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.
SWEPT one division opponent, now we get to put work in on another. At one point in the game, we were down 3 -14, but we didn’t hang our heads. We tightened our chinstraps. We unleashed WR A.J. Brown. We remembered our run game, and fed RB D’Andre Swift. We fought our way back, and we won.
Our next opponent doesn’t handle the run so well, and now given that they are down to just TWO active, actual LB’s on their entire roster, if we decide to make this a physical game, they probably can’t say much about it.
A win puts us at 8 – 1, heading into our Bye Week. It would ensure that when we come back, we would still maintain both the lead in the NFC East, and the best record in the NFL. It’s too early to start talking (in-depth) about home-field advantage, so I won’t go there just yet.
A loss holds us to 7 – 2. That would be enough to hold the division lead for one more week. However, if Dallas wins during our Bye Week, the two teams would have identical records, with Dallas holding the head to head tie-break.
So the Eagles have to win this game.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are theFour Thingsthat we need to focus on this week versus: the Cowboys.
Shaquille O’Neal and the late, great Alex Trebek, share a phonebooth.
1) Be Physical About Running the Ball:Feed RB D’Andre Swift, as LTJordan Mailata,LG Landon Dickersonand the rest of our O-Line dominates and wears down the Dallas defense. Their starting MLB is on Injured Reserve. So they’re down to just two LB’s with familiarity in their defensive scheme. (And one of those LB’s thinks he’s a DE.)
This deficiency means that Dallas has to trot out Safeties under 220 pounds, to man that third LB spot, whenever we use 21 Personnel (2TE, 1RB). They’re going to want to offset our power, with their speed. So we should negate their speed, and expose their power deficiency, by turning every carry into a fistfight in a phonebooth.
2) Win the Turnover Battle:Dallas has thrived on bad offenses turning the ball over in bunches. In the two games they lost, they lost the turnover battle first. Beating Dallas isn’t hard. There’s no mystery to it. The formula is: Just don’t help them win.
3) Alter Their QB’s Launch Points: If their QB can go “1-2-3-throw” like we’ve allowed lesser QB’s to do, he’s going to complete 97% of his passes, and we’re going to get shit-canned. We can’t let him run drives like he’s running a practice drill.
Playing some CB’s Darius ‘Big Play’ Slay and James Bradberry in more Man Press, or even some Zone Press, will force their QB off his first option, and make him read. At that point DT’s Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter can start to pressure their QB and move him around in the pocket, changing his delivery from how he practiced it.
DE Josh Sweat with a pick six vs Dak Prescott in 2022
Their QB’s arm is good, but pinpoint accuracy was never his strong-suit. Even from flat-footed in the pocket. If we can get him moving while throwing, he might serve us up a few of those delicious turnovers. We know that SS Kevin Byardloves them!
Kitchen Bitch, GO BAKE!
4) Bait the ‘Boys:Watching video of Dallas’s defense, I noticed that they flow hard and fast off of first motion. They’re under-sized, under-manned, under-powered, and they know it. So they try to win by beating opponents to the spot.
We should use play-action, misdirection, and RPO plays, sprinkled into a smash-mouth approach, to cause defensive overflows, early on. Later, when Dallas is tired and beat-up, those same play-action, misdirection, and RPO plays, will lead to hesitation. That’s when we can break the game open.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This division can’t be won by a team with a glass jaw. The Eagles have proven repeatedly this season, that being down doesn’t mean we’re out. In two out of three games when the Eagles were down, we came back and won. In both of Dallas’s losses, they were knocked down, and stayed down. We are not the same.
Given that Dallas isn’t very good at running the ball this year, the load is being placed squarely on their QB. So we need to attack him. Make him uncomfortable. Make him run a little off-schedule. And hit him. For Fuck’s sake, hit him. A lot. If he’s thinking about not getting hurt, he’s already thinking less about the offense.
Final note. Given the nature of their LB situation, and how neither one of their LB’s can cover him, I’d say that TE Dallas Goedert and/or WR Julio Jones, could be looking at big days.
****
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.
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.
WE not only beat a 5 – 1 team on national television, but we looked damned good while doing it, in our throwback Kelly green uniforms. We also looked good converting red zone trips. On six trips, we posted four touchdowns and one field goal. On the last trip QB Jalen Hurtsknelt three times to run out the final two minutes. So that trip should hardly count.
