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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 8: Giants

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/10/27
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

REVENGE is a dish, best served cold.

EAGLES 38 – giants 20

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Jalen Hurts (15/20 – 75.0% – 179 – 4 – 0)

Rushing: RB Saquon Barkley (14 – 150 – 10.7 – 1 – 0)

Receiving: WR DeVonta Smith (9 – 6 – 84 – 14.0 – 0)

Drive Killer: N/A (TD: /Int: / FR: / 4th down stops: / FF: )

Sack Leader: 5 players (Sacks: 1.0/ FF: / Tackles: )

Special Teams Ace: RB Will Shipley (3KR – 99 – 33.0 – 41 – 0)

****

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) Slant Against Their Run: We didn’t do much of this early, but after the half, movement along the Defensive Line vs both the run AND the pass picked up. The upshot was a day that saw us hold New York to 68 rushing yards on 21 carries and add five sacks. (Three in the second half.) It’s certainly something to build on. (DONE)

2) Don’t Abandon Saquon: “In the area of 20 carries” was what I said. Saquon had 14. However, I’m giving credit for this, because he was on his way to that target, when he tweaked his groin muscle; and Head Coach Nick Sirianni wisely decided to rest him.

RB Tank Bigsby runs over the people like a… tank.

Besides, although Saquon could have come back if needed, with RB Tank Bigsby (9 – 104 – 11.6 – 0 – 0) killing it on the ground, why not let our starter get a jump on resting for the Bye week? Especially after watching giants RB Cam Skattebo (3 – 12 – 4.0 – 0 – 0) get carted off the field with a dislocated ankle, earlier. We played it smart. (DONE)

giants Rookie RB Cam Skattebo, dislocates his ankle.

3) Target Our Wide Receivers: Jalen Hurts threw just 20 passes on the day, for 179 yards. Of those passes, 12 targeted WR’s for 8 catches, and 124 yards, with a touchdown on a 40 bomb to WR Jahan Dotson (1 – 1 – 40 – 40.0 – 1). Hurts made WR’s his mission in this one. (DONE)

4) Complete the Sack: We got 5 sacks in this game. There could have been more, but…baby steps. Let’s not be ungrateful. (DONE)

++++

This week’s Four Things score was a perfect 4 of 4, as we head into the Bye week with a win. Not just a win, but a win where we showed up in all four quarters. We’ll rest up, and then get ready to tackle the second half of the season.

****

Game Hero: Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo – A lot of this has to do with the C position. First, we had OL Bret Toth filling in for starting C Cam Jurgens. Patullo didn’t call plays like Jurgens was out there. He instead frequently called plays where Toth had combo help.

We also ran the ball more from under C today. That makes it easier to sell play-action, because with the QB closer to the line, it’s harder to see if it’s a real hand-off or not. It also changes the timing of when the RB hits the hole, as Saquon demonstrated on his first carry going for a 65 yard score.

One of the best parts of the game was calling the 40 yard ‘Go’ route for Jahan Dotson. Knowing that Dotson validated his Coordinator and QB’s trust, by coming down with that ball, now makes him someone that future opponents have to account for. A loaded box with Dotson on the field, is now something opposing defenses have to weigh.

WR Jahan Dotson wins jump ball for 40 yard touchdown.

That wasn’t the case coming into this game.

Game goat: The Defense – In two games vs New York, our Defense has not forced a single turnover, despite the giants reliance on rookies. In this game, there wasn’t even a turnover on downs from them. Every time they surrendered the ball, it was either voluntary (a punt), or a score. We have to do better than that.

On The Whole: Offensively, this game featured 26 hand-offs to just 20 pass attempts. That ratio helps to stabilize the feel of a game, and allows any back-ups playing significant time, to not get swept away by the moment. We also won the Time Of Possession 33 minutes to 26, ensuring that our Defense wasn’t run into the ground.

Defensively, despite the 5 sacks, there were many instances of our linemen not keeping to rush lanes, and allowing their QB to escape all too frequently. It may also be why (in two games), we haven’t put enough pressure on their rookie QB, to intercept him even once. These are the sort of small problems that good teams correct.

DT Moro Ojomo gets the sack as LB Joshua Uche helps finish it.

