Fletcher Cox

All posts tagged Fletcher Cox

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/02/15
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), playoffs, Rants, Super Bowl, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

EAGLES Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon, has fucked off to become Arizona’s head coach. This is a HUGE break for our team! Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen also left, to become the Colts next scapegoat, but I don’t give shit about that right now. I want to celebrate Gannon’s departure RIGHT NOW! This is addition by subtraction.

The very first article that I ever wrote on this site, was ‘WANT A SUPER BOWL? THEN FIRE BILL DAVIS.’ In it, I mentioned how continuing to settle for Davis as our Defensive Coordinator, wasn’t going to get us where we wanted to go. I wrote that on February 2, 2014.

During 2015, the Eagles fired then head coach, Chip Kelly, and Davis followed. In 2016 Doug Pederson, became our new Head Coach. Pederson was joined by DC Jim Schwartz, who inherited the talent that Davis had been squandering on Defense. The result was that we won our first Super Bowl on February 8, 2018.

Similarly, Gannon has been squandering the talent on the defensive side of our roster. Yes, yes, I know! We got 70 sacks in 2022. But what else did we do? Let me give you a quick rundown:

We got turnovers in bunches at the beginning of the 2022 season. When those dried up, no adjustment was made. Just more and more soft coverages, allowing easy completions which kept our Defense on the field. Look at how we finished the season:

Ryan Tannehill: 14/22 – 63.6% – 141 – 1 – 0

Daniel Jones: 18/27 – 66.6% – 169 – 1 – 0

Justin Fields: 14/21 – 66.6% – 152 – 2 – 0

Dak Prescott: 27/35 – 77.1% – 347 – 3 – 1

Andy Dalton: 18/22 – 81.8% – 205 – 0 – 1

Davis Webb: 23/40 – 57.5% – 168 – 1 – 0

That 3rd and 30 vs Dallas? Our four man rush allowed Dak Prescott to move gently left, and heave a 50 yard strike, to a guy who had recently been on his couch! Who dialed up that rush? Who called for that loose coverage?

Looks like our Secondary wasn’t set right?
NOPE! We were set. This alignment is just how it was called.

Hey, how about the development of the rookies, DT Jordan Davis and LB Nakobe Dean?

Davis was injured in Week 7, and sat out three games. Prior to his injury, he had five starts. Once he returned, he would never again see 20 snaps in a game under Gannon. Free agent additions DT Ndamukong Suh and DT Linval Joseph, helped give DT Fletcher Cox relief during Davis’s injury, but they should have never out-snapped Davis after his return. Both did in every game.

Dean played all of 34 snaps all season long. He played a total of 43 if you count the playoffs. There is no way to convince me (or most of you), that Dean should have played behind LB Kyzir White for most of this season. Don’t even get me STARTED about CB Zeck McPhearson barely seeing the field.

Does anyone want to discuss his adjustments in the Super Bowl? What adjustments? Great question. The Chiefs played pitch and catch all game long. I’ve seen clouds under more pressure than QB Patrick Mahomes saw that night. And yet how often did we see a five man rush? How about Man-Press? A Fire Zone Blitz?

When asked what defensive system he ran, Gannon answered with “Multiple”. I hated that answer right from the get-go! Multiple should mean that we see all kinds of exotic looks, but this guy didn’t come with the resume for Multiple. (Few in history have.)

Instead of “Multiple” what we got was mostly 4 – 3, off-Corners, 2 Deep Zone. Translation: Missionary, under the covers, in the dark, while wearing pajamas. Just get me someone who wants to play with his toys, and dreams up inventive things to do with them. Handcuff her behind her knees, and hit it from the back with your foot on her cheek. Let’s see some imagination!

My fear was that Gannon was going to stick around, and continue to squander talent. However, his fucking off, opens the door to a quick return to the Super Bowl. Maybe even as soon as next season, despite free agent departures like DT Javon Hargrave and CB James Bradberry! We could stumble into a dynasty here, folks.

Hold on. Let me dial it back a sec. I haven’t been a fan of any of our DC’s since Jim Johnson. Most of you have ridden that ride with me (hey, remember Juan Castillo?), so I don’t have to go into detail. We could still screw this up, but as of now, we’re stronger for having lost him. Today, we had some addition by subtraction.

FOUR THINGS: NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: EAGLES – 49ERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/01/27
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC Championship, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Roster, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

ABSOLUTE domination from start to finish last week. The national media spent last week hyping a hollow giants team, and we beat the numbers off their jerseys. This week’s opponent has grown fat off of teams that specialize in hurting themselves. This week they have the wrong opponent. In the wrong house. In front of the wrong crowd.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is going to show what it means to lead a team to victory, instead of just being along for the ride. Which is what’s happening on the 49ers sideline. I mean, could you imagine hyping a QB for playing like the best version of Daniel Jones?

The national media isn’t saying “Look at him make jaw-dropping play after play!” They’re saying “Oh look at how he doesn’t make huge mistakes!”Well, OLB Haason Reddick, DT Javon Hargrave, SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, CB Darius Slay, and others, are about to put that kid to the test. Context is on the way!

A win punches our ticket to Super Bowl LVII. While I cannot guarantee a win like I did last week, the odds of winning are HEAVILY in our favor. We are all but inevitable. 

A loss cannot be entirely ruled out here. The chance exists that we don’t pull this one. Having acknowledged it however, the chance is pretty damned small.

