Dallas Goedert

All posts tagged Dallas Goedert

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: DIVISIONAL ROUND: GIANTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/01/22
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC Championship, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
RB Kenneth Gainwell rips off 35 yard touchdown run on a day where he was also a giant killer

TOLD you we wouldn’t lose.

EAGLES 38 – giants 7

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 (16/24 – 66.6% – 154 – 2 – 0)

Rushing : (B) RB Kenneth Gainwell (12 – 112 – 9.3 –1 – 0)

Receiving :(S) WR Devonta Smith (10 – 6 – 61 – 10.1 – 1)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (3 (18) + 5 (5) – 1 (-2) = 21) RT Lane Johnson

Drive Killer : (S) CB James Bradberry (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) DE Josh Sweat (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 1)

Ace : N/A

****

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:

1) Feed Miles Sanders: Early on the Eagles made a point of feeding RB Miles Sanders (17 – 90 – 5.2 – 0 – 0), who led the team in carries. It wasn’t until the 4th drive that Philadelphia began using Sanders to impose our will on New York, but once we did, a tone was set, and then the volume was cranked way up.

We ran for 268 yards on those scrubs. Kenneth Gainwell led the team with 112 yards, but RB Boston Scott (6 – 32 – 5.3 – 1 – 0) also chipped in. Our run game allowed us to control the clock for 35:43 of the 60 minute contest. As a result our defense was well rested, and able to play fast and relentless. We used one side of the ball to enhance another. Excellent! (DONE)

2) Time for the Kerrigan Plan: Getting the ball to TE Dallas Goedert (5 – 5 – 58 – 11.6 – 1) worked like a charm! We were able to get it to him at will. Though we surely left some money on the table, the run game was too efficient to turn away from.

In the meantime, covering Goedert popped the giants defense open like a steamed clam. Since the run game kept chewing up real estate, there was no need to overdo things. That said, next week’s opponent won’t be getting much sleep this week. (DONE)

3) Set those edges HARD: We were a lot better about this in the middle of the game. We started slow and finished slow with this, but we did enough to make their run game unreliable, which was the entire point. (DONE)

4) You Shall Not Pass: Show everyone EXACTLY who QB Daniel Jones (15/27 – 55.5% – 135 – 0 – 1) really is. For weeks now, we’ve been hearing how awesome this awful QB is. The idea was to take away the run (CHECK!), put the game on his shoulders (CHECK!), and see just how great this overblown bust really is.

OLB Haason Reddick chops down QB Daniel Jones

We spent the game harassing him, and sacking him 5 times. He was not up to the pressure of the moment, and in no way resembled the QB who tore into a fraudulent Vikings team last week. See his numbers? See that final score? (DONE)

****

This week we hit ALL FOUR THINGS, and how! Next week some other poor sucker has to make the trip to Philadelphia for the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, just to be put on a plane, and sent home to clean out their lockers. No clue who they’ll be, but with any luck it’ll be San Francisco.

****

On The Whole:

This game was worse than the 48 – 22 blowout from a few weeks ago. Not only was the point margin larger, but we dominated across the board. Anyone in the giants organization who doesn’t now see that the giants are years behind the Eagles, doesn’t have an opinion worth listening to.

FOUR THINGS: WK 18: EAGLES – GIANTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/01/05
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LAST week was a total disaster. We lost to a bottom-feeder team, when we stood to gain directly from their loss. We blew it from stem to stern. Worse yet, we had a player (DE Josh Sweat) leave the game in an ambulance.

On the menu this week, is a giants team that we carved up 48 – 22, just four weeks ago, while playing what I said, was our best game of the season. It’s unlikely that the giants have gotten 26 points better in the last four weeks, so if we put our hardhats on, we should be able to exploit the same weaknesses this time around.

With a win we lock-up the NFL’s best record this season, at 14 – 3. A win would also mean that we lock-up the division, and the #1 seed in the National Football Conference. That’s regardless of whatever else happens. More importantly, it would mean that we went 4 – 2 in our division, and not 3 – 3. We would have at least swept the giants.

A loss opens the door to Dallas winning the division, and us falling to the 5th seed in the conference. The NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint, and the finish line is ahead of us, not behind.

****

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: giants.

1) Give Sanders the Ball: For fuck’s sake, run the damned ball! Specifically with RB Miles Sanders. Do it to beat up their defensive front. Do it to give our Defense a chance to catch their breath. Do it to set up play-action. Do it because Sanders is one of the best backs in the league, when he gets carries like a real starter.

This is not a game where QB Jalen Hurts should have more than TWO designed runs. (QB Sneaks don’t count.) Scrambling is fine, but it should be the aim of this Offensive line that Hurts’ jersey should still smell like Tide when the game is over. Hand-offs will help that immensely.

