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2020 EAGLES

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/16
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

the big bird

LAST season an injury riddled Philadelphia Eagles team, won the NFC East with an overall record of 9 – 7, and a 5 – 1 division mark. This was immediately followed by a Wild Card playoff loss. While Philadelphia is the only team in the division not to get a brand new head coach, the staff on both sides of the ball underwent dramatic renovations. Division rivals who thinks they know this team, may be in for a massive shock to the system.

Now let’s get a look at what the Pre-Draft 2020 Eagles roster, tells us about the team today.

OFFENSE:

QB:

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Carson Wentz played all 16 games last year and threw for a career-high 4,039 yards. This he did with an injury depleted receiving group. His mobility was also back on display, as he accounted for 243 rushing yards. The knocks on him are that early in the year he took too many sacks, which led to too many fumbles. By seasons end, those issues seemed to evaporate. If he starts off 2020 at that level, MVP candidacy will be a part of his season.

Given that Wentz started and finished every game in 2019, and given that the 5 starts he missed in 2018 were all due to coaches discretion, the only real games he missed due to being injured, were the ones from 2017. So we can officially deep six the “injury prone” label. Behind him is Nate Sudfeld on a one year deal. Sudfeld isn’t flashy, but when he’s in, the trains still run on time. Given his track record, and familiarity with all things Eagles, it would’ve been in the Eagles best interest to sign him to a longer contract. Kyle Lauletta flamed out in his only year in New York, but the Eagles have a better position staff, and may be able to get something from the lad. If so, they may discover yet another Diamond from Exton. (+)

RB:

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Miles Sanders is the guy. This almost definitely will not be a committee position in 2020. Sanders can run the ball, catch the ball, and pass protect. While he is an every down back, he may not be an every situation back. Hard yards up the middle, and heavy workloads don’t seem to favor him. While he was productive when asked to carry the load, it came at a cost. An ankle injury in Week 17, became a knee injury during the playoff loss. It was bad enough for him to need crutches and be asked about surgery. (He didn’t need it.)

Unlike 2019, Sanders won’t split carries for nine weeks. He’ll be in harness from Week One this year. The insurance policies behind Sanders are Boston Scott and Elijah Holyfield. Holyfield is as green as St. Patrick’s Day. Scott had some big moments in 2019, but didn’t demonstrate much in the way of consistency. He had some short TD runs, but he had plenty of carries between the tackles, that went nowhere too. He looks great on Screen passes, but if Sanders goes down, the Eagle are up shit’s creek, because there is no meaningful depth here. (-)

WR:

Alshon and Carson 2017

At the moment this group is no less dangerous than it was last year. Alshon Jeffrey is back to win contested and jump balls in the end zone. Show me the film of the last time he lost one of those contests. DeSean Jackson is back to win foot races to the end zone. Show me the last time he lost one of those. This is the 2020 starting pair for the Eagles, unless they can somehow find a way to upgrade. Greg Ward is likely the new slot receiver. While he’s no burner, he’s a very good route runner with RELIABLE hands, who understands that he needs to uncover quickly to give his QB a place to go with the ball. He’s also proved that he can start on the outside. If he gets the snaps, don’t be surprised to see a 50 catch year from him.

The Eagles also have J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, but so far that doesn’t mean much. Shelton Gibson is also lurking back there, after spending the 2019 regular season on the Browns Practice Squad. There is no secret that the Eagles will spend a high draft pick here, so the landscape WILL change. That said, it’s already dangerous and three players deep, with targets that the triggerman already trusts to get the job done. (+)

TE:

Zach Ertz Dallas Goedert

Zach Ertz 88 catches, 916 yards, 6 TD’s. Dallas Goedert 58 catches, 607 yards, 5TD’s. That’s a combined 144 catches, 1,523 yards, 11 TD’s. There is no more dynamic duo at this position in all of football. Philadelphia boasts a pair of highly reliable targets who also function as capable blockers. And just to rub it in, Josh Perkins is a third stringer who can be split wide, and force secondaries to respect him down the field. (+)

OT:

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Perennial Pro Pro Bowl RT Lane Johnson is still indisputably one the best in the game. The situation at LT however, depends on who you ask. Some think that second year man Andre Dillard is ready to takeover for the departed Jason Peters, others think he’s a bust in the making. In limited action at LT in 2019, Dillard looked like a rookie in the NFL, who was frequently left on an island. He clearly needs coaching, but it’s far too early to pull the panic lever. In limited action at RT, he was an unmitigated disaster, and had to be sat down. This indicates a player who gets away from his core concepts and fundamentals too easily. That’s fixable, but it’s also the pin in a grenade looking to go BUST!

Depth at this position looks like Matt Pryor who looks far better when moved inside. Jordan Mailata is still on the roster, but his back issues might make 2020 his wrap-up, if he can’t get on the field for the third year in a row. There is a blue chipper here, but this position has far too much to prove to just sign off on it. (-)

G:

RG Brandon Brooks has been voted to the last three Pro Bowls. LG Isaac Seumalo has never been voted to one. That’s not a mistake. Having played his entire career on an Offensive Line that featured 4 Pro Bowl mainstays, it’s not that Seumalo plays on a line that garners no attention. The fact is, he’s an average player at best; or a sub-par player who’s being carried, at worst.

Brooks ended his 2019 season with a dislocated shoulder. It remains to be seen what if any ill-effects will linger as a result. It also remains to be seen if the lingering issues will be all in his head. Brooks already suffers from an anxiety disorder, which flared up in 2019, because he was given a contract extension, that he became worried about living up to. Packing a “comeback” on top of those weekly attacks, which cause him to vomit before every game, may be a tipping point.

Depth at the position looks like Matt Pryor who played solid when filling in for Brooks. Despite all the listed drama, this position has been stable, and advertised as one of the NFL’s best for years now. (+)

C:

Jason Kelce is the best pivot in the division, and it’s not even close. Still, there are rumors that he’s considering retirement. If this is the case, then the Eagles have to begin the transition this year. The Eagles brought in two undrafted rookies in 2019. Keegan Render and Nate Herbig. Based on 2019 preseaon play, Herbig looks like the odds on heir. However, this draft has a couple of guys that could be worth a pick. That’s all in the future though. For now, Kelce is definitely the best in the division and possibly the best in the game. (+)

In a nutshell:

The only question here is whether or not LT Andre Dillard is ready. There are too many weapons here for the QB to be sabotaged by shitty blindside protection. If that area is stabilized, this Offensive unit should finally be able to do many of the things that everyone predicted it would do in 2019. (+)

 

DEFENSE:

DE:

2019 brandon graham

Brandon Graham is a productive and technically sound player, vs either the run or the pass. While he gets sacks and piles up hurries, he’s not really a pass rusher to be feared. Derek Barnett’s game was supposed to be winning hand battles to gain access to passers. However, his tendency to flatten the edge instead of setting it, helps opponents salvage too many plays. (This is why down for down, current free agent Vinny Curry was far more effective than Barnett in 2019).

