FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK P3: NEW YORK JETS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/08/29
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Crazy Talk, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Rants, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!

WHAT could be better than a tie!?

 

EAGLES 31 – Jets 31

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted of 2 yards or less – Sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

Passing: (S) QB Joe Flacco – (13/16 – 81.2 – 188 – 2 – 0)

Rushing: (B) RB Elijah Holyfield – (16 – 60 – 3.7 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: (B) WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside – (2 – 2 – 57 – 28.5 – 1)

Offensive Line Report: (1 + 2 – 2)

Drive Killer: (B) CB Michael Jacquet – (0 – 1 – 0 – 1 – 1)

Sack Leader: (S) DT T.Y. McGill – (3– 2.0 – 0 – 0)

 

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

1) Coach for the Win: Instead of trying to guide his starters to a form of victory to get the taste of a win in their mouths, head coach Nick Sirianni decided to continue to evaluate his bench. Maybe that will pay off, if we get hammered with another injury bug. (Not Done)

2) Play the Starters for a Half: Nope! The starters didn’t even wear jerseys without pads. They were on the sidelines in black t-shirts, like Batman henchmen. (Not Done)

3) Death Row Just Watches: Plenty of guys who are going to be cut, stole reps from guys that we may need to contribute if injuries become an issue. This may be viewed as me over-reacting after a third preseason game, but you can’t fake the adrenalin of a real game. Families, friends, and old coaches don’t tune into joint practices. Sirianni had a chance to give that to high level back-ups, and he blew it. (Not Done)

4) Shuffle the Ends: We got the same thing served to us as the last two games. We saw a lot of DE’s Matt Leo and Tarron Jackson. We saw little outside pass rush, and nearly zero run contain. Asking to see OLB’s Genard Avery and Patrick Johnson get reps at DE remained an ungranted wish. (Not Done)

Again, that’s 0 for 4. Two straight weeks of goose egg, and 2 of 12 this preseason. The result being zero wins. Two weeks from now, I wonder if the Starters will get to play Week One; or if Sirianni will elect to save them for the playoffs. Rock, paper, motherfu-

 

On The Whole:

Some will see our 31 – 31 tie, and mention this silver lining. We put our bench out against many of the Jets starters, and we didn’t lose. The problem with that is, we got up 24 – 10 and then fell apart 7 – 21, to finish the second half. Not rolling out our best stuff is one thing. Being out-hustled on Special Teams, run over on Defense, and uninspired on Offense, is quite another.

Practice? Sirianni talkin’ ’bout Dual PRACTICE.

At this stage I have no idea where any spirit of competition is supposed to come from. The Starters know that they’re sacred cows, because the back-ups hardly showed anything, across three straight weeks. In fact, the only player looking over his shoulder at this point, might be QB Jalen Hurts. Is he the starter yet? I’m kidding! I’m KIDDING! It’s not like the Eagles are going to go out and trade for QB Gardner Minshew. (sigh)

FOUR THINGS: WK P3: EAGLES – Jets

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/08/25
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

SHOULD we even give a shit?! Sloshing wet behind the ears, rookie head coach Nick Sirianni is under the impression that joint practices are as good as a game. You know who disagrees with that philosophy? Bill Belichick. The same Bill Belichick with six Super Bowl rings, who walked into Lincoln Financial stadium, and waxed Sirianni’s baby-soft ass, 35 to couldn’t even get on the board. Oh, Belichick played his starters, BTW.

A win. A loss. There really doesn’t seem like there’d be any carry-over from this game if the starters sit again. We’ve seen more than enough from the back-ups. What we don’t know, is whether the 22 men who’ll be doing most of the playing, can be better than last year’s 4 wins. Outside of a good showing from those 22, this game will only serve to highlight how badly squandered last week was. Prove us wrong Nick! I dare you.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: 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 FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

 

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

1) Coach for the Win: We have yet to see what it looks like when Sirianni is trying to coach his team to a win. As a matter of fact, he has yet to see it either. A dry run would give him a base-line of what he wants to work on within himself, over the course of his rookie season.

As a rookie coach, he’s allowed to suck. This year. So he needs to be about the business of figuring out his evolutionary path, as a head coach. Treat this game like a game. Let’s see if we have a coach.

2) Play the Starters for a half: Chemistry isn’t built by wishing. It’s built by reps. While practice time is valuable, ANY additional reps only help. How often do we talk about players who stick around after everyone else has gone home? Meanwhile we have a head coach who downplays the value of game time.