2) Set the Edges: Last time we didn’t let them run inside. This time we want to send the message that we can also handle size on the perimeter. Especially after what “QB” Taysom Hill did to us last week. It was just 46 yards on 14 carries (3.2ypc), but he muscled his way for almost all of it. We can’t let that happen!

Force smaller holes, and funnel everything down and inside to MLB T.J. Edwards. For more pop, it would be great if LB Nakobe Dean started over OLB Kyzir White, but that’s not likely to happen just yet.

3) Show Dallas Some Love: Running TE Dallas Goedert down the seam can keep the run game open. Nothing about this needs to be clever or complicated. Put Goedert on a few routes up the field, and to the outside of the box. Some play-action, then a short pass. Boom. That’s it. Shorter passes will also preserve Hurts shoulder, and get the ball out of his hand quickly, cutting down on hits he takes.

Executing a couple of these early, will make the giants do one of two things. Either pull an OLB to the outer edge of the box, which will open up the run game. Or if they pull a S down into the box, daring Hurts to go deep, his deep passes will be easier to place.

4) Go Get Ball!: The Eagles have to be better about forcing turnovers. Over the last 3 games we have 8 giveaways to just 4 takeaways. The giveaway issue goes without saying. That said, aside from clawing at the ball during tackles, I can’t say that I’ve seen many Eagles defenders go for the ball, in the last few weeks.

That has to change this week. We need two turnovers in this one. We haven’t had two turnovers in a game since Green Bay in Week 12. Enough. Go get the ball!!

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

This game isn’t about beating the giants. It’s about not choking. For 17 weeks we’ve been at the head of the class of the NFL. Sadly, due to two late stumbles, we face being pulled back into the middle of the pack. Now we face either never being the road team in these playoffs, or possibly never being the home team.

Whether we play in our house or on the road, isn’t the issue. The Eagles can beat anyone put in front of us. The issue is the perception that the Eagles can be had if there are stakes to play for. We don’t need to empower opponents with that, or let the idea creep into our own player’s heads.

****

Prediction: EAGLES 28 – giants 20

WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

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

FOUR THINGS: WK 16: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/12/23
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

OUR win over the Bears came at a cost, as our QB Jalen, hurts with (what we’re told is) a shoulder sprain. (See wha’ aw deed there? (Yes! And then I wrote with Sharlto Copley’s accent. You’re welcome!) In any case, we toughed our way past injury, brutal cold, and an opponent that I warned last week, that we can’t let hang around.

This week’s opponent doesn’t do so well against the run. Given that running the ball is a strength of ours, it can be the Trojan Horse that we use to sneak in our passing game this week. In that way we’d exploit a glaring Cowboys weakness, while strategically attacking what would normally be a strength that they rely on.

QB Gardner Minshew. Dallas, you have a problem.

A win here makes us 14 – 1, and uncatchable both as the winner of the NFC East, and as the #1 seed in the NFC. A win here also means, the only playoff game we’d play on the road, would be the Super Bowl. A win here would have the NFL looking at Eagles back-up QB Gardner Minshew and thinking, “Oh shit. Not again”

A loss puts us at 13 – 2 , leaving the division winner, and #1 seed in question for at least one more week. Which is why this game will be a NASTY one. Anyone who thinks they want it more than we do, is about to find themselves slumped over a fire hydrant. (Had to go old school, to paint that picture.)

****

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Cowboys

WR A.J. Brown for six ahead of olb/DE Micah Parsons

1) Make their OLB’s Cover: It’s a given that OLB Micah Parsons is just a pass rusher. He’s a good one, but he’s exploitable in coverage and against the run. Almost to the point of being a liability. So run at him. Also have TE Dallas Goedert motion to Parson’s outside hip, so that when he pass rushes, he leaves Goedert open at the snap. Easy money until the Cowboys make Parsons cover.

The other OLB Anthony Barr doesn’t see as many snaps due to Nickel and Dime packages, but with his his age (30), weight (250), and injury history to his right leg, he’s no match for either WR Quez Watkins or WR Zach Pascal. Line them up on his outside leg and run him out of the box. Or even better, sub him out for smaller.

2) Punish the Blitz: The Cowboys like to walk S Donovan Wilson up into the ‘A’ and ‘B’ gaps to let him rush the QB practically unblocked. They’ve gotten him 4 sacks and 8 QB hits off of this tactic. Said the Little Tailor “Ahhh, but I know a trick worth two of that!”

With Hurts out of the game, it’s an automatic that hand-offs are back on the menu. So use play-action. No! Better yet, abuse play-action. Get the blitzer to honor the RB, so that Minshew has a second longer to let a receiver come uncovered on a quick route up the seam. Or put RB Miles Sanders in motion for a Quick Screen pass.

