Super Bowl

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: DIVISIONAL ROUND : SAINTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/14
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, stats, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

IF nothing else, the ballooning debate over which QB we should ride with, has had most of the air let out of it. That’s the only silver lining here. The rest is muck and drivel.
I spent the latter half of the fourth quarter saying that I lay last nights loss at the feet of Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz. This is due to his repeated unwillingness to make adjustments, even when it’s clear that our opponents have. Former Eagles OLB Seth Joyner later echoed my assessment, and also fingered Schwartz for calling too passive of a game.

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Eagles 14 – Saints 20

QB Nick Foles (18/31 – 58.0% – 201 – 1 – 2) didn’t have his “A” game yesterday, an with the Eagles having no kind of run game, it was all on him to conjure up a win. It might have been possible had the Offense had more opportunities with the ball. Instead, DC Jim Schwartz seemed determined to make sure that the Saints had all the time and space that they needed, to operate their offense.

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these “Four Things” articles. We introduce an idea of what needs addressing BEFORE the game, so that fans have to honestly answer questions about those things, AFTER the game. This helps to get us, and keep us, all on the same page.

So, of the Four Things we were looking for in this last game, what exactly did we see?

1) Spread the Ball: Three receivers with 50 yards or better was what we ordered. Two receivers with 50 or better is what we got. NOT DONE

2) Sack Attack: We got a couples of sacks, but we did not keep hands up in the QB’s face. As a result he had clear lines of sight to convert key third down after key third down. NOT DONE

3) Win Rushing yards: We started Wendell Smallwood. You can’t win rushing yards without a RB. NOT POSSIBLE

4) Take away the short pass: With all the off-coverage, and vanilla zones, we didn’t take away the short pass, the long pass, the hall pass…. NOT DONE

That makes this week’s Four Things score 0 out of 4. That also brings the 2018 – 2019 to a close.

While it would have been great to have this year end like last year, we all know that no team can win it all, every year. So we are are going to see more playoff runs that end like this, than like last year. Which will still make for exciting seasons.

That being said, this season was a fun ride while it lasted.

On The Whole:

After jumping out to a 14 – 0 lead, we had no business losing this game the way that we did. Personally I see this as worse than the 48 – 7 regular season loss, because it feels like it was almost an inside job. The only thing that keeps me from thinking Schwartz got an envelope, is the fact that he’s been doing this shit since he got here. Here’s what I said in Four Things Reviewed after the Super Bowl:
“ 4) South Paw Switch: To be fair, I didn’t really expect this to get done, since it isn’t actually DC Jim Schwartz’s M.O. to make wholesale changes at the half. It would have however, kept the Patriot from outscoring us 21 -19 in the second half. (NOT DONE) ”

This is who Schwartz is, and this is what we have to live with. For as long as he’s here. Given that this was the last year of his contract though….

THERE IS NO PLAN.

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/09
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Crazy Talk, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, playoffs, Roster, Super Bowl, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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MY position a couple weeks ago, had QB Carson Wentz starting, and QB Nick Foles returning to the bench, if the Eagles made these 2018-2019 NFL playoffs. It was the only thing that made sense out of not putting Wentz on Injured Reserve after he was found to have fractures in his back. After all, you keep an athlete active to play him. If he isn’t going to play at all, you shut him down for the year, and put him on IR. That’s how this game works. It’s no-brainer kind of stuff.

Wentz playing in these playoffs seemed like a given, due to several (still pertinent) factors:

1) The Eagles need to evaluate how much money they’re going to pay Wentz on his extension.

2) Wentz’s contract will likely set the new market.

3) Raiders QB Derek Carr missed one game with this injury in 2017, and Lions QB Matt Stafford missed zero games with this injury in 2018. (Wentz missing these last FOUR games indicates that he’s not as tough or as hungry to compete.)

All those things can be thrown out the window, if the Eagles have already decided that Wentz’s next contract isn’t their problem. In which case, you shut him down to avoid any distraction, and chart a clear course with Foles. Again, this is all no-brainer stuff.

