Dallas Cowboys

All posts tagged Dallas Cowboys

THE RIVALS 2020 (PT 3 of 3)

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/12/30
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Draft, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN KIDDIES!!!

GENERALLY when I talk football, it’s about my Eagles. I tend to keep mum about our rivals, unless we have a game coming up against one of them. Otherwise, I’ve reserved most talk about them for my Pre-Draft Preview, which drops each April. (Look for it).

In 2017 however, I decided to try something new, and give our fan base a running commentary of what the division is doing around us. This ensures that Eagles fans actually are the NFL’s best informed, and most knowledgeable fans. (Provided you visit this site often.) These updates will come out three times during the season: After Weeks 3, 9, and 15. (So it’s a week late!)

This is where we left off.  

This is where things are today:

New York: 5 – 10, 3rd place

Over the last three week the giants have fallen into the abyss. Yet, with a Washington loss and a Dallas loss, the giants could vault BOTH teams and take the NFC East!

Dallas: 6 – 9, 2nd place

Following the re-emergence of their back-up QB, Dallas is on a three game win streak and poised (with a Week 17 Redskins loss) to win the NFC East. Provided that they beat the giants next.

Washington: 6 – 9, 1st place

Washington was on a four game tear, winning 4 of the 5 games started by QB Alex Smith. His missing the last two weeks with a leg injury, put them on a two week losing streak. They conclude the season next week, with a Dollar Store QB vs Philadelphia. They’ ll win the NFC East with a victory. The question is: Are the Eagles okay with letting them do that?

Get this. Next week, any team in the division EXCEPT us, could run off with the division. And while the Eagles don’t get to win the division, we basically get to decide it!

Do we want to tank to improve our 2021 Draft position?

OR

Do we want to prevent a division rival from celebrating in our house?

This shit is absolutely HILARIOUS! Dear 2020, while dancing the ‘Batusi’ naked in front of my open refrigerator, I full-on, fucking salute you! When asked “What does 2020 do for an encore?” Setting this up, has to be the answer.

My hope as an Eagles fan, is that we take the “L”, improve our draft position, and hand deliver a team without a QB, directly into the thick of the 2020 playoffs. This is the ultimate “Fuck You”. Sort of our version of Major Kong riding that bomb at the end of ‘Dr. Strangelove.’

Seriously, if we’re going to miss the playoffs, Eagles fans, THIS is the way to do it.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 16: Cowboys

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/12/28
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TIME TO TANK!

Eagles 17 – Cowboys 37

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Jalen Hurts: (21/39 – 53.8% – 342 – 1 – 2)

(S) QB Jalen Hurts: (9 – 69 – 7.6 – 0 – 1)

(S) DeSean Jackson: (1 – 1 – 81 – 81.0 – 1)

(S) DE Brandon Graham/DE Vinny Curry: (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

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

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

1) Run the ball: Well the Eagles got 60 rushing yards from Hurts. The problem (as always), is that they stopped handing the ball off. RB Miles Sanders had just 15 carries in this game, which doesn’t look too different from most weeks. Until you realize that 11 of those were in the first half. Back when the Eagles were still in the game. (NOT DONE)

2) Rush the passer: We didn’t get enough heat on the Cowboys back-up QB, and he picked us apart, basically looking like a dad playing catch with his kids. (NOT DONE)

3) Three sacks or fewer: We kept it to three sacks, but one of them resulted in a fumble. It was recovered by LT Jordan Mailata, but it took us out of rhythm. (DONE)

4) Cover Two, where are you?: The Eagles did shift to some of this later in the game. However, for most of it, Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz, absolutely stranded and abandoned undrafted, rookie CB Michael Jacquet out in man coverage. The result was the Cowboys offense “running a train” on his ass. This was pitiful. It was shameful. Putting that kid out there to be bitch-beat like that. (NOT DONE)

One of three this week. We end the year against Washington next week. Thank god.

