FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 5: CARDINALS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/10/10
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TE Dallas Goedert signals FIRST DOWN!

PHILADELPHIA declared open season on Cardinals, this week!

EAGLES 20 – Cardinals 17

EAGLES STATS:

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points) + 3rd downs converted by handoffs (1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points) = score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (26/36 – 72.2% – 239 – 0 – 0)

Rushing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (15 – 61 – 4.0 – 2 – 0)

Receiving :(S) TE Dallas Goedert (9 – 8 – 95 – 11.8 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (2 + 1 – 2 = 9) / C Jason Kelce

Drive Killer : (S) SS Chauncey Gardener-Johnson (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0.)

Sack Leader : (S) OLB Hasaan Reddick (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

Ace : K Cameron Dicker (Filling in this week. 2/2 FG’s including the game winner)

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

SS Chauncey Gardener-Johnson gets his first pick as an Eagle

1) Fence Him In: We started out doing this, and it helped us to control the pace of the game. The Cardinals however, decided to start taking advantage of all the off-coverage we were playing, and everything fell apart form there. Too often their QB would take the snap, turn, and fire the ball. We didn’t make him hold the ball. We didn’t make him read. He completed 66% of his passes, and most of them were gimmies. (NOT DONE)

2) Tackle Securely: Tackling started out good, but it got worse as the game wore on. No. That’s not it. Actually, it seemed as if having to tackle 230 pound RB James Conner (9 – 55 – 6.1 – 0 – 0 ), took some of the starch out of the Eagles. Nobody on the Defense seemed to want to bang bodies. Interesting. (NOT DONE)

3) Throw the Ball: We had 36 pass attempts to just 18 hand-offs. So yes, we threw the ball. Unfortunately, so much of it was on Screen passes. I mean, a Screen to Devonta Smith (11 – 10 – 87 – 8.7 – 0) on 2nd and 20? What the fuck for?! Never mind. Never mind. That said, with passes being 66% of our play selection this week, it’s impossible to not rate this as (DONE)

4) Read-Option Early: We showed it early, which was what I suggested. Sadly though, when you run the QB as often as you hand it off, opponents stop buying the Read-Option and play-action. We got away with it this week, but don’t expect that from every opponent. (DONE)

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K Cameron Dicker hits game winner whilst filling in for injured K Jake Elliott.

This week we did 2 of the Four Things, and fittingly, barely eeked out a win, off the toe of a substitute Kicker. (The smell of mimeograph ink, hung practically hung in the air.) Next week we take on the division’s second place team: the Dallas Cowboys.

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On The Whole:

Yet again the Eagles couldn’t put together two halves of a football game. For the fourth game in a row, the Offense just stalled out in the second half. I know everyone wants to heap a ton of praise on Jalen Hurts, but he has yet to play an entire football game, at a high level this year.

QB Jalen Hurts led the team in rushing again

When the Eagles went to a ground based attack on their final drive, it proved very effective. We ran 17 plays, with the 13 of those being runs. The 3 passes? A completion for -2 yards, another for 16 yards, and an incompletion. All of which culminated in the game winning field goal.

The Defense is very active, aggressive, and generally well-disciplined. We have an extremely assignment sound unit here. What our Defense isn’t, is tough. It’s not physical. There’s a lot of swagger, but nothing that teams fear coming in. That showed today with the way they attempted to run Conner at us, despite knowing that he’s fragile.

In any case, the Eagles ended the day 5 – 0. Which was the point.

FOUR THINGS: WK 5: EAGLES – CARDINALS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/10/07
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

DRIVING rain, missing starters, down fourteen points. So what? This Eagles team is undefeated because we have no weaknesses. Conversely, this week’s opponent is comprised entirely of weaknesses. Sadly, there will be no mercy for them this week.

Adding OLB Hassan Reddick (3.5 sacks), has re-invigorated DT Fletcher Cox (3.0) and DE Brandon Graham (3.0). The left side of the Defense is downright predatory. All it does is hunt. On the flip-side, is an Offense that ranks 5th in rushing yards, and 8th in passing yards, with QB Jalen Hurts averaging 9.1 yards per attempt.

A win here makes us 5 – 0, still number one in the NFC East, the NFC, and the NFL. A loss, would leave us at 4 – 1 and still atop of the NFC East, unless Dallas beats the Rams. (Tie-breaker: Division games. Dallas (2-0), Philly (1-0)) That reason right there, is why I don’t think this is a trap game.

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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Cardinals

1) Fence Him In: Someone said that Cardinal’s QB kyler murray, when scrambling in the pocket, looks like a toddler who has your car keys. I watched him play last week, and now I can’t unsee it. So we need to set the edges of the pocket, and force him backwards.

Two weeks ago DT Jordan Davis started the Commanders demise, by batting a pass from 6’5” QB Carson Wentz. murray is listed at 5’10”, but he’s got to be the shortest 5’10” I’ve ever seen in my life. Our pass rushers need to get their hands up, when they can’t get their hands on murray. Just to get him to hold the ball an extra second or two.

2) Tackle Securely: The Cardinals running game is utterly pedestrian. The problem is they’re stuck between two schools of thought, and so, execute neither well. Worse than that, their offensive line consists of just a bunch of guys, led by C Rodney Hudson (who some think is better than C Jason Kelce).

While they have a poor scheme, that is also poorly blocked, RB James Conner is not to be overlooked. He’s not really a game changer, but at 233 he’s a load. He doesn’t “run angry” but he does use his size, and can tire out a defense. If we don’t get cute, he shouldn’t be a problem.

