WE’RE rested and ready! Just ask QB Jalen Hurts. The Eagles enjoyed a much needed Bye week, after showing the Cowboys just how second their place truly is. Week after week we’ve been outclassing opponents. We’ve either been a boxer with an alarming amount of power, or a brawler with disturbingly efficient footwork. Either way, we’ve been too good for pretty much anyone we didn’t play down to.
Enter Kansas City. They beat us in last season’s Super Bowl. Their Head Coach, Andy Reid, since defecting to K.C. is 10 – 3 coming out of a Bye. Including 2 – 1 when facing an opponent also coming out of a Bye. My point is, this is not a team that we’re going to “play down to”. Hey Andy, you might want to put a chinstrap on your hat.
Winning will move us to 9 – 1 and guarantee us a winning 2023 season. It will also maintain our two game lead in the NFC East, and our one game lead as the NFC’s top seed.
A loss, that would stall us at 8 – 2. It would also shrink our lead in the division to one 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 Chiefs
1) Run the Ball: Weather’s turning colder, so it’s time to re-ignite our run game. We haven’t piled up 150 rushing yards in a game, since Week Five. Prior to the Cowboys game, we had a streak of three games where we didn’t reach 100. It’s time to reassert ourselves. (I’ll be keeping a close eye on LT Jordan Mailatain this one.)
Getting RB D’Andre Swift16 or more carries, against a smallish defensive line, has to be part of the plan this week. The Chiefs are built almost solely to rush the passer. Hitting them in the mouth repeatedly, not only exposes that design flaw, but tires them out. Little, tired guys are the last thing a defense needs late in games.
2) More Man Press: I told myself that I wouldn’t list this again this season, because it’s clear that Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai doesn’t favor it. However, there is no other way to beat the Chiefs. If their QB gets to go “1-2-3 pass” and gets up around 70% pass accuracy, we’re dead. Over. Finito. Murdered.
To easily beat the Chiefs, we want their QB at 63% or lower. We need him to come off of his first option, and have to actually read our Defense. As long as he’s playing in rhythm, he’s a ball delivery system. We need to take that from him, and make him play QB. At that point our pass rush factors in. Our defender’s instincts factor in.
Otherwise we’ll have to win a shootout.
3) Make It A Travis D:Our Defense needs to focus on making life difficult for TE Travis Kelce. No free releases off the line! Before a S picks him up in coverage, our LB’s need to try to redirect Kelce. Just enough to throw off the timing of a play.
4) Get the Slim Reaper Involved: Spreading the ball around makes it easier on any offense, and we are no different. So we should make a point of getting WRDevonta Smith involved early. We’re at our best when he gets some deep shots going his way. We tend to bog down when we overfeed him short passes.
It would also loosen up coverage on whomever is filling in at TE this week. They aren’t used to playing as a target in this Offense, and Hurts isn’t used to trusting them. So giving both the QB and the TE room to operate, would help ease their learning curves somewhat.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
Usually I craft these to focus on a couple of our opponents weaknesses. This week is all about the Eagles and refocusing, reconnecting to the identity that made us, US. We need to reassert (there’s that word again) what makes us strong, and build on the foundation that has made this an elite NFL team. The focus needs to be on US winning, not on them losing.
The reality for the Chiefs, is that they’ve spent a lot of this season struggling to overcome an offensive talent deficit. Specifically, a lack of explosiveness. If this game turns into a shootout, the Chiefs simply don’t have the tools to keep up, but that doesn’t mean we should help them try to.
We have yet to play our best game, and in some cases have managed to overcome opponents through the sheer amount of talent on our roster. In many cases we just overpower, overwhelm and overtake opponents. While that’s amazing, it won’t see us through the playoffs. It’s time to play our best games. Starting with this one.
And now for the elephant in the room: This is not a revenge game. If any part of you is hoping for some small measure of vengeance, even if we win 100 – 0, there will be no “avenging” our Super Bowl loss to them. We lost. Both teams played a hell of a game, on the same questionable field, and no one should feel slighted by the result.
Now, let go kick in their front door, and burn down their home.
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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.
SWEPT one division opponent, now we get to put work in on another. At one point in the game, we were down 3 -14, but we didn’t hang our heads. We tightened our chinstraps. We unleashed WR A.J. Brown. We remembered our run game, and fed RB D’Andre Swift. We fought our way back, and we won.
Our next opponent doesn’t handle the run so well, and now given that they are down to just TWO active, actual LB’s on their entire roster, if we decide to make this a physical game, they probably can’t say much about it.
A win puts us at 8 – 1, heading into our Bye Week. It would ensure that when we come back, we would still maintain both the lead in the NFC East, and the best record in the NFL. It’s too early to start talking (in-depth) about home-field advantage, so I won’t go there just yet.