On The Whole:

This week we faced a QB, not a RB who can throw. It exposed two things. The first was our piss-poor Secondary. Many blame injuries, but we were looking like this Week 2 vs the Rams with everyone healthy. Yet again our defensive system was exposed.

The second thing that was exposed was Jalen Hurts. When the Cowboys made him play from the pocket, he became a shadow. It took the Saints a half to figure out that they need to stop him from scrambling to his right. The Cardinals caught on faster. The Cowboys faster still. Three games in, and he’s already been figured out. The upcoming Redskins game might put this debate completely to bed.

To everyone who blamed QB Carson Wentz and elevated Hurts as the savior, sit here beside me. Sit. Did you notice that we only put up 17 points this week? Did you notice that the QB had 1 TD and 3 turnovers? Did you notice that Hurts, yet again didn’t complete 60% of his passes? Did you notice that Hurts again had no chemistry with his WR’s? Did you notice that of the three and a half games Hurts has played in, we’ve only won ONE? Did you realize how these numbers practically mirror Wentz’s production in some 2020 games?

Anyone who claims that Wentz was the problem, but is happy with Hurts, is totally full of shit. If the idea is for the Eagles to win, then you should still be disappointed. But I know. You want to blame the coaches for not running the ball now. And the Offensive Line for not blocking better. And the Secondary for being a bucket with no bottom. Go ahead. Let me hear it. You know you want to say it…

Wrong!

If Wentz didn’t get to use these “excuses” while the head coach kept saying that it wasn’t just one guy, then when Hurts claims “full ownership”, he damned sure can’t use these “excuses”. Right?

Again. Wrong. They aren’t excuses, they’re reasons. And they all are 100% true. Hurts can use them. Wentz can use them. And if we don’t fix them, then this team won’t go anywhere, with any QB. This civil war among Eagles fans has got to stop. This is not Wentz vs Hurts. This is Eagles vs sucking ass. The enemy is out there, Eagles fans. Stop arguing over the QB. Let’s fix the real problems.

FOUR THINGS: WK 16: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/12/24
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

THE Franchise is on the line this week. If the Eagles defeat the Cowboys this weekend, the legend of QB Jalen Hurts will have some Eagles fans anointing him with oil, and declaring him Super Bowl MVP. (Not me, but some fans.) That clamoring would be all the excuse that General Manager Howie Roseman needs, to do something stupid, and make us a sub .500 team for the next 3 to 4 years. Be careful what you wish for, folks. You just may get it.

Here’s the skinny on this weekend:

*An Eagles win keeps our playoff hopes alive.

*A Washington loss this week, and the giants losing either of their next two games, means if the Eagles win out, we win the division.

*An Eagles loss will mathematically eliminate us from the post-season picture.

*A Washington win this week will mathematically eliminate us from the post-season picture.

So this weekend Eagles fans, you’re rooting for the Eagles, Ravens, and Panthers.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.

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

1) Run the ball: The Cowboys don’t have an answer for running QB’s. Three times they’ve faced one this year, and they’ve given up 38, 38, and 34 points respectively. All losses. Another 60 yard day from Jalen Hurts ought to do it.

Nooch!

2) Rush the passer: The last two QB’s we faced are both better known for running than throwing. This week the Eagles Defense goes up against a legit QB who reads coverages, audibles effectively, exploits free plays, knows how to throw for pass interference calls, etc. Oh, and he has actual weapons. If we don’t get heat on him, he will spend the day shredding our depleted Secondary.

3) Three sacks or fewer: Hurts has played in two and a half games and already has 5 rushing fumbles. That’s tied for second in the NFL. We have to limit the number of hits he takes, as a means of protecting the ball.

4) Cover Two, where are you?: Cover Zero and Cover One, can’t be played this week. We don’t have enough experience back there. Give those young guys some help. Play them in thirds, in Cover Two, Tampa Two, and Cover Four looks.