3) Death Row Watches: Guys who we know aren’t going to make the team, shouldn’t steal reps from those who will. RB Jason Huntley, WR’s J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Marken Michel, DT Marlon Tuipulotu, and S Blake Countess, are examples of guys who have no business getting any snaps. At least not while the game can still be won.

The guys who are going to make this roster, need those snaps. Don’t let them be stolen by dead men walking.

4) Shuffle the Ends: I get it. The Eagles are looking to rely on DE’s Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Josh Sweat and Ryan Kerrigan. So between the four DE’s of Tarron Jackson, Milton Williams, JaQuan Bailey and Matt Leo, there’s probably only one spot left. The team wanted to get a long look at them. Okay. Got plenty of looks. Now let’s see if we can find another actual pass rusher.

We need to get a look at OLB Patrick Johnson or SLB Genard Avery, lined up at DE on a few third downs. Aside from Johnson, I was not a fan of the Eagles defensive line additions, during the 2021 Draft. I made that abundantly clear in my Draft Report. It’s about time we got a look at him vs the top half of an opposing roster.

If we do these Four Things, win or lose, the coach will have sent the message that it’s time to focus on competing, and getting better as a team. That said, I don’t know how much faith I have in Sirianni doing what needs to be done. It’s why I’ve predicted an Eagles loss in both of the previous games. What I absolutely have faith in, is owner Jeff Lurie putting an arm around young Nick, and telling him “Nick, you’d better win back my %$@#ing fan base. Because wins move merch!”

 

PREDICTION: EAGLES 20 – Jets 17

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK P2: Patriots

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/08/21
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THIS game was somewhat lopsided.

 

EAGLES 0 – Patriots 35

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s – 3rd and 4th downs converted of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF).

Passing: (S) QB Joe Flacco – (10/17 – 58.8% – 83 – 0 – 1)

Rushing: (B) RB Elijah Holyfield – (4 – 31 – 7.7 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: (B) TE Jack Stoll – (7 – 4 – 33 – 8.2 – 0)

Offensive Line Report: (0 – 1 – 4)

Drive Killer: (B) CB Kevon Seymour – (0 – 1 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader: No Qualifier 

 

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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: Patriots, did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Run the ball: The play selection this week was 27 passes to 17 non-QB runs. That play-calling is 61.3% pass to 38.7% run. The hope was for 43% at least. The result is that we didn’t keep the defense honest. As a result they pinned their ears back, and hunted our QBs to the tune of 4 sacks.

The idea was that the extra running would loosen the focus on QB Jalen Hurts. It would allow him room to operate, and thus make him more dangerous. However, with him going to a hospital with a case of the shits, no amount of running would have helped him in this game. (NOT DONE)

2) Rotate, rotate, rotate: The rotation of the Defensive Line was better this week, but it still wasn’t great. Also, at one point, LB Alex Singleton repeatedly looked to the sideline and patted his helmet, to let them know he needed a breather. This is unacceptable. Gassed players will not/cannot, reliably make plays. This inattention to defensive player stamina, has to get fixed. If not, we’re going to give up a lot of cheap touchdowns. It will get us destroyed this year.

Like it did in this game. (NOT DONE)

3) Sit the Flacco Down: Flacco started. Even worse, he got more passing plays called for him, than QB Nick Mullens did. This is despite Mullens coming into the game, already down three scores. (NOT DONE)

4) Unleash the blitz: The only way we could have gotten less pressure on Patriot QB’s, would have been to help block for them. No one on our D-line was able to get within a $20 cab ride of the opposing passers. So of course we dialed up clever blitzes, right? RIGHT?! Not at all. (NOT DONE)

 

So that’s us, doing goose egg out of Four Things this week. Next week we get the Jets, in their house, and I’m afraid.

I’m not afraid of the Jets. I’m afraid of watching another exhibition game devolve into another shit show, because this coaching staff has it in for the fans here.

 

On The Whole:

To eloquently quote Steve Coogan in ‘Hamlet2’:

Remember when I told you that Head Coach Nick Sirianni’s talk about “competition” was a lie? Well it’s pretty hard for players to compete, when they don’t even have to play a single snap. Or for fuck’s sake, even put on their pads! Like I said, Siranni’s line about competition… It was total bullshit, wasn’t it? 

When a team finishes 4 – 11 – 1, nobody on the roster is good enough to sit out a preseason game. Especially when breaking in new systems. At this point I don’t know which I’m more displeased by, the players inability to win downs, or the coaching staff appearing clueless, over-matched and inept at every turn.