This week we head down to D.C. (brooms in hand), to handle the trash and start buttoning up the NFC East. A few weeks ago it took overtime to put the Commanders away. It won’t go that way a second time.
A win and we move to 7 – 1, and remain the top team in the conference. It would also mean a divisional sweep, and turn down the volume on needing overtime, in that last game.
A loss would drop us to 6 – 2. We however, would still lead the division, by virtue of win percentage, over opponents who this week can’t finish better than 5 – 2.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Commanders.
Around 15 carries (or more) for RB D’Andre Swift would be great
1) Run the Ball: It’s silly that I should have to say this, but when I don’t, they forget what a hand-off is. Not only should we run for all the regular reasons (balance, sets up play-action, chews clock, physically wears down pass rushers, breaks defenders will, prevents big momentum swings, etc.), but it would also limit the number of hits Hurts (and his knee) would have to take.
In fact, on the Brotherly Shove play, we should send someone else in to run it. Not QB Marcus Mariota. We may need him soon, so we don’t need to lose him over something dumb. My pick would be RB Rashaad Penny, but he won’t be active. Aside from him, maybe TE Dallas Goedert? Or maybe LS Rick Lovato?
(Hey, wouldn’t RB Derrick Henry look great in Kelly green? I’m just saying…)
2) Run Swift to Brown: Back in Week 4, WR A.J. Brownoutright torched the Commanders for 9 catches, 175 yards (19.4ypc), and 2 touchdowns (from 59 and 28). He hit them with the all-night, electric freak show, and there was nothing they could do, but watch and get clowned on.
WR A.J. Brown chased by groupies during a 59 yard score
They will NOT be looking to let him romp and frolic in their wilderness, for a second time in five weeks. Especially since he would set the all-time record for most consecutive 125 yard receiving games, essentially on their backs. So expect heavy bracket coverage from a Cover Two shell, this time. That’s where our advantage lies.
If they have to keep a Safety back deep on Brown’s side, then “the box” is light and soft there. Getting RB D’Andre Swift around 15 carries, mostly to Brown’s side, will either pull the Safety off of Brown, or force the Commanders to weaken another area of their defense to compensate. Paging WR Devonta Smith. Paging Devonta Smith…
3) Get At Least One Turnover:The Commanders are 2 – 1 when they don’t turn the ball over. Their only loss, was our overtime victory. So that should paint you a picture of how hard it is to beat them without a turnover. Of course, it’s real hard to pick a ball off, when the receivers are always granted five yard cushions and free releases.
Our coverages are going to have to be tighter, than they were a few weeks ago. If not, we won’t be in a position to create turnovers; and we’ll just give up another 70% completion day, to a mediocre QB.
It’d be nice to get one. Or two. Or four.
4) Lock Up Their Run: The last two times we played this team, they were tough to beat, partly because they committed to the run. They weren’t any good at it, but they kept doing it. They used it to control the pace of the first half of both games, and were up at the half, in both games.
Nothing fancy here. Just wrap-up the ball-carriers, and throw points on the board. Their run game can’t get them out of trouble, and their QB isn’t suited for comebacks. Even if he was, he lacks the tools to make it happen. Lock up the run, put the ball in their QB’s hand, and feed sheep to lion.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This is a division game, and the Commanders are trying to avoid being swept, in their own home. So expect a fight.
It’ll be interesting to see the evolution (if any), of Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai, over these last few weeks. What he has learned (and hasn’t), will be on display. As this is the first rival he’s coached against twice, we will see how fast he learns and utilizes new information. Can he grow over weeks, or does he need an entire offseason?
Offensively, unless Head Coach Nick Sirianniis a fool, he will have Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson protect Hurts from himself. If Hurts has to scramble, that’s one thing. However, there should be no called runs for him, this week.
Two things. Devonta Smith’s focus seems to have slackened since he became a father. That’s fine. Totally acceptable and to be expected. Before the baby was born, his expectation was probably with him as the breadwinner, the mother would tend to baby.
That all ends abruptly, when mama becomes willing to bulldoze a neighborhood, for an hour of uninterrupted sleep. So believe me, Devonta is pulling long nights too now. So his focus isn’t going to be razor sharp this season. It just isn’t. Don’t bother expecting it.
