Miles Sanders

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OUR NEXT COACH WILL BE…

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/01/16
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

DOUG Pederson is Eagles history now. That much we’re sure of. What we don’t know, is who will replace him. I’ll let you in on a secret: It almost doesn’t matter. We’re going to want the same things regardless. HAHAHA!!! Who am I kidding? This is Philadelphia. We’re going to DEMAND the same things regardless.

The first thing we’re going to demand, is a Defense that isn’t “bend but don’t break”. I’d personally like a style that defends every blade of grass, and fights you for every footstep. That said, I’m knowledgeable enough to know that the NFL will have a bitch-fit if we’re that good, that fast.

Wow, right? Wouldn’t it be great to be THIS great again?

What I wouldn’t mind is a 4-3 system that uses the DT’s to penetrate and cleave, uses the DE’s to contain, and allows the LB’s to flow to the ball, or be used creatively. Instead of CB’s on 40 yard cushions, employ aggressive man coverage, backed up by split S’s.

If we play a team and an 8-man box is becomes necessary, THEN we go into a Single-high. But first we give our front seven a chance to show that they can handle business. Never assume failure. That’s the first step to winning anything. We won’t become dominant if we start from meekness.

The second thing we’re going to demand, is that our Offensive Line gets fixed. We can’t “fix” QB Carson Wentz if he’s getting beat to shit, all over again. RB Miles Sanders will never see a 1,000 yard rushing season as an Eagle, behind spotty blocking. QB Jalen Hurts? Hell, he also took a lot of abuse when Wentz went out this year. To fix the Offense, start with fixing the O-Line.

The third thing, would be to (ahem) “fix” the QB. When Carson was at his best in 2017, we had a brutal, power based, run game. At Carson’s worst in 2020, we hardly ran the ball. Super Bowl formula or 4 – 11 – 1? Which formula works best for you? You want to fix Carson? Run the damned ball. You want him to stop playing superhero ball? Run the damned ball. You want to limit sacks, and be better on 2nd and 3rd downs (like in 2017)? Run. The. Motherdamnedfucking BALL! 

The fourth thing we’ll demand, is to develop a WR. This inability to develop that position has to come to an end. It has to! The last WR we drafted and turned into a 1,000 receiver, was Jeremy Maclin. We drafted him in 2009, and it wasn’t until his last year here in 2014, that he had his first 1,000 yard season. He is in fact, the last Eagles wide receiver to reach 1,000 yards.

These are things we’re going to want regardless of who is calling the plays, or who is letting his coordinator call the plays. There are other things we’ll want: A big RB, a dangerous KR, a scary LB, a QB to finish 4 or more games without a grass or turf stain on his back… These would all be nice, but they’re not at the forefront of what the fans want.

We want someone to come in, recognize what’s broken, and fix that shit, FIRST. He can be clever about his scheme, or his system, or his philosophy later. Expect a brutally honest assessment of where the Eagles stand in my Pre-Draft Preview, coming this Spring.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 15: Cardinals

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/12/21
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FROM first to worst.

EAGLES 26 – Cardinals 33 

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Jalen Hurts: (24/44 – 54.5% – 338 – 3 – 0)

(S) RB Miles Sanders: (17 – 64 – 3.7 – 0 – 0)

(S) TE Zach Ertz: (7 – 2 – 69 – 34.5 – 0)

(S) CB Nickell Robey-Coleman: (7 – 0.5 – 0 – 1)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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: Cardinals did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Keep running: Well, well, well. Would you look at that. This game featured 44 pass attempts, 11 QB runs, and just 18 plays where the ball was handed off. Seems the Eagles can’t win with that formula, regardless of who the QB is. (NOT DONE)

2) Contain our mirror image: The Eagles did a good job of keeping the Cardinal QB in the pocket, and he beat us from there. While Hurts was very athletic in this game, their QB beat us by actually playing QB. Still, what’s done is done. (DONE)

3) Pray for diarrhea: There was no food poisoning, so WR DeAndre Hopkins played. Pray harder next time! Get a sweat going! (NOT DONE)

4) Control the clock: We had the ball for 32 minutes, compared to the Cardinals 27. I said we needed a 36 to 24 minute split. We we were close to that mark, and we were close in the game. Horseshoes and hand grenades. (NOT DONE)

We did 1 out of 4, Four Things. Next week we get the division rival that everybody loves to hate: The Dallas Cowboys. A win will perpetuate Jalen Hurts’ legend with the fan base. But losing and having the season officially murdered? By the Cowboys?? On his watch!?! Nope. Losing is not an option next week. Can’t do it. Can’t, do it!

