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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 18: GIANTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/01/09
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC Championship, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Rivals, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

SHO’ NUFF!

EAGLES 22 – giants 16

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 (20/35 – 57.1% – 229 – 0 – 1)

Rushing :(B) RB Boston Scott (9 – 54 – 6.0 – 1 – 0)

Receiving :(S) A.J. Brown (10 – 4 – 95 – 23.7 – 0)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (1 (6) + 3 (3) – 3 (6) = 3) C Jason Kelce

Drive Killer : (B) CB Zech McPhearson (0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) OLB Kyzir White (12 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

Ace : K Jake Elliott 5/5 FG (54, 52) 1/1 XP

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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) 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)

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So that brings us to 2 of the Four Things this 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.

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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 Sirianni is turning his back on the run. Yeah yeah. I know who calls the plays, but who actually runs the games?

Here’s to a much needed Bye Week.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 9: TEXANS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/11/06
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

BEING 8 – 0 is something to celebrate!

NOTE: I delayed putting this out, because I knew that no one would give a wet shit about it, until the World Series was decided this weekend. Well now we know how it worked out, and while I would like to thank the Phillies for a great ride, I also would like to say @#$! Astros *&%$)( umpire @#!^%$ inconsistent strike zones &^%$# scum bag #$$*^ #%$(@-) cheating pitchers ***$%#B@ a German shepherd’s balls, with a *&^$#@(& until CPR is needed!

That having been said…

RB Miles Sanders celebrates his sixth score of the year.

EAGLES 29 – Texans 17

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 (21/27 – 77.7% – 243 – 2 – 0)

Rushing : (S) RB Miles Sanders (17 – 93 – 5.4 – 1 – 0)

Receiving : (S) TE Dallas Goedert (9 – 8 – 100 – 12.5 – 1)

Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (12 + 1 – 4 = 9) C Jason Kelce

Drive Killer : (S) CB James Bradberry (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader : (S) DT Javon Hargrave (6 – 3.0 – 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: TEXANS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Run the Damned Ball: The Eagles very first play from scrimmage had Hurts in the Shotgun, with an empty backfield. Right from the jump, I’m thinking “Ah fuck! Here we go again.” All game long there were just 22 hand-offs for 120 yards (5.4ypc). We left yardage and points on the table, in this game. (NOT DONE)

DE Robert Quinn runs the Texan QB, right into the arms of DT Javon Hargrave.

2) Start Basic: We came out in a 4 – 3 Under, and players were constantly in their run fits. There was a clear demonstration of players understanding the scheme, the point of the scheme, and their role within it. The problem was, our interior defensive line stuck to blocks like whatever substance the Astro’s pitchers use on their hands. (Let’s not go there? Oh no, I’m going there! I’m going RIGHT there! Better team my ass! Not only am I going there, I’m buying land there, to build a towering monument to my having gone there!)

The loss of DT Jordan Davis (I.R.) was felt big-time, while the Texans were committed to the run. However, once it was time to rush the passer, Hargrave was totally in his element. Not only did we get sacks, but the pass rush helped to create two interceptions. One went to SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (2 – 0 – 1 – 0), for his NFL leading 5th. The other stole was a stolen touchdown pass by Bradberry. (DONE)

3) Make Tackles: Nope! Nope! Nuh-uh! The tackling was horrid in this game. It’s been spotty in a few games, but this one gave offensive life to a team that shouldn’t have had a pulse at all. (NOT DONE)

4) Slot Their Throats: Early in the game WR Quez Watkins (2 – 2 – 25 – 12.5 – 0) grabbed a key 23 yarder on 3rd and 6. Later on, WR A.J. Brown (6 – 4 – 59 – 14.7 – 1) lined up in the right Slot, and ran a smooth route to paydirt, on a 17 yard strike. WR Devonta Smith (2 – 2 – 22 – 11.0 – 0) grabbed himself a nice 22 yard pass after crossing the hash marks.

TE Dallas Goedert adds six points, to put the game out of reach.

Though the TE position was the star of the passing game, the WR’s did see significant action from the Slot, on the combined 10 attempts that the big three saw, all game long. (DONE)

****

That’s 2 of the Four Things, done. Now the team gets a long rest, before we try to sweep the Washington Commanders.