3) Take Away the Quick Stuff: Of course CB’s Darius “Big Play” Slay and James Bradberry will play aggressively, but NCB Avonte Maddox needs to delay receivers releases into their patterns. Give no quick timing throws to QB Dak Prescott. We don’t have to shut the receivers down, just throw Prescott off.

Get their routes unfolding at a slower rate, than Prescott’s muscle memory. That doesn’t mean slow the game down for him! The pass rush is still coming at full speed! Due to a rash of interceptions, he’s said last week that he has to do a better job of assessing risk. Get him holding the ball a little longer, and get some sack/fumbles.

Our BACK-UPS at DT: Marvin Williams, Linval Joseph, Ndamukong Suh. This is so damned unfair.

4) Squeeze and Occupy the Gaps: This game will be won or lost at the Line Of Scrimmage. We don’t need to tackle their RB’s for a loss on every play. However, if we get bodies in the gaps and narrow run holes, (that goes for the ‘C’ gaps too!) it gives us time to get population to the football, and slow their run game down.

We don’t need to shut down their run, just make it unreliable. The more bodies we can put in gaps, the cleaner MLB T.J. Edwards stays. So take the run off the table and force Prescott to have to carry his team.

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

This is going to be a physical game, since both teams need the win. We need it to be able to rest players, and maybe practice new concepts for the playoffs. A win allows us to give some guys a day of two off. Just like Spring baseball.

Goosebumps.

The Cowboys on the other hand, need this game to have a mathematical chance at the East’s 2022 banner. A loss here will lock them in as the 5th seed. Yet they couldn’t afford to rest starters, with Prescott’s interception issue not being resolved. They need more reps to work on what’s wrong with their passing game.

So the Cowboys have to play the next two games hard, and then play Wild Card week. If we start the pounding on Saturday, they should be fall apart tender by the time we see them in four to five weeks. So let’s get to tenderizing!

Oh, and expect a nail-biter.

****

Prediction: EAGLES 21 – Cowboys 20

WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

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

FOUR THINGS: WK 6: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/10/14
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, free agents, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

UNDEFEATED. Still! We overcame adversity in the desert, snatching 139 rushing yards from a team that was only giving up 87 per game. This week we get a division rival that has given up 117 rushing yards per game, while only facing bottom feeder offenses.

They lean on their defense, which features a voracious pass rush, which was fortunate enough to face FOUR struggling offensive lines (and lost to one of them). Our Offensive Line, led by RT Lane Johnson, C Jason Kelce, and LT Jordan Mailata, is not struggling. Our Line is physical and dominant.

We’re told that styles make fights? Well, ding…ding.

A win raises us to 6 – 0, and keeps us at the head of the NFL table. With our opponent being 4 – 1, they are currently one game behind our 5 – 0. A win here opens up our lead in the East, putting distance between the two teams. A loss pulls us even record-wise, but would give them the lead in the East, by head-to-head tie-breaker.

****

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Cowboys

1) Score points: There’s a stat that says the Cowboys defense hasn’t allowed any opponent three touchdowns in any game this season. That’s 100% true. However, a lot of context is left out of that. Every team they’ve faced, already has trouble scoring three touchdowns in ANY game.

I’m fond of saying that the Universe’s favorite flavor of justice, is irony. So since we’re talking about not being able to score three touchdowns, the Cowboys offense is also in that club this season. Our Eagles on the other hand, have done it EVERY WEEK, except last week. Three touchdowns should put this game out of the Cowboys reach.

2) Drop the Mic(ah): Getting TE Dallas Goedert some quick, short passes would make the day super easy for QB Jalen Hurts. The Cowboys almost exclusively use OLB Micah Parsons as a pass rusher off the edge. So when he rushes forward, there’s going to be a vacated area right behind where he was lined up. That vacated area is where Goedert needs to camp out. So either Goedert gets to feast, or Parsons has to cover.

Just some quick short passes, where Goedert can quickly turn upfield for an extra 4 yards or more. Eventually their secondary will load the box to stop the run, and those short passes. Whenever that happens, Goedert can chip Parsons, to give Hurts time to take advantage of one-on ones-on the outside, or WR Quez Watkins down the hash.

3) Stay At Home: Same as most weeks. Just get DE’s Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat to set hard edges against the run. With RB Ezekiel Elliott no longer being very explosive, and RB Tony Pollard needing a build-up to break tackles; the easiest way to contain the Cowboys run game, is to bottle it up behind their line. The idea is to take away the run early, and put the game on QB Cooper Rush’s shoulders.

