Special Teams Ace: K Jake Elliott1/1 FG and 1/1 XP under windy conditions
****
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: PACKERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Over A Buck Rushing:We put up 111 as a team. Benchmark. The ground was hard packed, and multiple players showed issues with slipping on the grass. I know that (going back to the prior article) I keep harping on the weather, but in these conditions, the stadium itself becomes another opponent.
Saquon faced loaded box after loaded box, but we stuck with the run, feeding him 22 times. Not for nothing, but the formations that we keep coming out in, with the WR’s packed inside, are helping to keep boxes loaded against him. In any case, we got the rushing yardage.(DONE)
WR DeVonta Smith mossing a dude for six.
2) Deal Out Aerial Hurts: I said that getting the ball to our WR’s downfield, was critical to getting this win, and our only touchdown was a 36 yard pass to DeVonta Smith. Benchmark. Without that score this is a 3 – 7 loss. (DONE)
3) Our DT’s Must Penetrate: I said in particular, we needed a big night from DT Jalen Carter (3 tackles). I didn’t say anything about sacks or tackles. What I brought up was, making it difficult for the Packers QB Jordan Love (20/36 – 55.5% – 176 – 0 – 0) to step into his passes. The plan was to affect his releases.
The result was Carter deflecting two of those passes, and Love being forced backward frequently. Once for an 11 yard sack, and again for a forced fumble. Benchmark. Then there was DT Moro Ojomo (no stats) calling out the Packers play before they ran it, resulting in a fumble by RB Josh Jacobs (21 – 74 – 3.5 – 1 – 1). Our DT’s were huge.(DONE)
4) Take Away Anything Easy: Josh Jacobs led all Packers with 5 receptions, as Jordan Love was forced into inaccurate deep passes and checkdowns for most of the game. Benchmark. He finished with 4.9 yards per attempt, 3 sacks, a lost fumble, and a QB rating of 68.8. We reduced him to trash and made the night sheer Hell for him. (DONE)
++++
This week’s Four Things score was 4 of 4. While there wasn’t a great deal of visual spectacle, the benchmarks that were requested were met, as soundly as any 4 of 4 score, I’ve ever recorded here.
Next week we host the Lions in South Philly. Let’s make sure it turns into a zoo.
****
Game Hero: Defensive Co-ordinatorVic Fangio– Fangio spent the night out-coaching Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, seen here ignoring the game while desperately searching for answers against Fangio:
This is what Vic Fangio reduced Green Bay’s coaching staff to.
Vic did that, while simultaneously folding in a brand new trade acquisition OLB Jaelan Phillips (6 – 0.0 – 0 – 1); a player returning from I.R. in OLB Nolan Smith(2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0); and player returning from retirement in DE Brandon Graham(no stats). Did I mention this was done on the road? In Green Bay? In freezing weather? Well it was.
Game goat: CB Jaire Alexander – C’mon man. He didn’t even travel with the team. This is the sort of game that we got him for, and not only doesn’t he suit up, he’s not even on the sideline in street clothes, bonding with the team.
As a result of him not playing, we had to start CB Adoree Jackson (3 tackles). Jackson wasn’t bad, but it’s better when he doesn’t have to be out there.
Note: Alexander has opted to step away from football, to focus on his health. Oddly, if this article had come out on time, I wouldn’t be able to tell you that. I almost revised this and went with Offensive Co-ordinator Kevin Patullo again, but I thought I should stick to my original statement. Besides, I’m sick of mentioning Patullo.
On The Whole: Everyone else seems to have been expecting a shootout, while all I did was talk about how difficult playing in that weather is. In FT, I even alluded to the Packers QB being affected by it: “Think about it, a stressed QB to throwing a slippery brick, deep downfield, without being able to step into it.”
While the Eagles coaching wasn’t very creative, circumstances also didn’t really allow for razzle-dazzle. This was ‘frozen tundra’ throwback football. It was a defensive struggle, in which we won Time of Possession 32 to 27. Let’s save trying to be clever, for when the ball is more catchable.
RB Saquon Barkley’s 41yd catch and run. Dig WR A.J. Brown blocking out front. It’s nothing fancy, just the little things that separate champs from chumps.
My favorite part of this game was establishing our ownership of the Packers. Whether in Brazil, our house, their house, the NFL Rules Committee… Anywhere we see them, we close a car door on their head, and take their wallet. Feels good.
Note: Like lasts year’s article, this one is a weeks late. Unlike last year’s article, I still got it in before the season started. I was waiting to see how the holdouts of Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, and Cowboys LB Micah Parsons worked out, so I had an idea of how to stack those two teams. Well, I guess the Cowboys set us all straight on that one!
Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA – Aside from a lack of depth at TE, the Eagles are set across the board. They have possibly the best O-Line in football; one of the deepest WR rooms in the league; a generational talent at RB; and a QB who just keeps winning. Shove in an unstoppable short yardage play, and they are practically without weakness.
Weakest Offense: NEW YORK – Their starting QB is four losses away from being benched in favor of a rookie who had a nice preseason. Their RB room (long on effort, short on talent) has “high apple pie in the sky hopes”. The WR’s played in this system last year and were anything but dangerous. With a vet they might improve, but if a rookie gets out there… TE is a car crash, but worst of all is a the o-line, which is shaky everywhere but Center.
Strongest Defense: PHILADELPHIA – While some players were lost to free agency, the number two defense in the NFL was A) already starting from a position of strength (unlike their division rivals), and B) did a good job of restocking the cupboard. (Except at CB.)The Eagles are absolutely loaded up front, and the Safety problem is more about choosing a style, and not about a lack of talent. The Eagles wanted to have two stars at CB, but the second position is manned by good not great players.
Weakest Defense: DALLAS – Last year they had the 31st ranked defense in the NFL. Then they traded away Parsons, on the doorstep of the season, at at time when they can’t do anything to mitigate the loss. Now they have a bunch of well paid defensive backs, who will be playing behind less pressure up front. Unless the Cowboys have a huge surprise up their sleeve, this will again be one of the worst units in the sport.
Strongest Special Teams: DALLAS – Their Kicker has the strongest leg in the division, and he doesn’t have a history of being spotty. The Eagles have the best Punter, but taken as a pair, the legs in Dallas have the edge.
Weakest Special Teams: WASHINGTON – What put the Commanders here, is bringing an indoor Kicker to the outdoors, in the Mid-Atlantic region, during Fall/Winter weather. Did I mention that he struggles from 50+?
Projected Winner: PHILADELPHIA – By a country mile. The NFC East should have it’s first repeat winner since 2004, when the Eagles secured a fourth straight division crown.