After about four days, that “I’m the breadwinner!” argument goes out the window, and you become just some dude that “HAD BETTER look after this damned baby, so I can get some mother$%^&*^# SLEEP!!!”
What he can do, is wet and rub his hands down, before he puts his gloves on. Nothing fancy. Just regular H2O. It’ll keep his gloves from shifting against his skin, and cut down on the double clutching and drops. (That’s some way old school stuff right there!)
****
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 Thingsas a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
KELLY GREEN IS BACK! After a 27 year (a quarter century plus) hiatus, the Eagles will play a game wearing their Kelly Green uniforms again. It’s just one of two games this year, but I am ridiculously excited for it, nonetheless.
Now let’s get into it.
Last week, we lost the turnover battle 0 – 4 and still only lost by 6 points. Fellow Eagles fans, our team is not to be counted out. EVER! That loss however, likely comes with the silver lining that coaches have to fix things that we’ve been complaining about all season, so far. This week, we get a Dolphins team that everyone thinks is hot shit, because they put up 70 points on the Broncos. The Broncos!
Look, our opponent is 5 – 1, but all five of their wins are over teams (Chargers, giants, Panthers, Patriots, and Broncos), with a combined record of 5 – 24. The one team they’ve played with a winning record (Bills), blew them out 48 – 20. So you’ll excuse me if I seem to have forgotten how to be nervous this week.
A win will move us to 6 – 1, and keep us atop the NFC East. It would also get people to stop talking as if last week’s loss ended our season.
A loss, would drop us to 5 – 2 (.714). Since the #2 team in the division (Cowboys) is on Bye Week, it would be impossible for them to capitalize and improve their 4 – 2 (.666) record. Meaning: Even if the Eagles lose, we’re still at the head of the division!
So no matter how this weekend shakes out, the ending is the same. Meet the New Boss. Same as the Old Boss.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: The Dolphins
RB D’Andre Swift scores
1) Run the Ball: I hate having to say this, but apparently when I don’t write it in some form or fashion, the coaching staff forgets what a hand-off is. So run the ball! Even if it doesn’t seem to be working at first, get us 25 hand-offs or more.
Nothing fancy. No particular lineman to run behind. Just have QB Jalen Hurts jam a football into the belly of RB D’Andre Swift, 12 or more times.
2) Set the Edges: Miami’s offense features a lot of speed from small, quick players, and their run game is no exception to that. So set hard edges and force the RB’s into our LB’s laps. Avoid chasing these people around the perimeter. No good can come of that. Instead, funnel them directly into violence.
3) Redirect to the No Fly Zone: This Summer in THE 12, I mentioned how we need to establish a No Fly Zone in the middle of the field. The idea isn’t to injure, but to place a VERY steep price tag on catches over middle.
The redirect part… Miami has more speed at WR than we have at CB. Aggressive Man coverage could lead to CB’s being beaten for long scores. Zone just lets the receiver build-up a head of steam. Instead, use Press coverage to guide receivers into the middle, or trap them against the sideline early.
The idea is, don’t let their receivers run routes on us, like it’s 7-on-7 drills. Just throw off the timing a little. Delay a guy’s arrival to his landmark. Redirecting them early, will make it harder for their QB to place the ball properly, when throwing underneath.
4) Throw Some Uppercuts:Throw a few shots, right up the middle, and behind the defense. WR Quez Watkins was supposed to be that guy, but he’s always unavailable these days. WR Olamide Zaccheausis great with the ball in his hands, but the knocks on him are, a small catch radius and that he catches more like a RB, and less like WR.
For those wondering if Jones can still play, this 48 yarder was from 2022. Odds are strong that he still has some game left.
So the Eagles went out and signed WRJulio Jones. (I can’t believe that I just typed that!) If Jones works the intermediate (10 – 20 yards), middle of the field, and produces a couple of catches, D’Andre Swift might never see another 8 man box this season. It also means 1-on-1 on the outsides for WR’s A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
We have to get back to doing what we do, well. It’s not about Miami. 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. If we don’t get caught up, playing their game, this should become a game of attrition. In front of our home crowd. Make it physical. Make it tough. Make it a fight.
****
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.
