TOTAL domination! It was a blowout/shutout, where we allowed just 75 yards all game long, while scoring 31 points. We adjusted to the weather, and instead of throwing it a ton, we ran for 183 yards, controlling the clock for 39 minutes. We responded well to what was happening around us, and stayed in control of what we could control. For example, not playing down to the opponent.
This week’s opponent, the 4 – 10 Commanders, didn’t build enough foundation in the off-season. Now injury, age, and a lack of depth, have them already eliminated from playoff contention. Usually teams like that want to play spoiler. However, with nine other teams with records of 4 – 10 or worse, the Commanders coaching staff may tank to keep or improve their top ten spot in the upcoming Draft.
A win moves us to 10 – 5, clinching both the 2025 NFC East title and a playoff berth.
A loss holds us to 9 – 6. While we would still be in the lead to win the division, we would make things much more complicated for ourselves.
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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 COMMANDERS.
RB Saquon Barkley rips off a 60 yard TD run.
1) Exploit Age On the Perimeter:Between the Commanders starting DE’s and OLB’s, the respective ages are 33, 30, 29 and 36. Let’s get a couple of toss/pitch runs to RB Saquon Barkley, and maybe a Jet Sweep to WR Jahan Dotson. Let’s challenge any steps those defenders may have lost to age, as well as stress their joints with change of direction.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t test the middle. We need to. Especially between C Cam Jurgens and RG Tyler Steen. We haven’t had much success running there this season. If opponents see us avoid trying to, it makes us easier to scheme against. There are no yardage goals here, but let’s get for at least four runs in that hole, to assess later.
2) Exploit the Loaded Box: The leading pass rusher for the Commanders is OLB Von Miller with 7 sacks. They like to play him on over the RT. He has no real coverage responsibilities and doesn’t make plays in that phase of the game. Quick completions outside to TE Dallas Goedertshould be easy.
In the event that the Commanders rock and roll their Safeties, that should put their one player in Single-high coverage and leave their RCB in one-on-one. If we see that early, we need to test that early. Otherwise, lean on the run, throw to Goedert when he’s open, and let the clock keep ticking.
3) Stay Fresh Up Front: You may not know it, but the #4 rushing attack in the league belongs to the Commanders. They don’t have one scary player, instead it’s a group effort. Mobile QB, fresh RB’s cycling in and out. (None of whom are great receivers.)
We need to counter that with staying fresh up front. Keep a close eye and when they sub, we sub. Their RB’s aren’t more talented than our defenders. So it makes no sense to allow them clutch plays, just because we got tired. Rotate our stock out there.
4) Force Longer Passes:If we play Cover Two and take away most of the quick underneath stuff, early in the game, it will also aid us in limiting yards off of QB scrambles. This places a lot of emphasis on making tackles at the catch point.
OLB Zack Baun punches the ball out for a turnover.
It also invites the possibility of the Commanders hitting on big plays, in front of their home crowd. So it comes with a little risk. That said, QB Marcus Mariota isn’t exactly known for accuracy, and even if their LT plays, his oblique injury will keep him from being anywhere close to 100%.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Players play for pride, and many Commanders players are at this point, auditioning for jobs next year. So winning matters to them. Commanders coaches on the other hand, may be itching to move as far up as possible in next years Draft, to start being able to build around QB Jayden Daniels.
While I don’t expect the Commanders to just roll over for us, we may not get their best effort, top to bottom. I don’t care. I just want to clinch this playoff berth. We’d do them a favor by winning, and they’d do us a favor by losing. So, let’s go pick up this “W”, and start officially working on our bid to get RT Lane Johnson and DE Brandon Graham, their third Super Bowl wins.
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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.
WE just played an “L” of a game, but for a while there, we were throwing it all over the yard. We saw WR DeVonta Smithget his first 100 yard game of the year; and RB Saquon Barkley had a 47 yard catch and run touchdown, off a simple Wheel route. Behold, the giants! Who are 25th in the league against the pass. So yeah, we need to hack that bone.
However, the giants are also 26th against the run! Probably need to dial up a bit more of that too.
Sooooo, we’re gonna need our Eagles, to go ahead and hand it off more than eleven times this week. Yeah. That would be great.
A win improves us to 5 – 1. It would maintain our seat atop the NFC East division.
A loss, would stall us at 4 – 2. It could possibly drop us to second in the division, depending on the outcome of the Washington/Chicago game.
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The point of Four Thingsisn’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 giants.
1) Don’t Overthink It:There are only six teams in the NFL that are worse at defending the run, than the giants are. The Eagles are a better team when our identity is as a running team. We need to establish the run, and in a big way. If we don’t get it done against the giants, future opponents will smell blood in the water.
2) Strangle Their Pass Rush:Guys being injured on our Offensive Line, means that part of protecting QB Jalen Hurtswill have to be scheme. Run hot routes to the vacated areas behind the giants DE’s. These will be short throws, but they’ll A) avoid sacks, B) keep down and distance on schedule, and C) act as an extension of the run game.
The best part is that, this key isn’t blitz dependent, but it works against the blitz with no adjustment needed. If the giants want to counter by having their MLB play man coverage, then Hurts can grab an easy five rushing yards directly up the gut.
3) Push the Interior Pocket: The giants are starting a rookie QB, who likes to run. Look, let’s not get too hung up on trying to trick or confuse him. He can grow past that. We’re going to be seeing this guy twice a year, for who knows how long. This is his first meeting with the Eagles. Let’s focus on beating some PTSD into the lad.
He likes to run? Fine. Push the pocket into his lap, and let him dart into hits by LB Zack Baunand LB Jihaad Campbell. Maybe get a fumble or two out of it! Surging that line segment backward, will also work against their run game.
4) Take Away Anything Easy: Don’t let them beat our coverages, with quick throws. Advertise a ton of man coverage, but muddy up the underneath, when playing Zone defense.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The Eagles have all the talent in the world on this roster. So identifying what they need to do, and assigning it to the right players, is child’s play. The problem is, that the Eagles are not always quick to apply what they’ve learned. They can be very obstinate about how soon to fold in a new wrinkle.
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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.
SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS! We’re starting the season at home, vs the Cowboys, and we’re hanging our Super Bowl banner with them on the field! After which, we’re going to tie another beating to their asses, and send them back home, with a shiny new “L”.
The Cowboys were 29th in the league at stopping the run last year. Want to guess which team was the only one that had a RB run for 2,000 yards last year? It was the Eagles! We had RB Saquon Barkleygouging teams for chunk plays, on a near weekly basis. Which is likely the approach we’re going to attempt this week.
At least at first.
A win over a division rival in the first week, would give our Eagles a two game gap over the Cowboys. Unfortunately, because the giants and Commanders are playing each other, the winner of that game enjoys the same sort of divisional leg up.
A loss, that would put our team, two games back. So let’s avoid that.
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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 Cowboys.
WR DeVonta Smith goes for 6!
1) Don’t Get Bullied: This season, every defense we face, at the top of their To-Do List, will be stopping Saquon. This is especially true of the Cowboys, after their owner traded away their best pass rushing LB, for a run defending DT. They will come in with a point to make, and we cannot let them get away with attempting to make it.
During the Super Bowl, the Chiefs threw everything they had at stopping Saquon, and while they did hold him to just 57 yards on 25 carries (2.2ypc), they committed so much to it, that Super Bowl MVP QB Jalen Hurts was out there essentially playing catch with WR’s A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. If the Cowboys want to follow that plan, we should exploit it.
2) Play the Hits: Their 32 year-old QB is coming back from a leg injury, which cost him the last nine games of the year. So let’s knock him down, early. Make him pick himself up off the ground a few times. Get Father Time whispering in his ear.
Ultimately the idea is to force the Cowboys coaching staff to go with more max protect, and limit how many receivers our guys have to cover.
(Unless it’s their plan to let him get beat up, so they can get their back-up out there… But I’m not one to gossip!)
3) Settle the Hash:All the talk is about the Cowboys trying to improve vs the run, while proving that they can still rush the passer. That points to an over-commitment to their front seven, and exploitable holes in their secondary. (See: Jalen Hurts in Super Bowl 59.)
Get the ball to TE Dallas Goedert and WR Jahan Dotson. Set a goal of 10 targets and 7 catches. The yards don’t matter, it’s the higher number of targets that are important. The idea is to force the Cowboys to cover, to loosen the box, and facilitate our run game. To do that, we have to be better this year at involving the TE and Slot WR.
4) Take Their Heart Away: When the Eagles go to our five man defensive line, DT Jordan Davishas to move the line of scrimmage backward, as often as possible. That means driving the C (the heart of their blocking schemes), back into the running lanes, and warping the pocket, so that the QB can’t step up into his passes.
Taking away the C also means that he can’t help the G’s, which would allow DT Jalen Cartera few opportunities to play without being double-teamed.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The traps here, are potential overconfidence, and underestimation of the opponent. Our players have to show up. Not just their names or reputations. We have to run, hustle, hit, and communicate at maximum effort. One down at a time. It sounds corny, but it’s how teams are built. It’s how games are won. It’s how trophies are hoisted.
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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 forFour Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
LOST in the Wild Card round, 12 – 5, first in the NFC East, 29.9 pspg / 18.5 papg
Despite a 3 – 2 start, the Cowboys just plugged away, and generally beat whomever was on the schedule. They worked their way into first place in the division, only to get shit-canned in their own home, by a young Green Bay team in the playoffs.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has just put together three 12 – 5 seasons in a row, with a playoff record of 1 – 3, over that same span. He’s replaced his ex-defensive coordinator with Mike Zimmer, but everything else, has been just making small adjustments. Chances are, without a deep playoff run, McCarthy is likely getting fired. Not in spite of his three year 36 – 15 record, but rather because of it. Owner Jerry Jones, isn’t patient enough to endure much more of “close, but no cigar!”
OFFENSE:
QB: Dak Prescott is the starter, but he has no idea whether or not the Cowboys want him back next year. So why did I lead with that, instead of whether he’s any good or not? One, because anyone reading this, already knows he can play. Two, because potentially having to shop himself as a free agent next year, will affect how he regards injuries this year.
You have to ask, how much will Prescott hold back, in an attempt to limit damage to an already 30 year old body? Since any holding back will affect any athlete’s play, it stands to reason that we may not see the best version of Prescott in 2024. Especially with his primary weapon missing all of camp and the preseason.
The backup, is Preseason Hall of Famer Cooper Rush. He’s 5 – 1 lifetime, in games that count. His only career loss came vs a Philadelphia Eagles team, that went to the Super Bowl that year. He’s extremely smart and very hard to fool. Unfortunately, his physical tools are underwhelming. Because of this, the Cowboys are looking past him for their next starter.
Third stringer Trey Lance, has all the physical tools of a star. However, he’d been a goofy disaster since the 49ers overdrafted him #3 overall in 2021. He started four games, went 2 – 2, and the 9ers felt they’d seen enough. Just FOUR starts, for a first round pick, and they threw the towel in on him!?
So when Dallas traded the 9ers just a fourth round pick for him, during the 2023 offseason, everyone assumed Dallas had fleeced them. Wrong. WRONG! When Dallas realized the scope of the project he was, they basically red-shirted him all last season. So far this preseason, vs vanilla defenses, Lance appeared to have regressed.
So while this team does have two good players at this position, neither is motivated to do anything besides audition for other teams right now. (+)
RB: Ezekiel Elliott returns to Dallas! Not the old version that could eat clock with a lead, batter a defense, and put away games. Instead, Dallas is getting the new version, that hasn’t seen a 100 yard game, broken a run of longer than 27 yards, or had an average of 4.0 per carry, since 2021. They’re getting the version that hasn’t averaged 7 yards per catch, since 2019.
Elliott is the best they have for now. Rico Dowdle is an undrafted, career backup who plays like it. In thirty-six games, not one is a start, and instead of promoting him, they brought in Elliott. At 5’6” 176 pounds, and being easy to arm tackle, Deuce Vaughn will never see many carries.
The Cowboys signed Dalvin Cook to their practice Squad, and it’s wise to assume he won’t stay there long. The Vikings cut him over money in 2023, and the move didn’t work out for them. He spent the 2023 regular season as a backup with the Jets. ( He signed with the Ravens for one playoff game). Though he looked like a bad fit in New York, he still showed home run capability in 2022, with a career long 81 yard run. Unless Cook can lift this group, it’s a bad one. (-)
TE: Jake Ferguson is more of a receiver than a blocker, but he’s not going to scare anybody who has to cover him. Luke Schoonmaker is more of a blocker than a receiver. Undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford, is big (6’6” 268) target. That said, he’s not much of blocker, and his feet turn over at an alarmingly slow rate. This guy is going to get cooked at this level. (-)
WR: Did the Cowboys just pay 30M$ per year for a slot receiver? Given that in 2023, 60% of Ceedee Lamb‘s targets and 66% of his receptions came from the slot, the numbers would strongly suggest that’s exactly what the Cowboys did. Look, there is no disputing that Lamb can get open, make catches, and score. The question is: Can he do it consistently against an opponent’s best cover guy; or does he need to be matched up vs a Nickel player?
Once upon a time Brandin Cooks was electric and explosive. He’s not those things anymore, but he still caught 8 scores last year. Jalen Tolbert is going to be the second outside receiver, so that Lamb can stay inside. At 153 pounds Kavonte Turpin is just considered a gadget player. Jalen Brooks is a 7th rounder from last season. Couple players, but no depth. (+)
OT: The loss of Tyron Smith was inevitable and necessary. The problem, is not having replaced him with a high caliber player. At LT, Chuma Edoga is starting the season on Injured Reserve, for the first four weeks. It’s also the sort of injury (toe) that tends to linger. So rookie 1st rounder Tyler Guyton, will protect any realistic hopes that this franchise has of the postseason.
At RT Terence Steele returns for his fifth year as the starter in this spot. Not much has been said about him recently, and the general thinking is, if not much is said about an offensive lineman, he must be doing his job. Seems weird to me, though. The NFL is always talking about future Hall Of Famer, RTLane Johnson; and how fast LT Jordan Mailata has come along. (-)
G Zack Martin making it look easy
OG: Speaking of lineman who always get a mention, future Hall Of Famer RG Zack Martin, comes back for his eleventh year as a starter for this team. Opposite him, at LG Tyler Smith returns fresh from his first All-Pro nod. Am I painting you a picture?
Behind them for depth, they have T.J. Bass who saw two starts last season. There’s also swingman Asim Richards, a 5th round pick last year, and native of Philadelphia. (+)
C: Rookie 3rd rounder, Cooper Beebe made the transition from Guard, and seems to have snatched the starting spot here. He’s a wide, squat, fan of running the ball. However, he has some physical shortcomings that could make him a liability as a pass protector, over the long haul.
Behind him is Brock Hoffman, an undrafted free agent from 2022, who expected to inherit the role after two starts last season, and the defection of Tyler Biadasz. The drafting of Beebe, should have been a clue. If the offensive system were different, I would grade this position different. But since the system keeps these players in their wheelhouse, it’s fine. (+)
In A Nutshell: Injuries are part of football, and depth is a serious issue for this unit. They’ll have to stay very lucky to stay competitive this season.
DEFENSE:
DE: DeMarcus Lawrence played every game for a second straight season producing 50 tackles and 4 sacks. That however, doesn’t offset the loss of pass rush, with Dorance Armstrong going to Washington. It’s doubtful that Dallas will trust Chauncey Golston or Tyrus Wheat, with the spot. Partly because of 2nd round rookie Marshawn Kneeland.
Then there’s this other thing. While he’s not listed at this position, all the chatter (and this includes the depth chart on the Cowboys own website), says that Micah Parsons will play opposite Lawrence. I’ve said for the past two years, that this day was coming. Mostly since Parsons offers little value in off-ball applications. In any case, Dallas has a few pieces to move around. (+)
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT: Osa Odighizuwa is a high motor player, who should be moved to End. Instead, they play him inside, and the season wears him down. Last season he had no solo tackles for the final four weeks of the season, a similar disappearing act has been pulled in each of his three years.
Mazi Smith was brought in to help stop the run, but he dropped under 300 pounds to try and get sacks. The new defensive coordinator told him to knock that off, and go get fat again.
Speaking of fat, Dallas traded for oft-traveled Jordan Phillips, and signed oft-traveled Linval Joseph. They played together in Buffalo last season. This position is stocked with underachievers and guys who live out of their suitcases. Not a good sign for Dallas. (-)
OLB: Damone Clark looked like a reliable tackle machine last year, until about week 14. At that point teams realized that it was easier to make yards attacking him downfield in the passing game, than it was by trying to screen him. Of the 224 passing yards he gave up in 2023, 86 were in the last four games, with 8 catches on 9 targets.
DeMarvion Overshown missed all of last season, his rookie season, with a torn ACL. Rookie 3rd rounder Marist Liufau, seems to be in competition with Overshown, over that second starting spot. This is a great way to let iron sharpen iron. If at least one of these kids can play, Dallas may have struck oil here. Until then, everything here is a huge, glowing question mark. (-)
MLB: Free agent addition Erick Kendricks, has racked up over 1,000 tackles in his nine year career. He also has some playmaking ability.
Buddy Johnson screams red flags. He was a Steelers 4th round draft pick, who signed a four year contract in 2021. The following preseason the Steelers cut him, and didn’t even add him to their practice squad. Since then, he’s been on four different practice squads, played 86 Special Teams snaps, and recorded 8 tackles. Kendricks had better stay healthy. (-)
S: Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker return for a third year of working together. That should make adapting to their new defensive system easier. Markquese Bell entering his third year here, offers experienced depth and again, interpersonal familiarity. Juanyeh Thomas and Israel Mukuamu offer depth.
All of these guys knowing each other so well, should make assimilating the new system a snap. These players have already played together and played well. If there are problems in the secondary, you know the issue is the coaching, not the players, or misunderstandings. This is still the deepest group in the division. (+)
CB Trevon Diggs seems upset about something here
CB: Trevon Diggs returns after missing fifteen games in 2023, with an ACL tear. He’s a feast or famine type gambler, who probably gave up half as many big plays, as he made. The question is: What percentage of the gambler’s luck, was left on the operating table. With the departure of Stephon Gilmore, second year man, Caelen Carson is starting opposite Diggs. .
From the Nickel, DaRon Bland led the NFL with 9 picks and returned 5 of them for TD’s, last year. Unfortunately, he has a stress fracture in his foot that will require surgery, and keep him out at least six games. Stepping in for him, is Jourdan Lewis. He has a ton of experience, and even some fair measure of success. C.J. Goodwin and Andrew Booth play Special Teams. (+)
In A Nutshell: Up front they can still be pushed around. Their two best ballhawks having suffering lower body injuries, raises serious questions about this secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LS: Since college Trent Seig has never played any other position. He’s essentially eating a roster spot. (-)
P: Bryan Angerer went nuts last year, posting a 51.4 yard per punt average, as well as a 45.3 yard average net. Both of which were career-highs for him. At age 35. Seriously, do I need to be the one to drop the “S” word? Or to bring up the term “random test”? (+)
K: After a decade of searching, and performing an interesting comedy of errors for their division rivals, the Cowboys, finally seem to have found their guy. Brandon Aubrey is young, has a big leg, and currently owns an accuracy mark of 94.7% on his field goals. (+)
In A Nutshell: The biggest thing that this unit has needed for a long time, was stability. They have that now.
BOTTOM LINE:
After this season, this team is headed for a rebuild. With that hanging over their heads, it’s unreasonable to expect the players to not get distracted. Add to that, the alarming lack of depth in positions like QB, MLB, and OT, and do you know what you get? Deformed fingers from keeping them crossed all year long. There’s a lot of talent on this team, but the players have ridden that ride before. That may not be enough to keep the roster interested this year.
As for 2024: I’ll go out on a limb and say 10 – 7, a Wild Card loss, and McCarthy being fired less than two weeks later.
ALONE atop the NFC East! Feels good to be home, again. Last week we “struggled” to a double-digit win, over a team that was 2-0 and leading their division. This week we get to play host to a Commanders team that has allowed 19 sacks in three games, with a QB who has never played in Philadelphia before. That sound you hear? Those are knives sharpening.
A win here pushes us to 4 – 0, and eliminates the potential tie-breaker that Dallas holds, as the only team currently in the division, that has a division win. It’s early, but it’s good to take care of positioning as soon as you can.
A loss would hold us at 3 wins, and put us behind the Commanders with identical records and them winning the head-to-head. Worse, if Dallas also wins, we’d be behind both teams in third place. So a win here will solve everything.
Who’s Out, As Of – 9/29/23
Washington: OUT – / DNP – RB Chris Rodriguez (Illness)
Philadelphia: OUT – / DNP – S Justin Evans (Neck), S Sydney Brown (Hamstring), WR Devonta Smith (Illness)
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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. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Commanders.
1) Unleash Reddick:In three games we have just 6 sacks. That’s 2 per week. The Commanders have allowed 19 sacks in three games (6.3 per game), so we should feast. That however, is dependent on whether or not we can OLB Haason Reddick going. In three games, he has 1 (as in uno) tackle.
Not being able to get him going against the Commanders, can’t happen. The Eagles have him lining up at DE and taking on RT’s with a taped thumb. We’re getting pressure but just 6 sacks and we’ve cause just 2 interceptions. Get Reddick outside the offensive tackle, and let him hunt.
2) Finish in the Red Zone: Coming away with a Field Goal beats coming away empty handed, but touchdowns are the mission. This Commander defense has allowed 30+ points in back to back games (Broncos, Bills). This is a defense to get healthy against, folks. The red zone will loosen up, when we don’t reference our QB’s legs, on every play.
This week, the red zone seems like an excellent place to rediscover TE Dallas Goedert off of play-action. Or RB D’Andre Swifton a Middle Screen. A little less running from QBJalen Hurts, would go a long way towards keeping him healthy and us unpredictable.
3) Get ‘Em Down: Part of why we lost to this opponent last year, we our inability to execute basic tackling technique. We just couldn’t get their RB’s on the ground, and they just kept churning out 3 yard run, after 3 yard run, after 3 yard run. It hurt to watch.
This game needs to feature solid tackling, and none of that stuff.
4) Make Penny Make Sense:If RB Rashaad Penny is on the active list for this game, feed him 5 or more carries in the second half. The Commanders have a really good defensive line. Especially the interior, which they built the right way (from the inside out). The thing is, they’re big guys who go all out, playing a lot of downs.
After a half of chasing Swift, and RB Kenneth Gainwell, then cooling off during half-time, give the Commanders interior a banger to contend with. Kind of like working the body, to tire out the legs. So soften up that interior, so that Hurts has a pocket to stand in, when he needs to.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The Commanders aren’t our real opponent this week. The Eagles are. How much rust have we not worked off? How lightly are we taking this opponent? Those are the things we have to worry about. If we have good answers to those questions, then this week is in the bag.
Yes, yes. Any given Sunday and blah blah blah. Look, this is a division game, at home, and we’re the better team, top to bottom. Unless something goes horribly wrong, this is a “W”. False modesty is as dishonest as bragging about something you don’t have. I will not draw a false equivalence between these two teams/organizations.
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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.
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.
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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. 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 ofJason 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.
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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.
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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.
LAST week we hung 40 points on a defense that was Top 5 in points allowed, and put 242 rushing yards on a unit that was Top 5 vs the run. This week’s opponent comes in ranked 23rd vs the run. So we all know what’s about to happen with that…
A win gets us to 6 – 6 (.500). Once that business is taken care of, only THEN we can start talking about qualifying for the playoffs and such. Right now our record doesn’t qualify us to start talking about the season as if it’s already a success. Wild Card seeding talk is premature.
A loss sees us fall to 5 – 7, but technically still alive for a playoff spot. So even with a loss, there will be no talk of tanking. Right now our record doesn’t qualify us to start talking about the season as if it’s already a failure. Draft position talk is premature.
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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 giants:
1) Make the Passer Rush: LB Davion Taylor is on IR. If he wasn’t, I’d say use him for this. Since we don’t have access to him, we should use LB Alex Singleton. Put him on strong-side blitzes of QB Daniel Jones, on 2nd and long, 3rd and long situations. Jones likes to run, but he shouldn’t be able to outrun Singleton.
Bring MLB T.J. Edwards on “A” gap blitzes, on 1st down, sometimes. The idea is to make Jones very uncomfortable, and encourage him to get the ball out of his hands as fast as he can. A rushed pass, coming out vs Press Coverage, looks like six to CB Darius Slay.
2) Go Deep Off of Play-action: QB Jalen Hurtshasn’t seen 200 yards passing in any of the last four games, since we’ve rediscovered the run. So the giants may have it in their heads, that they can play 8, even 9 man fronts, to take away the run. We need to kill that idea before it breeds throughout the league.
Hurts needs to use play-action, and rifle the ball at least 30 yards in the air, sometime in the first quarter. Preferably on the first drive. Complete, incomplete, intercepted. If any of them happen on the first drive, off of a long pass, any of those results do the job we need done.
The point of the pass, isn’t the pass itself. It’s to tell the giants DB’s “You’d better stay the fuck back, or we will murrr – derrr you!” A few deep shots will maintain room for our running game. At that point our Offense can operate from a point of stability, and we can be who we are. (Bonus Points for completing an early shot of 40 yards or more, to WR Quez Watkins.)
3) Play Man Press: Usually the point here, is to make the QB go to his second and third reads. With Jones it’s more about his accuracy. He’s going to throw a few questionable balls in this game. He does in every game. If our guys stay close to the receiver, they have a better chance of picking off a pass. Or three.
4) Running Miles from Boston: This week we’ll be without RB Jordan Howard and his tough inside running. That however, doesn’t mean we can’t run inside. While RB Miles Sanders isn’t the fall forward, bulldozer type that Howard is, Sanders does break arm tackles, and he runs through contact.
RB’s Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell, on the other hand, don’t run through much contact or break tackles reliably. For that reason, the run game shouldn’t be an even split this week. We should feature Sanders/Scott on a 20 to 10 carry basis. Gainwell can be sprinkled in, but it would be great to see him get some work in the Slot.
If we do these Four Things,
We just need to stick to the script. The giants just fired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and replaced him with Freddie Kitchens. So naturally the knee-jerk reaction is to comb through old film of Kitchens, to see how he calls games vs how Garrett calls games. Right? Nope. Don’t do that.
Just like we only had a week to prepare for the giants, the giants also had just a week to prepare for us. We know who we are, and what we’re building on. The giants are trying not to be who they were a week ago. The guy now responsible for that, has had his daily routine totally torn up, and he has to reinvent his team. On the fly.
The thing is, his new job doesn’t make a single player a fiercer blocker, a faster runner, or a higher jumper. It’s too late to draw up a new play-book, so they’re going to run the same stuff. The pre-snap keys will look the same. The spacing will look the same. The core concepts are going to come from their head coach. So the giants offense is still the giants offense.
Stick to the script. Don’t get cute. Do what we do, how we do it. Don’t get to a point where we’re second guessing ourselves, over a guy trying to find out who he is now.
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PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – giants 17
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
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.
SAFETYEarl 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.
Admit it. REAL hate makes football so much better.
FINALLY! At last we have a game against a division rival. I don’t know about you, but every week since the preseason started, I’ve had to manufacture every ounce of disdain, and hostility I’ve expressed for each opponent we’ve faced. TWICE I had to invent reasons to badmouth the Steelers (a franchise that I actually have a great deal of respect for).
No need to manufacture fake disdain this week. I’m sitting on tons of good ol’ fashioned, homegrown, organic hate. And it feels lovely. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get geeked up for the Lions? TheLions? But this… Twice a year rival. Playoff implications. Old grudges and bad blood… So I’m sure you understand why I can’t stop smiling this week, despite the loss we suffered last week.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to look for, Week 6 versus Washington:
1) We need a plan for covering TE Jordan Reed.(NOTE: Reed experienced concussion symptoms this week during practice, and as of now there is no word on whether or not he will suit up Sunday.If he does play, we need to be ready.) I’m not sure that we have a LB with the skillset to go step for step with Reed. Having to keep Safeties back deep to help with WR DeSean Jackson, means that bracketing Jordan with OLBNigel Bradham and SS Malcom Jenkins is out of the question. Alternating coverage concepts underneath will help get the job done, but only if we get enough heat on QB Kirk Cousins to keep him from making reads in time.
2) Work the edges.Like we did with the Steelers who also run a 3-4 defense, we need to force the ‘skins OLB’s into coverage. Their two best pass rushers (Ryan Kerrigan, Trent Murphy) are OLB’s who don’t excel at playing in reverse. Against the Steelers we needed to pull the OLB’s out. That favored using RB’s. For the ‘skins we need to push the OLB’s back. That means short passes along the hash marks to WR Jordan Matthews and TE Zach Ertz.
3) Do NOT punt directly to WRJamison Crowder. Even without his 85 yard return for a touchdown, he’d still average 18.5 yards a crack and has 5 returns (out of 7) of 20 or more yards. By the way, he’s only fair caught 2, so he’s looking to scoot if he gets his mitts on the pig. So don’t give him the chance.
4) Protect the rookie.Rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai, will be starting at RT after not suiting up for any of the previous games this year. His belly will be LOADED with butterflies. Settle him down by letting him mash on the guy across from him, early on. On passing downs help him out with TE chip blocks. The game will be faster than he’s ready for at this point. Hanging him out to dry could damage his confidence and stunt his development. (Remember the game against the giants where LT Winston Justice was stuck against Michael Strahan with no help and victimized for a million and half sacks? Let’s not do that again.)
The ‘skins will be our toughest test so far. Yes, even tougher than the Steelers. The ‘skins are built to compete against the rosters in their division and will be playing in their house, in front of their crowd, for actual stakes. Winning this game would be a clear indication that the balance of power has indeed shifted in the NFC East and establish the Eagles as the team to beat.
Let’s hear what’s on YOUR mind football fans. Scroll down and leave a COMMENT. What do you think of this upcoming game?
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