DESEAN Jacksonwants to retire as an Eagle; and WR DeAndre Hopkins listed Philadelphia as one of the places that he wouldn’t mind playing. So should we be interested? If so, which should we be interested in?
I won’t try to keep you in suspense. The answer is: Both. Depending on the money.
First, let’s deal with DJax. He absolutely should retire as an Eagle. If he wants to sign for a day and retire, sure, why not. He’s earned it. However, if he wants one last ride to chase a ring, as a limited contributor, he’d instantly become our best option at Punt Returner. We could give him WR Britain Covey’s roster spot. He’d certainly give us more as receiving option.
Now, let’s talk D-Hop. Let me use a word that nobody wants to hear: Injury. In the event of a long-term injury to either WR A.J. Brown or Devonta Smith, then WRQuez Watkins becomes our #2 receiver. Are you okay with that? I know I’m not! Last year we were disappointed in how Watkins handled being #3. Picture him having to fill-in for A.J. Brown!
Hopkins represents depth. While he hasn’t posted elite numbers in the last two years, no one doubts his ability to perform at a high level. While Hopkins may not have Watkins’s elite speed, he’s a better route runner, and his hands are near infinitely better. In the event of an injury to Brown or Smith, Hopkins can fill-in as a #2, easily.
Right now our WR depth is Brown, Smith, and Watkins. After that, we have Covey, Greg Ward, (Olympic sprinter) Devon Allen, Olamide Zaccheaus, Tyrie Cleveland, Charleston Rambo, and a couple of undrafted rookies. After Watkins, only Ward has ever caught a ball from QB Jalen Hurts. That was back in 2021.
Restructure that as Brown, Smith, Hopkins, Watkins and DJax. This covers depth, insurance, Special Teams, and legacy. Besides, wouldn’t it be nice to see Watkins and DJax absolutely blowing the lid off of a defense? Putting them on the field together would have opponents lining their Safeties up in the parking lot. Imagine all the room to run on first and ten!
Keeping Ward, Allen, and one more on the Practice Squad, keeps us ready for DJax’s hamstrings to act up again. It’s an annual event, which is why I said limited contributor. However, for every down he can give us (especially in the postseason), he still has the ability to affect and aggravate a defense, just by lining up. As he reminded folks as recently as November 27th…
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)
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
WITH the series tied at one game apie- Oh sorry. Wrong Houston team.
Congratulations to the Eagles Offense. They beat the charges! The judge ruled that what QB Jalen Hurtsand WR A.J. Browndid to the Steelers, was “self-defense”. Most of the people in attendance testified to that. The rest of them kept quiet, because they knew what was good for them. Then we all went out for beers.
Now onto Houston! This is a short week, folks. Despite their 1 – 5 – 1 record, keep in mind, this is still an NFL team. So we can’t take them lightly. Because on any given Sunday, any team is capable of- Baahahahahaha! Just kidding! We’re going 8 – 0.
The Texans simply don’t have the tools to win this game. Also, due to massaging the facts about their level of involvement in “possibly” covering-up a certain player’s behavior, they lack the Karma for their prayers to go anywhere but straight to voice-mail. Have you been watching their games this year? Jesus is leaving them on “read”. So there won’t be any miracles. (Plus their baseball team is dirty,)
A win here puts us at 8 – 0, and clearly at the head of the NFL’s table, as it’s only undefeated team. A loss would make us 7 – 1, but that would still have us at the top of the NFC, since we’d have one more win than Minnesota (6 – 1). Even if they won their upcoming game on Sunday, they’d be 7 – 1 and lose the tie-breaker, as their only loss came vs the Eagles.
As for bragging rights about the NFL’s best… It’s nice to say, but it won’t really carry much weight until after we win the Super Bowl. Even if both the Eagles and Bills were 7 – 1, the argument over who was “best” wouldn’t be worth being baited into.
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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: Texans
1) Run the Damned Ball:This game should be a showcase for RB Miles Sanders. I’m talking 20 – 29 carries. The Texans just lost a game in which they gave up 314 rushing yards. In that game there were 40 hand-offs, to just 10 pass attempts. Not completions. ATTEMPTS. Even when they knew what was coming, the Texans couldn’t stop it. Part of that their 4 – 3 front lacks size, and the other part is a lack of talent.
2) Start Basic:There isn’t much time to game plan for this one, so all the fancy stuff has to go out the window. Let’s whittle it down to a few things we know. A) Their QB can’t run; B) Their WR’s will have a hard time getting open; C)Their RB isn’t the least bit scary or special. So trot out a basic 4 – 3 Under front. At least in the first half.