Darkhorse Winner: WASHINGTON – Even with as bad as their defense is, they at least don’t appear to be trying to tank the 2025 season. If the Eagles stumble, the Commanders could have a puncher’s chance at keeping the “No Repeat” streak, alive.
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.
WINNING the Super Bowl with what people have repeated called “the best roster in the NFL” and/or “the deepest roster in the NFL”, says that when the final game of the season was over, your Philadelphia Eagles, had few if any, holes to fill.
Then came free agency, with opposing teams driving truckloads of money up to some of our players. Like back-up DT Milton Williams, netting a four year 104M$ deal from the Patriots. Then after free agency, trades like the one that sent FS C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Texans. Then releases, like CB Darius Slaybeing allowed to take I-76 over to Pittsburgh.
Personnel losses (especially on Defense), left us with questions about depth. We also face possible starting holes, if our announced heir-apparent players, aren’t able to step up. Players like DT Moro Ojomo, FS Sydney Brown, and CB Kelee Ringo.
This is where the annual NFL Draft comes in. In a few days, General Manager Howie Roseman gets to load up on young, cheap talent, to help patch some of the holes. Our ammunition? We enter this year’s draft with eight picks in the first five rounds.
Word is that our biggest need is at Safety. WRONG! That’s not a factual statement. At DE we currently have Bryce Huff(whom we want to trade) andK.J. Henry, on his fourth team in four years. So we have no starting DE’s. This is a massive hole. Luckily this draft is loaded with defensive line talent, so we’d be idiots not to load up on two or three of them.
Time to look at this draft!
Round 1 #32: (Trade up to 15) RDE Shemar Stewart (6’5, 267) – Everyone is talking about us replacing back-up DT Milton Williams. How about we replace starting DE Josh Sweat first? Make sense? I thought so too. Stewart gives us a more sudden, more violent version of Sweat. If he can add his hands to his explosiveness, he’ll require frequent double teaming.
ALTERNATE CHOICE: (Trade up to 15) DT Walter Nolen(6’4, 296) If Stewart is gone, and Nolen is still there, he’s too good to pass up. Better yet, he’s too good to have to face twice a year. He has the tweener body type to move to LDE, with DT Jalen Carter eating double teams beside him.
Round 2 #64: (Trade up to 40, possibly for TE Dallas Goedertand a pick) DE Nic Scourton (6’3, 257) – What I like most about Scourton, is his size. He looks bigger than he’s listed, and he’s played as heavy as 285. I have long thought that we could use bigger DE. By “bigger” I mean 270-plus. Brandon Graham was effective at 6’2 265, but he was never overpowering in the sense of a Reggie White(6’5/305) or a Clyde Simmons (6’6/292). Scourton could give us that size.
This is 6’2 265 pound Brandon Graham, with prospect Nick Scouton. Does Scouton look 6’3 257 pounds to you?
Thing is, he’s projected as a late 1st early 2nd round pick, so he won’t be there at 64. We’ll have to move up to get him as well, but if we could pull it off, our defensive line would be the stuff of nightmares. ALTERNATE CHOICE: (Don’t trade up) LDE Sai’vion Jones – (6’5 280) He has a 3rd round grade on him, so picking him 64th is only slightly over-drafting him. However, if he gets lined up at LDE next to Jalen Carter, by November you won’t care about the pick, because you’ll love the fit.
Round 3 #96: Likely gone in a trade up along with some 2026 Draft capital
Round 4 #134: RB Cam Skattebo (5’9, 219) – Seems weird to you doesn’t it? True or False. RB Saquon Barkley comes with an injury history, and is coming off a 378 touch season? His current back-up, A.J. Dillon, is hopefully recovered from a neck injury. (A stinger. Remember FB Kevin Turner?) Behind Dillon is Will Shipley, who had a nice couple of runs in the playoffs, but looked sluggish all last regular season. So we need some insurance.
Skattebo is a no nonsense sparkplug. He runs hard, bounces off contact, and can also catch the ball. While he lacks the speed to score from anywhere, he has more than enough speed and power, to break of yardage in large chunks.
Round 5 #161: OT Caleb Etienne (6’6, 329) – He has a 6th – 7th round grade on him, but I don’t trust that. He has every tool in the box, he just needs some refinement. I’d love to see Offensive Line Coach Jeff Stoutlandget a couple years to develop him, before RT Lane Johnsonretires.
Round 5 #164: TE Jackson Hawes (6’4, 253) – He’s an actual TE. He’s not a heavy WR. He’s not a piece that coaches “will be excited to move around”. He’s a TE. He plays at the end of the O-Line. He blocks his ass off. He catches dump-offs, and short passes. Period. He’s not out there to threaten anyone deep. In fact, with 51 catches in 4 years, he rarely saw the ball.
Round 5 #165: CB Marcus Harris (5’11, 189) – More of a zone corner than man, but he’s aggressive towards the ball, and shoots his gun versus the run.
Round 5 #168: Likely gone in a trade up along with some 2026 Draft capital
Notice how I did not select a Safety? That was quite on purpose. If Sydney Brown is getting a shot at the job, then give him the shot. Drafting a rookie early, to stare over Brown’s shoulder, sends a message of no confidence. If there are going to be questions over the starting spot, then just sign a veteran as insurance. Preferably one with knowledge of our defensive system. HINT!
LOST in the Wild Card round, 11 – 6, second in the NFC East, 25.5 pspg / 25.2 papg
The Eagles ripped out the gate to a 10 – 0 start. However, they aand may of us writers, never quite seemed comfortable, because the Eagles allowed the games to be more difficult than they should have been. Then the wheels fell of, the team utterly collapsed, and no explanation has yet to be given. (Good. I wouldn’t want to hear it anyway.)
The Eagles responded by replacing the offensive and defensive coordinators. They also allowed General Manager Howie Roseman, to go all Tanya Harding on the entire city of New York, by taking RB Barkley from one team, and trading OLB Hasson Reddick to the other.
OFFENSE:
QB Jalen Hurts
QB: Jalen Hurts experienced a little problem with turnovers last year. Whether it was an anomaly, or it’s because teams have figured him out, remains to be seen. He still has trouble punishing the blitz, but his 99 touchdowns in three seasons as a starter (despite four missed games) makes you wonder what he could be, if he fixed that glaring flaw.
Kenny Pickett has plenty of arm talent and moxie. Half of his 12 career wins, are comeback victories. Which is a heck of a feat, given the lack of protection he was working with in Pittsburgh. Tanner McKee is a big, strong, tough player, and his teammates like playing for him. He is however, the definition of a pocket passer. (+)
RB: Saquon Barkley. Seeing how good he’s been with trash players and coaching surrounding him, only makes you wonder how good he can be now. However, it’s him being over 230 pounds that most excites me. No knock on all-time leading rusher LeSean McCoy, but the Eagles have had a lot of success here, with guys 220 pounds and up.