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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: 49ers

DT Fletcher Cox, is on the hunt

1) Set Hard Edges: The 9ers are a run-based offense that uses lots of misdirection to open holes. Stay disciplined, and don’t fall for the eye-candy. With the way they like to goof around in the backfield, if we don’t fall for the smoke and mirrors, their ball carrier is liable to run smack into a defender.

Have DE’s Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat establish hard boundaries on the ends of the offensive line, to either bottle runs up inside, or force them far outside where there’s no blocking. Understand, the idea isn’t to “shutdown” their run. (They’re too good for that.) The idea is to just make it unreliable, and destabilize their offense.

2) Pick Purdy: You’ve heard the expression “Pick your poison”. Here we should pick their rookie QB. Yep! Just force them to beat us with a seventh round, rookie QB, making his eighth start, on the road, in one of sport’s most hostile environments. Oh, I promised you context.

This kid’s wins? A bad Tampa Bay with no offensive line; Seattle’s 26th ranked defense; The Commanders; The Raiders 28th ranked defense; Arizona playing their 3rd string QB; Wild Card Seattle on the road; and Dallas last week. THIS is what all the hype has been about! So if I’m picking my poison, I’m picking that Purdy lil’ QB.

3) Run The Ball: Usually I mean hand-offs when I say this, but against this opponent, I mean anybody. While RB Miles Sanders should be our hammer early, RB’s Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott should each see at least 6 carries apiece, mostly in the second half.

Also, the 9ers defense is smallish upfront. The DE playing across from 365 pound LT Jordan Mailata, is only about 245. They don’t have a LB over 230. We need to physically wear them down, and then wear them out. It also bears mentioning that all four of their losses came against mobile QB’s. (Note: They didn’t face QB Kyler Murray at all this season.)

4) Throw It Deep: Do not allow their defense to dictate our attack. Two of their three CB’s are decidedly overrated. They all do a great job of taking away the quick stuff, but downfield, the Wards can be had.

They play a lot of Cover Three, but we should be able to short circuit that, with WR Quez Watkins working deep in the Slot. Even if they’re just dummy routes to hold the FS. With enough protection that’s a one-on-one down either sideline.

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

There are a ton of surface indicators which make this game seem a lot more even, than it truly is. What people seem to be (deliberately) looking past, is context. As you know, I never look past context. Context is what makes facts come alive!

At times this season, when the kid has gotten into trouble, their coach has protected him by getting the ball out of his hands with either quick passes, or more running plays. If we take those away, he has to play big boy QB, which puts him right in DT Fletcher Cox’s cross-hairs.

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Prediction: EAGLES 24 –  49ers 15

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

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

FOUR THINGS: WK 13: EAGLES – TITANS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/12/03
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LAST week DT Fletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham, DE Josh Sweat and OLB Hasaan Reddick combined to knock QB Aaron Rodgers from the game, and setting up the end of his era in Green Bay. This week we turn our gaze to deposing the supposed “king”. Now is not a good time to be considered NFL royalty. Because we’re hunting for another crown.

DT Fletcher Cox on the hunt

A win makes us 11 – 1, and keeps us at the top of the NFL food chain. There are seven seats at the playoff table. That means we have to be better than NINE teams in the conference. Winning an 11th game would mean that we can’t lose more than 6 games this season. EIGHT teams already have 7 or more losses. We’d be two Washington or Seattle losses away, from clinching a playoff spot.

A loss would make us 10 – 2. However, both we and the number two team, are playing non-conference games this week. So no mater how this weekend works out, we’ll keep the top seed. For at least one more week, the NFC belongs to us, and no one can do a goddamn thing but genuflect, and kiss the motherfucking ring.

So let’s go get this win, and kill any hope that the peasants may be harboring.

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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: Titans

1) Pick The Fight: The Titans style isn’t one of being particularly clever, but of being physical. The Titans, almost to a man, will be looking to punch us in the mouth. As a team, the Eagles have faced adversity vs weather, on the scoreboard, and with calls by officials. This time, as individual men, they will be tested physically.

As Philadelphians we pride ourselves on being ready to drop the gloves faster than anyone else. Sunday we get to see if our team is as tough as the fans. (It’s RARELY the case though. See: Gang Green Defense, Buddy Ryan) The Titans however, are about that life! Instead of accepting their invitation to a fight, we need to start it, and finish it.

Winning at the line of scrimmage. Tackles that put men on the ground. Hits that draw flags, and send their players to the blue tent. These are the things we need to see Sunday. No finessing our way through this one. We need our toes to tickle their tonsils the hard way.

2) Keep Him Clean: Keeping blockers off of MLB T.J. Edwards will allow him to flow to the Titans 247 pound RB, and meet him in the hole before he can gather any momentum. That means our Defensive Linemen can’t allow Titans offensive linemen to have quick, clean releases off the line of scrimmage.

With their RB being so large, he needs holes, not creases. If we can delay their linemen even half a second, it malforms the hole that the RB needs to run through. If the Defense can trap the RB between the linemen, it’ll be easier to slow their run game. Look, they’re going to run the ball a lot. So we don’t need to shut down their run game, just make it unreliable.

3) Rush for 100 yards: The Titans are 0 – 3 this season when they allow 100 yards rushing. They’re 1 – 4 when their opponent rushes for 75 or more. That said, this one is more about us, and less about them.

Running the ball successfully, is about being able to impose will on someone who is giving their all, not to let it happen. If we can do that against a team as physical as the Titans, we will have sent a POWERFUL message to the entire the NFL. If we cannot, it’s best to know it (and fix it), before we find ourselves in the playoffs.