If we do these Four Things, the final score should be:

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Cowboys 17

Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.

THE RIVALS 2020 (PT 2 of 3)

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/12/02
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, NFC East, NFL, Offense, playoffs, Rivals, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN KIDDIES!!!

GENERALLY when I talk football, it’s about my Eagles. I tend to keep mum about our rivals, unless we have a game coming up against one of them. Otherwise, I’ve reserved most talk about them for my Pre-Draft Preview, which drops each April. (Look for it).

In 2017 however, I decided to try something new, and give our fan base a running commentary of what the division is doing around us. This ensures that Eagles fans actually are the NFL’s best informed, and most knowledgeable fans. (Provided you visit this site often.) These updates will come out three times during this season: After Weeks 6, 11, and 15.

This is where we left off.

This is where things are today:

Dallas: 3 – 8, 4th place in the NFC East

When last we left off, Dallas was 2 – 4, and leading the division. Wow right?

You know, just twelve weeks ago, this team was talked about as being a Super Bowl contender. They were simply gonna walk away with the NFC East. Just walk away with it! Today the talk is about whether or not they’re ditching injured QB Dak Prescott, to select a QB in the top five.

So that’s how that’s going.

Replacing Prescott is QB Andy Dalton. And then QB Ben “Bring It On!” DiNucci. And then QB Garrett Gilbert. And then Uncle Rico. And then QB Andy Dalton. And then…

They are a team ravaged by injuries. Aw.

Being beat to shit by injuries, just means playing in the 2020 NFL. Nobody cares. Work harder.

On defense, they aren’t playing any. No, that’s not fair. At the time of our last installment, they weren’t. Since then they’ve stopped allowing 36 points per game and now have it down to 32.6 per game. IMPROVEMENT! Did I mention the 23 – 9 loss where they got FOUR turnovers? I didn’t? Well they suffered a 9 – 23 loss where they got FOUR turnovers. And were still nearly blown out!

 

Washington: 4 – 7, 2nd place in the NFC East

QB Kyle Allen was lost for the season with a dislocated ankle, vs the same giants team that dislocated QB Dak Prescott’s ankle. Have no fear! QB Alex Smith will be the starter for the final leg of this journey. Thus far, he’s 2 – 1 as a starter over these last three games, despite being far from spectacular at either moving or protecting the ball.

Defensively, their last two opponents were Cincy and Dallas, both playing with back-up QB’s. Washington’s dance card is a bout to stiffen a little, so we’ll get to see just how many of these improvements were improvements, and how many were just games against stumbling opponents. To their credit, for a hot five or six minutes, this Football Team (ick) actually recaptured the top spot in the division.

Now they’re back to playing for Draft position.

 

New York: 4 – 7, 1st place in the NFC East

New York is out here breaking so many ankles, that maybe we should call them the New York Iversons. Frankly I’m glad that we’ve already seen them twice, and escaped with our QB. QB Daniel Jones is playing acceptable football, in the sense that he is no longer a turnover fountain.

The real story for these last few weeks, is RB Wayne Gallman. He isn’t flashy, but unlike injured starter RB Saquon Barkley, Gallman’s more consistent from one carry to the next. Barkley is one big play, and a lot of loss, no gain, short gain. Gallman’s 4.0 per carry is more like 4 yards on this carry, 3 on that one, five on this one, and so forth. That sort of production keeps 3rd downs more manageable, and doesn’t put the QB in tight spots. Gallman’s style stabilizes the offense, and makes Jones viable . The giants have a real conundrum on their hands once Barkley is healthy again.

Flying under the radar is a defense that has held opponents to 25 points or fewer for the last 6 games (20.0 ppg). I made this team my dark horse to win the East in 2020, and so far it seems like I had it read pretty well.

So that’s the state of our division rivals as our Eagles head into game 12. 

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 8: COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/11/02
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THE STREAK CONTINUES!!!!

