New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
Receiving: (S) TE Dallas Goedert (12 – 6 – 92 – 15.3 – 0)
Offensive Line Report: (1 + 0:1 – 2)
Drive Killer: (S ) OLB Alex Singleton (0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0)
Sack Leader: (S ) DE Ryan Kerrigan(3 – 1.5 – 0 – 0)
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I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Thingsarticles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Buccaneersdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run the ball to our left:Nope. Hardly even tried. Note: RB Boston Scott(1 – 34 – 34.0 – 1 – 0) had a touchdown run, and RB Miles Sanders (7 – 16 – 2.2 – 0 – 0) had his longest run of the day (14 yards) going to the left. Maybe we should have tried to run more in the first half? I say that because we had 4 just handoffs in the first half. Four.
In fact, we only handed the ball off just NINE times in this game. Which EXACTLY matches what we did in our Week 6 loss to this team. (NOT DONE)
2) See Tom Run:We collected 4 sacks in this game, but in general our coverage was so loose, the ball was quickly out of QB Tom Brady’s (29/37 – 78.3% – 271 – 2 – 0) hand. There was never any chance of making him run to buy time. (NOT DONE)
3) Man Press Coverage:Instead of dictating to the QB by using Man Press coverage, we played soft on the corners, and tried to “confuse” Brady with slight shifts and bails. It was a sign of our stupidity, to be so blatantly disrespectful of a QB who’s career is old enough to drink legally.
We didn’t show him a single thing he hasn’t beaten a hundred times already. It was goofy on our part to suggest it in a meeting. It was full-blown Are-tarded to try to work it into a game. (NOT DONE)
4) Speed Kills: We tried 3 times (not 6) to get the ball deep to a WR. Two were overthrows to WRQuez Watkins(7 – 2 – 35 – 17.5 – 0) and one was an interception while trying to get to WR Devonta Smith (11 – 4 – 60 – 15.0 – 0). Too many passes were being thrown to a double covered Goedert. (NOT DONE)
****
So we did 0of the FT’s, and we got shit-canned as a result. While some would tell you that 15 – 31 isn’t being shit-canned, you and I would know that those people didn’t actually watch the game.
****
On The Whole:
This one has me in a weird place. While many didn’t give us a chance to win, I almost EXPECTED us to. Yes expected. Given Tampa’s overall injuries, we were clearly the more physically talented team on the field. Given that they suffered injuries during the game, that edge should have been magnified.
The problem with us is mental. Once again, our coaching staff approached this game like they were more afraid of being embarrassed, than they were hungry to win. The play calling on Offense childishly simply, and our Defense had the feel of a preseason game, where a team doesn’t want to reveal too much.
Being that I practically expected a win here, you’d think I’d be angry, or disappointed. Weirdly enough, I’m neither. Instead what I feel, is that this game is THE GAME that truly begins the Nick Sirianni era. All of that first year coach, virtual rookie QB, team in transition bullshit, died today. There are going to be expectations next year, of getting past this point. This game has set the tone for how we view the rest of Sirianni’s reign.
I’m not going to harp on players too much here. I’m not going to talk about the future of Hurts. I’m not going to talk about any first round busts, being absolute fucking trash. I’m not going to talk about the Draft. Not here. Not today. There were many lessons in this game. We need to take the time to unpack them, as we turn our eyes to winning the NFC East in 2022.
SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters.
In 2021, the NFL expanded the season to 17 games, which makes for an uneven split. So this year (at least), these Quarterly Reports will come after Weeks 5, 9, 13, and 18. (Ugh. I hate even looking at that format.)
Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.
We’re in the playoffs! Stop and appreciate that for a moment. From a 2 – 5 start with a rookie Head Coach in Nick Sirianni, to 9 – 8 and representing our division in the playoffs. By the way, I want to say that calling us the NFC Least…THAT’S GOTTA GO! The NFC West sent three playoff teams. The NFC North? Just one. The NFC South? Just one. The NFC East sent two. Apparently even our 7th seed Eagles, are better than at Least 9 other teams in the conference. (Mic drop)
GRADES:
QB: (C )During this quarter,Jalen Hurtswent 54/81 (66.6%), with 3 touchdowns vs 1 interception (for 5 total scores and 2 turnovers) He also had three consecutive slow starts vs bad teams. With the high ankle sprain that he’s nursing, he now has to lean on his skills as a passer. Like Dak Prescott, Hurts may possess a lot of locker room intangibles, but as a passer, he cannot be mistaken for a top 10 player at his position.
The question all year long has been: IS HURTS A FRANCHISE QB?
I sent my answer in early, and my answer was “No.” However, for those who wanted to take the whole regular season to assess… Well, here we are, and my answer remains unchanged. If you want to look at the season in its entirety, fine. Let’s wait until after the playoffs.
In fact, the playoffs are the very measuring stick that GM Howie Rosemanused to measure QB Carson Wentz: “We loved Carson, but we played four playoff games” (actually six Howie) “and we’ve needed our backup quarterback for all of them. It’s too important of a position not to have that. I think that just thinking about where we were at the moment, and I think it was the right thing to do. It’s a hard decision, but it was the right thing to do.”