4) Rush Rush: The left side of the Cowboys offensive line is a car wreck. C Tyler Biadasz is no Travis Frederick. G Connor McGovern is the guy they passed over, to sign and start what’s left of Jason Peters, who will apparently put on red pumps and work that corner, for anyone who offers league minimum. But with Peters injured (show of hands if you’re surprised), the Cowboys now have to start the guy they said “Naw” to. At LT is penalty king Tyler Smith.

The game here is simple. DT’s Jordan Davis and Javon Hargrave help collapse the left side of the line, and make Rush reset his feet. He’s smart, and knows where he’s going with the ball, due to his familiarity with the system. So don’t waste time trying to trick him or fool him. Instead, make it about the physical limitations that kept him from getting drafted. His lack of arm strength, foot speed, and needing plays to run on schedule.

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

The Bengals scoring offense, ranked (17th) is the highest ranked scoring offense that the Cowboys have faced. The Eagles have faced Detroit (3rd), Minnesota (12th) and Jacksonville (15th). The Cowboys average 18.6 points per game. We average 27.0 and have yet to score fewer than 20. They’ve reached 24 points once this season. We put up 24 points in a quarter. Twice so far.

The Cowboys are an over-hyped defense, coupled with an over-hyped QB, that have both had tons of mediocrity somehow omitted from their stories. Let me contextualize this Cowboys defense, and their “amazing”pass rush. Four of the five teams they’ve faced, have deep offensive line problems:

* Tampa Bay lost two starters to I.R. during the preseason and one more during the first game vs the Cowboys.

*Washington’s C and one of their G’s (who is also their back-up C), are on I.R.

*The Bengals troubles go back to last season, and their offseason answers (one of which is former Cowboy La’el Collins) have blown up on the launch pad.

*The Rams have both of their G’s on I.R. and their C is gutting out a foot injury. It’s why they’ve given up 21 sacks and average just 62 rushing yards per game. (Perspective: We average 160.0)

The Cowboys offense has scored all of 7 touchdowns in five games. Sorry, that’s 7 touchdowns in four games. (Tampa Bay held them to a single field goal.) Despite those facts, everywhere you look, there’s more praise for their QB because he’s 4 – 0 this season.

We’ve seen adversity and they’ve been handed roll-over games. Yet the media wants to talk like this is a meeting of two evenly matched teams?! Naw. You gotta miss me with that trash.

****

Prediction: EAGLES 28 – Cowboys 16

WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 5: CARDINALS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/10/10
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TE Dallas Goedert signals FIRST DOWN!

PHILADELPHIA declared open season on Cardinals, this week!

EAGLES 20 – Cardinals 17

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 (26/36 – 72.2% – 239 – 0 – 0)

Rushing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (15 – 61 – 4.0 – 2 – 0)

Receiving :(S) TE Dallas Goedert (9 – 8 – 95 – 11.8 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (2 + 1 – 2 = 9) / C Jason Kelce

Drive Killer : (S) SS Chauncey Gardener-Johnson (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0.)

Sack Leader : (S) OLB Hasaan Reddick (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

Ace : K Cameron Dicker (Filling in this week. 2/2 FG’s including the game winner)

****

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: Cardinals did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

SS Chauncey Gardener-Johnson gets his first pick as an Eagle

1) Fence Him In: We started out doing this, and it helped us to control the pace of the game. The Cardinals however, decided to start taking advantage of all the off-coverage we were playing, and everything fell apart form there. Too often their QB would take the snap, turn, and fire the ball. We didn’t make him hold the ball. We didn’t make him read. He completed 66% of his passes, and most of them were gimmies. (NOT DONE)

2) Tackle Securely: Tackling started out good, but it got worse as the game wore on. No. That’s not it. Actually, it seemed as if having to tackle 230 pound RB James Conner (9 – 55 – 6.1 – 0 – 0 ), took some of the starch out of the Eagles. Nobody on the Defense seemed to want to bang bodies. Interesting. (NOT DONE)

3) Throw the Ball: We had 36 pass attempts to just 18 hand-offs. So yes, we threw the ball. Unfortunately, so much of it was on Screen passes. I mean, a Screen to Devonta Smith (11 – 10 – 87 – 8.7 – 0) on 2nd and 20? What the fuck for?! Never mind. Never mind. That said, with passes being 66% of our play selection this week, it’s impossible to not rate this as (DONE)

4) Read-Option Early: We showed it early, which was what I suggested. Sadly though, when you run the QB as often as you hand it off, opponents stop buying the Read-Option and play-action. We got away with it this week, but don’t expect that from every opponent. (DONE)

****

K Cameron Dicker hits game winner whilst filling in for injured K Jake Elliott.

This week we did 2 of the Four Things, and fittingly, barely eeked out a win, off the toe of a substitute Kicker. (The smell of mimeograph ink, hung practically hung in the air.) Next week we take on the division’s second place team: the Dallas Cowboys.