3) Throw the Ball: Through four games the Cardinals have just 4 sacks. Half of those belong to what’s left of DE J.J. Watt. They play a 3 – 4 that’s more like a 4 – 3, with OLB Markus Golden playing the role of “non-coverage OLB”. If LT Jordan Mailata is ready to go, pass pro won’t be an issue. If not, then OL Jack Driscoll may need a little help.

The Eagles receivers against this secondary, is an absolute mismatch. I’d expect WR’s A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith to have 80 yards each. Especially playing indoors on dry grass. With as lackluster as their starting CB’s are, they have no answer for WR Quez Watkins in the Slot.

4) Read-Option Early: We don’t need to get QB Jalen Hurts get injured, so let’s limit his carries. Eight or fewer (not counting kneel downs), sounds good. However, to open up the run game, we should use the Read-Option early. Right away. Either on the first or second carry. (Ideally the first.)

Having to defend that, should hold S Budda Baker in the box, and open up the deep shots, (hopefully off of play-action). Once we hit a ten yard run or a twenty yard pass, it’ll stress their defense enough to make calling the game easier.

****

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

I don’t want to seem like I don’t take this opponent seriously, but it’s so hard to do so. They fuck up so many simple things. For instance:

WR Marquis Brown bolted from Baltimore, because he didn’t like how he was being utilized. So he leaves a running QB who doesn’t know how to utilize his blazing speed, for a running QB, who doesn’t know how to utilize his blazing speed. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh was a Special Teams coach. What’s Kliff Kingsbury’s excuse?

The improper utilization of S Budda Baker and LB Isaiah Simmons, should be grounds for someone’s arrest. These are two players with game-changing talent. They should be play-makers, not tackle collectors.

Arizona has a long and storied history, of questionable decision making and squandered talent. They’re so far spending 2022 building on that tradition. Yikes,

****

Prediction: EAGLES 29 – Cardinals 10

WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and 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: WK 4: JAGUARS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/10/03
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

HASSAN, CHOP!!!

EAGLES 29 – Jaguars 21

EAGLES STATS:

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points) + 3rd downs converted by handoffs (1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points) = score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (16/25 – 64.0% – 204 – 0 – 1)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (27 – 134 – 4.9 – 2 – 0)

Receiving :(S) WR A.J. Brown (7 – 5 – 95 – 19.0 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (4 + 1 – 2 = 21) / (S) C Jason Kelce

Drive Killer : (S) OLB Hassan Reddick (0 – 2 – 0 – 2 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) OLB Hassan Reddick (4 – 2.0 – 0 – 2)

Ace : (S) K Jake Elliott (Nominated for an Oscar after roughing penalty)

****

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:

Look at the receivers hands! Ouch!

1) Man Up: Despite injuries, to CB Darius Slay (no stats) and NB Avonte Maddox (DNP), the Eagles Secondary stayed in the faces of Jacksonville’s receivers. QB Trevor Lawrence (11/23 – 47.8% – 174 – 2 – 1) didn’t have anywhere quick to deliver the ball, so he had to hold onto it. That gave time for Eagles defenders to harass him, sacking him 3 times, and getting him to lose 4 fumbles. That’s not a typo. FOUR fumbles.

As a result of the coverage, the QB was forced into 5 turnovers, and their 72M$ Slot WR Christian Kirk (9 – 2 – 60 – 30.0 – 0) was exposed as an overpriced sham. On one play Lawrence stared down Kirk, and CB James Bradberry (2 – 0.0 – 1 – 0) flashed in between them, snatching the ball out of the air, in absolute defiance of the wet conditions. (DONE)

2) Box Them In: When I wrote this, I didn’t think condition would be as wet as they ended up being, so this worked so much better than I expected it to. Their RB’s were held to 16 yards on 16 carries (3.8 ypc). They had some early success down the middle, but once cleats started to chop up the ground, things settled down.

Let me explain “chop”. Early on, the field is whole and the grass can be slick. However, with each possession, the ground gets a little more torn (chopped) up. So you can put your feet in the chop, and get more purchase as the game goes on. Their interior o-line isn’t as strong as our DT’s, so when the slick grass was gone, the advantage that they had at the snap, evaporated. We did a better job of understand the ground. (DONE)

3) The Kerrigan Plan: We started out working it, and it helped us get back into the game, as TE Dallas Goedert (6 – 5 – 72 – 14.4 – 0) caught several balls in the Flat or on TE Screens. RB Miles Sanders (3 – 2 – 22 – 11.0 – 0) caught balls in the same area. As conditions grew worse though, the emphasis was wisely shifted to the run.

Interestingly, QB Jalen Hurts threw three passes to WR A.J. Brown. It was the same route off the right side, essentially a Post route, right under the Safety. They completed all three times for good yardage, but I started to think they were going to that well to often. That however, was a new wrinkle taking advantage of those vacated OLB areas. It’ll be interesting to see how that works in better weather. (DONE)

C Jason Kelce escorts RB Miles Sanders in for a touchdown. Kelce was HUGE today for Sanders.

4) Run in the Second Half: We started the second half like we had brain damage, running just once out of 11 plays and punting twice. Then we got it together, and ran on 24 of the next 34 plays, scoring twice in the fourth quarter. When the coaching staff meets tomorrow, hopefully they’ll talk… (DONE)

****

We crushed the shit out of this week, going a perfect 4 of Four Things. Next week we go out to Arizona, and hopefully it won’t be a trap game. They are just awful. I watched/endured/was tortured by their game against Carolina today, and I will never forgive myself for sitting through it. That shit was gross.