FOUR THINGS: WK P2: EAGLES – PATRIOTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/08/17
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WHILE our Offensive Starters didn’t get in the end zone, our Defensive Starters didn’t allow a trip to the end zone. In fact, our first half play looked very good considering that it was Head Coach Nick Sirianni’s debut, and Pittsburgh wasn’t playing in their first game of the preseason.

Hopefully in this game, we’ll work on a rushing attack that we left largely explored, last week. The play selection was 29 passes to 10 non-QB rushes. That’s 74.3% pass, for those who want an early read on Sirianni’s attack philosophy.

In year’s past, there were four preseason games. Now there are just three. In the past, Starters played the most in Game Three. Now it’ll likely be in Game Two. That means if we’re going to win one of these, this next one is the one that will have the most “meaning”, because it’ll give us the largest glimpse of our best vs an opponent’s best. Like this!

Even though preseason games are meaningless, I want this game. I didn’t care what happened last week, and I won’t care how next week shakes out. But this one? I want this one. I’m putting that out there, right now.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: 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 FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

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

1) Run the ball: QB Jalen Hurts looked solid last week. Not great. Not stellar. Solid. To really unleash him and make him dangerous, the Eagles ground game has to come alive. We need to give the opposing defense an entire offense to worry about. While 60/40 run pass split would be ideal, even a 43/57 split would show that the Eagles brain trust is as least as dialed in as I am.

2) Rotate, rotate, rotate: For fuck’s sake, rotate our goddamned line! Last week Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon essentially gave away the game, by refusing to rotate his obviously gassed, defensive linemen in the second half. The result was that our defense got run over.

If Gannon owns a pair of balls, he’ll be embarrassed by what his coaching put on tape. At the very least, linemen should be subbed out two at a time. For example: Rotate in a DT along with a DE. We have 7 DT’s, and we only start 2. That’s 5 subs. We have 6 healthy DE’s. We only start 2. That’s 4 subs. We have the manpower. Get this done!

3) Sit the Flacco Down: We already know what QB Joe Flacco is. He doesn’t need extensive work to be a #2. Hurts on the other hand needs a half, since he likely won’t play next week. Third string QB Nick Mullen however, needs to show that last week (1 – 5 – 20.0% – 4 – 0 – 2) was an aberration. If he bombs this week, the Eagles are almost guaranteed not to carry three QB’s on the active roster; and they may even look elsewhere for a Practice Squader.

4) Unleash the Blitz: The Eagles refrained from blitzing last week. So much so that the announcer kept bringing it up. That can’t happen this week. Our players need to get a feel for how the gaps develop, how long they last, or if any of them have a “tell”, etc. Those things only come with reps against top-shelf talent.

Guys like OLB Genard Avery and rookie OLB Patrick Johnson, are known for rushing passers. Let’s turn these guys loose.

If we do these Four Things, this game will show the NFL that the Eagles are scary underdogs this year. REALLY scary underdogs.

Mike Tomlin last week, and now Patriots coach Bill Belichik. While Belichik is more than a match for our rookie head man, I feel fortunate that Sirianni is getting this baptism by fire, this early in his career. That said, neither Bill nor Nick, will line up on Thursday night.

Talent for talent, I don’t see that New England is better than we are. In fact, I think we hold decisive advantages along both of our lines. We also have more explosive skill players. Especially given the fact that the Patriots feel that adding CB Jalen Mills to their secondary made them stronger.

If the Eagles do what they should, we win this in a walk.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 20 – Patriots 17

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK P1: Steelers

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/08/14
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Reviews, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

RATHER encouraging debut for Head Coach Nick Sirianni.

EAGLES 16 – Steelers 24 

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include a weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s – 3rd downs converted of 2 yards or less on the ground – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF).

Passing: (B) QB Joe Flacco – (10/17– 58.8% – 178 – 1 – 0)

Rushing: (B) RB Jason Huntley – (4 – 15 – 3.7 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: (B) WR Quez Watkins – (2 – 1 – 79 – 79.0 – 1)

O-Line Report: (0 – 0 – 2)

Drive Killer: (B) S Elijah Riley – (1 – 0 – 0 – 0)

Sacks: (B) DT T.Y. McGill – (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Steelers did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Simple Communication: At no point did the Eagles starters, seem out of sync with each other. There were points where there were lapses in execution, but given how new the systems are, it’s far too early to make that into a real complaint. (DONE)