****

On The Whole:

Yet again the Eagles couldn’t put together two halves of a football game. For the fourth game in a row, the Offense just stalled out in the second half. I know everyone wants to heap a ton of praise on Jalen Hurts, but he has yet to play an entire football game, at a high level this year.

QB Jalen Hurts led the team in rushing again

When the Eagles went to a ground based attack on their final drive, it proved very effective. We ran 17 plays, with the 13 of those being runs. The 3 passes? A completion for -2 yards, another for 16 yards, and an incompletion. All of which culminated in the game winning field goal.

The Defense is very active, aggressive, and generally well-disciplined. We have an extremely assignment sound unit here. What our Defense isn’t, is tough. It’s not physical. There’s a lot of swagger, but nothing that teams fear coming in. That showed today with the way they attempted to run Conner at us, despite knowing that he’s fragile.

In any case, the Eagles ended the day 5 – 0. Which was the point.

FOUR THINGS: WK 2: EAGLES – VIKINGS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/17
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

AFTER churning out 216 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 5.5 yards per carry, all on the ground, guess what we’re getting! A Vikings team that allowed the lowly Packers, to run for 118 yards and a 6.2 yard average. Looks like this HOME OPENER is one of those “Just run the ball” (mainly with RB Miles Sanders) type situations. SO LET’S GO!!!

RB Miles Sanders

A win means going to 2 – 0, and holding onto the division lead by virtue of defeating two conference opponents. A loss makes us .500 and probably puts us in second place. That is, unless the entire division loses out, which would leave things just as they are.

****

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Vikings

MLB T.J. Edwards showing what a good tackle looks like.

1) Stop Being Lazy Tacklers: Last week, there were too many repeated instances of our defenders not wrapping up. It also looked as if fatigue was a factor. Players didn’t play during the preseason, so none of them got “seasoned”. They came to camp in workout shape, but never played their way into FOOTBALL shape.

What happened is, they got tired, and the tackle attempts became lazy. Listen, our guys don’t need a refresher in tackling technique. They’re defensive players. They’ve been tackling people for years now. They know how to do it, they just have to not be lazy about it this week.

2) Don’t Get Rattled: Minnesota’s victory last week looks dominant at a glance, but when you get under the hood, context tells a very different story. It was a game where they scored a first quarter, and a late second quarter touchdown. Their final three scores were just field goals. From 17 points in the first half, to just 6 in the second. Green Bay clearly figured out how to slow them down. We can learn from that.

Speaking of the Packers, two of Minny’s key defensive contributors, OLB Zadarius Smith and CB Chandon Sullivan, jumped ship from Green Bay this offseason. So the Viking defense got two guys who could explain Green Bay’s defense, and who had also gone against QB Aaron Rodgers in many practices. So the Vikings had the Packers blueprints! They’ll have no such advantage this week.

3) Eagles vs Kerrigan: From 2017 and 2019, we swept the Redskins for three years straight. Our game plan was simple. Use their strength as a weakness. Since their 3-4 OLB’s (one of which was Ryan Kerrigan) were more like DE’s in a 5-2, the Flat was generally going to be 7-11 (always open). We killed them for years throwing Outs to TE Zach Ertz, and Wheel routes to RB’s like Darren Sproles and Boston Scott.

Fast forward to now. Having OLB’s who are 263, and 272 pound pass rushers, the Vikings actually have DE’s playing more of a 5 – 2 front. With their pass rush coming off the edge, and trying to contain QB Jalen Hurts, this week would be a great week for some RB Screens, and some Outs to TE Dallas Goedert.

4) Work the Hash: Hurts likes to bootleg to his right. Everyone knows it, which is why last week, Detroit repeatedly stacked blitzers on their left edge. Hurts didn’t throw any picks against it, but he was hurried repeatedly. Expect to see that keep happening, until Hurts solves it. Okay now here’s how to solve it: Passes to the TE or the Slot WR right along the hash.

Any edge blitz in a 5 – 2 they’d have to declare early. So they won’t do that. What they’ll more likely do, is walk an ILB up into a gap, and cause an overloaded end. If that happens, then the TE should be immediately open, up the hash. The only way to take that away, would be to drop the OLB, giving Hurts room to run.

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

Last week’s game against the Lions had no business being as hard as it was. We played down to a lesser team, and it may be providing this week’s opponent with more confidence than they would otherwise come to Philly with. Unfortunately, we created that problem, and we’re going to have it until we prove it’s no longer a problem.

As far as covering the Vikings WR’s, that’s why we have CB Darius Slay, and CB James Bradberry. We also have depth there, but the focus will be on forcing QB Kirk Cousins to hold onto the ball. The Vikings don’t run the same offense as Detroit, so stop being haunted by QB Jared Goff’s release time last week. Focus on the opponent in front of us.