On The Whole:

Amid all the high fives and handjobs that the Eagles fan base is handing out for Christmas, is the fact that we are now dead last in the division. This comes after losing what Head Coach Doug Pederson called a “must win” game, which would have allowed the Eagles to make the playoffs just by winning the next two games.

We would have controlled our own fate.

So what did we see:

Well, the sacks are back. We gave up 6. Perhaps Hurts was holding the ball too long? Or, maybe his line missed blocks. Maybe we can stop blaming the guys trying not to get hit, for getting hit, when the people paid to protect them, let people hit them instead.

Having a QB willing to run RPO’s, will open up the run game! Miles Sanders averaged just 3.76 yards per carry (many publications round it up to 3.8), in this game. Interestingly enough, Sanders had 12 carries in the first half, and just 5 in the second. Perhaps what would really open up the run game, would be actually calling runs.

Remember how QB Carson Wentz was a bum for not completing 60% of his passes in most games? Well, for the third straight week Hurts has also failed to hit that mark. Those percentages, respectively, have been 41.6, 56.6, and 54.5. Maybe there is something inherently wrong with our system, that’s making it difficult for our QB’s to be more accurate.

WR Travis Fulgham is still on a milk carton. In fact, Hurts is having trouble pushing the ball down the field to WR’s, period. I hear you ask about Jalen Reagor (2 games, 12 targets, 7 catches, 95 yards, 13.5, 0TD) and WR Greg Ward (2 games, 10 targets, 6 catches, 35 yards, 5.8, 2 TD). Before the numbers become confusing, let me state this plain: That’s 5.9 yards per target, overall. Is this a glimpse of the Eagles future?

We lost a shootout to a team that isn’t anywhere near as good as their record. Anybody heartened by this, is looking at all the wrong indicators.

FOUR THINGS: WK 14: EAGLES – CARDINALS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/12/17
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

THANKS to our running game, the underdogs prevailed against the Saints! Last week we ran the ball 36 times, 18 of which were by QB Jalen Hurts for over 100 yards. We’ll likely be looking to do more of the same this Sunday.

An Eagles win and wins by Seattle and Cleveland, keeps the Eagles in the fight for the NFC East crown. If that scenario unfolds, it would put us a half-game out of first place. In fact, if that scenario plays out, then we would control our own destiny after this week.

A loss wouldn’t mathematically eliminate us from contention. Unless the Redskins (don’t @ me), beat Seattle. At which point we’d just be playing out the string. So if you want the Eagles to win the East don’t forget to root for Seattle and Cleveland this week.

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 Cardinals :

1) Keep running: Hurts has proven that he is dangerous as a runner. However, passing the ball still seems to be a work in progress. That means we’re going to have to lean on him as a runner. Oh yeah, and RB Miles Sanders too.

2) Contain our mirror image: The Cardinals offense is a more experienced, and better version of what we’re doing these days. We need to have an answer for how to keep their QB in the pocket, and make him beat us from there.

3) Pray for diarrhea: My suggestion for stopping WR DeAndre Hopkins is sending him some shrimp. Deep fried in Olestra. Remember when Lay’s chips used that, and it led to rampant anal leakage across the country?

Seafood fried in that stuff would make Hopkins unable to leave his bathroom for the game. If he’s on a toilet, forcibly shitting out half his DNA, he can’t hurt the Eagles wounded Secondary. Cross your fingers, and pray for flu-like symptoms!

4) Control the clock: Posting a mark of 36 to 24 minutes in time of possession, would go a long way to making sure that the Cardinals don’t get a lot of shots on our Secondary. Play complimentary football and help the Defense, by holding the ball.

If we do these Four Things, the final score should be:

PREDICTION: EAGLES 27 – Cardinals 24

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 13: Saints

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/12/14
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Draft, Fans, Four Things, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Time-out on all the handjobs and high fives.

Eagles 24 – Saints 21 

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Jalen Hurts: (17/30 – 56.6% – 167 – 1 – 0)

(S) RB Miles Sanders: (14 – 115 – 8.2 – 2 – 0)

(S) TE Dallas Goedert: (6 – 4 – 43 – 10.7 – 0)

(R ) DE Josh Sweat: (3 – 2.0 – 0 – 1)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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: Saints did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Lose the game: Didn’t happen. Now the Eagles exist in a third place limbo that neither helps their playoff chances, nor Draft position. Needing SERIOUS salary cap relief, this team will need a massive infusion of young contributors, if we’re not trying to make a habit of sitting behind New York and Washington. Both of which are respectively 2 and 1 year ahead of our rebuild effort. The win may have felt good to the fans, but a look at Owner Jeff Lurie’s face, as he sat in the press box with his team ahead in the fourth quarter, will plainly tell you this win was NOT in the plans. (NOT DONE)

2) Don’t bench Hurts: This was only for if he looked shaky out there, and he didn’t. Total freebie. (DONE)

3) Give up 35 points: Nope. The Defense played very well, thanks in part to the Saints starting a QB made of tofu. They insisted on playing into the strength of the Eagles Defense, even after 75% of our starting Secondary was hurt on one play! Our Secondary is trash on a good day, and their RB/TE/KR/FB/H-Back/QB was too dumb all day long, to audible into anything that could have hurt us. Any Eagles fan who sees this team part ways with DT Fletcher Cox, or DE Brandon Graham, will see it as a step back. Especially without the Draft capital to replace such players. (Now are you starting to see how all this fits together?) (NOT DONE)

4) Doug has to look clueless: Don’t look now, but Pederson has just out-coached Sean Payton, with a rookie QB. Calling a plethora of plays that we haven’t seen for 12 games (that 40 yard Slot Drag to WR Jalen Reagor was a poorly executed thing of beauty!), the Saints had no answers, as everything they studied this week had to do with a pocket-based offense. Next week the Cardinals will be trying to keep Hurts from immediately bootlegging right, but this week it took the Saints an entire half to even try to start a containment. (NOT DONE)

Put plainly, the team won the game, but it was a MASSIVE step back for the Front Office. We’ll see what shakes out next week at Arizona. And please don’t get too caught up in the “who starts at QB” thing. We’re 4 – 8 – 1. At this point, that’s window dressing. Look ahead to the BIG picture.

On The Whole:

Allow me to bring up a few points.

Fewer than 200 passing yards, less than a 60% completion rate, one touchdown and one turnover. But the fans are happy?

We didn’t give up a sack, largely because the QB was running from the pocket. Even before pressure. On practically every down. But the fans are happy?

Before you make the Michael Vick comparisons, remember what his hand looks like. Lamar Jackson? Kyler Murray? Cam Newton? Robert Griffin III? Randall Cunningham? All terrifying runners. Not one ring between sixty fingers.

Guys like Russell Wilson, Steve Young (HOF), John Elway (HOF), and Aaron Rodgers all use/used their mobility to buy time to make a throw. Not to outright sprint for sidelines. As a result…they have rings.

Jalen Hurts can run, but we have yet to see him play QB. This game featured him running to a side, and then operating on that side. So before you become enamored with that style of play, scroll back up and take a long look at the two lists I put up. The fans were happy with the win on Sunday. But by the time you read this, it will be Monday.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 11: BROWNS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/11/23
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WE gave this one away.

EAGLES 17 – Browns 22 

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Carson Wentz: (21/35 – 60.0% – 235 – 2 – 2)

(S) RB Miles Sanders: (16 – 66 – 4.1 – 1 – 1)

(S) TE Dallas Goedert: (6 – 5 – 77 – 15.4 – 1)

(S) OLB Alex Singleton: (8 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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: BROWNS did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) The limit is 150: We held the Browns to 137 yards rushing. So technically we hit the mark. However, our Defense wore down, and began to wilt under an attack that saw 34 handoffs in inclement conditions. Compared to just 22 pass attempts. The Browns coach did a masterful job of calling this game. Didn’t he Doug? (DONE)

2) Hand it off 20+ times: The Eagles handed the ball off 21 times this week. So technically we hit this mark too. Of course NINE of those attempts came on one drive. Specifically on the first possession. So, for the remainder of the game, we only handed it off 12 times. Or roughly 4 times per quarter. The rest of the game was put on an unprotected Carson Wentz’s shoulders. This is probably why Miles Sanders attempted to rip a handoff away from Wentz on a critical 3rd and 7. (DONE)

3) Return punts: The Browns punted 5 times. WR Greg Ward returned 2 punts for 8 yards, with his longest return being 10 yards. Do the math. The Offense is getting no support at all this season from Special Teams. Hidden Yardage used to be this team’s middle name. Now we can’t be bothered to try to earn any. (NOT DONE)

4) Go zero to sixty: For the first time in 6 weeks, Wentz completed 60 percent of his passes. Exactly 60 percent. I won’t knock it. He spent the day being beat to shit, the only people catching balls were TE’s, and his coach stopped dialing up runs, on a day that was a rainy mess. (DONE)

The underdogs put together 3 of the 4 things, and made a game of it. Makes you wonder what ONE fewer turnover would have meant. (Or if the Brown’s QB fumbling wasn’t ruled as stopped forward progress.) In any case, next week we get a Seattle team that beat us 17 – 9, TWICE last year. We’ll be heavy underdogs in that one as well.