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.
****
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?”
ALONE atop the NFC East! Feels good to be home, again. Last week we “struggled” to a double-digit win, over a team that was 2-0 and leading their division. This week we get to play host to a Commanders team that has allowed 19 sacks in three games, with a QB who has never played in Philadelphia before. That sound you hear? Those are knives sharpening.
A win here pushes us to 4 – 0, and eliminates the potential tie-breaker that Dallas holds, as the only team currently in the division, that has a division win. It’s early, but it’s good to take care of positioning as soon as you can.
A loss would hold us at 3 wins, and put us behind the Commanders with identical records and them winning the head-to-head. Worse, if Dallas also wins, we’d be behind both teams in third place. So a win here will solve everything.
Who’s Out, As Of – 9/29/23
Washington: OUT – / DNP – RB Chris Rodriguez (Illness)
Philadelphia: OUT – / DNP – S Justin Evans (Neck), S Sydney Brown (Hamstring), WR Devonta Smith (Illness)
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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Commanders.
1) Unleash Reddick:In three games we have just 6 sacks. That’s 2 per week. The Commanders have allowed 19 sacks in three games (6.3 per game), so we should feast. That however, is dependent on whether or not we can OLB Haason Reddick going. In three games, he has 1 (as in uno) tackle.
Not being able to get him going against the Commanders, can’t happen. The Eagles have him lining up at DE and taking on RT’s with a taped thumb. We’re getting pressure but just 6 sacks and we’ve cause just 2 interceptions. Get Reddick outside the offensive tackle, and let him hunt.
2) Finish in the Red Zone: Coming away with a Field Goal beats coming away empty handed, but touchdowns are the mission. This Commander defense has allowed 30+ points in back to back games (Broncos, Bills). This is a defense to get healthy against, folks. The red zone will loosen up, when we don’t reference our QB’s legs, on every play.
This week, the red zone seems like an excellent place to rediscover TE Dallas Goedert off of play-action. Or RB D’Andre Swifton a Middle Screen. A little less running from QBJalen Hurts, would go a long way towards keeping him healthy and us unpredictable.
3) Get ‘Em Down: Part of why we lost to this opponent last year, we our inability to execute basic tackling technique. We just couldn’t get their RB’s on the ground, and they just kept churning out 3 yard run, after 3 yard run, after 3 yard run. It hurt to watch.
This game needs to feature solid tackling, and none of that stuff.
4) Make Penny Make Sense:If RB Rashaad Penny is on the active list for this game, feed him 5 or more carries in the second half. The Commanders have a really good defensive line. Especially the interior, which they built the right way (from the inside out). The thing is, they’re big guys who go all out, playing a lot of downs.
After a half of chasing Swift, and RB Kenneth Gainwell, then cooling off during half-time, give the Commanders interior a banger to contend with. Kind of like working the body, to tire out the legs. So soften up that interior, so that Hurts has a pocket to stand in, when he needs to.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The Commanders aren’t our real opponent this week. The Eagles are. How much rust have we not worked off? How lightly are we taking this opponent? Those are the things we have to worry about. If we have good answers to those questions, then this week is in the bag.
Yes, yes. Any given Sunday and blah blah blah. Look, this is a division game, at home, and we’re the better team, top to bottom. Unless something goes horribly wrong, this is a “W”. False modesty is as dishonest as bragging about something you don’t have. I will not draw a false equivalence between these two teams/organizations.
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WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
MONDAY during a radio show, in an interview via telephone, 49ers WR Deebo Samuels, hung up on the show’s host. After the Eagles 31 – 7 pummeling of the 9ers in the NFC Championship game, Samuels said the 49ers would have beaten the Eagles by double digits, if QB Brock Purdy was healthy. The host asked about those comments, and Samuels talked some shit about our next match-up, then hung up.
Deebo after hanging up.
Samuels isn’t the only 9er to still be running his mouth after the curb-stomping that we delivered; but it’s his comments that I’m focusing on right now.
In the meantime, two things (not Four).
First, the 49ers DID have a healthy Brock Purdy. The Eagles MADE him unhealthy. Then we proceeded to “unhealthy” their back-up. That was less about us hurting their QB’s, and totally about our front seven absolutely shitting on their pass protection. We shit on their coach’s protection scheme. We shit on their communication. We shit on their individual players strengths and abilities.
