Kenny Pickett

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FOUR THINGS: WK 15: EAGLES – RAIDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/12/11
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

ON Monday night we saw a resurgence of our run game, and our Defense collected seven sacks and two turnovers. There were some (ahem) other difficulties, but those are not characteristic of who we are; so it doesn’t bear worrying about at this point. This is a game for us to build on our strengths, and on the fixes we’ve made.

Our next opponent, the Raiders, are pretty damned awful at everything, on both sides of the ball. All the problems Eagles fans are imagining that we have, the Raiders actually do have. They are already officially, mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and their players are now auditioning for jobs in 2026.

With a win we move to 9 – 5 and stop a three game skid. Our hold on the top spot in the division would also remain at 1.5 games over the team in second place.

A loss drops us down to 8 – 6. We’d still be on top of the division for the moment.

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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. 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 RAIDERS.

DT Jordan Davis is tied for the lead on the Eagles with 4.5 sacks

1) Try to Pick It: Fingers crossed that OLB Jalyx Hunt or DT Jordan Davis get their mitts on our former back-up, QB Kenny Pickett. This is our old pal’s first start of the year, vs an Eagles team he grew up rooting for and threw passes for, in the last Super Bowl. Butterflies are inevitable. His proud dad Ken, will almost certainly be in attendance.

Kill Kenny. Kill ‘im dead. Set the dogs on him. Get him flustered and running. He doesn’t have a guaranteed gig beyond this year, and if he doesn’t play well, it could be years before he sees meaningful snaps again. Put the pressure on him. Crack him. Break him. Also he’s been fairly easy to knock out of games. Beat on him.

2) Win On Third Down: With a back-up QB out there, and offensive line that sucks as badly as any in the sport, the Raiders aren’t likely to go for many 4th downs. So take care of business on third downs.

3) Fewer Comeback Routes: On every interception that QB Jalen Hurts threw on Monday night, the receiver was working back to the QB, and there was a defender sitting on the route. If that doesn’t demonstrate a high level of predictability, I don’t know how else to communicate it.

These routes (Curls, Hitches, Comebacks, et al), are part of of every team’s system, so we aren’t going to eliminate them from the playbook completely. However, if we could just go ahead and call fewer of them, and never have them run side by side, that’d be great. M’kay? Yeeeeah.

4) Second Half Run Game: We have to stop abandoning the run in the second half. That’s when it’s more dangerous, because it stacks fatigue in defenders, and eats up clock. It also keeps teams from teeing off on the QB. If we can get 12 hand-offs in the second half, we should be able to end our skid.

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

Last game we went 4 for 4 and lost, because FIVE turnovers is too much for almost anyone to overcome. (I’m sure it’s been done in the history of the NFL, but it’s far from the norm.) That said, if we’re us, and we nail this list, we should be golden.

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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: WK 17: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/12/28
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

CAN’T win ‘em all. You should however, win the ones where you pull five turnovers from your opponent. Speaking of five turnovers, that’s how many we collected the last time we saw this week’s opponent. MLB Zack Baun was in on three of those. A repeat performance would be awesome, as we go for the sweep.

The Cowboys don’t do a good job of scoring points, and our Defense is pretty good at not giving points up. So if both teams show our true colors, this one should be a walk for the Eagles, even without QB Jalen Hurts this week, due to concussion.

A win will see us improve to 13 – 3, complete the sweep of the Cowboys, and clinch the NFC East crown. It will also technically keep us alive for the #1 seed in the Conference.

A loss will hold us at 12 – 4, but we can still clinch the NFC East, if Washington finds a way to lose to Cleveland. Highly unlikely? Yes. Impossible? N- Yes. Yes it’s impossible. Who are we kidding? We’ll have to win to clinch.

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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. 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

1) Establish the Pass Immediately: Last week after Hurts went down, the Commanders sensed that QB Kenny Pickett couldn’t hurt them as a passer, so they started selling out against the run. We became one dimensional and produced just 5 field goal attempts (4 makes) in three quarters of football. That can’t happen again.

Pickett cannot rely solely on Slants, Crosses, and Hooks this week. All of those routes can be played from a loaded box. The ball has to find the TE and Slot WR this week, in order to stretch the box laterally and open up running lanes inside.

2) Lean On the Run: Last time we faced the Cowboys, I suggested lightening RB Saquon Barkley’s load. We did that and it worked. That would be the wrong approach this time. We’re an Offense in a tight spot. This is where it’s important to have an identity and know what it is. Our identity is running the ball. Let’s not get cute.

Running the ball will also set up play-action, which MUST be employed this week to create space in the pocket for Pickett. Screens are not the same as running the ball, despite what many offensive coordinators seem to think.

3) Take Away Anything Simple: Keep the coverage muddy underneath and force their QB to throw the ball deeper than he usually does. He’s a bright guy and he reads well, but he doesn’t have the arm strength to reliably deliver what his eyes see downfield.

We may have to live with a few big plays, but on average, him taking shots, benefits us more. He is also not fleet of foot. If he’s holding the ball, then the pass rush has time to impact the game, by impacting him.