Hurts will go into his first playoff game next week, and so far he doesn’t seem to have mastered the position’s subtleties. Scoring a nod as a Pro Bowl alternate was cute, but no one really cares about that. The Pro Bowl lost the credibility of being real football years ago.
RB: (C ) The best ability is availability, and Miles Sanders (25 – 176 – 7.0 – 0 – 0) has come up short in that, for the second time this season. Concluding this season in street clothes, he will post career lows in rushing attempts, rushing yards, receptions, and receiving yards. Despite 166 touches, he will not post a single touchdown in 2021.
Jordan Howard(35 – 132 – 3.7 – 0 – 0) hasn’t been quite as effective with Sanders out. In fairness, his use has also become more sporadic, in a position that relies on rhythm. With Sanders out, Boston Scott (26 – 88 – 3.3 – 3 – 0) somehow leap-frogged Howard to become the starter. In the season finale Kenneth Gainwell (13 – 82 – 6.3 – 1 – 0) got the start, andJason Huntley (13 – 51 – 3.9 – 0 – 0) was activated.
With Sanders being out and Jalen Hurts nursing a sore ankle, the personality of the run game has shifted severely. It went from battering teams inside, to trying to use a little guys (Scott, Gainwell, Huntley) to exploit creases. Without the physical edge to the run game, the passing game has been negatively impacted, as pass rushers are now staying fresh, longer.
WR: (D ) Devonta Smith(22 – 14 – 215 – 15.3 – 1) failed to reach 100 yards in any game, this (or last) quarter. While his statistical contribution would be great for a #2, his role on this team is that of a #1. More is expected of him! He is either being hindered by his own talent/work ethic, the coaching, or who is throwing to him. Those are the only three choices. Fix the problem.
Quez Watkins (16 – 12 – 156 – 13.0 – 1) is being utilized completely wrong. As a deep threat, he neither sees two long balls per game, nor are many post routes run out of the Slot to keep Safeties from bracketing him deep, to get him one-on-one.
When Greg Ward (7 – 5 – 65 – 13.0 – 1) gets opportunities, he produces. He isn’t as physically gifted as the other receivers, so the coaches aren’t intrigued enough to try to manufacture opportunities for him, like they do with Jalen Reagor(11 – 7 – 91 – 13.0 – 0), who is trash, or J.J. Arcega-Whiteside(3 – 0 – 0 – 0.0 – 0) who is also trash.
TE: (C ) Dallas Goedert (20 – 15 – 234 – 15.6 – 0), and Jack Stoll(1 – 1 – 7 – 7.0 – 0) have been the Eagles 1-2 punch, since the trade of Zach Ertz. As you can see, the 2TE attack has been severely de-emphasized. When Ertz left, no one picked up the slack with regard to the production vacuum. Both Tyree Jackson and Richard Rodgers combined for 5 catches, 33 yards, and touchdown in the season finale. Otherwise neither had a catch all season.
OT: (A ) LT Jordan Mailataand RT Lane Johnsoncontinue to be one of the best duos in the sport. Just to drive that nail further into our opponents coffin, Lane caught a 5 yard TD during our Week 16 runaway victory over the giants. Andre Dillard continues to be high quality depth. Le’Raven Clark on the other hand, is a career back-up, who will never push for a starting gig.
G: (A ) LG Landon Dickerson and RG Nate Herbighave been consistent, and despite being young players with the mounting pressures of a playoff chase on the line, there’s been just one penalty between them since November. That is discipline and poise.
C: (A ) Jason Kelce is a future Hall of Famer.
DE: (D ) Josh Sweatmust have heard me badmouthing him all year, because he’s really turned it up this quarter. In his last three games, he’s added 2.5 sacks, 3 batted passes, and a FF. If badmouthing him makes him play this much better, then let me just say (clears throat) “Josh Sweat ain’t shit! The only way he’ll ever see a QB, is with a telescope. He sets edges worse than Naomi Campbell.”
Violence towards QB’s is apparently against Derek Barnett’s religion. Tarron Jackson hasn’t played a ton, but when he does, he just looks like a guy. Ryan Kerrigan started the last two games and didn’t have much impact at all. A draft pick will be spent here in April.
DT: (B ) Fletcher Cox in his last three games has racked up 2.5 sacks, 10 tackles (3 for losses), 1 forced fumble and 5 QB hits. THAT, is how to roll into the playoffs! Javon Hargrave’s 12 tackles and 5 QB hits, are not to be overlooked.
Hassan Ridgeway is a high motor, rotational guy. He hasn’t produced many stats, but he’s played quite a bit during the last quarter. That likely has been to keep the starters as fresh as possible for the playoffs. The story of the quarter however, has been Milton Williams. The rookie has stepped up, with a sack, 9 tackles (4 for losses), 3 QB hits, and 2 passes knocked down, during these last 4 games.
OLB: (C ) Alex Singleton grabbed 28 tackles, forced a fumble, and returned an interception for a score. All this as he set the Eagles all-time mark, for tackles (137) in a season. He had his 6th double-digit tackle game of the season, with 12 against the giants.
