FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: Game 7: Cowboys

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/10/27
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, stats, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

WE got manhandled.

EAGLES 21 – Cowboys 38

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Tanner McKee (23/35 – 65.7% – 211 – 1 – 1)

Rushing: RB Saquon Barkley (7 – 62 – 8.8 – 1 – 0)

Receiving: WR Makai Lemon (8 – 7 – 67 – 9.5 – 1)

Drive Killer: N/A

Sack Leader: N/A

Special Teams Ace: N/A

****

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: COWBOYS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Don’t Get Bullied: Well the point of this one, was for our Offensive Line not to get bullied. (Maybe I should have stressed it for both sides of the ball.) The emphasis was on taking it right to the Cowboys defensive front, and get our RB to 100 yards rushing. We didn’t get a 100 yard RB, but that had nothing to do with the Line.

The blocking was mostly very good. Aside from McKee’s 1 yard run, we ran for 120 yards on 24 carries, and 5 yard per carry. If Barkley could have played more, he’d have hit 100 easy, so I’m not counting that against us. The O-Line took it to ‘em. We didn’t win this one, but this was definitely a building block. (DONE)

WR Makai Lemon fights for his first TD catch

2) Spread the Ball Around: Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion did the best job of scheming receivers open, that I’ve seen from from him all season. Unfortunately, Tanner McKee too often didn’t pull the trigger on bigger throws. Still, McKee did hit eight different receivers in this game. It would have been great though, if more of those completions were past the first down marker, instead of short of them. (DONE)

3) Take Away the Quick Stuff: In who’s book is an eight yard cushion considered covering somebody???! We saw a metric ass-ton of that bullshit last night, with ZERO adjustments ever being made. Some my want to put this on Head Coach Nick Sirianni, but those people are idiots. Sirianni has never coached defense a day in his life. The guy to blame for this is Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio.

Our pass rush never got within a fifty dollar cab ride of QB Dak Prescott (15/27 – 55.5% – 212 – 3 – 0), because he was playing pitch-and-catch all night with wide open receivers. On one reception their TE bobbled a catch twice, pulled it in, and then still made a few yards after the catch. If he was covered, the ball would have been incomplete or even picked off. (NOT DONE)

4) DE Jalyx Hunt Must Win: This motherfucker (2 tackles) was invisible. As was DE Jonathan Greenard (no stats). YET AGAIN! Everyone wants to complain about all the money that was spent at DT this offseason. This season, the DT’s have at least made some impact plays. Aside from Nolan Smith (DNP – Injured), the DE’s have been M.I.A.

Everyone keeps asking what Sirianni does. I want to know what our Ends do!!! That position has been a historical place of honor for this franchise, (White, Simmons, Fuller, Cole, Graham, etc.), but these days… it barely warrants a punchline. I’m not a fan of tanking or a fire sale, but if GM Howie Roseman can unload Greenard (and the contract extension that we gave him), by all means, please do it, Howie. (NOT DONE)

++++

This week’s Four Things score was 2 of 4. Offensively, we got some things heading in the right direction. Defensively, we threw the baby out with the bathwater, and jumped out the window after him. This Sunday we get an opportunity to sweep Washington, and get ourselves back in the win column. GO BIRDS!

****

Game Hero: Saquon Barkley – No question about it. He showed toughness and leadership out there. Not just by being willing to gut out the pain, but by being effective every time he touched the ball. He led by example, which didn’t allow anyone else to hide inside their own excuses. The result was probably crispest offensive performance of the season. Especially when you consider who was missing.

Game goat: The Defense: I know that I said I blamed Fangio earlier, but that was just in comparison to blaming Sirianni.

Who I really put this stinker on, is the players. Vic Fangio didn’t fail to set the edges. That’s on our DE’s. Vic Fangio wasn’t constantly late or absent, in his run fits. That would be LB Jihaad Campbell (2 tackles). Fangio wasn’t the guy backing out of man-press coverage into a zone, and then choosing to press six yards downfield. That would be CB Riq Woolen (2 tackles, 2 PD).

Vic Fangio wasn’t out there physically getting pushed around. It wasn’t his pride that should have bowed up. It wasn’t Vic Fangio out there getting shoved past, for that final touchdown. I put this on the players, and the outright lack of manhood they showed out there.

I know this much: Until they redeem themselves, they need to tone down how much bass they put in their voices, when arguing with their wives. Keep it at a Kurt Russell and no deeper. All baritone is off-limits.

Defense was out there getting Apollo’d

On The Whole: I sound angrier than I am. Getting back LG Landon Dickerson and C Drew Kendall, really seemed to stabilize the Line, and from there the Offense. At one point the commentators noted that McKee was probably surprised with how much time he had in the pocket to throw. It was by no means a pristine performance, but it was all positive indicators.

As for McKee, he’s a back-up. If things around him are running on time, he’s a decent game manager, who still has some ceiling to reach. What he is not, is a genuine starter. His instincts for improvisation are almost nil. He’s a statue in the pocket. Worst of all, he’s too focused on not making a mistake, to swing for those home runs.

