OUR win over the Bears came at a cost, as our QB Jalen, hurts with (what we’re told is) a shoulder sprain. (See wha’ aw deed there? (Yes! And then I wrote with Sharlto Copley’s accent. You’re welcome!) In any case, we toughed our way past injury, brutal cold, and an opponent that I warned last week, that we can’t let hang around.
This week’s opponent doesn’t do so well against the run. Given that running the ball is a strength of ours, it can be the Trojan Horse that we use to sneak in our passing game this week. In that way we’d exploit a glaring Cowboys weakness, while strategically attacking what would normally be a strength that they rely on.
QB Gardner Minshew. Dallas, you have a problem.
A win here makes us 14 – 1, and uncatchable both as the winner of the NFC East, and as the #1 seed in the NFC. A win here also means, the only playoff game we’d play on the road, would be the Super Bowl. A win here would have the NFL looking at Eagles back-up QB Gardner Minshew and thinking, “Oh shit. Not again”
A loss puts us at 13 – 2 , leaving the division winner, and #1 seed in question for at least one more week. Which is why this game will be a NASTY one. Anyone who thinks they want it more than we do, is about to find themselves slumped over a fire hydrant. (Had to go old school, to paint that picture.)
****
The point of Four Things isn’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: Cowboys
WR A.J. Brown for six ahead of olb/DE Micah Parsons
1) Make their OLB’s Cover:It’s a given that OLB Micah Parsons is just a pass rusher. He’s a good one, but he’s exploitable in coverage and against the run. Almost to the point of being a liability. So run at him. Also have TE Dallas Goedert motion to Parson’s outside hip, so that when he pass rushes, he leaves Goedert open at the snap. Easy money until the Cowboys make Parsons cover.
The other OLB Anthony Barr doesn’t see as many snaps due to Nickel and Dime packages, but with his his age (30), weight (250), and injury history to his right leg, he’s no match for either WR Quez Watkins or WR Zach Pascal. Line them up on his outside leg and run him out of the box. Or even better, sub him out for smaller.
2) Punish the Blitz:The Cowboys like to walk S Donovan Wilson up into the ‘A’ and ‘B’ gaps to let him rush the QB practically unblocked. They’ve gotten him 4 sacks and 8 QB hits off of this tactic. Said the Little Tailor “Ahhh, but I know a trick worth two of that!”
With Hurts out of the game, it’s an automatic that hand-offs are back on the menu. So use play-action. No! Better yet, abuse play-action. Get the blitzer to honor the RB, so that Minshew has a second longer to let a receiver come uncovered on a quick route up the seam. Or put RB Miles Sanders in motion for a Quick Screen pass.
3) Take Away the Quick Stuff:Of course CB’s Darius “Big Play” Slay andJames Bradberry will play aggressively, but NCB Avonte Maddox needs to delay receivers releases into their patterns. Give no quick timing throws to QB Dak Prescott. We don’t have to shut the receivers down, just throw Prescott off.
Get their routes unfolding at a slower rate, than Prescott’s muscle memory. That doesn’t mean slow the game down for him! The pass rush is still coming at full speed! Due to a rash of interceptions, he’s said last week that he has to do a better job of assessing risk. Get him holding the ball a little longer, and get some sack/fumbles.
Our BACK-UPS at DT: Marvin Williams, Linval Joseph, Ndamukong Suh. This is so damned unfair.
4) Squeeze and Occupy the Gaps:This game will be won or lost at the Line Of Scrimmage. We don’t need to tackle their RB’s for a loss on every play. However, if we get bodies in the gaps and narrow run holes, (that goes for the ‘C’ gaps too!) it gives us time to get population to the football, and slow their run game down.
We don’t need to shut down their run, just make it unreliable. The more bodies we can put in gaps, the cleaner MLB T.J. Edwards stays. So take the run off the table and force Prescott to have to carry his team.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This is going to be a physical game, since both teams need the win. We need it to be able to rest players, and maybe practice new concepts for the playoffs. A win allows us to give some guys a day of two off. Just like Spring baseball.
Goosebumps.
The Cowboys on the other hand, need this game to have a mathematical chance at the East’s 2022 banner. A loss here will lock them in as the 5th seed. Yet they couldn’t afford to rest starters, with Prescott’s interception issue not being resolved. They need more reps to work on what’s wrong with their passing game.
So the Cowboys have to play the next two games hard, and then play Wild Card week. If we start the pounding on Saturday, they should be fall apart tender by the time we see them in four to five weeks. So let’s get to tenderizing!
Oh, and expect a nail-biter.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 21 – Cowboys 20
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.
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
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: Bears did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
DT Javon Hargrave and DE Josh Sweat each had 2 sacks in this game.
1) Lock The Box:Don’t mush-rush. Play the LB’s in shallow zones, and get aggressively after their QB with our front four. That was the call and that’s EXACTLY what we did. Three different Eagles had 2 sacks each, as DT Javon Hargrave(3 – 2.0 – 0 – 0), DE Josh Sweat(6 – 2.0 – 1 – 0) and OLB Haason Reddick (4 – 2.0 – 0 – 1) all laid hands upon Chicago’s QB.
Aside from 95 rushing yards to a run-first QB, we gave up just 62 yards on 15 carries (4.1) to the rest of their team. Some of the yards were in small chunks, but most were in small pieces and slivers. So it was never something they could rely on, or use to complement the rest of their offense. (DONE)
2) Man Coverage on the Corners: Chicago’s top three WR’s COMBINED for 4 catches, 72 yards (18.0 yards per catch), with a 35 yard score on a blown coverage. Our CB’s played up in the receivers faces and reduced them essentially to spectators.(DONE)
3) Use Play-action: You can’t use play-action if you don’t hand the ball off. In the first half of this game RB Miles Sanders(11 – 42 – 3.8 – 0 – 1) carried the ball all of 4 times. That’s a recipe for getting your QB killed. (NOT DONE)
4) Quick Hook:We never got the chance to pull our starters because we never had a 20 point lead. However, the contingency plan of hammering the football was also not even glanced at. (NOT DONE)
****
OLB Haason Reddick with one of of his two sacks
This week 2 of the Four Things was enough for us to grab a the “Dub”. Next week we go to Dallas to clinch the NFC East, and guarantee home-field advantage (and then a neutral site), throughout the playoffs.
****
On The Whole:
WR A.J. Brown gets the catch, but no laundry for “some” reason.
Let me get this gripe in, first. I’ve been very vocal about how much wear and tear all the running will put on Hurts. I haven’t talked about punishment. I’ve talked about wear and tear. I don’t know if YOU noticed it, but Hurts looks slower running these days. More catchable. That’s the wear and tear. Like on your own joints!