EAGLES 23 – Cowboys 9 

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Carson Wentz: (15/27 – 55.5% – 123 – 2 – 2)

(S) RB Boston Scott: (15 – 70 – 4.6 – 0 – 0)

(S) WR Travis Fulgham: (7 – 6 – 78 – 13.0 – 1)

(S) MLB T.J. Edwards: (6 – 1.0 – 0 – 1)

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

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

1) Bait the QB: We had a few chances at interceptions (S Rod McLeod, DB Jalen Mills and LB Alex Singleton, etc.), but Eagles players just couldn’t seal the deal. We sacked their QB 4 times, but we harassed him and forced him consistently into missing needed passes and settling for ineffectual ones. (DONE)

2) Run the ball: The mark was 25+ handoffs. We managed just 22. On those handoffs we produced 102 yards for an average of 4.6 per tote. The only reason we didn’t run the ball more, was because yet again, the coaching staff elected to get cute with the play-calling. On a night when the wind was taking no prisoners. This was the height of stupidity and stupid arrogance. (NOT DONE)

3) Shark Tank!: Early on, the ball wasn’t thrown much into the middle of the field. So the Eagles never got the chance to set this up. They didn’t get this done, but this is more on me, for setting up a marker that was dependent on what our opponent dictated. The mark was missed, but the error is mine. I will do better in the future. (NOT DONE)

A mis-STAKE!!!??

4) Put on a clinic: We didn’t follow the blueprint for beating this team. In fact, we looked most of the time, like a headhunting boxer, searching for a knockout blow, instead of doing the work to set one up. The result was sloppy and uneven. (NOT DONE)

So this weeks Four Things score is 1 out of 4. Here at the team’s Bye week, we stand at 11 of 32. (That one miss being my fault.) Next week we get a Bye to rest up, and for the coaching staff to assess how to get some discipline out of this group.

The week after that, we look to extend our win streak and complete a sweep of the giants.

On The Whole: We looked bad. Let’s get that out of the way, right off. Now that that has been acknowledged, we apparently did enough to win the damned game. So obviously everything we did, wasn’t wrong.

We made the Cowboys RB-based run game look downright pedestrian, with 103 yards on 26 carries. They had a couple of WR reverses and some QB scramble yards, but nothing that they could hang their hats on.

The mission was to put the offense squarely on the shoulders of their trash talking QB, and he was clearly not up to the task. His stat line (21/40 – 52.5% – 180 – 0 – 0) doesn’t look so good when you consider that our CB’s play on deep cushions, which gives away free short completions, by design.

Lost in all of this is that this was A) The first game this year where we didn’t give up 20 points, B) A game in which we held an opponent to a single digit score, C) A game in which we allowed zero touchdowns, and D) A game in which Wentz managed to move the ball despite only having one receiver with more than 16 yards on the night.

Also, (shades of the Redskins game), Carson again threw two picks while trying to hook up with rookie WR’s Jalen Reagor and John Hightower. With WR DeSean Jackson on IR, Hightower is our home-run hitter. That said, Wentz and Hightower need to spend this Bye week playing catch somewhere, so they can finally get on the same page.

FOUR THINGS: WK 8: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/10/29
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

AFTER beating the giants, we’re looking to keep the win streak alive! Getting to the Cowboys QB, will be key to that this week. Fortunately for us, they don’t exactly specialize in protecting passers. This week, DE Brandon Graham (already on pace for a career year) gets to take the lunch money of the Cowboys rookie RT.

Washington being on their bye week, can’t add a win to challenge for the lead. At least not this week. That means whichever team wins this game, will be the top team in the division come Monday morning.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.

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

1) Bait the QB: The Cowboys are starting a third string QB, who was a 7th round draft pick, who transferred from a major university (Pitt), to a lesser one (James Madison) because he couldn’t beat out Nate Peterman for the starting spot. Getting pass rush to him will be a big deal, but showing him coverages that bait him into bad throws, would be even bigger.