2) Bring the Violence: OLB Alex Singleton and S Anthony Harris came to lay the lumber! Everyone else…not so much. Maybe we’ll see more ill will next week. (NOT DONE)

3) Have a Ball: We managed just one take-away all game long. Worse yet, the time of possession, felt like we had the ball for just 10 of the 60 minutes in the game. (NOT DONE)

4) Shelve the cute shit: The play-calling was very vanilla. Playing the game straight-up, allowed us to take a real assessment of our big men in the trenches. (DONE)

So we did 2 of the 4, and it clearly wasn’t enough. Next week we should get a longer look at our starters, vs a 1 – 0 New England team that just handed Washington one of these:

On The Whole:

Our starters looked much sharper than I was anticipating. Especially given that Pittsburgh had already played a preseason game. As the game wore on, our Defensive Line wore out visibly. Why there wasn’t any substitution, is totally beyond me. That said, instead of harping on negatives, using this game to emphasize positives, would likely go much much farther, in terms of player development.

FORBIDDEN MEMES

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/08/12
Posted in: Conversations, Crazy Talk, Fans, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

CENSORSHIP is running amok on Facebook. This is mostly an overcompensation for all the illegal stuff that FB was rumored to be letting Russian hackers (cough cough, government agents) get away with, prior to the 2016 Presidential election.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had his ass hauled in front of Congress, and now the social media platform is taking down anything that can be misconstrued as bullying, or spreading false information. They’re even going so far as to take down memes and posts from 2017 and earlier. As a result, lots of the funniest shit that you and I ever posted, is coming down.

Since I hate that, I decided to create a running page of rude, sexualized, sometimes blatantly offensive memes, just because I think there should be a place where we ADULTS, can still be treated as such.

And so. Without further ado…

THE OFFENSIVE SHIT!

FB actually flagged me for this one, back when I made it.

FOUR THINGS: WK P1: EAGLES – STEELERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/08/11
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WE’RE about to get our first look at Head Coach Nick Sirianni’s vision for the Eagles. The 2021 edition will be sporting a new look Offense aaand Defense. That means any expectations have to be set entirely to the side, until we have some idea of what the team does and doesn’t do, well.

Being a preseason game, we all know that the wins and losses don’t blah blah blah. But that’s just officially speaking. Even getting a preseason win under his belt, would give Sirianni something to hang his hat on, during meetings and film study.

While in a loss, he could point the finger at certain players; in a win, he can heap reward on certain players. For players trying to win roster spots or starting jobs in August, the carrot is a far better motivator than the stick. There is no carrot without winning this game.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: 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 FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

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

1) Simple Communication: It will be interesting to see how often an Eagles QB throws to an area where there is no receiver. Or how often a hand-off is poorly executed. It will be interesting to see who calls the signals on Defense, and how responsive surrounding players are to those calls.

The Eagles have to keep things simple, and make sure they are on the same page. This is the first preseason game. While a win would feel nice and be worth some coaching capital, there is nothing smart about pulling out all the stops for a preseason win. Keep it simple. Communicate clearly.

2) Bring the violence: Pittsburgh isn’t still a “pound the rock and iron defense” type of team, but they carried that rep for so long, that they still sort of benefit from it. We can use that. Bringing the pain on tackles, will put the NFL on notice.

Listen, it’s a lot easier to cover a WR on a Crossing route, if he’s spending half of it looking for a FS. Lapses in his concentration means drops, rounded routes, “Alligator Arms”, and other things. So send the message during this preseason: In 2021, the fastest way through Philadephia’s Defense, is in an ambulance.

3) Have A Ball: Across the NFL over the last 5 seasons (2016 – 2020), there have been 86 defensive safeties. That’s just 17.2 per season, among 32 teams. The rest of the scoring is done via touchdowns and field goals, both of which require physical possession of the football. If the opponent doesn’t have it, they generally can’t score. So go get ball. When we do get ball, keep ball. Move ball. Score ball. None of this is complicated. DO THIS.

4) Shelve the Cute Shit: Every team likes to run trick and gadget plays. Offensive coaches live to show us all how smart they are. Well, save it for after our Offense has the basics down. More than that, let’s show teams that we can win in a straightforward manner. Winning the division would be nice, but HOW we win it, forecasts how far we can go in the postseason.

If we do these Four Things, the Eagle should win in a walk.

As we saw against the Cowboys in the Hall of Fame game, Pittsburgh is also trying to figure things out. While QB Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play in that game (so their offense struggled), he also didn’t play in that game (so this is his first taste of a new system). Sauce for the goose.