There was also plenty of good on Defense! LB Nakobe Dean (5 tackles), LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (1 tackle), and DT Jalen Carter (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) played with a level of violence, that becomes more infectious as the season wears on. Did anyone else notice that we didn’t hear much about CB Kelee Ringo (2 tackles) in this game? Or that no giant had more than 3 catches, and their top guy had just 48 receiving yards?

FOUR THINGS: WK 2: EAGLES – CHIEFS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/09/12
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

DESPITE losing DT Jalen Carter before the first snap, we rallied against a division opponent and came away with the “W”. We used our run game to dictate both the action and the pace, which is not something our upcoming opponent can do. That means they’ll be reliant on passing to move the ball. So, we’ll just have to turn up the heat on our pass rush this week.

A win and we’re 2 – 0, alone atop the NFC East.

A loss, could drop us into a three way tie for the top of the division.

****

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

DT Jordan Davis will need to be huge this week.

1) Right Side, Strong Side: The Chiefs LT will be starting the second game of his career on Sunday. Their LG will be starting his fourth. So the right side of our Defensive Line has to be dominant. The best way to do that, is get inside of those inexperienced heads. To confuse them and make them less sure of their reads.

Running a bunch of stunts, might be doing too much. However, some line shifts and LB walk-ups, will definitely stress the blocking calls/assignments. Especially when it happens closer to the snap. The Chiefs are a passing team. They cannot operate effectively if we strip away their faith in their blindside protection.

2) Trigger Their PTSD: In the Super Bowl, the Chiefs ran a lot of eight man boxes to take away RB Saquon Barkley. We also saw a ton of that last week vs the Cowboys. The result was Barkley being held to 60-ish yards in both games. While we did win both games, we can’t let teams think they can just keep employing this tactic.

An eight man box means, at least one of our WR’s is one-on-one, with little to no deep help. We need to exploit that coverage, like we did with “The Dagger”.

WR DeVonta Smith catches 46 yard “Dagger”

We need to make the Chiefs an example to the league, about what happens when opponents load up against the Philadelphia Eagles run game.

3) Much Smaller Cushions: Half of what kept the Cowboys drives alive last week, was our CB’s lining up too far off the receiver, and practically conceding the underneath pass. If we give the Chiefs a similar look, this game will become a shootout, when it should us blowing the Chiefs out.

Instead of five and six yard cushions, reduce the space to three yards, max. Give the DB’s a chance to jump a quick pass, or give the pass rush time to get home. To get Mahomes. If we aren’t going to play Bump and Run, at least stop just turning receivers loose.

4) Spread the Ball Around: Part of what is hurting our run game, is the ball not finding enough different players. Teams know who we’re trying to get the ball to, so they don’t worry about having to defend our other options.

By all means, get the ball to our main dudes. Just try to get WR Jahan Dotson another pass that’s 20+ yards in the air. A Screen to RB A.J. Dillon, could be extremely dangerous. Let’s get WR John Metchie involved.

****

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

The Chiefs are coached by some guy named Andy Reid. He’s the Batman of NFL coaches, in that he’s almost unbeatable with extra prep time. Reid lost his first game of the season and has eight days to prepare, instead of the usual six.

On the other hand, the Chiefs have dropped their last two vs the Eagles; one of which was a manhandling during the Super Bowl; and now they’re dealing with a couple of key injuries, to a roster that even at full capacity wasn’t anywhere near as talented as the Eagles.

I’d like to say that this should be a good game, but it really shouldn’t. Unless the Eagles play down to the Chiefs, this one shouldn’t be close. I’m thinking 17 – 7 at the half, and 31 – 14 when everyone heads to the locker rooms.

****

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

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

FOUR THINGS: WK 1: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/09/03
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS! We’re starting the season at home, vs the Cowboys, and we’re hanging our Super Bowl banner with them on the field! After which, we’re going to tie another beating to their asses, and send them back home, with a shiny new “L”.

The Cowboys were 29th in the league at stopping the run last year. Want to guess which team was the only one that had a RB run for 2,000 yards last year? It was the Eagles! We had RB Saquon Barkley gouging teams for chunk plays, on a near weekly basis. Which is likely the approach we’re going to attempt this week.

At least at first.

A win over a division rival in the first week, would give our Eagles a two game gap over the Cowboys. Unfortunately, because the giants and Commanders are playing each other, the winner of that game enjoys the same sort of divisional leg up.

A loss, that would put our team, two games back. So let’s avoid that.

****

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

WR DeVonta Smith goes for 6!

1) Don’t Get Bullied: This season, every defense we face, at the top of their To-Do List, will be stopping Saquon. This is especially true of the Cowboys, after their owner traded away their best pass rushing LB, for a run defending DT. They will come in with a point to make, and we cannot let them get away with attempting to make it.

During the Super Bowl, the Chiefs threw everything they had at stopping Saquon, and while they did hold him to just 57 yards on 25 carries (2.2ypc), they committed so much to it, that Super Bowl MVP QB Jalen Hurts was out there essentially playing catch with WR’s A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. If the Cowboys want to follow that plan, we should exploit it.

2) Play the Hits: Their 32 year-old QB is coming back from a leg injury, which cost him the last nine games of the year. So let’s knock him down, early. Make him pick himself up off the ground a few times. Get Father Time whispering in his ear.

Ultimately the idea is to force the Cowboys coaching staff to go with more max protect, and limit how many receivers our guys have to cover.

(Unless it’s their plan to let him get beat up, so they can get their back-up out there… But I’m not one to gossip!)

3) Settle the Hash: All the talk is about the Cowboys trying to improve vs the run, while proving that they can still rush the passer. That points to an over-commitment to their front seven, and exploitable holes in their secondary. (See: Jalen Hurts in Super Bowl 59.)

Get the ball to TE Dallas Goedert and WR Jahan Dotson. Set a goal of 10 targets and 7 catches. The yards don’t matter, it’s the higher number of targets that are important. The idea is to force the Cowboys to cover, to loosen the box, and facilitate our run game. To do that, we have to be better this year at involving the TE and Slot WR.

4) Take Their Heart Away: When the Eagles go to our five man defensive line, DT Jordan Davis has to move the line of scrimmage backward, as often as possible. That means driving the C (the heart of their blocking schemes), back into the running lanes, and warping the pocket, so that the QB can’t step up into his passes.

Taking away the C also means that he can’t help the G’s, which would allow DT Jalen Carter a few opportunities to play without being double-teamed.

****

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

The traps here, are potential overconfidence, and underestimation of the opponent. Our players have to show up. Not just their names or reputations. We have to run, hustle, hit, and communicate at maximum effort. One down at a time. It sounds corny, but it’s how teams are built. It’s how games are won. It’s how trophies are hoisted.

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

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 18: giants

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/01/08
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Rivals, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
So. Guess who won the NFC East.

BACK-UPS handled business.

 

EAGLES 20 – giants 13

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Tanner McKee (27/41 – 65.8% – 269 – 2 – 0)

Rushing: RB Will Shipley (10 – 32 – 3.2 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: WR Jahan Dotson (11 – 7 – 94 – 13.4 – 0)

Drive Killer: S Sydney Brown (TD: 0/Int: 1/ FR: 0/ 4th down stops:0 / FF: 0)

Sack Leader: NONE (Sacks: / FF: / Tackles: )

Special Teams 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: GIANTS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

TE E.J. Jenkins catches his first NFL pass, and it’s for a touchdown.

1) Two Long Looks: The first look was supposed to be of McKee, and we got that. He looked in control and in command at all times. At no point did he ever seem flustered. Even when he had to corral two high snaps. He put up 269 and 2 scores with back-up receivers, behind a back-up O-line, with no run support, against starters. He has a few things to clean up, but McKee is legit.

The other long look was WR Johnny Wilson (5 – 3 – 24 – 8.0 – 0). He played 65 snaps (96%), but was wholly unremarkable. (DONE)

2) Give Elliott Some Practice: K Jake Elliott was 2/3 kicking field goals. Sadly, his miss was from just 39 yards away. So he got some work, but I don’t know if that helped at all. (DONE)

3) Make It Make Sense: The idea was to get a look at what WR Jahan Dotson would do with 4 or more targets. What he did was lead the team in targets (11), catches (7), and receiving yardage (94). With zero drops.