Though Genard Averyhas been used less as a blitzer this quarter, the blitzes have been smarter. As a result he’s added 3 hurries and his only sack of the regular season. To compare, he’d had 1 hurry in game one, and none again until this quarter. Patrick Johnsongot the Week 18 start and turned it into 5 tackles. Still, I think he’d be better as an edge rusher, with his fingers in the dirt.
MLB: (A ) T.J. Edwards had 36 tackles and 2 passes defensed in his last three game. That includes 16 and then 14 tackles, in his last two games. He also has 6 double-digit tackle games this season. In a rare instance where Edwards wasn’t on the field, Shaun Bradley got the Week 18 start and posted 5 tackles.
S: (C ) “Rodney McLeod is no longer an impact player on the back end. He always seems a step (or two) slow, and his tackles lack any authority.” That’s what I said during the last one of these reports. Let me just say now, I’ll have my crow with a side of mashed potatoes, please. McLeod came out of nowhere to grab two picks, in his last two games. Nothing in his play this season indicated that he had anything left in the tank. Then suddenly… Crazy. Just crazy.
Anthony Harris has shown a little more aggression towards the ball with a pass deflection in each of the last two weeks. Marcus Eppsis a solid Nickel player, who is learning to let the game come to him more.K’Von Wallacedoesn’t miss tackles, but unfortunately, tackling seems like all he does.
CB: (B ) Darius Slay and Steve Nelson haven’t been flashy this quarter, but the showing off is there, if you know how to look. In the last 5 games this duo has played, no opponent has reached 20 points in a game. Neither has surrendered 100 yards or a touchdown this quarter.
Avonte Maddox has been making tackles to “cauterize the wound” when receivers make short grabs. However, he could be doing more to influence fewer passes to his zone. Rookie Zech MacPhearson has played 83 snaps, been targeted just 10 times, and allowed 6 completions for 71 yards and no scores. In fact, on the year, he’s played 179 snaps, but been targeted just 17 times, allowing 9 completions for 96 yards and no scores. QB’s avoid throwing at him. Let that sink in too.
Andre Chachere(pronounced sash – sherry), andJosiah Scott are Nickel/Dime types. They will allow a high percentage of completed passes, but they will also stick their whole face in on a tackle as well.
LS: (A ) Rick Lovato. Has done a consistent and reliable job of getting the ball to the leg men.
P: (D ) Arryn Siposs saw his per boot average drop from 45 to 36.9, yards. Of course, of his 11 punts, only 3 were returned, and for just 27 yards. (The longest being 13 yards.) Big picture: It’s 9 yard per return vs 36 yards per punt. That’s a net gain of only 27 yards in field position. We can’t live that way.
K: (A )Jake Elliott was 11/11 on extra points, making him perfect on the year. He nailed 8/9 field goals this quarter. Scoring is not Elliott’s issue. Kickoffs are. On 24 KO this quarter, team’s felt confident enough to return 9 of them (37.5%), for 225 yards (25.0). That’s down from last quarter’s 31.5, but it’s still too much.
PR/KR: (C) Jalen Reagor’s punt returning (8 – 79 – 9.8 – 0) improved last quarter’s. He was however, practically striped of his kick return duties. Kenneth Gainwell took a shot at that. His numbers (7 – 122 – 17.4 – 0) would suggest that the Eagles keep looking.
KC: (D ) Giving up 25 yards per kick return, and 9 yard per punt return, means that our opponents are chipping away at winning the hidden yardage battle.
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
We were in the process of running the table, when an outbreak of Covid-19 forced half of our key players into quarantine. No matter. We won enough games to get to the tournament.
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
We ended with him in 2018. Now we’ll start with him in 2022
The mission for this next quarter is simple. Win one game. Then win a second. Then win a third. Then, win the fourth. We’ve been here before. The stage is just the right size for us. We didn’t come this far, just to get this far. To my dawgs: Keep. On. Running.
LAST week, our back-ups and Practice Squaders lost 26 – 51 in the season finale. Our craven opponent, played their starters for most of that game. Their starters! Still, we racked up 26 points, and 315 yards, with of 149 of those yards on the ground (4.5 ypc). Again, we did that with a bunch of guys who won’t even be on the roster this week.
This week we travel to Tampa Bay, to play a Buccaneers team that found a way to lose to Washington, and was swept by New Orleans this season. Having been shutout (0 – 9) in one of those games. Fellow Eagles fans, if “the goat” can lose to teams that don’t even have a QB, then expect us to surprise a lot of people on Sunday.
Let me let you in on a secret: The Bucs are ranked #3 against the run this year. However, they’ve played a number of teams that already don’t run the ball much. So that #3 is an inflated ranking. When they did play teams that run a lot (Washington, New Orleans, Indianapolis, New England), those games became either losses or went down to the wire.
Understand Eagles fans, we have a chance, and it’s not just a slim one. Our chance has three chins and tops doughnuts with insulin. Don’t let the naysayers sway you. They’re just still trying to be right. (They should have listened to me all along.)