On The Whole:

Three takeaways from this game. (Get it?! Too soon?)

1) LB Alex Singleton wants a starting job next year. The guy was all over the place today, and did a much better job of getting off blocks than he did a week ago. It’s good to see evolution in at least one guy out there.

2) CB Avonte Maddox is trash. He doesn’t cover, can’t catch tipped balls, and won’t tackle. I don’t understand why the coaches keep starting him. CB has to be THE priority in this next Draft. One in the first, and a tall Nickel in the fourth, if we can swing it.

3) It’s time to move LT Jason Peters to RG. The truth is, Peters will be excellent in the role, and will have people (who have short memories) wondering why we didn’t stick to this move earlier. Sadly, if a move to LG had come a couple years ago, moving him inside wouldn’t feel like a demotion. 

EAGLES ARE BETTER ALREADY

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/11/22
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Draft, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

DO you see? Just like that, the Eagles are already getting better.

NOTE: I wanted to get this one in before we play the Browns today.

I wrote last week in EASILY FIXING THE EAGLES that the team’s issues stemmed from a culture without enough competition built into it. I also wrote a week prior to that, in HOW TO HELP CARSON WENTZ that he is at his best, with a hard-nosed running game, not a finesse one.

So what moves did the Eagles make?

Move The First: We signed RB Jordan Howard to the Practice Squad. For casual Eagles fans there’s a lot in that move that’s easy to miss. For someone like me, it’s all the subtle things that jump out at me. It’s all the “down the line” implications that I’m excited by. It likely won’t impact THIS game, but that’s beside the point.

Howard should have never been cut in the first place. Despite RB Miles Sanders’s obvious talent, he still could benefit from the presence of a veteran RB, to bounce things off of. RB Corey Clement fits the bill, but the Eagles spotty commitment to him, gives his voice less weight when talking to younger players.

With their treatment of Clement and cutting of Howard, the Eagles created a situation where there was no player to mentor Sanders. Thus, he’s still making small mental mistakes, that have huge impacts. Like on his blitz pick-ups, and pass route landmarks. Signing Howard, and letting Sanders see a vet do it, will help with that.

Move El Dos: Elevating RB Elijah Holyfield from the Practice Squad to the Active Roster. The advertisement on Holyfield is that he will be a tough, between the Tackles runner. The film on him says different. It says that once he gets past the line of scrimmage, there’s been too much East-West running in his very short football history. At least for my taste.

That being said, he was young and playing in Carolina. The Panthers had a playbook developed for a WR small RB trying to prove a point. So coming here, may help fix some bad habits that Holyfield may have picked up there.

*****

Those two moves by themselves are solid personnel moves. Add a veteran mentor, who has a skill that you clearly lack. Then elevate a guy from the Practice Squad, so you can get enough tape to evaluate him at season’s end, to determine pressing Draft needs. Solid GM-ing.

Now for the parts that are easy to miss.

Last week the giants made forcing-feeding us the run, look like Bluto force-feeding spinach to Popeye.

Popeye (1980) starring Robin Williams. My Uncle Michael took my brother and I to see this. Then we went to the Zoo. Huge lollipop and punch balloon on a rubber band. Great day.

But how was the Eagles Defense supposed to practice stopping that kind of downhill run game, without selling out to stop it? Practicing against which RB? Sanders? Clement? RB Boston Scott? Holyfield was on the PS, but he isn’t the downhill runner that Howard has proven to be.

There is a role for a short yardage/back-up RB on this team. The elevation of Holyfield and signing of Howard (who mostly still knows the playbook), is a competitive situation. Two players making Practice Squad money, who want real contracts. Real careers. Suddenly the Eagles are going to be practicing better. Do you see?

For a RB to impress in practice, he has to embarrass defensive players. If a defensive player is embarrassed too often, he may lose starts. That means our LB’s and Safeties are officially on notice. If they don’t get it now, they will the first time one of them gets run over by a teammate. Do you see?

I wrote just four days ago that THIS was the way to fix the team, and it is already underway! I doubted that the Eagles could/would do it during the season. Yet here are two subtle moves, that will spur culture change in the team’s practice habits. On both sides of the ball! Practice habits are work habits. They become game habits.

Do you see?

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK10 : GIANTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/11/16
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THIS loss was indefensible.