****

On The Whole:

Seems that every other publication has made a big deal of the Texans rookie RB. Whatever. He seemed pretty damned pedestrian, to me. He ran hard and collected what was in front of his pads, but he’s far from dynamic. Hell, they didn’t even try to throw him a pass. Honestly, I don’t believe I’ve never seen 139 rushing yards factor less in a game.

I also want to make a point that everyone else is ignoring. The Texans top two WR’s didn’t play in this game. On the surface that sounds like advantage Eagles, but really, especially on a short week, it means that the Eagles had no book on the receivers they were facing. This is probably why we played so much off-coverage early on.

CB James Bradberry grabs a red zone interception to ice the game.

On Offense the Eagles came out almost sleepwalking. On our first drive, you could practically see the players yawning between downs. Most of the half saw the Eagles executing fine, but mostly with no sense of urgency. With the game knotted up 14 to 14, Eagles K Jake Elliott (0/1, 3/3) missed a 54 yarder, that would given us the lead.

Blowing that opportunity, seemed to jar everyone to full awareness, and the second half was a businesslike, 15 – 3 close-out. 

#8: USE A QB AS THE H

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/06
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, NFL, Players, Rants, Special Teams, The 12, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

EVERY year I repeat this one. We never do it, and we always should. (Every team should, actually.) Fuck it. I will bang this pot until someone hears me! There is no tactical advantage to using a Punter to hold on Field Goal attempts. Unless you’re Pat McAfee or Sav Rocca, you probably don’t offer much as an athlete on a football field. A back-up QB however, offers plenty.

Pat McAfee celebrates at WrestleMania 38. I don’t usually watch wrestling anymore, but I’m BEYOND happy, that I caught his matches.

A QB playing holder makes every FG attempt a potential opportunity for a fake. While that can be said of anyone holding, a QB’s ability to deliver ball (even under pressure), makes that potential fake all the more dangerous, and all the more real.

The most important thing it does, is it forces teams to focus on covering both Ends and both Wings, instead of trying to block a kick. Wait. Let me back up.

Because Special Teams is so rarely talked about, most people don’t know the positions. The five members of the line are T, G, C, G, T. That part you already knew. Outside of the T’s are the TE’s. Still pretty standard stuff. The players outside of the TE’s are Wing Backs (WB). Usually those are WR’s or RB’s who are good blockers, because the emphasis is on protection.

While there are always six players eligible to catch a pass on any FG attempt, not having a player that can deliver a pass, makes that threat practically toothless. Unless someone isn’t covered. A QB on the field however, gives the offense (and that’s still what it is), a player who can routinely deliver an accurate pass, even to a covered man, even with pressure in his face. No P can match that.

I’ve spent years saying that we should use WR Greg Ward as the Holder, given his QB background, and his WR legs. However, if we were to trot QB Gardner Minshew out there, opponents would think “Well what the happy fuck, is this horseshit?” At which point their focus is more on making sure that our TE’s and WB’s don’t get loose for six, than on giving up three.

And after all that, after everything you just read, you just read the REAL payoff. It’s a more relaxed Kicker who doesn’t feel like he needs to rush, because the defense is trying harder to cover, than they are to block. What would relaxing K Jake Elliott be worth to you? Yet all it would cost, is swapping out a P for a QB. That’s it.

And of course, every so often we can actually run a fake. Just to let opponents know that they need to be afraid, and stay that way.

#8 QB HOLDING

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/04/09
Posted in: Coaching, NFL, Players, Rants, Special Teams, The 12, Uncategorized, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

8-QB HOLDING

I’VE said this before and I’ll keep saying it every year, until we do it. If you want to increase the accuracy of the Kicker, use a QB as his Holder on Field Goal attempts.

card.jake.elliott.jpg

K Jake Elliott has a career accuracy rating of 83.9%. He was 26/31 in his first year. He was 26/31 in his second year. He’s had none of his kicks blocked (knock wood), thus far. That’s not for a lack of teams trying though.

That of course has to factor into him working to get his kicks away sooner. However, if given a second or second and a half longer, to dial in… Hey, that can only help him out. But what does that have to do with a QB playing Holder?