If this game were being played in Minnesota, I’d write it up as a loss. There would be too many intangibles against us (opponent confidence, us being haunted by a shaky performance, their crowd, travel, etc.) However, playing here means that that playing field has been leveled.

With a level playing field, it’s down to superior talent and execution. They have a great roster, but they don’t have ours. The Vikings scored 23 points last week. We scored 24 points. In the second quarter last week. They’re a legit team, but not worth worrying over.

FYI: WR Jalen Reagor has started in an NFL Playoff game. WR Justin Jefferson has never even been in an NFL Playoff game.

****

Prediction: EAGLES 27 – Vikings 20

WARNING: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

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

#12: PLUMBER OR JEWELER

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/10
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Offense, Players, Roster, The 12, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

PRESSURE can bursts pipes, or make diamonds. So do we need a plumber, or a jeweler? Understand, TE J.J. Arcega-Whiteside switching position from WR, isn’t just pressure on him. The Eagles also have quite a bit at stake. In fact, it could be argued that the stakes are higher for the team, than for the player. The Eagles need for this move to work, more than JJAW does.

Aside from TE Dallas Goedert, the Eagles don’t have a receiver at the TE position. That’s where JJAW needs to come in. We know he can block and play Special Teams, and we need him for those things already. We just have to see if the change in positional coaching, will change his perspective enough to make him a respectable option, if he should have to start.

JJAW runs well enough. The issue is his reliability as a receiver. On a career 35 targets, he has just 16 catches for a 45% catch rate. Keep in mind, only 3 of those 19 incompletions are drops, but still, that 45% catch rate almost makes him a member of the opposing defense. Aside from the 3 drops, he’s had 16 phantom (balls not dropped) incompletions. Those are his worst enemy.

Little things like allowing himself to be undercut, and not attacking the ball. It’s not a drop, but this incompletion (interception) is very much on JJAW

Whether it’s miscommunication on routes, being late to signal when open, not being physical coming back to the ball, whatever. These are some of the things that cause phantom incompletions. The difference between being a talented WR, and being a professional one, is technique. JJAW wasn’t getting WR technique, so the team is hoping a different perspective will give the team access to his physical talents.

The Birds re-signed TE Richard Rogers, but if they were serious about him, they wouldn’t have a total of seven TE’s on a roster, likely to only carry three. TE Jack Stoll is a very good blocker whom I discussed in a prior installment. Stoll can be a chain mover, but he’s never going to be a match-up headache.

Rookie TE Grant Calcaterra has had so many concussions that he no longer has a count. Some media outlets report the number as three, but anything you read quoting Calcaterra (before he unretired), hints STRONGLY that the number is well north of that. Well north. The fact that there is no solid number reported anywhere, is terrifying in itself.

Promising young TE Tyree Jackson is still rehabbing a blown ACL, and TE Noah Togiai is getting cut. Early. So this preseason JJAW has to be put through the ringer. At least a dozen targets in the preseason, and some work in-line. He can’t be some pet guy that we’re stashing on the roster. Both the player and the team need to find a way to make this work.

This guy was drafted to be a redzone threat. With a running QB, he could be a nightmare.

Given his Combine scouting, I don’t know why this move wasn’t made years ago. No matter. If both sides can make this work, the Eagles might end up with a player very similar to former TE Jordan Reed. (Minus the concussions.) He wouldn’t be a steal, but he certainly wouldn’t be a wasted second round pick anymore.

#11: SPLIT ‘EM DEEP

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/09
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, NFC East, Offense, Players, Roster, Super Bowl, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WE’VE been told that WR Quez Watkins is going to be working in the Slot, a lot more this year. In an earlier article, I said that we should use Watkins and RB Kenneth Gainwell as a one-two punch in the Slot. Picture it: We pound teams with 12 Personnel, then we make them chase either raw speed, or short area shiftiness. Nasty! Just plain nasty!

When the Eagles won the Super Bowl following the 2017 season, they did it behind WR Torrey Smith taking the top off of defenses, and allowing room for TE Zach Ertz to work underneath. Having to keep a Safety over Ertz, made it easier to get balls downfield, into WR Alshon Jeffrey’s insane catch radius. Having to cover all of that, is what opened up the room for the run game to pile up 2115 yards (132 ypg).

For the next couple of years, the Eagles tried to replicate that formula, first replacing Smith with WR Mike Wallace (2018), who was hurt two games into the season; and then re-uniting with WR DeSean Jackson (2019), who was hurt three games into the season. (Note: It’s not that the formula didn’t work, it’s that we didn’t have the horses to run it.)

