LAST week’s win over Tampa Bay, gave us our third consecutive win over a team that won their division last year. We hit some rough chop in the second half, but we have a very talented, very battle tested roster. We’re led by celebrated battlers on both sides of the ball like, RT Lane Johnson and DT Jalen Carter. The Broncos can’t make that claim.
A win improves us to 5 – 0. We would enjoy another week as the only undefeated team in the conference, remaining firmly atop the NFC East.
A loss, would leave us standing at 4 – 1. Still atop the division, but now tied at the head of the conference with the 49ers.
****
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. 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 spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Broncos.
Look at all the room in that box! SPREAD. OUT!
1) Run Fewer Bunch Formations: We’re less effective when we do that, because it makes it easy for opponents to crowd running lanes, give us different blitz looks, and muddy any underneath passing lanes, while they drop into coverage. So how about we stop doing our opponents any favors.
Let’s get our WR’s split from the ends of line, to pull defenders laterally, and create spacing for RB Saquon Barkley to run. We’re going against a VERY smart coach this week. It’s important that we understand where our natural advantages are, and exploit those beyond his ability to scheme solutions.
2) Limit Their Run Game:Under 120 rushing yards they are 0-2. Over 120 they are 2-0. Make their QB carry the offense, since it’s highly unlikely that he can. The Broncos offense is a decent stew, meaning that their ingredients (the players) combine to make a final product that is richer and more complex, than any of the ingredients alone.
That being said, they are a decent stew, not a great one. They have no special ingredients. The Broncos don’t have any truly scary players, that you have to worry about taking over a game. So stymie their run enough to make their attack unreliable. Get their young QB trying to forcing things. Then capitalize on his mistakes.
3) Don’t Overthink It: The Broncos defensive linemen are prioritized for quickness, so their line is on the smallish side. They use a 3-4 front, dressed up as a 4-3 or a 5-2. It looks a little like this:
This is what we should look like spread out, to force those lineBackers into coverage, and out of blitzes. The 49 back there is former Eagle Alex Singleton. (Everyone wave hi!) Let’s get him chasing Saquon all day. If they want to go with a small line, let’s spread it thin and run over it!
In any case, their front five averages about 274 pounds, (291 across the middle three.) Our front five averages 329, (middle three 318). Our Offensive Line features multiple All-Pro players, and their defensive line does not. We have the size and talent advantage up front. So spread them out, and run the ball down their throats.
4) Box Them In: Set the edges and walk the middle of the pocket back to the QB. If their very average o-linemen are busy fighting our talented Defensive Linemen, then they shouldn’t be able to leak out and affect LB’s Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell, making them free to roam, hit, tip passes and catch tipped passes.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The Broncos are coached by Sean Payton, who is not just clever, he’s downright sneaky. He’s wringing more out of his team than he probably should be at this point.
Having given him more than fair praise, the fact is, coaches don’t score points, players do. The Broncos players just aren’t on the same level as the Eagles, and we should make that crystal clear. We need to come out and just bully this opponent. Make it a physical beat-down, and change Sean Payton’s mind about the Brotherly Shove.
Speaking of the BruvShove, the Broncos have just one defensive line player on their entire roster, who is 320 pounds. Hoo boy!
****
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.
PHILADELPHIA 2024 finished as the Super Bowl Champions, with a record of 14 – 3, Winner of the NFC East with a record of 14 – 3, 27.7 pspg (7th), and 17.8 papg (2nd)
The team got out to a slow start, with a 2 – 2 record. We took advantage of an early Bye Week, and used it to button up some deficiencies. There’ve been a lot of offseason losses for this team, but the roster is deep, and those players looking to step up, will get their chance to.
Heading into the pre-season, this is how things look today:
OFFENSE
QB: Jalen Hurts(248/361 – 68.7% – 2903 – 18 – 5 / 150 – 630 – 3.0 – 14) posted a 12 – 3 record in 2024. He led the Eagles to the division crown, then through the playoffs and ultimately to victory in the Super Bowl, where he took MVP honors.
Tanner McKee (30/45 – 66.7% – 323 – 4 – 0) won his only game as a starter, leading Eagles back-ups against giants starters in a 20 – 13 win. That made Philadelphia feel secure enough to trade away last year’s back-up Kenny Pickett to Cleveland, and give the #2 job to McKee.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson(DTR) is who the Eagles received in the trade for Pickett. His two year NFL career has been marked by struggle, but that may be down to playing for Cleveland. He’ll compete for the 3rd string job vs rookieKyle McCord. McCord is said to be a bit of a gunslinger. These two should see plenty of preseason action. (+)
RB: Offensive Player of the year Saquon Barkley(345 – 2005 – 5.8 – 13) led the league in rushing and yards from scrimmage in 2024. He was also the focal point of the Chiefs defense in the Super Bowl, which allowed the rest of the Eagles Offense to flow so smoothly. Credit needs to be given for that. Odds are against him rushing for another 2000 yards in 2025. In fact, a stat line closer to 256 – 1228 – 4.8 – 8 seems more likely.
Just because the Eagles won’t give the ball to Barkley as much, doesn’t mean they won’t still run it a ton. Sharing the load this year will be second year man Will Shipley (30 – 82 – 2.7 – 0), who had his struggles last year, but is said to be looking sharp in early Training Camp
A.J. Dilloncomes over from the Packers, after sitting out all of 2024 with a neck stinger. He’s a big back who can catch the ball, and pick up blitzes. If he is truly recovered, the Eagles backfield is going to be an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses.
Rookie Montrell Johnsonis a between the Tackles bully, who runs behind his pads. More of a violent runner than a creative one.
WR: A.J. Brown(67 – 1079 – 16.1 – 7) is probably the most dangerous receiver in the sport. He doesn’t put up the biggest numbers. Then again his numbers aren’t empty calories, as they’ve contributed to wins, Super Bowl appearances, and an actual championship. The Chases, Jeffersons, Lambs, and St. Browns of the league can’t claim any of that.
DeVonta Smith (68 – 833 – 12.3 – 8) had a catch percentage of 76.4 last season, and he caught “The Dagger” in Super Bowl LIX. Fucking legend. Jahan Dotson (19 – 216 – 11.6 – 0) seems firmly entrenched at the #3 here. Of his 19 catches 12 were first downs. He’s been reliable when the ball is thrown to him, but he can’t throw himself the football.
Johnny Wilson (5 – 38 – 7.6 – 1) and Anias Smith (7 – 41 – 5.9 – 1) may find themselves fighting off Elijah Cooks and Terrace Marshallfor the #4 spot, as the Eagles seem hellbent to keep an undersized KR/PR specialist like either Avery Williams or rookie Ife Adeyiat the #5 spot. (+)
TE: Dallas Goedert(42 – 496 – 11.8 – 2) is a great receiving option and blocker. The knock on him, is that he hasn’t played even a 16 game season since before the COVID epidemic.Grant Calcaterra (24 – 298 – 12.4 – 1) is a very good receiver. He’d be the starter, but his blocking leaves much to be desired.
E.J. Jenkins (1 – 7 – 7.0 – 1), veterans Kylen Gransonand Harrison Bryant and rookie Cameron Latu are all fighting for that #3 spot. The group has an excellent starter, but the steep fall-off after him, is troubling. Especially since he almost certainly will mis games again. (-)
OT: RTLane Johnson is one of the best EVER at his position. Here is the short listof players stacked ahead of him, and some of those rankings are very debatable.
RT Jordan Mailata is probably the most amazing story in the NFL. From never playing football until he was 22, to one of the NFL’s (and therefore the planet’s) premier players of the position, earning his first All-Pro nod at 27. This was despite missing 5 games. He’s still a better run blocker than pass blocker though.
Darian Kinnardhas been in the NFL for two years, with two different teams, and each year his team won the Super Bowl. So he can’t be allowed off the roster! Kendall Lamm is a career back-up coming from Miami to add depth. Brett Toth has been off and on with the Eagles organization since 2020. But the latter two players aren’t in the long-term picture.