Still, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin knows his players and how to guide them. Sirianni is entering his first engagement as the leader of an NFL team. If the Eagles talent takes over this game, it could get ugly for Pittsburgh. That said, if it comes down to coaching, expect Tomlin to take our rookie to school. In fact, maybe we should hope that he does.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 13 – Steelers 20

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

STICK WITH JALEN HURTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/08/05
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TRADING for QB Deshaun Watson would be a huge mistake. Possibly one that could set the Eagles franchise back, for years. We’d be far better served by spending the next three years developing QB Jalen Hurts. Even if he never truly pans out, we’d still be better off than trading for Watson.

The rumors of the Texans wanting THREE first round picks in exchange for Watson, starts the proceedings off as ridiculous. Especially now that we won’t be getting that extra first rounder for QB Carson Wentz. Watson desperately wants out of Houston, and he has said that he won’t play another down for them. 

This means the Texans have absolutely no leverage. None. Just fucking none. If Watson holds out, he still counts 15M$ against Houston’s salary cap in 2021, 40M$ in 2022, and 42M$ in 2023. Being a bad team (4 – 12 last year) that needs all the help it can get, the Texans can’t afford to let him sit idle. So for us to part with three first rounders, would be stupid on our part. (Maybe we can let Washington fall into that trap?)

With DE Brandon Graham, DT Fletcher Cox, and FS Rodney McLeod all on the back-end of their careers, having all of our first round picks is a necessity, not a luxury. Even if Watson came here and played lights out, he doesn’t cover any of the holes created by those looming losses. And each of those holes will be massive.

Then there’s public perception.

Even if Governor Cuomo (sorry), Watson sidesteps all the sexual misconduct accusations against him, he’s never going to shake the baggage. By association the Eagles, the fans, all of us would get stuck with it.

It’s one thing to stick by a guy that we drafted, or who’d been here a couple years as a model citizen. If something like this had come out about transplants like Connor Barwin or Chris Long, we’d want to be damned sure that it wasn’t BS. But BS or not, to bring Watson in NOW, is to borrow trouble. Why do it?

Then there’s the notion of getting rid of Hurts, who by all accounts has been doing community outreach, talking about how frugal/responsible he’s being with his money, and working very hard to improve (even if some of his workouts do seem counter-intuitive). By any measure, Hurts has been what you want kids looking up to. Why trade that for Watson’s baggage?

In the event that we traded for Watson and he flopped here, we’d be out picks AND still need a QB. Raise your hand if you want tickets to that shit-show….

Now show me a side-eye if you’d rather pass. Right now my eye is so side, that I think I just sprained my neck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck. That’s what I get for being a smart-ass. Worth it.

Totally worth it.

EAGLES TRAINING CAMP 2021

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/07/28
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TRAINING Camp arrived today! While most fans have been waiting to get a glimpse of the players, I’ve been dying to get a look at the systems we’ll be running. Of course we won’t get a real glimpse of the Defensive system until probably the third preseason game. Still, I’ll be looking for big changes in our coverage of opposing receivers.

I’m actually very excited about that.

Aside from that, I don’t really know what we can reasonably expect from this year’s camp. All that talk of open competition throughout the roster was bullshit from the jump; and I told you that it was, in plain and unbroken.

There are 22 starting positions between the Offense and the Defense, and the only spots truly up for grabs are LT, WR2, and maybe, maybe, MLB. Everything else has either been decided by, or confirmed by, economics.

The battle for LT between multi-year project Jordan Mailata, and 2019 first round pick Andre Dillard, should be a lot of fun to watch, as they bring two different approaches to the contest. Mailata raw  size and power, and Dillard The two of them seem quietly determined to put the other guy on the bench. If iron truly sharpens iron, then the result should produce an excellent blindside protector for QB Jalen Hurts.

It’s already been said that WR Jalen Reagor would be operating mostly out of the Slot this season. Greg Ward is reliable, but lacks the speed to threaten deep; and while John Hightower has shown impressive wheels and an ability to uncover, his catch rate (34.5%) makes him impossible to take seriously as candidate to start.

That makes last year’s leading receiver Travis Fulgham, the odds-on favorite to be starter opposite rookie WR Devonta Smith. It needs to be said, with the amount of speed the Eagles have stockpiled at WR, especially when the back-ups are in, Jalen Hurts on a scramble drill could be lethal if he can improve his accuracy.

