FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WEEK 3: COLTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/24
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

COLTS

IT wasn’t a pretty win, but if it helps us win a Bye week during the playoffs, it will count just as much as any blowout. Once again, we were besieged by penalties. Some that we earned and some which are the product of referees over-calling games this year. That however, is pandemic throughout the NFL. All in all it was football game. Not a snooze-fest, but not a nail-biter either. Just the sort of grind it out win that we need out the Eagles, at least twelve more times. (There’s another game left besides those, but I won’t type that number in this paragraph.)

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QB Carson Wentz (25/37 – 67.5% – 255 – 1 – 1) looked pretty good in his initial return from last year’s knee injury. He looked in full command of the Offense, and the only real hiccups were a couple of delay of game penalties in the first half. Otherwise, mentally and physically, he looked like his MVP level self.

TE Dallas Goedert (7 – 73 – 10.4 – 1) finally got to play a significant role and subsequently caught his first NFL touchdown.

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In fact, TE’s accounted for 13 (I’ll type that number here) of Wentz’s 25 completions, while WR’s only accounted for 6. That’s a problem, by the way. Running the ball was a mixed bag (35 – 152 – 4.3 – 1 – 0), as the Eagles spent a good deal of the game running the ball to perimeter, instead of up the gut.

On Defense the Colts were held to 2/12 on 3rd down conversions, and their RB’s were held in check (12 – 35 – 2.9 – 0 – 0) on the ground. The Colts longest run of the day, was a 33 yarder by QB Andrew Luck (25/40 – 62.5% – 164 – 1 – 0) who spent the day getting acquainted with DE Derek Barnett (5 – 1.5 – 0 – 0 ).

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CB Jalen Mills (5 – 0 – 0 – 0) gave away free yardage with a dumb 31 yard a pass interference penalty. This is only going to fan the flames for fans (like me) who’d rather see him moved inside, since his (lack of) speed on the edge is a goddamned liability.

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

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

1) Protect the QB: At no point did Wentz look rattled or unsure of himself. He was in total command of the playbook, and his adjustments. Once he got the play clock issue straightened out, he was good to go. DONE

2) Mix up coverages: Still played a great deal of Single-high, and of course a loose Prevent defense later. Gave up a completion percentage of 62.5 this week. That will get us killed vs a decent team. NOT DONE

3) Introduce a new wrinkle: While the Eagles have not been a stranger to running two TE’s sets, using them as the primary receiving options, was clearly not what the Colts had gameplanned to stop. As a result, Wentz was able to complete passes mostly in front of him, which was made easier by a run game that kept the OLB’s on the perimeter. Instead of playing inside to open outside, the Eagles flipped it. DONE

4) Come out in Rally mode: Instead of infectious energy, the Eagles looked somewhat tightly wound. Whether it was multiple dropped punts, poor snaps, or bad drops, it just seemed to be a team trying not to screw up, instead of a team trying to make things happen. NOT DONE

Close out, including that weeks score out of 4. Teaser to next match-up

Better than last week’s goose egg, this week has us going 2 of 4, bring us to 5 of 10 o n the year. Next week has us on the road, paying a visit to the Tennessee Titans, who at 2-1, lead the AFC South.

On The Whole:

While the receiving talent/options were better this week, we have got to get our WR situation fixed. Going against a former member of our coaching staff, with a two TE look, was great for this week. It was a nice wrinkle to focus on, but it won’t help us next week. Throwing the ball to the inside vs Indy, naturally kept the defense in the box, and thus made it tougher to run the ball between the Tackles. We need to find a way spread defenses out, to help us actually have a running game, going forward this season. Until we fix the WR issue, this team won’t get anywhere near it’s true potential.

Still, it’s hard not to enjoy this win, a little more than others.

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THE PRESS CONFERENCE WE ALL NEED

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/21
Posted in: Conversations, Crazy Talk, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
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“You know what I’m talkin’ about!”

WE’VE all seen it. A player or coach steps up to the podium after a loss to take the blame, and offers us the same tired lines:

“I take full responsibility.”

“This loss is on me.”

“I need to put the players in a better position to succeed.”