The Eagles have a pair of well developing 2025 6th rounders, in Myles Hinton (son of former All-Pro OT Chris Hinton), and Cameron Williams. There’s also Laekin Vakalahi, an undrafted player on a three-year international development contract via the International Player Pathway, which the Eagles developed Mialata through. (+)
G: LG Landon Dickerson has developed into an annual Pro-Bowler, (for whatever that’s worth these days) and is the key to the Brotherly Shove play. Tyler Steen has been capable in spot duty, and will almost certainly be the starting RG to open 2025.
Swingman Matt Pryorreturns to the Eagles after aHeading into the pre-season, this is how things look today: four year, three team tour of the league. He’s better inside than on the edge. The Eagles traded Houston for Kenyon Green. He was a 1st round pick in 2022, but has so far underachieved. He has the tools for Offensive Line Coach Jeff Stoutland to successfully harness the potential that the Texans were wasting.
Trevor Keegan was a 5th round pick last year but moves keep being made around him, instead of involving him. Hollin Pierce is a 6’8 341 pound college LT, being kicked inside and given the Mehki Becton treatment. The starters are solid, there’s a versatile veteran back-up, and even a couple of projects with very high upsides, in development. Stacked. (+)
C: In his first year of sliding over and taking over for a future Hall Of Famer, Cam Jurgens only won a Super Bowl and earned his first Pro Bowl nod. All that while playing through (since corrected) nerve pain in his back. Fucking legend. Drew Kendall is 5th round pick from this year, (who’s dad Pete also played some C in the NFL). To this point he’s made no noise in training camp.(+)
In A Nutshell: Despite a lack of depth at TE, this looks like it’ll be a top ten unit again in 2025.
DEFENSE
DE: The Eagles technically list just one player at this position, Ogbo Okoronknwo. He’s a 29 year old situational pass rusher, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021. In six seasons he has 17 sacks, with his career-high being 5 in 2022. (+)
DT: The Eagles are LOADED here. Jalen Carter (42 – 4.5 – 0 – 0) sees a double on almost every play and still produces big plays. Jordan Davis (27 – 1.0 – 0 – 1) was a terror during the 2024 playoff run, due to a fitness regiment that he began last season. He kept it up in the offseason, and now comes in more agile and much faster. Sweet Jesus.
Moro Ojomo (20 tackles) has spent the last two years playing behind Milton Williams, who left for the Patriots. Because of this and his high motor, Ojomo is expected to take a huge step up this season. Rookie 4th rounder Ty Robinson has the ability to play both inside and outside.Byron Young is a 2023 3rd round pick, who was out of football in 2024. (+)
OLB: Nolan Smith (42 – 6.5 – 0 – 2) took a big step in 2024 while starting ten games. He looks to do the same in 2025, as he is no longer splitting starts with the retired Brandon Graham. Second year man, Jaylx Hunt(21 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) takes over for the Josh Sweat, who left for Arizona.
Free agents Joshua Uche (Chiefs) and Azeez Ojulari (giants), provide excellent veteran depth, as well as a history of being very good pass rushers. Patrick Johnson comes back to Philadelphia after a season with the giants. Antwaun Powell-Ryland was a 2024 6th rounder. It’s crazy just how deep this position is. (+)
M/ILB: Zack Baun (151 – 3.5 – 1 – 1) transitioned from situational pass rusher, to NFL star last year. Rookie 1st rounderJihaad Campbell, is being shown the ropes at this position, even though all indications say a move to the outside is in the plans.
Nakobe Dean(128 – 3.0 – 1 – 2) started fifteen games last year, before being lost to a knee injury. He’s currently on the PUP List and was expected to miss some early games, but he is rehabbing like a demon, to get back Week One. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (25 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) isn’t just some nepo-baby. He’s actually good. Rookie 5th rounder Smael Mondon has been flashing since OTA’s. (+)
S: Interception machine C.J. Gardner-Johnson was traded to Houston; but we’re still okay because Reed Blankenship(78 – 0.0 – 4 – 1) has a knack for clutch takeaways. Honestly, he seems to play his best, in close games.Sydney Brown (7 – 0.0 – 1 – 0) is trying to earn the other starting spot. Brown plays very aggressively and throws his body around. Which is likely why he keeps missing time with injuries.
Rookie 2nd rounder Andrew Mukuba, has been making a strong bid since OTA’s, for the starting job. Tristin McCollum(33 tackles) and Andre Sam(1 tackle), are joined by free agent Lewis Cine, in competition for that last fourth roster spot. So there’s one starter and bunch of question marks. (-)
CB: Quinyon Mitchell (46 tackles) is the Eagles lockdown corner. Cooper DeJean (51 – 0.5 – 0 – 3) is the Nickel. He has the speed for the outside, but not the change of direction ability. There’s a battle between Kelee Ringo (15 – 0.0 – 0 – 1) and former giant Adoree Jackson, for that second starting spot.
According to Spotracthe Eagles currently have 30M in cap space, in part because they didn’t elect to pay Darius Slay 10M. So we are now looking for a 2nd starter here, and things in training camp don’t sound promising. But wait! A trade was just made with Las Vegas, to bring in Jakorian Bennett, to increase the competition. Eli Ricks may be the odd man out. (-)
In A Nutshell: There’s more than enough talent to patch the holes made by defections, if the chemistry is there.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
K: Jake Elliott(FG 28/36 (77.7%), XP 47/48 (97.9%)), struggled for much of last season, especially from 50+, where he was 1/7 (14.2%). But he caught fire in the playoffs nailing 10/11 (90.9%) FG and 13/16 XP. (+)
P: Braden Mann(48.8ypp, 41.9 net) put together a very good season. The highlight being that of his 54 punts the Eagles allowed just 187 return yards. ALL. SEASON. LONG. (+)
In A Nutshell: Hey, if it ain’t broke…
BOTTOM LINE: No way is a team supposed to lose as much talent as the Eagles did, and still be a favorite to appear in a Super Bowl. The roster is deep, young, and hungry. It’s also led by a coaching staff that philosophically bends scheme to the player’s strengths, instead of trying to do it the other way around. This team is a monster.
OPERATION Bounceback begins, as Dallas looks to pick themselves up after they finished 2024 with a record of 7-10, 3rd in the NFC East, 20.6 pspg (21st), 27.5 papg (31st).
Injuries derailed this team last season. They managed to tread water for a while, going 3-3 until their Week Seven Bye. They came back and lost four straight games, dropping them to 3-7, behind two division rivals that were ho,t and refusing to cool off. Missing the playoffs became almost a mercy killing. Head coach Mike McCarthy was fired, and replaced with Brian Schottenheimer. Brian is the son of a personal favorite of mine, the late, great Marty Schottenheimer.
Heading into the pre-season, this is how things look today:
QB: Much is expected of Dak Prescott (185 – 286 – 64.7 – 1978 – 11 – 8) but at 31 years old, coming back from a second major lower body surgery, those expectations may now be unfair. Even before his 2024 season ended, his record was 3 – 5, including 3 straight losses. He’d also thrown 5 TD’s against 6 interceptions in his last four starts. It’s too early to declare him washed, but he no longer belongs anywhere near discussions of being elite.
Gone is back-up Cooper Rush. Enter Joe Milton. He’s huge (6’5, 246), with good mobility and an extremely live arm. In fact, his high throwing velocity is the biggest knock against him. He lacks touch, so he rockets every throw, which can make him wildly inaccurate on short passes. That being said, the lad has some tools. (+)
RB: Free agent Javonte Williams is a reclamation project from the Broncos. He’s never rushed for 1,000 yards, and hasn’t broken a 25 yard run since 2021. Former Eagle Miles Sandersstill showed the ability to be explosive in 2024, but will he see enough work in 2025, to make a contribution? Hunter Luepke (12 – 38 – 3.2 – 0) is the unofficial FB.
Deuce Vaughn (17 – 70 – 4.1 – 0 – 0) hasn’t seen much action in two years, and at 176 pounds, it’s doubtful that he ever will. Rumor has it, that Dallas wants a thunder and lightning duo, between rookies Jaydon Blue a 5th rounder, and 7th rounder Phil Mafah. Both are one dimensional players. Dallas has five question marks and no answers here yet. (-)
WR: Ceedee Lamb (101 – 1194 – 11.8 – 6) was clearly hurt by the loss of his QB last year. Another thing that hurt him was a shoulder injury that worsened as the season went on, causing the Cowboys to shut him down, with two weeks left in the season. There’s been no indication of any further difficulty with the shoulder.