Well, now we have a new formula, and I personally LOVE it! I’ve been saying since DJax was here, that we should put our burner in the Slot, not on the Outside. This one move does more than the old formula does, and it does it much more simply.

Watkins in the Slot running “Go” and clear-out routes right down the middle, means that a defense in Single-high coverage, can offer no help to their CB’s. That frequently puts WR Devonta Smith and WR A.J. Brown in one-on-one coverage, on opposite sides of the field. Imagine a CB alone in space with Brown, after the catch. Damned near animal cruelty, right?

Watkins in the Slot running “Go” and clear-out routes right down the middle, means that a defense in Cover Two, has to squeeze the Safeties together, instead of letting them drift out to help the CB’s. (See above result.) This means committing extra resources to coverage. So now instead of four back deep, they have five back deep.

Five back deep, means a six man front. It means they’re in Nickel. Ladies and gentlemen, have you met our run game? Give a hand to RB Miles Sanders! And playing the part of Charlie Mack, I give you LT Jordan Mailata, and LG Landon Dickerson!

First out da limo.

Oh wait! We haven’t even started on TE Dallas Goedert on 15 yard Outs, after play-action. Watkins in the Slot will also force teams to declare more coverages, making pre-snap reads easier for QB Jalen Hurts. (This is where spreading the Offense really gets it’s mojo workin’.) All of which is done easily with Watkins being a speed merchant.

I hear you ask: How dangerous can a speed merchant really be? I mentioned Torrey Smith earlier. In 2017 he played in all 16 games, catching just 36 balls for 430 yards (11.9) and just 2 TD’s. Small numbers, right? However, it was his presence that made him the catalyst for the entire Offense. The loss of that, was 75% of why the Eagles looked so disjointed in 2018 and 2019.

Folks, people are predicting us to win the East, but I… I might already be looking past that. I’m telling you, if Hurts can read defenses better in 2022, the entire NFC (not just the East), is on notice. Rams, Bucs, Green Bay AT Lambeau. All of that. We want ALL the smoke.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 13: Jets

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/12/06
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

EAGLES Aces shoot down Jets.

EAGLES 33 – Jets 18

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 Gardner Minshew (20/25 – 80.0% – 242 – 2 – 0)

Rushing: (S) RB Miles Sanders (24 – 120 – 5.0 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: (S) TE Dallas Goedert (6 – 6 – 105 – 17.5 – 2)

Offensive Line Report: (1 + 2:1 – 1)

Drive Killer: (R ) S Marcus Epps (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader: (S) DE Josh Sweat (3 – 1.5 – 0 – 0)

****

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: Jets did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Play Our Aces: Second and third stringers were sprinkled in here and there, in this game. However, it was mostly just sprinkling in. There was none of the Emotional Fuckwitage of last week’s debacle, with bench players frequently in for key possessions.

Our lead RB had more carries and rushing yards than all Eagles, combined. The weekly mismatch that is our starting TE, led the team in targets and even scored twice. It’s a simple formula folks, and it worked with an unnerving amount of ease. (DONE)

2) Interior Pass Rush: While DT Javon Hargrave (2 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) did get a piece of the QB, the interior pass rush wasn’t nearly as sharp as it needed to be. The knee-jerk response will be to blame the loose coverage, which allowed the Jets to complete passes at will, early in the game. However, the DT’s weren’t rushing into those ‘A’ gaps at the snap, either. The hole in that strategy was never adjusted, and was a game-long unforced error. (NOT DONE)

3) Talent Has To Win: This was not the week to get cute. We simply needed to maul a motherfucker and run the ball. We did.

There were 37 hand-offs and 25 pass attempts, with just 4 QB runs (ratio 37:29). Hand-offs were called 56% of the time. We just butchered and BBQed whichever Human sacrifices the Jets laid on our altar. (DONE)

4) Make secure tackles: Did a great job out there today. OLB Alex Singleton (8 – 0 – 0 – 0) came to play today. Can we talk for a minute, about that killshot that SS Anthony Harris (3 – 0 – 0 – 0) put on RB Tevin Coleman (11 – 58 – 5.2 – 0 – 0)? Coleman got up with a lil’ bit o’the wavy leg. We need more hitting like that. (DONE)

****

That’s 3 of Four Things completed this week and look! It results in an easy win. Go figure that! Our next opponent is the Bye Week.

Hopefully everyone gets the hell away from football for a week. Don’t even watch it. Sleep-in a couple days. Visit family. Catch-up/binge watch a favorite show. Anonymously volunteer as Santa somewhere. Just defrag and come back loose.

The four weeks that follow our Bye, will not be easy. So celebrate this week lads! Have a Bud Light with C Jason Kelce and our other friends.

For when you return, Hell and all of it’s hounds will be waiting for you at the gates off your own home.

