ASSHOLE ADMINS RUIN GROUP

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/01/04
Posted in: Conversations, Crazy Talk, Fans, Rants, Rivals, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

no in chill.jpg

THERE used to be a Facebook group that I belonged to called NFC East Only. Eagles, Redskins, Cowboys and Giants fans would show up brag about our teams, talk trash, post memes, and just try to make rivals feel awful for supporting the wrong team. It was fun. In that way it was like most trash talk groups.

What separated EO from other NFC trash talk groups, was the sheer size of it. There were about 3,000 people in it when I first joined, which is already kind of large. When I was removed this morning, the number was over 37, 000.

My removal is here nor there, as I was leaving today anyway. In recent weeks the admins who run the group had made it where people could no longer post anything, and a couple days ago they made it where you couldn’t even comment. The admins didn’t try to fix it, they simply kept trying to migrate members to a second group they created last week. Not being able to comment, you couldn’t ask what, or why this was going on. I figured it was a glitch, and that it would be corrected.

Well, around 7:00 – 7:15 (it’s 7:58 now), I noticed that one of the admins (he goes by Em Isa Warren), posted a question asking why no one is fucking with the second group. Questions means answers and answers mean comments. YAY! I could comment again.

I asked what was going on. The admin says that FB won’t let him change a setting so there’s a new group. If FB will let him change a setting, he’d open the old group back up. That sort of had the feel of holding 37,000 members hostage, but I played it cool and asked: Which settings?

He immediately got into his feelings and said it “doesn’t matter which fucking settings because you can’t change them”. Okay. There was no need to take that tone, especially since I was pretty sure that I was leaving anyway. I went to type the word “Okay.” 4 letters. O-K-A-Y.

But then that cock-smoking, tree-jumper did something totally unnecessary and AGAIN blocked anyone from commenting. (But this time it was just on his question, not the whole page.) I couldn’t even say “Okay”. I was willing to take low and wasn’t even ALLOWED to do that.

By this time my ire was up. 7:30, no sleep, out of rum, and digitally told to shut up. AGAIN. This had me in that place that I go to when I can’t find a single fuck to give. So I grabbed my matches and my can o’gas and headed straight for the bridge he was standing on.

I started off by hi-jacking a separate post, and calling him a punk ass for disabling the comments on his question and told him “This is why no one is fucking with your new group.” Support for that comment quickly popped up to 4 likes in under a minute. I was unable to post the more strongly worded a follow up to that, but the comments hadn’t been disabled, so I refreshed the page and found that I was no longer in the group.

Ironically, I’d already submitted to be in the new group and saw that I was a member. There are only about 1,600 people out of the 37,000 that were in NFC East Only. I’m guessing most of them don’t like the current regime and just wants to be rid of them. In about a week or so (now that I’m cooling off) I guess I’ll check to see if OE has been taken over one all the rats have fled. If it’s there I’ll re-join. If the admins just sink it, I’ll simply bid it a fond farewell,

Quick add-on: I already left the second group. Forgot to mention that.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK17: COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/01/01
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

NOBODY got injured. That’s the important part. The starters were rumored to play the first half, but they played less than a quarter. Now we’ll get a chance to heal up, get refreshed, and prep for whoever falls to us in the Divisional round of the playoffs.

steven means.jpg

EAGLES 0 – Cowboys 6

The Eagles ran for just 70 yards on 18 carries, and as bad as that looks, it was even worse. Third string QB Nate Sudfeld (19/23 – 82.6% – 134 – 0 – 0) picked up 22 of those yards on one carry. Our RB’s amassed 15 carries for 41 yards (2.7 ypc). The play-calling was once again pass -heavy, with 37 passes to just 16 called runs (Agholor had a 7 yard rush).

The back-up defense did a wonderful job of holding the Cowboys to just 6 points, despite the fact that their starters played the entire game. It was the fourth quarter before even those points were scored.