There was entirely too much clawing for the ball, instead of tackling the runner. Players make more on their contracts when they prove they can take the ball away. Problem is, when they don’t strip the ball out, they end up allowing extra yardage. Sometimes lots of it. Like last night.

It might be time to trade CB Cooper DeJean (7 tackles). Teams have enough book on what he can’t do. So we’re now watching different teams beat him in different ways. What’s worse, his dinged confidence is showing up in his eyes during interviews. That’s only going to magnified under the heat of competition. Competitors can practically smell it. We don’t want that to start infecting our defensive huddle. Either fix him, or ship him out ASAP.

FOUR THINGS: GAME 7: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/10/25
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

RETURNING from injury this week, are RB Saquon Barkley and LG Landon Dickerson. Coming back with them, isn’t just top-shelf athletic ability, but a sense of veteran, emotional stability. These are men who know what it’s like, and what it takes, to be dominant. Especially when running the football.

And what do we have here!? Is that a Dallas team that ranks dead last against the run? Well, gasp indeed. An oasis in the desert. A cheeseburger in Somalia. A whorehouse that takes coupons! It’s time to get our groove back, baby!

With a win the skid ends and we get to a record of 3 – 4.

With a loss we fall to 2 – 5

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the COWBOYS

1) Don’t Get Bullied: Dallas knows how vulnerable they are to the run, and will be trying to cover that weakness with lots of posturing. Eight and nine man fronts, Zero-blitzes, mugged ‘A’ gaps… etcetera. We have to take the physicality to them, and bludgeon the fight out of them.

No Eagles player has run for a hundred yards in any game so far this season. That needs to change on Monday night. We need to turn this game into a metaphorical fistfight in the street. Our Offensive Line has to outright whip Dallas’s defensive front.

2024 Dallas Goedert catches 14 yd TD

2) Spread the Ball Around: We are going to be without our Week One starting QB and both starting WR’s. While we may not have a number one WR to take over the game, we have a few good, young receivers filling in for those guys. If we spread the ball around enough, it will open things up enough for everyone to contribute.

We’re going to be leaning on WR Darius Cooper and possibly rookie WR Makai Lemon. WR Hollywood Brown should finally be available this week, and he may even get the start over Lemon, just to bring a veteran presence to the field. Could be a big week for TE Dallas Goedert.

3) Take Away the Quick Stuff: Going back to the days of former QB Troy Aikman, the Cowboys have generally preferred a rhythm-based passing attack. Of course, that won’t work if we can consistently manage to throw off their rhythm.

4) DE Jalyx Hunt Must Win: The Eagles will be without OLB Nolan Smith who is tied for the team lead in sacks (3.0). DE Jonathan Greenard might play in this game, but he won’t be 100%. So, it’s imperative that DE Jalyx Hunt finally steps up and delivers some splash plays in this game. He’s gotten plenty of opportunities, he simply hasn’t come through for his unit this year.

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

The Eagles Offense has spent the beginning of the season trying to figure out what their identity is. Pretty hard to do when injuries are even claiming back-up players. Still, the Eagles have been battling. Week in and week out. Out-gunned and out-manned, they’ve even spent some of that time being out-coached.

But never once has the effort waned.

Beating Dallas won’t require a miracle. What it will require, is for the Eagles to find something they do well. Some ember of hope. Then blow on that ember, until there’s a flame of legitimate chance. Feed that flame until there’s a hungry fire going. Then, turn that fire loose on Dallas.

We can do it.

****

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.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: Game 6: Panthers

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/10/19
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, report, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

QB Tanner McKee is sacked on the first play of the game

THE skid continues.

EAGLES 14 – Panthers 25

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Tanner McKee (26/45 – 57.7% – 215 – 1 – 0)

Rushing: RB Dameon Pierce (12 – 35 – 2.9 – 1 – 0)

Receiving: WR DeVonta Smith (14 – 7 – 75 – 10.7 – 1)

Drive Killer: N/A

Sack Leader: OLB Nolan Smith (1.0 – 0 – 3)

Special Teams Ace: N/A

****

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: PANTHERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Get Their QB Moving: We did a fair job of this. Especially in the first half. However, by the fourth quarter our Defense was gassed, from all the extra time they were forced to play; because our Offense couldn’t stay on the field. Also we’d lost Nolan Smith to a concussion. (DONE)

RB Dameon Pierce runs for a short touchdown.

2) Lean On the Run: NOPE! McKee had 45 attempts, was sacked three times, and scrambled once. That’s 49 called passes. We handed the ball off just 12 times for 35 yards. That’s a ratio of 49:12. This is not how to support a QB making his fourth career start, behind a patchwork Offensive Line. (NOT DONE)

3) Make Catches Expensive: We had a couple of nice hits in the first half, but by the time the second half rolled around, we were chasing runners through zones instead of meeting them in zones. (NOT DONE)

4) Establish Hot Routes: Aside from routes that run receivers into or through the backfield, I didn’t see many places for McKee to go with the ball, in blitz situations. This has been a problem for weeks now. Not having a solution for it by now, is either the result of coaching incompetence, or mental retardation.

Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion, is hanging our QB’s out to dry, on a weekly basis. As long as teams can look at their film study, and see every week that we aren’t making adjustments, they will continue to have an easy time of keeping us off the scoreboard. (NOT DONE)

++++

This week’s Four Things score was 1 of 4. Next week we get to face the 2 – 4 Dallas Cowboys, in a game that somebody has to win. Because we can’t have a second intra-division tie, right? Reality wouldn’t do that to us, right? RIGHT!?

****

Game Hero: N/A

Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion

Game goat: OC Sean Mannion – The scheme that our players are being handed, isn’t putting them in positions to succeed. There are fundamental issues that are keeping the run from being effective. There are fundamental issues keeping the passing game inconsistent. On a week in and week out basis, there is nothing to show that the coaching staff has learned anything from prior weeks; and today was no different.

On The Whole: Injuries be damned! Despite all the injuries, the Eagles have been in every one of these games, with the exception of Chicago.

This level of offensive coaching malpractice, has to be addressed. The play selection of 49 passes to 12 hand-offs, a with a QB making his fourth career start, is practically like sabotaging him. Our QB had no hot routes to address blitzes. He had no run game to check the opponent’s pass rush, or to help sell play-action. Then to top it all off, the offense was run through him.

For yet another week, our Defense kept us in the game, but fatigue yet again caught up to them late in the game. Special Teams continues to be a non-factor in games. By which I mean, it’s nothing that ever poses a threat to our opponents. Yet in spite of all of this, we remain in the hunt for the division crown.

FOUR THINGS: GAME 6: EAGLES – PANTHERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/10/17
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

DESPITE being decimated by injuries, we’ve been in these last two games until the closing seconds. No matter how hard the hits, our Eagles just keep moving forward. Unfortunately, the hard hits keep coming. QB Jalen Hurts will have to sit out this game with a blood clot issue, and let QB Tanner McKee come in and do his thing.

We’re also getting back WR DeVonta Smith. Meaning that McKee, will at least have a legit number one receiver to throw to, vs a Panthers defense that’s allowing 27 points per game. If the interior Offensive Line can be one week better, we could see the Offense take a serious lurch forward on Sunday. (Baby steps.)

A win gets us to 3 – 3, snaps a three game skid, and keeps us firmly in second place of a wide open NFC East, where the giants owe us two games this year.

A loss sees us fall to 2 – 4, with chants that the Eagles should tank the season, growing louder and louder.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the PANTHERS

1) Get Their QB Moving: The Panthers QB is really not a running quarterback to start with. If we can get him throwing on the move, it’ll affect his launch platform, and maybe we can steal a ball or two from him. Getting him on the ground would also be nice, but this week takeaways need to be the priority with regard to pass-rushing.

2) Lean On the Run: If we can put up 130 yards on the ground, we should be in this one. Hurts was still getting familiar with the new scheme in gameplan situations. That means McKee will have spent far less time getting real reps in it. So he can’t be expected to come out throwing 40 attempts, behind our patchwork O-Line. Not if we’re trying to win the game. (Which we ARE!) Downhill, between the Tackles, ball-control running will make the game go faster and allow for our Defense to get their breath. Because lord knows, we’re going to be leaning on them.

3) Make Catches Expensive: Our opponent boasts some big receivers at 6’5, 6’4, 6’3, and 6’3. All of these are over 210 pounds and one is 227. These guys are going to use their height to make catches. We need to make sure that when their WR’s put those arms up, their exposed ribs see some sauce; and that jump balls are met with nearly being planted like the flag at Iwo Jima. Any ball put where our DB can’t reach, has to have a bill attached to it. And the prices need to be almost murder.

4) Establish Hot Routes: McKee being so inexperienced means that he will see quite a bit of blitzes, until he shows that he can solve them. Not working in his favor is the fact that this system, doesn’t seem to have many blitz punishing routes woven into it. So when Hurts has been in, he’s been under constant siege.

Perhaps the expectation is for the QB to individually call out a blitz beating route, but that has mounting drawbacks. What could help McKee (and these could be left in the offense for when Hurts gets back), are some hot routes that allow the ball to be quickly dumped, forward of the line of scrimmage. NO SCREENS, goddammit!

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

The Eagles have their problems, but this Panthers team is by no means a world beater. Their defense has had only one good game, and that was against the Falcons with QB Cooper Rush starting. Listen, we are beat to shit. The vibes are weak. Some fans are even signaling to the team, that it would be okay if they quit.

But that’s not who we are. Our division is still wide open. So we don’t quit. We don’t surrender. A wise man once said, “It’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.” That’s why we don’t fold. Even with all these hits,

The division is still wide open. Our season is far from over. So we fight.

****

WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know FOOTBALL and that’s it. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: Game 5: Jaguars

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/10/12
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Special Teams, stats, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

ANOTHER tough loss to swallow.