Kenneth Gainwell is a man without a real role. He isn’t special at anything. Will Shipley is a 4th round rookie, who seems like a big effort, hard nosed type. Neither backup is built to be an NFC East style workhorse. Which raises the question of: Who carries the load if Barkley gets hurt? Barkley is a great starter to have, but the depth is a question. (+)
TE: Given some of the other names on this team, it can be too easy to overlook Dallas Goedert. However, even as a third option, he’s been quietly putting up around 600 yards per season, for the last five seasons. There doesn’t seem to be a plan for third year man, Grant Calcaterra, as his blocking never wowed anyone. Again, this is a case of excellent starter, no real depth. With just two active, the position is also thin. (-)
WR: A.J. Brownis flat-out uncoverable. Hands, speed, size, vertical leap, route running… He owns every tool in the hardware store. On the opposite sideline, is DeVonta Smith, who puts on a clinic with every route that he runs. He posted a 72% catch rate last year. As a BOUNDARY receiver, with over 100 targets. Those are star receiver numbers, and he’s the #2.
Jahan Dotsonwas traded for, to give the Eagles a legit slot receiver and real depth. Rookie 6th rounder Johnny Wilsonis the #4 receiver. He’s 6’6” 228 pounds, but he has slow feet for this position. Having played at 245, if his blocking improves, a position switch might suit him. Britain Covey is primarily a return man. (+)
LT Jordan Mialata
OT: LT Jordan Mialatahas become a team captain. It still feels a little premature to call him ‘elite’, but his name does keep coming up in the national conversation. RT Lane Johnson is elite. There is no media outlet that refers to him, without calling him a future Hall Of Famer, somewhere in the conversation. It can be debated who the best OT in the league is, but there is no debate that the Eagles have the best starting pair.
LT Fred Johnsonhas been with the team since last year, and even saw a little bit of action. While RT Darian Kinnard played a lot during the preseason, you could tell he was a lock to make the team. I think coaches just wanted to be sure he was really as good a he seemed out there. (+)
OG: While LG Landon Dickersondoesn’t get the credit, he’s the real reason that the Brotherly Shove works as well as it does, as consistently as it does. As if to acknowledge this, the Eagles low-key made a point of giving him a four year extension, in March.
At the RG position is Mekhi Becton. He was a 2020, #11 overall draft pick, who the Jets had at RT, until he suffered two right knee injuries. At 6’7” 363 pounds, he’s an absolute monster of a man. So instead of playing him at RT, the Eagles chose to kick him inside, where he can wrestle with opponents in a phonebooth. He was good enough in camp to take the starting spot.
Tyler Steen is the second year man, who was supposed to start. Until Becton came along. I wasn’t big on Steen last year, but word is he’s improved noticeably. Rookie Trevor Keegan was selected in the 5th round this season. Not much is expected of him yet. (+)
C: Cam “Beef” Jurgensis taking over for the retired future Hall Of Famer Jason Kelce. Jurgens has 28 career starts at G, although the pivot is his natural spot. Not only did Kelce helped hand-pick Jurgens in the 2022 Draft, he mentored him. Groomed him to be a ready when the moment comes. This is that moment. Oh and there is no back-up. (+)
In A Nutshell: This roster is so stacked it’s ridiculous. And there may be even more help on the way.
DEFENSE:
DE: Brandon Graham is returning for his 15th and final ride, with the only NFL roster that was ever lucky enough, to have him grace it. He’s no longer a starter, but his snaps are impactful, as he plays the position classically. By which I mean, he plays the run on the way to the pass. Most modern players at this position, just play pass first, and so often fail to contain the edge.
Free agent Bryce Huff, comes over from the Jets, and will likely be the starter that Graham rotates with. He didn’t start a game last year and still led that team with 10 sacks. So of course, instead of starting him, the Jets let him walk. (+)
DT: I won’t keep you in suspense. The Eagles are literally SIX players deep at this position. Every guy here could start on a team somewhere in this league. Jordan Davis is a mountain of a man and the centerpiece of the Defensive Line. By his own admission he wore down in 2023, and has dedicated himself to his conditioning in 2024. Stay tuned. Jalen Carter grabbed 6 sacks and finished in second place for rookie of the year, last year. Milton Williams is a tweener, who gets moved around, to create and enhance mismatches along the line.
Moro Ojomo has made plenty of noise in preseason games. Now it’s time to translate that to games that count. Byron Young was a 3rd rounder last year, but was a victim of a 2024 numbers crunch in Las Vegas. Thomas Booker was an End in Houston last year. All three of these guys are tweeners, in that they’re Big End/high motor Nickel Tackle, types. Too much depth here. (+)
OLB: Josh Sweaton paper, changes position from DE, but in no way will that change how the Eagles utilize him. He gets lots of pressure and hits on passers (23 in 2023). The Eagles are just trying find a way to turn those into sacks (just 6.5 last year.) Nolan Smithwas supposed to be a steal in the 1st round of last year’s Draft, but he can’t produce from the sideline.
Jalyx Hunt is a 3rd round rookie, who had no business still being on the board when the Eagles got there. Patrick Johnson’s value lies in his flexibility (LB/DE), and his Special Teams play. While Eagles have parts here, getting production from them has proven to be challenge. (-)
ILB: Free Agent Devin White came over from Tampa. His resume shows that he can be a playmaker, but with most Eagles starters playing no preseason snaps, it’s impossible to judge how he fits. Zach Baun comes over from New Orleans, having been a spot starter and situational player. When the Eagles go to their 5 – 2 alignment, these two head the depth chart.
Nakobe Dean has so far not panned out as planned, but this new defensive coaching staff, seems excited about him. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will initially get stuck on Special Teams, but his heads-up style of play, suggests that coaches will find defensive snaps for him. Oren Burks was a late preseason acquisition who has starting experience, and has made some plays. Ben VanSumeren is a born Special Teamer.
The position is stable and solid up top. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that the free agents we added, are stunting the growth of the young guys we have (who seem to have more upside), by keeping them off the field. (+)
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (CJGJ) intercepts a pass
S: C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns, after a year in Detroit that he’d probably like to forget. His 2022 season here, saw him lead the NFL in interceptions and play in the Super Bowl. He’s back to get a taste of that again. Reed Blankenship isn’t a burner, but he possesses pretty much any other trait you’d want at this position. If the communication between these two is good, the middle of the field will be a dangerous place to venture.