Use the four linemen (Blue dots) to control the gaps, so that we clog or severely slow the Texans run game. Get OLB Hasaan Reddick (Yellow S) on frequent blitzes of the front side. We want their QB to see the rush approaching. That should force the ball out of his hand early. If that happens enough, all we need to do is add defenders for instant turnovers.
3) Make Tackles: It’s a short week. Both teams played on Sunday. Each will come out with the usual energy, and by mid-second quarter, everyone will be tired. Tired football leads to sloppy football, and sloppy football has a way of leading to broken plays,which lead to upsets. Do the small things.
If I could give the players a quick pep talk, it would go like this: Know your group assignments. Communicate. Know your gap assignments. Communicate. Don’t pick this week to start freelancing! Bring your arms to every tackle. LEAD with your arms on every tackle! Don’t celebrate tackles, unless it was 4th down.
4) Slot Their Throats: I often suggest using WR Quez Watkins in different ways, because most teams with a guy as fast as he is, have that guy as their #1 or #2. He’s our #3 which gives us an insane amount of flexibility if we want it. This week we should put him on the outside and play WR Devonta Smith in the Slot.
The idea is make one move, to exploit two weaknesses. They have CB Steven Nelson out there. He was a decent for us last year, but the knock on him, is that he lacks top-end speed. Watkins isn’t just top-end fast, he’s upper echelon fast. If you see Watkins line-up with butter in his hand, it means toast is on the way.
Devonta is a silky-smooth route runner. The Texans lack the depth in their secondary to cover him short. Even worse, they don’t have a LB who can stay in the camera frame with him, if he runs a five yard Out. Just flip-flipping two guys stresses the Texans’ secondary deep and intermediate, and should give QB Jalen Hurts quick targets.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This is a short week. I keep saying that, to drive the point home. Everything in this Four Things is designed to create immediate problems for the Texans. Do basic things like tackle and control the clock with the run. Force early turnovers, and overwhelm them with quick wide open passes.
Ideally, we’d get up 24 – 3, and QB Gardner Minshew would be put in, to take us the rest of the way. Even if it’s before the half. WE DON’T HAVE ANOTHER BYE WEEK!
We haven’t had full time to recover from Sunday, and any nick or scrape we get Thursday, just carries forward. So get up big, rest the starters, and get then the eleven days of rest, between this game and Washington. We need that sweep.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 28 – Texans 10
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 :(B) CBZech MacPhearson punt downed at the 1 yard line.
****
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: STEELERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Divide and Conquer: Mixed bag on this one. We started out just rushing four, but we didn’t give their rookie QB any looks to figure out, so at no point did he ever seem, confused or unsure of where he wanted to go with the ball. We also didn’t blitz a lot more in the second half. (NOT DONE)
DT Javon Hargrave forces a fumble on one of his two sacks
2) Suffocate the Run: Their RB’s combined for (14 – 82 – 5.8 – 0 – 0), which looks good on paper, but was shaky in terms of how reliable it was. And that was exactly the goal. Pittsburgh couldn’t rely on the run game, and so had to put all the pressure on their passing game. The result was an early touchdown (on a 4th down trick play), and two field goals. (DONE)
3) Win the Phonebooth: The Eagles handed the ball off all of 10 times, before RB Boston Scott(7 – 21 – 3.0 – 0 – 0) was inserted to run out the fourth quarter. There were all of FOUR rushing attempts in the first half. It worked this week, but this is not usually a reliable way to win ball games. (NOT DONE)
4) Give Minka Fits: AND HOW! Do you realize that Steelers FS Minka Fitzpatrick (5 – 0 – 0 – 0) was in the vicinity of ALL FOUR passing touchdowns today. I figured that running a receiver at him, would take him out of the play. The Eagles said “Hold my beer”, ran a receiver at him AND scored at will on him. Also creating plenty of space underneath, which was the point.
There were FOUR touchdowns thrown in this game and (39) Fitzpatrick was a victim on ALL OF THEM.
For anyone who didn’t read Four Things: Steelers, those touchdowns may have been fun to watch. As the guy who wrote it, even though I’m an Eagles fan, it leaves me shook. If the Eagles can do that to a guy like Fitzpatrick, what CAN’T they do? (DONE)
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This puts us at 2 of the Four Things, as we rush ahead into a short week, to play on Thursday night, vs the Houston Texans. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the week for Philadelphia to beat Houston’s ASS in all forms.