Unless of course, the Front Office expectation was that Foles was going to flop against Chicago’s #1 ranked defense. Had that happened, it could be stated that there is no “Foles magic”, that there’s nothing to see, and we can move on.

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If that’s what the FO wanted, it completely blew up in their faces with a clutch touchdown drive, followed by a miraculous, unheard of, tipped and double doinked field goal miss.

NOW the problem is, with every playoff win, the notion of Foles magic grows exponentially. The farther we go, the harder it will be to get this fan base to accept Wentz again as the starter, with out half of the base calling it a step backwards.

Should Foles win another Super Bowl this year, shipping him out, or (finding a way to afford him and) sitting him behind Wentz again, sets Wentz up as a sham QB. In fact, if we repeat, anything short of Wentz winning one next year, says that the Eagles are where we were before we drafted Wentz. Searching for a QB who can deliver.

The only way out of this, is for Wentz to play and win in these playoffs. That’s it. At that point Foles isn’t magic, and Wentz isn’t magic, the Eagles are magic. Nothing short of that gets the whole fan base all on one bus, and allows Foles to leave here and Wentz to stay here smoothly.

Short of a Wentz  won SB in 2019 or 2020, Head Coach Doug Pederson can look forward to the remainder of his tenure being marred by questions about whether Wentz is over-paid, and if his bosses goofed when they took away the only magic this franchise has ever laid claim to.

Not a good look.

2018 SEASON REVIEW: QUARTER FOUR

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/05
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. (Duh, right?) A few are done at the halfway mark, and/or at the end. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters. Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team stands at the moment (in relation to where it started), and where it needs to go next.

STATUS: 9 – 7 overall, 4 – 2 division, 6 – 6 conference, 2nd in the NFC East

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OPPONENTS:

L: Dallas (10 – 6)

W: Los Angeles Rams (13 – 3)

W: Houston (11 – 5)

W: Washington (7 – 9)

 

OVERVIEW:

Put it all together and finish strong. We’re 6 – 6 today. We don’t see the playoffs with a record of less than 9 – 7. Running the table would be awesome, but (barring a miracle of mathematics) we have to have three of these four.

Nailed it!! That was the mission for this last quarter and the Eagles responded in excellent fashion, despite losing(?) QB Carson Wentz for the final three games of the regular season and perhaps the entire playoffs.

Not only did the Eagles manage to string consecutive wins together, the team did it against playoff caliber teams, while playing (in essence) weekly win-or-go-home games, since our last loss of the season, against Dallas.

Though injuries ravaged the regular season, a few players are beginning go find their way off the trainers table, and onto the playing field again. Coupling those guys with young players who were forced to grow up fast, will give the Eagles playoff push, the shot in the arm needed to give us a real chance.

GRADES:

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QB: (B) Nick Foles has played so well, that I doubt many fans realize that he’s thrown 6 touchdowns and 3 picks over that span. Add in a lost fumble, and you have 4 turnovers in three weeks. That weighs even heavier upon realizing that he didn’t throw a single scoring pass against the Rams. The fact is, he’s played excellent situational football. Though his production may not be consistent, he’s been big in big moments.

RB: (C ) This position has been good in spots. Josh Adams has been pure trash. He’s gotten plenty of carries, but he hasn’t been able to convert them into yards, because he doesn’t run through contact, doesn’t even employ a forward lean. He’s soft. Darren Sproles on the other hand, since coming back from injury, has been playing out of his mind whenever they let him touch the ball. Even Wendell Smallwood has become a more efficient runner. 

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TE: (B) NFL Record Holder Zach Ertz and rookie Dallas Goedert have combined for 35 catches and 3 scores over the last four games. Goedert has made three catches of 24 yards or longer as he’s become a consistent weekly contributor, averaging 3 catches per game over the span.

WR: (B) Alshon Jeffrey and Nelson Agholor have become dangerous again. Combining for 5 scores in these last four games as opposed to 5 in the first twelve, they’ve also been employed more as deep targets. Golden Tate however, still seems to be figuring things out, and the playoffs is no place for that. Last quarter I suggested that Agholor be switched out of the Slot for Jordan Matthews. I still think this is the way to go, but Agholor needs to move outside, while Tate is moved to the bench.