Rookie 2nd rounder Cooper DeJean, fist best at this position. Yes, the coaches love his schematic flexibility, but ultimately, player play best where they play best. Tristin McCollumwas a longshot to make this roster, but here he is. (+)
CB:Darius “Big Play” Slaydoesn’t get the respect that he deserves. Even playing in a heavy cushion cover scheme, he’s picked off 8 passes in three seasons. Isaiah Rodgers was brought in a year ago while on suspension. We have yet to see him play. Quinyon Mitchell is a 1st rounder from this year. While he’s well thought of, he’s still a rookie. There’s an education coming.
Kelee Ringo is a big guy, who plays with an aggression and swagger that will either make him a star pr run him out of the league eventually. Eli Ricks is another tall one, who made a few clutch plays as a reserve in 2023. Fact is, Slay is great, but there’s no way to vouch for the other side yet. (-)
In A Nutshell: This unit should be strong down the middle. The edges of the defense is where the question marks are.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Rick Lovato notched 3 tackles and forced a fumble, in 2023. (+)
P: Braden Mann posted a punt average of 49.8, and a net of 43.8. Both of which were career bests for him. (+)
K: Jake “The Make” Elliottmade a career-high 93.8% of his field goals, and even made 7 of 8 from 50 or more. (+)
In A Nutshell: The Eagles have long understood the battle of hidden yardage, and it continues to show.
BOTTOM LINE:
This is team went on a 10 – 0 start last year, while never looking like a dominant team. I personally am getting the vibe that they won’t get out to a long undefeated streak, but they will absolutely land on a few teams this year.
As for 2024: A record of 12 – 5 seems to fit like Cinderella’s glass slipper. Let’s go with that.
WITH the 14 – 13 win over the Patriots, we moved to 2 – 0 and locked in a winning preseason. We capitalized on a couple of key turnovers, one changing the momentum of the game, and the other sealing the win. This week we go against a Vikings team whose starting QB is a turnover machine. If he doesn’t play, then it should be even easier to take the ball away.
Usually going undefeated in the preseason is a fool’s errand. Teams that chase it to “set a winning tone” often do it at great cost. Costs like, playing their starters more than their opponents; game-planning vs a team that didn’t; exposing their playbook too early, etc. In short, they run greater injury risk, and tip their hand.
They miss out on getting deep looks at their rosters, to make the best choices when building depth, in a sport where injuries are inevitable. Thee teams frequently compromise their ability to win real games, in pursuit of false wins. We however, went a different route.
The Eagles won both games essentially without playing our starters. Even let our back-ups play their way out of a hole, in that second game. There can be no better test of depth than that. Grit isn’t usually something you see in a preseason game, but our second and third stringers showed quite a bit of it, in two down-to-the-wire games.
A win here would have no bearing on anything, but it would be nice to get.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Vikings
Offensive Co-ordinator Kellen Moore
1) Starters Must Play: Particularly with the addition of WR Jahan Dotsonvia trade yesterday. He’s had no opportunity to acclimate to QB Jalen Hurts, and we don’t have another preseason game or inter-team practice, until 2025. So give Dotson one or two simple things to do, and let him and Hurts have a couple of series to experiment with it.
We also need to let our starting Offensive Line get its feet wet, with C Cam Jurgens running the pivot, during real action. If there are any wrinkles to iron out, finding it out now, is better than finding it out in Brazil.
2) Offensive Line Must Deliver: Aside from keeping the QB upright, we need to see the interior run game come alive. We need holes, not creases. We need the line of scrimmage moved forward, before the RB hits that hole.
3) Make A Defensive Statement: We need a sack from a starting defensive lineman. So far we’ve done nothing to communicate to the rest of the NFL, that their QB’s aren’t safe against us. That needs to change this week.
4) No Key Contributors Play the Second Half: Playing the starters and key back-ups for three series is great. It’s even ideal. That said, they shouldn’t play an entire half; and under NO circumstances should they play a single down, after the half. They shouldn’t even leave the locker room with pads on.
Injuries are not on a schedule. They don’t happen after X number of snaps. However, the more snaps played, the greater the risk. So let’s not take on too much risk. Besides, winning this game with starters is meaningless. So don’t even attempt it.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Mostly what we want from this game is a little practice, and to get out of it mostly healthy. If we cando those two things, then even if we lose 0 – 99, it’ll still be a productive game.
Just a couple more notes on the O-Line. C Jason Kelce was undersized for the position. It’s why he spent the first half of his career getting handled. Then Offensive Line coachJeff Stoutland shows up, and teaches Kelce how to use his gifts, so he can offset being smallish. The result is, five years from now Kelce will be putting on a gold jacket.
Jurgens is similar in build and athleticism to Kelce, but I think he might be a little stronger than Kelce was early on. I’m interested to see if Jurgens will also be a finesse player, or if he’ll bring a little more of the hammer to his game.
****
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 forFour Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
DRAFT Day is April 25th. Well actually it’s three days 25th, 26th and 27th, but you get the idea. Over the coming month, I’m going to do a position by position breakdown, of each team in the division. Just to compare known players apples to apples, and get everyone on the same page, before we start adding rookies, which can include anything from 1st round busts, to 6th round sure-fire Hall Of Famers.
Today we breakdown (cities are in alphabetical order): The Triggermen
DALLAS: Dak Prescott started every game last year and went 12 – 5 in the process. His 36 touchdown passes led the NFL last year, contrasted against just 9 picks. Many would call it a bounce back year, but I said last year, that the media was over-blowing the 15 picks he threw in 2022.
Judging his abilities, and not weighing any pieces around him, Prescott can make every NFL throw, and has the experience to diagnose coverages. He doesn’t have dangerous mobility, but he can get himself out of most trouble, and make a play here and there. His arm however, doesn’t always react to his eyes in real-time, resulting in picks that seem like head scratchers.
Cooper Rush will someday own a bar, where his regulars extrapolate his limited career stats, into a HOF career “if only he got to play more”. He’s a cerebral back-up, with a mid-level arm. Two season’s ago vs the Eagles, he missed his only shot at stardom.
Now, Rush will be making room for Trey Lance, who is trying to resurrect his career, after just two years as a pro. Lance is seen as a reclamation project with high upside; and with Dallas electing to not extend Prescott, Lance could end up becoming the Cowboys starter in 2025.
NEW YORK: It’s been said that when he’s healed from his 2023 ACL tear, that Daniel Jones is the starter. His entire tenure as a giant, has been a dumpster fire that keeps re-igniting itself. BUT, he’s a personal favorite of the owner. He played 6 games last year, lost five and ended the season on I.R. (Injured Reserve), for the second time in his short career.
QB Daniel Jones on an 80 yard run, being tackled by the grass.