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) No key injuries: Nobody key got hurt because Doug Pederson gave the starters a pretty early hook. (DONE)

2) QB crash course: We needed to get a good, long look at Sudfeld and we saw him for most of the game. (DONE)

3) Stay deep: Gave up a 20 yard score selling out on a blitz, and a couple of other key completions. (NOT DONE)

4) Cooler heads prevail: For a moment it seemed like the teams might have had a brawl, but cooler heads prevailed and the game went on with no fights, so no one getting tossed and no one getting a suspension. (DONE)

Despite hitting 3 of the 4 marks this week, we still ate the loss. However, if you watched the game, you get why we lost. On the year, our Four Things total tally: 47 of 64 (.734)

On The Whole:

Given the weather conditions, I’m somewhat perplexed by the play-calling over these last two weeks. The line we’re being fed is, the coach wants to develop chemistry with his passing game. I’m not really buying that though.

Both our Head Coach and our Offensive Coordinator, were NFL Quarterbacks. Moreover, both were career back-up QB’s. So they both have a nuanced understanding of how important a run game is, for establishing a rhythm and supporting a back-up QB. Loading the Offense onto that back-up QB’s shoulders, in freezing weather, runs absolutely counter to NFL wisdom for supporting a back-up QB.

More mysterious, is just how vanilla the Offense has been now for THREE weeks. In the first quarter WR Torrey Smith dropped a pass on 3rd and 7 where two routes cleared space for him. It was well designed, well called, and well executed, except for the drop itself. However, we haven’t seen much of that stuff even being called since QB Nick Foles (4/11 – 36.3 – 39 0 0 – 1) took over, and it has me wondering why.

My hunch is that the Eagles didn’t want to expose Foles’s tendencies in this system to film study. Especially not in games (giants, Raiders, Cowboys) that we could afford to lose. If teams don’t know what to look for on tape, it’s hard to practice for those scenarios. Keep in mind, Pederson is an Andy Reid disciple, and starving an opponent of information is exactly the sort of move Andy was known for.

Otherwise there’s no explanation for why the passing routes seem so pedestrian now.

FOUR THINGS: WK 17: EAGLES-COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/28
Posted in: Coaching, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 Comment

W17 -DAL

OUR regular season ended last week. We defeated the Raiders for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and effectively ran out of things to compete for in the 2017 regular season. At this point we can either reserve our starters for the playoffs (when we’ll NEED them), or we can risk their health to get them some reps.

We have nothing to play for and neither do the Cowboys. In fact, the Cowboys want to get their back-up QB some playing time, just to get a look at him during live fire. Smart move. Even smarter would be if we got an extensive look at our own back-ups. Besides, wouldn’t it be nice to say our back-ups help us sweep the Cowboys?

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

1) No key injuries: The easiest way to do that would be to shelve the starters for a week. We’ll see what happens.

2) QB crash course: Our chances of getting to the Super Bowl behind QB Nick Foles are already shaky. If something happens to him, logic would suggest that we’re already dead in the water. This is especially true if QB Nate Sudfeld’s first look at live action, is after a cart wheels Foles away. The coaches have to get a good look at Sudfeld, in order to get an idea of how to guide him during live action.

3) Stay deep: Don’t give up any long passing scores. Don’t let Dallas head out of here with any glimmer of hope for 2018.

4) Cooler heads prevail: This will likely be a chippy game, with a lot of frustrated Cowboys players trying to start fights that trigger suspensions. Keep a cool head.

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:

Some players (on both sides) are going to recognize this as their chance to audition for bigger roles on their current team, or for a spot on other teams, next year. It’ll be uneven and ugly, but it won’t be boring. I think Dallas takes this game if they play their starters more than we do.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 13 – Cowboys 17

yeah bitch

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 16: RAIDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/26
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

HOME-FIELD Advantage has been secured! For us, that means two home playoff games instead of just one. Wonderful. Now can we please rest our starters next week?!

courtesyphiladelphiaeagles.com

Courtesy of philadelphiaeagles.com

EAGLES 19 – RAIDERS 10

This was an ugly game to watch. The 29 degree temperature, and the biting, driving wind seemed to affect both teams. Neither QB was sharp, both teams missed a field goal, and neither punter averaged 40 yards last night, despite the fact that both came in above 45.

Added to the weather making things difficult, was the uneven play selection (38 passes to 21 runs). The big difference in the game was the 5 takeaways (2 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries) that the Eagles managed to pluck from the Raiders.