It took a minute for the light to go on for Josh Sweat, but in 2019 it clicked for him. He however, may need to add another 10 pounds, before he can be a starting player at this position, in this division. Daeshon Hall produces when he gets an opportunity, but he’s stuck behind other players contracts right now. (Sorry fella, but that comes with the game, sometimes.)

This position is not as productive as it should be. Also, they just don’t have a scary pass rusher. For that reason, I think a player will be picked on either Day One or early on Day Two of the Draft. Still, the Eagles are productive, and have two back-ups who would be legit NFL starters, with yet two more promising prospects, waiting in the wings. Depth and production are always a great combo. (+)

DT:

2019 Fletcher Cox Daniel Jones

While teams don’t double Fletcher Cox on every play, every time they don’t, he reminds them that it was stupid not to. Be it run or pass, the man wrecks blocking schemes like they were homes. While newly signed former Steeler, Javon Hargrave, made his bones as an “A” gap penetrator, he can also hold the point of attack.

Coming back from a Lisfranc injury, is Malik Jackson. Jackson is more of an interior pass rusher, and thus he has a reputation as being extremely disruptive on the inside. Hassan Ridgeway isn’t really a pass rusher or a run stuffer. He’s a scrapper. He’s not really starter material. He’s not a 40 snap guy. What he is, is great in bursts. When he subs in, the opponent isn’t getting anything in the way of a break.

FIFTH down on the list is 350 pound Anthony Rush. Rush is a space eater, and block absorber. When he’s in the “A” gap, teams have a much harder time doubling Cox. Rush made life a lot easier for Cox in late 2019.

I’ve never seen anything like this at this position. Never. Not on any team. This position isn’t just five players deep, it’s five players who each make each other better, deep. Jackson’s a back-up, who’s been to a Pro Bowl, and started in a Super Bowl. Again, here he’s a back-up! It’s almost silly! There’s no way the season opens with all five of these players on the roster. No way. The NFL and the laws of supply and demand regarding talent, just won’t allow for such a thing. It’s unnatural. It’s flat-out not real. (+)

OLB:

Nate Gerry has trouble with interior linemen, so he was a liability vs the run when the Eagles tried to play him on the inside. Once he was moved outside, he couldn’t stop making plays. More importantly, he started preventing opponents from making plays.

FA addition, Jatavis Brown isn’t suited to the pounding of playing this position in this division. At 221 pounds, if he’s here to be a Nickel/Dime guy, that may work. Asking him for more than that is likely asking for trouble. He’s a career back-up who was pressed into starting 10 games in 2018, but he was promptly returned to the bench in 2019. So odds are that he didn’t impress.

2019 Genard Avery half sack

Genard Avery is more of a pass rusher. Given that the Eagles don’t like to blitz, it remains to be seen if Avery will need to switch positions. At this point Alex Singleton is a kick coverage guy. (-)

MLB:

Duke Riley and T.J. Edwards are the current candidates for this spot. Riley, at 218 pounds is impossible to take seriously as a starting LB on the edge, and even less so in the middle. His role here seems limited to Nickle packages and kickoff coverage. Edwards logged four starts in 2019, both in the middle and on the outside. The Eagles organization seems quietly hellbent on finding a way to get him on the field. (Trivia facts: The Eagles won all four of Edwards starts, and didn’t allow more than 17 points in any of them.) The team could have a future with Edwards in the middle. However, they haven’t made it his spot yet, and they have no depth even if they had done so. That said, this position cannot be graded well at this point. (-)

S:

FS Rodney McLeod make tackles, and plays on the ball, despite being stuck with having to cover deep from sideline to sideline. Jalen Mills moves from corner to SS. He already knows the concepts, the calls and many of the surrounding players, so his learning curve shouldn’t be very steep at all. The issue will be in deciding how to utilize him best. His lack of a second gear hurt him on the boundary, but if the Eagles play him in the box, it will only make that problem seem worse. Lining him up outside of the box, basically takes the team out of Single-high coverage and puts us in a Two Deep look. (Which I would be all for.)

Philadelphia native Will Parks comes in to push Mills for the starting role. The Eagles traded for Marcus Epps in 2019 and he only played 7 games for the Birds. That said, he played more as time went on. The loss of Malcolm Jenkins is a massive blow to the locker room, but the fact is, this position should still perform effectively on the field. Especially given that the position is faster and deeper in experience than it was a year ago. (+)

CB:

The big story here is the addition of former Lion, Darius Slay. If he’s as good as advertised in man coverage, then he will allow the Eagles to play their Cover One/Cover Three scheme, without as much need for help over the top.

2019 sidney jones2

Odds are, the other starting spot will go to Sidney Jones. Everyone seemed to be measuring him for his ‘Bust’ label, when suddenly near the end of 2019, the light seemed to click for him. He’s not out of the woods yet, but at least he looks like he’ll be getting a chance to redeem himself. Jones could be challenged for the spot by Rasul Douglas, and Cre’Von LeBlanc.

Douglas has started 18 games over the last three seasons, but he flat out cannot cover deep speed. He diagnoses, tackles, and has very good ball skills. However, on an every down basis, in the Eagles Cover One/Cover Three scheme, Douglas is just too flammable. Unless (like Jalen Mills) his position is changed, the Eagles will never get the maximum out of him.

LeBlanc is a favorite of the Defensive Coordinator, but injuries and a need for someone who excels in the Nickel, kept LeBlanc off the edge. That may be where former Ram, Nickell Robey-Coleman comes in. Coleman brings a reputation as one the NFL’s best at covering the slot. Avonte Maddox has also started inside and outside, but with two players being pulled in and paid well, and with LeBlanc free to play the outside now, it seems as if the Front Office is already looking past Maddox at this position.