Just ONCE, I’d like to see a player step up to the podium and say something different. Something like maybe:

********

PLAYER: First of all, I just want to exonerate myself from the fiasco you just witnessed. Did you see that 50 yard spiral I threw to uh…uhhhh…one of our Black guys. Hit him right in the hands! How do you not catch that pass?!

REPORTER 1: So you’re saying this loss isn’t at all on your shoulders?

PLAYER: I played amazing. Absolutely amazing.

REPORTER 2: Wait. Did you say ‘one of our Black guys’?

REPORTER 3: What about your fumble, the one right before half-time?

PLAYER: You mean the strip-sack? Yeah, I think the question you should be asking is ‘What about that missed block?’ You! In the back. The skirt.

REPORTER 4: I’m not a skirt. I have a name.

PLAYER: I don’t wanna know it. What’s your question?

REPORTER 4: Do you think throwing your team under the bus, will help you win in the future?

PLAYER: Well praising them hasn’t helped. I mean we’re 0-1-1. Maybe if we did run a few of them over…

REPORTER 1: You advocate running over a few teammates?

PLAYER: I misspoke. We should run most of them over. Seriously, did you see our defense out there? Because I sure as hell didn’t. They spent the day chasing our opponents like they wanted autographs, or something. Honestly, I’ve seen better tackling during jello wrestling. Right, Skirt? You know what I’m talkin’ about! Got me L-O-L-ing up here.

REPORTER 3: What do you feel that you learned from this loss?

PLAYER: That I’m alone out there. So utterly, utterly alone out there.

REPORTER 2: So you don’t think the four interceptions you threw, had anything to do with the loss?

PLAYER: If I had immaculate protection and guys got wide open… If we drafted more guys with high jump backgrounds… I’d have completed like, most of my passes. I didn’t lose this game. The Front Office did. The Owner did. Right, Mr. Brose? This loss is your fault, right? See guys? He gets it. Damn Mr. Brose… Lenny, I can call you Lenny, right? Your face is beet red.

REPORTER 1: Wha-

PLAYER: Jefferson! That’s our Black guy’s name! Well one of them. We have so many. Maybe too many. Wait. Is it Jefferson or Washington? I get them mixed up. Which President was banging one of his-

COACH: (pushing the Player off) OKAYYYY! THAT’S ALL THE TIME THE PLAYER HAS! Any questions for me?

********

(Sigh)

“They are who we thought they were.” “We talkin’ ‘bout practice.” “Playoffs? Playoffs?!”

There simply aren’t enough of these classic press conference meltdowns. And they are indeed, classics. We could use more of them. Right, Little Foot?

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FOUR THINGS: WK 3: EAGLES-COLTS

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

W3-IND

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

PREDICTION: EAGLES 21 – Colts 17

yeah-bitch

WAS NICK FOLES SABOTAGED?

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/18
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Crazy Talk, Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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SABOTAGE is a strong word to throw around. Especially when it’s early in the year, and no one is pointing fingers. For me to use that word, probably seems inflammatory to you. It demands that I give my fellow fans an explanation.

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On Monday, I watched former Eagles Seth Joyner and Barrett Brooks, question why rookie TE Dallas Goedert was used so little, and why a guy like TE Joshua Perkins was used as much as he was. As Joyner said, you don’t move up in the second round of the Draft to take a player and sit him. This preseason there was never any indication that Goedert wasn’t picking up the system. Quite the opposite in fact! Yet this season, Goedert’s formations just aren’t being called much. At least not yet. Not yet.

As thin as we were at WR to start this last game, we only got thinner when WR Mike Wallace went down with an ankle injury. Of course that meant leaning more on WR Nelson Agholor, but shouldn’t it have meant more playing time for WR Shelton Gibson? He’d been questionable, but he suited up for Special Teams. With a second year under his belt, he was a rare bright spot this preseason. So why was he less involved than WR’s Kamar Aiken and DeAndre Carter? Aiken was added to the team just three days before the game, but played enough to snag 5 passes. Gibson had no catches. Apparently his formations aren’t being called much in these two games, either.