With Hurts being easier to catch, that means he’s now easier to hit. Notice the kind of hits he took in this game? In September/October no one repeatedly got those sort of shots on him. They did in this one! And he’s only going to keep getting up slower and slower. You want to watch the Cowboys knock him out of a game? Me either. They have to ease up on the called runs.
Thanks to QB Tom Brady and Deflate-gate, I’ve repeatedly talked about how cold weather affects footballs. Early in the game I figured this was why Hurts’ ball placement was so spotty. Turns out his hands were numb, and he was having trouble seeing. He doesn’t think Philly will get as cold as Chicago did. Somebody tell him!
Do I think this team looked past Chicago, to next week’s match-up with Dallas? In the fourth quarter, on the two point conversion, Miles Sanders went into motion, setting off a series of pre-snap shifts. When he went by the TE, Sanders touched him on the rear, that TE shifted and touched the rear of the next man to go into a shift.
For those who don’t know what that was, it was the Eagles running silent, to handle noise. Soldier Field wasn’t loud at that point, so why do that? Because it was practice for next week. The Eagles used this Bears game as a first practice for Dallas. It’s not just players that looked past the Bears. The coaching staff was doing it too.
SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.combegan 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 games 5, 9, 13, and 17. (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.
STATUS: 12 – 1, 1st in NFC East, 1st in the NFC
OPPONENTS:
(W ) Indianapolis 4 – 8 – 1
(W ) Green Bay 5 – 8
(W ) Tennessee 7 – 6
(W ) New York giants 7 -5 – 1
OVERVIEW:
Offensively, the Eagles have shown an ability to beat opponents either with the run game (363 yards vs Green Bay), or with the passing game (386 yards vs Tennessee). Regardless of what opponents try to stop, the Eagles have an answer for that. Defensively, any talk that the Eagles can’t stop the run, has disappeared to the point where it’s not even gossip anymore.
Now, all the media talk has turned to whether or not QBJalen Hurts is the NFL’s MVP. Honestly, I doubt most of us care. Local talk wants to discuss playoff scenarios. And possible parade plans.
*****
GRADES:
QB: A / Jalen Hurts is doing as much as can be asked of him this quarter. Run the ball in for the game winner? CHECK. Set a franchise rushing record? CHECK. Throw for nearly 400 yards and three scores vs no picks? CHECK. In fact, Hurts has been stellar both as a passer (84/123 – 68.2% – 940 – 8 – 0), and as a runner (47 – 332 – 7.0 – 3 – 1). That said his usage as a runner on called run plays, is far too high.
RB: A / Miles Sanders (61 – 358 – 5.8 – 5 – 0) had a career day vs Green Bay (143 rushing yards) and then had another vs the giants, en route to becoming the Eagles first 1,000 yard rusher since LeSean “Shady” McCoy in 2014. Sanders is a talented runner, a capable receiver, and has demonstrated solid command of pass protection reads as well as effective blocking. Someone is going to pay him this off-season, the only question is, who.
Kenneth Gainwell(12 – 54 – 4.5 – 1 – 0) has seen an uptick in passes (5 – 4 – 43 – 10.7 – 0). Specifically on checkdowns right in front of the vacated MLB area, resulting in some easy first downs. Boston Scott (18 – 81 – 4.5 – 1 – 0) seems to have gotten some of his juice back since becoming the primary KR. Still, we may want to get a look at Trey Sermon.
TE: C / Jack Stoll(6 – 6 – 68 – 11.3 – 0) needs to see more targets, if only to keep opposing defenses honest. He’s been dependable when we go to him. That’s not to suggest that he can fill the shoes left byDallas Goedert (I.R.), but it seems like Stoll’s lack of production is strictly opportunity based. Grant Calcaterra (6 – 4 – 41 – 10.2 – 0) and Tyree Jackson, have been afterthoughts.
This position is graded low, but the problem seems more like a coaching issue, than a player issue. They can’t produce if they aren’t invited to the Offense, and Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen, is doing a terrible job of developing these three young players.
WR: B / A.J. Brown (29 – 21 – 295 – 14.0 – 1) has coughed up 2 fumbles this quarter. Otherwise, he’s been an absolute nightmare for defenses. (Especially his former team, the Titans.) Devonta Smith (34 – 20 – 294 – 14.7 – 2) doesn’t get the fanfare that Brown does. Instead he’s been quietly killing secondaries with precise routes that keep the chains moving.
Quez Watkins (18 – 14 – 122 – 8.7 – 2) has started the last three games, and been a key contributor in each one. His speed loosens the secondary and invites opponents settle for handing over intermediate completions, instead of long scoring strikes. Zach Pascal (4 – 4 – 30 – 7.5 – 0) only had 9 yards of YAC this quarter. That needs to rebound next quarter.
OT: B / LT Jordan Mailata has played every snap this quarter, drew three flags, added a fumble recovery, and dropped a FIRE Christmas album. RT Lane Johnson who’s been flagged three times this quarter, is also on that Christmas album. Solid play, but these two have been flagged and cost the team 25 yards this quarter. Gotta be better than that.
OG: C / More is needed from LG Landon Dickerson, in pass protection. Between he and G Issac Seumalo, there are still too many sacks given up by us week to week. The run blocking has been great.Andre Dillard has also logged some time at LG, when Dickerson left the Titans game with an injury.
C: B / Jason Kelceis also on the Christmas album. Three penalties for 21 yards this quarter plus a bad snap vs the Colts, is the bad news. The good news, is watching him get ahead of runners on touchdown runs. Cam Jurgens has had a few down on mop-up duty and he hasn’t stood out. Which is exactly what you want from a back-up lineman.
DE: A / Brandon Graham has never had a 10 sack season. Currently he has 8.5, but if he plays like he did this quarter (5.5 sacks, 1FF), he will eclipse that number in what could be his swan song as an Eagle. Josh Sweat has racked up 4 sacks in the last 4 games, giving Eagles the ability to reach from either edge.
Robert Quinnadded no measurable production before being placed on I.R. after Week 12. Patrick Johnson is listed at LB. But plays almost exclusively at this position for depth.
DT: B /Fletcher Cox is no longer being overused, playing around just 30 snaps per game. He’s rejuvenated and has responded with 3 sacks in the last 3 games, plus 4 TFL (tackle for loss). Javon Hargrave had to cool off after the torrid pace he kept up last quarter. Jordan Davis returned from I.R. playing just 24 total snaps in two games.