Crevon LeBlanc.jpeg

Setting the scheme aside and just looking at the athletes, this is an experienced, versatile, and deep group of battlers. Of these six players, five have started playoff games. Two have Super Bowl rings, and a third has been to one. This is the best group in the division, and it’s not even close. (+)

In a nutshell:

There is a hole right through the heart of this unit. The second level is ill-equipped to handle a physical 16 game schedule, particularly in this division. As a result the rest of the unit will have to make for that area’s shortcomings, instead of trying to max out the whole unit’s potential. Couple that with a questionable defensive system, and it doesn’t matter how good the athletes are. A strong Draft at LB may salvage this unit, but as of today, it isn’t a strength for this team. (-)

 

SPECIAL TEAMS:

P:

Cam Johnston has been very consistent from last year to this. His average came down from 48.1 yards to 46.4, and his net came down from 42.7 to 42.3. He had 31 punts returned for 194 yards (6.2) in 2018, and 32 punts returned for 207 (6.4) in 2019. On 10 more punts in 2019, you could argue that it was a lower percentage of his punts returned (45% vs 50%), but the point would be the same.

That high number of returns indicates that he’s outkicking his coverage and allowing returners to think they have a chance to affect the game. On the surface, the stats make it seem like he’s good but not great. In reality he’s giving hope to the opponent, and that is not a strength. (-)

K:

card.jake.elliott

Jake Elliott as far as points was as accurate as he’s ever been with a career-highs in Field Goal percentage (84.6) ,and Extra Point percentage (94.6). Although his accuracy from 40 to 49 dipped for a second year in a row (92.3 in 2017, 87.5 in 2018, 71.4 in 2019). That’s a 20% slide in two years.

Oh, there’s more!

On his kickoffs, only 64.2% were touchbacks. That saw 27 returned for an average of 23.8 yards a pop, and 1 came back for a touchdown. His kickoffs just aren’t long enough, consistently enough.

On FG attempts of 50 yards or longer, he was just 2 of 4 (50%), putting him at 4 for 9 (44%) over the last two seasons.

Also we were 0 for 2 on Onside Kicks, and his FG fake resulted in him throwing an interception.

He was however, just signed to a five year extension with 10M guaranteed, so bugger me to figure out where his motivation to improve will come from. (-)

RS:

Aside from WR Greg Ward and RB Boston Scott, there really isn’t anyone else for this duty to go to. DeSean Jackson and Miles Sanders are now too valuable to risk in such a fashion, and none of the other Eagles on the roster who have kickoff and/or punt return experience, are likely to make the final roster.

Neither Ward nor Scott have proven to be much more than a placeholder for the positions so far. (-)

In a nutshell:

None of the deficiencies here are genuine deficiencies. What they are, is one no-frills aspect stacked atop another no-frills aspect. Put bluntly, there is nothing special about the Eagles Special Teams. There is nothing here to hang their hats on. The entire premise seems to be “Just don’t lose it for us.” This unit doesn’t seem capable of contributing to a win on it’s own. (-)

 

BOTTOM LINE:

This looks like a team that will be able to score. The question is, will they be able to stop anyone or win close games? Right now, due to nothing more than arrogance, that looks pretty dubious.

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It seems yet another Eagles coaching staff, wants to attempt re-inventing the wheel. It may happen, but while the Eagles are experimenting with concepts, their division rivals will be trying to improve at winning football games. Not a good look so far for Philly.

TRADING FOR YANNICK NGAKOUE

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/09
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Fans, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Players, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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DEFENSIVE End Yannick Ngakoue is trying to convince the Jacksonville Jaguars to trade him. Along with his many requests to be elsewhere, are a number of dropped hints as to where he’d like to go. If his hint list did not include the Eagles, I would totally ignore this story. But it does. So I can’t.

Lots of Eagles fans want the Front Office to trade for Ngakoue. He represents something that the Eagles have lacked for a long time now. He’s a pass rusher that opponents will feel they have to game plan for. Not to devalue DE Brandon Graham, but tell me about the year where Graham recorded 10 sacks or more. Don’t waste time looking. For Graham there is no such year.

In fact, the last time an Eagles DE recorded 10 sacks or more in a season was 2011. DE Jason Babin had 18, and DE Trent Cole had 11. No Eagles defensive lineman would notch 10 sacks again, until DT Fletcher Cox posted 10 in 2018.

So yeah. Many Eagles fans are excited by the elements that Ngakoue can add to our Defense. They have visions of double digit sack years dancing in their heads. To which I can only respond:

Excuse me.

Kirk God starship

Excuse me. I just want to ask a question:

Can Ngakoue thrive as a DE in the NFC East?

Three quarters of the NFC East plays in cities that get inclement weather. None of those teams plays in a dome. Three quarters of the NFC East plays in stadiums near large bodies of water. That means humidity in the air and on the ball, early in the season. It means frost on the turf, and a dry, slick ball, late in the season.

Because the weather can impact the passing game significantly, our division is married to the run in ways that other divisions don’t have to be. Defending the run requires bulk to keep players from wearing down later in the year. It’s why there are no 246 pound starting DE’s in this division. Now guess how much Ngakoue weighs.

Understand, Ngakoue is from Washington D.C., and he played college ball at Maryland. He knows what weather in the region looks like. He grew up with it, and he can undoubtedly add some weight. If he does though, will we be getting the player that we saw with the Jags, or will we be getting Jevon Kearse 2.0?

Funny story, true story. At 11:37 this morning I went looking for a picture of Ngakoue to place in this article. While doing so, I noticed that while there are dozens of pictures of him sacking QB’s, aside from this picture,

Yannick Saquon.jpg

it’s really hard to find any pictures of him tackling a RB. (Not that this is a tackle either.) You just can’t live that way in the NFC East. In this division, DE’s also have to play the run.

Also, watching him try to force his way out of Jacksonville makes me very uncomfortable. I’m fine with him wanting to leave. He’s entitled to wanting a different work environment. What I’m not fine with, is the way he’s making a show of it.

He says he wants to go to a team with a winning culture. One of the reasons Jacksonville doesn’t have a winning culture, is because they have players who make individual choices like the path he’s chosen. True strength of character would be to create a winning culture. Instead, he wants to immigrate to a place where the work has already been done. That’s suspect behavior.