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OT: (C ) In the last couple weeks, LT Jason Peters has been showing flashes of why he is still considered one of the best in the game. RT Lane Johnson allowed a shot on QB Nick Foles last week that forced Foles from the game. As a lineman, you just can’t allow shots like that.

OG: (B) We are 5 – 2 When Stefen Wisniewski starts at LG. That includes 3 – 0 since he regained the spot. Under Isaac Seumalo we were 4 – 5. RG Brandon Brooks has been as quiet, consistent and solid as your banister.

C: (C ) Jason Kelce continues to have issues with shotgun snaps, repeatedly hitting QB Nick Foles in the crotch area or lower.

DE: (B) Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett and Chris Long have to be the best three man DE trio in the NFL. They’ve been excellent against the run, and have supplied very consistent pressure vs the pass. My big knock on this position, is that no one player seems to be able to get two games in a row with a sack. It would be nice to have a threat like that.

DT: (B) Over the last four games Fletcher Cox has 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and has generally been a problem for anyone lining up across from him. Haloti Ngata is finally able to give us the boost he was brought her to give us. In the absence of Tim Jernigan, Ngata was asked to play more snaps per game, than anyone had anticipated. It ran him down and he suffered a leg injury. With Jernigan being back now, and Ngata now healthy, he can focus on giving us a few dominating snaps per game. Treyvon Hester seems to be finding a niche in that rotation.

OLB: (C ) We simply don’t get enough impact plays from this position. Kamu Grugier-Hill did notch a forced fumble and his first career sack, and Nigel Bradham broke up two passes, but that’s all the splash plays that we’ve gotten from them in this quarter.

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MLB: (C ) Nate Gerry filled in for Jordan Hicks for the first two games of this quarter. Gerry didn’t start, but played quite a bit as the de facto MIKE. Neither player has been a standout, but they’ve been doing their part to make the system work.

S: (B) Malcolm Jenkins and Corey Graham haven’t really produced many impact plays this quarter, but they’ve been better at communicating with the Corners, which has allowed that position to pick up it’s play recently.

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CB: (B) From an “F” last quarter to a “B” in this one, despite the fact that so far Sidney Jones is still a disappointment. Rasul Douglas and Avonte Maddox have been playing out of their minds. Between them in four games they have 3 picks, 5 passes defensed and half a sack. Douglas has not only played well in coverage, he’s been a beast in run support and at blowing up screens. Former Bear Cre’Van LeBlanc has also contributed a couple big stops in the last few weeks.

LS: (B) Reliable

P: (C ) There may be some leg fatigue setting in for Cam Johnston. Of his 14 punts, 7 were returned for a 5.7 yard average, but over the last two games his net yards per punt is down to about 34 yards.

K: (C ) Jake Elliott has stumbled a bit recently. He’s 7 of 8 on field goal attempts, and 10 of 12 on extra point kicks. What’s more, 12 of his 24 kickoffs have been returned this quarter, as opposed to 3 of 17 last quarter.

PR/KR: (C ) RB Darren Sproles has averaged 9.0 yards per punt return over this quarter. The only issue is, he’s only returned one punt in each game. Recent signee RB Boston Scott is a fringe player playing like he knows that he’s a fringe player. On his 4 kick returns, it’s been clear that he’s thinking home-run, every time.

KC: (A) Last quarter we gave up 5.7 yards per punt return, and 19.5 per kickoff return. At no point did we allow a Special Teams score.

SINCE LAST QUARTER:

The playoffs came early for the Eagles. It has been win or pack in the season, since Week 15. Despite losing QB Carson Wentz for a second year in a row, just weeks before the playoffs, the team did what they needed to, in order to claim their spot in the post-season. All the while putting the NFL on notice, that we are BACK, and NO ONE is safe.

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MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:

The regular season is over. We are now in the post-season. There is one more quarter-season to go. Four more games to reach the highest pinnacle in all of sports:

That of NFL Champion.