WR Jahan Dotson.

Dotson did this with a third string QB, versus a starting secondary. This only points out that there’s been no good reason on Earth, why he shouldn’t already be a larger part of this Offense. Someone needs to get their shit together. (DONE)

4) Value Combo Players: I was looking at a few players, but CB Isaiah Rodgers (2 tackles) was the player I’d mentioned in FT. I was hoping to see some value in him as a kick returner. What he showed were two returns, one for 24 yards, the other for 51. That’s an average of 37.5 yards. Not bad. (DONE)

++++

This week’s Four Things score was a perfect 4 of 4, which is a perfect way to close out the regular season. Now, onto the playoffs, to send the Packers, packing up for their offseason!

****

Game Hero: QB Tanner McKee – Given his lack of support from the run game, McKee had to carry the Offense. No fancy runs. No 4th down punt fakes. Just a straight-forward, pocket passer carving up a defense.

Game goat: The Running Backs – Before we come down too hard on our back-up O-Line, consider that our two principle RB’s in this game, have been lackluster runners this entire season. Even behind the starting line. The fact is, we don’t have any depth to take seriously at this position.

On The Whole:

S Sydney Brown seals the game with an interception

We got the sweep, and we got to thoroughly out-class a division rival. That said, our inability to generate even a single sack, was a concern. It also needs to be said that everyone who’s played MLB for us this year has looked pretty good. Oren Burks (17 – 0 – 0 – 0) wore the green dot, and did a good job managing it. It makes me wonder if Zack Baun (DNP) is mostly a product of the system here. Not for nothing, but I think Jeremiah Trotter Jr (11 – 0 – 0 – 0) looked pretty good out there as well.

FOUR THINGS: WK 18: EAGLES – GIANTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/01/04
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, free agents, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WE’VE already locked up the #2 seed in the playoffs! All that’s left to do is get RB Saquon Barkley, the NFL record for Most Rushing Yards In A Season. Which we won’t be doing, in order to protect him from injury. Here, is where I usually try to get you hyped up about the game, but the Eagles from the top-down, have signaled that this game is all about going through the motions. Yay-woohoo. It’s no more than a prese-

THAT’S IT!

Like a preseason game, this game gives us a chance to look at the deeper parts of our roster. UN-like a preseason game, for the players this is a game that counts towards career numbers. For coaches, there will be game-plans implemented. So this game can be used as a real world evaluation tool.

It is not a joint practice, a scrimmage, or a preseason game. This is live fire. The real thing. This is an opportunity to see what we need to draft, or add through Free Agency, and where we’re already solid.

With a win we finish with a regular season record of 14 – 3, and a sweep of the giants.

A loss holds us at 13 wins for the year, but we let the giants escape with some dignity.

****

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.

But not this week. This week the win or loss has absolutely zero functional value to us. So as I said before, we should use it as an evaluation tool. That doesn’t mean that fundamental don’t still count though!

Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the giants.

QB Tanner McKee

1) Two Long Looks: Getting his first NFL start is QB Tanner McKee. When QB Kenny Pickett went to the bench, I said “You’re fucking up, Kenny!”. Giving your back-up an opportunity to shine? Just ask former #1 overall draft pick QB Drew Bledsoe, how that worked out for him. If the Eagles see potential, Pickett could become trade fodder in the off-season.

We also need to see a larger sample of WR Johnny Wilson. Specifically, we need to see him get a few targets. Against the Rams he played 51 snaps (70%), yet only saw one target. This is not how to develop a receiver. Throw him some passes. Let him do some good things and some bad things; that he can get on tape and study before OTA’s.

2) Give Elliott Some Practice: Just two weeks ago K Jake Elliott made his first 50 yard Field Goal of the season. That is terrifying, but we can’t undo it. Pinheads want to replace him, but at this point in the year, there are no better K’s out there on their couches. So maybe we can help Elliott out of his funk.

Try to get his confidence going, as well as letting him work on his mechanics. In the playoffs, we get at least two games at home. Make this game about practicing for the playoff run.