4) Use Five Man Fronts: Recently the Cowboys have found confidence running the ball vs bad teams. They are likely to try their hand at it with us this week. Get into some five man fronts and shut that shit down tout de suite. That same front can be used to eliminate the frequent double teams on DT Jalen Carter.

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

This week revolves around how well we support Kenny Pickett. Last week he was thrown into live fire, but this week is still his first start of the season. He will not be capable of elite play, so it’s ridiculous to expect it. Hell, he had never been that guy before we signed him.

What I’m hoping to see more from him, is play-action and TE. Play-action and Slot. A couple of gutsy scrambles up the middle. We also need to attempt at least one Brotherly Shove with him. If teams think that we won’t run our “unstoppable play” when Hurts is out, it will paint a MASSIVE target on him. We can’t have that on the doorstep of the playoffs.

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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 16: Commanders

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/12/27
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Rivals, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

NO starting QB hurts team.

 

EAGLES 33 – Commanders 36

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Kenny Pickett (14/24 – 58.3% – 143 – 1 – 0)

Rushing: RB Saquon Barkley (29 – 150 – 5.1 – 2 – 0)

Receiving: WR A.J. Brown (15 – 8 – 97 – 12.1 – 1)

Drive Killer: OLB Nolan Smith (TD: 0/Int: 0/ FR: 2/ 4th down stops: / FF: 0)

Sack Leader: OLB Nolan Smith (Sacks: 1.0/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 3)

Special Teams Ace: K Jake Elliott 4/5 FG (50), 3/3 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: COMMANDERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Gas Their Defensive Line: We started out doing this and it was working like a charm. Then we lost our starting QB, and our back-up proved to be no threat passing the ball. The Commanders simply loaded the box, and overwhelmed the running lanes.

QB Jalen Hurts lost to a concussion

I don’t want to say that we didn’t do this, when we were CLEARLY doing it at the start. However, I said in Four Things: “It’s not about how we start. It’s about how we finish.” Well, we didn’t manage to erode their front. (NOT DONE)

2) Don’t Miss Seven Points On Kicks: While Jake Elliott did miss three points on the one kick (from 56), he made 4 of 5, including his first from 50 this year. Despite it being a three point loss, this game can in no way be laid at his feet (foot?). The Defense allowed 36 points in this one. So leave Jake alone. (DONE)

3) Take Away Quick Reads: It seemed like when we did this, all we did was open up room for their QB to run. (He had 81 yards on 9 carries.) Our pass rush simply didn’t do a good enough job of containing him. Good to spot that weakness now, but not a good one to have. (NOT DONE)

4) Jump A Couple First Half Passes: We got all over this! CB Darius “Big Play” Slay (7 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) broke up 2 first half passes and S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (1 – 0.0 – 1 – 0) intercepted a pass in the second quarter. (DONE)

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This week’s Four Things score was 2 of 4. Next week we’re back home playing host the Dallas Cowboys.

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RB Saquon Barkley rips a 68 yard TD run

Game Hero: RB Saquon Barkley – Helped put us up 21 – 7 by the end of the first quarter. Two of those scores came after starting QB Jalen Hurts (1/4 – 25.0% – 11 – 0 – 0 / 3 – 41 – 13.6 – 0 – 0), was knocked from the game with a concussion.

Game goat: Head Coach Nick Sirianni – For three quarters, all that the Offense could muster was 4 field goals. Once Washington realized that QB Kenny Pickett wasn’t a threat as a passer, they loaded the box to stall our one dimensional attack.

As an offensive coach, to not have his back-up QB prepared to play, is egregious. It’s egregious, salacious, it’s downright preposterous!

On The Whole:

Weird shit, like this 12 Men On The Field penalty, which became a free play TD, is the sort of fluke thing that keeps me from being worried about the Eagles.

You may recall that I said this in FT: “We should run the table here. BUT, if there is going to be a loss in any of these next three division games, let it be this one.

Think back to the Monday night game on 11/14/22. We lost 21 – 32 to an inferior Commanders team, and at first, we were a little pissed about it. But the(n) we thought about it, talked about it, and as fans we came to call it “a good loss” because we felt it humbled us, and taught us valuable lessons. Turns out we were right, and we rode those lessons to a Super Bowl appearance.

I don’t think we need any lessons, but this is the only game in the next three, that has any form of possible lesson embedded in it.”

Hey! What can I say? This loss doesn’t have me panicked. Quite the opposite in fact! In a couple of months, we just might be thanking Washington for the wake-up call.

EAGLES GO ALL IN

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/03/16
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, report, Roster, Special Teams, trade. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
OLB/DE Bryce Huff gets a sack

NOW with contracts and everything being official, let’s have a REAL dialogue. I’ve refrained from participation in the fascination with, and the spreading of, rumors. As a result, I’ve been largely silent on all things football.

