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

FOUR THINGS: WK 14: EAGLES-RAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/07
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

W14 - LAR

ONE win and we’re in the playoffs, because we’d clinch the division. Getting the win this week will help set-up a first round bye, and help us chase home-field advantage throughout. So unlike last week, there is sharp-edged motivation for winning this game.

This game is between the number one and number two scoring teams in the league. Both are average 30.1 points per game. So it should be a shootout, right? Pump the brakes. The devil is in the details. And it’s details we need to concern ourselves with.

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

1) RUN. THE. BALL: The Rams are 27th in the NFL against the run. Like the Redskins, they play an attacking 3-4 defense (meaning that the OLB’s are primary pass rushers). Neither of their starters at OLB will play this week. They also feature two ILB’s who are undersized and so beat up, that neither has practiced so far this week. The Rams have sucked versus the run with their starters in. They can’t much better with back-ups playing.

2) Man Coverage underneath: OLB’s Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks need to be RB Todd Gurley’s shadow, on routes out of the backfield. He’s already integral to the Rams passing attack, and they’ll likely be missing their leader in receiving yards, which only increases Gurley’s importance this week. Taking him away, makes life harder on the Rams passing attack overall.

3) Get some help: The presence of LT Halapoulivaati Vaitai has all but removed the deep ball from our arsenal. Watching him get beat repeatedly on outside-in moves, has gotten old as fuck. Flanking him with a TE who repeatedly chip-blocks, would give him a chance to see an outside-in move unfolding, and help him hold the corner. Then we can get back to calling an aggressive game again.

4) Use brute force: Attacking the “A” gaps (on either side of the Center), will ruin any pocket before it starts, and cause traffic jams for the run. Rams QB Jared Goff isn’t the most mobile fella, so let’s see if we can get him throwing on the run and off his back foot. We could use a few turnovers this week.

PlayerCard_Template_Curry

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:

While we’ve been dealing with a snowballing injury bug, the Rams have been dealing with a sudden rush of them. The result is a sudden bunch of fill-ins, mostly on defense, hoping they don’t make a mistake. That being said, we have to force them, and bait them into making mistakes. Shouldn’t be too hard. Especially considering how raw their depth is. Advantage Eagles.

The Rams haven’t scored more than 20 points in a loss this year. That’s because they’re heavily dependent on Todd Gurley for production. Problem is, if a team has to play catch-up, they can’t really run their offense through a RB. Falling behind would effectively force them to surrender their best weapon. As it did in 2 of their 3 losses this year.

We’re going to take Gurley away from the Rams because that’s what we do. We make teams one-dimensional, and then we close in on their QB. Unlike last week, the QB being served up to us this week, has the mobility of a ceiling fan. Advantage Eagles.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Rams 17

yeah bitch

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 13: SEAHAWKS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/04
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 9 Comments

ONE win and we’re in. Despite this loss, that is still our situation. One win clinches the division and gets us a seat at the playoff table. Then we’ll be among teams who are REALLY playing for something in 2017. We have 5 remaining games to get that one win. That is Step One. Step One has been and is still the focus since OTA’s. Eyes on the prize.

doug pederson at aloss

Eagles 10 – Seahawks 24

For anyone trying to find a silver lining in this game, you could point to the continued resurgence of WR Nelson Agholor (7 – 141 – 20.1 – 1). The 2017 season indicates that he may be the Eagles best wide receiver. (At least if you go by what happens on the field, not off of it.) QB Carson Wentz (29/45 – 64.4% – 348 – 1 – 1) felt he could rely on Agholor, so he looked his way early and often.