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On The Whole:
This week I’d said that: We needed to send the NFL a wake-up call. We’re undefeated, and have won multiple ways. We aren’t part of the 2022 conversation. We ARE the 2022 conversation. The league needs to see us put on an execution. A slow, deliberate, methodical dismantling of an opponent. One where no one talks about a lucky bounce, or missed call, or some other fluke being the difference.
This was that game. Now onto 8 – 0. Houston, this is going to be a shitty week for you.
DRIVING rain, missing starters, down fourteen points. So what? This Eagles team is undefeated because we have no weaknesses. Conversely, this week’s opponent is comprised entirely of weaknesses. Sadly, there will be no mercy for them this week.
Adding OLB Hassan Reddick (3.5 sacks), has re-invigorated DT Fletcher Cox(3.0) and DE Brandon Graham (3.0). The left side of the Defense is downright predatory. All it does is hunt. On the flip-side, is an Offense that ranks 5th in rushing yards, and 8th in passing yards, with QB Jalen Hurtsaveraging 9.1 yards per attempt.
A win here makes us 5 – 0, still number one in the NFC East, the NFC, and the NFL. A loss, would leave us at 4 – 1 and still atop of the NFC East, unless Dallas beats the Rams. (Tie-breaker: Division games. Dallas (2-0), Philly (1-0)) That reason right there, is why I don’t think this is a trap game.
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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: Cardinals
1) Fence Him In: Someone said that Cardinal’s QB kyler murray, when scrambling in the pocket, looks like a toddler who has your car keys. I watched him play last week, and now I can’t unsee it. So we need to set the edges of the pocket, and force him backwards.
Two weeks ago DTJordan Davis started the Commanders demise, by batting a pass from 6’5” QB Carson Wentz. murray is listed at 5’10”, but he’s got to be the shortest 5’10” I’ve ever seen in my life. Our pass rushers need to get their hands up, when they can’t get their hands on murray. Just to get him to hold the ball an extra second or two.
2) Tackle Securely:The Cardinals running game is utterly pedestrian. The problem is they’re stuck between two schools of thought, and so, execute neither well. Worse than that, their offensive line consists of just a bunch of guys, led by C Rodney Hudson (who some think is better than C Jason Kelce).
While they have a poor scheme, that is also poorly blocked, RB James Conner is not to be overlooked. He’s not really a game changer, but at 233 he’s a load. He doesn’t “run angry” but he does use his size, and can tire out a defense. If we don’t get cute, he shouldn’t be a problem.
3) Throw the Ball: Through four games the Cardinals have just 4 sacks. Half of those belong to what’s left of DE J.J. Watt. They play a 3 – 4 that’s more like a 4 – 3, with OLB Markus Golden playing the role of “non-coverage OLB”. If LT Jordan Mailata is ready to go, pass pro won’t be an issue. If not, then OL Jack Driscoll may need a little help.
The Eagles receivers against this secondary, is an absolute mismatch. I’d expect WR’s A.J. Brown and Devonta Smithto have 80 yards each. Especially playing indoors on dry grass. With as lackluster as their starting CB’s are, they have no answer for WR Quez Watkins in the Slot.
4) Read-Option Early: We don’t need to get QB Jalen Hurts get injured, so let’s limit his carries. Eight or fewer (not counting kneel downs), sounds good. However, to open up the run game, we should use the Read-Option early. Right away. Either on the first or second carry. (Ideally the first.)
Having to defend that, should hold S Budda Baker in the box, and open up the deep shots, (hopefully off of play-action). Once we hit a ten yard run or a twenty yard pass, it’ll stress their defense enough to make calling the game easier.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
I don’t want to seem like I don’t take this opponent seriously, but it’s so hard to do so. They fuck up so many simple things. For instance:
WR Marquis Brown bolted from Baltimore, because he didn’t like how he was being utilized. So he leaves a running QB who doesn’t know how to utilize his blazing speed, for a running QB, who doesn’t know how to utilize his blazing speed. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh was a Special Teams coach. What’s Kliff Kingsbury’s excuse?
The improper utilization of S Budda Baker and LBIsaiah Simmons, should be grounds for someone’s arrest. These are two players with game-changing talent. They should be play-makers, not tackle collectors.
Arizona has a long and storied history, of questionable decision making and squandered talent. They’re so far spending 2022 building on that tradition. Yikes,
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Prediction:EAGLES 29 – Cardinals 10
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.
Ace :(B) CB Zech MacPhearson(Heads up recovery of onside kick)
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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: Lionsdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
RB Miles Sanders scores his first TD in 2 years. Which is great, because I have him on my fantasy team.