****

On The Whole:

“We should score easily enough, the only question is: How well will our Defense do?”

That’s how I ended Four Things. To answer, our Defense held a team averaging 28 points to just 14, grabbed 3 sacks, 1 pick, 4 forced fumbles, 4 recoveries, 4 calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves… Every time I question them, the Defense sends me a stiff message. So expect me to question them EVERY week!

I said this game had to be about talent and execution, and it was. Thank goodness for the inclement weather, because there were times when the Eagles coaching staff tried to be cute on Offense (beginning of the second half), and it just wasn’t working. If the weather had been better they may have kept trying. Mother Nature, we owe you one.

Understand, we spotted a team 14 points, and then cleared our throats. We were fighting a double digit lead, injuries coming in, injuries during, the elements, and still we just strolled to a victory. And this wasn’t against some bottom-feeder team. This was against the (still) division leader of the AFC South.

I said on June 9th: “Folks, people are predicting us to win the East, but I… I might already be looking past that. I’m telling you, if Hurts can read defenses better in 2022, the entire NFC (not just the East), is on notice. Rams, Bucs, Green Bay AT Lambeau. All of that. We want ALL the smoke.”

I have to admit now, I was wrong. We’re putting the WHOLE LEAGUE, on notice.

FOUR THINGS: WK 4: EAGLES – JAGUARS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/10/01
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

HEAD Coach Nick Sirianni has your Philadelphia Eagles entering this week as THE Number One team in the NFC. Not just the NFC East, but the whole damned National Football CONFERENCE. After last weeks dismantling of division rival Washington, we get to take on AFC South division leader, Jacksonville.

On the menu this week, is Head Coach Doug Pederson, the same man who led us to our first Super Bowl win. The same man who’s statue outside Lincoln Financial commemorates ‘The Philly Special’. That same Doug Pederson has the Jags looking and playing like a real franchise. And we’re going to beat his ass as a reward for it.

We come into this game as the only undefeated team in the NFC. A win only extends our hold on that title for another week. Losing would still leave us in first place in the East. Even if Dallas beats Washington, we lead by virtue of conference tie-breaker. Or if New York (likely) beats Chicago, we lead by virtue of a divisional tie-breaker. So any way you cut it, the East is ours for at least the next two weeks.

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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Jaguars

1) Man Up: Doug Pederson’s scheme (same as when he was here), emphasizes movement of the ball down the field. The focus wasn’t on big plays, but on keeping the ball moving, the chains moving, the defense resting. If the opponent doesn’t have the ball, the ability to win isn’t in their hands. That subtle quicksand, Venus Fly-trap approach shows itself in Jacksonville’s QB getting the ball out of his hand quickly.

Of their top 4 starting receivers, only one of them averages 10+ yards per catch. So getting CB’s Darius Slay and James Bradberry playing man and taking away the quick throw, will immediately get the Jags off schedule, and make them improvise constantly. In a new system, with new parts, and that means mistakes. Mistakes with the football means turnovers.

2) Box Them In: They have a pair of RB’s both 210+ pounds, running behind a decent offensive line. The interior of their line has a few intangibles, but they aren’t the most stout or physical group we’ll face this year. What’s left of (former Redskin) Brandon Scherff headlines that group, but injuries have kept him to 14 games or fewer for, each of the last 5 years.

This week is operation “Stymie and Trap”. Same as last week against Washington. Have DT’s Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis clog up the middle, and early on, mix our DE’s and DT’s to set the edges. Force everything to the arms of MLB T.J. Edwards. Later in the game, DE’s Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat can go hunting with fresher legs, against a QB that Jacksonville likes to get out on bootlegs, for throws downfield.

3) The Kerrigan Plan: The Jaguars run a 3 – 4 defense that features 262 and 275 pound OLB’s. They play like 5 – 2 DE’s than 3 – 4 LB’s, in that they don’t really cover. (One of them did pick off QB Carson Wentz throwing a Middle Screen.) For us OLB Hassan Reddick pass rushes, but he’s 235 and also drops into coverage. (More than fans like.)

When an opposing defense has that OLB defect, we can run the Kerrigan Plan. I call it that because, Washington used to run similar scheme led by OLB Ryan Kerrigan. Great pass rusher, but it was easy to complete short RB passes, and TE routes to his (and the other OLB’s) side. Worked like a charm for years. We just beat the Vikings with it.

4) Run in the Second Half: The Jaguars are a second half team. So don’t let them get the opportunity to work their mojo. Run the ball, by which I mean, hand it off to RB Miles Sanders. He averages more career yardage after contact, than any of our backs, and even RB Ezekiel Elliott. Put that to work for us! Let quicksand work in our favor.

If the Eagles lead at the half, risking QB Jalen Hurts becoming Jalen hurts, is a dumb idea. We don’t need him on designed runs at that point. If the Eagles trail at the half, then we need to stabilize the Offense, and limit the Jaguars opportunity to pile on more points. In either case, we need to run the ball after the half.

* Disclaimer: No giants players were mentioned in the writing of this article.

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

The plan is to exit Sunday as the NFL’s only undefeated team. Standing in our way, is a coach who knows many of our players. Not just as players, but as men. I have some coaching in my background, so let me tell you why this week presents a very stiff challenge.