Defeating the Buccaneers, will earn us a trip to Green Bay. Losing to them, will mean a quiet plane ride home. It’s as simple as that. GO BIRDS!!!!
****
The point of Four Thingsisn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus the Buccaneers:
1) Run the ball to our left:That may sound like a no-brainer, but there’s more to it. LTJordan Mailata (24 years old) and LG Landon Dickerson (23 years old) are on their way up. They are massive, powerful, and physical even in their mental approach to the game.
Across from them are what’s left of DT Ndamokung Suh (34) and DE/OLB Jason Pierre Paul (32). Both are coming off of their worst seasons as a pro. They have posted 27 and 31 tackles, respectively this season. They don’t want the heat that our left side brings.
Pound the ball on these guys. DT Vita Vea is just 26 and at the top of his game. However, at 347 pounds, just get him chasing Screens and Stretch runs early in the game. That will get him sucking wind, and take the explosiveness out of his hips. By the third quarter, we should be able to work Tampa’s right side relentlessly.
2) See Tom Run: Ideally we need to get either DT Fletcher Cox, or DT Javon Hargrave to hit QB Tom Brady early in this game. Not pressure him. Actually knock him on his ass. Take away his trust in climbing the pocket. He cannot be allowed to get comfortable in the pocket.
Once Brady can’t step into his throws, periodically blitz MLB T.J. Edwards to flush him out. Force Brady to make throws on the run, to receivers who are filling in, and aren’t used to catching off-platform passes from him. All we need a couple of mistakes.
Brady has never had the strongest arm, but over the years he’s found ways to compensate for what he’s lost physically, with anticipation, timing, and altering his mechanics to suit what he can still do. If we can get him running frequently, we’ll severely alter those mechanics, wreck his timing, and subvert any other trick that he routinely relies on. All in one fell swoop.
3) Man Press Coverage:Don’t attempt to disguise our coverages too much. Brady won’t be fooled by pre-snap hysterics. What will shake him, is knowing that he’s going to have to hold the ball longer than he’s accustomed to, because his receivers aren’t open early. That will allow our pass rush to close in.
We’re not trying to be subtle here. The Buccaneers offense will be without key pieces (WR’s Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown), and some of their returning pieces (RB’s Leonard Fournette and possibly Ronald Jones) are playing through injuries that sidelined them in Week 18.
The Buccaneers are limping and leaking blood. This game is about us pummeling a weakened opponent, and bullying an old man out of the delusion that there is room for the elderly in this sport. His end is very fucking nigh, and on a national stage, WE, US, THE EAGLES, need to show that to the world.
4) Speed Kills:Use our speed and go deep 6 to 8 times in this game. Tampa’s secondary is LOADED with bums. Even at their best! So when they walk a Safety up to help slow our run game, that will leave them in Cover 1 or Cover 3. Meaning that either WR Quez Watkinsor WR Devonta Smith has a one-on-one match-up. That’s when we launch it!
This game should be QBJalen Hurts’s coming out party. Get him on bootlegs and let him launch a few, leading the receiver into the end zone. And when Tampa goes to a Cover 2 or Cover 4, go back to running it down their geriatric throats.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The last time we faced this team, we lost by 6 points, in what was the 6th NFL game that Head Coach Nick Sirianni ever coached. In that game, RB Miles Sanders carried the ball 9 times for 56 yards (6.2ypc). Jalen Hurts ran 10 times and threw 26 attempts. It was one of the worst called games in Eagles history, and still we only lost by 6.
There is no need to be subtle here. This is a beating. This is revenge. This is truth being put on display. Brady is 44 and says he wants to play until he’s 50. OH REALLY?! So we need to put his body to the test. For everyone who says we can’t win because we’re facing the goat, they need to be reminded that we’ve feasted on this goat before.
****
All Four Things Prediction: EAGLES 27 – Buccaneers 23
WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Cowboys did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Understand the Moment: I wanted the starters to sit as much as possible. However, I figured our “rookie head coach” would want to rock-paper-scissors for the win, and so play his starters. I just hoped he saw the big picture and didn’t play the starts too much.
Lo and behold! Head Coach Nick Siriannigave CJason Kelce one snap, and WR Devonta Smithplayed just enough downs to set a new franchise record, for receiving yards by a rookie. After that it was all back-ups. Sirianni, understood what was important, and demonstrated it clearly. I’m proud of him. (DONE)
EWOK SLAM!
2) Dig DEEP: “Players you don’t know, making 2 to 4 nice plays after half-time. That’s the ideal situation.” That’s what I said. Well, RB Jason Huntley (13 – 51 – 3.9 – 0 – 0) had a couple of nice runs; and DT Milton Williams’s run stuff in the 3rd quarter, actually got me off my couch. This is exactly what I was talking about, and we did it. (DONE)
3) Going Out In Style:Our starters didn’t play, so this is non-applicable.