EAGLES 17 – Jaguars 19

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Jalen Hurts (21/40 – 52.5% – 220 – 1 – 0)

Rushing: RB Dameon Pierce (11 – 14 – 1.2 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: WR Darius Cooper (3 – 2 – 71 – 35.5 – 1)

Drive Killer: CB Quinyon Mitchell (1 Interception)

Sack Leader: DT Jalen Carter (2.0 – 2 – 5)

Special Teams Ace: KR Britain Covey (3 – 92 – 30.6 – 0 – (42))

****

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: JAGUARS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Possess the Ball: Run the ball and give our Defense time to rest. So the play-calling looked like 40 pass attempts, 2 scrambles and a sack, vs just 16 handoffs. That’s 43 passes to 16 runs, behind a line that featured two brand new starters in the interior.

The Eagles run game vs the Jaguars

Well at least short, ball-control routes were called, so that Hurts could get the ball out of his hand quickly. AAAAAANT! Wrong. WRONG! I’ve been preaching patience for Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion since the season started, but something has to happen here. He’s a rookie and he clearly needs some sort of assistance, or guidance. (NOT DONE)

2) Involve the TE More: The call was for eight or more pass attempts to the TE position. Between TE Dallas Goedert (9 – 6 – 38 – 6.3 – 0), TE Zach Ertz (2 – 0 – 0 – 0.0 – 0), and TE Johnny Mundt (1 – 0 – 0 – 0.0 – 0) the position saw twelve targets. (DONE)

3) Win On the Ends: While Jalen Carter was a terror on the inside, our DE’s were basically M.I.A. in this one. They generated no sacks, and no QB hits. Even worse, they kept letting the opposing QB extend plays with his legs. They weren’t even a force against the run.

After Jalyx Hunt (3 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) was injured on the last play of the first half, OLB Arnold Ebiketie (3 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) came in and generated 2 QB hits. That however only really happened when the Jaguars LT was injured in the second half. (NOT DONE)

4) Challenge Routes: Play was feisty on the corners, but the middle of our defense was sill wide open for business. Even when the ball was popped up in the air, there were no Eagles around to catch it. Good luck is being in a position to take advantage of an opportunity. The Eagles aren’t doing the work needed to put themselves in those positions. So it’s no wonder it always seems like luck is against them. (NOT DONE)

++++

This week’s Four Things score was 1 of 4. Next week we’re home against a .500 Panthers team coming off their Bye. It’s a winnable game, but we have to win it. Carolina won’t just hand it over.

****

DT Jalen Carter getting one of his two sack/fumbles on the day. (The Eagles recovered neither.)

Game Hero: DT Jalen Carter – With 3 tackles for losses, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles, the man was out there leading the Defense by example.

Game goat: K Jake Elliott – At first blush, it’s easy to blame Head Coach Nick Sirianni for losing this game. His decision to have Elliott kick to the returners, instead of kicking for a touchback, led to the Jaguars winning on a 57 yard FG. However, upon further thought, blaming Sirianni is outright bullshit.

Even with the ball going to a return man, a kick return generally will result in a tackle, resulting in that team starting their drive earlier than the forty yard line. On a typical kick return, you don’t start off in range for a 57 yard field goal. This one only happened that way here, because of some missed tackles on the return. I don’t recall Sirianni missing a tackle.

The reason I put this on Elliott, is because he’s the guy on the field. Sirianni isn’t the guy with a decade of Special Teams experience. And don’t hand me “Elliott was just following orders”. No counter-recommendation, no audible. Nothing to indicate that a decade of experience was dialed-in and trying to provide better options. Just nothing.

On The Whole: Everyone assumed we were going to get shit-canned. Instead we were in this game until every second had ticked off the clock. We almost won a game that we were given zero chance in.

We had seemingly more players out than in, and with our leading RB for the day, having been signed off the street, two offensive linemen making their first NFL starts and our RT now making his second career start. Adding insult to injury, we suffered several more injuries during the game. And still kept fighting.

Anyone giving the Eagles up for dead, isn’t really paying attention, and doesn’t know the character of this organization. While the loss, the way it happened, was ghastly, it’s still just one loss. We’re 2 – 3, the division leader is 3 – 1 – 1, and there are still 12 games to be played. And that division leader still has to play us, twice.

 

It’s only over for the quitters. Fly Eagles Fly.

FOUR THINGS: GAME 5: EAGLES – JAGUARS

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/10/10
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, trade, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WHIRLWIND of a week! We lost forty percent of our Week One starting Offensive Line when RT Lane Johnson and his family, needed him to retire immediately. Followed by C/G Cam Jurgens being traded to the Ravens.

This has led to some national pundits, and hot take specialists speculating that the Eagles season is over. That Our team, is tanking for a rebuild. That is never how this team works. Owner Jeffrey Lurie expects his team to be competitive every year. So locals know that we don’t rebuild. We merely re-tool to stay in the hunt.

“I swear to you, we’re not finished yet.”

This week QB Jalen Hurts and his weapons, skip across The Pond, to hunt down the Jacksonville Jaguars. Like last week, we’ll still be without several key starters. So, we’ll be short-handed, but given the overall talent levels on both teams when healthy, our injury situation will be sauce for the goose.