Part of Doug’s job here, was to motivate his players. To get them to push themselves. To push even when they didn’t want to. Even when it hurt. That means he had to understand what made each of them tick. To be able to get into their heads, he had to know each man’s carrot, and each man’s stick.

Every note he’s ever taken about a player. Which concepts he had to help them understand better. Which weakness he had to mask, because coaching wouldn’t fix it. All of that, will be used against us on Sunday. Which is why we need to keep it simple. If this game comes down to scheme and adjustments, Doug will kill Nick. Doug is far smarter and more experienced. He also understands game flow better, so he doesn’t have to give up play-calling. The Jags have the better coach. Period.

We need this game to come down to talent and execution. If we execute properly, the Jags just aren’t talented enough, nor well-constructed enough to keep pace. We should score easily enough, the only question is: How well will our Defense do?

****

Prediction: EAGLES 26 – Jaguars 23

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

PUTTING A FOOT IN DOUG’S ASS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/27
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Crazy Talk, Fans, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), Rants, Super Bowl, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WHAT’S it like to get a foot in your ass, in a building, with a statue of you in front of it? Well, on Sunday around 5p.m. we should be able to ask former Eagles and current Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson. So far he has the Jacksonville Jaguars looking, and playing like a professional football team.

My prediction of course, seems like pure fan speculation. I have yet to even start assembling the Four Things article, for this upcoming game. So I can’t have a grounded sense of how this one will shake out, right? I mean, the Jags have the NFL’s second highest differential (+46) in points scored to points against. The Eagles come in third (+36) in that category.

Given the Eagles tendency to sleepwalk through the second half of football games, and Jacksonville coming alive after the half, this game has all the makings of a nail biter. Predicting a win this early, with no due diligence just seems like talking shit. Right? Perhaps.

But there’s a deeper narrative to this Eagles season.

The NFL schedule makers forcing us to put down Doug, the week after putting down QB Carson Wentz, almost seems cruel. It also portends that Week 11, QB Nick Foles may be starting in place of QB Matt Ryan, on the day that we face head coach Frank Reich’s Colts. (If it happens, don’t be shocked.) Do you see the pattern forming?

The Universe loves irony, and it has a poetic way of punishing those who ignore it. Nick should have stayed in Philly, but took a shaky contract, and had a horrific time in Jacksonville. Both on and off the field. (I often wonder if Philly’s better hospitals could have saved his unborn child.) During Week One, Carson beat Doug, who didn’t stick up for him here. Then last week, we pounded Carson who requested a trade, into the ground. Reich has gone from guru to damned near punchline in Indianapolis.

Now Doug gets to come back, and get a foot in his ass, at the foot of his statue. Everyone connected with the collapse of our Super Bowl team, has had to swallow bitter medicine as a result of their actions immediately following that demise. So clearly Doug has an ass whipping coming.

And don’t think for a moment that General Manager Howie Roseman won’t get his. The Universe doesn’t fuck around when it dishes. At the moment, EVERYTHING Howie does seems like genius. The world can’t pat him hard enough on the back. Which only sets him up for the biggest fall of them all. Gifted with opportunity by the Universe, they each spat in it’s face.

Understand, I’m not saying that the Universe is angry that the Eagles dynasty was shaken down. I highly doubt it cares about football or any sport. What I’m saying, is that a lot of negative energy went into destroying what was constantly advertised, as good men coming together. Hypocrisy. Being a turncoat. Ingratitude. These things scream at Karma in defiance of it. And that only ends one way.

With the Universe putting foot directly to ass.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 3: COMMANDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/26
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
OLB Hassan Reddick and DT Fletcher Cox have a meeting at QB Carson Wentz

THIS wasn’t a game. It was an execution.

EAGLES 24 – Commanders 8

EAGLES STATS:

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points) + 3rd downs converted by handoffs (1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points) = score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (22/35 – 62.8% – 340 – 3 – 0)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (15 – 46 – 3.0 – 0 – 0)

Receiving : (S) WR Devonta Smith(12 – 8 – 169 – 21.1 – 1)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (0 + 0 – 3 = -6) / NA

Drive Killer : (B) CB Avonte Maddox (0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) Brandon Graham (4 – 2.5 – 0 – 1)

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

Rookie DT Jordan Davis deflects Wentz’s first attempt.

1) Invert the pocket: From the start the Eagles were on this. QB Carson Wentz (24/43 – 55.8% – 240 – 0 – 0) had no room to step-up, and was a sitting duck for 9 sacks on the day. His first attempt was deflected by rookie DT Jordan Davis (no stats), after which: The hunt, was ON! DT Fletcher Cox (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) is up to 3 sacks for the young season, where he had just 3.5 in 2021. DT Javon Hargrave (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) had a fumble recovery.

Added to this, was the Commanders in ability to run the ball. They were held to 77 yards on 22 carries (3.5), as the Eagles focused on clogging up the middle of the field. In fact 22 of those yards were from Wentz on three scrambles. Without those numbers, the Redsk- Commanders, ran for 55 yards on 19 carries (2.8). (DONE)

2) Go Deep Off Play-action: We didn’t get around to this until the second quarter, but when we did, it drew a 17 yard pass interference call. There were quite a few deep shots, but almost none of them came with the use of play-action which made things more difficult throughout the game. This was technically done, but was woefully underutilized. (DONE)

3) Score in the Fourth: Not only did the Offense not score in the fourth quarter, we began it by giving up a safety. For the third time in three games, the team fizzled out in the second half. This is beyond embarrassing. It is downright alarming.
The Eagles have scored 86 points this season, with 65 of them in the second quarter of games. We’ve scored just 7 in the first quarter (Vikings), 14 in the third (Lions). Zero in the fourth. In fact, the Offense is now giving up points directly. (NOT DONE)

DE Brandon Graham wreaked havoc in this one.