George Pickens (59 – 900 – 15.3 – 3) was traded from Pittsburgh. He’ll loosen coverage on Lamb and help clear out the box. The threat of him alone, upgrades the entire offense. Jalen Tolbert (49 – 610 – 12.4 – 7) will likely see his role reduced, with the addition of Pickens, but he’s a quality third. KaVontae Turpin (31 – 420 – 13.5 – 2) insists on being a real receiver, but his true value to Dallas is returning kicks (27 – 904 – 33.5 – 1). Jonathan Mingo (5 – 46 – 9.2 – 0) will likely round out the roster. (+)
TE: Jake Ferguson (59 – 494 – 8.4 – 0) should be able to produce more on the field, since opponents are usually focused on defending other players. Despite 59 catches, he produced no scores and just 18 first downs, in 2024. Luke Schoonmaker (27 – 241 – 8.9 – 1) was a 2nd round selection in 2023, but so far, has not been able to take the top spot from Ferguson.
Brevyn Spann-Ford (9 – 88 – 9.8 – 0) is a big target, but he’s a slow, lumbering runner. He won’t run many crisp routes, and offers little after the catch. There are also a couple of Special Teamers/camp bodies here. This position is practically a liability. (-)
OT: Last year LT Tyler Guyton struggled to the point of being benched. Instead of leaving him in the doghouse, the Dallas coaching staff worked with him in the offseason and they are so far pleased with what they’ve seen in OTA’s and early training camp. Terence Steele has started the last 34 games at RT. Though he’s not the greatest, he provides stability that can be built around.
Matt Waletzko, Dakoda Shepley, are experienced Cowboys back-ups, but that’s all they will ever be, barring injury. They are joined by free agent Hakeem Adeniji, who hasn’t been a starter since 2023 when he had 4 starts with the Vikings. There are a couple of late round picks down here, but no one on this bench, will ever develop into a regular starter anywhere. (+)
Rookie Guard Tyler Booker
G: With the retirement of perennial All-Pro Zack Martin, LG Tyler Smith takes over as the leader of the Cowboys offensive line. He’s been worlds better since he was moved inside in 2023. Even before OTA’s, 1st round pick Tyler Booker, was basically anointed the starter at RG. He’s a 1st rounder, but the NFL has a steep learning curve.
Depth is interesting. Saahdiq Charles comes over from division rival Washingtion, where he played OT. Not only has he changed teams, but also positions. Robert Jones comes over from Miami, where he started every game last year at LG. Both T.J. Bass and Asim Richards were Cowboys last year. Bass with three starts and Richards with one. So if Booker doesn’t pan out, there are plenty of veteran options. (+)
C: Cooper Beebe started 16 games as a rookie last year, which is an endorsement in itself. He leapfrogged Brock Hoffman, who has been with the team since 2022. There is nothing broken with this position, so the Cowboys made no move to fix it. (+)
In A Nutshell: There’s a line, some weapons, and QB who’s familiar with his supporting cast. They have the ingredients for a top ten unit. (+)
DEFENSE
Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs address the media during Cowboys training camp activities.
DE: If you go to the Cowboys website, Micah Parsons (43 – 12.0 – 0 – 0) is listed under this position. Some will want to argue that, but with Matt Eberflus hired to be the new defensive coordinator, we can’t be certain of what changes he has planned. Parsons has requested a trade over his contract situation, but as of when I hit ‘publish’, he was still on this roster.
Dante Fowler returns from Washington, where he had 10.5 sacks last year. Fowler hasn’t started double digit games since 2020, and Parsons’ could possibly end up sitting out games. So it’s a pretty strong bet that Dallas will have to lean heavily on their depth here.
Sam Williams is a 2022 2nd rounder, is coming back from an ACL tear, which robbed him of his 2024 season. Marshawn Kneeland a 2024 2nd rounder, is seen more as a run defender than a pass rusher. Payton Turner, a 2021 1st rounder, comes over from the Saints, with no career starts, but two long I.R. stints on his resume. Right now, there are no committed starters, and no back-up has any meaningful experience. (-)
DT: Mazi Smith (41 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) started every game last year and anchored the NFL’s 29th ranked run defense in yards allowed. He’s huge, but he tires quickly, and then gets pushed around easily. Osa Odighizuwa (47 – 4.5 – 0 – 0) posted career-highs in tackles and sacks, while starting every game for the third straight year. He’s disruptive, but undersized for the inside.
Solomon Jones comes over from the Jets. He’s played End most of his career, but he’s apparently being moved inside, because the Cowboys are paper thin there. Of his career 18.5 sacks, 8.5 have come in the last two years. They also have two rookie 7th rounders in Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote. Like I said. Paper thin. (-)
OLB: Donovan Ezeiruaku, rookie 1st rounder, was the 12th pick overall. So getting him on the field early, may be the reason why “others”, find themselves changing positions. Honestly, with Ezeiruaku’s body type, he might still line up with his hand in the dirt, quite a bit. Marist Liufau (50 – 1.5 – 0 – 1) will likely be the second starter, but with the new DC, it’s impossible to be sure.
DeMarvion Overshown (90 – 5.0 – 1 – 1) tore his ACL, PCL and MCL late last season, and will miss part of 2025. If he were healthy, he’d start over Liufau. James Houston is a recent signing, as pass rush insurance for the Parsons situation. The other three players at this position, probably won’t even make the Practice Squad. (-)
MLB: Kenneth Murray comes over from the Titans, in a bid to salvage his career as a starter. Already labeled as a 1st round bust for the Chargers, the Titans gave him a two year deal. Then they traded him for peanuts, after just one season. He’s athletic, and a hard hitter, and decent guy… The issue is his poor instincts when diagnosing plays. Yikes!
MLB Jack Sanborn in coverage
Jack Sanborn was a Bear for three years, and has played in Eberflus’s system. So it’s not a stretch that he could win the starting gig. But if he doesn’t, he’s great depth to have. Damone Clark started every game in 2023, but was demoted in 2024, with just two starts in fourteen games. Don’t be surprised if he’s the first ‘backer off the bench, inside or outside. (+)
S: Both Donovan Wilson (82 – 4.5 – 1 – 1) and Malik Hooker (81 – 0.0 – 2 – 0) started every game last season, and they’ll return as a tandem in 2025. Even with a new system being installed this should be an area of strength, because their communication will make it easier for them to digest the changes.
Markquese Bell (6 tackles), Juanyeh Thomas (14 tackles), and Israel Mukuamu (19 – 0.0 – 2 – 0) have all been Cowboys for at least two years. So all five of these players have been in two systems with each other, and can discuss where the similarities and differences are, in the incoming system. So they should be able to teach each other and adapt to it quickly. (+)
CB: Trevon Diggs (42 – 0.0 – 2 – 0) is coming back from 2024 cartilage damage in the same knee that he tore his ACL in, back in 2023. In the last two seasons, he’s played just 13 of a possible 34 games. Questions about his durability, and how much his athleticism is impacted, are legitimate at this point.
After losing Jourdan Lewis (Jaguars), DaRon Bland (41 – 0.0 – 0 – 1) will be the new starter. Can he regain the form he had before a stress fracture in his foot, took the first half of 2024 from him? Currently engaged in what will be expensive contract talks with him, the Cowboys will soon literally be banking (gambling) on it.
Josh Butler (21 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) started three games with the Cowboys, as a 28 year old rookie last year. He’s currently on their PUP list, as he’s rehabbing a torn ACL. In the 3rd round of the 2025 Draft, the Cowboys selected Shavon Revel. He is currently rehabbing a torn ACL and will not be available during Training Camp. Or for the start of the season. Oh, and Caelen Carson (27 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) the 2024 5th rounder who had five starts last year, is out for weeks with a hyperextended knee.
I am making NONE of this up.
So, just who is healthy? Kaiir Elam a former 1st round pick that Buffalo gave up on and traded to Dallas for basically a handful of pocket lint. (Actually, it was him and a 6th round pick, in exchange for a 5th and a 7th round pick.) The remaining six bodies at this position have a total of 1 career interception between them, and a combined 3 starts since 2023. (-)
In A Nutshell: How do you not bring in ANY serious help, for the 31st ranked defense?
SPECIAL TEAMS:
K: Brandon Aubrey (40/47 (85.1%), 30/30 (100%)) hit a 65 yarder to let NFL teams know, that if his team reaches the 50, he’s gonna be a problem. (+)
P: After boasting a 51.4 yard per punt average in 2023, Bryan Anger came back down to Earth with a 48.5 yard average in 2024. That number is almost perfectly in line with the 48.4 that he posted in his first two years as a Cowboy. His net punt however was down to 41.7 yards, his lowest as a Cowboy. Not awesome, but serviceable. (+)
In A Nutshell: The legs are reliable, and aren’t losing the field position game for this team.
The Cowboys GM be like…
BOTTOM LINE: The Cowboys are going to have to use the same formula as the Bengals to win. Every game will have to be a shoot-out, because defensively this team is trash. And that’s regardless of how the Parsons situation turns out. They went 3-3 in the division last season, this year will probably be 1-5, repeating their 7-10 mark from last year. If they stay healthy.
TONIGHT we’re getting our first taste of the 2025 Eagles season! New Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo, will get his feet wet a little bit! We’ll also begin the process of whittling all the players in Training Camp, down to a 53 man roster.
***
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner. It’s to discuss which tactics will give our Eagles the best chance to defeat this week’s opponent. Except in preseason. Winning would be nice, but these games aren’t for that. They’re for helping us establish depth, and to perhaps uncover a gem or two.
***
So even if the score quickly becomes lopsided, what should we be looking for in this game?
1) Who Plays: In previous seasons our starters didn’t play and it’s led to some slow starts. Especially in games at the beginning of the season. Will this be addressed this year, by giving our starters a chance to shake the rust off, as early as opposing players do?
2) Which WR Stands Out: The WR4 position becomes WR3 in the event of an injury to a starter. So which WR plays this game like the ball is his, whenever it’s thrown to him? That’s the guy we’ll want to win the #4 spot.
3) Who Is Patullo On 4th Down: Surely circumstances will also play a hand in the decisions, but I for one, am interested to see how aggressive our OC is, when his back is to the wall.
4) Defensive Line Pressure: Our back-up line will spend a lot of time out there. Do they get much pressure as a unit? Do they protect the LB’s effectively? Who is the standout?
***
Prediction: Eagles 20 – Bengals 28
The Eagles will be using this game as an evaluation tool. Cincy on the other hand, has been a factory for bad news. Their ownership will want a win, just to have something to wave at their fanbase, as a sign that things are going well. Meanwhile we just…
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, you are trying to lose your money, and you 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.
Sisyphus- (Oops!) Washington, now that Dan Snyder is gone.
LOST NFC Championship Game, 12 – 5, 2nd place in NFC East, pspg 28.5 (5th) papg 23.0 (18th)
Washington was by far the surprise team of the 2024 season. Capitalizing on a last place schedule, and a rookie QB playing better than anyone could have anticipated; the Commanders made a deep run in the playoffs. They even out-dueled the #1 seeded Detroit, 45 – 31. A week later, the eventual Super Bowl Champions the Philadelphia Eagles, would annihilate Washington 55 – 23, and give them much to consider in the off-season.
Heading into the pre-season, this is how things look today:
QB: Jayden Daniels (331 – 480 – 69.0 – 3568 – 25 – 9) started all 17 games, while battling through broken ribs, suffered in Week 7. He ran for 891 yards and 6 scores, with a win/loss record of 12-5. But pump the brakes. That record could have just as easily been 8-9. His four game winning drives (Bears, giants, Eagles, and Cowboys) look good on paper, but the circumstances in each of those games will tell a very different story.
But that still leaves eight clear wins over the Bengals, Saints, Panthers, Titans, giants, Cardinals, Falcons, and Browns, right? Well, none of those teams made the playoffs. In fact, Daniels generally ceased to be a difference maker, whenever the opponent had a playoff caliber QB on the field. All early indications are positive, but demonstrated consistency is needed here.
Marcus Mariota returns as the back-up. The role looks to fit him well. He’s not asked to do too much when he’s asked to play, and he still has good mobility even at 31. Sam Hartman was an undrafted rookie, added to the roster last year; and for some reason, the well-traveled Josh Johnson was added to the roster, this year. (+)
RB: Brian Robinson (187 – 799 – 4.3 – 8) scares absolutely nobody. In three seasons he has never run for 800 yards in any one of them. He is not a game-breaker. He’s a big, “pound the ball between the Tackles” type. For explosive plays, the team is counting on Austin Ekeler (77 – 367 – 4.8 – 4 / 35 – 366 – 10.5 – 0). Surely, they’ll be looking to get him more than just 112 touches this season.
Providing depth is Jeremy McNichols (55 – 261 – 4.7 – 4) who is coming off a career year in 2024, having finally had his first career start after seven years, and four prior rosters. The Commanders also have third year man Chris Rodriguez (35 – 173 – 4.9 – 2). Putting together 354 – 1,600 – 4.5 – 18 between four guys, with their front line in a state of flux, may be the most slept-on story in the division. (+)
WR: Terry McLaurin (82 – 1096 – 13.4 – 13) saw a career-highs in both touchdown catches, and catch percentage (70.1). More importantly, he seems to have developed a real rapport with the guy throwing him the ball. So his current contract hold-out/hold-in/trade request isn’t too surprising. He’s currently still under contract, so I’m including him here.
WT Terry McLaurin being shown the money.
Meanwhile, when San Fran showed Deebo Samuel (51 – 670 – 13.1 – 3) the door, Washington couldn’t simp and give him a truckload of money fast enough. Even though his game is more suited to the slot, they want him to be a #2. Partly because overpaying a slot would be silly. Right Dallas?
Speaking of not showing up in the playoffs, Noah Brown (35 – 453 – 12.9 – 1) is back from the kidney injury that ended his 2024 campaign, in Week 13. Michael Gallup (no stats) is back from retirement. Further depth includes Luke McCaffery (18 – 168 – 9.3 – 0) and a handful of camp bodies and rookies, like 4th rounder Jaylin Lane.
There isn’t a legit #2 here, and the group is built as if the focus, is to capitalize on yards after the catch. That portends a lot of receivers taking big hits from Linebackers and Safeties. Which brings into question how healthy they’ll be, by the time we start with the Fall family gatherings. Once again, it’s basically McLaurin and then a big drop-off. (-)
TE:Zach Ertz(66 – 654 – 9.9 – 7) found the fountain of youth in 2024, while playing security blanket with his rookie passer. That said, with him being 34, the time to pivot to second year Ben Sinnott (5 – 28 – 5.6 – 1) should be this season. Nobody spends a 2nd round pick on a TE, without plans for him, and while John Bates is a tough sumbitch, he’s not a receiving threat. At the bottom of the barrel are Cole Turner and Tyree Jackson. (-)
OT: In order to keep the Broken Rib fairy away from their QB, Washington traded with Houston for LT Laremy Tunsil. He’s been a perennial Pro Bowler (for whatever that’s worth anymore), while dominating in the AFC South against the Colts, Jags, and Titans. All while playing in a dome. In a warm climate. The NFC East will offer him none of that.
Taking snaps (so far) at RT, is 1st rounder Josh Conerly. This makes for a brand new pair of starters on the ends. In 2024 it was RT Andrew Wylie, and (rookie) LT Brandon Coleman. Wylie took a pay cut in March, just to keep a job. Coleman is looking for an open seat anywhere on the line. Behind them, are a couple of career back-ups, and undrafted rookie Timothy McKay.
Nice bed. Be a shame if someone…
While the new starters may be talented, how they adapt to a new team, and system, are all question marks. Last year’s starters shit the bed hard enough to cause the team to wipe the slate and start all over. If the reserves have to step in, there can’t be a ton of confidence there. So until they prove otherwise… (-)
OG: Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, may have as many as four new starters up front, going into this season. Last year it was LG Nick Allegretti and RG Sam Cosmi. This year Brandon Coleman is getting a look at LG, and Andrew Wylie seems to have been demoted to utility player.
Allegretti and Cosmi are still in the mix to start, but it’s a mix. Especially with Cosmi still rehabbing a blown ACL. Johnson completely re-tooling the line that he assembled last year, tells you how deeply disappointed he was. The real question here is, is this position any more talented than it was a year ago? The flat answer is, no. (-)
C: Tyler Biadasz is the anchor of this line, and he’s clearly the player that it’s being built around. He isn’t flashy, but he’s a consistent and stabilizing presence. He’s also the only player listed at this position. Michael Dieter is listed at G, but he’s got eight career starts in the pivot. So depth here is a mild concern. (+)
In A Nutshell: If the line doesn’t gel quickly, this offense is cooked.
DEFENSE
DE: Finally a starter (fifteen starts) Dorance Armstrong (39 – 5.0 – 0 – 0) was supposed to take a major leap forward. What happened is, he was less productive than when he was a back-up. Clellin Ferrell(26 – 3.5 – 0 – 0) also failed to be a game-changer despite his ten starts. Seeing low production from their starters (8.5 sacks), Washington decided to make a major move...
They gave a roster spot to what’s left of Von Miller. He’s collected 6 sacks in the last two years, as a situational player. Further depth looks like second year Jacob Martin (15 – 3.0 – 0 – 0); Javonte Jean-Baptiste (13 – 1.0 – 0 – 0); Andre Jones (1 tackle); and Viliami Fehoko, who was drafted in the 4th round in 2023, but has bounced around practice squads since then. (-)
DT: Jonathan Allen (Minnesota) was allowed to walk, breaking up the dynamic duo that was he and Daron Payne (42 – 4.0 – 0 – 0). Stepping up to be Payne’s new running mate, is Jer’Zhan Newton (44 – 2.0 – 0 – 1) who had eleven starts in 2024, due to Allen being injured. Newton was drafted last year to give Washington more interior pass rush and be a disruptor, but so far he’s “less of an asset” against the run.
Adding Javon Kinlaw (40 – 4.5 – 0 – 1) from the Jets, could be a good move, depending on which version of him shows up most of the time. NT Eddie Goldman came over from the Falcons, (probably as bulk vs the Brotherly Shove). He can anchor against the run, but no one is worried about his pass rush. Maybe that’s whyDeatrich Wise (20 – 5.0 – 0 – 0) was added from the Patriots? Lots of experience, but there’s a lot of high mileage, new parts to blend. (-)
I/MLB: In 2024, Bobby Wagner (132 – 2.0 – 0 – 2) recorded his lowest tackle total since 2015. That’s despite starting all seventeen games. Whether it was because it was his first year in the system, or because he was 34, is the question. Given the lack of clear depth behind him, that’s not a good question to have.
Right now, second year man Jordan Magee (9 tackles), would be the first man off the bench in case of injury to Wagner. However, he only saw 15 snaps in 2024. Further depth looks like possibly 6th rounder Kain Medrano, or undrafted rookies Kam Arnold and Ale Kaho. Nick Bellore is a Special Teamer who also plays FB. (-)
LB Frankie Luvu jumps offsides, trying to stop the Eagles Brotherly Shove play.
OLB: Frankie Luvu (99 – 8.0 – 1 – 2) had career-highs in sacks (8), and passes defensed (7). Despite Dante Fowler and his 10.5 sacks going back to Dallas, there doesn’t seem to be a hard set plan for re-stocking the other starting spot.
Instead, Washington is hoping that Dominique Hampton, a 5th roundtweener from last year’s Draft, can replace Jeremy Chinn (Las Vegas), who played a hybrid role, as a box FS/LB. You didn’t read that wrong. This is what’s happening. This is who they have, and they’re serious about rolling this out. (-)
S: Quan Martin (87 – 0.0 – 1 – 0 ) also added 3 forced fumbles last year, during his sixteen starts. They added free agent Will Harris from the Saints. With 3 career interceptions in six years, Harris isn’t exactly a ball-hawk or a game changer. He does however, bring a much needed veteran presence to a very inexperienced group.
Percy Butler (47 tackles) had five starts last year, but he had thirteen the year before. Instead of relying on him, Washingtonadded a veteran. Below Butler are undrafted Tyler Owens (who doesn’t believe in Space or other planets); undrafted college special teamer Ben Nikkel; and undrafted rookie Robert McDaniel. (-)
CB: Mike Sainristil (93 – 0.0 – 2 – 1) saw sixteen starts as a rookie last year. It started out rough, but he played through, and by season’s end, the improvement was apparent. Marshon Lattimore (4 tackles) came over in a midseason trade. He only played two games due to a hamstring injury, which he blamed for his poor performance. BUT! If we’re going to keep it 100, he’s been a shell of himself since 2022.
Noah Igbinoghene (55 tackles) having defected from Dallas last year, now has two years of this system under his belt. Jonathan Jones (Patriots) is very experienced, especially in the slot. Add a handful of young guys, which include two undrafted rookies, and you have the makings of… A mess. This is a mess. It’s one decent player, a guy who’s washed, an old slot guy, a bench warmer, and camp bodies. This is a mess. (-)
In A Nutshell : Aside from possibly Kinlaw, no clear move was made to improve this unit.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Free agent signee Matt Gay has no competition on the roster. The gig is obviously his, despite him being 11/22 from 50+ yards, over the last two seasons. Did I mention he played the last two seasons in Indianapolis? Yes, a place with a dome. In fact, 8 of those 11 misses were in a dome. However, he was 28/28 from 49 yards or less. So he’s solid, but not clutch. (+)
P: Tress Way only had to punt 50 times last season, which helped keep his leg fresh enough to raise his average punt to 46.9 from 46.0 the previous year. He won’t set the world on fire, but he’s solid. (+)
In a Nutshell: Washington is solidly going the Gay Way in 2025.
BOTTOM LINE: At the end of January, no one was expecting this team to shell out 60M$ to two WR’s, but by Week One, that is precisely what has to happen. (Right?) As a result, there wasn’t big money to spend on improving a defense which allowed 55 points in the last game they played in. Add to that, a harder schedule, and a season’s worth of tape on their QB. This team won’t sneak up on anyone this year.
Everywhere I turn, the national media has this team back in the NFC Championship game or beyond, but I just don’t see it. They just don’t have the firepower to make up for a poor defense. Let’s call it 9 – 8 and a Wild-card exit.
REBUILDING continues! In 2024 New York finished 3 – 14, 4th place in the NFC East, pspg 16.1 (31st), papg 24.4 (21st)
Their pass defense was top ten in yardage last year, but that stat is extremely deceptive. Last season they had an even split of 503 passing attempts and 503 rushing attempts, against them. They gave up 6.5 yards per pass, but 4.6 yards per rush! As an opposing offense, why would you ever throw the ball? As a result, the 503 pass attempts they faced, were third fewest in the league, thus the low yardage.
Heading into the pre-season, this is how things look today:
OFFENSE
QB:Tommy “Cutlets” Devito is the only player currently at this position. He has a career record of 3 – 5 in 8 starts for the g-men, throwing 8 TD’s and 3 picks, thus far. He’s also shown some ability to leg plays out. He doesn’t have elite tools, but he’s a competitor. A better organization might take an offseason to see what they have here, but…
Then just like that, the giants sign Jameis Winston for enough money and incentives to make him the odds-on favorite to win the starting job. He was the #1 overall pick in the 2015 Draft, but it’s hard to know what he is. Is he a talented guy who’s simply bounced from one bad team/situation to another and another? Or is he fool’s gold, that assures mediocrity?
Then BOOM! They signed Russell Wilson to an even larger contract, and in his introductory speech, he all but declared himself the Day One starter. The question is: What do the giants have in him? At this point in his career, it seems like he’s become enamored with making the smart decision, not necessarily the right one. With football being a game of moments, that aversion to risk, means he misses out on those most important moments.