4) Tight Man Coverage: When I say Titans WR, who’s the first person you think of? Nope, he plays for us now. Think of someone else… Can’t? Neither can anyone else, since their WR’s have COMBINED for just 3 of the Titans 11 receiving scores. No one is afraid of these guys.

Making things worse for them, is QB Ryan Tannehill, the Neapolitan ice cream of NFL QB’s. His 36 – 16 record as a Titan says reliable, but his limitations…

Imagine a slab of this, melting on a styrofoam plate, next to a square of sheet cake. Yum. Tannehill.

Watching Tannehill try to force passes to sub-par receivers, wearing CB’s Darius “Big Play” Slay and James Bradberry, like shadows, should buy enough time for our deep and talented Defensive Line, to shred their lackluster offensive line.

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

This is the game on the schedule that scares me. For many it’s the Dallas re-match, but I’m neither here nor there with that one. That’s a division game. Division games (like footballs) can take funny bounces. See the difference between our Washington games? Yeah. So I’ll see how I feel about Dallas, when that game gets here.

The 7 – 4 Titans score an average of 19.0 points per game, vs allowing 18.6. They don’t have the firepower to reach 30 points, and haven’t all season so far. So this game like many of their other games, they’re going to try and turn into a low scoring brawl. Usually I don’t suggest playing down to an opponent, but we need a good fist fight.

Talent-wise, the Eagles are head and shoulders above the Titans, in most areas. If we bring the same level of physicality to this game as they do, we should win this game in a walk. However, this is a different type of opponent than we’ve faced all year, and we need to be ready to meet that type of challenge in the playoffs.

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Prediction: EAGLES 26 – Titans 17

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.

NO PROBLEMS UP FRONT

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/11/20
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), Players, Rants, report, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TWO words: Marlon Tuipulotu.

He’s the DT that the Eagles have put on Injured Reserve. Remember when they carted him off the field on Monday ni-, oh right. They didn’t. The Eagles put him on I.R. on Wednesday the 16th. This is Sunday morning the 20th. Quick! What’s his injury? Anybody? Anybody? His injury is sucking ass, and being pushed aside for two better players, that’s what his injury is. Please! Go to the Eagles website and get the details on this “injury”. I’ll wait…..

Over the last 5 weeks, the Eagles have allowed 124 rushing yards or more, in every game. It got really bad after the Bye week, when we allowed 144, 168, and 152 respectively. Many things factor into that. Not bringing arms to tackle attempts, holding runners up to claw at the ball, tackling shoulders instead of thighs. All of which are quickly correctable.

The biggest reason we’re getting run through however, is because we’re getting beat on the line of scrimmage. The knee jerk from fans, has been to either blame DT Fletcher Cox for falling off, or to blame the injury to DT Jordan Davis. Both are correct, but only in a round about way.

Cox was being asked to play more snaps than usual, as the coaching staff hoped he could fill the hole left by Davis, both as a presence and rotationally. As a result, we’re running Cox into the ground. In fact, we’re using him the opposite of how we should be using a player his age. (More on that in the upcoming Quarterly Report. Yes, it’s late. I know. Bear with me.)

Linval Joseph working the “One Half” technique.
Ndamukong Suh gets a taste of Philly’s sports media.

So the Eagles added 34 year old DT Linval Joseph, and then DT Ndamukong Suh, who is 35. While Joseph is more of a space eater for the run game, Suh is a flat-out disruptor of blocking schemes. Even when he doesn’t make the play, he frequently causes havoc.

Understand, the worst of our run defense has coincided with the ramp up in snaps for Tuipulotu. Over the last three games, he’s averaged 33% of the defensive snaps. And that is not a good thing! I made it clear in last years Draft Report that I didn’t see selecting him as a good move. He stuck anyway.

I repeated my point about Tuipulotu in this year’s Pre-Draft Preview. My specific choice of words: “Marlon Tuipulotu played like trash, with a side order of ass last year,”. Yet he kept seeing the field this year. And the more he did, the more others like Cox were asked to compensate for everything that Tuipulotu can’t do. Which, you know, is pretty much everything.

Cox eats double teams and disrupts the pocket; DT Javon Hargrave is an ‘A’ gap penetrator who gets to QB’s; Davis is a space eating, pocket collapser. Those are our true DT’s. While DT Milton Williams can play that spot, he’s more of a DE/DT tweener. He’s coming along, but we still don’t really know who he is, just yet. Tuipulotu is just a 300 pound guy. Hell, I’M a 300 pound guy! There should be more qualifications than that, to get a roster spot.

When Davis went down, we were left with a bum (Tuipulotu), and two guys who specialize in slipping the point of attack, not holding it. That’s not saying that Cox and Hargrave can’t play the run! We all know that they can. But that’s not where their salary size comes from.

Do you realize that at worst, if Suh and Joseph don’t contribute much as players, those two, plus Cox and Hargrave, will be pouring wisdom into Davis. Meanwhile we have no timetable on Tuipulotu’s return date. Which is totally understandable without an actual injury to assess.

FOUR THINGS: WK 11: EAGLES – COLTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/11/19
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

STILL atop the NFL! Despite last week’s loss to Washington. We did some things last week that are uncharacteristic for us. We barely ran the ball. We turned the ball over four times (two real, one bullshit, one on the game’s final desperation play). Even still, up until that last play, we were only down five points.