Spark plug RB Darren Sproles was held out of this last game. Coach Doug Pederson referred to him as having a “slight hamstring injury”. What? Hold u- Wait. What the hell does that even mean!? Players play through mild hammies all the time, why not Sproles?

It’s not just that QB Nick Foles doesn’t have starters around him. It’s that he’s out there playing with some guys practically off the street. Even when the bench holds better options. (Like I said, certain formations just aren’t being called much.)

Why would you withhold firepower from your QB? Why would you not arm your back-up QB as much as you can?

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Let’s back-burner that and talk play selection.

Through two games, the Eagles have thrown the ball 83 times and run the ball 51 times. So 61% of the time, we pass. In those two games we are 5 for 6 in the red zone (83.3%). However, in the red zone, of the 28 plays we’ve run, only 13 have been passes (46%). Why would you take the ball out of your QB’s hands in the most critical area of the field?

The answer to almost every question in this article is: To avoid ANY hint of QB controversy. If Foles doesn’t have much firepower, he’s unlikely to perform at a very high level. If you take the ball out of his hands near the end zone, he can’t get credit for scoring much, and so can’t create the situation that Tampa Bay will have in two short weeks.

A lid has been put on Foles to keep him from inadvertently fueling the (now mostly dead) debate of whether we should bench a Super Bowl MVP. I won’t go so far as saying that the coaching staff threw the Bucs game, but I will certainly say that deep down, they didn’t mind the loss. Especially since the Bucs had their hands full with us, even as banged up as we were. It speaks well of who we’d be with our REAL starters out there.

If QB Carson Wentz returns and has to play with the same cast that Foles has for two weeks, I’ll write a mea culpa. If I’m wrong I’ll eat crow and suck up any criticism that this article nets me. However, if Wentz comes back and any of the “under-used” players suddenly end up getting their number called more, or if suddenly guys come back, playing through “slight” injuries… If that happens… If that happens, then you’ll know that our offensive struggles were an inside job.

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Stay woke.

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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WEEK 2: BUCCANEERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/17
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

LAST year (almost to the day), we lost 20 – 27 to the Chiefs, and I wrote something eerily prophetic about our championship run. If you were in any way disheartened by this loss, or you feel the Eagles are missing something, I urge you to re-read that review. It will help to put this game into perspective.

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Eagles 21 – Buccaneers 27

Due to a vicious rash of injuries (some of which started last year), we had to dig very deep into the roster this week. Receivers like TE Joshua Perkins (4 – 57 – 14.2 – 0) and WR Kamar Aiken (5 – 39 – 7.8 – 0) were making serious contributions, with the game still in contention.

Starting RB Jay Ajayi (7 – 23 – 3.2 – 1 – 0) spent much of the game on the sideline getting treatment on his back. Meanwhile RB Corey Clement (6 – 30 – 5.0 – 1 – 0 / 5 – 55 – 11.0 – 0), and RB Wendell Smallwood (7 – 28 – 4.0 – 0 – 0), picked up the slack in our ground game.

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The biggest head scratcher was QB Nick Foles (35/48 – 72.9% – 334 – 1 – 0). While many fans seem quick to bail on him, I’m going to talk about why I think he look the way he does. (But this article isn’t the place to do that. This drops Monday, that one drops Tuesday.)

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

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

1) Chasing Private Ryan: We managed to get two sacks and a few hurries on QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (27/33 – 81.8% – 402 – 4 – 1), but most of that was in the first half. With temperatures on the field reaching 102 degrees, our Defense simply didn’t have the same snap in the second half of the game. As a result, instead of allowing Fitzpatrick to complete 75% of his passes like he did against the Saints, we allowed him to complete 82%. No defense can survive that. NOT DONE

2) Run the rock: Our play selection was 48 passes to 24 runs. Three of those runs were by Nick Foles, two of which were QB Sneaks on 4th down. One was a 2 yard, (direct snap) Jet Sweep to WR Nelson Agholor (8rec – 88 – 11.0 – 1). That’s 48 passes to 20 hand-offs, against an undersized front seven which surrendered 81 yards and 2 touchdowns to our RB’s (4.0 per tote). This was a horrendous missed opportunity. NOT DONE