The Eagles are seen as the underdog in this one, but as the Buccaneers proved this week, odds makers don’t run routes or make tackles. Games are not won on paper. They have to actually be fought out! That is how glory is won. Cry havoc!!! And let slip the dogs of war.

A win completely changes the narrative about us “tanking”. It would also improve our record to 3 – 2, and have us in no worse than second place in the division.

A loss drops us to 2 – 3, making us a sub .500 team. At which point, any talk about who, what, or where we are in the division, has to be tabled until we’re above board again. (As the Eagles are in London this weekend, allow me to clarify that my use of the term “tabled” is used in the American, and not the British sense.)

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the JAGUARS

RB Will Shipley this preseason, running behind C/G Willie Lampkin

1) Possess the Ball: Work the clock and give our Defense time to rest. That way they have the energy to be more impactful when it’s their turn to play. This of course means a commitment to running the ball, mostly with RB Will Shipley, while RB Saquon Barkley is out with a hammy, and RB Tank Bigsby is on Injured Reserve.

Sounds nuts at first, I know. However, with a re-formulated Offensive Line, that is sixty percent comprised of guys who were on the bench for Week One; maybe leaning heavily on the pass is a recipe for disaster. The object of this game is still to win it.

2) Involve the TE More: Part of the reason that our passing game is stalling, is because every route seems to be intermediate and deep. Give Hurts a security blanket, or an off-schedule option, when things don’t go as planned. Throw a few passes in the short and intermediate range, by which I do not mean, to TE Johnny Mundt.

All signs point to TE Dallas Goedert being back in action, which would be huge. If not, TE Zach Ertz may not be able to run away from coverage, but he’s a savvy vet with reliable hands, who can find a seam and settle into it. Getting eight or so pass attempts to the TE, would make everything run smoother.

3) Win On the Ends: Without a bunch of traps and games, we need our OLB’s (DE’s) to beat blocks and sack QB “Magical” Trevor Lawrence. If we’re not playing contain, then we need to actually get to the QB. We need to hit him, so that we get in his head, and force him to make mistakes. We don’t want him getting hot.

All signs point to DE Jonathan Greenard not being available, so even if he is, he’ll be far from optimal. That makes this an opportunity for OLB Jalyx Hunt to step up, in the way that OLB Nolan Smith has.

4) Challenge Routes: All season so far, we’ve been playing too lose in coverage. It’s allowing opposing QB’s to get the ball out, well before the rush gets home. This has to stop! Our Secondary has to make their QB hesitate before throwing a pass. So far they haven’t been, and it’s been ruining our pass rush.

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

DT Jordan Davis putting in work, back in 2022

I’d also like to see DT Jordan Davis get more snaps. So far he’s seen 128 snaps to DT Moro Ojomo’s 190. That’s 45% to 68% of the snaps. Meanwhile DT Jalen Carter has seen 228 (81%), despite having a broken wrist. Can we get Davis on the field more!? This snap share has been a decision. And a stupid one. Fix it!

Some of what’s happened this year has been bad luck, but most of our wounds have been self-inflicted. That means with a little more smart, and a little less stupid, we still have it within our own power to change the course of our season.

****

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.

[yeah bitch eagle pic]

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: Game 4: Rams

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/10/05
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Rants, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

DEFEAT, snatched from the jaws of victory!

EAGLES 20 – Rams 24

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Jalen Hurts (12/27 – 44.4% – 93 – 2 – 0)

Rushing: RB Tank Bigsby (14 – 55 – 3.9 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: WR Darius Cooper (7 – 3 – 33 – 11.0 – 2)

Drive Killer: S Cooper DeJean (5 – 0.0 – 1 – 0)

Sack Leader: OLB Nolan Smith (1.0 – 0 – 2)

Special Teams Ace: PR Britain Covey (3 – 59 – 19.6 – 0 – 41)

****

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: RAMS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Figure Out the LG: The Left Guard position was yet again a trouble spot. When the Eagles finally got something going with the run game, it was off to the right, towards rookie RT Markel Bell, who was filling-in at just about the last minute, for future Hall Of Fame RT Lane Johnson. (Lane is dealing with something personal, and I wish him well. Football can wait.)

When running behind a rookie Tackle, is a better option than running behind a veteran Guard; it’s time to bench somebody. When your QB is sacked four times and hardly ever has a pocket to step up into; it’s time to bench somebody. That somebody is C Cam Jurgens, who is an outright liability while he plays LG. (NOT DONE)

2) Sack Stafford: The Rams QB, despite being virtually a statue, was only sacked once on the day. One sack per game will not do the job. The pressure simply has no time to get home, because the ball is out of opposing QB’s hands so fast. We have got to start covering tighter, and stop giving opposing QB’s such an easy game of pitch and toss. (NOT DONE)

3) Man Or Boom: The Rams didn’t run as much traffic over the middle, as we saw last week. Instead, they spent the day throwing thirteen passes (ten were caught), to a RB repeatedly wide open in the flat. Both of our interceptions however, did come in the middle of the field, from Safeties driving on the ball. This represents a huge adjustment from last week’s passive play. (DONE)

4) Get Some Passes Slotted In: Hurts didn’t have many completions on the day, but he did wedge in a couple to slot guys, including the second touchdown that he threw to Darius Cooper. The only rub with these throws, is that they weren’t quick hitters. If we’re not going to protect Hurts with competent Guard-play, then Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion has to find ways to help the receivers uncover faster. (DONE)

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This week’s Four Things score was 2 of 4. Which is a great way to end up with a either a close win, or a close loss. We get to try to claw our way above .500, next Sunday in London against a 3 -1 Jaguars team. Fun fact, the only NFL team more popular in London than the Eagles, is the Jaguars.