2) Run the ball: The Cowboys defense is a bucket with no bottom. It’s incapable of containing anything. The Cowboys rank DEAD LAST vs the run. They even gave up 208 rushing yards last week, despite starting the game in a 5-2 alignment. No, you didn’t read that wrong. They ran a 5-2. In the NFL. In 2020. The Eagles need to hand this ball off 25+ times this week.

3) Shark Tank!: Early in the game, establish the middle of the field as dangerous for Cowboys receivers. Their QB is young, new to the scheme, and lacks a pedigree. The bottom line: There is no deep trust or rapport there yet. If he gets a couple of receivers blown up early, it’ll change how they run routes. It will also lower focus on balls, as receivers try to locate where those footsteps are coming from.

4) Put on a clinic: There is no need to finish this team quickly. They have typically died slow deaths at the hands of opposing run games, and an inability to get their defense off the field. There is no need to re-invent the wheel here. Dallas has laid out the blueprint on how to beat them. All we need to do, is actually follow it.

If we do these Four Things, the final score should be:

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Cowboys 17

Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.

THE RIVALS 2020 (PT 1 of 3)

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/10/21
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment
What winning the NFC East in 2020 is like.

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN KIDDIES!!!

GENERALLY when I talk football, it’s about my Eagles. I tend to keep mum about our rivals, unless we have a game coming up against one of them. Otherwise, I’ve reserved most talk about them for my Pre-Draft Preview, which drops each April. (Look for it).

In 2017 however, I decided to try something new, and give our fan base a running commentary of what the division is doing around us. This ensures that Eagles fans actually are the NFL’s best informed, and most knowledgeable fans. (Provided you visit this site often.) These updates will come out three times during the season: After Weeks 6, 11, and 17.

This is where things are today:

Football Team: 1 – 5, 4th place in the NFC East

Their opening week victory looks like the only one they’ll get this year. Since that game they’ve allowed 29.0 points per game on defense. On offense they decided to not only bench their starting QB Dwayne Haskins, but to demote him to their Practice Squad. The new starter, QB Kyle Allen, has so far done a pretty good impersonation of Haskins during games.

Part of their offensive woes stem from insisting that they can turn college WR Antonio Gibson, into a RB. He’s a big slot WR who was born to catch middle Screens, and hot reads off of blitzes. Any other coaching staff would have seen that. The Redsk- Oops! The Football Team, wastes possessions trying to force a square peg, into a cement covered sphincter.

On defense they made a big splash getting 8 sacks, against an injury decimated Eagles Offensive Line in Week 1. Since then, they have all of 8 sacks in 5 games. They do have 7 interceptions, half of which (4) belong to CB Kendall Fuller.

 

giants: 1 – 5 , 3rd place in the NFC East

The giants spent 4 weeks getting worse, then had an offensive explosion vs the Cowboys last Sunday. They continued to ride that wave of confidence to their first win of the season over the Football Team. That win officially enters them into the “Win The NFC East” raffle.

To add injury to insult, the team lost RB Saquon Barkley for the year, with a torn ACL in his right knee. That placed all the weight for carrying the offense on QB Daniel Jones. Jones has so far responded by leading the team in rushing, with 204 yards through 6 games (34.0 ypg). Throwing the ball he has 3 TD’s and 6 picks. So there’s that.

On defense they’re allowing a 70% completion rate, and 8 TD’s to 3 picks. They’re also good for 110 yards on the ground per game. On the up-side, Green Bay refugee LB’s Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell are leading the team with 2 and 3 sacks, as well as 5 and 6 tackles for losses, respectively. Martinez leads the team in tackles.

 

Dallas Cowboys: 2 – 4, 1st place in the NFC East

This team was 1 – 3 before losing QB Dak Prescott for the year, during a Week 5 win over the giants. The road ahead doesn’t appear any easier. Six games in and RB Ezekiel Elliott has yet to see 100 yards rushing in game. What’s more, he has 5 fumbles already this year. The offensive line is an injury ravaged mess.