3) Play Cover Two: I specifically said that CB Jalen Mills (5 – 0 – 0 – 0) shouldn’t be matched up with WR DeSean Jackson (4 – 129 – 32.2 – 1). Djax drew Mills on the first play of the game, and tore his asshole open for a 75 yard score. WR Mike Evans (10 – 83 – 8.3 – 1) also victimized Mills for a 4 yard score. And still we STAYED in Single-high coverage despite the fact that it hardly even slowed down a journeyman QB. NOT DONE

4) Heavy play-action: This is a tough one. We sorta did this one, but we really didn’t do it at all. You can’t really employ play-action if you aren’t really running the ball. Also, play-action requires a QB to move after faking the hand-off. Many times Foles would fake it and then stand tall in the pocket. So while he went through the motions, he never bothered to sell it. That wouldn’t be so frustrating if we didn’t all know that Foles can and has, sold snake oil to defenses. NOT DONE

That brings this week’s Four Things score to 0 for 4, which puts us at 3 for 8 on the year. Word has been handed down that QB Carson Wentz will be cleared for contact this week. This has people (not me), hoping he starts at home, next week against the Colts. Hopefully the Eagles will give Wentz a week of shakedown time, and we’ll see Foles again.

On The Whole:

This is what happens when the Eagles skip a week of reading these articles. Let this loss serve as a lesson, Doug! And now I can begin to bitch about this loss, in earnest.

I’m kidding, I have nothing to bitch about. While this was a dumb loss, which I lay it at the feet of the coaching staff, I think we needed this sort of fight. It’s the start of the season, and we’re already the Walking Wounded. Plus we didn’t look great in the preseason.

This game had guys fighting though injury to play, and guys practically off the street, playing significant roles. This was a game where guys got a chance to step up and show what they can do, and maybe change the coaching staff’s mind about their place on the depth chart. This was a chance for our starters to get a look at their back-ups and to be motivated by what they see.

This game was a chance for this team to measure whether or not the players have enough fight in them. This was a chance to see if there were any quitters on the team, so that they can be weeded out early on.

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I’m proud to say that I didn’t see that out there. Even the announcers remarked how there was no panic on our sideline. We looked and acted like champions out there. Even the new guys. Dumb loss, but not a bad one.

FOUR THINGS: WK 2: EAGLES-BUCCANEERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/13
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

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WITH QB’s Carson Wentz and Jameis Winston out for this one, most writers will want to talk about how this game is a battle of the back-up QB’s. For my part, I want to talk about the teams, not the QB’s.

Last week our Eagles struggled against the Falcons, but this weeks opponent won a shootout with the Saints. It would seem that we have have our work cut out for us, when we visit their house this Sunday, right?

Relax. This game isn’t going to be nearly as tough as it looks on paper. In football (just like boxing), styles make fights. The Saints team that the Bucs beat last week is basically a finesse team. It’s not a team that’s really built for a fist-fight. Actually the entire NFC South shares that affliction. I mean, do you see what we keep doing to that division? It’s because we’re built to beat even tough opponents, and they are nowhere close to tough.

I won’t keep you in suspense with this one. We’re gonna haul off and punch Tampax Bay square in the mouth. If the game is still in contention in the fourth quarter, it’ll shock me to my core.

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

1) Chasing Private Ryan: Last week vs New Orleans, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 21/28 passes (75%), for 4 TD’s, no picks, and an average of 14.9 per attempt. Not per completion, per attempt. With no sacks. That’s how little heat the Saints got on the QB. The worst part of that, is that the Bucs O-line isn’t that good. Fitzie won’t see such an easy week against the Eagles defensive front. In fact, Tampa may have to put out their other back-up named Ryan. QB Ryan Griffin is in his 6th year and has never thrown a regular season pass. Don’t be surprised if you see him:

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2) Run the rock: You may have already heard that the Bucs have allowed the second fewest rushing yards in the NFL so far. It’s a mirage. Last week the Saints ran the ball a TOTAL of 13 times, despite leading for most of the first half, and never really being out of the game. Saints play selection was 45 passes to 13 runs. In fact, the Saints leading rusher had more catches (9) than carries (8). Being a finesse team, they didn’t even try to take advantage of Tampa’s smallish linebacking group. This week we need to not get cute and just feed the Bucs an early diet of trap runs, sweeps, and tosses. Then we should follow it up with a later diet of runs up the gut, once they’re tired.