A loss holds us to 7 – 2. That would be enough to hold the division lead for one more week. However, if Dallas wins during our Bye Week, the two teams would have identical records, with Dallas holding the head to head tie-break.
So the Eagles have to win this game.
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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are theFour Thingsthat we need to focus on this week versus: the Cowboys.
Shaquille O’Neal and the late, great Alex Trebek, share a phonebooth.
1) Be Physical About Running the Ball:Feed RB D’Andre Swift, as LTJordan Mailata,LG Landon Dickersonand the rest of our O-Line dominates and wears down the Dallas defense. Their starting MLB is on Injured Reserve. So they’re down to just two LB’s with familiarity in their defensive scheme. (And one of those LB’s thinks he’s a DE.)
This deficiency means that Dallas has to trot out Safeties under 220 pounds, to man that third LB spot, whenever we use 21 Personnel (2TE, 1RB). They’re going to want to offset our power, with their speed. So we should negate their speed, and expose their power deficiency, by turning every carry into a fistfight in a phonebooth.
2) Win the Turnover Battle:Dallas has thrived on bad offenses turning the ball over in bunches. In the two games they lost, they lost the turnover battle first. Beating Dallas isn’t hard. There’s no mystery to it. The formula is: Just don’t help them win.
3) Alter Their QB’s Launch Points: If their QB can go “1-2-3-throw” like we’ve allowed lesser QB’s to do, he’s going to complete 97% of his passes, and we’re going to get shit-canned. We can’t let him run drives like he’s running a practice drill.
Playing some CB’s Darius ‘Big Play’ Slay and James Bradberry in more Man Press, or even some Zone Press, will force their QB off his first option, and make him read. At that point DT’s Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter can start to pressure their QB and move him around in the pocket, changing his delivery from how he practiced it.
DE Josh Sweat with a pick six vs Dak Prescott in 2022
Their QB’s arm is good, but pinpoint accuracy was never his strong-suit. Even from flat-footed in the pocket. If we can get him moving while throwing, he might serve us up a few of those delicious turnovers. We know that SS Kevin Byardloves them!
Kitchen Bitch, GO BAKE!
4) Bait the ‘Boys:Watching video of Dallas’s defense, I noticed that they flow hard and fast off of first motion. They’re under-sized, under-manned, under-powered, and they know it. So they try to win by beating opponents to the spot.
We should use play-action, misdirection, and RPO plays, sprinkled into a smash-mouth approach, to cause defensive overflows, early on. Later, when Dallas is tired and beat-up, those same play-action, misdirection, and RPO plays, will lead to hesitation. That’s when we can break the game open.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This division can’t be won by a team with a glass jaw. The Eagles have proven repeatedly this season, that being down doesn’t mean we’re out. In two out of three games when the Eagles were down, we came back and won. In both of Dallas’s losses, they were knocked down, and stayed down. We are not the same.
Given that Dallas isn’t very good at running the ball this year, the load is being placed squarely on their QB. So we need to attack him. Make him uncomfortable. Make him run a little off-schedule. And hit him. For Fuck’s sake, hit him. A lot. If he’s thinking about not getting hurt, he’s already thinking less about the offense.
Final note. Given the nature of their LB situation, and how neither one of their LB’s can cover him, I’d say that TE Dallas Goedert and/or WR Julio Jones, could be looking at big days.
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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.
LAST week, the Eagles flew to the opposite side of the country, and soundly defeated a credible opponent. That effort earned us a 5 – 0 record, and a two game lead in the NFC East. This week, we stay in our backyard, going just a two hour bus ride up I-95; to take on what is essentially half of a football team, in the Jets.
While the Jets have a talented defensive unit, their offense is led by an underwhelming QB, and leaky offensive line. Against the Eagles Defense, those two weaknesses are essentially a death sentence for an offense. Especially if OLB Haason Reddick has truly shaken off the rust.
A win pushes us to 6 – 0 and tightens our grip on the division. In fact, regardless of what our rivals do, an Eagles win will cement our place at the top of the NFC East, for at least another two weeks.
A loss, would drop us to 5 – 1, but we’d still be at the top of the division.
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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 Jets.
DT Jordan Davis
1) Kill Their Run Game: This season when the Jets don’t rush for 100 yards, they’re a 10 point team. When they do hit the century mark, they average 24.3. That’s still four points fewer than we average, but there’s no sense in playing with our food. Their QB is made out of trash, so we should thrust the game onto his narrow shoulders, and then beat on him until he questions his life choices.
