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.
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.
DEFEATING the giants was enough to earn us the NFC East, the 1st seed in the NFC, and a bye week. Well apparently, sweeping them isn’t enough to convince their fans, nor the national sports media, that in this third match-up, they’re still thoroughly outclassed by us, this season.
We blew them out 48 – 22 in Week 14. They played their back-ups in Week 18, and the score was closer at 22 – 16. Because their second loss wasn’t as embarrassing, it has given their fans hope for a different result in these playoffs.
Understand, they have hope because no one is mentioning that we were up 19 – 0 in the third, realized that we had the NFC East in the bag, and started to pack it in.
No one mentions our injuries, or that we scarcely used some starters.
No one mentions how vanilla, how almost preseason level, our gameplan was.
Their fans ignore these things, so they can keep their playoff hopes on life support.
One of these teams won 14 games and swept the other. It’s high time we reminded these “giants”, of just who is who. As for their hopes, I can only say:
Winning sends us to the NFC Championship game.
There will be no losing.
****
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. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: giants.
1) Feed Miles Sanders:The Biggest difference between our 48 – 22 win and our 22 – 16 win was that in the blowout, we fed RB Miles Sanders early and set a tone for the game. He had a career high 144 rushing yards that day. (Read that last sentence one more time.) In the second game we sprinkled him in here and there. He never got a rhythm, and the Offense was lopsided. (For a few reasons to be fair.)
No pitch counts. No worrying about tomorrow. Feed him. Set a physical tone and use the run game to give our Defense enough of a breather between drives. The giants are going to want to control the clock with ball control. However, if we burn time from our side too, they won’t be able to stick with it, once we’re holding the lead.
2) Time for the Kerrigan Plan: For those who want a deeper explanation, details of the Kerrigan Plan are HERE. For other who just want me to nutshell it: The giants basically run a 5-2 scheme. So they can be exploited by certain routes. This is partly why RB Boston Scott has mangled that team during his career.
They giants make a point of occupying the TE with one ILB, so the RB has an easier time hitting holes and getting open. With Scott’s small stature, the remaining ILB has to be right when guessing where Scott will pop out of. (Like a high stress game of Whack-A-Mole.) The giants can be right on 8 carries, but it only takes being wrong once for this to happen:
3) Set those edges HARD: Funnel their RB’s back inside, toward waiting MLB T.J. Edwards. We’ve done it in both prior games, and it’s taken the teeth out of their run game both times. If it ain’t broke, LEAVE ‘LONE! LEAVE ‘LONE!
Also, QB Daniel Jones has become a very enthusiastic runner of the football over his last couple of games. Good for him! He really seems to have found his bliss. So yeah, we need to tone that down for him. Again, T.J. will be sitting back there. Being affectionate as always.
4) You Shall Not Pass: People have gotten carried away with the last couple of games by Daniel Jones. So the Eagles should remind everyone of exactly who he is. This is a man, who is in his best year as a pro, having thrown just 15 touchdowns in 16 games. (Folks, if I start talking about the double standard, my face will melt off.)
Meanwhile, the national media has the nerve to talk like the giants have a chance here. We managed to curb-stomp this guy in a game in which he didn’t even turn the ball over; and this is how they act?! Oh no, hell no! We are NOT running from this son-of-a-bitch! Take away the run game, and make this fraud play with his team draped across his shoulders.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Nothing is an automatic. That’s why the games are played. Still, the Eagles are the far superior team, so this game should be feeding sheep to lions. The narrative that the giants have a chance, is entirely borne out of the final score from two weeks ago, and not how the game went.
Allow me to read from the Book of Eaglemaniacal and take you back:
Miles Sanders who played 45 snaps in the blowout, only played 29 in the second match-up. This was even though the Eagles coaches weren’t running QB Jalen Hurts. So our early ground game was practically nil. Despite that, our drives netted us a touchdown and four field goals, putting us up 19 – 0. That score again was 19 to crickets.