1) Run the Ball: Mixed bag here. This time we’ll say that technically the Eagles did this one, because I didn’t specify hand-offs. (But just this time!) We had 39 runs, against 32 pass attempts, but 17 of those runs were from QB Jalen Hurts, who led the team in carries. Some on designed runs, some on scrambles (often too early) from the pocket.
Listen, it’s real hard to argue with 216 rushing yards, a 5.5 team-wide per carry average, and 4 rushing touchdowns from four different players. That said, Hurts can’t be this big a part of it, if he’s going to be the long-term answer at Quarterback. He’s on a 289 carry pace for this season. It’s unsustainable. It’s ill-advised. Credit for this week, but going forward, “Run the ball” means HAND-OFFS. (DONE)
2) Make Goff Run: I came into this season thinking the Eagles had solved not being able to get pressure, with a four man rush. Well, that problem seems to persist. We didn’t make QB Jared Goff (21/37 – 56.7% – 215 – 2 – 1) run much. We didn’t make him feel unsafe. In fact, despite being behind a makeshift o-line, Goff was largely a statue in the pocket. It was embarrassing. (NOT DONE)
3) Challenge Their Receivers: The mission was to hold WR D.J. Chark (8 – 4 – 52 – 13.0 – 1) and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (12 – 8 – 64 – 8.0 – 1) to fewer than 100 yards each. The result was that despite each scoring, they had just 116 yards between them. Neither could claim to have had a good game.
This was Bradberry’s first career pick six. He broke his cherry as an Eagle.
As the cherry on top, CB James Bradberry (2 – 0 – 1 – 0) got us a pick six. He sat on an outside route, and was able to get to a ball tipped by OLB Kyzir White (5 – 0 – 0 – 0). (DONE)
4) Get ‘im!: I said at least 8 passes have to be thrown to whomever CB Jeff Okuda (10 – 0 – 0 – 0) was covering. I counted just 5. While Hurts seems to have a good connection with WR A.J. Brown, getting the ball effectively to anyone else, seems to be a challenge. His under-usage of TE Dallas Goedert(4 – 3 – 60 – 20.0 – 0) is practically criminal. Especially when a blitz is telegraphing itself. (NOT DONE)
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So we open the season at 2 of the Four Things. That’s a .500 marker. Let’s not let that, nor this close score, be an indicator of the sort of year we’ll have.
We’ll look to bounce back next week, vs the 1 – 0 Minnesota Vikings. Ever since we molly-whopped them in the 2017 playoffs, they’ve had our number, with wins in 2018 and 2019. Next week in our home-opener, we’ll be looking to have a stop put to that.
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On The Whole:
DE Brandon Graham and DT Fletcher Cox bag a Lion on safari.
I’m glad and grateful for the “W”. Let’s say that up-front. The Lions came out jacked up on adrenaline, and had a standing room only sized crowd making noise for them. They punched the Eagles in the mouth, right out of the gate. We didn’t panic. Didn’t point fingers or whine for flags or calls. (More on that in a couple minutes.)
What we did was respond, slow the game down, quiet their adrenaline, take the crowd out of the equation, and prove that once again, this game, the season, all of it, every part of it, is a marathon, not a sprint.
There are however, some things to work on! The effects of Starters not playing during the preseason, showed up in this game. Poor tackling, the Defensive Line sticking to blocks, this is what happens when you don’t tackle to the ground in drills, and you don’t play through blocks in drills. Teaching a technique without the finish, isn’t teaching the technique. This needs to get worked on this week.
Hurts not being able to handle the blitz, is an indictment on this coaching staff. His inability to work out of anything besides the Shotgun, is an indictment on this coaching staff. Running RPO’s would be far more effective if he started out from under Center. Think of how effective it was with a non-running QB like Nick Foles. Coaching staffs should fear Hurts. Instead, they run undisguised blitzes at him, because they know he hasn’t figured them out. This must be worked on.
This CANNOT be tolerated.
Lastly, all of the hits Hurts took after slides today, should have been penalties. Any player in a slide has “given himself up”, and therefore falls under the “defenseless player”umbrella. Head Coach Nick Sirianni has to go to Owner Jeffrey Lurie and get him to write/call/email the referees, and also make an on-air public statement, saying that Hurts should receive proper protections, and not be the victim of “running QB” bias.