4) Set the Edges: And OB-HOY did they! Our man Brandon Graham (2.5 sacks) ATE TODAY! On the other side of the line DE Josh Sweat (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) ATE TODAY! On top of which, they kept the action bottled up, making it easier to close in on the QB. Of course, the Commanders offense featuring a seven step drop, only helps to facilitate DE’s getting to their QB. (It’s why they gave the Lions five sacks last week.)

Our DE play was aggressive, but more importantly it was sound. Contain, then rush. It’s the mindset they should bring every week, regardless of it’s a mobile QB or a statue; a power RB, or a slasher. Good technique yields consistent results, and often consistent rewards. This having been said, I still think Graham’s replacement should be top priority in the next Draft. (DONE)

****

This week saw 3 of Four Things accomplished. This week we got to smack up the QB who helped us win our first Super Bowl, and next week we try to smack up the Head Coach who won it for us. Feels like the schedule makers just felt like being bastards, and making us look like friggin’ ingrates.

****

On The Whole:

Alright. Same as last week. Gripes then glory. Let’s start.

So much of the credit for this win will go to Jalen Hurts and that’s a shame. It’s damned near criminal. He essentially phoned in the second half of this game, like he’s been doing since the season started. I wonder what it would look like if he played a whole game.

If I was RB Miles Sanders I’d start preserving my body for my next team. I wouldn’t come back to the Eagles. The way they dick around with his playing time, (in a contract year, no less!) is disgusting. Especially since the coaches keep putting lesser players on the field, in his stead. Neither back-up can break an arm tackle, and one is absolute liability in pass protection. It’s part what’s wrong with the Offense in the second half of games.

Between not playing our best players in key situations, and doing silly shit like having Devonta Smith return a punt, we’re only outsmarting ourselves. We should have buried Washington in the second half! Their back-up QB should have started the 4th quarter. But noooo! We’re too busy being fucking clever, while posting no points in three quarters.

And now for a happy tune. I want to start with Avonte Maddox tackling a TE, 67 pounds heavier than himself, in a goal line situation, to force a turnover on downs. Trap game, my ass!

WR A.J. “Swoll Batman” Brown

Eagles WR’s played outstanding today. Devonta (Skinny Batman) of course, played out of his mind today. The there was (Swoll Batman) WR A.J. Brown (10 – 5 – 85 – 17.0 – 1) who pulled a man with him into the endzone after a 9 yard strike from Hurts. Unfortunately (Fast Batman) WR Quez Watkins (no stats) only saw one target today.

Jalen Hurts had a very good first half. No turnovers, didn’t run too much, or too soon. He looked good in the pocket. His protection probably would have been better, if the play-calling involved handing off the ball more.

Remember when everyone assumed MLB T.J. Edwards would lose his starting gig to a rookie? Remember when I said not so fast?

THESE LB’s! MLB T.J. Edwards (9 – 1.0 – 0 – 0), and OLB Kyzir White (8 – 0 – 0 – 0) were out there cleaning up whatever slipped through the D-Line. OLB Hassan Reddick (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 1) also ATE TODAY!

FOUR THINGS: WK 3: EAGLES – COMMANDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/24
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

DOMINATION! Monday’s beat-down of the Vikings, can’t be called a win over a bottom feeder, but maybe this next one can. This week we travel to D.C. to face a division rival that’s giving up 157 rushing yards per game, at a pace of 7.5 yards per carry. That 7.5 is NOT a typo. The last thing they needed was a visit from a ground game averaging 189 and 5.2, led by RB Miles Sanders. Damned shamed, ‘cause here we come.

A win should put us alone at the top of the division, because there is no way the giants beat the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. A loss would put us behind the Commanders, regardless of how the giants/Cowboys game works out.

****

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Commanders

1) Invert the pocket: Commanders C Chase Roullier is on short term IR with a knee injury. So G Wes Schweitzer will slide to the middle for the time being. Schweitzer has played there twice before, and was injured both times. He’s a back-up, and also kind of smallish at just 300 pounds.

Have DT’s Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis alternate bull-rushing the “A” gap, with driving Schweitzer backwards into the QB. Don’t allow there to even be a pocket. Bend the middle backwards, and get a structure that should be shaped like a “U” to look more like a “W”. That will drive QB Carson Wentz out of the pocket. (Better to face his legs than his arm.)

2) Go Deep Off Play-action: Washington runs a 4-2-5 scheme on defense. This is emphasizing speed over power or size. We can use that to our advantage. Committing to the wrong read, pulls faster players further from the place they need to be.

Use play-action early, to scare their defense from committing to the run, later on in the game. Another launch to WR Quez Watkins in the Slot, (completed or not), would be exactly the thing to back their defense off.

3) Score in the Fourth: Whether we have a big lead or we’re trailing, we need to put up some points in the last quarter of this game. After two games with no points in the final frame, we need to show that we can finish strong, and not just “hold on” at the end of games.

4) Set the Edges: If the middle of their offensive line is compromised, then they won’t be able to run up the middle, and their QB won’t be able to step up. This means everything is either backing up, or spilling out the sides.

Hurry, Brandon!