We needed to either win that game, or have the Dallas Cowboys lose, in order to clinch our division. A bit of scoreboard watching, revealed that Washington was already cooking Dallas. So of course, we mentally shrugged midway through the third quarter. We were up 19 – 0 and our actual competition, wasn’t even in the game we were playing. I seriously think if the lead hit 20, our starters would have been pulled.
Gambling with house money, with nothing to lose, the giants took chances with the ball, and let it all hang out. They finally got 3 points on the board with 50 seconds left in the third. Put bluntly: They didn’t check in, until we were already checking out. So their points were essentially scored in garbage time.
This, lads and lasses, is what has fools thinking the giants will leave Philadelphia with anything other than the scratches and bruises from our brooms.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 28– giants 13
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.
QB Jalen Hurts can only look on as we struggle past a rough patch vs the Saints
SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters.
In 2021, the NFL expanded the season to 17 games, which makes for an uneven split. So this year (at least), these Quarterly Reports will come after games 5, 9, 13, and 17. (Ugh. I hate even looking at that format.)
Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.
STATUS: 14 – 3, NFC East Winner, NFC #1 Seed
[pic]
OPPONENTS:
(W ) Chicago 3 – 14
(L ) Dallas 12 – 5 (5th seed)
(L ) New Orleans 7 – 10
(W ) New York giants 9 – 7 (6th seed)
OVERVIEW:
When do our guys ever make it easy? Our Eagles made us sweat for it. Securing the top seed came all the way down to the last game of the year, due to two losses down the stretch. This was triggered by losing a flurry of key players to injury. In any case, instead of producing excuses, the Eagles produced the wins they needed. Our team didn’t choke when crunch time came around. They instead did what winners do. They reached down, and found the will to be the last one standing. Great practice. We’ll be needing it shortly.
GRADES:
QB: C / Jalen Hurts injured his throwing shoulder vs Chicago. He finished the game, but missed the next two. When he returned in the finale, he clearly wasn’t himself yet . Over the last quarter season, he’s thrown zero touchdowns vs three interceptions. He will exit the regular season with a 14 – 1 record as a starter this season.
Gardner Minshew(42/72 – 58.3% – 629 – 3 – 3) has been unfairly lambasted these last couple of weeks. He’s credited with 3 interceptions, but it’s a very misleading stat. While one was a fatal pick six vs the Saints, the two against the Cowboys were both, literally pulled out of the same receivers hands. In neither game did the coaching staff do much to support him with the run, yet he still managed 34 points against the Cowboys.
RB Miles Sanders laments a fumble as LT Jordan Mailata comforts him.
RB: D / Miles Sanders (55 – 201 – 3.6 – 0 – 2) has been used sparingly over these last four games, not just in terms of volume, but situationally. His touches in the red zone have all but disappeared.Kenneth Gainwell (22 – 57 – 2.5 – 0 – 0) and Boston Scott (11 – 60 – 5.4 – 1 – 0) have been underwhelming, save for Scott’s (9 – 54 – 6.0 – 1 – 0) game against the giants.
In full disclosure, over these last four games this position has suffered as much from coaching as anything else. No early touches to set a tone, or tire out opponents. Running a system set up for movement and a mobile QB, through a pocket passer with no threat of stressing a defense horizontally. My hope is that these games were red herrings regarding our tendencies.
TE: F / Dallas Goedert(16 – 12 – 158 – 13.1 – 0) came back from injury and has been working his way back into his role as the catalyst. Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra combined for a 6 yard catch, over the last four games, on just three targets.
WR: C / Devonta Smith(41 – 29 – 421 – 14.5 – 2) on almost any other team would be the guy teams game-planned to stop; but have you met A.J. Brown(43 – 23 – 476 – 20.6 – 1)? While he’s in no media conversation as the best receiver in football, he doesn’t seem to mind it. He just plays like he is. Keep in mind, the numbers you see here, are for just the LAST FOUR GAMES.
Quez Watkins (16 – 7 – 49 – 7.0 – 0) on the other hand, may have played his way out of Philadelphia. Turnovers have been an issue for him, and this quarter saw two balls ripped from his hands for interceptions, in the same game. And it was against DALLAS! Behind Brown and Smith, he has one of the cushiest Slot gigs in the sport, and hasn’t been able to capitalize on it, despite possessing elite speed, and having two coverage draws
Zach Pascal caught a ball for six yards vs the Cowboys, but is mostly a blocker and a decoy. The A.J. and Devonta Show has kept people from noticing that the rest of the Offense is faltering. Notice, only half of this position is producing. And did you do the math? This quarter: 60 catches, but just 3 TD’s. No more smoke and mirrors. This MUST BE addressed.
OT: C / LT Jordan Mialata once again didn’t miss a single snap out of 272 in the quarter. He was flagged just once for a hold, which was declined, in the win over the giants. RT Lane Johnsonwas Lane Johnson until he suffered a groin injury (torn adductor) vs Dallas. Filling in for him has been Jack Driscoll. He’s held his own, but speed rushes suggest that he could use chipping help, if we have to rely on him long term. Truthfully he’s a much better interior battler than edge guardian.
OG: C / Landon Dickerson has been hit for three penalties for 20 yards this quarter, including a couple of crushers while trailing the Saints by 10 points. Isaac Seumalo hasn’t missed a snap this quarter. He was flagged just once, but it was during a disastrous drive while trailing the Saints by 10. Our recent interior play would be good for most teams, but for this team, it’s below what’s expected based on what’s been previously delivered.
RG Isaac Seumalo ad C Jason Kelce open a crack, just wide enough for RB Boston Scott to shimmy through.
C: B / Jason Kelcehasn’t missed a single one of the 272 snaps during this quarter. He’s had a couple of questionable snaps, but his movement skills are still top tier, and his understanding of angles is honestly second to none in the game.
DE: B / Josh Sweat(10 – 3.5 – 1 – 0) was injured early in the loss vs the Saints, and missed the season finale. Still he managed to return an interception for a touchdown, and add enough sacks to push his total to 11 on the year. Brandon Graham (7 – 2.5 – 0 – 0) also brought his total to 11, posting double digit sacks for the first time in his career. His only start of the year was the season finale, in place of Sweat.
DE Josh Sweat with the pick six.
DT: A/ Fletcher Cox (6 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) finished the season strong, reintroducing himself to opposing passers. Javon Hargrave(14 – 3.0 – 0 – 0) ran his sack total up to 11, becoming one of four Eagles to post double digit sacks in one year. No other team has ever done that. This position is the engine of the Defense.
Milton Williams(9 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) also has 3 tackles for losses over the last three weeks, and plays the edge as well as the inside. Jordan Davis (4 – 0 – 0 – 0) has played in two games this quarter where he didn’t reach 10 snaps. He hasn’t played 20 snaps in a game since Week 6. So you have to wonder what the coaching staff has in mind for the first rounder, who’s been back from his leg injury since Week 13. We’ll have to keep an eye on this.
Linval Joseph (10 – 0 – 0 – 0) is block eater who has seen his snap percentage drop over the last quarter. There may not be much to it, but keep an eye on how much Davis gets to play going forward. Ndamukong Suh (4 – 0.5 – 0 – 0) has been plugging away inside, offering more disruption than Joseph.
OLB Haason Reddick with one of his two sacks in this game.
OLB: C / Haason Reddick(14 – 6.0 – 0 – 2) and throw in 4 tackles for losses this quarter! The 16 sacks he racked up this year, is his career-high. Kyzir White (31 – 1.0 – 0 0 – 0) gets in on stops, but it would be nice if he didn’t let so much of the action be dictated to him. Too often he makes tackles and not plays.
Nakobe Dean (no stats) saw just three defensive snaps this quarter. Three. Patrick Johnson (5 – 0 – 0 – 0) plays on the line more than he stands up, but seems mostly like a place holder in either instance. Coaches may laud his understanding of his role, but those same coaches will take that role, if another player makes two plays in his stead.
MLB: B / T.J. Edwards (44 – 0 – 0 – 0) posted 159 tackles this year, shattering the Eagles all-time record of 137 set just last year, by current Bronco, Alex Singleton. Edwards role in the Defense has definitely become more passive.
S: D / Marcus Epps(24 – 0 – 0 – 0) has just two passes knocked down this quarter, and just 6 this season and no turnovers, despite playing 1,096 snaps. More is needed here. Reed Blankenship (20 – 0 – 0 – 0) started two games and missed one with an injury. K’von Wallace(11 – 0 – 0 – 0) started in the win at Chicago, and recorded 9 stops. Over the last three games he saw just 12 defensive snaps. Chauncey Gardner Johnson(7 – 0 – 0 – 0) came back from injury and started the finale.
CB: D /Darius “Did He Play?” Slay (12 – 0 – 0 – 0) hasn’t produced a big play, since his deflection in Green Bay last quarter. What’s worse, opposing teams no longer fear targeting him. He hasn’t gotten his hands on a pass since Week 6. It would help to see him assert himself soon. James Bradberry (15 – 0 – 0 – 0) is also seeing more challenges, having no picks since Week 9.
Avonte Maddox(9 – 1.0 – 0 – 2) missed the last two games with a toe injury, and it’s unclear whether he’ll play or practice again this season. Josiah Scott (7 – 0 – 1 – 0) has spent this quarter being plucked, roasted and sauced as the Nickle. The job is simply too big for him.
LS: A /Rick Lovatoadded a tackle to no bad snaps.
P: C / Brett Kern (10 – 408 – 40.8 – 36.6 – 0) was brought in because Arryn Siposs was put on IR. Not a lot of distance, or hang-time, or pin-pointing with his punts; but he’s an aging, late season addition. How much could he possibly have left? Over the last 4 games there have been 5 returns for 42 yards (8.4). Fine under the circumstances, but it suggests a slight out-kicking of the coverage.
K: A / Jake Elliott (9/10 FG, 8/8 XP) has been super reliable. Even from 50+.
PR/KR: D/ Boston Scott (6 – 161 – 26.8 – 0) on Kick-off duty and WR Britain Covey (4 – 44 – 11.0 – 0)
SINCE LAST QUARTER:
After Chicago, the Eagles hit some major injury snags. As a result, we had some trouble securing the win needed to salt away the division and the NFC’s #1 seed. It took until the last game of the season, but it DID get done. While many have questioned the play they see on the field, I’ve had more questions about some of the coaching decisions.
I question the lack of commitment to the run game, during a stretch where the back-up QB had to start. I question a steady diet of off-coverage. I question the sparse use of Miles Sanders, while not elevating RB Trey Sermon from the practice. I question fans who swallow non-answers about these questions.
MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:
We posted a conference (and league), best record of 14 – 3, which earned us a first round bye in these 2022 – 2023 playoffs. We get to flash our VIP pass, and cruise right past the (peasants) Wild Card round, and hop in at the Divisional level. That puts us one win away from the National Conference Championship, and two wins away from the Super Bowl itself. Once there, everything is on the table. So the mission is simple: WIN. WIN. And then WIN.
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.
Sack Leader : (S) OLB Kyzir White (12 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)
Ace :K Jake Elliott 5/5 FG (54, 52) 1/1 XP
****
I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Thingsarticles. 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: GIANTSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Give Sanders the Ball: When the game opened with 9 passes to just 1 hand-off, you sort of knew the game would go how it went. As for RB Miles Sanders (11 – 33 – 3 – 3.0 – 0 – 0) he was sprinkled into the game here and there, and at no point did it feel like the Eagles Offense ever achieved real balance or rhythm.
RG Isaac Seumalo and C Jason Kelce create a tiny crease for RB Boston Scott to run through for an 8 yard TD.