Linval Joseph came over at the beginning of this quarter, to occupy blockers and others clean, but he’s even chipped in half a sack. Ndamukong Suh does more penetrating and blowing up blocking schemes. He also has half a sack. These two were brought in to help with run defense and boy have they! Playing here and on the End is Milton Williams, with 2 sacks and 4 TFL. Deep and disruptive group here.
OLB: C / Haason Reddick also lines up at DE, and has helped himself to 3.5 QB kills this quarter. Kyzir White hasn’t made any splash plays in months, opening the door for rookie Nakobe Dean who impressed during his 6 tackle performance in just 15 downs, during a Week 13 victory.
MLB: C / T.J. Edwards Hasn’t been the tackle machine that he was before we added DT’s Joseph and Suh, but he also hasn’t had to be that MLB. Now he’s back to showing up in coverage.
S: B / Marcus Epps helped win the Colts game with a timely FF. Seems to be lurking around the box a little more these days, but that’s likely him covering for injured players. Chauncey “CJGJ” Gardner-Johnsonwent on I.R. after Week 12.
Filling in admirably for CJGJ, was rookie Reed Blankenship. Until he got injured. Snagging an interception and a handful of key stops, Blankenship has just about guaranteed himself a 2023 roster spot. K’Von Wallace filled in for Blankenship, and got a few tackles.
CB: A / Teams just aren’t testing Darius “Big Play” Slay much. He got fingers on 3 passes, but he doesn’t see much traffic. The exact same things can be said for James Bradberry. Teams seemed to have learned their lesson.
Josiah Scott intercepted a ball deflected by Slay during Week 12.Avonte Maddox returned from I.R. on Week 14. Zech McPhearson andJosh Jobe haven’t really played much.
LS: A/ Rick Lovatohasn’t had any screw-ups snapping and even snagged himself another tackle.
P: D/ Not been a great quarter for Arryn Siposs. Two games with punt averages of 35 yards or lower, and being injured on block. Now he’s on I.R.
K: A/ Jake Elliott was 17/18 on extra points, 5/5 on Field Goals, and even threw in a 35 yard punt, after an injury to Siposs.
PR/KR: WR Britain Covey exclusively handles punt returns this quarter, and it’s working like crazy! His returns (11 – 147 – 13.3 – 0) are a far cry from where he was last quarter. Handling kick-offs, has been RB Boston Scott (9 – 245 – 27.2 – 0). He’s had a few nice returns, but he has no chance of scoring without some extraordinary blocking.
*****
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
The mission last quarter was to secure a playoff berth. DONE! We’re taking things a step at a time, and it’s allowing players to have a sense of urgency, and timeliness. Players have been dialed into the here and now. Just a couple more weeks like that, and we should be in a great spot.
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
Win the division, then secure a first round Bye.
Those can’t be done against Chicago just yet. However, the following week in Dallas, we could lock up the division, and the conference with just that win. No other help would be needed after that. Starters could sit for the last two games. (They shouldn’t.) Winning these next two games, ices it for us.
CLINCHING a playoff spot last week, validates the Eagles efforts so far. Goal number one of any season, in any sport, is to qualify for the playoffs. Well, that part is in the books. Goal number two is to win our division, so that we get to host at least one playoff game.
Standing in the way of that goal, are the run-dimensional Chicago Bears. (See what I did there?) Should be fun to watch QB Jalen Hurtsstalk these animals in their den, and fire multiple touchdowns right though the heart of their secondary.
Skinny Batman Alert!!! WRDevonta Smith has 775 receiving yards. He needs 225 more in the next four games, to reach 1,000. The Eagles already have one 1,000 yard receiver in WR A.J. Brown. The franchise has never had two in the same year.
A win pushes us to 13 – 1, and helps us hold onto a two game lead in our division, as well as our two game lead as the NFC’s top team.
A loss sees us sag to 12 – 2. We’d still be the top team in the NFC East, and the NFC, regardless of how Sunday works out. Still, the Bears are an opponent who has already been eliminated from playoff contention. It’s our duty to help them improve their position in this upcoming Draft.
****
The point of Four Things isn’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: Bears
1) Lock The Box: Because of QB Justin Fields’ ability to run past pass-rushers, many teams opt to “mush rush” him, where they gradually try to shrink the pocket, instead of penetrating. It usually works, but it allows the Bears to hang around in games they shouldn’t be in. Why give up a ton of easy yards and points?
Here’s what we should do with our front seven. No mush-rush. Full rush our four D-Linemen, and put the LB’S in shallow zones. That way, if and when Fields slips by our Line, we already have LB’s closing on him, and hoping to trade paint. We also need to be ready to corral their RB’s. Once we have the lead, just continue to “dance with the girl who brung ya.” Stick with the strategy.
2) Man Coverage on the Corners: The Bears receivers are trash, and their QB is no miracle worker. Take them off the board as options immediately, to force the QB to either run, or dump it underneath. Otherwise, he’s putting the ball in harms way.
3) Use Play-action: That immediately means that RB Miles Sanders needs to receive actual hand-offs, to get the defense to bite on the fakes when they happen. Play-action to Sanders, then a deep shot to Devonta Smith, sounds like six already!
4) Quick Hook: At any point, if we get up by 20 points, we need to immediately pull our starters. Two reasons:
1) It protects our players from potential injuries, in a game that could quickly become mean-spirited, if the Bears feel humiliated.
2) The earlier we pull our starters, the more the Bears will feel we don’t take them seriously. Bears players were gut-punched earlier this year, when DE Robert Quinn was traded here. That was followed by a shoryuken, when the Bears traded away LB Roquan Smith. Bears players were publicly questioning what they were playing for. The humiliation of watching us sub early, would send that team into Quit Mode. DO IT! (If we get the chance.)
If we never see a 20 by the 4th quarter, then frequently bring in Offensive Lineman as eligible receivers, then run off-Guard power stuff. Switch to a physical run style. Punish the Bears to advertise that when opponents make us give them our undivided, then there’s going to be trouble.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The number one rushing team in the NFL is the Bears. Mostly because 1) their QB is a gifted runner, and 2) in proud Bears tradition, their QB isn’t very good at the QB part of playing QB. So how afraid should we be?
The Bears have lost a lot of close games this season. If we let them hang around, we’ll have problem, later in the game. That’s why getting up early and resting starters, is so important.
[eagles celebrating]
We’re dealing with an opponent that went into the Trade Deadline with a front office screaming “Fire Sale!”. So don’t tell me they want to win a couple for pride. Perhaps the players may, but from the head coach on up, the Bears want to tank to move up in the 2023.
So we should help them out!
****
Prediction: EAGLES 29 – Bears 20
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.