We need DE’s Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat to define the ends of the line, so that our LB’s can fly to the ball carrier. At least while they’re still trying to run the ball. This also allows the Secondary to focus more on coverage than on filling for the run.

****

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

I saw on-line that someone thought of this as a “trap” game. There’s no way the Eagles are looking past or underestimating this Commanders team. Seemed stupid to me, so I waved it off. Then I saw it on-line a few more times. So let me address this.

Trap games tend to follow games that the team had circled on their calendars weeks earlier. What makes the trap game, so dangerous is 1) It’s an opponent that should be easily beatable; 2) The team just can’t get emotionally “UP!” for it.

The Commanders are a division rival. The Eagles will be up for it. This is our first division action, since Dallas’s starters ran roughshod all over our second and third stringers last year. So the Eagles will be up for it. QB Jalen Hurts will be head to head with Carson Wentz. You’d better believe the Eagles will be UP, for this one.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Carson Wentz is a problem. Last week, under duress all day, and sacked 5 times, the man still threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Local media keeps talking like he gifts four footballs per game. Be nice if he did that this week, but you’d be a fool to put money on it.

If we win this game 74 – 0, it will feel like a loss if Jalen Hurts gets injured. Understand, QB Gardner Minshew is more than just a capable back-up. Like when QB Nick Foles backed up Wentz, we didn’t have a starter and a back-up. What we had, were two starters. So we’re in good hands if Hurts does get hurt.

That said, if Hurts gets hurt, the emotional impact, the blow to the locker room confidence… We don’t need that. So keep him healthy.

****

Prediction: EAGLES 28 – Commanders 25

WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and 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: WK 2: VIKINGS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/20
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WE Slay’d the Vikings, tonight.

EAGLES 24 – Vikings 7

EAGLES STATS:

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points) + 3rd downs converted by handoffs (1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points) = score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (26/31 – 83.8 – 333 – 1 – 1)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (17 – 80 – 4.7 – 0 – 0)

Receiving : (S) TE Dallas Goedert (6 – 5 – 82 – 16.4 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (12 + 1 – 4 = 9) / (S) RT Lane Johnson

Drive Killer :(S) CB Darius Slay (2 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) DT Fletcher Cox (3 – 1.0 – 0 – 1)

Ace : P Arynn Siposs – Touchdown saving tackle on CB, after blocked FG

****

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

1) Stop Being Lazy Tacklers: Tackling this week was much improved from a week ago. That said, FS Marcus Epps (6 – 0 – 0 – 0) is still leading with his shoulder, and not his hands. Solid tackling helped force the Vikings into 4th and 5, on their two opening drives. After which we scored a second time, putting game permanently out of their reach. (DONE)

2) Don’t Get Rattled: As I said, Minnesota’s victory last week only looked impressive. Then I got under the hood and saw the details and context of it. So I was able to tell you that this week, they would be without the advantage they had last week. The players just had to not get rattled by the Viking’s Week One press clippings. And they didn’t.

Oh, and OLB Zadarius Smith (2 – 0 – 0 – 0), RT Lane Johnson kept him quiet. While we’re on the subject of being kept quiet, tonight CB Darius Slay had three takeaways. Two were interceptions, and the third thing he took away was WR Justin Jefferson (12 – 6 – 48 – 8.0 – 0). Honestly, tonight he was less effective than WR Jalen Reagor (2 – 1 – 7 – 7.0 – 0), who at least didn’t help produce two turnovers. (DONE)

3) Eagles vs Kerrigan: Jalen Hurts for sure threw some balls into the Flat. TE Dallas Goedert, WR Zach Pascal (2 – 2 – 14 – 7.0 – 0) and the RB’s made well use of the space. It was often so wide open that his completion percentage is almost gaudy for this game. (DONE)

4) Work the Hash: With Hurts spreading the wealth, everything was on the table, including the middle of the field. WR A.J. Brown (8 – 5 – 69 – 13.8 – 0) did a lot of his damage over the middle, near the hash. Goedert made some noise there as well. This opened up the area outside the numbers for WR Devonta Smith (7 – 7 – 80 – 11.9 – 0), who low-key put on an absolute clinic, on shaking coverage and presenting a clean target. (DONE)

****

This week all 4 of the Four Things were done, and the result was domination from coin toss to shower. Next week, we hop on 95 for three hours, to visit Washington D.C. Once there, we’ll have our first divisional match-up vs the Commanders.

Did I mention that our ex plays there now? Yeah, QB Carson Wentz. Thought he was the one. Even put a ring on it. But Nick complicated that. Still smile when you think of Nick, right? Then there was Jalen. You know Philly’s weakness for dark meat! Randall, Donovan, Mike… (Donovan still ranks as the best we ever had, but shhhh! You have to say that quietly.) Yeah, poor Carson. We didn’t have to do him so dirty.

****

On The Whole:

I’m going to get to the gripes first, then I’m going to hand out praise. What the fuck was up with these refs tonight?! There were three bad calls in the first quarter alone. And why was DT Marlon Tuipulotu (1 – 0 – 0 – 0) on the field again? He just gets pushed around vs the run, and offers little pass rush.

There was only one 3rd down hand-off in this entire game. Hurts again, ran the ball (11 – 57 – 5.1 – 2 – 1), too much again. His 28 carries this year, puts him on pace for 238 carries. I don’t know how this coaching staff expects him to absorb that much punishment, and still be an effective passer.