Though it will not be easy, there is a very simple mission that lies ahead for this team:

Win one game. Then win a second. Then win a third. Then win a fourth.

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GO GET ‘EM CHAMPS!

FOUR THINGS: WK 3: EAGLES-COLTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/20
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Roster, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

W3-IND

NICK Foles! He of seven touchdowns, the Snow Bowl and Super Bowl LII. Three of the greatest moments in Eagles history.

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Thank you for the way you stepped up, and did what few of us (I was on-board, early), thought you could do. As I said before the Atlanta game in January, we could have scarcely been in better hands. More than that, thank you for the grace with which you are stepping out of the spotlight, as QB Carson Wentz makes his return.

Let’s get this out of the way right now. We’re glad that Wentz can come back, but we’re going to spend the game obsessing over his knee. Anytime any Colt brushes him, we’re going to be on our feet, ready to punch a guy in the helmet. Any Offensive Lineman who gets pushed back into Wentz, or who steps on his foot, might find that his car has been ticketed, towed, impounded and crushed. Carson has to make it out of this game no worse than he went in. Oh yeah, and a win would also be nice.

Like Week 3 against the giants last year, our season could very well pivot on the character we show here. And I’m pretty sure the coaching staff sees it exactly that way.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the: Colts

1) Protect the QB: That doesn’t mean keep him from getting hit, it means keep him from getting rattled. He’s had no preseason and hasn’t seen live-action in most of a year. He will be rusty, and the game will get away from him in moments. Wentz likes to air the ball out, so putting brakes on him might only make him feel that total confidence in him hasn’t returned. Let him play. Let him fall. Let him figure it out when he screws up. The best way to get a man’s best, is to treat a man, like a man.

2) Mix up coverages: The Secondary plays Single-high almost exclusively and that’s making it too easy for opposing QB’s to read and anticipate deep routes. Also, giving up 5 yard cushions on every play has got to stop. Same with TE’s getting clean releases. This shit has to stop! Sprinkle in some Cover Two. Play some bump-and-run, here and there. Redirect TE’s and slots further into traffic. Quit being stupid out there. It’s robbing us of sacks and easy turnovers, and last week it cost us an entire game.

3) Introduce a new wrinkle: Lost in all the talk about returning QB’s is the fact that Indy’s head coach was our Offensive Coordinator last year. That means he’ll be familiar with our core concepts, most of our playbook, play keys, players, and even the way some of our players and coaches think. He will spend this week prepping his team to beat us mentally. That means we have to add something to the mix that he hasn’t seen from us. RPO’s and our Screen game? They’ll be looking for those. A HB Option would be nice. Perhaps a couple of Power Sweeps?

 

4) Come out in Rally mode: With Wentz returning, and WR Jordan Matthews

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coming back, it seems like new life has been breathed into a sleeping gi- (noooo, I need another word here!) a sleeping Hulk (how’s that?). However, we can’t forget that the QB has to prove himself again, the WR’s are still banged up, the Secondary is leaky, and the O-Line has shown some wear already. Everyone needs to come out playing for each other this week. Everyone needs to be receptive to constructive criticism, and everyone needs to be honest and tactful about giving it.

If we do all these things, we’re just about guaranteed to win. Now that we’ve covered what should happen, let’s get into what likely will happen:

Remember the touchdown that we gave up to the Vikings in the playoffs last year, when LB Najee Goode didn’t know his assignment? Guess who’s starting for the Colts at OLB? So TE Zach Ertz should have a field day out there. The Colts front seven isn’t particularly stout against the run, nor do they boast a single dangerous pass rusher. This is as good a game for Wentz to return in, as any.

Allowing a QB to complete 70% of his passes is a great recipe for losing a game. Despite the Eagles defending their over-reliance on Single-high coverage, Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz is too smart to not switch it up this week. If this were on the road, I’d pick the Colts, but it’s in Philly. Between the rush, the crowd and mixing the coverage, this has the feel of a 2 or 3 turnover game. 

PREDICTION: EAGLES 21 – Colts 17

yeah-bitch

SLOW LEARNERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/08
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Rants, Reviews, Super Bowl, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

jon-stewart-steven-cobert-drinking-tea

REGARDLESS of how often we show it, so-called experts keep misunderstanding it. Even when we slow it down, it’s still too fast for them. Let me say this in small words, and plain English:

Dear NFL, You can’t fuck with the Eagles.

Time Machine. Last year. Week 6. Best team in the league, but they kept saying we hadn’t played anybody. Okay. So in front of a national audience, during prime time, we went to the Carolina Panthers house, kicked in their door, dropped their body in a box, put a bow on it, and strolled the fuck out. People gave us credit for the win, but still didn’t buy in.

We spent the next five weeks averaging 37 points per game. Hit a snag with a loss to Seattle and pundits were convinced that the tough part of our schedule had caught up to us. Finally they would be right about us.

With a game against the Rams next, “experts” were already writing us off. We responded by shooting it out with L.A. Then we lost our QB to a season-ending injury. The Rams then took a 35 – 31 lead. No problem. Our back-up QB led two scoring drives, and we were up 37 – 35. We salted the win away with a fumble return for a TD.

At that point we had secured a playoff berth, but since our starting QB was out, idiots counted us out and figured us for a first round exit. We responded by locking down the first round bye. Still it wasn’t enough to convince them.

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We entered the playoffs with the best record in the NFL, but were underdogs in the divisional playoff game. So we took out the Falcons in a war of attrition. Did we convince anyone? Nope.

We entered the NFC championship as underdogs. What happened? In front of the free world, we butchered the Vikings like pigs. Now come on, we’d get respect for sure, right? Nope!

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We entered the Super Bowl as the underdog. After all, we were playing “the goat”, right? We slaughtered him, skinned him, salted him, and hung him to cure. To this day I don’t know which is the bigger trophy, the Lombardi or Brady’s carcass. NOW! Now we’d get our due respect, right? Right? Wrong.

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Week one of the new season, we were underdogs versus the Falcons team that we’d ground down in the playoffs. The result? We ground them down. Again. Now are we taken seriously? LMAO! NOPE!

It’s hilarious that these so-called experts, can’t see what has now been branded into history’s flesh. We’re the best. Even when running on reserves, we’re the best. How much clearer can we make it? Let me say it one more time: Dear NFL, you can’t fuck with the Eagles.

i'm right

A NEW START

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/08/31
Posted in: Conversations, Crazy Talk, Super Bowl, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TIME 2GRIND

WHEN all the dust had settled from every game of the 2017 season, the Eagles were the last team standing. We’d defeated “the goat” with “The Back-up”. The number one seed with the NFL’s best record, that was somehow an underdog, proved to be neither fluke nor mirage. We were the Champions.

Were.

The 2017 season is over with now. It’s done. Finished. History. Preseason has also (mercifully) come to an end. Now we stand on precipice of the 2018 season, and to be called Champions again, we have to do it all over again. Being good last year, means nothing this year. We’re starting 2018 from the bottom. Just like everybody else in the NFL.

May 23rd was the last time I wrote for you. After the death of my Mother in April, thinking about football became difficult. Scratch that. Focusing on the small details is what became difficult. A few personal difficulties thrown in after that, made that focus impossible.

Understand, I wanted to write. I needed to write. However, when I reached down to find my voice…there was nothing. Years of being able to simply summon knowledge and conjure articles, meant nothing this summer. So this is me starting 2018 from the bottom. Just like the Eagles.

Granted, the Eagles didn’t offer much inspiration. With them choosing not to playing key players, I couldn’t get a good look to do a real evaluation. So I didn’t even try to write a Four Things Preview for these preseason games. Why would I? Just imagine me writing:

Given that none of our starting skill players are dressing this week vs Cleveland, what we’re looking for, is RB Wendell Smallwood to rush for at least 50 yards in the first half. (That way he can avoid having to flip burgers three weeks from now.) Given the Eagles ultra-vanilla approach this preseason, you have to wonder how much time the announcers will spend verbally fellating Browns DE Myles Garrett, since he’ll be one-on-one with LT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and Smallwood is gutter trash at blitz pick-up. (“Would you like fries with that?”)

They gave me no inspiration, so I had no words to offer.

A football season and Life. Neither is sprint. They are marathons. Like me, the Eagles still have things to iron out. Like the Eagles, I have the depth to make it all the way back. So for me and for our Eagles, the 2018 season is

ANUSTART

Tobias gets FUNKE! (LOL)

2018 – EAGLES

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/04/12
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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LAST year…Philadelphia won the Super Bowl after winning the NFC East with a 5 – 1 record, and going 13 – 3 overall. The 457 points they scored were first in the division and second in the NFL. The 295 points they allowed were the second lowest in the conference. This was all despite an injury bug that only seemed to take away key players. Part of that was an excellent job of adjusting by Head Coach Doug Pederson

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and his staff. The other part of that was the excellent roster assembled by General Manager Howie Roseman.

That was last year. Keeping in mind that the Draft will change some of this, the following is a report on how the team looks today, prior to the NFL Draft….

OFFENSE

QB:

Nick Foles was the Super Bowl MVP, has been a Pro Bowl MVP, and has set an NFL record for throwing 7 touchdowns in a single game. He’s all set to open this season, if MVP caliber starter Carson Wentz isn’t quite where he should with the rehab of the ACL and LCL that he tore last season. Third stringer Nate Sudfeld, owns the all-time NFL record for highest completion percentage (82.6) by a QB making his debut. This team has no concerns at this position. (+)

RB:

Starter Jay Ajayi plays fast and aggressively, but he has yet to display the catching ability of an elite back. Corey Clement

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has better hands, but he doesn’t offer quite the size/speed combo that Ajayi does. Otherwise, this team has two backs who could carry the load in the case of injury. Donnel Pumphrey missed 2017 with a torn hamstring, but prior to that, hadn’t shown much in the way of potential. Wendell Smallwood (for the moment) is still on the roster, but last year, after the Eagles realized what they had in Clement, Smallwood was mothballed until he was activated for the garbage time game against the Cowboys. The Eagles have a new Offensive Coordinator this year. To their credit he was promoted from within, not hired off the street. So continuity of overall concept should be unaffected. Whether or not the Eagles still hand the ball off 29.6 times a game in 2018, remains to be seen. (+)

WR:

Nelson Agholor made me eat crow over what I said about him last year. And it was delicious! In 2017 Agholor found his stroke, his stride, and his strength while playing in the slot, instead of on the outside. However, the real story here is Alshon Jeffery. While he didn’t reach 800 yards during the season, he scored 9 times in the regular season, and followed it up with a monster playoff run. All while battling a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder, which wasn’t revealed until after the Super Bowl.

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Mike Wallace (Ravens) proved at 30, that he could still take the top off of defenses, so the Eagles added him to keep Safeties out of the box. The 6’4” Mack Hollins should see increased playing time, after making a solid contribution as a rookie. Like last year, no one jumps out as a mega-star, but the position as a whole is a nightmare factory to defend. (+)

TE:

The luxury of three starting caliber players is gone, but Zach Ertz remains. He’s been good for at least 74 catches and 816 yards, per year, since 2015. Ertz isn’t a dominant blocker or big down-field threat. What he is, is clockwork, and that’s a trait that an offense needs at this position. Richard Rodgers (Packers) was added, and on the surface that looks like a total shrug. A closer look reveals that his former team had been getting away from utilizing the position, since 2015. By the way, in 2015 he was second on the team in receptions, and tied for the team lead in TD’s. So the Eagles have two guys who can catch the ball, be a red zone threat, and block competently if not dominantly. It would be a reach to call Rodgers a clone of Ertz, but he fits the scheme equally as well, and based on how Philadelphia uses Ertz, Rodgers wouldn’t be huge downgrade if he had to fill-in. The Eagles lack a player who is more of a goal-line and short yardage blocker. There are other players at the position, but they’re also more receivers or projects. (+)

OL:

In 2017 LT Jason Peters went down, and the Eagles filled his spot with Halapoulivaati Vaitai. While surface reports will tell you that Vaitai did a great job, in all truth the Eagles compensated by adding extra protection to the left side, when they weren’t rolling plays to the right, that they had been rolling them to the left. Then again simple adjustments are the easiest to make and easiest to maintain. Peters is set to return, but at 36 you have to wonder how much more he can take. That being said, until he shows he can’t play, he’s still one of the best. Stefen Wisniewski is the Eagles best player at LG. Isaac Seumalo opened the season there, but he was a bad fit from the word “Go”, and after 2 starts he was benched. C Jason Kelce anchors the pivot, and RG Brandon Brooks and RT Lane Johnson are as solid a side as there can be in football. Both earned their first Pro Bowl nods in 2017. Vaitai, and G Chance Warmack boast more high level experience than some NFL starters. So depth is no issue at all for Philadelphia. (+)

In a nutshell:

The Eagles don’t have the fastest, biggest, or strongest of anything on their offense. What they DO have, are back-ups who mimic many traits exhibited by the starters. That ensures snug scheme fits, and creates a level of depth that’s virtually impossible to copy, especially by teams who chase (and pay for) the top this or that. The Eagles don’t have the most talented offense, they have the most efficient offense. And it’s built that way from top to bottom, at every position. The team brought in no free agents to bolster the starting line-up on this side of the ball. That’s an indication of extreme comfort and confidence. Should make for an interesting and far-looking Draft. (+)

 

DEFENSE

DE:

While losing Vinny Curry was a blow, the Eagles recovered nicely with the signing Michael Bennett (Seahawks). Some would even call it an upgrade, since Bennett is a better pass rusher, and more flat out disruptive to a blocking scheme. Whether or not he can set and hold a hard edge vs the run, remains to be seen. Teams not being able to run is what helped us set up so many clear pass rush downs. Brandon Graham

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and Chris Long form a relentless 1-2 rotation on the left side. Whether or not Derek Barnett or Bennett will start on the right side, has yet to be discussed publicly. As an added pinch of salt in the wound of the other 31 franchises, the Eagles also have Steven Means on the roster. This position is the envy of the NFL. (+)

DT/NT:

Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan did great job of anchoring the middle and moving the line of scrimmage in 2017. They became somewhat less disruptive after injuries forced the coaching staff to adjust the scheme, but they should be back to wreaking havoc at full tilt in 2018. Adding to the deepest defensive line in football, is Haloti Ngata. A torn bicep ended his 2017 season in week 5, and he’s likely to miss only voluntary camp while he continues to rehab it. He’s a disturbingly quick man to say he’s 340 pounds, and now that he’s part of a rotation, he doesn’t have to worry about pacing himself, so he can go full blast whenever he’s out there. With Beau Allen’s departure, Destiny Vaeao may be in line for a larger role in 2018. (+)

OLB:

Nigel Bradham re-signed this offseason, so the Eagles have their best LB of 2017 locked in for the long ride.

 card.nigel.bradham

SMART MOVE! The version of the Wide Nine run by the Eagles wouldn’t work without the role the LB’s play, and Bradham was the best of all of them in 2017. The only knock on him is the three or four interceptions that bounced off his hands. Mychal Kendricks is solid, but he doesn’t come close to playing up to his contract. Scuttlebutt has it that the Draft will determine if he’s an Eagle in 2018. Beyond these two there is no depth. Some of this has to have made it’s way to Kendricks himself, so it begs the question of what effect it will have on his play if he stays. Right now it looks like there’s a player and half at a two man spot. (-)

M/ILB:

Jordan Hicks is great. When he plays. In three seasons he’s played 16 games, just once. The difference between this year and other years, is the Eagles went out and got a solid back-up to play behind Hicks, in Paul Worrilow (Lions). Worrilow isn’t a splash play LB. He’s an in-the-box, shallow zone guy. If pressed into starting, he has plenty of experience doing so. Interestingly enough the Eagles actually signed Corey Nelson (Broncos) before they added Worrilow. This indicates that instead of just anointing a back-up, the Eagles are going to make players fight over it. Can’t go wrong with that approach. (+)

S:

When you hear conversations about the best players at this position, if Malcolm Jenkins doesn’t get a mention then you can stop listening. While he may not be the best, he damned sure belongs in the conversation. He fills roles ranging from Nickel LB to SS to FS to Nickel CB, and he does them all well. (That’s Charles Woodson territory.) 2017 was his first year as an Eagle without scoring a TD. Rodney McLeod quietly does a great job as the last line of defense. He seemed to get more media fanfare when he was a Ram, but he’s been a much better player as an Eagle. Tre Sullivan made repeated “impacts” last preseason.