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) Don’t get greedy: We played our starters for the whole game in the quest for home-field advantage. It worked out for us, but it was not the prudent move. (NOT DONE)

2) Smart business decisions: Raider RB Marshawn Lynch (25 – 95 – 3.8 – 0 – 1) did his damage through quantity of carries, not quality of carries. At no point did he crack off a run of more than 16 yards and he even coughed up his first fumble of the year. Our Defense didn’t shut him down, but did a good job of containing him (DONE)

3) Serve up play-action: Flat out didn’t happen. I was actually really intrigued with how vanilla and repetitive our play-calling was. (NOT DONE)

4) Get over Under: Unless I missed something, there was no attempt to probe the Raiders defensive front seven, for structural weaknesses. (NOT DONE)

That brings our weekly counter to 1 of 4. Usually a number like that means a loss. Next week against the Cowboys, all Four Things may be REST THE STARTERS, Doug!

On The Whole:

I’m not sure what the Eagles coaching staff was after, with their approach to this game. There wasn’t nearly enough running of the ball to support Nick Foles (19/38 – 50.0% – 163 1 – 1). Especially given the weather conditions.

Offensively, it was so vanilla that it looked almost like a preseason game. There was a clear lack of routes run to clear traffic. Play-action was effectively shelved. Also most of the few deep shots, were sideline routes that landed out of bounds. All of the creativity seems to have vanished.

On Defense, we were solid with the exception of a 63 yard touchdown pass. Aside from that one down, the Eagles surrendered just 3 points all night and took the ball away 5 times. Anyone who had issue with us last week vs the giants, should be thrilled with this week’s performance.

FOUR THINGS: WK 16: EAGLES-RAIDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/22
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

W16-OAK

HOME-FIELD advantage isn’t nearly as big a prize as it seems. We’re already guaranteed to play one home game in the Divisional round. Advancing to the NFC Championship game only puts us on the road, if the Vikings make it to the Championship game themselves. That game would be decided by who has the better players on the field, not by which field is under the players.

If DT Fletcher Cox breaks his leg against the Raiders, everyone will say “FUCK! Why was he even out there?!” At that point, chasing a venue would seem pretty stupid.

We don’t need this game. We just want it. Winning this week isn’t about winning this game. It’s about getting our starters through in one piece, and being ready for the playoffs. That’s it. Eyes on the prize.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t show up. I’m saying, let our back-ups,

finish the year by handing a couple of shitty teams a nice shiny new “L”. Wouldn’t that be awesome? I think so too!

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

1) Don’t get greedy: Don’t play the starters past the half. Beating Oakland for home-field would be meaningless if we lost RT Lane Johnson, but— Look, if a starter insists on playing for future contract purposes, let them play a little. But at that point, (come contract time) it’s on them if they got hurt and wrecked our playoff chances.

2) Smart business decisions: In football the term “business decision” is used to describe a guy whiffing on a tackle, because he was trying not to get hurt. A smart business decision would be to show that you can tackle RB Marshawn Lynch. MARSHAWNJETS

Getting Lynch on the ground will help us on Christmas, and will help players at the negotiating table. (Bonus points to the man who can do it one-on-one.)

3) Serve up play-action: Aside from rookie OLB Nicholas Morrow, Oakland’s LB’s are better at playing forward than backward. They’re also too eager to play to that strength, so getting them to bite on play-action is almost too easy. (NOTE: Morrow has only recently been named a starter on the depth chart. He’s a 216 pound LB who wasn’t a college Safety, didn’t get a Combine invite, and went undrafted. Yet in less than a season, he’s a starter. Keep an eye on this kid.)

4) Get over Under: There’s a good chance that we’ll see the Vikings at some point in the playoffs. Both the Raiders and the Vikings run a 4-3 Under scheme, with players in similar roles up front. This is a chance to “dry test” any inherent weakness in that system. Gamble on couple things to see if they work now, where there’s no cost for crapping out.

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:

Everything I mentioned in the Four Things section, can be and should be done, primarily with back-ups this week. If we’re going to chase home-field, fine, chase home-field. Just don’t risk the starters in the process. Don’t do it.

The Raiders are a bad team this year. Last year they weren’t as good as their record indicated, and now all those problems they didn’t address, has even eroded their true strengths. We probably don’t need starters to beat this team. So why get greedy?

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” Poet Robert Browning said that in 1855, but I doubt he ever had Super Bowl aspirations.

Eagles fans, how improbable has this season already been? Almost no one expected us to be here, but here we are. We are here despite the loss of RB Darren Sproles. Despite the loss of MLB Jordan Hicks. Despite the loss of LT Jason Peters. Despite losing CB Ronald Darby for half of the year. We push on despite the loss of QB Carson Wentz.

What is the maximum allotment of miracles that one team is allowed to ask for? What is the cap on 61 yard field goals by a rookie Kicker from another team’s practice squad? There is a such thing, as being greedy. There is a such thing, as being ungrateful. There is a such thing, as not having the grace to see one’s self in the commission of these sins.

We’re fans, and we don’t get to make the call on who plays and who sits. That said, I’m just hoping that our team doesn’t get greedy, and end up paying the price for it.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 24 – Raiders 20

yeah bitch

BENCHING CARSON WENTZ

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/19
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, playoffs, poll, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

ALREADY you’re pissed. All you did was read the headline, and already you’re pissed. Well pissed or not, this discussion is important. We as a fan-base need to be ready for this, because it’s entirely within the realm of possibility. This could actually happen.

wentz walking off.jpg

QB Carson Wentz just had his ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) operated on. For those out there who still don’t know exactly what that means, let me nutshell it for you:

The tendon that connects Wentz’s thigh to his calf, tore. So his leg (though still attached) didn’t have great stability anymore. The torn ACL had to be stitched back together, because it won’t simply heal on it’s own. Since it doesn’t get great blood supply, it heals MUCH slower than a muscle would. It has to heal significantly before he can put it through the stress of re-habbing it. Otherwise, he risks a catastrophic failure (re-tearing), then more surgery and a longer absence. (And no one wants an Andrew Luck situation.)

The shake-out, is that he’s gonna be shelved for up to 9 months. Even when he first comes back, he’s not going to be the guy who ran for that called-back touchdown. That Carson Wentz is more like 21 months away. Sorry but it’s true. Ask around.

That means QB Nick Foles is keeping Carson’s seat warm for him, right? Well maybe, aaaaaand maybe not. Foles is our starter. Get used to thinking of him that way, until at least October 2018. And the term “at least”, isn’t a minor qualifier.

What happens if Foles throws 4 to 7 touchdowns in the Super Bowl? What if he goes off for 11 touchdowns and no picks, like Joe Flacco did in the postseason, a few years ago? Keep in mind, no matter how the playoffs end, Wentz will still definitely miss OTA’s, at least most of camp, and probably won’t start the season on the active roster. There’s no debate on that stuff.

However, if Foles guides this franchise deep into the playoffs, and starts next year strong, should he be benched for a guy (even a guy like Wentz), who’s trying to put things back together? Or should Carson sit?

If you want or expect Foles to fail, then this is a garbage conversation. Nothing more than December click-bait. Thing is, if you hope or believe that Foles can help us win the Super Bowl, you have to realize that if it happens, it will spur the greatest Quarterback controversy in Philadelphia Eagles history.

So Eagles fan, what should we do?

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 15: giants

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/18
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WELL how do you like that? Seems we went out, and locked up a first round bye in the playoffs. Bully for us! It was by no means the best showing from this team defensively, but we have time to fix that.

Nick Foles team

EAGLES 34 – giants 29

Let’s get to it! QB Nick Foles (24/38 – 63.1% – 237 – 4 – 0) came out and put a bullet in the notion that he’s not a force to be reckoned with. Let me frame this up. While the Eagles did give him plenty of support running the ball (26 called runs to 38 passes), Foles put on a clinic while hitting four different receivers for scores. It was a real team effort on Offense, as no Eagles rusher or receiver produced more than 59 yards on the day.

While newly re-added LB Bryan Braman added nothing to the stat sheet, his very presence seemed to energize the Special Teams. They recorded a punt block, a field goal block and an extra-point block, all in one afternoon’s work.

Before you start panicking about the 434 passing yards we gave up today, consider that it was on 57 pass attempts, balanced against just 23 rushes. The giants spent the entire day red-lining their offense’s engine, and still came up short vs an Eagles Defense that never seemed to feel a sense of urgency.