****

Game Hero: Darius Cooper – This young man is making a serious case for more playing time. Especially as a red zone target! When WR DeVonta Smith gets back and is garnering more attention, Cooper may find more room to roam, than he did in this game. Provided he actually does get more opportunities.

Game goat: Head Coach Nick Sirianni – I don’t fault him for not kicking the field goal on 4th down. It wouldn’t have won the game anyway. The issue with Sirianni, is Mannion wants less input on his system, than Sirianni is used to giving. With Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, being left alone to run his unit, questions about “What does Sirianni do?” are only getting louder.

For example: Who was responsible for making adjustments at the half? A coach can set a tone, but the calls come from the people actually running the systems. In these last two games (especially at Chicago), Sirianni looked so disconnected. Not that he looked like he didn’t care. He just looked like he didn’t know what his game day role was.

All the HC stuff during the week? Sure, he heads up the culture, the meetings, the practices. However, on the sidelines during games now, he almost seems like he’s in the way. He has to get a handle on that, before it starts to cost him the locker room.

On The Whole: The Eagles are philosophically built on trench warfare. Problem is, they are no longer physically built on it.

The Eagles have two starting Guards who can’t get vertical displacement, one-on-one in the run game. Fact is, no team should even have a back-up Guard, who can’t generate interior push. This may not have an in-season fix. We’ll have to wait and see what shakes out when LG Landon Dickerson gets back.

The Eagles have Defensive Ends who try to generate rush by crashing in, instead of first setting an edge. These shortcuts are opening passing lanes and escape routes for running QB’s. Jumbling the line like this, is generating more traffic for our Defensive Tackles to swim through. This can be fixed by next week.

The main reason we aren’t getting sacks is because the ball is out of opposing QB’s hands, well before the rush can get there. Our coverage isn’t tight enough and LB Jihaad Campbell (9 tackles) has coverage speed, but no coverage instincts. Buy him some cheesesteaks and rotate him at DE. In the meantime, start LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (15 tackles, 1 pass defensed).

These were the big issues this week, and so far all four weeks. This is the handful of things that have to be worked on, if we’re to get back to the franchise this team envisions itself as. All hope is not lost.

See that? At no point did I hide behind the laundry list of today’s injuries.

FOUR THINGS: GAME 4: EAGLES – RAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/10/02
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, preseason, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

OH no! We’re 2 – 1 and tied for the division lead! Quick, hit the panic button!

Or, we could take the loss like men, and just get to fixing what’s broken. Speaking of broken, the 1 – 2 Rams are limping into Philly on Sunday. You remember, they’re the team that every pundit had going undefeated on their way to the Super Bowl. Did I mention that they’re 1 – 2?

After a couple weeks on the road, this home game would be a great place for our Defense to get its first turnover of the year. Or for RB Saquon Barkley to have his first 100 yard rushing game. Hell, it’ll be nice to see TE Zach Ertz making his return home, after a five year separation.

With a win, we’d advance to 3 – 1, maintaining our current spot atop the division.

A loss would drop us to 2 – 2, and no worse than tied for second.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: THE RAMS

C Drew Kendall and RG Willie Lampkin block for a rushing touchdown this preseason.

1) Figure Out the LG: Whether we started G Landon Dickerson or C/G Cam Jurgens, this spot has been the weakest point of the Offense, since the season began. Dickerson was trying to hide a lingering injury, and has since been moved to Injured Reserve. Jurgens however, is being outright overpowered. Seemingly on every snap.

Having C Drew Kendall help him with double-teams might help alleviate some strain, but that makes the Eagles predictable in their protection schemes. We can’t have that.

The real best answer would be to bench Jurgens.

Problem is, neither of our back-up Guards (Willie Lampkin and Micah Morris) has ever played a down in the regular season. So, either would be a gamble, and we’d essentially be putting QB Jalen Hurts up as our stake. So it’s either one of the kids, or more Jurgens. If I had a say… I’d go with Lampkin. 

2) Sack Stafford: The Rams QB is practically a statue. If we come out of this game without a sack, it’s time to bench someone. I’m looking at you DE Jalyx Hunt! We need our DT’s to win the ‘A’ gap, and our DE’s to keep contain. Fewer stunts, and more straight-up whipping their man. No excuses. Just get there.