3) Play Cover Two: We have to find a way to keep a lid on Tampa’s WR’s. DeSean Jackson had one the better games of his career last week. He torched the Saints secondary for 146 and two scores on just five catches, and Mike Williams had 147 and a score of his own. The Bucs like to play 2WR’s, and 2TE’s, so the need for a Nickel CB shouldn’t be as pronounced as usual. That means we should be able to play our base scheme, and can keep SS Malcolm Jenkins card.malcolm.jenkins3 out of the box and back in coverage. As far as the boundaries, CB Ronald Darby is probably our only DB who can stay with Djax, so we have to be careful not to let him get matched up with someone like CB Jalen Mills.

4) Heavy play-action: One of the benefits of running the ball a lot, is that it helps to set-up the fake. Whether it’s buying time for receivers to get deep, setting up a backside Screen, or just getting this guy,

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out on a bootleg, or designed run. (Or another pass.) Heavy play-action this week, could be deadly against a team that emphasizes speed to the ball. Getting them repeatedly out of position, or even better, making them hesitate later in the game, only makes it easier to put this game in our win column.

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

Old school wisdom: When you go on the road, pack your Defense and your run game. Given how ineffective our 31st ranked passing attack was, and that we’re still without two key pieces, we’ll likely get off the bus running the ball. Since their LB’s can’t contain both RB Jay Ajayi (in the box) and TE Zach Ertz (on the seam), at the same time, you can expect one to have a big day.

Our Defensive Line should be too much for the Bucs offensive line, so expect us to give Ryan, fitz. (See what I did there?) Getting back OLB Nigel Bradham this week, should go along way towards keeping Tampa’s lackluster RB’s in check.

Despite being on the road, this is one that we should take pretty easily. Tampa is weak in all the places that we meet with a strength. We on the other hand, have weaknesses (injuries, LB depth) that Tampa is ill-equipped to exploit. This shouldn’t be a hard game to win.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Buccaneers 13

yeah-bitch

SLOW LEARNERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

i'm right

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WEEK 1: ATLANTA FALCONS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/07
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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WE went into the game missing key players. We went against a playoff team, which many thought we probably should have lost to, in the playoffs last year. We went into the game with our back-up QB opening the season. And what did we do? Oh yeah.

We won.

It wasn’t pretty. Then again, I flat out told you that it wouldn’t be. “War of attrition” is the term I used three days ago. NBC announcer Cris Collinsworth, reiterated those words during the game. I told you that our QB would be solid, and he was. He wasn’t great, but he did a solid job of managing a shorthanded unit. And what did we do? I said, what did we do?! Oh yeah, we did this:

EAGLES 18 – Falcons 12

Last night, the team that scored the last touchdown of the 2017 season, scored the first touchdown of the 2018 season. For the third straight game against the Falcons, an Eagles QB didn’t throw a single touchdown pass. For the third straight game against the Falcons, it didn’t matter, and the Eagles won anyway.

Back-up QB Nick Foles (19/34 – 55.8 – 117 – 0 – 1) played caretaker of a unit which despite it’s struggles, still managed to go 8/16 (50%) on third down. Atlanta only managed 4/15 (26%), despite having an All-Pro WR for their All-Pro QB to throw to. We also converted 2/3 (66%) of our red zone trips into touchdowns, while our opponent only managed a meager 1/5 (20%).