In five seasons, he’s thrown 20+ touchdowns, just once (24 as a rookie). His remaining 48 career scoring strikes, are spread out over four years! (Read that last sentence again.) His mobility and moxie helps him make plays with his legs, but it’s also costing him chunks of seasons. If his mobility is any way diminished, he becomes a statue who’s passing is an outright liability.
If not for Jones’s bloated and over-guaranteed contract, Tommy DeVito would probably open up this season as the guy. He plays like a guy who’s trying to get noticed and earn something. Which is more than can be said for a quarter of the players in the league. But again, Jones’s 40M per year contract, cannot be ignored.
At the third string, somehow, Drew Lock is still drawing NFL paychecks. What his role is expected to be, is anybody’s guess. If the idea was to sign a veteran player, the giants nailed it. If they were hoping for a special player that they could turn into a project… Swing and a miss! So much mediocrity here.
PHILADELPHIA:Jalen Hurts started every game last season, went 11 – 6, threw for career-highs in both yardage (3858), and TD’s (23). He also rushed for a career-high 15 scores. Yet, it was easy to see, that he regressed badly last year. Did I mention that he also threw a career-high 15 interceptions? I didn’t? My bad. He also threw a career-high 15 interceptions.
Some of that is likely due to a lingering lower leg injury that he suffered early last season. It robbed him of his explosiveness as a runner. So opponents stopped regarding his running as dangerous, and played to limit his passing options. His reads and inability to handle the blitz (as 3rd year starter!) were exposed, and the Eagles Achilles Heel became front page news.
Kenny Pickett was recently added, via a trade with the Steelers. He was the 20th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, but nothing in his pro game, says that he should have been. From everything I’ve seen so far, he looks like an average QB. A very average QB. Tanner McKee is the third stringer, at the moment.
WASHINGTON: At this moment in time, this position has only two quarterbacks and Jake Fromm, on the Commanders roster. The best one of them, is Marcus Mariota; and he doesn’t even have a picture on the roster page of their website.
So yeah. The level of that team’s commitment to him, is apparent. The other placeholders are the oft traveled Jake Driskel, and Fromm, who hasn’t been on an active roster since 2021.
This is it! No joke. If the season started tomorrow, this is their QB room. So you can bet your ass, that this team is drafting a QB on the 25th of April. If he turns out to suck, the NFL might be morally obligated to black-out Washington’s games, until a messiah is born unto them. This is bad. I cannot recall seeing a worse QB situation, and that includes the expansion teams.
SO WHO’S THE BEST?
Right now, the nod has to go to DALLAS. Their starter has a clear command of his system, his weapons, and the same Offensive Coordinator as last year. Hurts is close, but he going to have a new OC, and his inability to handle the blitz is an outright liability. Until he shows that he’s gotten that problem solved, Hurts can’t be said to be elite, or even possess all the tools of a pro.
Dallas also has a proven back-up who can win them games. That gives them the deepest QB room going into 2024. In addition to that, they may have their next long-term starting QB already on the roster. The Eagles might also claim this, but Pickett doesn’t have nearly Lance’s upside.
NOW with contracts and everything being official, let’s have a REAL dialogue. I’ve refrained from participation in the fascination with, and the spreading of, rumors. As a result, I’ve been largely silent on all things football.
Just to maintain that consistency, I was even mum on Jason Kelce(see what I did there?), and Fletcher Coxretiring. I also remained silent when DE Brandon Graham resigned for a final year. Instead, I elected to address that stuff and the first week of Free Agency, all at once.
Signing Our Own:
This is always the most important part, but no one ever mentions why that is. Well, the reason is continuity. When you have a good thing going (close locker room, solid culture, etc.) the best guys to teach it to new guys, are the guys who are already there. Hemorrhaging players every year depletes that, and sends the message that you don’t reward your own.
In addition to Graham, we locked down a few of our key guys, including LG Landon Dickerson, P Braden Mann, LS Rick Lovato, and K Jake Elliott. Those moves may seem shrug-worthy, but they are indicative of a team with a strong nucleus. Letting TEJack Stoll walk, and re-signing TE Albert Okwuegbunam, signals that we may have gotten more dangerous at TE2.
Adding Firepower:
Our opening move of the FA period brought us DE Bryce Huff. Huff is a 6’3 255 pound pass rusher, who made his bones lining up in the Wide Nine. While he gets lots of pressure vs the pass, his ability to defend the run is compromised by him being lightweight, and lining up in a fashion that creates running lanes. Our scheme must compensate for that.
RB Saquon Barkley looks to finally defeat the Cowboys. He’s 0 – 10 lifetime against them.
Our splashiest move, was adding RB Saquon Barkley. He’s a 230 pound guy, but he doesn’t play up to that weight. Often his runs are angled directly to the sideline, and he makes lots of “business decisions”. To his credit, he’s a true three-down back, as he is an explosive runner, a gifted route runner, and is solid at blitz pick-up. Skill-wise, he’s the whole package.
Better still, in three of his six seasons, he’s posted 1,400+ all-purpose yards. This is despite never having a QB, or a quality offensive line, or receivers (besides OBJ) who scared anyone. Now he’s being added to a roster that has all of those things. We’re loaded with killers!
Our most significant move (so far), is probably bringing back NCB/S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. He wanted too much money last year, so we let him fuck off to Detroit. The move turned out to be… Let’s say, less than great for him, or us. So both sides kissed and made up. This move allows us to shore-up a Secondary that became a glaring weakness last year.
Less Obvious Moves:
ILB Devin White could be in for a career year.
Other defensive additions include ILB Devin White. Sadly, we’ll likely be moving back to a 3-4 base, meaning that the Eagles have to prioritize LB now. White spent last last year as an OLB and had his worst year as a pro. On a 1 year deal, he’ll be looking to ball out. (Incidentally, going to a 3-4 may have hastened Cox’s retirement. He didn’t enjoy being a 3-4 DE under Chip Kelly, and probably wasn’t interested in doing it again, at his age.)
We added LB Zach Baum, but I’m not sure what he’s supposed to be. LBJulian Okwara was technically added before the FA period, but I didn’t weigh in on him. He plays at 100mph, understands that his long arms can keep him free of blockers, and can even drop into space. The Lions played the IR stash game with him (off and on), but the Eagles might let him play.
On offense, C Matt Hennessy is likely here to be depth. While he’s listed often as a C/G, he played very little there, before going on IR with a knee injury in 2022 and missing all of 2023. Expecting him (307 pounds) to be ready to win the RG spot, might be asking too much.