2) No Quick Throws: Their QB is trash. So don’t do anything to help him out. Take away the quick and easy, underneath throws. Make him struggle right out of the gate. Then, we throw a drowning man an anchor, by tempting him to go deep.
Make him read deep, and hold the ball too long, behind his shitty offensive line. If he’s looking deep, he won’t see the first few hits coming. When the mistrust sets in, the mistakes should come out. This week, I’d like to see our Secondary eat, and this is just the chump for FS Reed Blankenship and CB Darius Slay to get fat off of.
3) Run the Ball Downhill: The Jets favor a 3-3-5 defensive alignment. Their d-linemen are of a good size, but their LB’s are smallish. What this means is, even when they have a loaded box, it can be out-muscled and worn down.
RT Jordan Mialata celebrates RB D’Andre Swifts TD run
Don’t make this game about being too clever. Some misdirection would be great. However, this should mostly be about getting RB D’Andre Swift behind RTJordan Mialata and RGLandon Dickerson, and just letting our guys outright maul any Jet dumb enough to suit up for this game.
4) Motion Slot to Brown: There is an excellent chance that the Jets are going to try to cover WR A.J. Brown, with CB Sauce Gardner. Our Slot WR should start out away from Brown, and then run over to his side to either drag his man over there, or expose zone coverage. But that’s the Football 098 stuff.
The real reason for the shift, is to give QB Jalen Hurts a quicker read. An uncovered Slot should be getting the ball. Period. A Slot in man coverage (by the NCB), puts CB’s one-on-one with both Brown, and WR Devonta Smith. So two outside CB’s and the NCB are spoken for. Leaving two Safeties, either in Single-high or Cover Two.
In Single-high, a S will come down to cover TE Dallas Goedert. In a Cover Two, Goedert will be left to a LB. Versus Single-high that’s five in coverage and six in the box. Versus Cover Two, that’s six in coverage and five in the box. In either case, we’d have five linemen, plus Hurts and Swift. So it’s either seven on six, or seven on five.
Remember how I mentioned quick reads for Hurts? So now, Hurts can read either run or pass. Or Hurts can also read Single-high man coverage, and throw where the deep S isn’t. Or read Cover Two zone, and throw quickly to the uncovered receiver. He can read all of this quickly, and from just motioning the Slot over to Brown.
Regardless of whatever play we’ve called.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being
said…
The Jets are not in our proverbial weight class. That’s not to insult them. It’s just being honest. They had to fight off Denver last week. Fucking Denver! It was 31 to 21. Versus Denver! They have no business even being competitive in this game. We would have to play down to them, in order for that to be a thing.
This of course, is how trap games get created. By overlooking the validity of an opponent. By not taking into account, that on any given Sunday, that any team can beat any- It was fucking Denver!
We cannot lose to this team! They signed QB Trevor Siemian as a possible solution to their quarterbacking woes. Trevor Siemian wasn’t even good when he was good. He’s a career 13 -17 starter. He hasn’t started and won a game since 2017, when he was 5 – 5. This is how bad it is in New York right now! For Jets fans, Aaron Rodgers’ ankle is up there with 9/11. Four downs, one attempt, one sack and the season was OVER!
We cannot lose to this team.
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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 Thingsas 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.
TRAINING Camp arrived today! While most fans have been waiting to get a glimpse of the players, I’ve been dying to get a look at the systems we’ll be running. Of course we won’t get a real glimpse of the Defensive system until probably the third preseason game. Still, I’ll be looking for big changes in our coverage of opposing receivers.
I’m actually very excited about that.
Aside from that, I don’t really know what we can reasonably expect from this year’s camp. All that talk of open competition throughout the roster was bullshit from the jump; and I told you that it was, in plain and unbroken.
There are 22 starting positions between the Offense and the Defense, and the only spots truly up for grabs are LT, WR2, and maybe, maybe, MLB. Everything else has either been decided by, or confirmed by, economics.
The battle for LT between multi-year project Jordan Mailata, and 2019 first round pick Andre Dillard, should be a lot of fun to watch, as they bring two different approaches to the contest. Mailata raw size and power, and Dillard The two of them seem quietly determined to put the other guy on the bench. If iron truly sharpens iron, then the result should produce an excellent blindside protector for QB Jalen Hurts.
It’s already been said that WR Jalen Reagor would be operating mostly out of the Slot this season. Greg Ward is reliable, but lacks the speed to threaten deep; and while John Hightowerhas shown impressive wheels and an ability to uncover, his catch rate (34.5%) makes him impossible to take seriously as candidate to start.
That makes last year’s leading receiver Travis Fulgham, the odds-on favorite to be starter opposite rookie WR Devonta Smith. It needs to be said, with the amount of speed the Eagles have stockpiled at WR, especially when the back-ups are in, Jalen Hurts on a scramble drill could be lethal if he can improve his accuracy.