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

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

1) Lean on the run:

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27 rushes, 114 yards, 4.2 per tote and two touchdowns. RB Darren Sproles (5 – 10 – 2.0 – 0 – 0 / 4 – 22 – 5.5 – 0) got a little too much early work for my taste. However, RB Jay Ajayi (15 – 62 – 4.1 – 2 – 0) ended up at the head of the table in touches, which should be the case for a starter. RB Corey Clement (5 – 26 – 5.2 – 0 – 0) got most of his yards on a 21 yard jaunt up the middle. It was good to see him get the work, but he needs to trust his line, lose the stutter step, and just hit the hole. On a night when offense was hard to come by, the Eagles didn’t abandon the run and just start chucking the pig. As a result Philadelphia was rewarded with the win. DONE

2) Chase that bird: We needed to pressure the Falcons QB Matt Ryan (21/43 – 48.8% – 251 – 0 – 1), and that’s just what we did, limiting the All-Pro QB to a QB rating of just 57.4. That pressure helped CB Rasul Douglas (0 – 0 – 1 – 0) snag an interception off of Ryan. He was sacked 4 times, including 1.5 by DE Chris Long (4 – 1.5 – 0 – 1) who also forced a fumble. While Ryan saw pressure from the edges, he also got it from up the gut. MLB Jordan “Cowboy Killer” Hicks (7 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) and DT Fletcher Cox (2 – 1 – 0 – 0) contributed pressure from the inside. As a result, the Falcons offense took off like a lead balloon. DONE

3) Go for the knockout: We really didn’t try to establish the deep ball. By that, I don’t mean we didn’t throw it deep, enough times. I mean that the play-calling didn’t seem at all geared towards stretching the defense vertically. NOT DONE

4) Win hidden yardage: Field position makes a difference. Especially on a night where points and offensive yardage are both at a premium. Last night, both teams earned over 100 penalty yards, apiece. The Falcons surrendered 135 to the Eagles 101. Also Special teams yards saw the Falcons generate 11 yards on 2 punt returns, and zero on kickoffs. Meanwhile, the Eagles racked up 29 on punt returns and 43 on kickoffs. The Falcons managed 20 yards on an interception return, while the Eagles produced zero yards on the teams only theft. Still, overall the Eagles still did better with hidden yardage than our opponent. DONE

So the Eagles begin the season with a Four Things score of 3 out of 4 (75%). Next week we travel to Tampa Bay for the battle of the second string QB’s.

On The Whole:

A gritty win over a playoff team is a great way to start a season, and let the world know that 2017 was no fluke. I didn’t watch this game with disgust, nor disappointment, nor boredom. I watched it with hope.

In this game I saw what we could be, when we get all of our pieces back. Consider that the last two times we faced Atlanta, we didn’t have many of our key guys. This game was a street fight, and we won it while sending Falcon after Falcon to the sideline for medical evaluation. Dear NFL: You are NOT ready for us.

OH THEM HIDDEN FEES!

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/05
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

 

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OAKLAND’S Raiders are my second favorite NFL team, so I feel a need to offer a few words regarding the “The Trade”. I just didn’t think it would be right to do it before I released this week’s Four Things article. Having done that more than 24 hours ago, I feel like it’s now appropriate to me to weigh in.

Don’t get me wrong, DE Khalil Mack is the sort of guy every NFL fan, teammate, coach, GM and owner, wants on their team. From a talent standpoint, losing him hurts the Raiders. No Silver and Black fan can just look at this trade and shrug over it.

However, it’s not nearly as bad for the Raiders as the media is making it sound. While many are quick to judge it by what Oakland lost, I’m not sure that anybody is really asking: “Well what did Chicago gain?” I mean, everybody is asking that question, but I doubt anybody is REALLY asking that question. Because we all know that Mack did well for himself. 

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Understand, while Mack was on the team, the Raiders had a record of 28 – 36. With him, the defense has never finished higher than 21st in yards or 20th in points. Despite his individual sack numbers over the years, the Raiders have never been able to parlay that into an effect which the entire unit could capitalize on. (The Eagles for example, got as much pass-rush as any team in 2017, despite not having a single double digit sack artist.)

The Raiders had 31 sacks in 2017, 25 in 2016, 38 in 2015 and 22 in 2014. They averaged 29 sacks a year with Mack. If they meet or exceed 29 sacks in 2018, it will mathematically be saying that they became more effective as a team, in his absence. And that’s without factoring in whether or not the two first round picks they got for him, turn into decent players.

While I have no idea what Mack and his agent initially asked Oakland for in negotiations, the 6 year, 141M$ extension, gives a hell of a hint. The idea of paying a single DE, 20M$ per year, had to have Oakland thinking “Why?” “Where are the results?” “Six years of paying for more 28 – 36?” From that was born “The Trade”.