You probably expected me to rant about why he’s not worth what Jacksonville is asking in return for him. Fact is, to me it never even needs to get that far. To heck with trading for him. I wouldn’t sign him, if he were an Unrestricted Free Agent. Keep reading.

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Other fans see his sacks, and look past all the red flags. He’s talented yes, but he’s a showboat who doesn’t bring more to the table than stats. That’s the antithesis of the Eagles locker room culture. He’s all wrong for the mental make-up of my team. For that reason, he’s better suited to the Browns, Steelers or Cowboys. Or of course, the Jaguars.

#10 SEND FIVE

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/02/19
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Players, Rants, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THE 12 2020.10

 

WANNA see something stupid?

ccard.jim.schwartz

 

What is this happy horseshit where we usually rush four, rarely blitz, but when we do, we end up in crap like Cover Zero? We need to send five so that-  Hold on. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me roll this back a bit.

Last year in almost every game the commentators would mention that our pass rush isn’t as potent as it’s been in the past. At first that sounded weird, because our sacks have gone up two years in a row. If sacks were the only metric used, it would just seem like the typical media down-talk directed at the Eagles. Which we fans are used to.

Then you think about our opponent completion percentages. And their QB ratings! Seriously. We even made Haskins look good… The eyeball test makes it clear that we don’t bring the heat like we used to.

Part of that is because the only player on our D-Line who requires a double-team is DT Fletcher Cox. Us rushing four vs an opponent’s five man o-line, plays directly into our opponent’s plan. We have a pair of complete DE’s in Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry, but we don’t have a guy who alters blocking schemes. (DE Derek Barnett too often bails early on his contain responsibility.)

We need to send five rushers more often, to get Cox more 1-on-1 match-ups. That way he can do to blocking schemes what he does to marriages. We don’t have to do it all the time, but it has to stop being rare.

 

EAGLES FANS! QUIT WHINING!

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/12/04
Posted in: Conversations, Fans, NFC East, playoffs, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

POOTIE.jpg

TOUGH guys don’t whine. If you’re one of these jersey burning types, who declared the season over well before it is, then listen up: Stop talking about how tough you are, how bleed green you are, and how you love your team regardless. Honestly, some of you pussies are downright fucking embarrassing.

The media feeds on negativity and so they pump it. They promote it. Controversy sells papers and generates clicks, and some of you just feed right into it. Our team is struggling as it is. Do we REALLY need to kick them when they’re down? Is that how you learned how to be fan. Bail when it’s not rosy? Quit because the road isn’t smooth. 

Is that the sort of blood that you come from?

I’m going to slam some truth down, hard enough to break your fucking dining room table. If the Redskins fans can talk about still having a chance, YOU bailing now is a direct indicator of how yellow your spine is. The only quitter I see, is in your mirror. The Eagles aren’t done until they’re actually, MATHEMATICALLY, done.

As for now, we aren’t done. 

Whole season

The Eagles still need our cheers and positive reinforcement. Athletes lie and say that they don’t read articles, or listen to call-in shows, or things of that nature. And the second that the shit hits the fan, those same athletes say that they have to block all that out. How can they block out what they were already ignoring? Simple. They were never ignoring it.

My point is that they hear us. They hear us on WIP radio. They hear us on Twitter. They hear us when we catch babies at the scene of a fire. They overhear you when they’re out shopping, or eating. They see what gets said about them on shows like ‘Quick Slants’ (Right, Brandon Graham?) They hear me when they come to this blog. (And they do.)

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So if they hear us, then how about we say some shit to INSPIRE them? When you inspire people you get more out of them, than when you shit on their name. Why spend 7 months missing football, only to quit on the season early? Who does that?? Don’t reserve being a fan for game-time only. Quit whining and get to barking. Get to howling.

Remember those dog masks and how much I hated them, because we weren’t really underdogs in 2017? Well NOW we’re honest to god underdogs. Care to buy a mask? Do you have it in you to root for a REAL underdog? If you feel like I’m calling you out, it’s because I am.

Let’s see who the tough, bleed green fans REALLY are.

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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED – WK 5 – JETS

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/10/07
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

GREAT win today, but let’s not go nuts celebrating it. It was just the Jets, being piloted by an inflatable QB.

Airplane-autopilot Luke Falk.jpg

Most of what we were able to do on Defense today (10 sacks, 2 touchdowns) came by virtue of their inexperienced QB, not getting many reps this week. As a result, the poor guy was a wounded lamb, fed to a full-grown lion. He repeatedly held the ball as if he had called “spots” and was counting to 10. It was almost too sad to watch. Almost.

Tee-hee.

Meanwhile his coach seemed indifferent to offer him any help. The play-calling was horrid, as literally (no typo or exaggeration here) EVERY play in the 1st quarter was run through RB LeVeon Bell (15 – 43 – 2.8 – 0 – 0 / 7 – 45 – 6.4 – 0). No other Jet player touched the ball until the second quarter. The Jets pay actual money for this level of coaching.

EAGLES 31 – Jets 6

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The Defensive line FEASTED, with 8 sacks in this one. DE Brandon Graham (4 – 3 – 0 – 0) grabbed 3 sacks. Also getting a piece of the action were DE Derek Barnett (2 – 1 – 0 – 0), DT Hassan “Chop” Ridgeway (1 – 1 – 0 – 0), DE Vinny Curry (1 – 1 – 0 – 0), DE Josh Sweat (1 – 1 – 0 – 0) broke his cherry, and Dasheon Hall (1 – 1 – 0 – 0) showed some of that preseason flash. It was like a drop of blood in a piranha tank.

Again, we also scored twice. The first was on an interception in the 1st quarter by LB Nate Gerry (0 – 0 – 1 – 0) on a pass intended for Bell. The second was the play of the day. CB Orlando Scandrick (4 – 2 – 0 – 2) ran up to the Jets QB, and just took the ball from him. Just took it. Not like a big hit, just a straight-up “YOINK!”. Then he returned it 44 yards for that tasty treat. It was almost too sad to watch. Almost.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Scandrick was a Cowboy for 9 years. We signed him in the offseason, but he didn’t make our final roster. Because of injuries at CB, we signed him off of his couch this week, and he gets two sacks, two forced fumbles, a recovery, and a score. 

card.orlando.scandrick

On Offense, QB Carson Wentz (17/29 – 58.6% – 189 – 1 – 0) had it in cruise control yet again, as the Eagles functioned as a full team. That’s not to say that Wentz didn’t do some of his typical magic, but there was no need for a lot of it. TE Zach Ertz (5 – 57 – 11.4 – 1) found the end zone for the first time in 2019.