The MLB position is a toss-up. In our 4-3 base, that job belongs to T.J. Edwards right now. When we go to the Nickle or Dime, Edwards comes off the field. Then again so would most MLB’s. Second year man Shaun Bradley has more footspeed, but Edwards has better eyes and instincts, and he plays under more control. We’ll have to see how it plays out in Camp. Provided the job is truly even up for grabs.

Despite all the turnover this offseason, there really isn’t much to see, if you step back and view the big picture. The Eagles coaching staff doesn’t know enough about themselves as a group, to draw any definite lines in the sand about what must be done or how. This year is a lab for everybody. Both players and coaches.


Word to the wise:

This is not the most talented team in the NFL, but it does have a collection of young, explosive players on Offense. People are questioning whether those players will live up to their high ceilings. However, that question is an admission of multiple high ceilings.

The Defense has a few older players on it, but overall they are in their primes, and have been there, seen that. This is not a group that will get rattled easily. Even in games when we fall behind early. 

While it would be silly to expect this team to win the NFC East this season, it would be equally as foolish to write them off. There is still a proven core of veterans who know how to motivate each other, hold themselves and each other accountable, and more importantly overcome adversity.

This team is a broad sword, not a scalpel. It’s roster is designed to either overwhelm with physical traits; or present match-up puzzles that defy classic solutions. This is not a finesse team. It’s built to be a brawler. That said, if the brawler can actually take a punch or two…the entire NFC, not just the East, could have a problem on its hands. 

ALMOST AS GOOD AS SEX!

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/07/27
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

AS an Eagles fan, I avoid writing about rival teams or players unless it’s truly newsworthy. Otherwise, I ignore them and focus on MY team: The Philadelphia Eagles. That being said, I have dirt to dish. So pull up a chair and let’s talk some shit.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott refuses to reveal whether or not he’s been vaccinated for Covid-19. When asked about it, he incorrectly invoked HIPAA, and then dived into a stream of meaningless double-talk. This basically says that he hasn’t gotten vaccinated. Whether he’s leaning that way or is staunchly opposed, remains to be seen.

Frankly, it’s not important one way or the other. I’d be telling you a lie to say that I cared at all.

I’m not saying that I wish Covid on the man. I don’t. What I’m here to talk about, is how truly Karmic it would be, if in his situation, he contracted Covid-19. For no damned reason at all.

He just signed one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history, and the vaccine is totally FREE. Doesn’t cost a single red cent. Even if it wasn’t available in his neighborhood, the Cowboys medical staff would happily drive it to his home to vaccinate him. I’m sure they’d even wade through his pool to do it, as he lay on an inflatable chair.

He has NO BUSINESS getting this disease. NONE.

So if he gets it by himself and has to quarantine, his decision could cost his team one or two games. If he’s part of an outbreak, then his team may need to automatically hand over a win (or two, or three) to whomever they were scheduled to play.

Prescott could avoid all of this now, by being vaccinated. Instead, the plan is to keep QB Ben “Bring It On” DiNucci,

or preseason hall of fame QB Cooper Rush, loose and ready to go. This is because Prescott’s new deal made signing a good back-up, too expensive. (And Chicago lied to QB Andy Dalton.)

While Covid has a high survival rate, often victims are left with long-term symptoms like difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, fatigue, symptoms that worsen after physical activities, difficulty thinking or concentrating (brain fog), and lots of other crap. These people are often called Covid Long Haulers, or said to have Long Covid, or Post-acute Covid., by the CDC

Significantly more victims suffer these long-term effects, than die from the disease, and that’s what poses the bigger danger for Prescott. An NFL athlete can’t play while dragging around an oxygen tank. A QB can’t be at his best with brain fog. If walking up 10 stairs can worsen symptoms for the average person, imagine what an NFL game would do to Prescott.

If Prescott contracts Covid, even when he gets back, he may never be the same player, ever again. It could derail his career, like Guillain-Barre Syndrome did with retired C Travis Frederick. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, would be stuck with a lemon that he owes 126M$. It would be years before the Cowboys could be competitive in the free agent market.

As bad as QB Carson Wentz’s situation looks for the Eagles in 2021, Prescott not being vaccinated could make the Cowboys look a lot worse for a third of a decade. Given that Jones is no spring chicken at 78, there’s a chance that he may not even live to see the Cowboys get from under (as Jones put it), overpaying Prescott.

Again, I’m not saying that I wish Covid on him. I don’t. I’m saying, given the life choices that his fellow players make, not knowing where they’ve been, or who with… To risk that? So is this how a Franchise QB is supposed to behave? As the saying goes, play stupid games, win stupid prizes.