The only points scored by the Offense were on Boston Scott’s 8 yard touchdown run behind Jason Kelce and RG Isaac Seumalo. Our remaining 16 points came off the toe of K Jake Elliott, twice connecting from 50-plus. The giants never got on their heels vs the run and Hurts stayed under constant pressure, being sacked 3 times (NOT DONE)
2) Set the Edges: Aside from a couple of runs which broke containment, the giants RB’s spent the day being trapped like mice, in half a bucket of water. Funneling everything towards MLB T.J. Edwards was the idea, and he responded (as always) with 10 tackles.
I also said that LB Nakobe Dean (on-side kick recovery) should start over LB Kyzir White who responded by mailing me a gallon of cherry flavored Shut the Fuck Up. (He didn’t literally, but you get the idea.) However, if he’s going to play like THIS when I challenge him: How about remembering how to intercept a ball, Kyzir?! (I await his response in the next game.) (DONE)
3) Show Dallas Some Love: The idea was to have TE Dallas Goedert(7 – 6 – 46 – 7.6 – 0) catch short passes to the outside of the box, and just slightly down the field to loosen the opposing defense inside. While he did operate to the outside of the box, and was targeted quickly, and often on short passes, some of it was a little goofy.
Using him to stretch the box was done, but the route concepts could have been more straight forward. There were too many TE Screens/Bubble Screen type throws to him. I have no idea what the Birds coaching staff was doing there. They missed a chance to send a message. (DONE)
4) Get Get Ball: Sit down. You don’t want to be standing for this one.
The mission was two takeaways. The result was zero takeaways. We played against a six year, journeyman, third stringer, who’d never attempted an NFL pass; and we didn’t get a single turnover off of him. In fact, he threw a touchdown over CB Darius “No Nickname” Slay(1 tackle), and ran over S Reed Blankenship (4 – 0 – 0 – 0 / and the game sealing on-side recovery) for a touchdown.
The giants had more touchdown drives than me we did. Say that again. Really ROLL the words around in your mouth.
Now remember, they did that behind a six year, journeyman, third stringer, who’d never attempted an NFL pass. We have to figure how to take the ball away again, and not just wait for opponents to hand it to us. It’s not like we can face QB Dak Prescott every week. (NOT DONE)
****
So that brings us to 2 of theFour Thingsthis week. We put out a .500 level effort and got a .500 level win. That said, WE GOT THE NUMBER ONE SEED IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE, BABY! We’ll take a week to heal, study, and work on our issues. Watch some football next weekend, study, and in two weeks, host one of the two losers of the NFC Divisional Playoff Round.
****
On The Whole:
I think we can stop blaming QB Gardner Minshew for last week’s offensive debacle vs the Saints. For the second week in a row, our offensive coaching staff looked lost out there. The Offense is at its best when we run the ball. When we stop, well… Let’s see if you can spot a trend:
DAL: Minshew 2TD/2 Int
NO: Minshew 1TD/1 Int
NYG: Hurts 0 TD/1 Int
Those margins are getting tighter, regardless of who plays QB. That’s an issue. Hurts was 4/10 on pass attempts to A.J. Brown, and the red zone pick he threw while trying to get to WR Devonta Smith(8 – 7 – 67 – 9.5 – 0) was as uncharacteristic a pass as you will see in this sport.
I was hoping to see (especially vs back-ups) offensive dominance out there. To have the starters end on a strong note before getting a week off. Now I have questions about if Hurts shoulder is damaging his delivery; and I’m wondering why Head Coach Nick Sirianniis turning his back on the run. Yeah yeah. I know who calls the plays, but who actually runs the games?
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.
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.