Then, with the 25th overall pick in the Draft, the giants selected Jaxson Dart! With him being a first round pick, you know they want him on the field. And soon. Which then raises the question: What happens with Wilson, now? There are now four quarterbacks on this team, and the only one who’s ever won a game for it, is the one least likely to ever see another start for it. (-)
RB: Looking at his overall numbers would make you think that Tyrone Tracy (192 – 839 – 4.4 – 5) had a pretty good rookie year. Until you notice the 5 fumbles and how he only eclipsed 60 rushing yards just 4 times in 17 games. Free agent addition Devin Singletary (113 – 437 – 3.9 – 4) went from 2023 career-highs in carries and rushing yardage (216 – 898) with the Texans, to career lows as a giant. He also suffered career-lows in receptions and receiving yardage. Eric Gray has 6 fumbles on 31 career attempts, for 79 yards, no scores and a long run of 12 yards. If he makes their 2025 practice squad, I’ll be shocked. In the 4th round of the Draft, the giants selected Cam Skattebo. He’s a hard-running, high effort type. While he has the attitude to succeed, the question is: At this level, does he have enough talent? (-)
WR: Their best is Malik Nabers (109 – 1204 – 11.0 – 7). He’s coming off a productive rookie season, but much of that was from dealing in high volume, as he saw 170 targets in 15 games (11.3 tpg). Oh, and his 9 drops outnumbered his 7 scores. For comparison, EaglesA.J. Brown, on just 97 targets, also had 7 scores. With zero drops. That’s not a typo. Zero drops.
WR Malik Nabers competes for a pass.
Their number two, is Wan’Dale Robinson (93 – 699 – 7.5 – 3) who was targeted a career-high 140 times last year. Funny thing is, the more passes he sees, the more his yards per catch drops (9.9 in 2022, 8.8 in 2023, 7.5 in 2024). They re-signed deep threat Darius Slayton (39 – 573 – 14.7 – 2), but he’s already spent six years being under-utilized there. The last three were under current Offensive Co-Ordinator and former Eagles QB,Mike Kafka. Don’t expect much to change.
Speaking of former Eagles, Zach Pascal is also there. Combined since 2022, he has all of 19 catches, for 169 yards and 1 score. If they don’t draft a playmaker here, their passing attack will need their QB to be an absolute savior. (Update: They didn’t draft a playmaker here.) (-)
TE:Theo Johnson (29 – 331 – 11.4 – 1) is the headliner of this group. Um, okay? Daniel Bellinger (14 – 125 – 8.9 – 0) has seen his snap percentage decrease in each of the last two seasons, and he’s only played three. Chris Manhertz (3 – 30 – 10.0 – 1) played even less than Bellinger last year.
It would be easier to stomach these guys if their blocking led to huge improvement in the run game. Now say, if they helped some guy rush for 2,000 yards, then yeah, it wouldn’t matter that they suck as receivers. If they draft a player here, it had better be earlier than the fourth round. (Update: They added Thomas Fidone in the 7th round. (-)
OT: LT Andrew Thomas returns from a Lisfranc injury in his right foot, that cost him the final eleven games of last season. When he went down, the giants were forced to patch that position on the fly. RT Jermaine Eleumunor became the primary fill-in for Thomas at LT. Eleumunor didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and will face a 2025 challenge at RT from Evan Neal, who has yet to justify being the 7th overall Draft pick in 2022.
For depth, Stone Forsythe (Seahawks) and James Hudson (Browns) were added. Both are four year vets, who have never spent a season as a primary starter. Depth is scarce and the starters are “Meh.” at best. (-)
G: In his first season as a giant, LG Jon Runyan Jr. struggled until he was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve (I.R.) due to an ankle injury. RG Greg Van Roten (also in his first year as a giant), played better than Runyan, but neither was great. Perhaps a year of familiarity will improve them in 2025.
Behind them are Aaron Stinne and Jake Kubas. Plucking 5th rounder, Marcus Mbow from the Draft, already seems like a project. Their plan seems to be, moving him from college RT to professional G. (-)
C: They say the best ability is availability, and John Michael Schmitz made 15 starts in 17 games, anchoring an interior which started the first 13 games together. While not spectacular, he at least provides the kind of stability (another great ability) to build upon. Behind him is Jimmy Morrissey, who saw 4 starts as a rookie in 2021, and none since. (+)
In A Nutshell: Iffy offensive line, nothing but question marks at QB, and last year’s weapons, playing in last year’s system, which averaged 16.1 points, for 31st in the league. (-)
DEFENSE
DE:Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Roy Robertson-Harris are just a guys and both are 32 years old. So the giants swiped Chauncey Gholston from Dallas, with plans to deploy him on the line and as a ‘backer. Whether this means a transition to true 4-3, instead of the weird 2-4-5 thing they ran in 2024, remains to be seen. The personnel here however, would suggest a 3-4 or that 2-4-5 again. (-)
DT Dexter Lawrence doing Dexter Lawrence things
DT:Dexter Lawrence is one of the most disruptive linemen in the league, and he posted a career-high 9 sacks in 2024, to drive that point home. Tweener Elijah Chatman made the roster as an undrafted rookie last year, and logged three starts. He plays with hustle and passion, but he is a bit undersized at 278 pounds.
D.J. Davidson made two starts with 2 sacks, but the giants see him as a back-up. Jordon Riley made five starts, and was totally unremarkable, for the second year in a row. Which is probably why the giants drafted Darius Alexander in the third round. He’s heavy-footed and doesn’t make plays unless they’re run right at him. They have 1.5 out of 5 players here. (-)
OLB: Last year, I asked if Kayvon Thibodeaux (5.5 sacks) was a difference maker, or an over-drafted, situational player who gets too many snaps. Well, after three seasons, I think we have our answer. Then there’s Brian Burns who started every game last year, posting 8.5 sacks and a career-high 71 tackles? At least the outsides are secure, right?
So of course, the giants drafted Abdul Carter #3 overall in this year’s Draft, to take the starting spot from Burns. So Burns will shortly be depth, along with…maybe Tomon Fox? This is situation is just goofy. (-)
MLB/ILB:Micah McFadden posted career-highs in tackles (107) and sacks (3.0) in 2024, showing continued improvement for a second straight year. Bobby Okereke on the other hand seemed to have regressed, with fewer stops and big plays made. Behind him is Darius Mausau, who was an undrafted rookie last year, but played hungry when he got opportunities.
There are a number of other players at this position, but they’re all career back-ups, who even look like camp bodies in their photographs. This team, with a straight face, did nothing to address the interior run issues of the 27th ranked run defense. Not. A. Thing. (-)
S:Tyler Nubin started thirteen games as a rookie last season, but he defensed exactly 1 pass over the course of all of those games. Free agent Jevon Holland was added from Miami, but he also doesn’t get his hands on the pigskin very often. Dane Belton started six games last season, and intercepted a pass. These three are the top of the mountain for this team. Undrafted rookie Makari Paige, at 6’4” could prevent problems for opposing passing games. If he plays?
The giants have taken an unfortunate step backwards here. None of their players at this position, have a history of being a play-maker, nor show the potential to become one. Which is likely to turn into a brutal ordeal, in this division. (-)
CB:Deonte Banks started all fourteen games that he played last season, and got his hand on 12 passes, without intercepting any of them, while allowing a 70% completion rate. Across from him, for ten starts was Cor’Dale Flott (1 interception), who surrendered a 66% completion rate. Both look to have the inside track on returning as starters this season.
CB Paulson Adebo
Andru Phillips (1 interception) chipped in six starts as a rookie, but allowing a 75% completion rate won’t earn him more playing time. Perhaps that’s why the team shelled out 54M$ over three years, for free agent Paulson Adebo from the Saints. He intercepted 3 passes in just seven games last season, before breaking his thigh bone. After a lengthy rehab, he’s looking good so far in camp. (Grain of salt: He’s also going against giants receivers, here.)
There’s 7th round rookie Korie Black, and a bunch of guys who were already back-ups on the roster when he was selected. Overall they have Adebo as their #1 and two starters from last year fighting for the second spot. Which makes them at least three deep. (+)
In A Nutshell: This defense may be a better pass rush unit, but vs the run and covering people it’s hard to say that there’s been any meaningful improvement. (-)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P: K Graham Gano (11/9 – 15/15) returns after a year struggling with injury. Two guys had a shot a replacing him, but well, Graham is still here. K Jude McAtamney (1/1 – 1/1) and Gano may battle it out this Summer for the gig.