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) Throw it deep: While it would have been nice to see a deep completion, there were a few attempts, and it did open up room to run. So, while technically done, it would have been nice to see at least one of them completed. (DONE)

2) Run the ball: The Eagles ran the ball nearly 30 times, but not always effectively this week. Frankly, I don’t get the shift from RB LeGarrette Blount (7 – 21 – 3.0 – 0 – 0) to RB Jay Ajayi (12 – 49 – 4.0 – 0 – 0) as our bell-cow. We seemed better with Blount. (DONE)

3) Set the edges: We actually did very good job of containing the giants run game. We gave up just 75 yards for 3.3 per carry, with their leading rusher finishing the day with just 39 yards. That becomes hard to notice however, when your opponent throws damned near 60 passes in less than 30 minutes of possession. (DONE)

4) Go for it: While we did go for a 4th down conversion, we didn’t get it. It was great that we went for it, but we needed to convert that. Until we do, it’ll seem like we can’t. This will give opponents confidence facing us on 4th down and 3rd and short. (NOT DONE)

This weeks Four Things score is a close 3 of 4, with our overall numbers being 43 of 56 (76.7%). Next week features a prime-time, Christmas Night match-up with the Oakland Raiders. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if we pulled our starters after the half. In fact, that might be wise.

On The Whole:

This was a game that featured a lot of character. While many people will only see the 5 point difference in the final score, they’ll be missing the larger and most important aspect of this win. At one point the Eagles were down 7 – 20. That’s a 13 point deficit erased and converted into a 5 point lead.

While many may lament the yardage we surrendered, it’s because they are literally missing the point. The point being, points. Points as in the 13 we allowed in the 1st; the 10 we allowed in the 2nd; the 6 we allowed in the 3rd; and the zero we allowed in the 4th. (Read that last sentence one more time.) Adjustments were made, and the resulting win speaks for itself.

While Nick Foles was the straw that stirred the Offense’s drink, this was a team effor effort, it’s a team concept. The Eagles are a team.

team effort

Like Police or Fire Fighters, there is no one man who stands above the others. Instead they rely on each other. That’s why we are who we are. That’s how we got here and it’s how we’ll get further.

FOUR THINGS: WK 15: EAGLES-giants

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/14
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Rivals, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

W15 -NYGjpg

WE’RE in the playoffs. Step One is complete. Now the mission is to get QB Nick Foles fully up to speed. While he knows the system, he’s been watching it, more than playing it. His timing and his chemistry with the receivers, will have to be polished over these next three weeks.

The giants still have a few players playing for pride, but it’s clear that that’s not a team-wide feeling. Without having signed a General Manager yet, even the giants owner cannot claim to have a clear picture of the team’s future. The result is players just playing out the string and auditioning for roles elsewhere, in case they end up on the cutting-room floor. So this is a great opportunity for Foles to practice some of the more difficult things.

player-nickfoles-Image courtesy of Philly

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

1) Throw it deep: Foles has shown an ability to throw to speed, back when he threw 9 TD’s to DeSean Jackson in 2013. WR Torrey Smith can fly, and if he sees a ball or two heaved deep in his direction early, it’ll open up room for the run. It will also help establish a chemistry that we’ll need later, more than sooner. It’ll be interesting to see if Foles displays better touch on deep passes than QB Carson Wentz has this year.

2) Run the ball: This is a must. The Offense cannot be fully shifted onto Foles shoulders just yet. Heading into the playoffs, this team needs to display a swagger. Expecting Foles to carry the team this soon, could crush his confidence if he falters. We do not need him being timid and turning into “Captain Checkdown” during the postseason.

3) Set the edges: Over the last two weeks, the Defense seems to have forgotten how to play Contain, on their way to making a play. That’s just a flat-out lack of discipline. It also has helped to set up some poor tackling angles vs the run.

4) Go for it: We have to go for, and convert at least one 4th down this week. While Foles needs to see, and be part of that aggression, the rest of the team (Offense, Defense, and Special Teams) needs to see it too. The message needs to be sent that We are still the Eagles.