The addition that I think could be sneaky good, is WR DeVante Parker. Long have I been caterwauling for the Eagles to get another big bodied Slot, with a big catch radius, in the mold ofJordan Matthews (not retired). Parker spent a couple years as the #1 in Miami, but he’s really more of a #2. So the Slot role should be cake for a guy like him.
Finally, we come to QB Kenny Pickett, whom the Steelers practically gave away. The early speculation is that either he has an attitude problem, or that he flat-out can’t play. Both are hilarious suppositions. During Pickett’s two seasons (26 starts, 14 – 12), he has shared a QB room with both Mason Rudolphand Mitch Trubisky. All were let go after 2023.
Sounds to me, like Pittsy has a QB coaching issue. Which is why they brought in a veteran QB (Russell Wilson), who doesn’t need developing. In the meantime, Pickett (if he wants), can develop here for a year or two, and maybe become trade bait. This lets me segue to my final point.
Coaching. It’s why we fell apart last year. No one has said that officially. However, we have all these pundits who want a stated reason, and Head Coach Nick Sirianni to dispense mea culpas like goldfish food, and then promise that it won’t happen again. Those pundits are idiots. That won’t happen. The reason we fell apart was coaching. We all watched it.
We didn’t fall apart because of bad coaching. We fell apart due to inexperienced coaching. The problem with a roomful of young guys, is no one has “Been There, Done That” on their resume. So the trust just cannot be there. So everyone tightens up, and the whole thing limbos into Shitsville. Even if you like and respect a guy, you need something to hang your faith on.
The team likes and respects Nick, but when the wheels fell off the Defense, he didn’t have any answers, and neither did young guys Sean Desai or Matt Patricia, so the team went into a spiral. This year, the Eagles have a BTDT guy in Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio. He is (for my money), the single biggest acquisition of this offseason, and the clearest sign of us being all in.
WE returned to the win column, with a win over a division rival, while eliminating them from playoff contention. The home crowd bullied the coaching staff into running the football, and IT WORKED! We managed to win in the trenches on both sides of the ball, earning us another of the “ugly” wins, that we’re now famous for.
Dominating performances from QB Jalen Hurtsand OLB Haason Reddick, would go a long way towards getting us one them thar purtty wins. (Especially if we don’t give away points this week.)
This is a must win game. With a win, we go to 12 – 4. We’ve already clinched a playoff spot, sit atop the NFC East over Dallas, and hold the #2 seed in the conference. A win here helps us to hold onto all of that.
Suffering a loss would mean a stumble to 11 – 5, and a return of all those annoying questions the media asked during that three game skid. Worse yet, if the Cowboys win, then we’d be behind them in the division AND the conference.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Cardinals.
NOPE.
1) Win In The Trenches:Defensive line play isn’t always about sacks. In this case it’s about not allowing the Cardinals to get their run game going. In recent weeks DT Jordan Davis had been failing to hold the line of scrimmage and keep blockers off the LB’s. He was better last week, but we need him to wreck interior blocking schemes this week.
2) Hands Up:Again, d-line play isn’t just about the sack. Our linemen need to get their hands up and make it hard to see, for the 5’10” opposing QB. If he can’t see well, he may put the ball in dangerous places without realizing it. Would I trade a sack for an interception? Fuck yeah! Would you? Sure you would. So let’s get those big ‘ol paws up. (This is where a legit 6’5” 270 pound LDE to bookend with RDE Josh Sweat, would be great.)
3) Run The Ball: The Cardinals are the NFL’s 32nd ranked team against the run. The Cardinals are the league’s worst team against the run. No one in this league is worse against the run, than the Cardinals. I’m guessing that you understand what all that means. Let’s hope the Eagles coaching staff does as well.
A few Swift trips to the end zone would be great.
We need another 16+ carry game from RB D’Andre Swift. In terms of yardage, I think if he gets over 72 rushing yards, we should win. Listen, if 50,000 people (not all 69,000 are Eagles fans) are all yelling one thing, there may be some wisdom in listening.
4) Be Efficient: Give us four quarters of Hurtstaking what the opposing defense gives him, and using the clock as a weapon. No throwing into double coverage please! If one receiver is doubled, then someone must be wide open. When there is free yardage available, TAKE IT!
That doesn’t mean dinking and dunking exclusively. If the coverage gives us a look we can beat, by all means, take the shot! Even if it’s to back-up TE Jack Stoll, running loose. If the big play is there, pull that trigger. Just don’t try to create big plays where their potential doesn’t truly exist.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
First off, YAYYY!!!! We got a 1:00 game, again! For the first time in months, I stand a chance of getting Four Things Reviewed out on-time, without having to fight sleep to write it, with work looming the next morning. Or just bailing on it, because I couldn’t stay awake, and having to put it out late. Oh, 1:00 games. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you!
And none of that stuff.
Normally I try to focus on tactics which exploit opponent weaknesses. Not so much this week. The Eagles need some shakedown time to adjust to new Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia. Look, if you want to buy that garbage that Head Coach Nick Sirianni is selling about Sean Desai not being demoted, be my guest. He can’t bullshit me!
My gut says that the Cardinals coaching staff may not be all-in on this game.
Real talk: The 3 – 12 Cardinals hold the #2 overall pick in the Draft as of right now. Washington and New England are both 4 – 11, and right behind them. A loss keeps that pick in Arizona’s hands. A win, puts them at 4 – 12 and throws them into a (likely) three-way tie at 4 – 12.
Having already been eliminated from playoff contention, why also ruin that Draft spot? Especially since the world knows that Arizona wants to move on from their current QB. Given that he could be trade-bait for teams like Washington, Tennessee, Vegas, and Atlanta, why risk all that for a meaningless win?
A loss hurts us, and a win hurts them. Both teams would have to fuck up ROYALLY for the Eagles to not end up 12 – 4 by Sunday night.
****
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.
SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters.
In 2021, the NFL expanded the season to 17 games, which makes for an uneven split. So this year (at least), these Quarterly Reports will come after Weeks 5, 9, 13, and 17. (Ugh. I hate even looking at that format.)
Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.
STATUS: 8 – 1, 1st place in the NFC East, 1st place in the NFC, best record in the NFL.
Darius really slays ’em
OPPONENTS:
L – New York Jets
W – Miami
W – Washington*
W – Dallas*
OVERVIEW:
We’re 8 – 1, with a 2 game lead and the head-to-head tie-breaker over 5 – 3 Dallas. After we swept 4 – 5 Washington, they immediately hung up their season, and traded away their two starting DE’s. Our Defense held Miami’s 37 point per game offense, to a single scoring drive, on national television, as we donned our Kelly Green uniforms for the first time in over twenty years. Amid a four turnover game, we earned a loss vs an oddly scrappy Jets team.