4) Do some reckless shit: While WR Greg Ward (1 – 1 – 100% – 2 – 0 – 0) didn’t get a whole series at QB, he did get to throw a redzone pass as a Wildcat QB, on the opening drive. That qualifies! (DONE)
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That brings this weeks FT score to 3 of 4. Next week we travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Earlier this season they beat us 22 – 28, and were the catalyst for us deciding to run the ball more. Next week we get to thank them, in person.
****
On The Whole:
Who gives a shit? A third of the starters in this game, will be deactivated next week. We owed the NFL one more game, and so we phoned one in. We didn’t tip our hand as to what we might want to run in the playoffs. Hell, from what I could see, it seemed like the Offense ran maybe 8 or 9 different plays, from slightly different alignments. All of which were basic in nature.
How about “rest vs rust”? TE Tyree Jackson (5 – 3 – 22 – 7.3 – 1) tore his ACL. Had that been Dallas Goedert, the fan base would be crucifying Sirianni, and the national media would be calling him an idiot for even playing Goedert in a meaningless game. We went in as the 7th seed, and we came out as the 7th seed. Yet some folks wanted us to battle for 6th? For who? For what?
Instead, our guys got to rest and heal. Because of this week, we’ll go into next week better armed, and with a better chance as we take on last year’s Super Bowl champion. Emphasis on the words last year’s.
LAST week we went to Washington and chalked the Redskins in their home.
SEASON OVER!
That win clinched a playoff berth for us, but also renders this game against the Cowboys sort of anti-climactic. Add to that, the 12 players we put on the Covid list this week, and the volume really gets turned down on this one.
We currently occupy the 7th seed which means our likely first round opponent would be the Rams. If the 49ers lose, it could catapult us from the 7th seed, alllllllll the way up the 6th seed. In which case we’d likely draw Tampa Bay. Who cares? You? Me neither.
This week a win can’t help us and a loss can’t hurt us. Which has people of three minds:
1) Rest the starters, so that we don’t lose anyone before the playoffs.
2) Play to win, because it’s Dallas.
3) Play the starters just for a half, to practice some of our weaknesses.
I’m in camp number THREE. The stakes are no longer based on the climb to the playoffs. We’re there already. The next set of stakes are IN the playoffs. There are no stakes this week. None. So just use this week as an assessment tool/study hall.
There will be stakes again, soon enough.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Cowboys:
1) Understand the moment: QB Jalen Hurtsis 0 – 2 vs the Cowboys, having been blown-out both times. Getting him his first win against them, while at home? That would be big for him. Huge in fact. Because calling a QB who can’t beat Dallas, “our franchise”? Nope. Can’t do it. Hurts could use the win. That said, it shouldn’t be our focus.
Seeing the big picture, should be our focus. Use this week to practice things we suck at, and get some game experience for our deep bench. Playing the starters for the full game, or until one of them is injured, would show that Head Coach Nick Sirianni doesn’t understand the moment.
2) Dig DEEP: While a win would be nice, don’t get hung-up watching the scoreboard. Instead, here’s what you should look for: QB Reid Sinnettgetting some action; WRJ.J. Arcega-Whitesidecatching passes; CB Zech McPhearson covering WR Amari Cooper; OT Andre Dillard trying to show that he can run block; LB Patrick Johnsonand LB Shaun Bradley getting 10+ defensive snaps. And maybe a few runs from RB Kerryon Johnson!
Players you don’t know, making 2 to 4 nice plays after half-time. That’s the ideal situation.
3) Going Out In Style:If our starters beat-up on their back-ups, that’s a cheap win. It’s a chicken-shit way to win a game.
Ideally, when our starters leave this game, two things should be true: 1) Dallas’s starters are still out there, and 2) We have the lead. Regardless of how small it is.
That way it can (and WILL), be said that our starters could have won this game, had they played the whole thing.
Besides, Dallas has spent so much money on overpaying starters, that the depth on that team looks like high school JV squad. To stand any chance of winning, they’d have to leave their starters in. Their starters vs our back-ups? What a chicken-shit way to win.
4) Do some reckless shit: This is a game without consequences! Do some stuff that normally would get the coaching staff crucified for trying it. Stuff like:
Not punting all game long.
Giving LS Rick Lovatoa couple of defensive snaps at LB.
Letting WR Greg Ward play QB for a series. (He played it in college.)
Giving LT Jordan Mailata a carry in the redzone
Just something wild and crazy. Look, this is the last home game of the year for Birds fans. It’s a night game, and it’s going to be windy and about 25 degrees. Give those fans something to remember, before our team goes on the road for possibly the next 4 games.
….
If we do these Four Things,
It should build confidence and loosen the entire roster up. It could act to bring more joy to the hard work, of preparing to beat playoff teams. Winning this week would be great. However, this week isn’t about that. It’s about getting everyone focused on a much bigger prize.
That having been said, the last time we faced Dallas, our coaching staff called 39 passes and just 3 handoffs. THREE run plays, all day long. As a team we ran for 64 yards. Jalen Hurts ran 9 times for 35. We had 29 yards on 3 handoffs, and still we didn’t hand the ball off more. RB Jordan Howard wasn’t even on the active roster.
That is NOT the Eagles team that the Cowboys will face this Saturday Night.
This time around, vs a defensive line built to rush the passer, our O-Line needs to practice putting foot to ass. The tone of this game will be 180 degrees from the last one. Those fuckers won’t have any idea of what hit them.
****
PREDICTION: EAGLES 20 – Cowboys 9
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
BACK in April, in my NFC East Pre-Draft Preview, I picked the Redskins to win the East, with the Eagles as my dark horse favorite. Given our strong nucleus of veteran leadership, our win in the trenches philosophy, and youth at skill positions, we have a lot of “win now” already built-in. However, a rookie coaching staff, and a second year QB, who himself was basically a rookie, left serious questions about our upward mobility.
Still, I took proper assessment of the pieces, and predicted the Eagles to push for the NFC East crown, and they did exactly that.
We’ve so far won 9 games. None of those were against teams with a winning record. Then again, it’s been half a season since we even FACED a team with a winning record. Hell, we didn’t make the schedule. We just beat who was put on it.
Also, in all fairness, three of the first six teams that our rookie head coach faced, have played in the last two Super Bowls (KC vs SF and KC vs TB). Of those three games, two were decided by just 6 points each. So maybe a little fucking slack would be appropriate here? I dunno. Seeing things in their proper context is sort of a fetish of mine.
My favorite was the NFL website itself. You know the one. The place that sometimes allows their journalists to post a headline, which is linked to a tweet. Yeah. That place. Before the season, this was their prediction for us:
I’m petty, so I screenshot that shit. I couldn’t guarantee us winning the East, but I knew that 5 win prediction was going to age like an Olsen twin, and I wanted to be able to say:
Which I’m doing now.
We destroyed their prediction, and even exceeded their ceiling for us. Right now, you could park a car in the shadow of my smugness.
New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Redskins did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Don’t get cute: Run the ball. That was the edict. Come out running and use the running styles to compliment each other. We did both, running 34 times for 118 yards (3.4 ypc), and two scores. It wasn’t pretty or explosive, but as I said, Boston Scott isn’t a tip of the spear caliber RB. Still, we stuck to our identity and ground out yardage and scores. That was the ask. (DONE)
2) Blitz On Long Downs: There were some 5 man rushes throughout the game, but not consistently enough, as was evinced by QB Taylor Heinicke (27/36 – 75.0% – 247 – 0 – 1), starting off 11/11. We didn’t really turn up the heat on him until the second half. Even then we played such loose coverage, that Washington was a threat to win, until Heinicke’s final pass to FS Rodney McLeod. (NOT DONE)
3) Knock Taylor on his Heinicke:In the second half, we got all over this! After the half, the Defensive Front came out looking to hunt. The pressure went up, and Heinicke kept finding himself running for his life, before ending up horizontal.
While it wasn’t frequently the product of blitzing, we were definitely getting the ball out of his hand earlier, as he became decidedly aware of how much heat we were bringing.(DONE)
4) Mr. Smith goes to Washington: Running the ball would have been easier if we could have emptied the box more. That would have been easy to do if WR Devonta Smith (6 – 3 – 54 – 18.0 – 0) had seen 7 to 8 targets. However, between Smith getting merely 6 targets, WR Quez Watkins(4 – 2 – 15 – 7.5 – 0) being a non-factor, and WR Jalen Reagor (Nope!) being trash, it was hard to stretch the field horizontally to create gaps.
Also, the Eagles spent a lot of time in Bunch Formations, with the receivers close to the Tackles. That allowed defenses to pack in. (NOT DONE)
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So this week we posted 2 of the Four Things and accordingly, we barely escaped with a win. BUT WE WON!!! Next week we play a practice game against the Cowboys. It has no meaning since both of us have already qualified for the playoffs.
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On The Whole:
For the second week in a row, we bodied a division rival.
RIP FYT
RIP FYT
We made the rest of their season meaningless. We reduced next week to a chance for their starters to take a pointless injury; or sit and let a back-up destabilize their job security.
And it feels good.
What feels even better, was clinching a playoff spot, with a rookie head coach, who was being mocked (even by me) a few weeks ago, for talking about motherfucking FLOWERS. This Spring I’m planting goddamned daffodils.
Even better than that, was doing it doing it during a rebuild year. (Did you hear that New York?) With a QB who was essentially a rookie. (Did you hear that Washington?) And while it’s true that we haven’t beaten a 10 win team all year, neither has Dallas. So we’re at least as legit as our division winner.
LAST week the giants (4 -10 at the time) hadn’t yet been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Then we came along. BOOM! We bodied the giants. This week we go to Washington, to face their “not yet mathematically eliminated” football… Can you really call that mess, a team? I mean look…
Currently we hold the 7th seed in the playoffs, but at 8 – 7, we haven’t clinched it yet. That means we have to win to defend, the spot that we’re in. A win by us and a loss by the 7 – 8 Vikings, makes the magic happen before dawn Monday morning.