3) Man Or Boom: The amount of loose Zone that we played against the Bears, will have the Rams setting records on us. We either need our Man Coverage to be in the receivers hip pocket at all time; or we need our players in Zone, to arrive at receivers with near homicidal intent. Running around in our Secondary with impunity MUST end this week.

LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. recovers a fumble, in a 2024 playoff game.

With LB Zack Baun out with a concussion this week, we should be about to get an extended look at LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (Fucking FINALLY!) He’s not the hitter that his old man was, but something tells me that he’d understand the assignment, if the Rams decide to risk the health of their receiving corps.

4) Get Some Passes Slotted In: We aren’t using the Slot WR enough, downfield. The Bunch Receiver formations are bad enough. As the receivers crowd closer to the Offensive Line, so do the defenders covering them. That just means nine guys in the area (more traffic), on running plays.

Because we historically never prioritize the Slot WR, at the snap whoever is assigned to him, can take an extra beat to look at our RB. Well, we can re-write that narrative with a couple of quick-hitters to the Slot. Even better, it can be presented as a blitz beater, to discourage attempts. WR Hollywood Brown is nursing an ankle injury, but this would be a great spot to get WR Makai Lemon going.

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

(In my George Thorogood voice) “I said look maaan, got the Browns 3 – 1. Raiders 3 – 0. Rams 1 – 2. This loss to a substitute Bear? Hmph. That don’t confront me. Long as we get this win on this Sunday.”

With WR DeVonta Smith and TE Dallas Goedert not playing this week, we’re already going to be leaning on WR Dontayvion Wicks. So we really could use either a breakout game from Lemon; or for WR Darius Cooper, to show that he’s ready for more opportunities.

WR Darius Cooper catches game winner two weeks ago against the Titans

The Rams come into this one, also missing a couple of key players. So it’s not like they have a massive health advantage over us. Just maybe, if we can get our shit together for a bit, we might be able to claw our way to a win. But it won’t be easy! Unless we do all Four Things, in which case, it should be a piece of cake.

****

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.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: Game 3: Bears

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/09/29
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WE got whupped.

EAGLES 7 – Bears 27

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Jalen Hurts (16/25– 64.0% – 153 – 0 – 1)

Rushing: RB Saquon Barkley (15 – 82 – 5.4 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: WR DeVonta Smith (8 – 6 – 65 – 10.8 – 0)

Drive Killer: N/A

Sack Leader: N/A

Special Teams Ace: N/A

****

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: BEARS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Power Via Doubles: Nearly all of Barkley’s success came from running off-Tackle, instead of inside. This is mostly because our interior linemen cannot be trusted to keep themselves between the ball carrier and the defenders. I said last week “We can bury the narrative that Philadelphia has one of the best O-Lines in the NFL”. Tonight we got the headstone dropped on our foot.

LG Cam Jurgens

While C Drew Kendall is solid, the Guard-play on either side of him, is sinking this team. Both players are liabilities! Watching LG Cam Jurgens get pushed around like a shopping cart yet again, had me wanting to see him benched. As far as RG Tyler Steen, I haven’t been a fan since we drafted him, as you can see here. (NOT DONE)

2) Get Hollywood In the Slot: Not possible, as WR Hollywood Brown was listed among the Inactives for this game. The Inactive list. Great place to keep a one year, 5M$ rental, who has speed to burn. (NOT DONE)

3) Win the ‘A’ Gaps Faster: We got our asses kicked here. The Bears essentially started a 38 year old statue at QB, but we couldn’t touch him. Largely because he was able to get the ball out quickly, to wide open receivers, all game long. We were decent against the run, allowing just 128 yards on 35 totes (3.7 ypc); but there was simply no time to mount a pass rush. (NOT DONE)

4) Sub In Some Size: While DT Ty Robinson (2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) did get snaps in this one, he mostly rotated with DT Jordan Davis (3 – 0.0 – 0 – 0), and logged no snaps at LDE. (NOT DONE)

++++

This week’s Four Things score was 0 of 4. Which is the sort of score that will absolutely result in a blowout kind of loss. Luckily, it’s a short week. So Sunday we’re back home to host the 1 – 2 Los Angeles Rams. That is not a typo. What can I say? It’s been a weird season so far. The Raiders are 3 – 0, baby!! Yeah… Weird.

****

Game Hero: The game’s 61st minute.

Game goat: QB Andy Dalton (0/1 – 0% – 0 – 0 – 1) – Jalen Hurts had to visit the blue tent to be checked for a concussion. That gave back-up QB Dalton, the chance to babysit the team for just three downs. THREE DOWNS! Two were hand-offs and the third was his lackadaisical toss for an interception, from the three yard line.

If like me, you were in the “Why is this fuck-nugget still taking up a roster spot on my team!??” group; Dalton just threw you a little validation tonight. If like me, you wanted QB Tanner McKee (Inactive tonight) to be our back-up, get on the call-in shows and make your “I told you so!” heard loud and clear.

Dalton’s interception was just one of our three turnovers, but his was the one that felt like the arrow in the ankle. It even drove Hurts to display anger on the sideline.

