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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 14: GIANTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/12/12
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Rivals, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (21/31– 67.7% – 217 – 2 – 0)

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)

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I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: GIANTS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

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)

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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.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 17: REDSKINS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/01/03
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

CRASHING the playoff party.

EAGLES 20– Redskins 16

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

Passing: (S ) QB Jalen Hurts (17/26 – 65.3% – 214 – 0 – 0)

Rushing: (S ) RB Boston Scott (14 – 47 – 3.3 – 2 – 0)

Receiving: (S ) TE Dallas Goedert (7 – 6 – 71 – 11.8 – 0)

Offensive Line Report: (2 + 4:5 – 1)

Drive Killer: (S ) FS Rodney McLeod (1 – 0– 0 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader: (S ) DE Josh Sweat (5 – 1.5 – 0 – 0)

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I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Redskins did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Don’t get cute: Run the ball. That was the edict. Come out running and use the running styles to compliment each other. We did both, running 34 times for 118 yards (3.4 ypc), and two scores. It wasn’t pretty or explosive, but as I said, Boston Scott isn’t a tip of the spear caliber RB. Still, we stuck to our identity and ground out yardage and scores. That was the ask. (DONE)

2) Blitz On Long Downs: There were some 5 man rushes throughout the game, but not consistently enough, as was evinced by QB Taylor Heinicke (27/36 – 75.0% – 247 – 0 – 1), starting off 11/11. We didn’t really turn up the heat on him until the second half. Even then we played such loose coverage, that Washington was a threat to win, until Heinicke’s final pass to FS Rodney McLeod. (NOT DONE)

3) Knock Taylor on his Heinicke: In the second half, we got all over this! After the half, the Defensive Front came out looking to hunt. The pressure went up, and Heinicke kept finding himself running for his life, before ending up horizontal.

While it wasn’t frequently the product of blitzing, we were definitely getting the ball out of his hand earlier, as he became decidedly aware of how much heat we were bringing. (DONE)

4) Mr. Smith goes to Washington: Running the ball would have been easier if we could have emptied the box more. That would have been easy to do if WR Devonta Smith (6 – 3 – 54 – 18.0 – 0) had seen 7 to 8 targets. However, between Smith getting merely 6 targets, WR Quez Watkins (4 – 2 – 15 – 7.5 – 0) being a non-factor, and WR Jalen Reagor (Nope!) being trash, it was hard to stretch the field horizontally to create gaps.

Also, the Eagles spent a lot of time in Bunch Formations, with the receivers close to the Tackles. That allowed defenses to pack in. (NOT DONE)

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So this week we posted 2 of the Four Things and accordingly, we barely escaped with a win. BUT WE WON!!! Next week we play a practice game against the Cowboys. It has no meaning since both of us have already qualified for the playoffs.

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On The Whole:

For the second week in a row, we bodied a division rival.

RIP FYT

RIP FYT

We made the rest of their season meaningless. We reduced next week to a chance for their starters to take a pointless injury; or sit and let a back-up destabilize their job security.

And it feels good.

What feels even better, was clinching a playoff spot, with a rookie head coach, who was being mocked (even by me) a few weeks ago, for talking about motherfucking FLOWERS. This Spring I’m planting goddamned daffodils.

Even better than that, was doing it doing it during a rebuild year. (Did you hear that New York?) With a QB who was essentially a rookie. (Did you hear that Washington?) And while it’s true that we haven’t beaten a 10 win team all year, neither has Dallas. So we’re at least as legit as our division winner.