QB Jalen Hurts celebrates clinching a playoff berth
PLAYOFFS, here we come!
EAGLES 48 – giants 22
EAGLES STATS:
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (17 – 144 – 8.4 – 2 – 0)
Receiving : (S) WR A.J. Brown (6 – 4 – 70 – 17.5 – 1)
Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (4 (24) + 2 (2) – 4 (-8) = 18) C Jason Kelce
Drive Killer : (B) DE Patrick Johnson(0 – 1 – 0 – 0 – 0)
Sack Leader : (S) DE Brandon Graham(4 – 3.0 – 0 – 1)
Ace :K Jake Elliott: 6/6 XP, 2/2 FG, 35 yd punt (no return)
****
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:
DE Brandon Graham collecting one of his THREE sacks in this game.
1) The T.J. and Nakobe Show: This section was given this title because I figured MLB T.J. Edwards (6 – 0 – 0 – 0) and LB Nakobe Dean (1 – 0 – 0 – 0) would be best suited to carrying out the strategy of holding RB Saquon Barkley (9 – 28 – 3.1 – 0 – 0) to under 4 yards per carry, to shift the game onto the shoulders of QB Daniel Jones (18/27 – 66.6% – 169 – 1 – 0).
The strategy worked like a charm! Only thing is, the LB’s didn’t need to be who pulled it off. Once again the Defensive Line stepped up and made the day easy for Edwards, by getting their own mitts on Barkley. I could call it “half done”, but I won’t. The TACTIC is what is important, not who gets the snaps.(DONE)
2) Run Miles Run: Miles Sanders 17 carries were more than everyone else’s on the team, combined. As a result, the Offense flowed smoothly ALL GAME LONG. Their defense was never able to key solely on Hurts, and they also fell much harder for play-action. What you saw today, is a formula for winning playoff games. (Although a big RB would be a nice addition, right about now!) (DONE)
3) Use A Release Valve: We came out doing this, as TE Grant Calcaterra (4 – 2 – 24 – 12.0 – 0) caught both of his passes on the opening drive. I mentioned getting TE Jack Stoll (2 – 2 – 20 – 10.0 – 0) involved and it led to them having to respect him. It was a simple, simple thing, yet it helped open up all kinds of room for the run game. (DONE)
This 41 yard TD grab by WR Devonta Smith was NASTY. Just nasty.
4) Don’t Collapse: “We need to keep scoring in the second half. Stalling out on points is not an option this week”. Those were my exact words. The result was scoring 24 points in BOTH halves of the game. We even managed a touchdown drive with our second unit out there. (DONE)
****
This week we did a 4 of the Four Things, in a game that was nowhere as close as the score indicates. While their playoff hopes aren’t completely dead yet, the contract is down on them. “The guys. The guns. The lime pit’s already dug.” Next week we travel to Chicago, to help them move up in the 2023 Draft.
****
On The Whole:
FINALLY! This was the best game the Eagles have played all season. Offense, Defense, and Special Teams, all played well. We played two halves of football. We got stops without having to rely on multiple turnovers. It wasn’t a flashy, splashy win. It was quiet domination.
RB Miles Sanders setting a career high for the second time in three weeks
Along the way, RB Miles Sanders secured his first 1,000 yard rushing season, and WR A.J. Brown eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving, in his first year as an Eagle. In the next 4 games WR Devonta Smith needs 225 to reach 1,000. The Eagles have never had two 1,000 yard receivers in the same season. Time for “a new page when they go look in the notebook.”
(I’m out of control. I’m on here using NY based quotes, after we dismantled their team. The irony resulting from showing our mettle at winning high stakes. Not everyone is Mary Lou Retton behind the eyes. So for some, that may take days to get, but don’t flip out. It’s just true craftsmanship. Words from the mind of a Master.)
I don’t know if you noticed this, but this was the third game where we rested our starters, once we got a big lead. It says something about a coach when he doesn’t risk his starters, just to run up the score vs a bad team. Nice to root for a team with some class.
If the playoffs were to start now, they’d have to hand us the Lombardi, because we’re the only team with a guaranteed berth. Even better, Minnesota fell to 10 – 3, giving us a two game margin of error in the race for the #1 seed in the NFC.
Time to close the book on New York, and see Chicago.
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
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: Titans did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
FS Marcus Epps delivers the cold shoulder.
1) Pick the Fight: Titans rookie WR Treylon Burkes (1 – 1 – 25 – 25.0 – 1) was laid out like a cheap suit, by FS Marcus Epps (2 – 0 – 0 – 0), on a CLEAN hit. (See the picture.) Once we set the price for one Touchdown, at one Concussion, the Titans decided to avoid the end zone altogether. Or at least they played like it.
I said we have to win at the line of scrimmage? We got 6 sacks and shut down RB Derrick Henry (11 – 30 – 2.7 – 0 – 0).
I said we needed tackles that put men on the ground? Well, we didn’t hold players up to strip them. In fact, Titans ball-carriers were dropping like they were hit by sniper fire.
Hits that draw flags? See Treylon Burkes.
Send players to the blue tent? Burkes was literally knocked out of the game. CB Kristian Fulton (1 tackle) hurt his groin when A.J. Brown ran him over for a touchdown. QB Ryan Tannehill (14/22 – 63.6% – 141 – 1 – 0) acquired a second injured ankle, after being sacked 6 times. (Both Titans had to be removed from the game.)
We beat the high, holy hell out of this team. (DONE)
2) Keep Him Clean: The idea was that our Defensive Line would keep blockers off of MLB T.J. Edwards (6 – 0 – 0 – 0), so that he could make stops on Derrick Henry. The D-Line decided to go us one better, and took to stopping Henry, themselves. No complaints there!
As for Edwards? Pretty easy day. They may not even have to launder his jersey.(DONE)
3) Rush for 100 Yards: The Eagles ran for 67 yards as a team. Taking away Jalen Hurts 12 yard contribution, the RB’s ran 19 times for 55 yards (2.8ypc). Normally that would have me pretty angry. Especially considering that it represents a 300 yard swing in rushing yards, from last game to this.
Instead, I’m amused by the sheer ridiculousness of how dominant we were, having gotten soooo far away from the statement we made last week vs Green Bay. It’s unbelievable! I cannot imagine what it must be like being a defensive coordinator, and seeing Philadelphia next on your schedule. This was a HOOT! (NOT DONE)
4) Tight Man Coverage: The Titans WR’s were targeted 8 times and caught 3 balls for 35 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 concussion. Our CB’s spent the day following their receivers like unpaid bills. I knew this was going to be a poor match-up for Tennessee, but yikes. We were out there like:
(DONE)
****
So we totally slammed 3 of the Four Things this week. Next week, we take a 2 hour drive right up I-95, to visit the Rutherford New Jersey giants, and hand them the fifth loss that they should have gotten today. Friggin’ Commanders! Can’t do shit right.
****
On The Whole:
QB Ryan Tannehill getting Cox from behind. By which I mean DT Fletcher Cox.
We spent the whole week gearing up for the second coming of The Bodybag Game, and what did we get instead? A bunch of bitches whining to the refs for penalties. They should have been embarrassed. Where were the tough guys, that I’ve seen in other games?!
Sure, they brought their physical style of play. We even saw a few of our guys head for the blue tent, and then exit the game: (LG Landon Dickerson, WR Quez Watkins(6 – 5 – 37 – 7.4 – 0), and LB Kyzir White(5 – 0 – 0 – 0) ). That said, it was clear that the Titans don’t take punches as well as they throw them. And this is what passes for playoff caliber in the AFC?
In last week’s FTR, I mentioned that rookie LB Nakobe Dean (5 – 0 – 0 – 0) perhaps should see some of Kyzir White’s early snaps. After White left today’s game, Dean did nothing but make my point. That kid looked good out there!
CORRECTION!
All season long, I’ve been misspelling the first name of LB Haason Reddick(2 – 1. 0 – 0 – 0) as “Hasaan”. I don’t know where I picked up the incorrect spelling, but you can google “Hasaan Reddick” and see any number of places where I could have picked it up. However, upon seeing this Tweet from him today:
it only stands to reason that the man knows how to spell his own name! (Meaning I was wrong.)
I’m not going to go back and correct every instance of the misspelling, but I will be better going forward, and will head to the Eagles website (I rarely go there), to check ALL of my name spellings against the roster.
This is embarrassing, but in this world, we must be accountable.
LAST week DTFletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham, DE Josh Sweat and OLB Hasaan Reddickcombined to knock QB Aaron Rodgers from the game, and setting up the end of his era in Green Bay. This week we turn our gaze to deposing the supposed “king”. Now is not a good time to be considered NFL royalty. Because we’re hunting for another crown.
DT Fletcher Cox on the hunt
A win makes us 11 – 1, and keeps us at the top of the NFL food chain. There are seven seats at the playoff table. That means we have to be better than NINE teams in the conference. Winning an 11th game would mean that we can’t lose more than 6 games this season. EIGHT teams already have 7 or more losses. We’d be two Washington or Seattle losses away, from clinching a playoff spot.
A loss would make us 10 – 2. However, both we and the number two team, are playing non-conference games this week. So no mater how this weekend works out, we’ll keep the top seed. For at least one more week, the NFC belongs to us, and no one can do a goddamn thing but genuflect, and kiss the motherfucking ring.
So let’s go get this win, and kill any hope that the peasants may be harboring.
****
The point of Four Things isn’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: Titans
1) Pick The Fight:The Titans style isn’t one of being particularly clever, but of being physical. The Titans, almost to a man, will be looking to punch us in the mouth. As a team, the Eagles have faced adversity vs weather, on the scoreboard, and with calls by officials. This time, as individual men, they will be tested physically.
As Philadelphians we pride ourselves on being ready to drop the gloves faster than anyone else. Sunday we get to see if our team is as tough as the fans. (It’s RARELY the case though. See: Gang Green Defense, Buddy Ryan) The Titans however, are about that life! Instead of accepting their invitation to a fight, we need to start it, and finish it.
Winning at the line of scrimmage. Tackles that put men on the ground. Hits that draw flags, and send their players to the blue tent. These are the things we need to see Sunday. No finessing our way through this one. We need our toes to tickle their tonsils the hard way.
2) Keep Him Clean:Keeping blockers off of MLB T.J. Edwards will allow him to flow to the Titans 247 pound RB, and meet him in the hole before he can gather any momentum. That means our Defensive Linemen can’t allow Titans offensive linemen to have quick, clean releases off the line of scrimmage.
With their RB being so large, he needs holes, not creases. If we can delay their linemen even half a second, it malforms the hole that the RB needs to run through. If the Defense can trap the RB between the linemen, it’ll be easier to slow their run game. Look, they’re going to run the ball a lot. So we don’t need to shut down their run game, just make it unreliable.
3) Rush for 100 yards: The Titans are 0 – 3 this season when they allow 100 yards rushing. They’re 1 – 4 when their opponent rushes for 75 or more. That said, this one is more about us, and less about them.
Running the ball successfully, is about being able to impose will on someone who is giving their all, not to let it happen. If we can do that against a team as physical as the Titans, we will have sent a POWERFUL message to the entire the NFL. If we cannot, it’s best to know it (and fix it), before we find ourselves in the playoffs.
4) Tight Man Coverage:When I say Titans WR, who’s the first person you think of? Nope, he plays for us now. Think of someone else… Can’t? Neither can anyone else, since their WR’s have COMBINED for just 3 of the Titans 11 receiving scores. No one is afraid of these guys.
Making things worse for them, is QB Ryan Tannehill, the Neapolitan ice cream of NFL QB’s. His 36 – 16 record as a Titan says reliable, but his limitations…
Imagine a slab of this, melting on a styrofoam plate, next to a square of sheet cake. Yum. Tannehill.
Watching Tannehill try to force passes to sub-par receivers, wearing CB’s Darius “Big Play” Slay and James Bradberry, like shadows, should buy enough time for our deep and talented Defensive Line, to shred their lackluster offensive line.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This is the game on the schedule that scares me. For many it’s the Dallas re-match, but I’m neither here nor there with that one. That’s a division game. Division games (like footballs) can take funny bounces. See the difference between our Washington games? Yeah. So I’ll see how I feel about Dallas, when that game gets here.
The 7 – 4 Titans score an average of 19.0 points per game, vs allowing 18.6. They don’t have the firepower to reach 30 points, and haven’t all season so far. So this game like many of their other games, they’re going to try and turn into a low scoring brawl. Usually I don’t suggest playing down to an opponent, but we need a good fist fight.
Talent-wise, the Eagles are head and shoulders above the Titans, in most areas. If we bring the same level of physicality to this game as they do, we should win this game in a walk. However, this is a different type of opponent than we’ve faced all year, and we need to be ready to meet that type of challenge in the playoffs.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 26 – Titans 17
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.
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
Ace :(S) K Jake Elliott ( Two 4th qtr FG’s, one from 54 to ice the game)
****
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: PACKERSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Hit Their QB:We hurried him into an early interception, sacked him three times, and knocked his punk ass out of the game. Even before the Packers yanked him, you could see in his eyes that he was finished.(DONE)
2) Miles of Screens:We didn’t throw Screens to RB Miles Sanders (21 – 143 – 6.8 – 2 – 0). He did catch (3 – 3 – 17 – 5.6 – 0) everything thrown his way, while running for a career high 143 yards, but none of it was a Screen pass. This is one place where the technicality works against me, but I’ll own it, because the technicality does not diminish his involvement, nor the statement made by this win. (NOT DONE)
3) Wrap it up, B!: After their first drive we settled in and got this done. The issue this week wasn’t the wrapping up, it was getting guys in the right hole, to meet the ball-carrier. Too often our defenders weren’t getting a shot at the runner, until they were 3 or 4 yards downfield already. Still, on 20 attempts, we gave up just 106 rushing yards on the night.
SS Reed Blankenship lurk in the “Robber” position and breaks on the ball. Between this and his physical style of play, it made me think of Ronnie Lott, after he signed with the Raiders. Not comparing players, just stylistic similarities.
I like the “thump” that SS Reed Blankenship (3 – 0 – 1 – 0) added tonight. There were a couple of downs where I saw OLB Kyzir White (2 – 0 – 0 – 0) try a shoulder tackle instead of a wrap-up, leading to extra yardage for the runner. One of them looked like he was making a business decision near the right sideline. As I said in the Quarter Two Report Card, it may be time to get rookie LB Nakobe Dean some of White’s snaps. (DONE)
4) Deep Down the Middle:Nope. Most of the passing was of the short variety. I think Hurts threw more balls away, than he legitimately attempted as deep passes. (NOT DONE)
****
Yet again we finish at 2 of the Four Things, even though it’s really ore like three of them. No matter. Next week we host Tennessee’s rugby team, and get a first-hand look at their attempt to integrate the forward pass into their offense, as well as we have.
WR A.J. Brown demonstrating genuine Toe Drag Swag
****
On The Whole:
RB Boston Scott and his bodyguard, LT Jordan Mialata.
It was a vulgar display of power, and I LOVED it. We did it because we wanted to do it, and there was no way for them to stop us. And was I excited? I spent that whole game on the verge of reaching for the hand lotion. (Not really, but you get my point.)
QB Jalen Hurts on his way to running for 157 yards on the day. The most by a QB in Eagles history.
We piled up 363 rushing yards in this game. I’ve been saying that running the ball is our identity, and we shouldn’t get away from that, but DAMN. This game was just us being more physical and looking to impose our will. We’ll need more of that next week.
RB Miles Sanders goes off for a career high 143 rushing yards.
Now my concerns. And I have a few.
I worry about the cumulative damage that all this running puts on Hurts. Not the hits, but the wear and tear. The torsion in his hips, knees, and ankles. I’m remembering last year’s high ankle sprain, as being non-contact. Pocket passers almost never get that injury. If we have a lead, there should never be a designed run called for him.
Defensively, we were consistently out-schemed by the Packers Screen and Pitch game. They did a great job of keeping us off-balance, and we had to wait for penalties, to hand us third downs where we could dictate the action. A well disciplined team won’t give us that chance. A PLAYOFF team won’t give us that.
Special Teams is a joke. Not only are we abysmal at returning all kicks, but now we’re now shit at covering them too. I’d been blaming WR Britain Covey, but today he only fair caught a punt. The rest of the returning was done by RB Boston Scott (3 – 24 – 8.0 – 0 – 0) who’s returning (4 – 91 – 22.7 – 0) was also underwhelming. Yet, returners can’t be blamed for the Packers gashing us for 172 KO return yards.
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 games (not Weeks) 5, 9, 13, and 17. (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.
Note:This Report was supposed to come out BEFORE the Colts game, The records below reflect the records at that time.
STATUS: 8 – 1, 1st in NFC East, 1st in the NFC
Chips pushed to center of the table.
OPPONENTS: (After game nine)
(W ) Dallas 6 – 3
(W ) Pittsburgh 3 – 6
(W ) Houston 1 – 7 – 1
(L ) Washington 5 – 5
OVERVIEW: Bad news first. We just suffered our first loss. We are allowing an increasing number of rushing yards as this quarter wears on. Now the good news. We didn’t allows a team to reach 200 yards passing for any of these four games. We also haven’t allowed a team to reach 20 points in 3 number of those four games.
We’ve also started scoring points in both halves of ball games. It sounds like sarcasm, but it isn’t. Looking at the Raiders and Raven blow big leads repeatedly this season, makes a clear point. It’s not how many points, it’s how often points. Big, early leads that get chipped into, give the opponent confidence. However, constantly topping up our score, can make an opponent feel that they’ll always be just out of reach.
This is how to make opponents dread seeing us on their schedule.
NOTE: This Report was supposed to come out BEFORE the Colts game, but the Monday Night game threw everything off. That means no mention or consideration of the Colts game stats will figure into this report. This segment will be the only place that will mention DT Linval Josephor DT Ndamukong Suh, and even then, only to say that they aren’t discussed in this Report.
*****
GRADES:
QB: B / Jalen Hurts rushing this quarter (26 – 88 – 3.3 – 1 – 1) is way too much risk for way too little reward. Also the number of times he’s been sacked 12 in the last three games is up 11 in the first five games. The boil-down is that our QB is taking too much punishment, for too few yards. Some of it is the line, but some of it is him holding the ball too long.
When he does get the ball off, he’s just gunning defenses down. In the first five games, he threw 4 TD/2 Ints. In these last 4, he’s thrown 10TD/1 Int.
RB Miles Sanders scores in our 26 – 17 victory over Dallas
RB:C /Miles Sanders (56 – 296 – 5.2 – 3 – 0) has been effective when used, and even enjoyed a three game scoring streak. Where he’s fallen off, is just 2 targets in the last four weeks, vs 11 in the first five. His snap count was also down. Kenneth Gainwell(11 – 57 – 5.1 – 1 – 0) has been effective as a runner, but his 5 catches for 29 yards (5.8) isn’t what the team was hoping for from him. Boston Scott(15 – 47 – 3.1 – 0 – 0) has seen mostly mop-up duty, and hasn’t been part of recent games while they’re still in contest. Trey Sermon hasn’t played since week five.
This group has been less involved and it has showed itself in the slow start against the Texans and the loss vs Washington. Running is this team’s bread and butter. This has to get fixed.
TE: C / Dallas Goedert (24 – 19 – 209 – 11.0 – 2) has been a consistent catalyst for the Offense. Key third down conversions are becoming his calling card. He should see more targets when the Offense is inside the 10, but the Offensive Coordinator is in love with bunch formations and trying to get our QB killed.
Stepping up his production is blocking TE Jack Stoll (5 – 3 – 45 – 15. 0 – 0). His numbers are meager, but his last quarter as a receiver has already been more impactful, than his entire 2021 season. No other Eagles TE has caught a pass since Week 1. We have no depth here. The pending injury report on Goedert (hurt vs Washington), will tell us if we’re lucky or screwed.
WR: B /A.J Brown (28 – 16 – 289 – 18.0 – 5) has been on a tear. Aside from the Washington game where he pulled up lame early in the contest, he’s scored in each game this quarter. Devonta Smith (23 – 18 – 128 – 7.1 – 2) has become just a possession receiver this quarter. Even his two scores were both in the red zone. This seems to work better for making the QB comfortable, than it does for sustaining scoring drives. Smith needs to be opened up more.
WR A.J. Brown scores easily on a pass rusher forced to cover.
Quez Watkins (8 – 7 -105 – 15.0 – 0) has been far from featured, but at least he’s been less of an afterthought this last quarter. Zach Pascal (5 – 4 – 75 – 18.7 – 1) is still a blocker/enforcer/H-Back, but the Eagles seem to want to weaponize him more. Which is good! He’s too small (214 pounds) to consider in a TE role, but he can gives us versatility if we motion-switch alignments vs a Nickel or Dime front.
OT: B / LT Jordan Mailata (6’8”) had one bad game vs DE Jerry Hughes (6’2”), but you’d swear that the media was going to rename him Winston Justice. It did however expose that in a playoff game, at his height, Mailata might require help vs shorter DE’s who can flatten and bend the corner. Good to know in advance!
RT Lane Johnson did what Lane Johnson does. Legitimately a Hall of Fame candidate, he opens holes and doesn’t allow defenders to touch his QB. He missed about half of the win vs Dallas leaving with a concussion. Swing T Jack Driscoll came in and batted clean-up. He allowed more hits and pressure than Johnson did, but look at who we’re comparing Driscoll to.
OG: B / LG Landon Dickerson is at his best teeing off on players and imposing his will, in the run game. He’s doing a great job and not allowing sacks, but his game still feels muzzled. RGIssac Seumalo does a good job getting to the second level in the run game, but he still seems to have trouble with bull rushers. Given that he plays the right side, it makes the QB have to feint back and not get as much on his passes.
C: A / Jason Kelce has been letting it all hang out this quarter. Even pulling teammates by their helmets for extra yards! He looks like a man who wants to prove that he can still play at high level; so that when he does walk away after this year, he leaves his legend intact.
DE: F / Josh Sweathasn’t generated much heat in the last quarter. He produced a sack/fumble against Washington, but otherwise has been quiet. Brandon Graham was also practically invisible. Since coming over in a Week 8 trade, Robert Quinn has been active, but hasn’t put his stamp on the defense.
Schematically this position has been where it needs to be, on the field. What it hasn’t done, is make anyone take any notice of it. That’s led to a lot of finger-pointing (not internally), towards the wrong folks, and solutions that aren’t really.
DT: C / Much has been asked of Fletcher Cox. Statistically he isn’t posting numbers, as he’s been asked to play over 70% of the snaps in three of the games this quarter. Last week he played 70 snaps (85%). SEVENTY! For a d-lineman at age 31, that’s a ludicrous ask., But he’s been game to try. Honestly, at his age he should be playing more strong-side DE, if we’re using a lot of outside rush, but I don’t coach the Defense, so…
DT Javon Hargrave pitchin’ woo!
Nearly (but not quite) as much has been asked of Javon Hargrave, who’s racked up 6 sacks , 5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a partridge in a pear tree. (Note: He was in on 13 tackles with just 1 being for a loss this week vs Washington. This is telling.) Rookie Jordan Davis is on I.R. with a high ankle sprain. He wasn’t racking up stats, but he’s the rock that our run defense is built on. We haven’t been right since he went down.
Milton Williams also moonlights at End and probably needs to play out there more. He’s a not really an inside penetrator, or a pocket collapser, but as a Nickel body, he’s ideal. Marlon Tuipulotu has a sack and a fumble recovery this quarter. The thing is, he plays entirely too much football south of his finger divots. He’s just not very quick off the snap.
OLB: C / Hasaan Reddickhas added 2 sacks and 5 QB hits this quarter. What he hasn’t done is force a turnover or be much of force against the run. One or the other needs to be part of his game. Opponents have been careful about throwing the ball around Kyzir White, but more and more runs are being tilted towards his 216 pound frame. (It may be time to start giving rookie Nakobe Dean some of White’s snaps early in games.)
Patrick Johnsonmoonlights at End, and is producing no impact plays at either spot. If you listen closely, you can almost hear his replacement being drafted.
MLB: B / T.J. Edwards has racked up 45 tackles in the last 4 games. He makes plays despite not being kept very clean up front. He’s at his best when he just drops ball-carriers, instead of holding them up as they fight for (and gain) more yards. (It’s an attempt to slap the ball out, and every team teaches it.)
SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson with one of his TWO interceptions in our 26 – 17 victory over Dallas.
S: A / If you hear Jaws music while you’re Christmas shopping, it just means that Chauncey Gardner-Johnsonis in the area. Grabbing 5 interceptions and 1 sack over these last four weeks, to QB’s this guy has been scarier than cancer. Marcus Epps continues to play every single down, of every game this season. He still doesn’t have any wow stats, but the way the Secondary is playing may be all the wow he needs.K’Von Wallaceis has seen an uptick in downs this quarter.
CB: B/ Darius Slay is not coming off of his best game, allowing (8 – 6 – 104 – 17.3 – 0) vs Washington. Otherwise (9 – 5 – 23 – 4.6 – 0), he’s had an extremely strong quarter (17 – 11 – 127 – 11.5 – 0) and owns his corner. James Bradberry (26 – 11 – 124 – 11.2 – 1) has seen more traffic, but owns his corner as well. Both have an interception each, in this quarter.
Avonte Maddox is currently on I.R., but he forced a fumble and recovered one (on two different plays) vs Pittsburgh this quarter. Josiah Scottfilled in at Nickel for Maddox, and on 54 downs this week, only 1 ball was thrown his way. That said, he wasn’t a huge help vs the run, as Washington ran 49 times vs throwing it just 29.
LS: A / Rick Lovatohasn’t blown any snaps and even helped on a tackle this week. Finally! I was beginning to think the Rickshaw wouldn’t run over some poor sucker this season.