Defensively they give up 36.3 points per game. Allowing at least 34 points in each of their last 5 games. They’ve surrendered 14 passing TD’s and have just 1 interception this season, with just 2 total takeaways. Their best defensive player (DE Aldon Smith) is a guy who spent the last 4 years out of football.

Worse than all of the statistical woes, this team doesn’t appear to be weathering the adversity well. The sideline body language, and lack of eye contact between players, is indicative of a powder keg.

Oh yeah, and there’s also the little matter of players throwing the coaching staff under the bus, after just 6 weeks. This is where Dallas needs their men of high character to step up and lead.

 

So that’s the state of our division rivals as our Eagles head into Week 7.

PLEASE COWBOYS, SIGN EARL THOMAS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/23
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Players, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

SAFETY Earl Thomas was thrown out of Baltimore today, after punching a teammate Friday. Conduct detrimental to the team they call it. He’s expressed on a few occasions his desire to play in Dallas, and I for one, hope like hell that they sign him.

Once upon a time while playing in Seattle’s Legion Of Boom secondary, Thomas was seen as possibly the premier FS in football. Heck, I wanted my Eagles to find a way to bring him here. He hit like a S, and covered as well as a CB. He even had a nose for the football with 21 interceptions, 45 passes defensed, and 10 forced fumbles in just his first 6 seasons.

But Earl Thomas hasn’t been “Earl Thomas” for a while now.

During his first 6 seasons he never missed a single game. However, in the last 4, he’s missed 27 in total (5 in 2016, 2 in 2017, 12 in 2018). So with him now being 30, his durability is clearly in question. He didn’t play Week 17 in 2019, but he was being rested for the playoffs. That can’t be held against him.

While all those missed games of course meant lower stats, it also became clear that he’d lost a step, as he was moved from FS to SS, once he signed with the Ravens last year. The added fact that Baltimore was willing to part ways with him so fast, also indicates that they feel he’s readily replaceable. All of which is telling.

The biggest thing however, is the lack of maturity. Seattle fostered a competitive, combative environment, which works very well for up-and-coming, young players. It however, ages poorly on stars who are supposed to transition into leaders and leaders of men. Instead they basically acted like teen bullies.

Thomas, CB Richard Sherman, CB Byron Maxwell, S Kam Chancellor… They never gave off the impression of being able to be The Man. There is nothing about them, that suggested being capable of being the grown-up in a room. Seattle’s low expectations (head coach, front office, fans) failed them in this regard.

To that end, Thomas has grown into a very old, very cranky child, who is essentially locker room cancer now, and does not know how to handle his business in public, apparently in private (OH BROTHER!), and from the looks of it, maybe even now on the field. 

That all being said, I would be THRILLED if he showed up on the roster of a division rival! Especially with a brand new head coach trying to establish a winning culture built on talent, intelligent choices, and individual accountability. That shit would make my day!

Gun to my head, if I had to pick where he goes, I’m hoping it happens to the only team in the division who could challenge the Eagles in 2020. Please, please, PLEASE Cowboys, go out and buy your locker room some gangrene. Here’s hoping that the Dallas Cowboys front office will be the Philadelphia Eagles 2020 MVP.

COWBOYS ADD PAST RUSH

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/14
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, free agents, NFC East, Players, Rants, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

bruce springsteen.jpg

LOOKS like the Cowboys have done it again! Yet again, they’ve put on Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” and reached into the fog, and back through the ages. They grabbed onto DE Everson Griffen’s 2017 reputation, and pulled it into the present. They stood over it proudly. Then they gave it some money. Never considering that Griffen’s body comes with his past reputation.