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:

There’s a great chance that this game will be messy. We may even lose it. Who gives a shit? While we need to play to win, the “W” isn’t the focus. Don’t get me wrong, home-field would be a big help, but the win isn’t what matters most this week. The focus is getting prepared for winning in the postseason, not for seeding in it. Home-field and/or a Bye would help, but they won’t get us into the Super Bowl. We still need to be able to win games to get that far.

The giants will not want to get swept. Especially not against a back-up QB doing the honors. They’ll come out playing with something that looks sort of like pride. Especially on defense. Won’t matter though if their Offense can’t hold up it’s end.

Our Defense will look as if we’ve fixed whatever has ailed us these last two weeks. Really it’ll just be the awfulness of New York that makes us look so good. But who cares? We can use the confidence. The last time we faced them, K Jake “giant killer” Elliott kicked a 61 yard dagger through the giants hearts. This time it’ll be a 62 yarder. Just kidding. This game should be a mess, but it almost certainly won’t be another nail-biter.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 24 – Opponent 17

yeah bitch

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 14: RAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/11
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

PLAYOFFS here we come! The only thing to work out now is how long our playoff ride will last. During the course of this game, the Injury Bug paid our team yet another unwelcome visit, and claimed our Quarterback. For how long, has yet to be confirmed.

NFL PLAYOFFS

EAGLES 43 – Rams 35

On the play before leaving the the game, QB Carson Wentz (23/41 – 56.0% – 291 – 4 – 1) hit WR Alshon Jeffrey (5 – 52 – 10.4 – 1) with a 2 yard scoring strike, which put us ahead of the Rams 31 – 28. WR Torrey Smith (6 – 100 – 16.7 – 0) only the second Eagles receiver this season to have a 100 yard day, had his best game as an Eagle so far. TE Trey Burton (5 – 71 -14.2 – 2) took up the slack for TE Zach Ertz who was inactive with a concussion from last week.

Burton scores.jpg

Courtesy CBS Sports

OLB Nigel Bradham (6 – 0 – 0 – 1) may have failed to snag either of his two chances at an interception, but he did manage to cause one of our two turnovers with a forced fumble. The biggest forced fumble of the game however, belongs to DE Chris Long (2 – 1 – 0 – 1). His key strip/sack in the 4th quarter gave the Eagles good field position to notch the go-ahead field goal by K Jake Elliott (4/4x, 3/3f – 41L), who was perfect on the day. DE Brandon Graham (0 – 0 – 0 – 1) put the nail in the coffin with the interception of a lateral (recorded as a fumble recovery), which he returned for a 16 yard touchdown as regulation expired.

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) RUN. THE. BALL: Our play selection was 51 passes to 32 runs. Keep in mind that 4 of those runs were by a QB. The first half featured 23 passes and 13 runs, in a half that we spent most of the time leading. It is no wonder that Wentz was injured. If this is how we’re going to play now, we need to keepQB Nate Sudfeld warm. (NOT DONE)

2) Man Coverage underneath: It looked as if we spent more time in loose zone coverage to take away most of the easy, quick decisions as options. While it did help slow down the Rams passing somewhat, it led to us being gashed repeatedly by the run. If we see this team in the playoffs, we cannot approach them that way again. (NOT DONE)

3) Get some help: TE Brent Celek (1 – 5 – 5.0 – 1) did spend sometime lined-up alongside LT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and he did provide some chipping upon his releases. That was nice to finally see out there. In all truth, LG seemed to be more of a problem than LT did in this game. (DONE)

4) Use brute force: One of my favorite moments of this game was seeing DT Fletcher Cox (4 – 0 – 0 – 0) explode through the “A” gap and hit the Rams QB hard enough to knock his helmet off. Also, when the team went back to doing this in the 4th quarter, we were able to get the Rams off the field and rob their RB of a 100 yard day, by taking yardage away from him. Attacking the Rams “A” gaps is the real reason we were able to hang on and win this game. (DONE)

This week’s Four Things score is 2 out of 4, and 39 of 52 (75%) on the season. A score of 2 of 4 explains why we had a teeter-totter of a game. 50/50 going in, is 50/50 coming out. If we play like this next week, the giants may very well embarrass us.