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these “Four Things” articles. We introduce an idea of what needs addressing BEFORE the game, so that fans have to honestly answer questions about those things, AFTER the game. This helps to get us, and keep us, all on the same page.

So, of the Four Things we were looking for in this last game, what exactly did we see?

1) Show up: I literally said that if we didn’t get lost crossing the street to the stadium, we were 40% of the way to a victory. Well, we showed up. We were sloppy at points (C Jason Kelce’s bad snap, the muffed punt that either hit a foot or didn’t), but we showed up. (DONE)

2) No liberty for Bell: In regards to covering LeVeon Bell I said “We need to sit on and jump a couple of passes to him. Maybe we can get a defensive touchdown or two out of it.” Well kiss my grits, we got our first defensive touchdown doing just that. We also kept him, and thus the Jets offense, under wraps all day. (DONE)

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3) Run ‘em down: Heavy dose of RB Jordan Howard (13 – 62 – 4.7 – 1 – 0) delivered? He led us in rushes and rushing yards. CHECK. Other backs sprinkled in? 12 carries for 19 yards (yikes!) CHECK. Wentz’s jersey staying mostly clean? CHECK. (DONE)

4) Paint by numbers: We did nothing fancy. Aside from a 3rd and 1 where we threw an incompletion, which set up a 4th and 1, that we didn’t convert, we almost looked like a preseason team that was trying not to give too much away. Toward the end we even sat Carson and put LT Andre Dillard in for a few snaps. It was glorious. (DONE)

This week we put up a perfect 4 for 4, even though admittedly one of them was really low hanging fruit. That brings the season tally to 10 of 20. Next week we travel to Minnesota for the start of a three game road trip, that will remind everyone of why we want to set up home field advantage.

On The Whole:

We could have looked better. Aside from Jordan Howard, our RB’s were pretty ineffective running the ball. If getting off to fast starts is important to this Offense, HC Doug Pederson is going to have to stop trying to make a starter out of rookie RB Miles Sanders (9 – 15 – 1.6 – 0 – 0 / 4 – 49 – 12.2 – 0) who was hitting holes in this game with as much heart as Bernie Sanders.

Again, it seemed we weren’t trying to show much, and we may be getting WR DeSean Jackson back next week. So I’m not very concerned about the Offense.

My concern is with the Defense. The way we played today still allowed a “deer in the headlights” QB, to complete 57% of his passes, to a less than stellar receiving corps. Next week we get QB Kirk Cousins throwing to WR Adam Thielen. It would be nice to get one or two CB’s back by then.

In the meantime, because of this2019 two Ls

the Eagles appear to be atop the NFC East. At least according to the NFL Standings page. They may change it later, but for now it looks good to be up there. 

 

FOUR THINGS – WK 5 – EAGLES-JETS

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/10/04
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WK5-NYJ

THIS game has to be a win. After this game, we go on a three week road trip vs Minnesota, Dallas and Buffalo. All of those games are winnable, but stacking them as a triple-decker away game sandwich, makes a four week split seem acceptable, so long as we don’t lose the division game. Or to the Jets. Not the Jets. So yeah. This game has to be a win.

At stake this week is momentum. To come off of a thrilling win IN Green Bay, and then laying a turd vs the Jets…? That would kill not only our current momentum, but also make it harder to re-establish it later. This can’t be a trap game. We need it too badly for it to be a trap game.

We need defenders like SS Malcolm Jenkins and DE Brandon Graham to set the tone, by making big plays this week. We need TE Zach Ertz to make plays downfield to pull a LB out of the box and into coverage; and for RB Jordan Howard to churn out repeated 8 and 9 yard runs to pull a S into the box.

Like last week, this game can’t be all on QB Carson Wentz. We need a team effort here.

2017 eagles

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

1) Show up: By ‘show up’ I don’t mean give an all-out effort. I’m literally saying, don’t get lost crossing the street from the NovaCare complex, to the Linc. The only thing that keeps the Jets from being the worst team in football, is the Dolphins. If the Eagles team can make it safely across Broad Street, and into the stadium walls, they will be 40% of the way through beating the Jets.

2) No liberty for Bell: The Jets already have enough trouble running the ball, and now they face the NFL’s 4th best run defense. So naturally they’ll want to throw the ball against THE WORST PASS DEFENSE IN PRO FOOTBALL. Problem is, they only one weapon and it’s RB Le’Veon Bell. As their second best receiver, the Jets will want to pass, and stow the game in their best player’s hands. We need to sit on, and then jump a couple of passes to him. Maybe we can get a defensive touchdown or two out if it.

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3) Run ‘em down: A heavy dose of RB Jordan Howard, with our other RB’s sprinkled in as complementary pieces should keep Carson Wentz’s jersey VERY clean.

4) Paint by numbers: This game should be about getting our fundamentals down, and working on our discipline. Run hard on 1st down. Use play-action on 2nd down. Spread out the defense on 3rd down. Just basic stuff. Nothing fancy.

If we do all these things, we’re just about guaranteed to win. Now that we’ve covered what should happen, let’s get into what likely will happen:

Look, we’re going to make the Jets QB look like an all-pro. That’s what we do. They’re going to score more than their standard 11 points per game. However, we’re going to run the ball and tire out their defense.

Controlling the clock will keep our defense fresher, and create sort of quicksand effect, where the harder the Jets struggle, the worse they perform. Don’t be surprised if their coach yells “Y’all killin’ me!!” at his players during this game.

Even those who probably hate Jets

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would say after this game, that if at first they don’t succeed, they should dust it off and try again. This however, is not their week.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Jets 18

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CHRIS LONG IS A NO-BRAINER

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/27
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Players, Rivals, Roster, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

card.chris.long

NEXT year DE Chris Long is due 3.5M$ in the final year of his contract. That’s a pittance for what we’re getting in exchange. Aside from being a reliable, productive player, Long is an extremely high-quality person off the field. On the field, he plays starter level minutes, but he never bitches that he doesn’t get to start, and doesn’t make starter level money. (Note: Over the last two seasons, Long has more sacks (11.5) than any giant besides starter Olivier Vernon (13.5).

olivier vernon

Every time the giants overpay a former Dolphin, an Eagle gets his wings.