A win means we climb to 9 – 7. If the Vikings fall to 7 – 9, the only other NFC teams who could also get to 9 wins, are the 7 – 8 Falcons, and the 7 – 8 Saints. Both of whom we hold head-to-head tie-breakers over. So we need to win and we need Minny to lose.
If we lose, it could be catastrophic. Especially if the Vikings win. At that point, we’d a be a game out, and they’d be the 7th seed, by virtue of deep tie-breaking procedure. If that happens, we’d have to win next week and hope, PRAY that Minny loses.
Of course all of this solves itself, if we finish running the table.
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The point ofFour Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Redskins:
1) Don’t get cute: Run the ball. That’s who we are. That’s what we do. The NFL’s best hasn’t been able to stop us, and lord knows Washington can’t. We hung 238 rushing yards on them just 2 weeks ago. So keep it simple, and just come out running. Run until they stop us. If they stop us. They won’t stop us. They can’t stop us. Run the ball.
With RB Miles Sanders out, the Eagles need complimentary running now more than ever. We’ll likely start and lean on RB Boston Scott, but our run game is less violent when he or rookie RB Kenneth Gainwell is the tip of the spear, and neither has demonstrated enough break-away speed to offset being smaller and easy to tackle.
No one knows if RB Jordan Howardwill be ready to come back from the stinger he suffered last week. If he’s going to play, he has to be ready to live up to his “Bulldozer” nickname. (Look it up.) If he can’t, my guess is that recently signed RB Kerryon Johnson will be elevated from the Practice Squad.
2) Blitz On Long Downs:Washington isn’t going to beat us by relying on dump passes to WR Adam Humphries and TE Ricky Seals-Jones. WR Terry McLaurin on the other hand is a big play guy who can swing, or kill momentum in a game. We have CB’s good enough to make life hard for him. However, it’s a lot easier to take him away as a downfield threat, if there’s no time for him to get deep.
Blitz the QB and get the ball out of his hand ASAP. I want to see more of OLB Genard Avery firing through the “B” gap. That or Avery and DE Josh Sweat leveraging the RT. Sacks here and there would be great, but what we really want, is for the QB to SEE the rush, and consistently treat the ball like a live hand grenade.
3) Knock Taylor on his Heinicke: Last time we played Washington, we played against a short notice fill-in at QB. Sadly, he looked better than he should have. Going against gunslinging QB Taylor Heinicke however, will pose a much stiffer challenge. He knows he’s not Washington’s future, so he plays every game like it’s an audition. He’s inspired to play hero-ball on every down. And that makes him dangerous.
So hit him. A lot.
The thing about auditioning constantly, is that he always needs a product (his body) to be in a condition where he can sell it. Taking extra damage for a team going nowhere? A team that he knows wants to bail on him?? No need for late hit flags, just let him know that his body is in danger. That should calm his heroic vibe, right the fuck down.
4) Mr. Smith goes to Washington: Get WR Devonta Smith7 to 8 targets. And start early! Intimidation. That’s the point of this one. To create room to run underneath, we need to push DBs’s out of the box. So give Washington the choice of giving up a 30 yard pass, or a 7 yard run.
When they go split-Safety, and the Nickle is deeper than 5 yards, then we can audible to an inside run play. That way if we have to play a bunch of smaller RB’s, we can still gash Washington for chunks of rushing yardage.
(And when we do this, can the RB PLEASE angle toward the DB, instead of the LB? That creates a much higher chance of a broken tackle or a trucked defender.)
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If we do these Four Things,
It would be disrespectful to flat out say that we should practice for the playoffs against the Redskins, but we do need to polish up on a few things.
We need to get sharper at throwing Screens. The way we do it now, tends to draw downfield blocking penalties, because QB Jalen Hurts often holds the ball too long. Better acting on pick plays is also needed.
We also need to establish a second outside threat, so that when teams take away Smith in the playoffs, it’s not all GoedertGoedertGoedertGoedertGoedert.
Small things done well, will lead to our Offense being terrifyingly consistent. That said, we don’t have a lot of time to get ready for the playoffs. That is, if we want to make any noise.
PREDICTION: EAGLES 24 – Redskins 16
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
Drive Killer: (S ) OLB Alex Singleton(1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 1)
Sack Leader: (S ) DE Josh Sweat(4 – 1.0 – 0 – 1)
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I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.
So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: giants did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run Jordan for Miles: Sadly, both RB Miles Sanders (7 – 45 – 6.4 – 0 – 0) and RB Jordan Howard (9 – 37 – 4.1 – 0 – 0) were injured during the game, but not before combining for 82 yard on 16 carries (5.1 ypc). When RB Boston Scott (12 – 41 – 3.4 – 1 – 0) was called on to fill-in, he added an early score.
Scott’s contribution to this team is not to be overlooked. However, the loss of pop in his legs as his usage piled up, was noticeable. Again. If Sanders and Howard are going to keep finding their way into street clothes during games, the Eagles are going to need to carry four active players at this position. (DONE)
2) Feature Devonta:Who lead the team in receiving yards? Devonta did! Who led the team in catches? Devonta did that too! Who led the team in targets? Oh my gaw- Was that Devonta? Why yes it was Devonta! Who led the team in touchdown catches? RT Lane Johnson ( 1 – 1 – 1.0 – 1) tied for the team lead with that.