What’s crazy is that the Eagles have struggled with turnovers and penalties, but keep finding ways to claw back and claim wins. This team has yet to play the sort of game befitting an 8 – 1 record. The mantra this year has been: “Just you wait ‘til we put it all together!” The thing is, we’re 9 games into a 17 game season. Real talk? This is starting to look like who we are.
GRADES:
QB:Jalen Hurts (97/137 – 70.8% – 1,085 – 9 – 2) has stepped up his game in every regard as a passer. Much of that has to do with the reported bone bruise in his left knee, limiting his effectiveness as a runner (33 – 110 – 3.3 – 3). He still runs, but he’s clearly not as dangerous right now. Still, 50% of Hurts as a runner, is still more of a problem than half the QB’s in the league right now. His per carry average is also deceptively low, as it includes both kneel downs and Brotherly Shoves. (Grade: A)
RB:D’Andre Swift (59 – 180 – 3.0 – 1 – 3) was abysmal as a rusher last quarter. Don’t hand me the “injuries to the O-line” excuse. We were down ONE guy! Added to that, his receiving (18 – 15 – 91 – 6.0 – 1) isn’t lighting the world on fire, either. He’s helping to get the ball out of his QB;s hand and move the sticks, but it’s not the sort of performance that ends in a long term deal. Neither are his three fumbles this quarter.
Kenny Gainwell remains underwhelming whether rushing (15 – 47 – 3.1 – 2 – 1), or receiving (8 – 7 – 35 – 5.0 – 0); but the coaching staff seems to love him. Head Coach Nick Sirianniraves about him. Remember when this team was all about competition? Sirianni was paying rock-paper-scissors, and shooting hoops… You wonder how much competition Swift feels with Gainwell behind him. My guess is, he seems to feel pretty safe. Boston Scottand Rashaad Pennyeach logged just 2 carries during the quarter. (Grade: F)
Goedert finds paydirt.
TE:Dallas Goedert (24 – 17 – 205 – 12.0 – 1) was the only player at this position to touch the ball last quarter. His production had been consistent with 205 yards per quarter. However, the broken arm that he suffered vs Dallas, will shelve him for at least four games. His receiving will be missed, but where his absence will most be felt, is in the run game. Both in terms of blocking, and ability to draw defenders out of the box. Jack Stoll (no stats) is a very good blocker. Not developing depth here was stupid of us. (Grade: C)
WR:A.J. Brown (41 – 32 – 464 – 14.5 – 4) has been an outright menace. Despite frequent double coverage, he’s operated as volume receiver, while still catching 78% of the passes thrown to him. Oh, and he set an all-time NFL record, with six consecutive games of 125 or more receiving yards. Not Jerry. Not Megatron. Not T.O., Fitz, or even Julio. Just A.J. Alone.
I said before, that Devonta Smith (26 – 19 – 243 – 12.7 – 2) needs to be involved more. Instead, he saw a drop-off in targets, despite a 73.0% catch rate. Speaking of usage drop, start checking milk cartons for Olamide Zaccheaus (7 – 3 – 18 – 6.0 – 0). Quez Watkinshas been out with injury since Week Five. Julio Jones (3 – 2 – 11 – 5.5 – 1) may see more time next quarter, due to injury at TE. The ball needs to be spread around more, but there are loads of production coming from here. (Grade: A)
OT:Lane Johnson is the premier RT in the sport. Due to an injury beside him, he’s had to help compensate, and yet the Eagles are still 8 – 1, while averaging 27.7 points, last quarter. On the other hand, LT Jordan Mailata hasn’t been quite as smooth recently. He drew a false start against Washington, and allowed a sack vs Dallas. Nothing to cry about, but to this point Mailata has spoiled us. So it’s easy to notice when he’s not perfect. (Grade: B)
That blue line is where their defense lined up. So much for that shit!
OG: LG Landon Dickerson has shown improvement since last report, by drawing zero flags. He’s also a huge reason why the Brotherly Shove works as well as it does, as the left side of the line is far more dominant at generating a new line of scrimmage. At RG Sua Opeta filled in while Cam Jurgens was on I.R. Opeta is a gamer, but his lack of physicality is likely what led to him being benched for rookie Tyler Steen. With Steen’s first start being against Dallas, he acquitted himself well, recovering a fumble that could have changed the flow of the game. We still weren’t able to run the football the way we like, and that is an area for concern. (Grade: B)
C: Finalist for People magazine’s 2023 World’s Sexiest Man award, Jason Kelce has been burning so hot, that it’s starting to concern me, about how much he’ll have left in January/February. Nice worry to have, right? (Grade: A)
DE:Josh Sweat(9 – 4.0 – 0 – 0) has indeed stepped up his game as a pass rusher, with 4 sacks in four games to go with 5 tackles for losses (TFL). Now if he can start to get the ball out of opposing QB’s hands, that would be faaaaantastic. Brandon Graham (4 – 2.0 – 0 – 0) made a cameo in the Dallas game, getting to the QB on two consecutive downs. It was a moment of absolute fucking cool. Very much on the order of David Bowie’s cameo in Zoolander.
How Brandon Graham showed up vs Dallas.
Derek Barnett (1 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) played 27 snaps over three games, and was inactive vs Dallas. He’s healthy and has had no penalties, but the window to trade him has passed, so I have no clue what the plan for him is. This position is one player deep, and then staffed with part-timers. That allows us to surprise teams, but not to know what we can count on from down to down. (Grade: C)
DT:Fletcher Cox (7 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) is still a very disruptive force inside, but more and more, he’s gimping to the sideline during games. (Playing him as an End would mitigate some the abuse that he takes fighting through traffic.) Jordan Davis (7 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) isn’t making as many plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage. In fact, neither man has a TFL last quarter.
Jalen Carter (4 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) missed the Jets game (back pain), and therefore is undefeated as a pro. Milton Williams (8 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) has decreased in effectiveness with each game last quarter. This position was money for the Defense in the first quarter, but has taken a nose-dive since. Get it together! (Grade: D)
Once again… HAASON, CHOP!