On The Whole:

This is a conceptually sound Offense. It has clearly defined things that it asks a player to do, in a given role. That’s why no matter who goes down, someone else is able to step in and perform adequately. This is the epitome of Next Man Up. Rest assured, the Eagles are not a team in the sense that, our starting players are reliable. The Eagles are a team in the sense that, everybody on the roster is a starter waiting to relied on.

card-nick.foles

On Offense, we moved the ball pretty well all day. We scored a touchdown in each of the first three quarters. Wentz even managed to throw a score with a bad knee, after having been injured while diving into the end zone, on a score called back due to penalty.

Regardless, even after Wentz went out and QB Nick Foles (6/10 – 60.0% – 42 – 0 – 0) came in, we still moved the ball and got a key first down when needed, on a 9 yard dart from Foles to WR Nelson Agholor (8 – 64 – 8.0 – 0). Eagles RB’s provided 114 yards on 28 carries for a solid 4.0 average. So Offense was hardly an issue.

 

Defense, on the other hand… For about ¾ of this game it seemed like the Eagles had completely forgotten how to tackle, stack blockers, or set an edge. To be totally honest, at some points, it looked like some our DB’s were making “business decisions” out there vs the run. (Don’t worry Ronald Darby, and Patrick Robinson, I won’t name any names.)

Seeing Wentz go down, seemed to snap the Defense out of the funk it’s been in for the last two weeks. Foles came in, the stakes were made clear, and our guys turned it on and went hunting.

SEASON REVIEW: THIRD QUARTER

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/09
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. (Duh.) A few are done at the halfway mark, and/or at the end. This year, Eaglemaniacal.com will treat the season like a game, and break it into four quarters. We’ll take a hard look at where our team stands at the moment (in relation to where it started), and where it needs to go.

STATUS:

10 – 2 overall, 4 – 0 division, 8 – 1 conference, sole leader of the NFC East, tied for NFL’s best record

LEADER 1

OPPONENTS:

Denver (3 – 9)

Dallas (6 – 6)

Chicago (3 – 9)

Seattle (8 – 4)

OVERVIEW:

Denver was win number 8, which guaranteed us .500 this year. Dallas was win number 9, which guaranteed us our first winning season in three years. Chicago was win number 10, which put us in the double-digit win column. In Seattle we hit a wall, and had to sit at 10 wins for a week.

This puts us on the threshold of the playoffs with either one more win by us, or with a loss by Dallas.

GRADES:

QB: (B) With 10 touchdowns and 1 interception in the last 4 games Carson Wentz should get an “A”, right? Not really. That pick and a lost fumble, were both against the Seahawks, who are the only +.500 team we’ve played this quarter. Perfection only against shit teams, isn’t perfection. There is room for improvement.

RB: (B) Ranked 2nd in the NFL with 143 rushing yards per game, the three-headed RB attack is working here. The only knock on this group is that none of them is a complete back. Only Corey Clement is any good at catching the ball, but his pass pro needs polishing. Jay Ajayi is purely a runner, as his blitz pick-up and receiving skills leave plenty to be desired. LeGarrette Blount is a good runner and reliable as a blocker, but he doesn’t catch passes. When any of them is on the field we’re sort of telegraphing our next move because teams know what each of them don’t do well.

TE: (C ) Zach Ertz had a big game against Chicago, where he became the only Eagle to record a 100 yards receiving in a game this year. Other than that he’s been quiet over these last 4 games, as he missed the Denver game with an injury and was knocked out of the Seattle game with a concussion. Trey Burton has been great when called upon this year, but the coaching staff simply doesn’t work him in enough.

WR: (D) This is VERBATIM what I said for the last TWO quarters, and sadly, every word still fits to a “T”: They block downfield and clear out space for the run game, but more is to be expected of a #1 and #2 receiver, than to be respectively #2 and #4 on the team in receptions.

Over the last four games, Alshon Jeffery has put up solid #2 WR numbers. However, we rewarded him with a 4-year extension that pays him like a #1. He responded to that signing, by promptly disappearing during the Seahawks game. Torrey Smith has caught an 11 yard pass in each of the last 4 games. In each of those games it has been his longest reception. Why are we still starting him? Nelson Agholor has caught the attention of the fans, but he’s inconsistent week to week.