****

On The Whole:

I could rant about Defensive Coordinator Johnathan Gannon calling a passive game again, but I won’t. We just need to replace him. See? No muss. No fuss. No rant. I want to talk about something important today.

A mostly healthy group of starters, led by a back-up QB, who (wink) really isn’t a back-up QB. Sounds downright Folseian™ doesn’t it? To some extent that’s probably why Eagles fans have this glow about them right now. It feels familiar. It feels warm. We played a game where even when we were down, you were never really worried.

That 3rd and 19 play, late in the first half. That’s a pivotal moment that begs discussion. If you blink, you can easily miss it’s significance.

WR Quez Watkins (3 – 3 – 60 – 20 – 0) starts out on the right side of the formation, and crosses field to the left-side numbers. The first read apparently isn’t open, but Minshew stays alive in the pocket, and throws the ball between the numbers and the sideline. It’s not a super-accurate pass. Minshew relies on Watkins to meet the ball, and he does for a splendid 22 yard completion.

If QB Jalen Hurts is in there, and his first read isn’t open, what happens? He runs right. He gets out of the pocket, looking down the right sideline. Maybe he runs. Maybe he throws a laser down the right stripe. However, the right isn’t where the open play was. If Hurts is in there, because of his well-known lack of vision, that play to Watkins never happens. This is of supreme importance for several reasons.

Coming into this game, this season Watkins played 12 games with 10 starts. That’s 12 games with 578 snaps played (74%). He came into Week 13 averaging 35.9 yards per game AS A STARTER. The only games where he had 60 yards? This one, and the one where he caught 2 passes for 117 yards, one of which was 91 yards. This is the definition of underutilized.

Establishing a real #2 WR would help loosen things up for the TE, and the #1 WR. And oh yeah, the run too. Better QB play could make other players more dangerous.

The Eagles aren’t about to make a change at QB over the Bye. That’s not what this is about. THIS, is a heads up. This is a snapshot. It’s a jigsaw piece.

Most of the fan base can’t see the puzzle, because right now, we’re standing on it. But have patience Dear Reader. Eventually all will reveal itself. All we have to do, is play a series of games.

FOUR THINGS: WK 13: EAGLES – JETS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/12/04
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

RETURNING to the scene of last week’s crime, and leaving with a different result. That’s the focus for this week. Running the ball with RB Miles Sanders and getting it downfield to WR Devonta Smith, will go a long way to meeting our goal.

Just don’t get cute.

A win gets us to 6 – 7, but Sunday night at 7:30 (unless something weird happens), we will likely still be on the outside looking in, with regards to one of the three Wild Card spots. That said, playoffs can’t be the focus right now. We need to find a way to string wins together first.

A loss drops us to 5 – 8. While it wouldn’t mathematically eliminate us, you have to wonder if it wouldn’t be smart, to go into Draft Assessment Mode.

****

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, and will deserve it when you do.

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

1) Play Our Aces: A big part of last week’s loss, was the coaching staff constantly rolling out back-up players, then trying to make them into something they aren’t, by forcing-feeding them the ball. The result was that we scored 7 points, and turned the ball over 4 times.

We need to lean on Sanders, Smith and TE Dallas Goedert. When teams get the ball to their best players, it tends to help them win games instead of lose them. We should try that! It’ll likely help a great deal, regardless of who starts at QB.

2) Interior Pass Rush: DT’s Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave need to collapse the ‘A’ gaps, and force the Jets young QB out of the pocket. We need to help our opponent make mistakes, not just hope for them.

3) Talent Has To Win: Offensively we will not out-scheme the Jets. Surely QB Joe Flacco has given up the tapes about the Eagles system and play-book. He likely understands it’s nuances better than any QB on our roster, and can communicate those nuances to his defensive coordinator.

So this is not the week to be cute or clever. This is in regards to the run game. This is a week where we have to be stronger at the point of attack, and faster with the ball in our hands. We just have to physically better this week. We just have to maul motherfuckers, and hit holes aggressively.

4) Make secure tackles: Don’t delude yourself into thinking this will be a cake-walk. Cincinnati did that on their way to losing a 31 – 34 shootout. The Jets leading RB has 205 rushing yards before contact, and 225 after contact. At 3 – 8 all they have left to play for is pride.

So don’t get cute. Don’t hold up the runner and claw at the ball. Just stop the ball-carrier’s progress. Wrap up and get him down.

If we do these Four Things,

We should win by 20. The Eagles are the better team. If we show up playing like it, then we could break this thing wide open in the 4th quarter. That however, is the issue. This team came out last week like we didn’t know who we were. We can’t come out playing that way, this week.

Don’t be surprised if QB Gardner Minshew plays at least a half on Sunday.

****

PREDICTION: EAGLES 27 – Jets 12

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