Griffen is coming off of an 8 sack season in Minnesota. He started 15 games, playing 848 defensive snaps. Apparently the Vikings felt that his back-up, DE Ifeadi Odenigbo (7 sacks, 0 starts, 368 snaps) made Griffen expendable enough to just let walk. That is telling. It makes me wonder about what went on in the treatment room.

Cowboys mainstay DE Demarcus Lawrence hasn’t been the same guy since his 14.5 sack season three years ago. Funny, that was also a contract year. Since getting his money, Lawrence has provided diminishing returns, despite having reliable help along the line.

lane jonson stonewalls demarcus lawrence as carson wentz sets to deliver.

Having not played a snap since 2015, it seemed that DE Aldon Smith was more like All Done Smith. Even before his 4 year hiatus, Smith had spent his last three seasons being a shadow of the player he’d been in his first two seasons. Frankly, the addition of Griffen, this late in the game, doesn’t indicate much faith in Smith.

The team also added DT’s Dontari Poe and Gerald Warren. Both are solid pass rushers, but they both saw diminished snaps in 2019, and were allowed to just walk out the door after the season.

Po Teletubbies

So the Cowboys went out and assembled, what would have been a really good defensive line in 2012. Except well…Demarcus Lawrence wasn’t in the NFL back then. He and Aldon Smith have never been good at the same time.

Past rush, or pass rust, Griffen’s signing seems to indicate that the Cowboys are already disappointed with the firepower they added months ago.

In the blink of a young girl’s eye, glory days!

Bruce-Springsteen.jpg

THE NFC EAST IS OURS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/07/25
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Rivals, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

ap-carson-wentz-eagles-bears-firstdown

REPEATING as division champs in 2021 may have just gotten easier for the Philadelphia Eagles. With the NFL officially announcing the cancellation of the 2020 preseason, all teams will have to go from Training Camp and practices, directly to games that count.​

This means no team gets any dress rehearsal games to see who can and and who can’t play. Some like to cry about how this will affect fringe players, who traditionally need some tape to help them make other teams. This however, gifts the Eagles with some serious early advantages.​

2.7 New boss

The first advantage we get, is all three of our division rivals have new head coaches. We knew we’d have that months ago, but the advantage has stiffened for us. All of our opponent’s players are learning totally new systems, and will have to deal with the trial and ERRORS that come as a result of so much change.​

Some may argue that the Dallas Cowboys offense is an exception, because they kept their old system and coordinator. The knee-jerk reaction is that, at least their offense should be fine. However, it can be argued that in some ways, that may make things worse for them. Much worse.​

Rhythm counts a great deal in football. A new coach will call a game differently, making the familiar feel either, “refreshing” at best, or “foreign” at worst. Throw in a new C to QB exchange, plus a dip in TE run-blocking talent, and you have the makings of a seriously off-rhythm team, that becomes frustrated when reliable plays from the last four years, suddenly aren’t. Particularly in the early part of the season.​ 

The second advantage we get, is that we aren’t relying on “hope” anywhere. None of our starters are being replaced by rookies that we hope we can lean on early. None of our free agents have been out of football for years, hoping to make a comeback. We aren’t relying on someone to be reinstated, in hopes of getting a talent boost at a weak position.​ 

fake tits

Our rookies can be rookies, and our free agent acquisitions are all bonafide.​

The third advantage we get, is that our coaching staff and our roster, can trust each other already. We can literally pick everything up from the end of the 2019 season, and start building immediately off of that. No other NFC East team can claim that.​

The fourth advantage we get is, a division game in the first week, versus the Redskins. (That’s what I’m calling them, until they have an actual name.) The giants and Cowboys don’t see a division rival until week five. An early win over the ‘skins, puts us out ahead of any tied division record, and gets the team thinking like division leaders.​

If the Eagles can develop an early swagger like we did after that 61 yard FG in 2017… Yeah. we have some SERIOUS advantages going into 2020. Here’s to staying healthy this year. ​

Jake Elliott 9.24.2017