We scored no points in the fourth quarter again. Leads mean nothing late in a game, if the opponent feels as if, or knows outright, that they can get stops. At a certain point. A trailing teams start gambling with house money, with attempts to score. If they can put stops and scores together, they develop a substance called “Hope”. If we allow them hope, they may become inspired, and pull off a comeback. We have to get this fixed.

Now for the praise.

Back in June, in THE 12: #11, I wrote about using WR Quez Watkins (2 – 2 – 69 – 34.5 – 1) to run Go routes from the Slot. That 53 yard thing of beauty that Hurts threw to him, is exactly what I was talking about. With Brown and Smith demanding attention on the outside (plus Goedert), you can’t tell me that we don’t have another 8 of these in the chamber.

In that same article, I said that if Hurts gets better at reading a defense, the entire NFC, not just the East, will be on notice. His reading has clearly improved. It’s still has gaps in it, but gaps are better than the near illiteracy he exhibited at this time last year. His blitz solving skills would also benefit from a former NFL player’s guidance.

Hurts ball placement and timing, were… Look, I wanted improvement, and I believed that he could improve, somewhat. Just not this much, this fast. The question is how physically consistent can he be, as he takes more and more abuse from how the extra hits he takes running.

I’m just glad this wasn’t our situation.

FOUR THINGS: WK 2: EAGLES – VIKINGS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/17
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

AFTER churning out 216 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 5.5 yards per carry, all on the ground, guess what we’re getting! A Vikings team that allowed the lowly Packers, to run for 118 yards and a 6.2 yard average. Looks like this HOME OPENER is one of those “Just run the ball” (mainly with RB Miles Sanders) type situations. SO LET’S GO!!!

RB Miles Sanders

A win means going to 2 – 0, and holding onto the division lead by virtue of defeating two conference opponents. A loss makes us .500 and probably puts us in second place. That is, unless the entire division loses out, which would leave things just as they are.

****

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

MLB T.J. Edwards showing what a good tackle looks like.

1) Stop Being Lazy Tacklers: Last week, there were too many repeated instances of our defenders not wrapping up. It also looked as if fatigue was a factor. Players didn’t play during the preseason, so none of them got “seasoned”. They came to camp in workout shape, but never played their way into FOOTBALL shape.

What happened is, they got tired, and the tackle attempts became lazy. Listen, our guys don’t need a refresher in tackling technique. They’re defensive players. They’ve been tackling people for years now. They know how to do it, they just have to not be lazy about it this week.

2) Don’t Get Rattled: Minnesota’s victory last week looks dominant at a glance, but when you get under the hood, context tells a very different story. It was a game where they scored a first quarter, and a late second quarter touchdown. Their final three scores were just field goals. From 17 points in the first half, to just 6 in the second. Green Bay clearly figured out how to slow them down. We can learn from that.

Speaking of the Packers, two of Minny’s key defensive contributors, OLB Zadarius Smith and CB Chandon Sullivan, jumped ship from Green Bay this offseason. So the Viking defense got two guys who could explain Green Bay’s defense, and who had also gone against QB Aaron Rodgers in many practices. So the Vikings had the Packers blueprints! They’ll have no such advantage this week.

3) Eagles vs Kerrigan: From 2017 and 2019, we swept the Redskins for three years straight. Our game plan was simple. Use their strength as a weakness. Since their 3-4 OLB’s (one of which was Ryan Kerrigan) were more like DE’s in a 5-2, the Flat was generally going to be 7-11 (always open). We killed them for years throwing Outs to TE Zach Ertz, and Wheel routes to RB’s like Darren Sproles and Boston Scott.

Fast forward to now. Having OLB’s who are 263, and 272 pound pass rushers, the Vikings actually have DE’s playing more of a 5 – 2 front. With their pass rush coming off the edge, and trying to contain QB Jalen Hurts, this week would be a great week for some RB Screens, and some Outs to TE Dallas Goedert.

4) Work the Hash: Hurts likes to bootleg to his right. Everyone knows it, which is why last week, Detroit repeatedly stacked blitzers on their left edge. Hurts didn’t throw any picks against it, but he was hurried repeatedly. Expect to see that keep happening, until Hurts solves it. Okay now here’s how to solve it: Passes to the TE or the Slot WR right along the hash.

Any edge blitz in a 5 – 2 they’d have to declare early. So they won’t do that. What they’ll more likely do, is walk an ILB up into a gap, and cause an overloaded end. If that happens, then the TE should be immediately open, up the hash. The only way to take that away, would be to drop the OLB, giving Hurts room to run.

****

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

Last week’s game against the Lions had no business being as hard as it was. We played down to a lesser team, and it may be providing this week’s opponent with more confidence than they would otherwise come to Philly with. Unfortunately, we created that problem, and we’re going to have it until we prove it’s no longer a problem.

As far as covering the Vikings WR’s, that’s why we have CB Darius Slay, and CB James Bradberry. We also have depth there, but the focus will be on forcing QB Kirk Cousins to hold onto the ball. The Vikings don’t run the same offense as Detroit, so stop being haunted by QB Jared Goff’s release time last week. Focus on the opponent in front of us.

If this game were being played in Minnesota, I’d write it up as a loss. There would be too many intangibles against us (opponent confidence, us being haunted by a shaky performance, their crowd, travel, etc.) However, playing here means that that playing field has been leveled.

With a level playing field, it’s down to superior talent and execution. They have a great roster, but they don’t have ours. The Vikings scored 23 points last week. We scored 24 points. In the second quarter last week. They’re a legit team, but not worth worrying over.