GOODBYE WR/TE J.J.Arcega-Whiteside. The Eagles cut short the WR to TE experiment, and traded him to the Seattle Seahawks, in exchange for a player they were going to cut anyway. Looking at the rest of the TE’s on the roster, I had hoped the experiment would pan out, and provide some depth. Maybe someone on the Eagles media staff, passed along my article about TEJack Stoll. Let’s hope!
When Arcega-Whiteside was over-drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, everyone’s JJAW dropped. (C’mon, I’m never going to get to use that again.) The biggest knock against him, was being picked seven spots ahead of Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf. In all fairness though, eight WR’s were picked ahead of Metcalf, including WR A.J. Brown.
A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf. (Apparently having initials instead of a first name, gets you ripped.)
While the fan base can’t blame JJAW for being drafted where he was, people can certainly held him responsible for never panning out as an offensive weapon. Where you get picked is someone else’s doing. Who you mold yourself into, is your own doing. To his credit, he did become a core Special Teamer, and was a heck of a blocker for the run game.
But this type of thing…
Dropping what would have been a game winning TD, then getting clowned by a DB that he’d beaten.
And let’s not even get into Umbrella-gate.
Happening once is bad enough. Happening more than that…
In a city like Philadelphia, that doesn’t take long to wear thin. But he’s getting a chance at a new start, in a city that is interested in him not as a TE, but as a WR/TE. Perhaps even pairing him and Metcalf in the red zone, as big targets who can also be relied upon as blockers.
As for the player that we got back in the trade, he’s NCB/S Ugo Amadi. He’s now one of either thirteen CB’s, or one of eight S’s, on this roster. If you want a look at his highlight tape, it includes being traded for JJAW. So don’t get too excited. But hey, the guy could flash in this system. Even if he doesn’t, injuries shape rosters too. Just like trades.
THE players have returned. I watch QB Jalen Hurts joke and pal around with the fellas. Player’s children run across the field, carrying footballs. Bubble wrap appears on a helmet. All of this just SO cute! And I don’t give a damn about any of it. Because bitterness is all that I can taste.
We lost a playoff game. On national television. In humiliating fashion. Our QB was exposed for reading defenses as well as a JUGGS machine. Our Defense was as well-carved as any Thanksgiving bird to ever grace my table. Sadly, that was my last taste of real football. I’ve been walking around with this taste, this distaste, in my mouth, since Sunday January 16th.
I tried to cleanse it with some NFL games rebroadcast on NFL Network. I tried to banish it with the upstart USFL. I even sampled Canadian, hoping that a different flavor might distract me. But this taste. I can’t get this taste out of my mouth. I can’t make this go away, until I finally can get what I crave. What I need.
I need Eagles football.
I haven’t written about Training Camp yet, because it hasn’t started yet. It’s still early. Guys are running around in shorts and no pads, and that’s necessary. Trust me, I get that. It’s Level Two conditioning. I only played semi-pro, but from high school on up, some things about football are universal. Level One conditioning you do on your own, but L2 introduces competition: Are you better than him, and him, and him, and him? Can you get better? SHOW US!!!
Football however… Real football, doesn’t start until the hitting does. It’s easy for athletes to be tough guys in shorts, but repeatedly getting hit in 90 degree weather, with a fiberglass oven on your head… Not every man is built for that. I can remember showing up to camps in May, and seeing 120 – 150 guys. Each thinking he was NFL bound! Then the grind would start. By early September there’d be just 40 to 45 guys left. One of which would be me.
But the Eagles.
All the improvements we’ve supposedly made… To be honest, to this point I’m not seeing them. For instance, the offseason footwork program that Hurts went through in California. I was hoping to see him committing it to muscle memory, but he still bounces after his drops, and doesn’t consistently step into his passes, leading to this
Notice how the ball is (still) BEHIND WR A.J. Brown? Given how much time he and QB Jalen Hurts spend working with each other in the offseason, this is concerning to still be seeing almost in August.
I mentioned this back in May and so far, it looks the same. As I said, it’s early. (But I’d still like to see improvement from May.)
Aside from the hitting, I’m waiting for Friday, August 12th. In what should be a vanilla preseason game, I’m hoping to see improvement in the Eagles habits:
I want to see how often Hurts get the ball out, as his drop ends.
I want to see the Defense give up fewer 8 to 10 yard completions, inside the numbers.
I want to see a LB’s cover a TE for three seconds.
I want to see RB Kenneth Gainwell finish runs by falling forward.
I don’t need to see a ton, but I need to see something. Just a little something to tell me that 2022 will be different. And to help me to finally, begin to get this taste, out of my mouth.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 