This was a game where we needed our best, to be our best, and Devonta stepped up and was that. His touchdown catch had almost enough toe drag swag, to give me a foot fetish. Right Rex?(DONE)
3) Blow up the Center:We did this, but we did quite a few other things too. This factored in the most, on the interception that QB Jake Fromm (6/17 – 35.2% – 25 – 0 – 1) threw to FS Rod McLeod (1 – 0.0 – 1 – 0). Fromm couldn’t step into his throw, tried to muscle it in, and it sailed on him. Right into McLeod’s mitts.
We were getting away with doing so many different things to Fromm, that the giants pulled him in the third quarter, and sent out QB Mike Glennon (17/27 – 62.9% – 93 – 1 – 1). Glennon came out and threw two touchdowns. If you count the one to Eagles LB Alex Singleton. (DONE)
4) Be Active Pre-snap:We did some of this, but not enough of it. Fromm seemed more flustered by the speed of the game and the pass rush, than he was by the reads. While his percentage looks awful, Fromm didn’t throw the ball into dangerous places, and generally on his incompletions it was easy to understand his decision making. (NOT DONE)
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So that gives us3 of the Four Things, and an easy victory to boot. Next week we get to visit Washington! Their team (at 6 – 9) is still mathematically alive for playoff contention. So of course we have to do to them, what we just did to New York.
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On The Whole:
The Offense can’t afford slow starts like this. Scoring 3 points in an entire half of a game is unacceptable. Of course, that’s what will happen when the head coach gets cute.
Look, the Eagles offensive strength is running the ball. So why were 6 of our first 7 plays, passes? Simple. It was Head Coach Nick Siriannilooking to prove how clever he is. That cost us the game last time. This time he wised up.
WASHINGTON got tossed last week, and now it’s New York’s turn. This game, instead of being cute like last time, expect a brutal, grinding effort, from our no nonsense ground attack.
From a purely mathematical standpoint, the giants have yet be officially eliminated from the playoff picture. No matter. At 1:00 today, the Eagles will be walking Ol’ Yeller out to where the red fern grows. And that should be that.
Win or lose this week, our playoff chances will still be alive, likely with us on the outside looking in. However, an Eagles win combined with several things, could put us on the inside. If we win and go to 8 – 7, then with :
A Vikings loss to the Rams, MIN falls to 7 – 8, putting Philadelphia in the 7th seed.
That’s it. That’s all the help we need for now.
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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the giants:
1) Run Jordan for Miles:I said this the last time and we didn’t do it en route to a 7 – 13 loss. Look, the giants are a division rival. They’re wise to the Read Option, because we showed it last year under Pederson. Now they’ve seen it under Sirianni. Being cute won’t beat a division rival. Being a rival requires exploiting their faults, with your built-in advantages.
Last time, we faced this team, our rushing attack was spearheaded by QB Jalen Hurts and RB Boston Scott. Between them, they accounted for all 4 of our turnovers. Scott is a plucky guy, but he’s small and he wears down. No one wants to admit it, but our opponents know it.
Rotating RB Miles Sanderswith RB Jordan Howard, is how you tire out a defensive front. That one-two, working of the body, allows Hurts to maximize his potential. We did it wrong the last time, and we couldn’t manage 10 points because of it. This isn’t rocket science.
2) Feature Devonta:Our coaches have spent weeks manufacturing passing yards, instead of saying “My guy can flat-out beat your guy”. We need to be able to push the ball down the field, to keep space open for the run game. That’s where WR Devonta Smith comes in. In the last game, we showed the giants that they don’t even have to cover WR Jalen Reagor. So we need an actual threat. Which we drafted Smith to be. Right?
It’s time to see if we have that, in Smith. If we do, then we just may have the QB/WR combo that we need for the future. If we don’t, then we may need to figure out which end of that QB/WR combo needs tweaking. This is the time of year, not September, when that test means the most.
3) Blow up the Center: giants QB Jake Fromm is making his first NFL start in this game. The strategy that most teams use on inexperienced QB’s, is to try forcing mistakes by blitzing the young fella. We can do better than that. We can rush the “A” gaps and take away Fromm’s ability to stand in, or climb the pocket.
Better still, inverting the pocket won’t allow Fromm to step into his throws. A first start, versus a Philly crowd, and suddenly he can’t even trust his own delivery? That has all the makings of a Pompeiian picnic for New York.
4) Be Active Pre-snap: Everybody knows, QB’s like to look at the alignment of the Secondary pre-snap. Just to get an idea of whether or not there is an easy throw to be made. “Are there any gimmies?” We should let Fromm get a look pre-snap, and then subtly shift the alignment once or twice on him.
The idea is to get him to second guess his placement on his passes. We want to feed him doubt on most downs, and punish his team when he’s confident on others.
If we do these Four Things,
We will walk away from this game above .500, and with our playoff hopes intact. No doubt.
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PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – giants 13
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 