If a QB is the Holder, it means that any FG attempt could be a fake. It means every FG attempt could be a fake. (Especially with Doug as the coach.) If the kicking team packs the line, then the defense has to crowd them and gets to attempt a block. However, if it’s 4th and 4, and the wing players line up outside, then the defense has to pull potential blockers away from the kick, to cover what could otherwise become a completely uncovered receiver.

This tells the Kicker that he has a little more time and breathing room for his kick. And it would all stem from using a QB as the Holder, as the Saints did here with QB Luke McCown

This play might not have happened had the defense identified and respected the personnel that was on the field.

We need to adapt and adopt tactics which make teams uneasy about how they approach US. At the same time, these seemingly small wrinkles can supply our own players with a greater sense of calm and confidence.

THE 12: #11 FEAR OUR HOLDER

Posted by The BEAST on 2018/03/11
Posted in: Coaching, Front Office (F.O.), Players, Roster, Special Teams, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

THE122018#11

Any idiot can say “Hey let’s sign every high-priced Free Agent on the market”. The 12 focuses on what we can do with what we already have, to fix or improve our team.

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WHAT if I told you we could make our Holder a player that opposing coaching staffs were concerned over, and even practiced drills for?

In 2017 Punter Donnie Jones was the Holder for K Jake Elliott, but he just retired. (Right after I wrote the original version of this installment.) That leaves Cameron Johnston as our P, and de facto Holder. Nobody ever gives much thought to the Holder. Generally if he gets the ball down quickly, and gets the laces right, that’s about all most fans want from him.

However, we can get more out of that position.

The smartest and most aggressive move, would be going with a back-up QB as the Holder. After running just one early season field goal fake, teams would stop lining up for a block, and focus on getting men back to cover for a fake. Then Elliott could operate without having to rush his kicks. That in itself could really help with his accuracy.

Jake Elliott 9.24.2017.JPG

To get the best out of Elliott, the smart move would be to name a Holder now, and ink him to a contract as long as Elliott’s. If that’s done soon, they could get some work in even before OTA’s.

Any back-up QB could handle that duty, so Nick Foles or Nate Sudfeld would be fine. However, if you really want to see opposing coaches shit their pants whenever we line up to kick, then using WR Greg Ward is the way to go.

Ward is a former college QB whom the Eagles converted to WR, so that right there tells you he has better speed than the average QB. His experience as a passer under pressure would make throwing against a block attempt almost a breeze. All that while giving us that catcher/runner/passer/Special Teamer versatility that we’ve enjoyed from TE Trey Burton since 2014.

This move is easy, it’s cheap, it’s dangerous, and not many teams can copy our approach to it. It has the ability to make our Kicker better, and scare opposing coaches out of even wanting to “ice” Jake Elliott, for fear of giving Head Coach Doug Pederson a chance to hurt them worse.

We need to do this.

FOUR THINGS: WK 15: EAGLES-giants

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/12/14
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Rivals, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

W15 -NYGjpg

WE’RE in the playoffs. Step One is complete. Now the mission is to get QB Nick Foles fully up to speed. While he knows the system, he’s been watching it, more than playing it. His timing and his chemistry with the receivers, will have to be polished over these next three weeks.

The giants still have a few players playing for pride, but it’s clear that that’s not a team-wide feeling. Without having signed a General Manager yet, even the giants owner cannot claim to have a clear picture of the team’s future. The result is players just playing out the string and auditioning for roles elsewhere, in case they end up on the cutting-room floor. So this is a great opportunity for Foles to practice some of the more difficult things.

player-nickfoles-Image courtesy of Philly

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the giants:

1) Throw it deep: Foles has shown an ability to throw to speed, back when he threw 9 TD’s to DeSean Jackson in 2013. WR Torrey Smith can fly, and if he sees a ball or two heaved deep in his direction early, it’ll open up room for the run. It will also help establish a chemistry that we’ll need later, more than sooner. It’ll be interesting to see if Foles displays better touch on deep passes than QB Carson Wentz has this year.

2) Run the ball: This is a must. The Offense cannot be fully shifted onto Foles shoulders just yet. Heading into the playoffs, this team needs to display a swagger. Expecting Foles to carry the team this soon, could crush his confidence if he falters. We do not need him being timid and turning into “Captain Checkdown” during the postseason.

3) Set the edges: Over the last two weeks, the Defense seems to have forgotten how to play Contain, on their way to making a play. That’s just a flat-out lack of discipline. It also has helped to set up some poor tackling angles vs the run.

4) Go for it: We have to go for, and convert at least one 4th down this week. While Foles needs to see, and be part of that aggression, the rest of the team (Offense, Defense, and Special Teams) needs to see it too. The message needs to be sent that We are still the Eagles.

If we do all these things, we’re just about guaranteed to win. Now that we’ve covered what should happen, let’s get into what likely will happen:

There’s a great chance that this game will be messy. We may even lose it. Who gives a shit? While we need to play to win, the “W” isn’t the focus. Don’t get me wrong, home-field would be a big help, but the win isn’t what matters most this week. The focus is getting prepared for winning in the postseason, not for seeding in it. Home-field and/or a Bye would help, but they won’t get us into the Super Bowl. We still need to be able to win games to get that far.

The giants will not want to get swept. Especially not against a back-up QB doing the honors. They’ll come out playing with something that looks sort of like pride. Especially on defense. Won’t matter though if their Offense can’t hold up it’s end.

Our Defense will look as if we’ve fixed whatever has ailed us these last two weeks. Really it’ll just be the awfulness of New York that makes us look so good. But who cares? We can use the confidence. The last time we faced them, K Jake “giant killer” Elliott kicked a 61 yard dagger through the giants hearts. This time it’ll be a 62 yarder. Just kidding. This game should be a mess, but it almost certainly won’t be another nail-biter.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 24 – Opponent 17

yeah bitch

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 4: CHARGERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/10/02
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

APPARENTLY the Eagles have two NFL stadiums. With the way the crowd acted out there in Los Angeles, you’d never know that the Eagles weren’t playing at home. (Jeff Lurie, don’t you go getting any bright ideas about moving my team!) We started the week with a tie-breaker lead in the NFC East, but we’re at a point now, where we need to start pulling away from the rest. This week was a major step in that direction.

jeffery TD

WR Alshon Jeffery catches 8 yard touchdown. Image courtesy of Philly.com

EAGLES 26 – Chargers 24

This game wasn’t as close as the score. At no point did the Chargers ever have a lead. At no point did the Eagles deviate from the script. From the outset, we grabbed the Chargers by the throat, pinned them to a wall, and began to bludgeon them into unconsciousness. Not punching like with knuckles, but pounding, like with the side of the fist. 

I told you there’d be a 100 yard rusher, and that was RB LeGarrette Blount (16 – 136 – 8.5 – 0 – 0). RB Wendell Smallwood (10 – 34 – 3.4 – 1 – 0/ 4rec – 45 – 11.2 – 0) also got in on the act,  chipping in a TD on a goal line, dive behind LG Stefen Wisniewski. Our Defense held the Chargers to just 58 yards on the ground, despite giving up a 35 yard TD run. K Jake Elliott (4/4 – 2/2x) nailed every one of his field goal attempts, each of which was from 40 yards or better. K Caleb Sturgis may want to break out the resume polish.

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these “Four Things” articles. We introduce an idea of what needs addressing BEFORE the game, so that fans have to honestly answer questions about those things, AFTER the game. This helps to get us, and keep us, all on the same page.

So, of the Four Things we were looking for in this last game, what exactly did we see?

1) Don’t go changin…: Shutting down the Chargers run game is a key to stopping them, but it doesn’t require a team going overboard and putting fifty-leven men in the box. We played it straight, took away the run and made them one-dimensional. (DONE)

2) Start the presses! : The Chargers “only” completed 57.8% of their passes which is down dramatically from the prior two weeks (75 and 74.4%). That however, wasn’t due to receivers being challenged at the line. STILL this week free releases were everywhere. It’s why this was a 2 point win instead of a 20 point win. The Chargers had no business posting a touchdown in this game. None whatsoever. (NOT DONE)

3) Run the damned ball: 42 rushes. 31 passes. (DONE)

4) Air it out: QB Carson Wentz (17/31 – 54.8% – 242 – 1 – 0) threw that monkey deep, a few times. Having to respect that, meant there was no way for Charger Safeties to help their front seven stop Blount, as he romped and frolicked in their wilderness. (DONE)

This weeks score is a rock solid 3 out of 4. By rock solid, I mean that everything that that was DONE, was really done, not just “technically”done. That brings the season’s mark to 10 out of 16. (I gotta say, 10 out of 16 sort of has a nice ring to it.) Next week, the 2-2 Arizona Cardinals will be stopping by the Linc, to pick up a shiny new “L” to hang around their necks. Should be fun!