Now because Washington ran the ball a lot and controlled the clock, rumor is, this is the blueprint for how to beat us. So expect the Colts to try to copycat. Of course, the operative word in that sentence, is “try”.

Last time I checked, we still had LT Jordan Mailata. We still had LG Landon Dickerson. We still had Hall of Fame C Jason Kelce. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t RT Lane Johnson still play here? I get the feeling, that they’re going to want to impose their will on an undersized Colts defensive line. Like I said… Just a feeling.

A win here, and the Eagles are guaranteed to finish above .500, and will still have a strangle hold on the NFC East. Also, we’ll still sit at the head of the table in the conference. Especially if Minnesota loses to the Cowboys. (That game works for us regardless of how it goes.)

A loss here, and the Eagles still are at the top of the division. Even when the giants beat Detroit. Coupled with a Minnesota win, we’d lose the NFC’s top spot, but if we lost, then we’d sort of need a Cowboys loss more, to keep a tighter grip on the East.

Both us and Minny losing keeps us in the NFC’s top spot, but the Cowboys would inch closer to us and the giants.

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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: Colts

1) Run the ball: If only for the sake of letting our Defense get a breather. We brought in reinforcements for DT Fletcher Cox, but DT’s Linval Joseph and Ndamokung Suh are coming off their couches. (Maybe off-the-couch players, is how you beat an off-the-couch coach? Perhaps there’s some wisdom couched in that there somewhere? I’ll stop. I’ll stop. C-OUCH! Banged my knee.)

Seriously though, the Colts also have an undersized front seven. They have LB’s who can fly around and make stops, but they don’t generate many big plays. We hardly touched our run game last week, so our big fellas must be hungry for some contact. It’s time we let them impose their will, and show the NFL that the KING, still lives.

2) Drop ‘em!: Enough with this holding the ball-carrier up, to swipe at the ball, bullshit. Just make the gall-dang tackle! Just get the guy on the ground!! There is no reason to let a RB churn a 2 yard gain, into a 5 yard gain. There even less reason to let it happen consistently. It makes 3rd down almost impossible to win.

3) Open Up the Passing Game: In nine starts this season, WR Devonta Smith has averaged double digits per reception in just three of them. In nine games (three starts), WR Quez Watkins has seen all of 17 attempts in his direction. His shock at getting his hands on a ball, and his over-eagerness to make a play was evident in him trying to do too much, and fumbling.

With TE Dallas Goedert on I.R., this Offense will need another home run hitter, who can threaten a defense, and open things up inside for the run game. We can’t keep making WR A.J. Brown the only deep threat in town.

4) Get Heat On Matty Ice: Before he was benched in favor of a rookie, QB Matt Ryan was already out there seeing ghosts. So we need to hit him early, even if it’s late. By which I mean, be willing to draw a couple of flags, just to rattle him. We need to get him off his game early.

Ryan has never been the most athletic QB, and his arm isn’t what it used to be. He is still in this game at his age, because of all the mental parts of his game. Take that away from him, early. The rookie they had replace him, looked bad with a week of practice. If for any reason Ryan has to come out of the game, that rookie will have less prep time. Or maybe we’ll get to see third string QB Nick Foles.

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

We go eight games with no losses and the NFL barely notices us. We lose one game (and make no mistake, Washington didn’t win it, we lost it), and suddenly people are picking the Colts to beat us.

The disrespect is real!

No matter. The Eagles have a point to prove this week. They didn’t last week and came out flat. Actually if we’re keeping it Wilt,

the Eagles have started flat for a couple of games now. Last week’s loss was just the kick in the pride, that this group of grown men needed. Hell, it got General Manager Howie Roseman to flex his phone call muscle, and Owner Jeff Lurie to flex his check writing muscle.

Don’t expect flatness to follow moves like that.

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Prediction: EAGLES 25 – Colts 16

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

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

FOUR THINGS: WK 5: EAGLES – CARDINALS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/10/07
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

DRIVING rain, missing starters, down fourteen points. So what? This Eagles team is undefeated because we have no weaknesses. Conversely, this week’s opponent is comprised entirely of weaknesses. Sadly, there will be no mercy for them this week.

Adding OLB Hassan Reddick (3.5 sacks), has re-invigorated DT Fletcher Cox (3.0) and DE Brandon Graham (3.0). The left side of the Defense is downright predatory. All it does is hunt. On the flip-side, is an Offense that ranks 5th in rushing yards, and 8th in passing yards, with QB Jalen Hurts averaging 9.1 yards per attempt.

A win here makes us 5 – 0, still number one in the NFC East, the NFC, and the NFL. A loss, would leave us at 4 – 1 and still atop of the NFC East, unless Dallas beats the Rams. (Tie-breaker: Division games. Dallas (2-0), Philly (1-0)) That reason right there, is why I don’t think this is a trap 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. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Cardinals

1) Fence Him In: Someone said that Cardinal’s QB kyler murray, when scrambling in the pocket, looks like a toddler who has your car keys. I watched him play last week, and now I can’t unsee it. So we need to set the edges of the pocket, and force him backwards.

Two weeks ago DT Jordan Davis started the Commanders demise, by batting a pass from 6’5” QB Carson Wentz. murray is listed at 5’10”, but he’s got to be the shortest 5’10” I’ve ever seen in my life. Our pass rushers need to get their hands up, when they can’t get their hands on murray. Just to get him to hold the ball an extra second or two.