The MLB position is a toss-up. In our 4-3 base, that job belongs to T.J. Edwards right now. When we go to the Nickle or Dime, Edwards comes off the field. Then again so would most MLB’s. Second year man Shaun Bradley has more footspeed, but Edwards has better eyes and instincts, and he plays under more control. We’ll have to see how it plays out in Camp. Provided the job is truly even up for grabs.
Despite all the turnover this offseason, there really isn’t much to see, if you step back and view the big picture. The Eagles coaching staff doesn’t know enough about themselves as a group, to draw any definite lines in the sand about what must be done or how. This year is a lab for everybody. Both players and coaches.
Word to the wise:
This is not the most talented team in the NFL, but it does have a collection of young, explosive players on Offense. People are questioning whether those players will live up to their high ceilings. However, that question is an admission of multiple high ceilings.
The Defense has a few older players on it, but overall they are in their primes, and have been there, seen that. This is not a group that will get rattled easily. Even in games when we fall behind early.
While it would be silly to expect this team to win the NFC East this season, it would be equally as foolish to write them off. There is still a proven core of veterans who know how to motivate each other, hold themselves and each other accountable, and more importantly overcome adversity.
This team is a broad sword, not a scalpel. It’s roster is designed to either overwhelm with physical traits; or present match-up puzzles that defy classic solutions. This is not a finesse team. It’s built to be a brawler. That said, if the brawler can actually take a punch or two…the entire NFC, not just the East, could have a problem on its hands.
LAST year the Philadelphia Eagles basically drowned in a toilet. We went 4 – 11 – 1 overall, and 2 – 4 in the division. The toilet I speak of, was the NFC East. We won just 4 games and it still took all of 14 games to eliminate us from playoff contention. Which of course was followed by a form of Front Office seppuku, because hey… why not, right?
Head Coach Doug Pederson was fired and Nick Sirianni was hired to replace him. Right now it has all the ear marks of a horrible, just horrible mistake, but… Either he’ll win us over, or we’ll just keep drinking until paper beats scissors.
So here is what the Eagles look like now, exactly a week prior to the start of the 2021 NFL Draft.
OFFENSE
QB: Ignore all this nonsense about “guys competing for the starting job”. Jalen Hurtsis the guy. Whether or not he’s “The Man”, remains to be seen. However, unless we draft his replacement in 7 days, Hurts is the guy. He will not come into this season being a year wiser in the system. The new coach is bringing a new system, and no one has even seen it yet. So in a very real sense, Hurts will still be a rookie that everyone already has NFL tape on. While that tape shows a dynamic player, it also shows an arm that is questionable at times. Local productJoe Flacco,was signed to be just bad enough, to legitimize Hurts even to his detractors. REAL TALK: In a very real sense, Hurts has to start and play well,to save General Manager Howie Roseman’s job. If Hurts turns out to be a dud, then having traded away Carson Wentz, pretty much guarantees that Roseman will be escorted out of the building by security, before the New Year. In the meantime, while the Eagles have the most dynamic player at this position in the division, the coaching staff refuses to even name a starter. And I don’t give away free pluses. (-)
RB:
Miles Sanders
Miles Sanders has electrifying ability, but his durability and reliability have both been inconsistent. He went from a player who could be split out wide as rookie, to a player who couldn’t break a Swing pass in 2021. (Regardless of which QB played.) He missed 4 games in 2020, all of which were against division rivals. The Eagles were 2 – 2 without him vs the division, and went 0 – 2 with him vs the division. Boston Scott is at his best when catching passes (the game winner he caught from QB Carson Wentz to beat the giants, was a thing of beauty)
The Eagles however, seem to think he’s rotational back, despite him wearing down noticeably with increased use. The recent re-signing of Jordan Howardwas a stroke of pure genius! Provided the Eagles actually let the man play. He gives the team a legit lead back if Sanders were to get hurt, and also gives the team a tough between the tackles runner, who can make an opponent pay if he gets daylight. This is already very well-rounded group. Whomever they add as their fourth, will be a luxury. (+)
WR:
Greg Ward and Travis Fulgham