OLB:Haason Reddick(14 – 4.5 – 0 – 0) also has 5 TFL last quarter, as if to underscore what a nightmare he is for opposing offensive lines. Zach Cunningham (21 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) has stepped up in coverage, breaking up 3 passes over the last two games. While his numbers aren’t flashy, his play has been rock solid. Rookie Nolan Smith (5 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) so far, has never seen more than NINE snaps in a game. That’s too few. The guy can’t be productive without a chance to produce. Patrick Johnson(1 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) is a Special Teamer who was drafted as a DE/LB hybrid. He’s since been rendered pointless by the additions of Reddick and Smith. Unless he can be a stop-gap for Barnett, he’s entering his last half season here. (Grade: B)
MLB:Nakobe Dean (23 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) makes tackles, with 2 for losses. What he doesn’t do (right now) is make plays. What he also doesn’t do, is stay on the field. He’s looking at a second I.R. stint this season. He’s also a bit of a liability in pass coverage. Some of it, (by the eyeball test) seems to be related to his height and short arms. Neither of which can be coached up. He’s got good instincts for the run, but until he becomes a factor in either underneath coverage or pass rushing, he’s running a serious JAG risk. (Just A Guy)
When Dean returned from I.R, Nick Morrow(10 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) saw a steep drop in his snaps. However, with Dean going out again, Morrow returns to the starting line-up. I think Morrow is the better option anyway, as he has a better feel for underneath coverage. (I’m already interested to see what our Front Seven’s production will look like, at the end of this next quarter.) Christian Elliss (3 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) hasn’t logged a defensive snap since Week Three. All of his quarterly production has been on Special Teams. That should change shortly. (Grade: C)
S: Before I get into this, I want to tip my cap to traded STerrell Edmunds (13 – 0.0 – 0 – 0). He deserved better than going from a 6 – 1 team that he helped build, to a Tennessee team with no shot this year. That being acknowledged, let’s dig in.
Reed Blankenship (21 – 0.0 – 1 – 0) missed the game vs Miami, but still managed to break up 4 passes and recover a fumble. He’s been up and down this year, but I have to keep reminding myself that he’s in just his second year. In all honesty, he’s probably playing way more than coaches planned for, when they didn’t draft him at all last year.
This is how you Reed a QB!
Who we did draft, was Sydney Brown (15 – 0.0 – 0 – 1). Lots of energy and wants to hit, but he seems slow to process routes, and ends up late to the play. Fans end up cheering a tackle, when they could have been cheering an interception. We traded to get Philly native Kevin Byard(16 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) only to handcuff him to a system that doesn’t let him challenge routes, and reduces him to a tackler only. Which is what we had with Edmunds. Meaning that we’re getting the same thing, but with higher expectations now, which is why the disappointment feels sharper. Hopefully the Bye will help our coaches realize their error.
Justin Evans (no stats) has been on I.R. since Week Four. Injuries have been the 2023 story of this position, so far. After the Bye, there should be a full stable to work from, but so far this position hasn’t been our strength. (Grade: D)
CB:Darius Slay(19 – 0.0 – 1 – 0) was out vs the Jets, but made a huge, possibly game saving interception vs Miami. He also has broken up 3 passes this quarter. James Bradberry (17 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) has 4 pass break-ups, but the completions and the FOUR touchdowns he allowed last quarter, are reason for alarm.
For comparison, while Slay has given up two this season, Bradberry has given up seven. Much of that can be laid at the feet of Bradberry being a Man-press player, forced to play off-coverage, thus exposing his lack of top-end speed. Put simply, the defensive coaches are hanging him out to dry.
Bradley Roby (1 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) returns from I.R. soon, and will almost certainly take over the Nickel spot. Refresher: We added Roby after Josh Jobe(4 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) proved to be an easy mark for QB’s to throw on, through the first quarter of the season.
Eli Ricks (7 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) took over the Nickel job, after Roby went on I.R. and Jobe still seemed to struggle. Respectively, Ricks and Jobe have broken up 1 and 2 passes this quarter. However, until the Dallas game, where he was frequently matched up with WR Ceedee Lamb, Ricks was seeing little traffic. He’s generally done a good job of making QB’s look off of his man.
Kelee Ringo (2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) hasn’t seen a defensive snap since Week Two. Last quarter’s tackles are from Special Teams. According to Sports Illustrated, the Eagles want to develop him into a S, which makes sense when you see his body type and see him move. If that’s the case, unbury him from this depth pile, and move him to where he’ll see actual snaps. Another unforced coaching error! (Grade: D)
LS:Rick Lovato has been solid, steady, and uneventful. (Grade: A)
P:Braden Mann (10 – 514 – 51.4) is kicking the ball over half the field, which is a 10 yard improvement over the first quarter. Only 1 of those 10 punts has been a touchback, and 2 have been inside the 20. Over that same period, we’ve given up just 50 return yards on only 4 returns (12.5 ypr). Meaning that, generally Mann shifts the field position by half the field, and then you stay where he puts you. This is all awesome sauce! (Grade: A)
K:Jake Elliott (2/3 FG 66.6% – 15/15 XP 100%) Four games, just three field goal attempts. Should we get mad at the Offense? The miss was in the Jets game. Everything went wrong that day. Just shake it off and throw the game tape away. Elliotts is balling. Shows up in the clutch like a G when we call him. (Grade: A)
PR/KR: WR Britain Covey (5 – 38 – 7.6 – 0 / none) missed the game vs Miami, but otherwise is doing little to deserve a roster spot, if he’s not going to be more aggressive about helping with field position. No other Eagles has attempted a punt return season. RB Boston Scott had a 38 yard kickoff return vs Miami, but that’s really the highlight of the return game this quarter. It’s one thing to have poor results. It’s quite another to make no effort. (Grade: F)
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
We went 3 – 1, beating BOTH the Dolphins and Cowboys. Getting the sweep of the Redsk- Commanders, was big. Coupled with the win over the Cowboys, that sweep puts us up 3 – 0 in the division, holding a tie-breaker. Right after the sweep, the Commanders hung up their season at 4 – 5, and traded away both starting DE’s.
So that’s a kill.
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
This is the tough part of the schedule. By “tough” I mean all the teams we face, are playoff caliber. Then again, so are we. Everyone in this arena is a killer, but every one of these teams has more losses than we do. So let’s not forget, they have to play US too. And no one is covered in more blood than we are.
I’m on record predicting a loss to the 49ers. I said as recently asJuly, that I expect to lose a close one to them.On December 3rd, we will be playing in that team’s Super Bowl. Meanwhile to us, it’ll just be a game. They’re not just going to want that game, psychologically they already NEED it. If we win that one, it could cause that whole roster to emotionally spiral out.
I want that game!
Getting out of this stretch 2 – 2 is fine, as long as one of the wins is over Dallas. That would put us at 10 – 3 and them at 9 – 4, even if they win their next three. The Eagles going 3 – 1 over this stretch puts us at 11 – 2. So if we go 3 – 1 or better, it won’t matter what Dallas does. If we go 4 – 0 it would break the NFL.
Guess which one I want!
(I gotta simmer down. Simmer down! Don’t burn up before the games get here!) So the mission is 2 – 2, with a win over Dallas at minimum. More than two wins removes conditions.
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