2) Tackle Securely: The Cardinals running game is utterly pedestrian. The problem is they’re stuck between two schools of thought, and so, execute neither well. Worse than that, their offensive line consists of just a bunch of guys, led by C Rodney Hudson (who some think is better than C Jason Kelce).

While they have a poor scheme, that is also poorly blocked, RB James Conner is not to be overlooked. He’s not really a game changer, but at 233 he’s a load. He doesn’t “run angry” but he does use his size, and can tire out a defense. If we don’t get cute, he shouldn’t be a problem.

3) Throw the Ball: Through four games the Cardinals have just 4 sacks. Half of those belong to what’s left of DE J.J. Watt. They play a 3 – 4 that’s more like a 4 – 3, with OLB Markus Golden playing the role of “non-coverage OLB”. If LT Jordan Mailata is ready to go, pass pro won’t be an issue. If not, then OL Jack Driscoll may need a little help.

The Eagles receivers against this secondary, is an absolute mismatch. I’d expect WR’s A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith to have 80 yards each. Especially playing indoors on dry grass. With as lackluster as their starting CB’s are, they have no answer for WR Quez Watkins in the Slot.

4) Read-Option Early: We don’t need to get QB Jalen Hurts get injured, so let’s limit his carries. Eight or fewer (not counting kneel downs), sounds good. However, to open up the run game, we should use the Read-Option early. Right away. Either on the first or second carry. (Ideally the first.)

Having to defend that, should hold S Budda Baker in the box, and open up the deep shots, (hopefully off of play-action). Once we hit a ten yard run or a twenty yard pass, it’ll stress their defense enough to make calling the game easier.

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

I don’t want to seem like I don’t take this opponent seriously, but it’s so hard to do so. They fuck up so many simple things. For instance:

WR Marquis Brown bolted from Baltimore, because he didn’t like how he was being utilized. So he leaves a running QB who doesn’t know how to utilize his blazing speed, for a running QB, who doesn’t know how to utilize his blazing speed. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh was a Special Teams coach. What’s Kliff Kingsbury’s excuse?

The improper utilization of S Budda Baker and LB Isaiah Simmons, should be grounds for someone’s arrest. These are two players with game-changing talent. They should be play-makers, not tackle collectors.

Arizona has a long and storied history, of questionable decision making and squandered talent. They’re so far spending 2022 building on that tradition. Yikes,

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Prediction: EAGLES 29 – Cardinals 10

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

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 3: COMMANDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/26
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
OLB Hassan Reddick and DT Fletcher Cox have a meeting at QB Carson Wentz

THIS wasn’t a game. It was an execution.

EAGLES 24 – Commanders 8

EAGLES STATS:

Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points) + 3rd downs converted by handoffs (1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points) = score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.

Passing : (S) QB Jalen Hurts (22/35 – 62.8% – 340 – 3 – 0)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (15 – 46 – 3.0 – 0 – 0)

Receiving : (S) WR Devonta Smith(12 – 8 – 169 – 21.1 – 1)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (0 + 0 – 3 = -6) / NA

Drive Killer : (B) CB Avonte Maddox (0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) Brandon Graham (4 – 2.5 – 0 – 1)

Ace : N/A

****

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Commanders did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

Rookie DT Jordan Davis deflects Wentz’s first attempt.

1) Invert the pocket: From the start the Eagles were on this. QB Carson Wentz (24/43 – 55.8% – 240 – 0 – 0) had no room to step-up, and was a sitting duck for 9 sacks on the day. His first attempt was deflected by rookie DT Jordan Davis (no stats), after which: The hunt, was ON! DT Fletcher Cox (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) is up to 3 sacks for the young season, where he had just 3.5 in 2021. DT Javon Hargrave (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) had a fumble recovery.

Added to this, was the Commanders in ability to run the ball. They were held to 77 yards on 22 carries (3.5), as the Eagles focused on clogging up the middle of the field. In fact 22 of those yards were from Wentz on three scrambles. Without those numbers, the Redsk- Commanders, ran for 55 yards on 19 carries (2.8). (DONE)

2) Go Deep Off Play-action: We didn’t get around to this until the second quarter, but when we did, it drew a 17 yard pass interference call. There were quite a few deep shots, but almost none of them came with the use of play-action which made things more difficult throughout the game. This was technically done, but was woefully underutilized. (DONE)

3) Score in the Fourth: Not only did the Offense not score in the fourth quarter, we began it by giving up a safety. For the third time in three games, the team fizzled out in the second half. This is beyond embarrassing. It is downright alarming.
The Eagles have scored 86 points this season, with 65 of them in the second quarter of games. We’ve scored just 7 in the first quarter (Vikings), 14 in the third (Lions). Zero in the fourth. In fact, the Offense is now giving up points directly. (NOT DONE)

DE Brandon Graham wreaked havoc in this one.

4) Set the Edges: And OB-HOY did they! Our man Brandon Graham (2.5 sacks) ATE TODAY! On the other side of the line DE Josh Sweat (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) ATE TODAY! On top of which, they kept the action bottled up, making it easier to close in on the QB. Of course, the Commanders offense featuring a seven step drop, only helps to facilitate DE’s getting to their QB. (It’s why they gave the Lions five sacks last week.)

Our DE play was aggressive, but more importantly it was sound. Contain, then rush. It’s the mindset they should bring every week, regardless of it’s a mobile QB or a statue; a power RB, or a slasher. Good technique yields consistent results, and often consistent rewards. This having been said, I still think Graham’s replacement should be top priority in the next Draft. (DONE)

****

This week saw 3 of Four Things accomplished. This week we got to smack up the QB who helped us win our first Super Bowl, and next week we try to smack up the Head Coach who won it for us. Feels like the schedule makers just felt like being bastards, and making us look like friggin’ ingrates.

****

On The Whole:

Alright. Same as last week. Gripes then glory. Let’s start.

So much of the credit for this win will go to Jalen Hurts and that’s a shame. It’s damned near criminal. He essentially phoned in the second half of this game, like he’s been doing since the season started. I wonder what it would look like if he played a whole game.

If I was RB Miles Sanders I’d start preserving my body for my next team. I wouldn’t come back to the Eagles. The way they dick around with his playing time, (in a contract year, no less!) is disgusting. Especially since the coaches keep putting lesser players on the field, in his stead. Neither back-up can break an arm tackle, and one is absolute liability in pass protection. It’s part what’s wrong with the Offense in the second half of games.

Between not playing our best players in key situations, and doing silly shit like having Devonta Smith return a punt, we’re only outsmarting ourselves. We should have buried Washington in the second half! Their back-up QB should have started the 4th quarter. But noooo! We’re too busy being fucking clever, while posting no points in three quarters.

And now for a happy tune. I want to start with Avonte Maddox tackling a TE, 67 pounds heavier than himself, in a goal line situation, to force a turnover on downs. Trap game, my ass!

WR A.J. “Swoll Batman” Brown

Eagles WR’s played outstanding today. Devonta (Skinny Batman) of course, played out of his mind today. The there was (Swoll Batman) WR A.J. Brown (10 – 5 – 85 – 17.0 – 1) who pulled a man with him into the endzone after a 9 yard strike from Hurts. Unfortunately (Fast Batman) WR Quez Watkins (no stats) only saw one target today.

Jalen Hurts had a very good first half. No turnovers, didn’t run too much, or too soon. He looked good in the pocket. His protection probably would have been better, if the play-calling involved handing off the ball more.

Remember when everyone assumed MLB T.J. Edwards would lose his starting gig to a rookie? Remember when I said not so fast?

THESE LB’s! MLB T.J. Edwards (9 – 1.0 – 0 – 0), and OLB Kyzir White (8 – 0 – 0 – 0) were out there cleaning up whatever slipped through the D-Line. OLB Hassan Reddick (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 1) also ATE TODAY!

FOUR THINGS: WK 1: EAGLES – LIONS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/09/10
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LOCKED and Loaded. That’s the name of this season. We spent the offseason prepping for an arms race, while the team that won our division seemed to dismantle themselves. They however, aren’t on the menu this week. Detroit is.

Speaking of dismantle, the last time we saw Detroit we hung 44 points on them. In their house! Meanwhile, all they could do was curl into the fetal position, as their coach yelled about biting knee caps. True, they’ve made a few improvements, but c’mon, NOBODY made as many improvements as we did.

There’s a good chance that we can come out of this week, as the only team in the division with a win. While one game isn’t a large lead, it can definitely serve to help set an attitude. You wanna do something big? You start by doing something small.

****

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: Detroit Lions.

1) Run the Ball: Play to our strength, and let QB Jalen Hurts ease into having more of the game put in his hands. His perfect preseason was cute, but he’s about to face a gameplan. As for Detroit, their new 4-3 will feature five guys who our Offensive Line absolutely mauled, manhandled and fucked over, last October. Ultimately Debo-ing them for 4 rushing touchdowns and 236 rushing yards. Seeing five of the same victims, making up a front seven that we romped and frolicked through, all I see is a second helping. Run the ball!

2) Make Goff Run: In six seasons QB Jared Goff has 401 rushing yards. For comparison, through six years, QB Peyton Manning ran for 582. I bring this up to illustrate just how adverse Goff is to running. Anything that changes or challenges his throwing platform, is alien to him. So we need to disabuse him of any sense of comfort and safety. Last year we caught him in the pocket quite a bit, so if he still wants to just stand there… Okay.

Also their starting G Halapoulivaati Vaitai is out. His back-up is having back issues, and their C has a groin issue. Against this line, we sacked Goff five times last year. So their interior is weak, and we have DT’s Fletcher Cox, and Jordan Davis. Get Goff out of the pocket.

3) Challenge Their Receivers: We’ve been hearing about WR D.J. Chark for years now, based solely off of his 2019 season. In the last two seasons, he has just 60 catches for 860 yards, and a 52% catch rate. On the other side is WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. (Love the name. I had a cat named Amon-Ra. Golden tabby with gold eyes.) He’s a bum. Not the cat, the WR. He’s one of those “12 targets, 8 catches, for 73 yards” type of receivers.

Unleash CB’s Darius “Big Play” Slay and James Bradberry! Mug these chumps and get us a pick six. Okay, maybe that’s asking too much, or being too specific. More generally, don’t let either receiver see 100 yards. That sounds about reasonable.

4) Get ‘im!: Wherever CB Jeff Okudah is, that should be the receiver who gets the ball. At least 10 passes have to go to who he’s covering. During his two year career, he’s played a total of 9 games, and ended both years with season-ending injuries. Last year it was his Achilles, and now he gets to try it out vs WR Devonta Smith’s route running, or WR A.J. Brown’s explosiveness. Pick on him. Hound him! Harass him! Make him Vontae Davis 2.0!

Remember when Vontae Davis retired during halftime?
Just said “NOPE!” and grabbed his car keys.

****

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

I want to give the Lions some benefit of the doubt, but the more I look at this game, the more it looks like Mike Tyson vs Queen Eliz- (Nope! Gotta change that now. Wrote that joke nearly two weeks ago and now… You really committed to ruining my joke, Liz! Just leaned all the way in.) Ugh! It looks like Tyson vs Skip Bayless. Yeah. We like that imagery, right? Let’s go with that.

I can’t believe the NFL is going to sanction this match-up. Everything about it is all wrong for the Lions. It’s as if Roger Goodell wrote “SQUEAKY TOY” on a baby, and handed it to a pit-bull.

It’s madness! Their offensive line can’t protect their over-drafted QB. Their defensive front is an affront to the idea of defense. Their WR’s would be average vs an average secondary, and our’s is a shark tank. They have one dangerous CB, and the other is practically wearing a bull’s-eye! But the NFL is going to let this happen anyway? It’s madness!

****

Prediction: EAGLES 30 – Lions 10

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.

#3: DON’T OVERUSE 3-4

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/01
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Players, Roster, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

DEFENSIVE Coordinator Jonathan Gannon came to Philadelphia saying that his defensive system wasn’t a system. He said that he wanted to “be multiple”. As in: Use multiple defensive fronts (4 – 3 , 3 – 4, 5 – 2, 4 – 2, etc.) He did much of that last year, primarily playing out of a 4 – 3 base. This year however, we’re hearing rumblings of using more 3 – 4.

I will never say that the Eagles shouldn’t strive for versatility, but we can’t allow ourselves to fall in love with the 3 – 4 this year. By “fall in love with”, I mean starting more than one game in it. By “fall in love with”, I mean more than 15 snaps per game in it, or using it EVERY single week. The 3 – 4 can be a weapon. It just needs to be concealed carry. Not hanging off the brim of our baseball cap.

Understand, most of the players we have on Defense, were plucked from 4 – 3 systems in college, and have played 4 – 3 as pros. That means 4 – 3 is what they are good at. They have become experts in 4 – 3. So why strand them in something they aren’t proficient in? The idea is to spend as much time as we can, getting the most out of our players.

We do have players here, who have played in a 3 – 4. DE Brandon Graham played OLB, and DT Fletcher Cox played DE, in a 3 – 4 Wide Nine, back when Bill Davis was here. You remember him? Chip Kelly brought him here, and he ran our Defense into the ground. You may remember that I wrote an article called “WANT A SUPER BOWL? THEN FIRE BILL DAVIS”. Then we fired Bill Davis and won a Super Bowl. Yeah, that Bill Davis.

My point is that switching 4 – 3 players, to 3 – 4 players didn’t work well for us. So again, why strand them? Look, sprinkling in a little 3 – 4 could be a major weapon for us. A major one if used just 5 to 8 downs per game (out of an average of 60). An opponent isn’t going to devote much time to stopping something we run only about 10 percent of the time. The time isn’t there. Not with less than a week of prep time. That alone makes it scary.

Also, with DT’s Cox, Javon Hargrave, Jordan Davis, and Milton Williams playing in the ‘A’ gaps, it’ll be much easier to keep our LB’s clean. Compare that to using a NT with open spacing, which allows opposing G’s to get up on our ILB’s. It’s no contest. The 4 – 3 should be the base, and we shouldn’t do to much with the 3 – 4.

2022 DRAFT REPORT

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/04/29
Posted in: breakdown, Defense, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

NOTE: Every day of the Draft I will add to this article, tracking the hits (H), questionables (Q), and misses (M).

EAGLES fans, get excited about 2022! Two days ago, I said “Properly armed, the Eagles can win the NFC East.” I then went on to explain what and who I meant by, “properly armed”. I said on Tuesday that we should trade up from #15 to #13 to draft DT [Jordan Davis], and then we should add big, physical WR [Treylon Burks] at #18. That in itself would have been great.

And then on Thursday night, General Manager Howie Roseman, pulled off not one, but two master strokes, mere minutes apart. Let’s get at it!

DAY ONE: 

Round 1 (13th overall): DT Jordan Davis (H)

How big is Jordan Davis? His Fletcher Cox sized 6’3″ 315 pound teammate is the guy in the middle.

Davis is not a pass rusher. What he is, is a pocket collapser, and a run stuffer. He’s a guy who demands a double-team, and he’s virtually unblockable one-on-one when he finds his way into an ‘A’ gap. By the way, we will be pairing/rotating this kid with DT’s Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave.

With the three man triangle of Davis, Cox, and MLB T.J. Edwards, seeing the Eagles finish once again in the NFL’s Top 10 vs the run (9th in 2021), almost seems like a given. Surely it’s the basis that the Eagles pass rush will be built upon, now that the DE’s will see a ton of one-on-one match-ups. And this was all done by adding ONE GUY. If you don’t love this pick, you don’t understand football.

I said on Tuesday, that to avoid Baltimore grabbing Davis at #14, we should package our #15 and #101 picks to Houston for the 13th pick. What happened instead, was Howie packaged our #15 with two 4th rounders and 5th, to move up to 13. Dumping late rounders in a shallow Draft, when we have a ton of guys on futures contracts already? Absolute master stroke, Howie.

Round 1 (18th overall): TRADE for WR A.J. Brown. (H)

A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf. Eagles fans, are you happy now?