Chris is rare. Our odds of finding another player like him, are staggeringly low. When he leaves, regardless of how he leaves, we will miss him. Even if we find another player like him, we’ll have a situation where we could have had two like him. There is no getting around the fact that we are better with him. And Jerome forbid, Long should go to a division rival, like the aforementioned giants! 

So keeping Long should be a no-brainer.

He said that he’s mulling retirement. However he also said “I’m literally just kind of sitting back and seeing what the Eagles do, and who they bring in, or don’t bring in, and how deep that room gets.” And he also said “Listen, I know I’m an older guy. But, you know, I don’t think I’ve missed a practice over the last two years. I feel like I’ve been durable and ready when called upon.” In addition to that, and most importantly, he said “I’d like to play football in 2019”.

Let me run that by you one mo’ ‘gin: “I’d like to play football in 2019”.

What you just read were multiple examples of a guy quietly making his case. He’s saying to the Front Office that he’s still viable. That he still has good football in him. He’s waiting for the Eagles to say “Chris, we’d like you back. Will you come back?” That’s it. That’s what the man is waiting for. He has a contract, he just wants to know if Executive Vice President of Football Operations (EVPF– Fuck it), GM Howie Roseman wants him to stay.

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Last year (March 2018) when he was mulling retirement, I said we’d be fine at DE, even with the loss of he and Vinny Curry. However at that time, Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett and Steven Means were all under contract, and we’d even added Micheal Bennett.

As I said in RE-ARMING FOR WAR, the loss of Graham and Long, (Steven Means now plays in Atlanta), would leave us with Bennett, Barnett (returning from injury), and second year DE Josh Sweat. Sweat is also returning from injury, and he didn’t really flash before he got hurt.

So we need Long. We need him for character, depth, production and even tactically. Yeah, tactically. He understands the nuances of what his spot demands situationally, for this scheme. So if on a given down, he needs to freelance, he can do it without downgrading the integrity of the unit. You can’t get that from a new player. Even if that player is a ten year vet.

This is a phone call. This is that phone call that Reggie White and Brian Dawkins didn’t get from the Front Office. Not to put Long on that level, but the ease of resolving this situation is similar. We’re shooting ourselves in the foot if we don’t. This is easy. We need to get this done.

It’s a no-brainer.

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Don’t worry. Howie is smarter than this… Right?

 

 

RE-ARMING FOR WAR.

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/23
Posted in: Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, Special Teams, trade, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

wentz or foles

DALLAS won the NFC East this season by sweeping us. The giants added firepower in 2018 and figure to pad their defense in 2019. This division isn’t going to roll over and let us just walk away with it like we did in 2017. We need to be able to take it from them.

That however, will take some serious work, because with 20 players becoming Free Agents this March, we’re a hair trigger away from being as big a mess as the Redskins. This locker room is about to undergo a significant change, and it’s going to be of supreme importance that the right players are either brought back, or brought in.

So what are the priorities? Let’s start at the top.

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QB: Carson Wentz is and should be, the future here. It’d be great to keep Nick Foles too, but he’d be too expensive. We’re projected to be 13 million over the salary cap, and he’s due to make 20 million. (Cap Savings!). This is simple math. By trading him to say…Jacksonville, we get him out of the conference, and can move up from 25th to 7th in the Draft. (Plus whatever else we can get out of them.) Nate Sudfeld has looked capable. He’s a (FA) Free Agent, but if he’s smart, he comes back here in 2019.

RB: Jay Ajayi suffered an ACL tear to his left knee in 2012. He also has osteoarthritis and now this ACL tear, in his right knee. No need to re-up for all those future missed and partial games. Darren Sproles is mulling retirement, so plans should be made like he’s not in the picture. (But if he’ll stay for 2M$ or so, we should find the cash.)

Otherwise, this position needs a complete overhaul. Not just of players, but of our philosophical approach to the kind of players we have here. We need more guys on the roster who want to be “The Guy” and work towards that. No more players who are happy being one-trick, role-players, just glad to have a roster spot.

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Installing Corey Clement as our third down/change of pace back, would be very smart. Also drafting a 225 pounder who actually runs like a big back, would give us the balance we had when we were putting up 30 points per game in 2017. It also wouldn’t hurt to sign a FA like Latavius Murray, or Spencer Ware as an insurance policy.

Were we to forgo drafting a back, adding Kareem Hunt (not Le’Veon Bell) is the smart move. Adding Hunt to this system would immediately lessen the aggressiveness of opposing pass rushers, and give our QB more room to operate. Besides, he’s 23 and has no rookie deal, so he can be inked for 4 or 5 years, and not at the top end of today’s RB market, due to his recent baggage.

WR: Alshon Jeffery is the big dog here, so he needs to see 10 or more targets (not 7), per game from Wentz. Nelson Agholor is due 9M$ on a fifth year option, which he really isn’t worth. (Cap Savings!) If he can find a team (Redskins maybe) to give him 9 mil, good on him. But it shouldn’t be us. Jordan Matthews made his meager opportunities count, so he should be brought back based on that, and his prowess as a blocker. Jeffery, Matthews and the returning Mack Hollins would make life hell on opposing secondaries, especially if a young speedster is drafted. Golden Tate thank you, and good luck on your next team.

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TE: Zach Ertz is a receiver. He’s improved as a blocker, but he’s really a big WR. Dallas Goedert helps give us what might be the most formidable 1-2 punch at this position, in the league. Still, we could use a guy who’s calling card is blocking. Not a puppy, but a veteran presence. Someone like FA’s Tyler Kroft or Geoff Swaim.

OT: I’d like to see Jason Peters retire now. (Cap Savings!) He’s our best at the position, even when injured. However, these constantly occurring injuries make it clear that he should walk away, now. Before his body betrays him, and reduces him to just “some guy”. True, 10M is a lot to walk away from, but his body and his legacy should be worth more.

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Moving Lane Johnson from the right to the left beginning in OTA’s, seems like the smartest move. Halapoulivaati Vaitai simply can’t be trusted to man the blindside. During the 2017 playoffs, our coaching staff got away with giving him help on some downs, and rolling everything else to the right. However, during the moments he played the left in 2018, opponents showed that they were wise to us with that.