P: C / Arryn Siposs has only had to punt 14 times this quarter, and his average of 47.1 yards per boot, which is a two yard improvement over last quarter. Unfortunately this quarter there have been 6 returns for 56 yards (9.3), which isn’t great on two fronts. First, there seems to have been some out-kicking of the coverage. Second 6 of 14 punts is a high return rate. Also smacks of out-kicking.
K: B / Jake Elliott hasn’t made a Field Goal attempt since Week 6. In fairness, he’s only attempted one since Week 6. He’s been 13 of 13 on extra points this quarter.
PR/KR: F / Britain Covey during this quarter has returned 4 punts for 32 yards. He’s been better about attempting kick-off returns with 7 this quarter vs just three in th first five games. He’s only garnered 137 yards for an average of 19.5 yards. Meaning we’d be better off if he’d stayed shy about returning the ball.
*****
WR A.J. Brown tattooed FS Minka Fitzpatrick with THREE touchdown catches like this, in this game.
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
Last Quarter having the Offense play a full game of football was listed as the mission. On a side note, Jalen Hurts throwing for more than 4 measly touchdowns over five games, didn’t seem like too much to ask. Well both prayers were answered.
So we’re on track, as far as maturing as a team. We aren’t peaking too fast, and we’re being thrown some adversity to overcome and learn from. This is all good for us. Even the Washington loss. Perhaps most especially the Washington loss. We had a couple of weaknesses exposed. It’ll be interesting to see how we respond to that.
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
Secure a playoff berth. Even a Wild Card. Sounds ridiculous as the #1 overall seed in the conference right now, but mathematically, we’ve secured nothing yet. There are seven seats at the table, so we officially need to be better than nine other teams.
This expanded playoff format will keep the playoff picture cloudy, longer than in past years. However, over the next few weeks, by virtue of how many losses they have, the math will eliminate some teams. Possibly as soon as Week 13. By the end of this Third Quarter, we need to lock a berth down
BEATING the Colts last week was the sort of gritty, character building exercise, which will serve the Eagles well down the stretch. We took a jab to the chin, but shook off the cobwebs, then fought off both the Colts and the referees. (I’ve been refraining from making an issue of the officiating, but it’s getting ridiculous.)
Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichenneeds to get his head out of his ass, and start involving RB Miles Sandersfrom start to finish. Running is this Offense’s identity. When we get away from that, it makes life easier to opponents. The Packers have given up 25+ points in five games this season. We need to help them allow a sixth.
A win gives us 10! That of course would make us 10 – 1, keeping us at the head of the NFC East, and entire NFC itself. We are currently in 100% control of our own outcome.
A loss would stall us out at 9 – 2, but we’d still be at the head of the division, and the conference. Even though we’d be tied at 9 – 2 with Minnesota, our head to head victory over them, gives us the outright tie-breaker.
****
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: Packers.
1) Hit Their Quarterback:Aaron Rodgers is playing with a broken thumb on his passing hand. It has already led to some of his routine passes getting away from him, or coming out without their typical spins. We need to get hits, not just heat on him. We need to repeatedly introduce his body to the Earth.
This isn’t about hurting his thumb. It’s for getting inside his head. He can be made to emotionally check out of games; and I can’t think of faster way to make that happen, than to beat him up when he’s injured. Also, when trying to protect himself, if his feet aren’t set, it just magnifies the ball delivery issue he’s having.
2) Miles of Screens: The Packers are another 3 – 4 team, that’s actually more of a 5 – 2. Also their best pass rusher is on I.R., with a rookie replacing him. Normally I would say “Run the Kerrigan Plan” and run up the score. However, with TE Dallas Goederton I.R., we have yet to see a back-up TE emerge, who can be the tip of the spear.
Instead of trying to force back-ups to be heroes, we should throw a few Screens to RB Miles Sanders. I said to RB Miles Sanders. Not WR A.J. Brown. Not RB Boston Scott. Let our WR’s keep the defense spread, then throw the ball to a player who can break a tackle. Make the Packers take a pass rusher off the field, to be able to cover us.
3) Wrap It Up, B!:We only have one loss. So teams are still trying to figure out the formula, or the blueprint…, incantation(?) for beating us. The best guess they have now, is still “Run the ball a ton, and control the clock”. The thinking now is that the Washington made it work, but Indianapolis couldn’t keep making it work.
We’re going to see that approach until we’ve made it abundantly clear that Washington was a fluke. Our Defense has shown that they know where their run fits are. The entire issue is tackling. Once we started doing a better job of that last week, Indianapolis’s run game dried up. We’ll need a second week of that.
4) Deep Down the Middle: Over the last three weeks WR Quez Watkins has seen more attempts to get him involved in the Offense. That could pay dividends this week. The Packers have a pair of good Corners, so the middle is probably the easiest place to attack going deep. (Though CB Rasul Douglas has trouble with real speed.)
Playing a virtual 5 – 2, the Packers hurt their pass rush every time they take away an “OLB” to play a Nickel or a Dime. This what they’d have to do to cover Watkins (or Sanders in the Screen game). Covering Watkins with a starting S leaves either WR A.J. Brown, or WR Devonta Smithwith a one on one match-up.
So it’s pick your poison. They can hurt their pass rush to play Nickel/Dime. OR they can consistently create a one on one. OR they can try to cover Watkins with a 270 pound LB, which would be the same as not covering him at all. Wait. It doesn’t have to be Watkins. Just get the ball deep to WHOMEVER lines up in the Slot. Hows that?
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
I can’t tell you the last time I saw a 9 – 1 team get less buzz.
While I have never put stock in Power Rankings, it does feel nice when I see the Eagles atop the list. Wednesday night the NFL had us at #2. Behind the 8 – 2 Chiefs.
Right now, the blueprint for beating us, mentions running the ball and keeping our Offense off the field. It does NOT mention how that formula also required THREE turnovers (one of which was bullshit), to produce a five point lead, which was in jeopardy until the final play of the game. Glazed right on over that.
The consensus is that we haven’t played anybody. Until somebody else beats a team that we beat. Then suddenly, that team that we beat is good, and we get a sort of grudging acknowledgement (not respect), for having beaten them first.
If the NFL treated us and promoted us like they do a few other teams, we’d have grown less hungry, and we’d be 7 – 3 or 6 – 4 today. Keep it up, dumbasses! I might just have to buy stock in dog masks.
And lo’ ! Down in the valley slept the Packers (and the remainder of our schedule), unaware that the disrespect that has been snowballing, is about to trigger an avalanche.
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Prediction: EAGLES 27 – Packers 18
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.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 