Travis Fulgham has good/not great speed, and good/not great size. He’s most dangerous on intermediate routes, and knows how to use his body to box-out defenders. He can however get downfield, and make huge plays when he sees favorable coverage. He’s a solid #2 that the Eagles tried to pass off as #1, unsuccessfully. Greg Ward in the Slot gets open quickly, so he led the team in catches in 2020. Unfortunately, many of his catches were for meager gains, so in 2021 he will likely take a back seat to a much more athletic Jalen Reagor. Reagor is said to be the team’s new Slot, presumably to take advantage of his ability to elude and break tackles. John Hightowerhas real speed to stretch a defense, and showed the ability to uncover quickly, but his 34.5% catch rate is a problem that may provide an opening forQuez Watkinsor J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. There’s a number two playing as a one, and a couple guys fighting over the Slot, but there’s no one in this group that scares anyone. With a legit #1, these five would be an interesting tool-kit. But without a hammer, you can’t say that you have legit toolbox. (-)
TE: The Eagles as an organization have decided that Dallas Goedert is the future at this position. In a 1-2 combination, Goedert is a great second option. As number one, he lacks elite traits, and may not be as necessary as many fans think. During the four games when he was on Injured Reserve in 2020, the Eagles scored 22 or more points in every game. In the eleven games when Goedert did play, the Eagles hit that mark just three times. It’s funny. Even from week one last year, everyone knew the Eagles Front Office was trying to sandbag Zach Ertz, and they did a great job of it. Now they want to trade him and SURPRISE! they aren’t finding any takers for a 30 year old, 12 million dollar player that they smeared, and essentially demoted. The irony is, he’s probably still better than 80 percent of NFL players at his position. Including Goedert. For the moment, it’s still a great 1-2 combo. (+)
OT: RT Lane Johnson had an awful 2020. He only saw seven games, and in those seven he was never himself, due to an ankle surgery that he didn’t let heal properly before coming back. When he’s healthy he’s one of the best in the game. Word is, he’s plenty healthy right now. LT Jordan Mailata made a bit of a name for himself last year, when he went from long-term project, to possible diamond in the rough.
Andre Dillard was drafted to inherit that LT spot, but he was lost for 2020 with a torn bicep. So expect ACTUAL competition on that left side in camp. Jack Driscollnotched four starts throughout his rookie year, before going on IR with an MCL injury. A perennial Pro Bowler on one side. Competition between experienced young players on the other side. Then a second year man, with a few starts under his belt already. It may not be what it used to be in 2017, but this group is the most solid group in the division. (+)
G: RGBrandon Brooks returns after missing 2020 with a torn Achilles tendon. When healthy, Brooks is a premier player at this position. Isaac Seumalo is the LG. He’s got above average movement skills, but lacks the aggression, power, or size that is generally coveted at this position. He also doesn’t always anchor well, and so he can be driven back into the QB more often than any coach should be comfortable with. Nate “Real Big” Herbig started twelve games and was serviceable. He could stand to turn some of his fluff into muscle, and to fire-out on his run blocks with more of a mean streak, but for a second year man, he’s great depth to have. Matt Pryormay make the 2021 roster due to his experience also playing OT, but he took a huge step backward in 2020. He had ten starts all over the line, but he seemed to struggle everywhere he lined up. Iosua Opeta notched two starts as a rookie. Without Brooks, this group is just slightly subpar. However, with him in the lineup, the Eagles interior has to be taken very seriously again. (+)
C: Not wanting to go out on a 4 – 11 – 1 record, Jason Kelce has decided to put retirement off for at least one more year. His presence will add solidity to a right side that could be dominant in 2021, and give the new coaching staff a platform to build on.Luke Juriga saw 14 snaps during the Cleveland game when Kelce had to go off with an injury. Kelce raised hell on the sideline and Juriga soon had his seat back. Nate Herbig can also play this position, as can G Ross Pierschbacher. While Pierschbacher is listed as a G, the Eagles depth there and his history of playing the pivot as a college senior, likely means he’s here to provide depth and versatility inside. While the Eagles won’t carry four during the season, they currently have an array of solid options to pick from for their back-up. (+)