Just to maintain that consistency, I was even mum on Jason Kelce (see what I did there?), and Fletcher Cox retiring. I also remained silent when DE Brandon Graham resigned for a final year. Instead, I elected to address that stuff and the first week of Free Agency, all at once.

Signing Our Own:

This is always the most important part, but no one ever mentions why that is. Well, the reason is continuity. When you have a good thing going (close locker room, solid culture, etc.) the best guys to teach it to new guys, are the guys who are already there. Hemorrhaging players every year depletes that, and sends the message that you don’t reward your own.

In addition to Graham, we locked down a few of our key guys, including LG Landon Dickerson, P Braden Mann, LS Rick Lovato, and K Jake Elliott. Those moves may seem shrug-worthy, but they are indicative of a team with a strong nucleus. Letting TE Jack Stoll walk, and re-signing TE Albert Okwuegbunam, signals that we may have gotten more dangerous at TE2.

Adding Firepower:

Our opening move of the FA period brought us DE Bryce Huff. Huff is a 6’3 255 pound pass rusher, who made his bones lining up in the Wide Nine. While he gets lots of pressure vs the pass, his ability to defend the run is compromised by him being lightweight, and lining up in a fashion that creates running lanes. Our scheme must compensate for that.

RB Saquon Barkley looks to finally defeat the Cowboys. He’s 0 – 10 lifetime against them.

Our splashiest move, was adding RB Saquon Barkley. He’s a 230 pound guy, but he doesn’t play up to that weight. Often his runs are angled directly to the sideline, and he makes lots of “business decisions”. To his credit, he’s a true three-down back, as he is an explosive runner, a gifted route runner, and is solid at blitz pick-up. Skill-wise, he’s the whole package.

Better still, in three of his six seasons, he’s posted 1,400+ all-purpose yards. This is despite never having a QB, or a quality offensive line, or receivers (besides OBJ) who scared anyone. Now he’s being added to a roster that has all of those things. We’re loaded with killers!

Our most significant move (so far), is probably bringing back NCB/S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. He wanted too much money last year, so we let him fuck off to Detroit. The move turned out to be… Let’s say, less than great for him, or us. So both sides kissed and made up. This move allows us to shore-up a Secondary that became a glaring weakness last year.

Less Obvious Moves:

ILB Devin White could be in for a career year.

Other defensive additions include ILB Devin White. Sadly, we’ll likely be moving back to a 3-4 base, meaning that the Eagles have to prioritize LB now. White spent last last year as an OLB and had his worst year as a pro. On a 1 year deal, he’ll be looking to ball out. (Incidentally, going to a 3-4 may have hastened Cox’s retirement. He didn’t enjoy being a 3-4 DE under Chip Kelly, and probably wasn’t interested in doing it again, at his age.)

We added LB Zach Baum, but I’m not sure what he’s supposed to be. LB Julian Okwara was technically added before the FA period, but I didn’t weigh in on him. He plays at 100mph, understands that his long arms can keep him free of blockers, and can even drop into space. The Lions played the IR stash game with him (off and on), but the Eagles might let him play.

On offense, C Matt Hennessy is likely here to be depth. While he’s listed often as a C/G, he played very little there, before going on IR with a knee injury in 2022 and missing all of 2023. Expecting him (307 pounds) to be ready to win the RG spot, might be asking too much.

The addition that I think could be sneaky good, is WR DeVante Parker. Long have I been caterwauling for the Eagles to get another big bodied Slot, with a big catch radius, in the mold of Jordan Matthews (not retired). Parker spent a couple years as the #1 in Miami, but he’s really more of a #2. So the Slot role should be cake for a guy like him.

Finally, we come to QB Kenny Pickett, whom the Steelers practically gave away. The early speculation is that either he has an attitude problem, or that he flat-out can’t play. Both are hilarious suppositions. During Pickett’s two seasons (26 starts, 14 – 12), he has shared a QB room with both Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky. All were let go after 2023.

Sounds to me, like Pittsy has a QB coaching issue. Which is why they brought in a veteran QB (Russell Wilson), who doesn’t need developing. In the meantime, Pickett (if he wants), can develop here for a year or two, and maybe become trade bait. This lets me segue to my final point.

Coaching. It’s why we fell apart last year. No one has said that officially. However, we have all these pundits who want a stated reason, and Head Coach Nick Sirianni to dispense mea culpas like goldfish food, and then promise that it won’t happen again. Those pundits are idiots. That won’t happen. The reason we fell apart was coaching. We all watched it.

We didn’t fall apart because of bad coaching. We fell apart due to inexperienced coaching. The problem with a roomful of young guys, is no one has “Been There, Done That” on their resume. So the trust just cannot be there. So everyone tightens up, and the whole thing limbos into Shitsville. Even if you like and respect a guy, you need something to hang your faith on.

The team likes and respects Nick, but when the wheels fell off the Defense, he didn’t have any answers, and neither did young guys Sean Desai or Matt Patricia, so the team went into a spiral. This year, the Eagles have a BTDT guy in Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio. He is (for my money), the single biggest acquisition of this offseason, and the clearest sign of us being all in.