Jordan Mailata says that we can expect big things from him in 2019. If he plays a single down in 2019, it would be a vast improvement over how much he played in 2018. So the bar there is really low, right now. Matt Pryor is huge, but like Vaitai, his feet are way too slow, so he’s likely better suited to Guard.

A high draft pick, possibly our first rounder, needs to be spent here. No Free Agent patch. This guy should be homegrown, and allowed to get old with the QB.

G: Brandon Brooks should be back from Achilles tendon surgery, but there is no guarantee that he’ll be ready by Week 1. (Note: I initially had this written as an ACL tear, but alert reader Bobby, stepped up, and got me on the right path. If you talk I will listen!) Stefen Wisniewski and Issac Seumalo give the Eagles stability in terms knowing the scheme, but neither is the blocker that Brooks is. Chance Warmack is a FA, but he’s not liable to attract many suitors, and the Eagles could use an inexpensive insurance policy. That being said, there is also no reason why Pryor can’t be kicked inside, where he’s actually a better fit.

C: Jason Kelce has publicly acknowledged that he is mulling retirement, and that he doesn’t know if he’ll be back in 2019. That means we need to add a player. Not just a body. A player. There are no prizes to be had in scheduled Free Agency, so unless someone gets cut, it’s best to save that cap space. Wisniewski has extensive experience playing the pivot in the NFL. Seumalo has also logged downs at the spot, so we’re by no means in dire straits. However, it would be smart to draft kid. (Hopefully 320 pounder, with a nasty streak.) Until he’s gone however, Kelce has to be counted here.

 

DE: Brandon Graham is going to be a FA, and Chris Long  is mulling retirement. This leaves us with Derek Barnett (returning from injury), Michael Bennett who is a beast, and Josh Sweat. Sweat is more of an edge setter than a pass rusher, so he may not be a good fit in this scheme. If Graham is willing to come back for 5.5M, then we should ink him. Otherwise, see if (former Eagle) FA Steven Means wants to come back to Philly.

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DT: Fletcher Cox is the heart and soul of this defense, and one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL. The Eagles may attempt to free up 5M in (Cap Savings!), by cutting Timmy Jernigan and just eating 6M in dead money, instead of paying him 11M. Space-eating, run-stuffers like Free Agents Johnathon Hankins or Jordan Phillips would look really really good next to Cox, and wouldn’t break the bank to get here. Treyvon Hester should make the roster again in 2019, but everything about him says “role-player”.

backups

OLB: Nigel Bradham put up solid numbers, but most of what he does (plays through injury, adds an air of toughness, finishes his tackles, doesn’t blow assignments), doesn’t show up on a stat sheet. Still, it would be nice if he were turned loose more as a pass rusher. Kamu Grugier-Hill looked like a work in progress this year, but not getting to start until your third year will put a layer of rust on any player’s instincts. He has the speed and motor to be a diamond in the rough, the only question is whether or not he’ll get the opportunity in 2019. Depth here is a real issue, and has been for years now. Adding a Free Agent like Gerald Hodges should be easy and inexpensive. Aside from that, we should be able to grab a couple of Special Teamers after the Draft.

MLB: When Jordan Hicks is healthy, he’s a very good player. Problem is, his track record for being healthy is shabby and now he’s coming off his rookie deal, and will want big boy numbers on his checks. Given the thin FA market though, the Eagles would be wise to sign him to a 3 year deal, and get an actual back-up in here. That’s not a shot at Nate Gerry, who filled in for Hicks this season. Gerry is a Safety/Outside Linebacker tweener, so he isn’t really suited for the MIKE position. If we’re spending on Hicks, we won’t have the money to blow on a FA. That means we’ll need to draft a back-up/possible replacement.

SS: Malcolm Jenkins is the only player at this position and that’s a problem for a couple of reasons. First, he’s up there in years, and we’ve got no one behind him learning to do what he does. Second, we been really lucky that he’s been healthy enough to play every snap, seemingly since he got here. It’s tempting fate to act as if we can ignore these things. We need to draft a kid to groom. A leader type.

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FS: Rodney McLeod is coming back from injury, but he should be full-go in 2019. Corey Graham frequently forgets to bring his arms to a tackle. (That’s when he isn’t diving at ankles.) Graham is a FA and so no lock to return. Tre Sullivan didn’t see a lot of action during the season, but he was an unsung hero of the Wild Card win at Chicago.

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CB: Rasul Douglas is tall, competitive, sticky fingered, and a solid tackler. If we’re smart, he opens 2019 as a starter. Avonte Maddox can be baited because he’ll chase the big play. While he’s been beaten a few times because of that, he’s also made a few plays because of it. After all, nothing ventured is nothing gained. Cre’Von LeBlanc is credited with nothing less than saving the Secondary, so um, expect him to be here in 2019. Jalen Mills was having an up and down year ((cough cough) struggling) before he hurt his foot. It remains to be seen if he’ll get to start on the outside or in the Nickle spot. Sidney Jones excelled in college playing man-press. The Eagles (regrettably) don’t use such a scheme, and so there is a real chance that the Front Office may have wasted a second round pick, on first round talent, that our coaching staff simply can’t find a use for. There’s talk of the Eagles drafting a player early at this position, but that seems almost like a massive overreach here, and robbing another position of needed talent.

K: Jake Elliott is a FA, but he’s restricted. There is no chance the Eagles let him walk.

P: Cameron Johnston still needs to work on his directional kicking, but he’ll be here.

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THE BEST D-LINE IN THE NFL

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/04/02
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Reviews, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

 

Best line?

WHEN the Los Angeles Rams went out and signed free agent DT Ndamokung Suh, the cry heard ‘round the world was that the Rams now had the best defensive line in the NFL. Pairing Suh with DE Aaron Donald is talked about like it’s the end-all be-all in the NFL. People are talking like the Rams are now the favorite to win the Super Bowl in 2019.

Whoa now. Hold up. Pump the brakes.

The Rams will boast an extremely scary interior, that is just as disruptive against the run as the pass. But still it’s just two guys. One of which will be learning to switch from being a 4-3 DT to either a 3-4 DE or NT.

They play a 3-4, so you have to look at the front five, not four. Take a look up and down their ROSTER and you won’t see another player to fear. DE Michael Brockers? He has 19 sacks in 6 years, after being selected 14th overall in 2012. Everyone else is a career back-up who’ll now be counted on to make difference. (I guess.)