On The Whole:

This was an excellent win. It was a cold-hearted, physical, methodical bludgeoning, and we did it on the road.

We did it despite injury. We did it without panicking when the lead was twice cut to two points. We did it because we could, and because they couldn’t stop us, and because we KNEW they couldn’t stop us.

We ran them over. Not like a truck, but like a steamroller. It was slow and it was agonizing. You could see the day, as it played out across the countenance of the Chargers QB. How he yelled and screamed. Cussed and howled. All for nothing. Even when granted the touchdown he pleaded for, his team was damned all the same. All the same.

Of course…there are things we can improve upon. But now, after THIS win, THIS way, is not the time to get into discussing flaws. Now is for enjoying and relishing. Because this, was an excellent win.

REBUILDING OUR SPECIAL TEAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/09/26
Posted in: Conversations, NFL, Players, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

SO far I have yet to see a headline asking the question, so I decided to ask it myself. With K Caleb Sturgis being near automatic from 39 yards and in, but shaky from anything 40 yards and greater, should the Eagles decide to stick with and develop a rookie who has already set a franchise record, in just his second pro game?

card.jake.elliott

Rookie K Jake Elliott was drafted by Cincinnati in the fifth round, but released due to missing “too many easy kicks” (and not for inadequate leg strength, as this website erroneously reported yesterday). Once Sturgis injured his hip, we needed a guy. So we grabbed Elliott off of Cincy’s Practice Squad. Given that Sturgis (on a one year deal) was never the long-term answer at K, this might all be falling neatly into place.

In fact, when you take an objective look at our Special Teams unit, you see age and lack of depth throughout. P Donnie Jones is in year 14, at age 37. RB/PR Darren Sproles just sustained two season- (and likely career) -ending injuries, but when he went down, WR Torrey Smith took over PR duty and returned the first punt of his career. We also allowed ace Special Teamer OLB Bryan Braman to walk this off-season, and kick coverage has certainly been affected.

This raises some interesting questions about the Eagles long-term Special Teams situation. Right now our most dangerous KR, is RB Wendell Smallwood. That could be an issue if he’s to play serious minutes on Offense. And do we really want our #2 WR returning punts, with almost zero experience?

My suggestion would be to develop Elliott. I’d also limit Smallwood’s Offensive snaps to keep him fresh for kick returns. I’d essentially swap him on the depth chart with RB Corey Clement.

Then I’d add an experienced PR, since we don’t have one on the roster. My thought? Bring back “preseason legend” WR Paul Turner. Hell, he’s even returned a punt for a touchdown, remember?  I’d also add a young P with a history of playing QB (even high school), to the Practice Squad and develop him into a sort of Tom Tupa QB/P . (Showing my age on that one.)

That would roll a third string QB and a P, into one guy. That would also discourage opponents from aggressively trying to block any punts or field goals, that he was the holder for. Just a few things to think about, since Sunday was such a pivotal day for Special Teams here.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WEEK 3: GIANTS (p1)

Posted by The BEAST on 2017/09/25
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

OH. MY. GOD. That ending! It looked like we were heading into overtime, and suddenly, the giants hopes for their first win of the season were literally kicked to death, on national TV. The giants fell to the toe of a castoff, rookie Kicker, who (by the way) set the record for the longest field goal in our franchise’s history. I (wrongly) predicted a blowout, but this was so much sweeter. The only way it could have been more poetic, is if it had happened in the Meadowlands.