Sack Leader : (S) DE Brandon Graham(3 – 2.0 – 0 – 0)
Ace :NA
****
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: SAINTSdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Run the damned ball:The Eagles had TWO hand-offs (back to back), in the first half for 9 nine yards. There were 12 (for 58 yards (4.8ypc) in the second half, but Offensive Coordinator Shane “Possibly Retarded” Steichen, wanted to show everyone how clever he is, while starting a back-up QB and a back-up RT. The result was 10 points. (NOT DONE)
2) Tight man on the Corners: Nope! Not at all. Once again we were playing our Corners 5 to 8 yards deep, making them late to Screens and outside run fits. There was no excuse for this. Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon called a spineless game, in which got his Defense jerked around like kittens on a leash. This was embarrassing (NOT DONE)
3) Get Chunk Plays: Eagles seemed to want to do this, but an inability to protect Minshew (6 sacks allowed) short circuited any attempt to establish a rhythm offensively. This was made worse as no commitment to the run game, meant that the Saints didn’t buy our play-action. (NOT DONE)
4) Blow up the “A” Gaps: Early in the game, they had us on our heels with this. It was made worse by the Offense giving the Defense no time to rest, with three and out after three and out. Later in the game we got to a point where we were holding our own at the point of attack, but that’s not the same as winning. (NOT DONE)
****
This week we didn’t do any of the Four Things and we got… Have you ever gotten your butt crack waxed?
That’s sort of what happened to us out there. Because of this, next weeks game vs the giants is a MUST WIN. A win next week means that no playoff opponent will have home-field advantage over us. So we need this. NEED. Think of it as our first playoff game of the year.
****
On The Whole:
Get off of Gardner Minshew’s back! He’s a back-up QB who had to split reps this week, playing behind a damaged O-line, with a coaching staff that decided to rest the game squarely on his shoulders. Minshew has been fine over the last two weeks. Not great, but fine.
OFFENSE: We ran 15 plays in the first half. Just 2 were hand-offs. This was versus the #23 rushing defense in the league. I said in Four Things this is free yardage, and what happened? Miles Sanders averaged 5.0 yards per tote on his 12 carries. He had just 12 carries despite making solid gains when he did see the ball.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Poor play-calling is always a problem, but it’s an even worse problem with perpetually shitty field position. It is well past time to cut PR Britain Covey. He’s an out right liability at this point. When he isn’t fair catching everything, he’s getting blown up in ways that energize our opponents. We’re getting no energy, momentum, and no contribution from our not so Special Teams.
DEFENSE: Anybody care to explain why we were in deep zones again, allowing the QB to complete passes like it was a 7 on 7 drill? Because I sure as hell can’t! Nothing we did made sense today. It’s like the coaching staff was TRYING to throw the game. This cost us a clinch and a higher draft pick.
Calling this game an embarrassment, is like saying the Washington Commanders organization has a couple of things to correct. Adding injury to insult, DE Josh Sweat was carted off the field, and taken to a nearby hospital (probably Methodist since they’re part of Jefferson now), and scheduled to be released Sunday night.
LET’S not try to spin last week’s loss to the Cowboys as a “good” thing. That said, let’s not ignore how many great lessons we learned from it. We put up 34 points, despite 4 turnovers, and playing with a back-up QB. The next time we face them, QBJalen Hurts should be back, and we won’t be giving the ball away four times.
Now the league means to entertain the world, by ushering Saints into the Colosseum that is Lincoln Financial, to be devoured by the BEAST of the East.
Winning will make us 14 – 2, give us the NFC East crown, install us as the Number One Seed in the Conference, and position us to pick in the top ten of the upcoming Draft. Whether we win by one or one thousand, the results will be the same for us.
A loss here would drop us to 13 – 3, leaving the door open for the Cowboys to win the East, the Vikings to win the NFC, and leaving the Saints alive for a possible playoff berth, which would drop our potential top ten pick, all the way down to twenty-first. At best.
****
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: Saints
1) Run the damned ball: By run the ball, I don’t mean run the QB, I mean hand it off to RB Miles Sanders. The Saints come into this game giving up 4.5 yards per tote, and have a smallish front 7 seven vs our huge Offensive Line. This is free yardage! For the love of Pete, just take it!
Also, hand-offs set up play-action. Why not make life easy on our QB, (regardless of which plays), if we can?