With the Minnesota Vikings (4-3) there are four legitimate headaches with Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Sheldon Richardson, and Danielle Hunter. Not two guys, four. The Jacksonville Jaguars have 3 game wreckers in Calais Campbell, Malik Jackson, and Yannick Ngakoue.

Then of course there’s the grand-daddy of them all, the Philadelphia Eagles.

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DE Brandon Graham

The Eagles boast Fletcher Cox, Timmy Jernigan and Haloti Ngata at DT. At DE There’s Brandon Graham, Chris Long, and Derek Barnett. We lost DE Vinny Curry and all we could find to replace him with was some guy named Michael Bennett. That’s SEVEN players. The Eagles are literally, TWO defensive lines deep.

We don’t just have starters better than the Rams starters, we have better back-ups than the Rams starters. (DE Steven Means and DT Destiny Vaeao don’t qualify for this list because of who’s in front of them, but if Bennett misses any time, you’ll see those two make a serious contribution in his absence.)

Even if we were to throw out things like sacks and hurries as a measure of an individual player’s effectiveness, there’s the fact that the Eagles as a team, allowed just 79.2 rushing yards per game, to the Rams 122.3. That’s number one vs fifth worst. Also our key players aren’t in their first year of the scheme.

So all this big talk about the Rams D-line is ridiculous. The Rams don’t have the best D-line in the NFL. Hell, they don’t even have the best D-line in the conference. Those distinctions BOTH belong to the Eagles.

As things stand, the Rams D-line may not even be as good at the Vikings. IJS.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: SUPER BOWL: PATRIOTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/02/05
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Roster, stats, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

E-A-G-L-E-S! CHAMPIONS!

Toldja we’d win.

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EAGLES 41 – Patriots 33

We spent two weeks hearing how the Patriots QB was going to single-handedly carry his team to victory. The media (showing an inability to learn), basically said that the “scrappy” Eagles would only be speed bump on the Patriots way to a 6th ring. Well, seems like Super Bowl MVP, QB Nick Foles (28/43 – 65.1% – 373 – 3 – 1) didn’t quite agree with that assessment. In the end, the Patriots bitch of a QB, ran off without even shaking Foles hand.

Speaking of hands, the Patriots attempted to throw a pass to their QB early in the game, but he proved to be… Let’s say “less than clutch” in that situation.

super nope 52

OOPS!

Later on, Nick Foles would not only catch a pass, but catch a a touchdown, off a one yard pass from TE Trey Burton (1/1 – 100% – 1 – 1 – 0), on a honey of a trick play:

 

(I told you that Doug was gonna hunt these fuckers.)

Former Patriot RB LeGarrette Blount (14 – 90 – 6.4 – 1 – 0) won a second consecutive Lombardi, by splitting carries with RB Jay Ajayi (9 – 57 – 6.3 – 0 – 0). That helped balance the offense and kept New England’s defense honest. Not to be counted out however, was rookie RB Corey Clement (4rec – 100 – 25.0 – 1) who led all Eagles in yards from scrimmage with 108.

Defensively there weren’t a lot of “stats” to talk about. The one sack allowed all night proved to be fatal (for New England), as DE Brandon Graham (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 1) forced a fumble in the process. Rookie DE Derek Barnett (0 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) didn’t get cute and simply recovered the fumble. After rookie K Jake Elliott (2/3x, 3/3, 46) added a 46 yard field goal to our 38 -33 lead. it pretty much snuffed out any realistic chance for any last minute heroics. That left the Patriots hoping for a miracle. Miracles however, require good karma to occur. And so naturally the Patriots lost.

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these “Four Things” articles. We introduce an idea of what needs addressing BEFORE the game, so that fans have to honestly answer questions about those things, AFTER the game. This helps to get us, and keep us, all on the same page.

So, of the Four Things we were looking for in this last game, what exactly did we see?

1) Work the middle: Be it TE Zach Ertz (7 – 67 – 9.5 – 1) diving across the goal line (for a score); Corey Clement cornholing an over-matched LB (for a 22 yard score); WR Alshon Jeffery (3 – 73 – 24.3 – 1) going up and grabbing a 34 yard score; or WR Nelson Agholor (9 – 84 – 9.3 – 0) on a crossing route, the Eagles made sure to work inside. That kept the Patriots from loading the box, and allowed our top 2 RB’s to average 6.4 and 6.3 yards per tote. (DONE)

2) Destroy the pocket: Not nearly enough pressure was generated inside for most of the game, which would be forgivable if we also hadn’t allowed 113 yards on 22 carries (5.1 per tote), mostly up the middle. The fact is, that this area of the defense has fallen off since mid-season and we need to find a way to turn it back on by July. (NOT DONE)

3) Blount. Force. Trauma: LeGarrette Blount was the games leading rusher in terms of yards and carries. It was his best game since November, and in my view, his best in an Eagles uniform. The man has been a monster for these playoffs and it irritates me that he has likely played his last down as an Eagle. (DONE)

4) South Paw Switch: To be fair, I didn’t really expect this to get done, since it isn’t actually DC Jim Schwartz’s M.O. to make wholesale changes at the half. It would have however, kept the Patriot from outscoring us 21 -19 in the second half. (NOT DONE)

Well, 2 out of 4 Four Things was good enough to get the “W” this week, and bring our playoff tally to 9 of 12. Usually this is where I’d mention the next opponent, but this officially brings us to the end of this season’s road.

There’s nothing left to do now, but celebrate at the parade which will begin Thursday at 11, on Broad and Pattison, heading north up Broad before swinging up the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum steps. (Isn’t it funny how we say “The” Art Museum, even though Philly has a few of them?)

On The Whole:

I told you that HC Doug Pederson was going to be aggressive vs New England and boy was he ever. We had an internationally televised brawl, with the NFL’s last champion, and we TOOK from them what was rightfully ours.

We started with the Draft at the Art Museum in April, and we’ll end it with the Super Bowl parade ending at the Art Museum in February. The football gods have smiled upon Philadelphia for the 2017-2018 season. Despite adversity, despite injury, we were smiled upon. Recognize that and be grateful, fellow fans. Recognize that and be grateful.

Let this stand as a lesson to you. Just because someone doesn’t believe in you, or thinks they know your situation, don’t you ever, EVER stop believing and working for your dreams.

As a wise man named Harry once said:

Just what makes that little old ant

Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant…