LAST week was a fist-fight that came down to DT Moro Ojomo, denying Washington a two point conversion. That conversion would have tied the game, and likely forced overtime. Being a division game, you expect that sort of thing though.
This week’s victim, doesn’t play in our division. Our players don’t see each other twice a year, so our rosters don’t really know each other. I expect a more pure representation of how our new offensive scheme really looks, and what it should like when we’ve mastered it.
With a win, we move to 2 – 0 and would be alone atop the NFC East, unless the giants can find a way to travel to Los Angeles and beat the Rams. In which case, both they and us, would still share the top of the division, with them holding a conference tie-breaker. (But it’s way too early to start with tie-breaker talk.)
A loss would drop us to 1 – 1. Since both Washington and Dallas (who face each other Sunday) are both 0 – 1, the best one of them can do is 1 – 1, the other will own the basement. A giants win would put them alone atop the division, but a loss will still see us tied for a three-way lead. So we have to win this game.
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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 TITANS
1) Our Power vs Their Size: Get our run game going. This should be a big week for RB Saquon Barkley, as last week the Titans, while at home, surrendered 152 rushing yards to the Jets. It might have something to do with having a smallish defensive line, as their starting four average just 276 pounds. The Eagles Offensive Line isn’t huge, but even with LG Drew Kendall starting for LG Landon Dickerson, it still averages 324 per man.
Just getting downhill and putting hats on defenders, should be enough to give our RB’s the holes they need to punch through for big gains. So don’t get cute! Get mean! Be bullies! Don’t get mad. Take pleasure in pushing these little fuckers around. Let’s put more rushing yards on them, than the Jets did.
2) Unleash DeVonta: Let’s make it emphatically clear to the world, that WR DeVonta Smith, is our WR1. Let’s get him 100 yards or two scores, in this one.
Between how dramatically we established TE Dallas Goedert last week, and the Titans trying to take away our run game, the middle of the field should often be crowded. That means we should see a good amount of isolation on the corners. When that happens, we need to capitalize on it.
3) Our DE’s Must Contain Better: All last week, the opposing QB kept getting outside the pocket to either pick-up rushing yards, or extend plays until he could find an open receiver.
Most of that was due to our DE’s running themselves out of plays, and not keeping the QB corralled. Often the only pursuit was a trailing DT, with no chance to close the distance. This week our DE’s need much better edge discipline, and they have to keep the QB from bootlegging out of the pocket, so there are multiple angles to hit him from.
4) Let’s Have Sacks: Mistakes come from trying to avoid and make up for sacks, so we have to go get some. We need plays that result in lost yardage, and take their offense off-schedule. Not a tackle just behind the line of scrimmage. A real, honest to God, “Somebody get him some milk!” kind of sack.
DT Jordan Davis running over a Carr (Derek)
To hell with all these empty hurries. If it still results in a completion, or doesn’t result in an interception, then we didn’t force their QB into a mistake. If we didn’t cause him to make a mistake and we didn’t bring him down for lost yardage, then their offense wins that down. Fuck that! We need to get their QB on the ground this week.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This Offensive system will be a work in progress until the season ends. At no point in this season, will we be able to say that it has been mastered. Our players are just getting to run it, in real game situations. Sunday was the first time they got their feet wet against a real opponent, while not being vanilla in trying not to reveal anything.
Share this with your friends. Maybe it’ll help keep their blood pressure down.
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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.