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) Intimidate: The idea was to nail Seattle’s QB when he scrambled/ran, so that we could… encourage him to stay in the pocket. Instead, our defenders did a poor job of lane restricting, which allowed him to run around like that chicken Rocky was chasing. Worse yet, when we did hit him, it was rarely delivered with any nastiness. (NOT DONE)

2) Snag the line: The idea was to alternate between confusing and overloading their offensive line. Neither happened. We frequently gave the Seahawks both coverage and blitz looks that even Dak Prescott could read. (NOT DONE)

3) Light ‘em up: With the vaunted Legion of Boom down to ¼ of it’s members, going after Seattle’s secondary should have been job one. Instead, our QB spent the night throwing to his #3 WR instead of his #1 and #2 starters. It was a night were even before his concussion, TE Zach Ertz (2 – 24 -12.0 – 0) saw fewer targets than back-up TE Trey Burton (4 – 42 – 10.5 – 0). The play-calling almost looked like Head Coach Doug Pederson was afraid of Seattle. (NOT DONE)

4) Run ‘em down: The idea was that we needed to run the ball against Seattle’s undersized defensive line. In general when we ran against them, we moved the ball. Then for some reason we just stopped doing it. The first half had us run it 14 times (with players not named Wentz), and the score was 3 – 10. The second half saw 5 (non-Wentz) runs in the 3rd quarter. The score moved to 3 – 17. Still not “out of hand”. On FOUR 4th quarter possessions, we would run the ball only once. (NOT DONE)

This week we went 0 for 4 on Four Things, which got us this nice shiny “L”. We got handled out there. Not quite manhandled, but handled nonetheless. We got away from being who we are, and that NEVER makes a problem better. The Rams present an opportunity for us to be the team we know that we are. Let the damage go and stay in the hunt for our dreams. “Push out the jive. Bring in the love.”

push out the jive.gif

On The Whole:

The knee-jerk reaction to a loss is for fans to blame the players. However, I’m thinking this loss goes to the coaching staff. No not because of the forward lateral that we didn’t challenge, but because of the entire approach to this game, from the get-go.

Passes down the field early in the game, were absent this week. There was also no attempt to get TE Zach Ertz going early. For some reason were suddenly obsessed with throwing passes to RB Jay Ajayi (9 – 35 – 3.9 – 0 – 0 /3 – 11 – 3.7 – 0). We also seemed timid about going for it on 4th down, until later in the game. Not to mention the aforementioned discontinuation of the run game, even when the score was still manageable. So much of this game felt alien.

I won’t give Doug Pederson crap for not challenging the forward lateral. However, given that we did lose the one challenge on the first down catch by WR Torrey Smith (5 – 29 – 5.8 (seriously?!) – 0), it does bring into question how reliable the Eagles booth crew is at determining when Doug should and shouldn’t toss that red flag. This is something that needs addressing before the playoffs. Maybe some refresher exercises for those guys need to take place over the next couple weeks? Couldn’t hurt, right.

I don’t see that there was much for players to take away from this loss, but for the coaching staff, a couple lessons were crystal clear:

A) Be ourselves. There are things we do that are who we are. Getting away from those things undercuts the support of other aspects of who and what we are. Just be who we are.

B) Don’t allow an opponents reputation to dictate our gameplan. We looked like we were trying to play around the Seattle defense. That never works. Gotta go straight through an obstacle in football.

IN MY CROSSHAIRS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/02
Posted in: Conversations, NFL. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

AFTER we beat the Panthers 28 – 23 in front of the entire nation, naysayers had to pump their brakes on saying “Yeah, but the Eagles didn’t beat anybody good yet”. That roar turned into a mumble and most fans focused on games against division rivals. A few worried openly about our post-Bye, road match-up against the Seahawks.

Since the Panthers, the game that I’ve been low-key stalking, has been the one versus the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams had already caught my eye about two weeks earlier, when their starting RB called out the Dallas Cowboys on nation television. Conventional wisdom says, “Don’t hand out bulletin board material”, but then the Rams actually went out and did backed it up. At that point, it occurred to me that the Rams might be every bit as real as we are.

This is a measuring stick game between two teams who are actual peers. Our QB’s (Jared Goff and Carson Wentz) were taken one and two in last year’s NFL Draft. Our teams are the #1 and #2 scoring offenses in the league. We both feature a similar offensive style, and are built defensively to play from a lead. While we’ll both use a similar attack when we face each other, the winner will be better at it.

That is what makes this game a measuring stick. That is why I’ve been stalking the Rams for weeks now. That is why want this game so bad.

Fortunately for us, the Rams have a consistent and glaring weakness. They give up 123 yards per game on the ground. While the Rams starting RB has been the leading rusher in 6 of the 11 games they’ve played so far, the Rams as a team have been out-rushed in 2 of those contests and 6 times overall. Did I mention that the Eagles are the #2 rushing team in the NFL? Did I mention that we’re #1 against the run in the NFL?

I could go into it more, but I’m not trying to do an installation of Four Things, a week early. Let’s just leave it here for now, so that if something weird happens at Seattle tomorrow, you know it’s not false bravado that has me saying that we can beat the Rams.

EM Team Banner

FOUR THINGS: WK 13: EAGLES-SEAHAWKS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/11/30
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

W13-SEA

Note: This article will be out before the Dallas/Washington game. Since I can’t know what the outcome will be, I’m just going to write around it. (As if we all don’t know that the Redskins will win 24 – 13.)

rockytommy

THIS will be a street fight. Don’t fool yourselves, that’s what we’re in for. The Eagles are defending their dreams of being the home team in the playoffs. Seattle’s playoff future would be greatly aided by beating Philadelphia. This is a need to beat the best, versus the home-team dream.

Beating Seattle would move us to 11-1 and keep us a half game ahead of Minnesota in the bid for home-field advantage. That gives us something to focus on to keep us sharp. Problem is, the Seahawks are a scrappy team, with lots of big game experience. Oh, and they’re also fighting to keep their thin playoff dreams alive. Somehow I doubt that QB Carson Wentz will be pulled early in this one.

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

1) Intimidate: Seattle’s leading rusher is QB Russell Wilson (65 – 401 – 6.2 – 3 – NA) by 193 yards. We need to hit him. I didn’t say tackle him. I said HIT him. As in, nail him before he gets into a slide. Nothing dirty. No need or desire to injure him. Just let him know that QB Austin Davis might finish 2017 for him, if he doesn’t keep his ass in the pocket.

2) Snag the line: Only three offensive lines in the NFL allow more hits on their QB than Seattle does. When they block for any of the active RB’s on their roster, the numbers are 155 carries for 463 yards (2.9ypc). To take apart Seattle’s offense, we only need to alternate between confusing and overloading their offensive line. On 2nd and 6 (or longer), we need to hit them with a few exotic blitzes. Not blitz looks, but actual blitzes. On 3rd and long, play it straight-up.

3) Light ‘em up: Seattle picked a poor time to be battling injuries in their secondary. CB Richard Sherman and SS Kam Chancellor are both on IR. So now is the time to floor it, and go right after the vaunted Legion of Boom. People will say that we only beat them because of injuries. So? And? Now is not the time to let an average secondary, trade-off on a rep that they no longer deserve.

4) Run ‘em down: The Seahawks are 9th in the NFL against the run, despite having a small defensive line that averages 283 pounds per man. The last time someone fed our Offense a d-line this small (Cowboys) we ran for 215 yards on it. It’s time to impose our will on yet another team. This is that game where we need to go crazy, and kill a mouse with a sledgehammer. We need to turn RB LeGarrette Blount loose.

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:

This game is going to be a fight. At least at first. Russell Wilson is slippery, saavy, and doesn’t have any quit in him. Seattle is a team used to being “the big dawg”. Plus they’ll be playing at home, while attempting to be defiant in the face of overwhelming injury. They will be playing for pride, not just the win.

That having been said, the facts are: Their secondary can’t stop us. Their defensive line can’t stop us. Their offensive line can’t stop anyone. Their RB’s are garbage. Their WR’s are only a threat to their QB, and their crippling reliance on TE Jimmy Graham only makes their offensive “system” as predictable as gravity.

They’re 7-4, but look at against whom, and how those wins have come:

sea sched

The Seahawks have no answers for the Eagles. None whatsoever. This game will start out as a fight, but we will eventually end up with our knee on their windpipe. Their hands repeatedly sliding off our chest, as Week 13 slips into blackness for them.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Seahawks 17

yeah bitch