card-corey.clement

Eagles 27 – giants 24

A 61 yard field goal off the foot of rookie K Jake Elliott (3/3x – 2/3f – 61), will be the headline you see the most today, but that shouldn’t overshadow the Eagles play selection of 39 runs to 31 passes. Especially early on, when we were feeding RB LeGarrette Blount (12 – 67 – 5.5 – 1 – 0) and RB Wendell Smallwood (12 – 71 – 5.9 – 0 – 0). All game long, we stuck with, and relied on the run. Even in the 4th quarter when we were down. In fact, our only second half touchdown was produced by area native and rookie RB Corey Clement (6 – 22 – 3.6 – 1 – 0) on a 15 yard run inside of the games final six minutes.
During the game we lost DT Fletcher Cox (1 – 0 – 0 – 0) and MLB Jordan Hicks (0.5 – 0 – 0 – 0) from an already paper -thin defensive line-up, that had already forced S Chris Maragos (4 – 0 – 0 – 0) into just the 3rd start of his 8 year career. Amazingly, for the first time this season, the Eagles didn’t record a single sack.

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these “Four Things” articles. We introduce an idea of what needs addressing BEFORE the game, so that fans have to honestly answer questions about those things, AFTER the game. This helps to get us, and keep us, all on the same page.

So, of the Four Things we were looking for in this last game, what exactly did we see?

1) Keep Wentz from wincing: The NFL’s official stat line says that QB Carson Wentz (21/31 – 67.7% – 176 – 1 – 0) was hit 4 times and sacked 3 times since last week. While the sack number is still too high, both numbers ARE lower than the 9.5/4 figures that he came into the game averaging. We still need improvement, but this one… (DONE)

2) Run up the middle: We did the hell out of this. G Chance Warmack got the start, and we went right to work battering the middle of the giants line, instead of a bunch of cutesy runs outside and/or delayed handoffs. It was a pleasure to see. Warmack ended up sitting during the middle of the game, and was replaced by G/C Stephen Wisnewski (not LG Isaac Seumalo) for a spell, but Warmack would later come back to the game. (DONE)

3) Avoid blitzing: We really didn’t do much blitzing, likely because with so many injuries, we had to borrow LB’s to supplement underneath coverage, in order to simplify the Secondary’s area of focus, which robbed us of pass rush. We gotta get some guys back, soon! (DONE)

4) Break their spirits early: The giants came into the game looking like they were expecting a knockout blow. But we kept not delivering one. When fatigue hit our Defense in the 4th, the giants got a gimme touchdown that cut the score in half. Then when Zach Ertz’s (8 – 55 – 6.8 – 1 – 0) fumble set them up for an easy score, suddenly the giants were in the game, and had more spirit than I’ve seen from them in 2017. (I watched all three of their games.) Had we taken care of business early, it wouldn’t have become a fight later. (NOT DONE)

This week’s score is a solid 3 out of 4, bringing the year up to 7 of 12. Next week we head west again, to take on Chargers team that is not quite the pushover that their 0-3 record might suggest. Look up who they lost to and how, you’ll see what I mean.

On The Whole:

I keep saying that this team needs to be in a fight, and for a second week in a row we got one. This one against a division rival, who had to leave Lincoln Financial Field, feeling as if they were cursed. A miraculous 61 yard field goal off the foot of a rookie who was released due to insufficient leg strength, has to leave a team feeling gutted.

However, before we start planning parades, maybe we should take a stark look at yesterday for what it was, and what it wasn’t.

Troy Aikman (who did mention Reggie White), repeatedly mentioned our soft coverage and how receivers weren’t being challenged at the line of scrimmage at all. The result was QB Eli Manning (35/47 – 74.4% – 336 – 3 – 2) completing 74.4% of his passes. Last week QB Alex Smith completed 75%. You can’t get a defense off the field vs that sort of completion percentage. What’s more, the ball gets out quickly, so there’s no chance for even a statue like Manning to get sacked. We have GOT TO play more man.

The run game was amazing (39 – 193 – 4.9 – 2). It was on par with the game we played against Atlanta last year (38 – 208 – 5.5 – 2). Both of these games were largely behind the same O-line personnel, so we have the players to run this approach, we simply need to set them to that task more often. These best part however, was that we showed we could win even when our QB isn’t at his best.

Right now, there are some highly correctable coaching tweaks needed, and a few guys out with injuries. That said, we have no issues with talent or heart on this team. Everything that ails us, is correctable with what we already have, in-house. Keep it going, keep it going!