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The burden for proving this trade wise isn’t on the Raiders. It never was. The price Oakland paid is all up front. It’s a done deal now. There are no hidden costs or fees on this transaction for them. In exchange for one player, this could become “The Great Trade Robbery 2.0”. The same can’t be said for the Bears. For them this trade is all about what comes next, and that can’t be accurately judged today.

The Bears haven’t been to the playoffs since 2010. That was the last time they won the division. In fact, the last FOUR times the Bears went to the playoffs, they had to win the division to do it. The last time they made the postseason without winning their division, was 1994. Back then it was the NFC Central and there were five teams in it (Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Detroit and Tampa Bay).

When you ink a guy to 22M a year, you’re chasing playoff success. If the Bears win one Super Bowl during Mack’s contract, the trade is great one. If they see the Conference championship 3 of those years, it’s a good trade. If they win the division 4 of those years, (even if they make quick exits), it’s still a successful trade, because it changes the focal point of the division. However, anything short of that is utter failure.

 

FOUR THINGS: WK 1: EAGLES/FALCONS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/09/04
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Preview, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

W1-ATL

DON’T let the sports media over-hype this game. This is not a title defense, because this is football, not boxing. Even if we (somehow) lost this game, we wouldn’t have to hand over our Super Bowl trophy. This isn’t a title defense, or even a playoff game. It’s one of sixteen down payments on a playoff berth. That’s it. Now let’s get down to it.

NFL Network reporter Randy Moss, said that the Falcons are looking for revenge against the Eagles, for putting them out of the playoffs last year. He said that aside from Atlanta players and fans, no one really remembers that they almost beat us in that game. He’s wrong on both counts.

First, there is no avenging a playoff loss with a regular season win. For eliminating Atlanta, Philadelphia was rewarded with another playoff game. IF they beat us this week, they’d be rewarded with, (drum roll)…Week #2. Second, winning by five points sucked. We want to beat them by more this time. Like we did in 2016 (Eagles 24 – them 15). You know, when they had pretty much the same team that we just beat 15 – 10 in the playoffs. Which is pretty much the same team they have now. (Are you seeing the pattern, Eagles fans?)

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

1) Lean on the run: Even if it seems like it’s not working. Whenever QB Carson Wentz gets back, it would be unfair to saddle him with having to carry the Offense. That means we have to get our ground game established. Since we gave our starters the preseason off, we have to start getting things ironed out as early in the year as we can. Seeing RB Jay Ajayi carry the ball 17 times for 82 yards (and RB Corey Clement carry 6 times for 33) would be a solid opening.

2) Chase that bird:

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We need to get some pressure up the gut from DT’s Fletcher Cox and Destiny Vaeao. The Falcons QB is (how do I say this gently?) not a very nimble creature. If we can get him off his spot, alter his launch point, and keep him from stepping into throws, it increases our chances of him serving up some warm turnovers.

3) Go for the knockout: WR Mike Wallace is a true deep threat and we should come out making that point. While Wallace’s proficiency with running Slant routes is nice, the fact that he can take the top off of defenses, should help loosen the box, and give our run game room to operate. That being said, we have to at least threaten opponents with him early, or they won’t respect his presence.

4) Win hidden yardage: Of the last 39 points we’ve scored against Atlanta, 19 came off of a Kicker’s toe. A quick KO would be great, but recent games against the Falcons have been wars of attrition. We need to go in expecting to have that kind of a fight.

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

The crowd will pick up where it left off, and will be so loud, that the Falcons will have to burn early timeouts to prevent penalties and miscues. QB Nick Foles will be solid. The Eagles will push the Falcons undersized defensive front around, when running the ball. We’ll also use their speed against them, with misdirection plays that pull defenders out of position. WR Julio Jones will catch 9 or 10 balls for 110 or so yards. Atlanta is a play from ahead type team, that’s going to find themselves in a street fight. They’re a plucky bunch, but they simply lack the power to put away a brawler. They just aren’t built for winning that way, which is why we will keep beating them.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Falcons 16

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