IN A NUTSHELL: Kelce, Brooks and Johnson, will likely give the Eagles a dominant right side on the Offensive Line. It will be unlike anything Hurts had to work with, when he took over for final four games of the 2020 season. Better still, Jeff Stoutland is still the Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator. Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard and a running QB. If the Eagles can find a #1 WR, and if the new offensive system is any good, this team is going to turn heads hard enough to break necks. That said, while there is plenty of talent on this roster, the Eagles don’t have that #1 WR, and the new system hasn’t even seen a single practice yet. So again, passing grades aren’t free around here. (-)
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DE’s Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett
DEFENSE
DE:Brandon Graham started off hot last year. He notched 7 of his 8 sacks, 11 of his 16 QB hits, and 9 of his 13 tackle for losses, in the first eight games. Then he went cold as a dead man, posting 1 sack, 5 hits, and 4 TFLs, over the remaining eight games. In short, he disappeared when the playoff hunt began in earnest, making his first Pro Bowl nod feel hollow. After four seasons, Derek Barnett seems like a player who has maxed out his ceiling already. He produced 5.5 sacks while playing 49% of the defensive snaps in 2020. Yet he’s still making 10M$ in 2021. Josh Sweat on the other hand, seems to have a ton of upside. He had 6.0 sacks and 3 FF last year, despite playing just 38% of the snaps. Joe Ostman is a high-effort type, with a low athletic ceiling. In last year’s Wide Nine system, fresh players produced more results than individual talent. If this new system asks for a more classic approach, all indications are that the Eagles won’t fare well here. (-)
DT: Fletcher Coxmeans more than stats to this defense, but his numbers have spent the last two years trending in the wrong direction. Especially for a player making 24M$ in 2021. He had 10.5 sacks and 34 QB hits in 2018. He had 6.5 sacks and 9 QB hits in 2020. It’s not a three year slide, so he isn’t a has-been. Yet. However, this year those numbers need to tick up, or he’ll be on par with DeMarcus Lawrence.Javon Hargrave took a while to hit his stride as a new Eagle, but he settled in nicely near the end of the year. Perhaps the Eagles have found Cox the partner in crime that he’s needed for so long. Returning from a bicep injury that ended his 2020, is Hassan Ridgeway. Ridgeway was a solid, and highly disruptive rotational player who will likely see even more snaps with the departure of Malik Jackson. That is, if he can stay healthy. He’s missed nine games in each of his two years as an Eagle. Two good starters and a quality back-up. (+)
OLB:Alex Singleton, started last season as a Special Teamer. However due to Nate Gerry being injured, during Week four Singleton got an opportunity to play Defense. The result was that him being the difference in the Eagles first win of the season. Two weeks later he was a starter, and showing the NFL why he was the CFL Defensive Player of the Year (2017).
Now Singleton enters 2021 as a starter with a fresh new contract. America! Land of motherfuckin’ opportunity! Davion Taylor was drafted as a project, and so didn’t see much time as a rookie. That said, it’s hard to know if he fits in the new coaching staff’s plans, or if they’ll have the patience for a project. That’s especially true with the signing of free agentEric Wilson, formerly of the Vikings. Wilson put up 122 tackles, 3 sacks, and 3 picks last year. Which incidentally was his first as a starter. Did I mention that he’ll be just 27 this season? Suddenly the Eagles have two legitimate starters at this position for the first time since 2017. (+)
MLB:T.J. Edwards is said to have athletic limitations, because he’s a Tackle to Tackle player, and not a sideline to sideline player.
He’s a young, so he still has room to improve, but he already slips blocks well enough, wraps up, can get home on a blitz, and even pull down a pass. The biggest hole in his game, seems to be how often he’s subbed out for Nickel and Dime packages. Shaun Bradleyhas to learn how to get off blocks faster, and not let eye candy pull him out of position. He has a lot of energy and could be an emotional spark plug, but in his second year, he’ll have to be a more disciplined player. (+)
S:Rodney McLeodseemed a long-shot to make the 2021 roster, but at least for the moment, he’s still here. He has the eyes and mind of a seasoned veteran, but after suffering another season-ending leg injury (knee), it’s reasonable to question how much speed he’ll still have at age 31. Free Agent Anthony Harris comes over from the 38 – 7’s . Sorry, the Vikings. He has experience playing for new Defensive CoordinatorJonathan Gannon, when both were in Minnesota. With six years of NFL experience, Harris has only been a primary starter for the last three. Statistically, he looks like a ballhawk one year, and then an in-the-box player, the next year. Now with a new team (on a one year deal), he seems like a seventh year player who is still trying to find himself.
