position around. He had a pretty solid 2023 campaign, posting 2 picks, 6 passes defensed, 2 sacks, and 4 TFL. So he can be moved throughout the scheme.
DB Jalen Mills celebrates Super Bowl win. As an Eagle.
Dane Belton and Gervarrius Owens are very inexperienced. Which was likely the reason that Jalen Mills was signed. Mills is listed as a Corner, but he lacks deep speed, so he’s played mostly NCB in the NFL. Here, he’ll likely be transitioned to the FS role and rotated to allow the young pups some hands-on training, with (ahem) a safety net.
PHILADELPHIA: Reed Blankenship led the Eagles in tackles (113) and interceptions (3) in 2023. He also had 11 passes defensed. Joining him in the Secondary, or rather re-joining him, is C.J. Gardner-Johnson (a.k.a CJGJ). Two years ago, as an Eagle, CJGJ had his best year as a pro, and went to a Super Bowl. Last year he went to Detroit as a FA, and had his worst year as a pro.
S Chauncey “CJGJ” Gardner-Johnson, steals a pass from the Washington whatever they were that week.
Returning from Injured Reserve (I.R.), is Sydney Brown. He was having an up and down rookie year, when he suffered a torn ACL in the season finale. Tristin McCollum plays fast, but he’s likely going to need a very strong camp to stay on the roster.
WASHINGTON: Losing Kamren Curl to FA, was a blow. While Percy Butler had 13 starts last year, he turned it into just 64 tackles, 8 passes defensed (led team), and zero interceptions. In fact, no Commander at this position, recorded an interception last year. Darrick Forrest played just 5 games in 2023, due to a season-ending shoulder injury
Jeremy Reaves returns as a reserve player. The story of this position is Jeremy Chinn. He’s been a bust so far, after 4 years in Carolina. The trouble is, his 6’3 220 pound frame, is too small for every down LB, but he’s a liability in coverage. So he can’t be trusted back deep.
SO WHO’S THE BEST?
FS Reed Blankenship steals a pass from Washington
This is a clear cut, indisputable determination. Philadelphia is the strongest team in the division at this position. Every team here except Philadelphia, lost it’s top play-maker at this position. Philadelphia not only added talent, they also gave their best player at this position last year, a contract extension. (Motivation for the rest of the roster!)
Safety was shaky for Philly in 2023. There were never very high expectations for the position last year. However, due to late signings, injuries, trades, more injuries, inept coordinating, the thing went off the rails, and it just stayed that way. Expect this position to look better in 2024 than it was ever expected to look in 2023.
Special Teams Ace: LB Ben VanSumeren downed punt at the 3 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: GIANTS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Contain the Run: Watching giants RB Saquon Barkley (18 – 46 – 2.6 – 2) run for two easy scores, made things look far worse than they were. However, on 21 hand-offs, the Eagles allowed just 65 yards (3.0 ypc). The only longs run that were difficult to pin inside, were scrambles by their QB. (DONE)
2) Get To the QB: The ask was for three or four sacks in this one; but all we came away with were 2 first half sacks. With our Secondary playing like every opposing receiver is dripping with Covid-19, the ball came out quickly, to wide open targets. It retarded our pass rush, and let their back-up QB nearly throw for 300 yards. (NOT DONE)
3) Spread and Run: The Eagles opted mostly for clumping the receivers on the ends of the Offensive Line. This had a way of pulling defenders into the box, and making it much easier to blitz our QB’s. There were a few nice runs by Gainwell (including a beautiful 32 yarder). Otherwise, nope. (NOT DONE)
4) Go Deep Aggressively:We didn’t connect on any passes of 20 yards or longer, but we did launch a few, which helped loosen the box up for Eagles runners (16 – 83 – 5.1 – 0 – 0). Sadly, we had just 16 hand-offs, compared with 36 pass attempts. When your back-up QB is shouldering most of that workload, that’s usually not going to be a winning combination.
WR Quez Watkins snags a 16 yard TD. (Possibly his last catch as an Eagle.)
Still, I said that 3 or 4 deep shots in a game is respectable; but 5 or more is putting your next opponent on notice. The NFL defines a “deep pass” in its official play-by-play as any pass that travels more than 15 yards downfield in the air. The Eagles attempted 9 such passes. (DONE)
++++
This week we managed 2 of the Four Things, in a loss. That ties up the season at 11 – 6, with us in the 5th seed, traveling to back to Tampa Bay, for a prime time Wild Card game. This team owns two five game win streaks this year. Starting Monday, we only need a four game streak.
****
Game Hero: QB Marcus Mariota – He came in and completed 65% of his passes, made actual use of Quez Watkins, and showed enough mobility to keep an air of dynamism in the Offense. He dived more than he slid, and the interception he threw, was on a play concept that we fans have been calling stupid, since last year.
QB Marcus Mariota and a bunch of guys off the bench, put up 10 points, and avoid a shut-out.
While the Eagles may want to go younger at back-up next year, Mariota made a decent case for why he should get another year of Head Coach Nick Sirianni’s system under his belt.
Game goat: The Circumstances – Even if the Eagles won this game, we weren’t going to get that 2nd seed. As I said in Four Things, “Barring an inspired act of God, Dallas isn’t going to lose to Washington, which makes the outcome of our game practically meaningless”.
And I was right.
Which is why I said that, this game is a “total freebie”, and we should use it as a tune-up. To his credit, Sirianni tried to straddle the line, and (kind of) took a swipe at winning. (You know. Just in case Washington stumbled over that miracle.)
Once it became clear that Washington was toast, and we got a second starter sent to the blue medical tent, Sirianni said “Neeeee-ope!” and yanked all his key players, for the playoff run that we’re about to make.
Can’t complain at all about the way he handled any of that.
On The Whole:
Getting the sweep on the giants would have been nice, but given how we started the game without three key starters (WR Devonta Smith, RB D’Andre Swift, and DT Fletcher Cox); it’s hard to judge the sputtering Offense, too harshly. (But feel free to mock our Defense!)
Once WR A.J. Brown (1 – 1 – 9 – 9.0 – 0) fumbled during an apparent knee injury, and after QBJalen Hurts (7/16 – 43.7% – 55 – 0 – 1) had his finger dislocated, and was less effective when he tried to play through it, ALL key players were pulled.
QB Jalen Hurts finger. (Just a dislocation, no fracturing.)
While we did look flat at the start, there was never any point, where we going to get emotionally interested in this game. While we saw little to imply that the Eagles were coming out of their funk, in fairness, we also didn’t see much from the starters at all.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 