P Jamie Gillian (43.7ypp – 40.5 net) was yet again remarkably unremarkable. He’s like that thing in the fridge that you keep meaning to toss, but keep forgetting about until the day after trash day. ( I gotta get rid of that mustard.)
In A Nutshell: Given all this teams issues, it’s silly to nit-pick unremarkable kicking. (+)
BOTTOM LINE: Are they trying to get Daboll fired? It took me MONTHS to write this up, because I was absolutely certain that I was reading this all wrong. There was just no way the giants were serious about the way they looked on April 27th.
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, not yet touching his forehead, but getting there. (Seinfeld reference.)
So I decided to sit back and let the June 1st cuts happen. To wait for that second shoe to drop, and see a move or two get made, which would tie it all together. But here we are (now mid-JuneJuly beginnging of August), and nothing looks objectively better. Even as a rival fan I’m disgusted! If you’re an actual giants fan, take the gun out of your mouth, and just sit this season out.
Let’s call it 6 – 11 because the QB play in 2025 has to be better than 2024’s.
TIME to weigh-in on how we think the Eagles did in this draft. This is a “rolling” report, meaning that instead of putting out multiple articles, repeating the same things; I’m just going to add to this one. So you’ll to have to come back to this one, for the latest developments.
Let’s get at it!
Round 1: LB Jihaad Campbell (6’3, 235) – As an off-ball LB, his speed and explosiveness jump off the screen. However, upon listening to General Manager Howie Roseman in the10 minute presserthat followed the Draft, what you’ve seen, may not be what we get.
It seems like the plan, is to bulk Campbell up (at 4:50) and use him mostly as an edge rusher. In fact, when asked about expectations from Campbell as an off-ball LB, Roseman said (at 6:54), that he didn’t want to put Campbell in that box. Roseman also said (at 2:00) that this was “not a need pick”. That statement almost makes Campbell sound like a project, or developmental in nature.
Note: I said that we should move up to #15, to select DT Walter Nolen or DE Shemar Stewart. They went #16 and #17 respectively. So I feel vindicated in regards to my strategic assessment.
Round 2: FS Andrew Mukuba (5’11, 186) – He’s athletic, but I don’t see the plan for him. His size is fine for a CB, but as a S, I have concerns at this level. Especially in regards to jump balls. It’s hard not to see this pick, as hedging our bets against S Sydney Brownbeing able to take over the FS spot.
Round 3: NO PICK – I suspected that we would use our third round pick in some sort of trade, and I nailed it.
Round 4: DT Ty Robinson (6’6, 288) – Nothing against Jihaad Campbell, but this was my favorite pick of the Eagles draft. Robinson’s listed as a DT, but he can play anywhere on the line, and be effective from there. Not just against the run, but as a pass rusher. We haven’t had a body type at DE like this, since Clyde Simmons. With his physical, bullying style, if unleashed at LDE, with DT Jalen Carter eating double-teams to his right…Robinson could turn out to be special.
Round 5: CB Mac McWilliams (5’10, 191) – Nickel Corner who’s at home playing around and behind the line of scrimmage. His downfield coverage hints that he’ll need help over the top whenever he’s on the field.
Round 5: LB Smael Mondon (6’2, 224) – He’s on the small side, but a few cheesesteaks will get him to 230 – 235. What he has going for him already, is speed and a knack for keeping himself clean before knifing into the backfield. So his floor is Special Teamer.
Round 5: C Drew Kendall (6’4, 308) – Decent play strength and good mobility. He has a couple of issues that jump off the tape. The first one gets mentioned by everyone, and might not be fixable. He plays too upright. He doesn’t bend much at the knee and/or waist, to lower his center of gravity and allow him to anchor better against bull-rushes.
His other issue, no one is talking about; but I’ve played some C, so it jumps off the screen for me. He’s late to raise his non-snapping hand. It allows defenders to quickly get deep into his frame. Many of his reps in pass protection seem to have him on his heels, and that late off-hand is largely why that happens. If I saw it that fast, Offensive Line Coach Jeff Stoutland will too.
Round 6: QB Kyle McCord (6’3, 218) – Practice Squad perhaps? He’s a competitor, but there is no real spot for him on the active roster, since the Eagles usually only dress two at this position.
Round 6: OT Myles Hinton (6’7, 323) – A developmental project, and I do mean “mental”. His play betrays a certain lack of aggression. If that could be uncorked, he could have a career.
Round 6: OT Cameron Williams (6’6, 317) – Played RT in college, which is an immediate red flag, unless the QB is a lefty. Looked sluggish at the snap in college. That won’t work in the NFL.
Round 6: OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland (6’3, 258) – Wide Nine technique type.. Those words may bring back memories of former Eagles DETrent Cole, but Cole gave up too many easy rushing yards for my taste. Powell-Ryland was very productive in college, so his expectations for himself would be based on his actual ability to produce when it counts.
This was a solid draft. Nothing flashy, just re-stocking the shelves. Other people think it was great. I however, don’t think that we definitively addressed our lack of players at DE. We drafted an off-ball LB, who can be used as a pass rusher, a DT who can play the edge, and waited until round six, to finally bring in a guy who majored in DE in college.
Sack Leader: DT Jalen Carter (Sacks:2.0/ FF: 1/ Tackles: 5)
Special Teams Ace: KJake Elliott 2/3 XP, 3/3 FG (44)
****
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: RAMSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
RB Saquon Barkley Snow Bowl 2.0
1) Pound the Rock:We had 34 rushes for 285 yards (8.3ypc), and THREE touchdown runs of 40 yards or longer, vs just 20 pass attempts. We absolutely pounded the fuck out of the rock. (DONE)
THROWBACK MOMENT: Eagles all-time leading rusher RB Lesean McCoy, in Snow Bowl the First
2) Force Their QB to Run:We got QB Matt Stafford (26/44 – 59.0% – 324 – 2 – 0) moving around from the opening drive. The crucial play came on the ninth play of their first possession. Stafford ran up the middle for 5 yards and hurt his ribs. At that point in the game, the grass was fully green, with the sun’s UV rays still contributing to subtle evaporation, and lifting the air somewhat.
Then the snow moved in and it got dark. Funny thing about Philadelphia with the stadium so close to water. When the sun goes down, the air doesn’t lift, and it feels thinner to breathe with exertion. Thin, cold air and hurt ribs, and a slippery ground are not a winning combination.
That combination showed up later in the game, made evident by Stafford’s uncharacteristically spotty ball placement, and decreased velocity on intermediate and deep throws. In the fourth quarter alone, he was 1/5 on passes downfield, and had 5 passes broken up.(DONE)
3) Dallas Goedert Is the Key: Not only was Goedert our leading receiver, but on every one of of our scoring drives from the first to the third quarter, Goedert had a catch. On drives where he didn’t touch the ball, we didn’t score. Simple at that. Until of course, that one play 78 yard dagger in the heart administered by Oh Say Can You Quon.
Oh, I said five targets. Well he had four catches, but one in the third quarter, was wiped out by a penalty on RG Mekhi Becton, who otherwise thugged out in this game. (DONE)
RB Saquon Barkley takes the handoff 78 yards to paydirt.
4) Don’t Overthink It: We didn’t. We stayed in our wheelhouse, of running the ball and playing defense. We didn’t dial up trick plays, or go overboard with Screens. We just put on our boots, tossed the Rams into a vat, and commenced to stomping. (DONE)
++++
This week’s Four Things score was4 of 4. As I always say, if we nail all four, we can’t lose! We opened with a score. They answered, then we retook the lead, and never relinquished it.
Can we do it again? We likely don’t need to, as this Sunday, we get to play a rubber match with the Washington Commanders. This weekend, Philadelphia will host the NFC Championship Game, on our continued quest to win this year’s Super Bowl.
****
Game Hero: RB Saquon Barkley – If it wasn’t for that 70 yard touchdown drive that we gave up in the fourth quarter, making it 22 – 28, I would give this spot to DT Jalen Carter (5 – 2.0 – 0 – 0) for the way he almost singlehandedly sealed the win for us.
Saquon scoring and trolling DE Jared Verse, by slowing enough to allow him a touch
Instead, I have to go with the guy who built the lead, and broke the Rams will to fight back.