Marcus Epps and Alex Singleton
With three starts to close-out last season, Marcus Epps made a strong enough case for the Eagles to feel good about letting Jalen Mills leave via free agency. K’Von Wallace is the reason that Harris’s deal is one year. He’s expected to step up this year. Still, there are too many question marks back there, right now. (-)
CB:Currently the Eagles have ten players under contract at this position, but really only four or five of them matter. Darius Slayis coming off of his worst season as a pro. For over a decade now, I’ve been telling Eagles fans (first on Yardbarker, and then here onEaglemaniacal.com), that the Eagles Cover One/Cover Three look, has been making chumps of even the top CB’s. With Slay we saw it happen yet again,just last season. Doesn’t matter. New DC Gannon is said to be bringing a Cover Two look, that lets Corners play Corner. Slay still has his physical capabilities, so it stands to reason that in a scheme that isn’t working against him, he’s still at least better than average. Avonte Maddox was a feisty Nickel in his rookie year, but injuries and opponents taking advantage of his 5’9’’ frame, seems to have destroyed his confidence. He’s just out there going through the motions, and ending up being less than average. But hey, maybe a new system will enable him to recapture his swagger at Nickel. (I say ‘maybe’ because the Eagles will draft a Corner pretty early. Maddox won’t be the starter on the outside.) Grayland Arnold, Craig James, and Michael Jacquetall got a chance to play, and all them allowed completion percentages of 80 or higher. Again, there are ten players here and only one of them is worth starting. (-)
IN A NUTSHELL: Many of the players here, seem to have been picked for a defensive system that the Eagles are no longer going to run. The Wide Nine system is so specialized that it’s hard to see this unit being successful without a couple of high-impact changes at a couple of positions (DE, CB). (-)
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SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Jake Elliottlooked like trash last year. He connected on just 14/19 field goal tries (73.6%), yet again proving useless from 50 or more (2/5, 40%). His extra point kicking 24/26 (92.3%) was a career-low, as was his 61.8 yard kickoff average. Worst of all, the moldy fondant on the over-priced wedding cake… was his (1/3) field goal kicking from 20 to 29 yards. (-)
P: Arryn Siposs is a 29 year old, ex-Australian Football League player, who’s never played an NFL game. He had a cup of coffee with the Lions before they cut him last year. His AFL highlights make him intriguing, but he’ll be impossible to me to co-sign until we at least see him a preseason game. (-)
IN A NUTSHELL:
There are no clutch legs on the team. So close games and defensive battles where winning field position matters, looks like it will be a problem this year. (-)
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BOTTOM LINE: Right now, there is no aspect of the game(Offense, Defense, Special Teams) that the Eagles can be given a passing grade in. On the one hand, there so much change coming with a new coach who has never called plays in a game. Talent-wise, the roster isn’t awful at anything. It just isn’t great at anything. And you need to be great at something to win a division. If the newness of the Eagles gets traction, they could take the NFL by total surprise. That said, history is not on their side. Which you realize, makes the Eagles an underdog. And NOBODY on Earth loves an underdog, more than Philadelphia.
THE WIN STREAK CONTINUES!!! After having won the Super Bowl 21 weeks ago, the Eagles chose not to end the season, and keep going from city to city, pounding on doors and picking fights GAMES, against other franchises. After having played every team in the league already, this week we’re trying to instigate a second game against the Jets.
Last week’s 60 – 26 squeaker over the Falcons, allowed the Eagles to give some of our fans a chance to takes a few snaps. QB Carson Wentzcontinues to riddle secondaries with touchdowns, in between jugs of Muscle Milk and weightlifting on the sideline. The Jets utter inability to stop the run will be handily exploited this week, with RB Miles Sanders running behind recently converted FBJordan Mailata.
No longer playing for the Lombardi. (Got it). Not really playing for the money. (More is already on the way.) These Eagles are playing for pride. Specifically to take someone else’s away. When they finally lose a game, the team has promised to shut it down. Until then…
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: 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 FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Jets :
1) No biting: Let’s not have another Denver Incident. (Hey Carson, everyone knows you have his ear. We saw you take it. It’s on video tape. Video tape! Just give it back, and we can finally say that our National Nightmare has come to an end.
2) Eliminate penalties:We don’t need a repeat of Head Coach Doug Pederson being flagged for semi-naked taunting. (As he was several times last week.)
3) Fewer points allowed: Please stop spotting teams 20 points before kickoff. If the game hasn’t started, there shouldn’t be a score. Much less a score of 0 – 20. It just looks weird. Please stop doing this.
4) Use the scoreboard: Video of DT Fletcher Cox being invited into the homes of opposing coaches (by their wives), always seems to make it hard for opponents to focus on a strategy, or make adjustments. Keep doing this.
If we do all these things we should win, with a score looking like…
PREDICTION: EAGLES 84 – Jets 6
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
LET’S talk about what’s at stake this week. Nothing. We know who the Starters are. We know who the second units are. The third stringers will spend the year being activated and deactivated. Is that what we’re watching too see?
Besides, we play the Jets in like six weeks. We’re not showing them anything worth seeing. We won’t even be hinting at anything in this game.
I mean c’mon, rookie OT Brett Toth, who signed a three year deal a week ago, is currently a liability as a pass blocker, and has yet to see any preseason action. Even if he doesn’t play a snap in this game, we already KNOW he’s guaranteed a spot on the practice squad.
So there are zero stakes for the team, and the final score is a shrug to the team. Aside from a handful of guys who want more audition tape, all anyone wants, is to avoid getting hurt. That’s it. That’s what everyone is playing for. (BTW: If a player is still compiling tape in preseason week four, they’ve already told teams enough.)