Let’s get THIS guy going again

3) Make It Make Sense: This off-season we traded for WR Jahan Dotson, to be our #3/Slot receiver. To this point, he has five starts, played 601 offensive snaps (56%), seeing only 22 targets for 12 catches. If he were unreliable, the low number of targets might be seen as a trust issue. Thing is, he has zero drops. So what gives!?

Dotson saw a season-high 4 targets for 2 catches and 11 yards, in Week 4 vs Tampa Bay. This is ridiculous. I’m eager to see what he would do with 4 or more targets on Sunday.

4) Combo Value Players: Last season we traded for, and stashed CB Isaiah Rodgers away for a year; while he was suspended for the season, over gambling. We were all expecting him to eventually push for starting spot. Enter rookie CB’s Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

Along with an excellent starting trio, we have young Eli Ricks and Kelee Ringo. So Rodgers is in a tight spot, with regard to next season. If he can offer value as a kick returner, it improves his chances of staying here next season.

****

If the Eagles do these Four Things, blah blah blahblahblah That being said…

Honestly, the only thing that could offer the this game any air of excitement, would be to cheer on Barkley. However, the coaching staff took that off the board. Wouldn’t it be great if they had a change of heart.

****

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

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

FOUR THINGS: WK 3: EAGLES – SAINTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/09/20
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

EAGLES in flight, don’t look backwards. This week we get a Saints team that has dismantled two one-dimensional teams. What do I mean by one-dimensional? I mean neither of them could run the ball (Panthers 29th , Cowboys 26th). So it was easy to play defense against those teams, and repeatedly get them off the field quickly, resulting in lots of possessions for the Saints.

This ain’t that type of party. The Eagles are the 8th ranked rushing team in the league, and RB Saquon Barkley is the #5 runner. So we can mix it up, work the clock, and not hand a bundle of quick possessions to our opponent. So whatever else happens, the Saints won’t be scoring 40 points again this week. That streak has come to a end.

Winning this week, moves us to 2 – 1. Where we’d be sitting in the division standings doesn’t really matter, because it’s just Week 3. It would be nice to be at the top, but if we’re in second place heading into Week 4, big deal.

A loss, would mean another week of listening to my fellow Eagles fans whine.

****

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) Win the Line Of Scrimmage: I said this last week and we let Atlanta’s zone blockers off the line too easily. Part of the problem was with our interior defensive linemen lining up across from their offensive linemen, instead of across from gaps.

This week we need DT’s Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter to put their helmets in the “A” gaps; and let the Saints release into their blocks for cheap and easy penetration. Don’t try to delay their blockers. Instead, defend the space he’s vacated, and right there, should be a confused RB.

2) Set the Edges: These last couple of weeks have featured no DE’s setting the edge, vs the run. They line up angled in, and then crash inside, allowing the Tackles to close the gap to the Guard. This creates the clusters that we keep seeing our pass rushers in.

We need for DE Bryce Huff and OLB Josh Sweat, to make their first step up the field instead of inside. This is to keep those Tackles wide of the Guard, and give the DT’s room to work. We can’t make our four man rush effective, if all four guys are clumping themselves into one area, and almost blocking themselves.

3) Go To Goedert: The Saints defense is full of players who like to “shoot their gun” and their players been given the green light to do so. Their aggression is evidenced by their last two games, and the number of guys they already have on their injury report. This is perfect for us!

Again, we’re the #8 team in rushing. The Saints will be looking to shut that down. So, play-action passes to TE Dallas Goedert, will make their players slow down to read more. That takes them out of the comfort zone that they’ve had these last two weeks. It makes them function not at their best.

4) Don’t Settle for Early Field Goals: Many fans complained about the Eagles going for a 4th down, instead of taking a field goal early in the Atlanta game. Not me. It was the 100% right thing to do. The Saints can move the ball. Explosively. We do not want to get into a match where we’re trading field goals for touchdowns, while we don’t have the services of WR A.J. Brown.

I hope to see Head Coach Nick Sirianni make the same call this week, if presented with the same choice. To hell with early field goals. You saw what happened to Dallas. If it’s in the first half, if we’re inside their 30, on 4th and 3 or less, just go for it. Don’t think, just go. If it’s the second half, that’s different. Then you weigh the situation.