Unfortunately, he lost out to Corey Graham, who moved on after the season. Depth might be a question, but the top two guys are bonafide. (+)

CB:

Sidney Jones might turn out to be great. On the other hand, Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, and Rasul Douglas aren’t great. They’re just all just very good. It remains to be seen how good Daryl Worley (Panthers) is in this system. On paper he plays his best football once the weather turns cold. So that’s a plus. To see Douglas or Mills converted to Safeties shouldn’t surprise, since they’re already tweeners and the Eagles need depth there, plus they already know the ins and outs of the system. Unless Jones emerges as one, there isn’t a single shutdown corner on the entire roster, but the worst player in this group is as good or better, than many starters in the NFL. (+)

In a nutshell:

Fast-break offense in basketball is a familiar term to most sports fans. Fast-break defense in football, not so much. That however, is exactly what the Eagles play. If a team can run the ball enough to balance the game, the Eagles have to fight. If they can stop a team from running early, the game turns into quicksand. The harder a team struggles, the faster they sink. To address that Philadelphia went out and added pieces like Ngata, Worrilow, Sullivan and Worely as players who are more thumpers types and less NASCAR. The Eagles are now building to play physical as well as fast. Keep an eye on this defense in 2018. It will be better than it was in 2017. (+)

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

P:

Cameron Johnston was on the roster last year during the preseason. He punted extremely well, with a net average of 43.0 yards. Granted, that’s just preseason, but that’s a preseason playing under Special Teams Coach Dave Fipp’s system. Johnston knows the core concept and many of the players. So he can hit the ground running during mini-camp, and just build from there. All of this is promising, but he’s still not verified by regular season play, so this grade technically can’t be a good one… Technically. (-)

K:

Jake Elliott came in with the superhero landing.

In just his second game, he kicked a 61 yard back-breaker for a walk-off win against a division rival. That set the distance record for both the Eagles franchise and NFL rookies. Nailing 17 of 19 from 40+ (including 5 of 6 form 50+) during the season, he only got better in the playoffs hitting 7 of 7 (including 3 o f 3 from 40 or better). Even his kick-offs got better, as during the season 40 of his 84 kick-offs (47.6%) were returned, for an average of 21.4 yards. In the playoffs that only 5 of his 19 kick-offs (26.3%) were returned, for an average of just 15.0 yards. Elliott could stand to improve his extra point kicking (39 of 42) and field goals of 30 to 39 yards (4 of 7, 57%). Other than that, this kid looks like he’s only going to get scarier. (+)

RS:

No one who returned a punt for the Eagles in 2017 is currently on the roster. As far as kick returners, Wendell Smallwood has actually brought one back for a score in 2016, and Corey Clement has a few returns under his belt. That having been said, none of these Eagles returners will scare anybody this year. Either they need to sign someone, or hope they stumble upon a gem. (-)

In a nutshell:

This is a very young unit, with a number of unproven players on it. While unproven doesn’t mean untalented, it does mean inexperienced and thus prone to mistakes at key points. Until these players can prove that they are above that, it’s less than fair to give them the benefit of the doubt. (-)

Bottom Line:

Defense wins championships, but the current media focus is offense first, second and third. That allowed the 2017 Eagles to perform a kind of sleight of hand. Scoring, then forcing mistakes in teams trying to catch-up, then repeating the process. All most saw were the scores, not how the Eagles got the ball back, or quietly won the hidden yardage battles. This edition (especially the defense) looks like it’s being honed to do an even more efficient job in 2018. And it’s all been done in fairly low-key fashion.