2) Tight man on the Corners:The Saints don’t have a WR that we need to be overly concerned about. The real reason for our CB’s playing tight to the Line Of Scrimmage, is to already be in position to create a funnel, when they throw any Screen passes. The idea is to funnel the receiver back into a million hands clawing at the ball and vicious collisions.
3) Get Chunk Plays:Instead of Hurts attempting forty-five 9yard passes, how about we whittle it down to fifteen 20yard passes. Let’s put up 20 first half points, and let Gardner Minshewtake over. There is no sense in sacrificing a deep playoff win, just to get the top seed. Preserve Hurts shoulder. No playing with our food this week. Go for the killshots, early.
4) Blow up the “A” Gaps:Seriously folks, QB Andy Dalton is a statue. His rushing stats are 71 – 244 – 3.4 – 0. Since 2020! Get after him. Make him change his launch angle by making him move his feet. This should impact their passing game as well as the inside run game, and make it hard for them to move the ball in any regard.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
No need to talk a bunch here. Last week we didn’t handle business, and here we are with everything we worked this season, on the verge of being stolen at the last moment.
No more chit-chat. Go win.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 24 – Saints 13
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.
LT Jordan Mailata comforts RB Miles Sanders after his fumble.
WE fumbled the game away
EAGLES 34 – Cowboys 40
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.
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: Cowboysdid the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
One of TWO interception taken from WR Quez Watkins
1) Make their OLB’s Cover:They came out in a 4-2-5 alignment, moving OLB Micah Parsons (3 – 0 – 0 – 0) all around the formation to try and create a mismatch. While Minshew was under a fair amount of pressure during the game, Dallas collected no sacks all game long. We failed in this aspect, but we may gain a new tactic after this film study. (NOT DONE)
2) Punish the Blitz: Aside from a 21 yard pass to RBKenny Gainwell (4 – 1 7 – 4.2 – 0 – 0 / 4 – 4 – 41 – 10.2 – 0), at no point did we catch them over-exposed during a blitz. Also, more could have been done with play-action. (NOT DONE)
3) Take Away the Quick Stuff:Slot WR Ceedee Lamb (11 – 10 – 120 – 12.0 – 2) was immediately into his routes. The timing routes were so good, that their QB could have almost played with his eyes closed. (NOT DONE)
Sacks. Pick Sixes. DE Josh Sweat did it all.
4) Squeeze and Occupy the Gaps: Well executed. Cowboys RB’s ran for 74 yards on 25 carries (2.96ypc). This also opened up pass rush opportunities, leading to six sacks.(DONE)
****
Sadly, we rung up just 1 of the Four Things this week, but we’ll see this team again, soon. Having not taken care of business this week, we need to play another meaningful game next week vs the Saints. Which in all truth, may be the best thing for our playoff run.
****
On The Whole:
FIRST! That interception by Josh Sweat was a amazing. The last time I saw a play like that, I was making it at age 15. It was just street ball. No pads. I’ve never seen that play made in pads, and couldn’t believe it when I saw it. The degree of difficulty to make that play in pads… I need to give Sweat props, before going into the postmortem.
Two fumbles. One by RB Miles Sanders where he simply lost the handle; and an inexplicable one by RB Boston Scott (0 – 0 – 0.0 – 0 – 1) where he took a handoff and for whatever reason never closed his arms over the ball. Worse was WR Quez Watkins(5 – 1 – 19 – 19.0 – 0) giving up two interceptions by letting the defender take the ball out of his hands.
Don’t tell me how competitive each man on the team is, when I see a lack of hunger this pronounced. Next season it might be wise to distill Watkins, RB Boston Scott, and KR Britain Covey’s roster spots into a back-up WR or RB, who has college KR experience. Our third round pick should be a GREAT place to find that player.