On The Whole: Sometimes an early season loss has value because of the lessons that come out of it. Or because it can serve as a wake-up call to a team just going through the motions. This is not one of those losses. This was just a bad loss. Mostly because we may not have the player(s) or coaching, to fix the Offensive Line.

Hey, someone explain to me why we couldn’t cover any of their receivers. Small receivers running constant crossing routes across the middle, has a time honored solution. One guy on a stretcher would have totally changed the way that the Bears called plays. And given the out of bounds hit on Jalen Hurts, I don’t mind saying that.

Sadly enough, no adjustment was made there. Speaking of no adjustment, I’m still feeling major Patullo vibes with these poorly designed Screens, inability to run the ball inside, bunch formations, and over-reliance on the Shotgun formation. Yes, Jalen is throwing over the middle more, but seriously. We just fired a guy over this kind of offense, didn’t we? Is he back on the payroll?

Fortunately, all this was also a night where nothing was going our way. From a few ticky-tack calls, to the way the ball bounced into the Bears hands on two fumbles, there was no luck to be had for the Eagles.

I said fortunately, because every season has one or two of these. Why have a bad luck game when we’re actually playing better? Just get the bad ju-ju out of the way, during a shitty performance. Fans who aren’t superstitious will dismiss that. The rest of us, would never. (Because it’s bad luck to say Luck doesn’t matter.)

Well at least the season is properly underway now. Because it’s not really football season, until you have to talk an Eagles fan off a ledge.

FOUR THINGS: GAME 3: EAGLES – BEARS

Posted by The BEAST on 2026/09/27
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview, Roster, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment


LISTEN, 2 – 0 is 2 – 0, despite how fans of lesser teams want to spin it. Right now, except for us, our division is in a tailspin, and this week we’re being fed a weakened opponent. Yes, yes. It’s always better to be able to say that we beat a team at it’s best, but the fact is, at the end of the season, they just count the wins.

This game, while not a division game, is a conference game. Even better, it’s a conference game covered in a sauce called REVENGE! Last time we saw this opponent, they whipped us 15 – 24. So we owe them a punch in the mouth. And boy, do we love doling out mouth punches.

The biggest possible mouth punch, would be if we got RB Saquon Barkley and the rest of our run game, on-track in this game. To see the Offense fully activated and show the league what they have to fear. To put it all together on prime-time television, with the nation watching, and all of it just dripping in REVENGE!

Yeah. Sign me up for that.

With a win we go to 3 – 0, and are still alone atop the NFC East.

If we lose, we hold at 2 – 1, and at worst would still be tied for the lead in the division.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: The BEARS

RB’s Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby.

1) Power Via Doubles: Since no member of our interior Offensive Line seems to be able to generate vertical movement at the line (shoving a motherfucker backwards), we need to get RB Saquon Barkley running behind some double-teams. If he gets the chance to do that, he should end up trapped in the backfield less. (I said should.)

2) Go Hollywood In the Slot: The proper replacement this week for TE Dallas Goedert isn’t TE Zach Ertz (damn it feels good to see his name like this again!) The proper replacement is WR Marquis “Hollywood”Brown, lining up in the Slot. Hollywood’s speed demands instant and constant attention, so let’s abuse it.

As the Slot he’d be a concern. As part of a four receiver spread, he’d be poison just for being on the field. A four WR formation would demand the Bears defense go into their Dime. This would be a physically smaller alignment, that we could more easily run the ball against. Hollywood wouldn’t have to catch a ball to massively affect the game.

3) Win the ‘A’ Gaps Faster: We need DT Jordan Davis to win hs ‘A’ gap faster. We’re getting pressure up the middle and pushing QB’s out of the pocket, but a lot of it is with twists and stunts between our DT’s and DE’s. It gets pressure, but it takes longer to unfold and frequently leaves our edges open.

DT Jordan Davis.

Because DT Jalen Carter is going to see the majority of the interior double-teams, Davis has to win his one-on-ones, quickly. It’s a more straight-up style of play, but it means our DE’s can focus more on keeping contain.

4) Sub In Some Size: Even if DE Jonathan Greenard returns from injury in this one, Defensive Co-ordinator Vic Fangio, is likely going to put him on a pitch count. So this would be a great game to see DT Ty Robinson log some snaps at the LDE spot. (I mentioned some of this in THE 12.) This would be less for pass rush, and more to set a hard edge against the run.

The Bears don’t have a particularly large offensive line. In fact, at 325 pounds their RT is their biggest guy. He’s not huge by NFL standards, but I still don’t want him to spend the day leaning on 240 pound OLB Nolan Smith, vs the run. So let’s get some size and strength out there, to combat size and strength.

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

You can’t beat a strategist if you don’t cover small details, and Bears coach Ben Johnson is a strategist. We cant forget the RMT fundamentals that I mentioned earlier. Last week, Fangio mentioned some of our defenders missing 12 tackles, because they were going for the ball. This game is going to feature three of the NFL’s most innovative thinkers, but it will be won by the team with better fundamentals.

****

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.