So Deebo can miss us with that “healthy Purdy” nonsense. He had one.
Second, Deebolita saying “Just wait until Week 13” was the best compliment an obsessive fan could have ever given the Eagles, and I want to thank him for it.
Training camp hasn’t even started yet, and he’s already equating our Week 13 match-up, with the NFC Championship game that he lost. So for him, this is huge. He’s clearly been chewing on that loss, since January 29th. Meanwhile, we won’t see him again until December 3rd. That’ll be 305 days, of him obsessing. YUM!
Given how he’s talked about us all off-season (longer for him than for us), all indications are that he NEEDS that game psychologically. A loss, especially a close one, could send him spiraling out. And maybe not just him, but many of his teammates as well.
Kyle Schwarber barrels a Schwarbomb.
I’m already on record as predicting a close loss to them during the season, before we full-blown barrel them in the playoffs, and pack 53 men onto a plane, all practically on suicide watch, then yeetin’ that bitch to the far side of the nation. That being said, I want both games. I just don’t know if the Eagles will be as desperate for the regular season one, as the 9ers already are.
In a weird way, I kind of envy them. The rest of us have to hope that our team makes it to the Super Bowl on February 11th. The 49ers are already scheduled to play theirs on December 3rd.
THANK you Schedule Makers! According to our opponent 2022 win percentage of .566 (which is the tool used to make this measurement every year), the Eagles 2023 schedule is the toughest in the NFL this year. That means, no one can claim that our winning the East again this year, was an easy road.
I want to thank the Schedule Makers for such a tough road. No sarcasm, I’m being serious. The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat winner since we last did it in 2003 and 2004. To do it vs the NFL’s toughest schedule, builds validation even from rivals, directly into every “W” that we earn.
I want that.
Now lets discuss Our 2023 Schedule itself. As with any year, there are things I love about the schedule, and things I hate about it. Let’s start with the good news.
Our Bye hits on Week 10. It’s after nine games played, leaving eight on the schedule’s back-end. It’s also right after our first meeting with the Cowboys, which will be a home game. No post-game travel means, one less plane ride for any of our guys leaving Philadelphia during the Bye.
Speaking of planes, our players won’t have to get on one from Weeks 6 – 10, or Weeks 16 – 18. That’s no jet lag, and we’re either playing home games, or in places (NY and DC) where our fans already have very healthy representation. In fact, we finish the season practically on a three game home-stand.
I also happen to love that our division games have quick turnarounds for each second match-up. We play Washington in Week Four, and again four weeks later. Then a Dallas game, with a re-match four weeks later. At season’s end, both giants games have just one game between them. Sweeps, splits… We’ll know pretty quickly where we stand vs each team.
The bad news?
Kansas City has the same Bye Week that we do. So we get Andy Reidafter a bye. Andy is damned near invincible with an extra week of prep time. (He’s practically Batman.) Then on a short week, after the KC game, we get Buffalo (but at least it’s a home game.) And then the Forty Whiners come to town. (Probably with 6 QB’s and JUGS machine wearing a jersey.)
I’m also personally not a fan of us playing just three 1:00 games. First, the Eagles have traditionally played well in that slot. Second, I have a whole routine based around early games. The earlier we play, the easier it is for me to get the Four Things Reviewed articles out, on time on Mondays. Those articles can take two to six hours to complete, depending on other games that impact us.
This is partly why I’m irritated with us having at least FIVE prime time games this year. I say at least, because that last giants game is “To Be Determined”. For Sunday night games, I can’t even start my articles until around midnight, while still having to be at work on Monday morning. So night games don’t exactly thrill me.
Thankfully we only have one Thursday Night game, and it’s a four day turnaround not just for us, but Minnesota as well. However for us, it’s a home game. The Vikes have to get in a short week of practice, then get on a plane, while also losing an hour.
On the whole, I’m happy with how the schedule works out for the Eagles. It’s an undeniably tough road, with validation built in. However, due to our geographical location and the way the division is laid out, travel fatigue should be about as light on us, as any team in the league.