FYI: WR Jalen Reagor has started in an NFL Playoff game. WR Justin Jefferson has never even been in an NFL Playoff game.

****

Prediction: EAGLES 27 – Vikings 20

WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and 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: WK 1: LIONS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/12
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
“And, of course, it would be real good to go out there and smack them in the mouth a little bit,”

THEY smacked us in the mouth, and then got knocked out. In their home.

EAGLES 38 – Lions 35

EAGLES STATS:

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points) + 3rd downs converted by rushes (1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points) = score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (18/32 – 56.2% – 243 – 0 – 0)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (13 – 96 – 7.3 – 1 – 0)

Receiving : (S) WR A.J. Brown (11 – 10 – 155 – 15.5 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (4 (24) + 2 (2) – 1 (-2) = 24 pts) / RT Lane Johnson

Drive Killer : (S) CB James Bradberry (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 1)

Sack Leader : (S) DT Fletcher Cox (1 – 0.5 – 0 – 0)

Ace : (B) CB Zech MacPhearson (Heads up recovery of onside kick)

****

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

RB Miles Sanders scores his first TD in 2 years. Which is great, because I have him on my fantasy team.

1) Run the Ball: Mixed bag here. This time we’ll say that technically the Eagles did this one, because I didn’t specify hand-offs. (But just this time!) We had 39 runs, against 32 pass attempts, but 17 of those runs were from QB Jalen Hurts, who led the team in carries. Some on designed runs, some on scrambles (often too early) from the pocket.

Listen, it’s real hard to argue with 216 rushing yards, a 5.5 team-wide per carry average, and 4 rushing touchdowns from four different players. That said, Hurts can’t be this big a part of it, if he’s going to be the long-term answer at Quarterback. He’s on a 289 carry pace for this season. It’s unsustainable. It’s ill-advised. Credit for this week, but going forward, “Run the ball” means HAND-OFFS. (DONE)

2) Make Goff Run: I came into this season thinking the Eagles had solved not being able to get pressure, with a four man rush. Well, that problem seems to persist. We didn’t make QB Jared Goff (21/37 – 56.7% – 215 – 2 – 1) run much. We didn’t make him feel unsafe. In fact, despite being behind a makeshift o-line, Goff was largely a statue in the pocket. It was embarrassing. (NOT DONE)

3) Challenge Their Receivers: The mission was to hold WR D.J. Chark (8 – 4 – 52 – 13.0 – 1) and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (12 – 8 – 64 – 8.0 – 1) to fewer than 100 yards each. The result was that despite each scoring, they had just 116 yards between them. Neither could claim to have had a good game.

This was Bradberry’s first career pick six. He broke his cherry as an Eagle.

As the cherry on top, CB James Bradberry (2 – 0 – 1 – 0) got us a pick six. He sat on an outside route, and was able to get to a ball tipped by OLB Kyzir White (5 – 0 – 0 – 0). (DONE)

4) Get ‘im!: I said at least 8 passes have to be thrown to whomever CB Jeff Okuda (10 – 0 – 0 – 0) was covering. I counted just 5. While Hurts seems to have a good connection with WR A.J. Brown, getting the ball effectively to anyone else, seems to be a challenge. His under-usage of TE Dallas Goedert (4 – 3 – 60 – 20.0 – 0) is practically criminal. Especially when a blitz is telegraphing itself. (NOT DONE)

****

So we open the season at 2 of the Four Things. That’s a .500 marker. Let’s not let that, nor this close score, be an indicator of the sort of year we’ll have.

We’ll look to bounce back next week, vs the 1 – 0 Minnesota Vikings. Ever since we molly-whopped them in the 2017 playoffs, they’ve had our number, with wins in 2018 and 2019. Next week in our home-opener, we’ll be looking to have a stop put to that.

****

On The Whole:

DE Brandon Graham and DT Fletcher Cox bag a Lion on safari.

I’m glad and grateful for the “W”. Let’s say that up-front. The Lions came out jacked up on adrenaline, and had a standing room only sized crowd making noise for them. They punched the Eagles in the mouth, right out of the gate. We didn’t panic. Didn’t point fingers or whine for flags or calls. (More on that in a couple minutes.)

What we did was respond, slow the game down, quiet their adrenaline, take the crowd out of the equation, and prove that once again, this game, the season, all of it, every part of it, is a marathon, not a sprint.

There are however, some things to work on! The effects of Starters not playing during the preseason, showed up in this game. Poor tackling, the Defensive Line sticking to blocks, this is what happens when you don’t tackle to the ground in drills, and you don’t play through blocks in drills. Teaching a technique without the finish, isn’t teaching the technique. This needs to get worked on this week.

Hurts not being able to handle the blitz, is an indictment on this coaching staff. His inability to work out of anything besides the Shotgun, is an indictment on this coaching staff. Running RPO’s would be far more effective if he started out from under Center. Think of how effective it was with a non-running QB like Nick Foles. Coaching staffs should fear Hurts. Instead, they run undisguised blitzes at him, because they know he hasn’t figured them out. This must be worked on.

This CANNOT be tolerated.

Lastly, all of the hits Hurts took after slides today, should have been penalties. Any player in a slide has “given himself up”, and therefore falls under the “defenseless player”umbrella. Head Coach Nick Sirianni has to go to Owner Jeffrey Lurie and get him to write/call/email the referees, and also make an on-air public statement, saying that Hurts should receive proper protections, and not be the victim of “running QB” bias.