I spent from Sunday until Wednesday trying to figure out why any of us should care about this last preseason game, when it’s evident that the team itself is just going through the motions, due to obligation. Here’s what I came up with:Just don’t watch it.
Why pump direct ratings via cable boxes, Nielsen boxes, and satellite receivers, to a league that doesn’t see fit to offer you a decent product? “Here piggy piggy. You’ll consume it because it’s sort of football.” Really?
Between football players who don’t have to play, baseball players who don’t have to hustle, and basketball players who think it’s cool to go years without being able to shoot a basketball, teams just don’t worry about giving fans quality anymore.
Are we their bitches? Are we their whores? I can’t speak for you, but I for one, am certainly not. If we the fans don’t send some sort of message, we’re going to keep seeing this. Or worse. So I’m taking this week off, and I’m asking you to do the same.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Jets:
1) Work: If you work nights, don’t bother trying to find places watch the game out of the view of your supervisor. Why risk a write-up for a game that doesn’t matter? Wait until the games count, to run that kind of risk. Right Carson?
2) A night out:While lots of fans will crowd into sports bars, and stay home to catch the game, so the theaters should have fewer people in them. Same with restaurants that don’t have televisions in them. Take advantage of the extra elbow room.
3) Grocery shopping:If your favorite supermarket is open until 10p.m. or later, then by 7:30 or so, sports fans with talking pets (small kids), have generally cleared out of the building. If you show up at 8:00, you should be able to have an almost leisurely experience shopping. It’s not as good as 10a.m. on a Tuesday, but it’s pretty close. (Note: This may permanently change when you shop.)
4) Decorate:Spend the night decorating for Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is a huge football holiday, and it seldom gets the attention it deserves, since Christmas always waylays it’s mojo. Friday August 30th is still very much Summer. I can hardly think of a better end to Summer next month, than barbecuing in 80 degree weather, with Pilgrims in your window, and a giant inflatable turkey behind you.
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:
You will watch the game. You can’t help it. You’ve missed football for too long, to ignore it for a week. The season is just too finite, and you don’t want to waste a second of it.
I on the other hand, am dead ass serious about not watching this game. (I may see a few seconds here or there while channel surfing, but I will not be staying. By no means.) Because I won’t be watching it, Head Coach Doug Pederson will elect to play his Starters for a series or two. Rest assured I will nod in amused irony when you all tell me about, it the following day.
(Side note: The Eagles have been putting a LOT of emphasis on adding to that RT spot recently.Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Jordan Mailata, Brett Toth… They don’t keep taking swings like this, at any other spot on the line. We might want to keep an eye on Lane Johnson this season.)
WHEN you have a weapon that nobody else has, you’re almost obligated to cram it down your rival’s throats. It’s almost a requirement to put on vulgar displays of power, and abuse the privilege of the small window that exists until the arms race equalizes. Or maybe that’s just me.
Such is the case with OT Jordan Mailata. No other team in the NFL has anything like Mailata. So we need to be about the business of letting the other 31 teams know that we have him, they don’t, and then educate them on exactly what that means.
Ostensibly, Mailata was brought here to play Offensive Tackle, but that’s not what got him noticed. Prior to being drafted by the Eagles in 2018, he’d never played a down of pro, college, or even high school AMERICAN style, football. In his entire rookie season last year, he never stepped foot on the field. Even on Special Teams.
In 2017 He caught the Front Office’s eye as a rugby player in Australia. (Which lets you know how thorough the Eagles Scouting department is.) He was damned near unstoppable with the ball in his hands, displaying a level of athleticism that is unheard of in 346 pound men who don’t play in the NFL.
To be fair, I can’t say I’ve seen it in the NFL either. Which is why I say give him the ball. Adopt and adapt the tactic of using, practically abusing, all of our unfair advantages. I’d like to see him report as tackle-eligible for a few plays, lining up as an H-Back. Then get the ball into his hands, in short yardage situations.
There’s no need to do anything crazy. Short pass here, a Toss Run there. There’s that Middle Shovel Pass that Chiefs TE Travis Kelce made popular a couple years ago.
And of course we could just motion him into the backfield and hand the damned thing off to him.
Oh yeah, and let’s not forget, he’s actually a blocker! If he lines up at H-back, things like the H-Back Iso are there for the taking.
It would be a way to get Mailata into live action, while LT Jason Peters is still here to mentor him.
And you know what the best part would be? When teams didn’t know if they needed to fight off his block or cover him. Spread out, to account for him. Or pack in, to cause a pile-up? It would be hard for opponents to be effective in short yardage defense, if they were second guessing themselves the whole time before the ball is snapped.
We can do that to them. We already have the player. All we have to do, is do it. We have an unfair advantage here. We need to use it.
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