****

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

We fans complained during the preseason. We said this team, (running a new offensive scheme and a new defensive scheme), needed shakedown time in live situations. We were worried that the players wouldn’t be on the same page. Well, we were right! So let’s stop being mad over what we all saw coming, two months ago. Let that shit go..

This week, Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, said he was sticking with Bryce Huff as his starter at DE. Of course he is! If Huff’s contract didn’t dictate that, then the fact that he needs time to learn how to be starter, absolutely does. He was a situational rusher with the Jets. Now he has to read situations and manage his energy. He has to make the mistakes, before they can be corrected.

Offensively, I’m not too worried about the Birds. We can run the ball, and WR DeVonta Smith has stepped up. He needs more help than WR Britain Covey can provide, which is why I brought up Goedert. That said, QB Jalen Hurts needs to get WR Jahan Dotson, more than one target per game. Starting this Sunday.

****

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

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

FOUR THINGS: WK PS3: EAGLES – VIKINGS

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/08/23
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Roster, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WITH the 14 – 13 win over the Patriots, we moved to 2 – 0 and locked in a winning preseason. We capitalized on a couple of key turnovers, one changing the momentum of the game, and the other sealing the win. This week we go against a Vikings team whose starting QB is a turnover machine. If he doesn’t play, then it should be even easier to take the ball away.

Usually going undefeated in the preseason is a fool’s errand. Teams that chase it to “set a winning tone” often do it at great cost. Costs like, playing their starters more than their opponents; game-planning vs a team that didn’t; exposing their playbook too early, etc. In short, they run greater injury risk, and tip their hand.

They miss out on getting deep looks at their rosters, to make the best choices when building depth, in a sport where injuries are inevitable. Thee teams frequently compromise their ability to win real games, in pursuit of false wins. We however, went a different route.

The Eagles won both games essentially without playing our starters. Even let our back-ups play their way out of a hole, in that second game. There can be no better test of depth than that. Grit isn’t usually something you see in a preseason game, but our second and third stringers showed quite a bit of it, in two down-to-the-wire games.

A win here would have no bearing on anything, but it would be nice to get.

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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 Vikings

Offensive Co-ordinator Kellen Moore

1) Starters Must Play: Particularly with the addition of WR Jahan Dotson via trade yesterday. He’s had no opportunity to acclimate to QB Jalen Hurts, and we don’t have another preseason game or inter-team practice, until 2025. So give Dotson one or two simple things to do, and let him and Hurts have a couple of series to experiment with it.

We also need to let our starting Offensive Line get its feet wet, with C Cam Jurgens running the pivot, during real action. If there are any wrinkles to iron out, finding it out now, is better than finding it out in Brazil.

2) Offensive Line Must Deliver: Aside from keeping the QB upright, we need to see the interior run game come alive. We need holes, not creases. We need the line of scrimmage moved forward, before the RB hits that hole.

3) Make A Defensive Statement: We need a sack from a starting defensive lineman. So far we’ve done nothing to communicate to the rest of the NFL, that their QB’s aren’t safe against us. That needs to change this week.

4) No Key Contributors Play the Second Half: Playing the starters and key back-ups for three series is great. It’s even ideal. That said, they shouldn’t play an entire half; and under NO circumstances should they play a single down, after the half. They shouldn’t even leave the locker room with pads on.

Injuries are not on a schedule. They don’t happen after X number of snaps. However, the more snaps played, the greater the risk. So let’s not take on too much risk. Besides, winning this game with starters is meaningless. So don’t even attempt it.

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

Mostly what we want from this game is a little practice, and to get out of it mostly healthy. If we cando those two things, then even if we lose 0 – 99, it’ll still be a productive game.

Just a couple more notes on the O-Line. C Jason Kelce was undersized for the position. It’s why he spent the first half of his career getting handled. Then Offensive Line coach Jeff Stoutland shows up, and teaches Kelce how to use his gifts, so he can offset being smallish. The result is, five years from now Kelce will be putting on a gold jacket.

Jurgens is similar in build and athleticism to Kelce, but I think he might be a little stronger than Kelce was early on. I’m interested to see if Jurgens will also be a finesse player, or if he’ll bring a little more of the hammer to his game.

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

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