LAST year your Eagles finished 14 – 3 overall, 4 – 2 against the division, first place in the NFC East, Top Seed in the Conference, and lost the Super Bowl by a field goal. As is the case with successful teams, free agency has plucked a few feathers from the roster, but General Manager Howie Roseman has contained that spill. We’ve also had some coaching defections, but those may not prove as painful as the national media likes to think.
But enough chin wagging! Let’s look at how the Eagles 2023 roster looks 24 hours or so, before the NFL Draft.
OFFENSE
QB:Jalen Hurts is the class of this division, but that doesn’t mean he still doesn’t have a ton to prove. For many he answered the question of “Can he be a Franchise QB?”, by his play in 2022, and taking the Eagles to the Super Bowl. If one near MVP season, and a Super Bowl were enough, Carson Wentz would get more love than he does from this fan base. Fair being fair, Hurts has to have more than one great year, before we’re using the term “elite”.
Still, Hurts is the best in this division. His arm strength and accuracy are on par with Prescott, but Hurts forces fewer throws into underneath coverage. He’s also more mobile, and practically unstoppable with the QB Sneak (that several teams sought to outlaw). The measure failed, and now teams are pouting and vowing to imitate what they just sought to eliminate. It truly is an Eddie Murphy/Dexter St. Jacques moment, for Hurts. (Check it out. And you’re welcome.)
That said, in two seasons as the starter, Hurts has missed games in both, just as a natural consequence of how the coaching staff uses him. So it’s imperative to get the right back-up. Which is where Marcus Mariotacomes in. He’s a better scheme fit than Gardner Minshew was last season, as mobility is part of Mariota’s game.
With Mariota as the back-up, it means the RPO threat never leaves the field. This is a point that the Eagles silently hammered home, by adding Ian Book as the third stringer. (Seriously, YouTube some video of this kid in college. The Eagles scouting department seriously deserves some sort of award. (+)
RB: Gone are the 1,200 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns of Miles Sanders. Taking up the mantle (so far) is KennethGainwell. He’s fine as a utility player, but he doesn’t break tackles, run creatively, or have “take it to the house” type speed. In fact, in 225 touches (regular and postseason), he has exactly one play for 30 yards or more. Behind him is utility player Boston Scott, who is a great utility player, but who lacks the same traits that Gainwell lacks.
Injury-prone Rashaad Penny signed an heavily incentivized contract, in what is likely a last ditch attempt to have a career. When Penny is healthy, he’s explosive and powerful. He’s a physical runner who can also accelerate away from defenders; but out of the 82 games he’s been under contract for, he’s only suited up for 42 of them, with just 11 starts.
Last, and probably still least, is Trey Sermon. Sermon logged 2 carries last year for 19 yards (9.5 ypc.) so of course the logical place for him was wasting away on the Practice Squad last year. There are no clear answers here, besides the back-by-committee approach, which telegraphs an offense’s intent. (-)
WR:
At 230 pounds, A.J. Brown is the size of an elephant and runs like a deer. He caught for 1,496 yards and 11 scores, often seeming to do so at will, from anywhere, regardless of who was how close to his body. (Like in this picture.) Oh yeah! And his best friend in the world, just so happens to be his QB. And last year was their first season on the same team. And now they get to refine their connection.
If that sounds like a nightmare, consider this: If you try to double Brown, you’re just leaving room for DeVonta Smith, who is Brown’s polar opposite. Smith is a precise route runner, who capitalizes on the holes that secondaries leave when trying to contain an explosive athlete like Brown. Smith also has the more reliable hands of the two, and his grabs quietly eat up clock.
If Brown is an uppercut from Mike Tyson; then Smith is a chloroformed rag in a gloved hand, from your backseat, in a deserted parking lot. Either way, you’re going to sleeeep. Quickly. The only time that one of these guys doesn’t terrorize a secondary, is when both of them are doing it.
The fall-off after that is steep. Quez Watkins is blazingly fast, but his hands are so very suspect. He literally handed two turnovers to Dallas last year, during a 34 – 40 loss (and he’s mad that we’re still mad about that). Like Watkins, Devon Allen also sports 4.3 speed, but spent 2022 on the Practice Squad. Former Falcon Olamide Zaccheaus was just signed and he also has the speed to make house calls.