OT: (C ) Lane Johnson is playing as well as I’ve ever seen from him. On the other side, it’s a whole other story. Halapoulivaati Vaitai has gotten better, but he’s still a disaster area. Not only are his feet slow, but now it seems that his eyes are slow. Stunts and outside-in set-ups, seem to go unread by him. In any case Wentz is paying for the decision to start Vaitai. Worse yet, there is no depth behind him.

card.lane.johnson

OG: (A) Watching Stefen Wisniewski cross the Center and lock-up defenders on run plays, just about turns me into one of those teen girls who screamed when the Beatles were playing. The man has damned near turned short-area blocking into an art-form. Brandon Brooks has been solid. He and Lane Johnson may be the best right-side in the sport.

C: (C ) Just when I was going to write more positively about Jason Kelce, he goes wildly spraying snaps against an opponent like Seattle.

DE: (B) Brandon Graham is having the best year of his career with 8.5 sacks, and 3.5 in the last 4 games. Vinny Curry has been an animal against the run. Sack production from anyone besides Graham in this rotation, has fallen off in the last 3 games.

DT: (B) While play vs the run has been outstanding, pass rush has fallen off considerably. It’s decent, but not quite where it needs to be for a playoff team. Gotta pick it up here.

OLB: (B) Nigel Braham and Mychal Kendricks have 63 tackles apiece, and do a great job of covering gaps created by defensive linemen who are allowed to roam as they hunt.

MLB: (D) Since Jordan Hicks was lost for the year, Joe Walker has been filling in. He hasn’t been very good, and the result is a clear drop off in the performance of our defensive interior.

S: (B) In the last 4 games we’ve gotten 5 interceptions from our top three guys here. It certainly sends the message that throwing in the middle of the field can be hazardous to a drive. However, we still allow too many easy/unpunished reception.

CB: (C ) We aren’t getting enough hands on the ball. Even as a deflection. Until that happens this position will keep seeing heavy traffic.

LS: (A) Snaps are on time and well-placed. No complaints here.

P: (D) Over the last 4 weeks Donnie Jones punting average has dropped a little each week. He has also provided returners an opportunity for a return, 5 times in 13 punts.

K: (B) Due to a few games of prolific scoring and being knocked from one game with a concussion, Jake Elliott has only attempted 4 field goals in 4 weeks. (He made 3.) The issue has been with his kickoffs. In the last 4 games, 13 out of 20 (65%) of his kickoffs were returned.

PR/KR: (C ) RB Kenjon Barner has been a competent fill-in for Darren Sproles.

z-EB3

SINCE LAST QUARTER:

The mission for this quarter, was to go 3 – 1 and let the NFC know that the road to Minneapolis runs through Philadelphia. I said that we needed to defeat Seattle to make that point. Well we lost to Seattle, and now it seems that the road to Minneapolis runs through Minnesota. We failed to accomplish this part of our mission and given the ease of Minnesota’s remaining schedule, it looks as if attaining home-field advantage will require the Vikings roster to contract a long-term, team-wide, flu bug. That’s highly unlikely. (BUT FINGERS CROSSED, RIGHT!?)

Still, we went 3-1 over that stretch. That’s by no means anything to hang our heads over. In fact, of all the teams in this quarter, if we had to drop a game, Seattle is the easiest loss to stomach. Besides, given the nature of the loss itself, it may have been a great teaching tool prior to the playoffs.

Come_at_me_bro

MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:

Finishing 13 – 3 is the goal. 14 -2 would be better, but 13 – 3 should be enough to get us a Bye during the playoffs. Every playoff game you play is a chance to lose, get a player injured, or both.

We don’t want to play a bunch of playoff games just to say we did. We only want the playoff games because it gets us to the Super Bowl. Ultimately what we want is to win this Super Bowl. That said, the fewer qualifiers we need to beat the better it is for us.

Getting a pass during the Wild Card round also gives our players time to rest up, coaches time to plot, and puts additional wear and tear on whoever we’d face. Instead off Wild Card, then Division, then Conference, we’d just have Divisional and Conference games to win to get into the Super Bowl.

So 13 – 3 is the goal. If we do better than that, it’s gravy.

EAGLES