Game goat: QB Jalen Hurts – I know some fans are tired of him facing criticism, because whatever he’s doing, it results in wins. For some of us, watching him hold the ball for thirty minutes per play, is beyond frustrating. Just throw the ball away! That beats a sack, every time. If guys aren’t getting open, talk to the Offensive Coordinator. Establish some hot reads. Get the ball in the hands of a teammate.
On The Whole: We started strong and we finished strong. But to be honest, it felt like the Rams had an easier time passing than we did, once the snow hit. That’s not a complaint. Just an observation.
DT Jalen Carter getting his first sack of the game
Drive Killer: CB Darius Slay (TD: 0/Int: 0/ FR: 1/ 4th down stops: 0/ FF: 0)
Sack Leader: OLBNolan Smith (Sacks:1.0/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 3)
Special Teams Ace: K Jake Elliott 2/2 FG 3/3 XP
****
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: STEELERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run Behind Becton:The Eagles didn’t run much behind RG Mekhi Becton, but that’s fine, because we weren’t finding much success there anyway. Man, did I swing and miss with this one! (NOT DONE)
2) More Big Fella: I mentioned how we’ve been running DT Jalen Carter (2 tackles) into the ground, with the number and percentage of snaps that we play him. This week he still had a high percentage (91), but his number of actual snaps were low (39), well under his average of 52 per game.
DT Milton Williams, DT Jordan Davis and S Reed Blankenship, stop by to say “hi”
My suggestion for getting Carter rest, was playing DT Jordan Davis (1 tackle) for at least 40% of the snaps in this game. Well at 18 snaps, that put Davis at 42% for the first time since our loss at Tampa Bay. The result was a Steelers team that ran the ball 17 times for 56 yards (3.2ypc), and a fumble. Some more of this please! (DONE)
CB Darius Slay recovers a fumble
3) Set the Edges:The Steelers repeatedly tried to get to the edge with their rushing attempts. Unfortunately for them, all they found out there, were Eagles jerseys and fumbles. Again, we gave up just 56 rushing yards for the WHOLE game! To the STEELERS! And this is a good Steelers team. They came in 10 – 3, leading their division! Yet we absolutely punked and bullied that team up front. (DONE)
4) Punish Their Single-high Coverage:Hurts made a point of punishing the Steelers when they were in this coverage. He sprinkled five deep shots throughout the game, completing three. The best one was the first one. A 22 yard strike to TE Grant Calcaterra (1 – 1 – 22 – 22.0 – 0), that set the tone for our Offense.
The Eagles managed SIX passing plays of of 20 or more yards, due to a few balls that were completed just beyond the box area. Allowing us to still take advantage of their coverage, since defenders were not in place to to cover, because they were playing the run. The result was not one, but TWO 100 yard WR’s. Good stuff! (DONE)
++++
This week’s Four Thingsscore was3 of 4, and the score reflects it. Especially on Defense. We’re going to need some of that mojo when Washington shows up on Sunday. The keys we used to beat them a few weeks ago, won’t work this time. We’ll need a whole new plan.
****
Game Hero: Jalen Hurts – Accounting for 335 yards (290 passing, 45 rushing) and 3 scores (2 passing, 1 rushing), counts as carrying your team to victory. In recent weeks Hurts hasn’t really been driving the car. He’s been a passenger seat navigator. Not driving, but consistently contributing.
This week Hurts was asked to drive again. To his credit, he made it clear that despite his obvious and seemingly non-evolving flaws, he’s still one of the NFL’s more dangerous weapons.
Game goat: Special Teams Co-ordinator Michael Clay– Why on Earth, is CB Cooper DeJean (1 tackle) out there returning punts (3 – 23 – 9.6 – 0)!? As a regular defender, he has no business wearing a bull’s eye on a kick return of any sort.
Understand, this isn’t me lamenting the fumble that he lost. I don’t blame him for doing poorly, in a position that he should never have been placed in. His straight line speed is fine, but he is NOT elusive at the NFL level. Playing DeJean at PR is just an attempt to get him killed. And I 100% blame Clay for this.
On The Whole:
This week however, while national media wanted to try to make a story out of the players, I think the real story, was the offensive coaching staff feeling put on the spot by their own players. So this game was given a passing motif, as much to send a message to their own players, as any fan or pundit, or upcoming opponent.
Much will be made about the great job that we’re doing on Defense, and deservedly so. However, the offensive coaching staff just put the league on notice. The point was made against yet another physical, playoff caliber team, that the Eagles can hurt you any way we chose.
What’s more, when we have you torn and bleeding at the end of a 10 minute drive, with first and goal inside the 10… We can take a knee and mercy kill you. Folks, our Eagles team IS the monster under the bed. And we are 100% real.
WE feasted on Bengal last week, in a 37 – 17 win. Acquired a taste for big cat, we did! So this week we’re staying home, and having some Jaguar delivered. Lugging the grub to our hub this week, is no other than Doug Pederson. The Jags will be staring down the barrel of QB Jalen Hurts, as he heads the NFL’s #10 scoring unit.
Yep. We’re top ten, despite only playing 7 games. Oh, did I mention that the Jags are 29th in scoring defense? I didn’t? Well the Jags are 29th in scoring defense. While many of us still have love, for the man who coached our first Super Bowl win; our Eagles are going to beat his team’s sorry 2 – 6 ass, tomorrow.
A win moves us to 6 – 2 for definite. However, with a Washington loss to the giants, it would also move us into first place in the division.
A loss holds us at 5 – 3, but we’d still maintain second place in the division with two head to head games vs Washington later this season. Actually, regardless of whatever happens this week, we maintain at least second place, since it’s now November-
****
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. 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 spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Jaguars.
1) More Jalen Under Center: The Eagles have recently been using an increasing amount of plays from under Center, especially in each of the last three weeks. I’ve been begging for this wrinkle since Hurts became the starter. It’s been hard to reliably sell play-action from a QB in Shotgun. Particularly when he runs as much as his RB’s do.
However, we now have RB Saquon Barkley, who is super-effective and comfortable in the Singleback formation (shown here)
See the three guys in the bubble? They have to determine/guess whether it’s a real hand-off or a fake. Then they have to chase the appropriate man, and hope that they aren’t wrong. The result 37 – 17 Eagles.
This formation naturally places Hurts under Center. With Hurts under C, he has to turn his back during the fake, so the play-action is automatically much easier to sell! Especially now that our RB carries more than the QB.
2) Screen Their Ends: The Jags DE’s don’t offer much more than outside pass rush. What that means is, they rely on an explosive first step, up the field, to get the edge on OT’s. That’s great when it works, but when it doesn’t… Well, only the Panthers (33.8) and the Cowboys (28.2), give up more points per game than the Jags (28.0).
Their own scheme creates holes for mobile QB’s to leak through, and opens up the Screen game. So let’s hit the Easy button, and throw Screens from under Center.
3) Lots of Defensive Shifts: Neither of the Jaguars starting G’s practiced this week. So regardless of who plays or starts this week, we should dictate the action, and work to confuse their blocking scheme. Adding to the bounty, is a LT about to make his second start. This should be a 4 or 5 sack day.
4)Take Away the Short Pass: The Jags QB likes to get rid of the ball quickly. Take that away from him. If our LB’s aren’t playing Man Coverage, then their drop into Underneath Zone should be delayed. That way we take away short windows, and can make the most of any deflections.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The thing we have to worry about the most, is the Jags 2 – 6 record. For some reason we like to “play down” to bad opponents. The only thing that usually stops the Eagles, are our coaches wanting to be a little too cute, when the moment calls for an outright murder. No playing with our food this week. Just kill it, and eat it.
I also want to mention the other new wrinkle in our Offense. The use of back-up LB Ben VanSumeren as a FB in the I-formation, absolutely has my enthusiastic support. . Usually, (in the I-formation) the RB and the FB are directly behind the QB, in a straight line. VanSumeren however, has been lining up not in a straight line, but “offset”.
Not a prediction but, wouldn’t it be nice to see VanSumeren get a carry or catch a pass? Maybe make him into a genuine two-way player, since he’s a back-up and FB’s aren’t really part of the NFL landscape anymore.
****
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.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 