I wanted WR Treylon Burks with this pick, but Brown is so much better. Everything I said about why I wanted Burks, is true about Brown, and then some. With Brown it’s all been proven at the NFL level, and he’s more physical. In addition to which, he keeps his nose clean off the field. So we already know that we’re getting a real professional.

The knock on him is that in three seasons, he’s already had seven missed games due to injury. The worry is that now that the Eagles have given him a 4 year, 100M$ (57M$ guaranteed) contract, he might not ball out anymore. Really? Did I mention that he spent the offseason working out with QB Jalen Hurts? Before he was traded here. Does that sound like someone who doesn’t want to get at it? Or does it sound like a guy with a point he wants to make?

Aren’t you excited to see just what Hurts and Brown worked on this Spring? Shiiiiid, I know I am! With this ONE MOVE, the Eagles Offense is suddenly stacked! This guy was totally worth the 18th and 101st pick. Hell, if I was the GM, we’d have already blown it on Davis. So score one more for Howie!

DAY TWO:

Round 2 (51st overall): C Cam “Beef” Jurgens (Q)

The Front Office sees traits of C Jason Kelce in him, but I’m still not really all that excited. Jurgens moves well enough for all the second level stuff in the run game. He’s also smart enough to recognize fronts, and make the blocking scheme calls. Which is great. That’s all good news.

What he doesn’t do, is generate a new line of scrimmage with his blocks. Watching the videos (one and two), he doesn’t drive defensive linemen backwards, without a combo block. He turns them out of the hole, or ushers them down the line when they chase the ball carrier. Get them going backwards though? No.

He’s lean and has a lack of lower body mass, which betrays a high center of gravity. Not possessing a natural anchor, it opens the door to him being ridden back into his QB, at the NFL level. If he’s Kelce 2.0, then great. If he’s not, this was a wasted pick.

Round 3 (83rd overall): LB Nakobe Dean (H)

He has first round talent, but his medical history saw him slide two rounds. No one is saying what his injury is specifiaclly, but my guess is that he tore his pectoral muscle off the shoulder bone. A quick glance at him shirtless would confirm that, but even after scouring the Internet for a couple hours, there doesn’t seem to be even one. (Which is side-eye inducing.)

Here’s why he’s a hit, and not questionable or a miss. So far he has opted not to have surgery to repair the tear. Doesn’t matter why. Don’t focus on that. Get him in here for mini-camp and OTA’s. Let him see the pros and realize that to stay one, he’ll need to be at his best to win a roster spot. He’ll decide on the surgery, which will basically sideline him for his rookie year.

We don’t need him this year. We have MLB T.J. Edwards, who is coming off a good year. We have OLB Kyzir White on a one year deal. Get Dean the surgery, let him take his time to heal, and then get him out here, better than he’s been in years. We got a steal. To watch it pay off, all it will cost us, is some patience.

DAY THREE:

Round 6 (181st overall): OLB Kyron Johnson (M)

He’s a 3-4 OLB used mostly as a pass rusher in college. His draft dimensions are listed at 6’0” 235, which would be undersized for that role in the NFL. However, he has college listing that put him at 223 pounds as a senior. Which would make him a liability in the NFL, in the role to which he is accustomed. In coverage, he has 5 passes defensed in a 51 game career.

The have been some rumblings about the Eagles wanting to use a 3-4 front, from time to time, so Johnson may have been selected with an eye towards that. Or, he may have been selected to light a larger fire under 2021 draft pick, OLB/DE Patrick Johnson in competition for that role. If he’s motivation, this is a good pick. If the Eagles are looking to rely on him on Sundays… Meh.

Round 6 (198th overall): TE Grant Calcaterra (M)

In 2019, after waking up from a hit suffered in practice, at the age 20, Calcaterra made the decision to retire from college football. It wasn’t because of one hit that he retired. It was because after multiple concussions, he realized that they were coming closer and closer together.

He took a year off and made a comeback in 2021, posting decent numbers as a receiver, but offering little in the way of physicality as a blocker. Knowing what we know, it’s hard to blame him for being less physical. Unfortunately, his position demands it. If retirement was his reality at 20, then someone was trying to tell him something. He just wasn’t wise enough to listen.

You want to root for this kid? Root for him to live. Root for him not to make the final cuts, or the Practice Squad. Root for him to be 50, and still recognize his wife and his kids. Having suffered multiple concussions means that CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) is already part of his future’s landscape. Root for it not to be made worse by wearing midnight green.

++++

I said on Tuesday that because it’s a shallow draft, we should load up in the first three rounds, and treat the remaining picks like lottery scratch-offs. Apparently Howie reads my articles, because that’s exactly what we did. He was aggressive in the first round, took what fell to him in the next two, and then practically bailed on the rest of it. Which was genius actually.

The top of this Draft was excellent. As a fan, I can only put it behind the 2002 Draft (Lito Sheppard, Mike Lewis, Sheldon Brown, and Brian Westbrook, in that order), in regards to how excited it got the fan base. Jordan Davis and A.J. Brown will make an impact in 2022.

The middle was saw us do some important pantry stocking. Nothing we have a pressing need for, but good to have in the house already. Neither Beef Jurgens (I do love the nickname), nor Nakobe Dean has to start in 2022. The game can be shown to them at a pace that allows them to be great when we do need them.

The bottom of this Draft is a head scratcher. Neither guy even seems like a Special Teams contributor. Maybe they’re here to push players already on the roster? Hell, I’m just disappointed that WR(?) Jalen Reagor is still on the roster.