Britain Coveyspent 2022 being a very lackluster return man, and may not see final cuts this season. Tyrie Clevelandwas added to the roster from Denver, and it remains to be seen why Philadelphia did so. Unless it has to do with his college career, where he showed he could make a living, deep down the middle, as a 6’2 target with really good (not great) 4.46 speed.
Interestingly, Greg Ward is still on the Eagles roster. Ward is a decent, not great receiver, but he’s an awesome utility player. In just 40 games played, he’s caught 10 TD’s, and has some PR experience. He’s works well in the red zone; and having been a running QB in college, innately gets where he needs to be on a scramble drill. Lot of unusual tools in that box, and he’s only 28. Which may be why Zach Pascal was (surprisingly), allowed to walk. (+)
TE:Dallas Goedertis the best player at this position in the division. He is both a very good receiver, and a solid blocker. Last year he posted 702 yards and a catch rate of 79.7 percent. He did however, miss 5 games. The best ability is availability, and Goedert hasn’t played a complete season since 2018.
Jack Stoll is virtually an offensive lineman. He doesn’t have the size at just 247 pounds, but the Eagles potent run game wouldn’t be the same without him. Stoll won’t scare anyone as a receiver, but he catches what he’s thrown (78.6%). Third on the list is Grant Calcaterra. Same dimensions as Stoll, but polar opposite as a player. Catches well, but his blocking needs work.
Fact is, the Eagles need to address the lack of depth here. Goedert misses time. Period. The team needs a contingency plan for when (not if), that happens again. (+)
OT: Last year only six QB’s were sacked more than Jalen Hurts. Given that he missed two games, that’s an even more alarming stat. Of the 38 sacks allowed, LT Jordan Mialata surrendered 6.5 of them. He’s a mauling run blocker, but keeping the QB upright is the most important part of a LT’s job.
For the second season in a row, RT Lane Johnson didn’t allow a sack, and drew just three flags all season. Offensive linemen don’t get credit for yards gained, but Johnson is the best at not costing his team yards. There will a bust of him Canton, Ohio someday.
Jack Driscollcan play everywhere on the line, except the pivot. He’s filled in ably in Lane’s absence, but is ultimately better kicked inside, because he has clear issues with speed on the edge. Roderick Johnson andFred Johnson are also on the roster. (+)
G: While LG Landon Dickerson only surrendered half a sack last year, he was penalized 13 times for 89 yards. That’s enough yardage to wipe out a touchdown drive. He has to improve in that department. On the other hand, the guy is a flat-out mauler both in pass protection and especially when blocking for the run.
Sua Opeta has been a spot starter and has done some mop-up duty as an Eagle, but now he may have the inside track on the starting gig vacated by Isaac Seumalo. Tyrese Robinsonis the third player at this position. The playing is strong, but there isn’t a clear second starter. (-)
C: Future Hall Of Famer Jason Kelce returns for another run at the Lombardi. Behind him is a successor that the Eagles drafted, with Kelce’s help in scouting. That successor is Cam “Beef” Jurgens. With Kelce’s retirement being perhaps 17 games away, the Eagles want to get Jurgens feet wet soon, so there’s talk of playing him at Guard in 2023. Cameron Tom is a decent insurance policy. (+)
In A Nutshell: This Offense has no holes, but it does have cracks in the foundation. With the RB’s currently on the roster, the run game won’t scare anyone, but it’ll be functional. As long as it is, the play-action, and RPO stuff, still makes this one of the most explosive teams in the entire league.(+)
DEFENSE
DE:Josh Sweat notched a career-high 11 of the Eagles 70 sacks, returned an interception for a touchdown, and led the team with 15 tackles for loss. Brandon Grahamat the age of 34, came back from an Achilles tendon tear, to post a career-high 11 sacks, despite only starting one game. Tarron Jacksonand Matt Leo are also on the roster. Expect the Eagles to address this position early in the Draft. (+)
DT:Fletcher Cox started every game and turned in his best season since 2018, posting 43 tackles, 7 for losses, and 7 sacks. He returns at age 32 in what may be his final as an Eagle, largely to be a mentor. Jordan Davis blew no one away with his rookie stats (18 tackles, 1 for loss). This season more will expected as he’s no longer behind Javon Hargrave.
