COMING back during the “Silencing of the Rams” last week, the Eagles showed the entire league; that even if they’re an undefeated team, with a 19 point lead, your ass ain’t safe! This team is going to fight for four quarters. As made evident by DT Jordan Davis blocking a field goal, and returning it 61 yards for a touchdown, to ice the game.

The Buccaneers have had to comeback in each of their three wins, against opponents with a combined record of 1 – 8. Last week they were up 23 – 6 over the Jets, and ended up having to comeback and win it 29 – 27. The Eagles are a much stiffer test than that. When we get a lead: We keep it.

A win over the Buccaneers makes us a perfect 4 – 0. That would be good enough to be at least tied for top record in the NFC. It would also be the cannibalization of a second consecutive, undefeated, conference opponent.

A loss would leave us at 3 – 1, and falling a step behind in the race for home-field advantage.

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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Buccaneers

1) Feed the Dawgs: Last time we saw this team, we were without WR A.J. Brown, WR DeVonta Smith, and RT Lane Johnson. While RB Saquon Barkley started, RB Kenny Gainwell had to play nearly half the game in his place. The Buccaneers jumped out to a 24 – 0 lead, but that game still ended 16 – 33, with our back-ups getting as close as 16 – 30.

Whole different monster this Sunday. Time to feed the dawgs! Time to get the ball to our big players! Time to let ‘em eat! If we’re going to provide room for Barkley to run, then Smith and Brown need to see at least seven targets each.

2) Set the Edges: Their QB likes to run. Keep him and any RB’s in the Tackle Box, where our hitters can get clean killshots on them in the hole. This is going to be a hot, and humid game. So drive up the frustration, and beat fatigue into them. Take away the required energy for them to stage late heroics.

3) Keep Their Receivers Wide: Clean releases to the inside have to be minimized to give our Safeties room to jump passes. The Buccaneer’s QB is willing to share the football, but you have to bait his natural arrogance, first. Challenge him to dot the sideline and then cut off his access. Especially from an unsettled platform.

4) Blitz the Blitz: We need QB Jalen Hurts to punish the blitz. The Buccaneers SLB is Haason Reddick. On a blitz, we all know that Reddick ain’t covering. So when Reddick rushes in, anyone lined up in front of him, will have a open release along the hash. Unless a Safety picks them up… meaning one-on-one on the outside.

We need Hurts to see that, and hit that quickly. We’re going to continue to see these quick blitzes and loaded boxes until he starts to change the narrative, that he’s susceptible to them.

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

Managing the heat is going to be important. The heat itself, the moisture loss, possible cramping. Seems like job for pickle juice. It’s already proven it’s worth to this franchise during the Pickle Juice Game.

Back in 2000, we beat the brakes off the Cowboys 41 – 14 (in their own home) because we were better prepared for the 109 degree temperature. In fact, temperatures on the field were in excess of 120 degrees. Their players were folding like origami, while we chugged along, mostly by chugging pickle juice.

If we can somewhat even the environmental odds, then we can just let the better roster and better coaching staff, decide the outcome of this game.

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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, then you are a fool 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.