Aside from the four turnovers, there was the 3rd and 30 that we allowed the Cowboys to convert. While everyone else is harping on the coverage, the real problem was the lack of pressure that allowed the clean look, on a pin-point pass, delivered with follow through. Just a four man rush on 3rd and 30? It was clear that was the plan pre-snap, so I was in my living room screaming for five. Screaming! So the catch wasn’t surprising.
Overall, I didn’t see anything that worries me for the rubber match in a few weeks. Do I see us forcing just one punt, and giving the ball away four times, again? Not at all. I also don’t see us holding their RB’s to 74 yards, but the tactic for playing them will jump off any game tape. A six point loss, with four turnovers, playing with our back-up QB? Plenty of confidence for when we see them next.
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 andJames 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.
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.
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: Bears did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
DT Javon Hargrave and DE Josh Sweat each had 2 sacks in this game.
1) Lock The Box:Don’t mush-rush. Play the LB’s in shallow zones, and get aggressively after their QB with our front four. That was the call and that’s EXACTLY what we did. Three different Eagles had 2 sacks each, as DT Javon Hargrave(3 – 2.0 – 0 – 0), DE Josh Sweat(6 – 2.0 – 1 – 0) and OLB Haason Reddick (4 – 2.0 – 0 – 1) all laid hands upon Chicago’s QB.
Aside from 95 rushing yards to a run-first QB, we gave up just 62 yards on 15 carries (4.1) to the rest of their team. Some of the yards were in small chunks, but most were in small pieces and slivers. So it was never something they could rely on, or use to complement the rest of their offense. (DONE)
2) Man Coverage on the Corners: Chicago’s top three WR’s COMBINED for 4 catches, 72 yards (18.0 yards per catch), with a 35 yard score on a blown coverage. Our CB’s played up in the receivers faces and reduced them essentially to spectators.(DONE)
3) Use Play-action: You can’t use play-action if you don’t hand the ball off. In the first half of this game RB Miles Sanders(11 – 42 – 3.8 – 0 – 1) carried the ball all of 4 times. That’s a recipe for getting your QB killed. (NOT DONE)
4) Quick Hook:We never got the chance to pull our starters because we never had a 20 point lead. However, the contingency plan of hammering the football was also not even glanced at. (NOT DONE)
****
OLB Haason Reddick with one of of his two sacks
This week 2 of the Four Things was enough for us to grab a the “Dub”. Next week we go to Dallas to clinch the NFC East, and guarantee home-field advantage (and then a neutral site), throughout the playoffs.
****
On The Whole:
WR A.J. Brown gets the catch, but no laundry for “some” reason.
Let me get this gripe in, first. I’ve been very vocal about how much wear and tear all the running will put on Hurts. I haven’t talked about punishment. I’ve talked about wear and tear. I don’t know if YOU noticed it, but Hurts looks slower running these days. More catchable. That’s the wear and tear. Like on your own joints!
With Hurts being easier to catch, that means he’s now easier to hit. Notice the kind of hits he took in this game? In September/October no one repeatedly got those sort of shots on him. They did in this one! And he’s only going to keep getting up slower and slower. You want to watch the Cowboys knock him out of a game? Me either. They have to ease up on the called runs.
Thanks to QB Tom Brady and Deflate-gate, I’ve repeatedly talked about how cold weather affects footballs. Early in the game I figured this was why Hurts’ ball placement was so spotty. Turns out his hands were numb, and he was having trouble seeing. He doesn’t think Philly will get as cold as Chicago did. Somebody tell him!
Do I think this team looked past Chicago, to next week’s match-up with Dallas? In the fourth quarter, on the two point conversion, Miles Sanders went into motion, setting off a series of pre-snap shifts. When he went by the TE, Sanders touched him on the rear, that TE shifted and touched the rear of the next man to go into a shift.
For those who don’t know what that was, it was the Eagles running silent, to handle noise. Soldier Field wasn’t loud at that point, so why do that? Because it was practice for next week. The Eagles used this Bears game as a first practice for Dallas. It’s not just players that looked past the Bears. The coaching staff was doing it too.
EAGLEMANIACAL.com 