Milton Williams is more of a situational player, who despite not starting, posted 36 tackles with 9 for losses, as well as 4 sacks, He can also be moved to End. Marvin Wilson and Kentavius Streetare more penetrators than run pluggers. It looks as if these reserves are built with an eye towards pass rush, with little concern for trench warfare.(+)
OLB:Haason Reddick posted 49 tackles (11 TFL) and led the team with a career-high 16 sacks. Nicholas Morrow comes over from the Bears, presumably to fill the coverage role vacated by Kyzir White. Patrick Johnson splits his time between here and at DE. He influences lots of plays, but seldom makes one.
Kyron Johnson and Davion Taylormay not make it to final cuts this season. Taylor was drafted as a project, but the Eagles haven’t put the time in. They might be about to lose a gem.(+)
MLB/ILB: With the departure of T.J.Edwards, Nakobe Dean will become the eye of the storm, in Philadelphia. More instinctual and a better athlete than Edwards, this move is expected to be an upgrade. That however, hasn’t been seen yet. Shaun Bradleyand Christian Elliss are the reserves, but since Edwards rarely missed a down, they don’t have a ton of experience. (-)
S:
Undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship was forced into 4 starts last year, and played better than anyone had a right to expect. He’s probably going to have to compete for a starting job in 2023, but his competition won’t have an easy contest. He has more aggression than the departed Marcus Epps, and brings his arms to his tackles.
When the Eagles decided not to overpay Chauncey Gardner, they opted to bring in Terrell Edmunds. Edmunds is an in the box thumper, but his coverage is better than decent. So he’s an excellent pick-up, and possibly an upgrade over last year. K’Von Wallace and Justin Evans are on the roster for now, but the Draft is in a couple of days. So we’ll see. (+)
CB:Darius Slayturned in 14 passes defensed and 3 interceptions. His 58% completion rate was a little high, but not alarming. On the other side isJames Bradberry with 17 passes defensed, and 3 picks with a 57% completion rate, in 2022. There are no free or easy meals throwing against these guys.
Avonte Maddox is a capable Nickel, but he’s missing more and more time with injuries. You have to wonder if this is why the Eagles added Greedy Williams. Williams was a second round flame-out in Cleveland. But c’mon, it was Cleveland. So the Eagles are willing to take a flier on him.
Josiah Scott had a rough 2022. He had 2 interceptions, but he also allowed 68.8% completion rate. Zech MacPhearson is a fourth rounder who acquits himself nicely, but the bench holds a strong grip on those without Draft pedigree. Josh Jobe and Mario Goodrichare longshots to make a deep roster. (+)
In A Nutshell: Every defensive lineman on this team can be described as ‘disruptive’. Every. Single. One. Point to the other team in the NFL that can say that. This unit poisons offenses at the root, by destroying blocking concepts. If you can’t block, you can’t play. Anyone expecting the Eagles Defense to take a major step back, because of a couple free agent defections, can’t see the forest because of the trees. (+)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P: Kicker Jake Elliottdidn’t attempt many Field Goals in 2022. He was 20/23 (87%) 6/8 from 40+, and 51/53 (95.4%) on extra points. Yes. 53 attempts. The Eagles were a scoring machine. Those 53 attempted XP’s, doesn’t mention how often they went for two. Elliott had a career-high 63 touchbacks on 91 kickoffs (69.2%). (+)
Arryn Siposs was a sore spot lat year. A punt is the first play on defense. It sets the Defense up with a good or a bad situation. So his 45.6 yard per punt average and his 39.6 yard net, are just too far apart. Additionally, 20 of his 44 boots (45.4%) were returned for an 8.0 yard average. All of that needs to change.(-)
In A Nutshell: Elliott isn’t needed much, but when he is, he’s a great bet. I wouldn’t call him a sure thing and risk a paycheck on him! But I could wager a pineapple without batting an eye. Our punting game however, didn’t do much to help this team in 2022. This unit is more good than bad, but when it’s bad, it’s fish rotting in a nightstand bad.(+)
BOTTOM LINE: Eagles fans are told not to expect 14 – 3 again. Fine. Keep it. Especially with 15 – 2, 16 – 1, and 17 – 0 still out there. Realistically, as it stands, this is probably an 11 or 12 win team. This team can score with ANYBODY, while making it harder to score for everybody. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to this roster in the next 48 hours.
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