EAGLES 17 – giants 27 

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Carson Wentz: (21/37 – 56.7 – 208 – 0 – 0)

(S) RB Miles Sanders: (15 – 85 – 5.6 – 0 – 0)

(B) TE Richard Rogers: (5 – 4 – 60 – 15.0 – 0)

(S) DE Derek Barnett: (3 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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 get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Hand the ball off 20+ times: Despite our RB’s combining for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns, with an 8.0 per carry average, we only handed it off 19 times as compared to 37 pass attempts. I can’t put this any plainer than these numbers do. (NOT DONE)

2) Play gap control defense: The defensive line though frequently out-muscled at the point of attack, did a decent job of staying in the their lanes. The problem was when anybody besides LB T.J. Edwards came down to fill. Our LB play today was atrocious. The giants first goal line TD was an absolute microcosm of what is wrong here. The giants RB jumped over the pile, while NO Eagles LB ever left the ground to meet him. That lack of anticipation is why our LB’s are generally just Special Teams refugees who get more defensive snaps than their talent or dedication could ever warrant. (NOT DONE)

3) Spread them out: We did this intermittently, and it allowed all sorts of running room for. What we didn’t do, was push the ball down the field. It seemed more like the coaching staff was trying to work next year’s receiving corp in, as opposed to winning today (DONE)

4) Mix up our coverages: What? No. The Eagles don’t know what that is. Incidentally in my 2020 Season Review: Second Quarter, I mentioned CB Nickell Robey-Coleman being trash, and how I was on the razor’s edge regarding CB Avonte Maddox. He is also trash. While I think both are hampered by this FUCKED UP defensive system, when either man goes to make a play, he’s consistently a day late and dollar short. (NOT DONE)

This week we notched 1 of 4 Four Things, getting us to 12 of 36 on the season. We are missing too many fundamentals to be an effective team.

Next week we get a 6 – 3 Cleveland team that just squeaked by the Texans today. Hey, remember back when could look at the schedule, see the Browns name, and write a “W” next to it, in ink? Ah the days of yore. When we had a President, not a low-rent dictator. Before a third of the nation was on fire, and eating in a restaurant was less risky than sky-diving. I fucking hate this year.

On The Whole:

Unlike Nell here, no one saved the Eagles from having a train run on them. I’m very aware of what that actually means, but based on what we saw today, it would be hard to convince me that that’s not what happened to our Defense vs the giants.

The giants ran for 151 yards on 36 totes today (4.1) for 3 scores, while only attempting 28 passes. They didn’t have to risk a turnover, because we couldn’t make them throw it enough.

Offensively, we looked bland. There was no aggression in the passing game to match the great job we were doing on the ground. That said, it felt largely like the coaching staff was trying to work in the youth, and jump-start the TE position.

There were three bad snaps from C Jason Kelce, and a bit where he and Wentz got their feet tangled during a snap. These things happen to all pivots, but 4 instances in one game?! Sometimes it’s not meant to be your day, and this more than anything else, seems like it was the case for the Birds.

FOUR THINGS: WK 8: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/10/29
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

AFTER beating the giants, we’re looking to keep the win streak alive! Getting to the Cowboys QB, will be key to that this week. Fortunately for us, they don’t exactly specialize in protecting passers. This week, DE Brandon Graham (already on pace for a career year) gets to take the lunch money of the Cowboys rookie RT.

Washington being on their bye week, can’t add a win to challenge for the lead. At least not this week. That means whichever team wins this game, will be the top team in the division come Monday morning.

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 Cowboys :

1) Bait the QB: The Cowboys are starting a third string QB, who was a 7th round draft pick, who transferred from a major university (Pitt), to a lesser one (James Madison) because he couldn’t beat out Nate Peterman for the starting spot. Getting pass rush to him will be a big deal, but showing him coverages that bait him into bad throws, would be even bigger.

2) Run the ball: The Cowboys defense is a bucket with no bottom. It’s incapable of containing anything. The Cowboys rank DEAD LAST vs the run. They even gave up 208 rushing yards last week, despite starting the game in a 5-2 alignment. No, you didn’t read that wrong. They ran a 5-2. In the NFL. In 2020. The Eagles need to hand this ball off 25+ times this week.

3) Shark Tank!: Early in the game, establish the middle of the field as dangerous for Cowboys receivers. Their QB is young, new to the scheme, and lacks a pedigree. The bottom line: There is no deep trust or rapport there yet. If he gets a couple of receivers blown up early, it’ll change how they run routes. It will also lower focus on balls, as receivers try to locate where those footsteps are coming from.

4) Put on a clinic: There is no need to finish this team quickly. They have typically died slow deaths at the hands of opposing run games, and an inability to get their defense off the field. There is no need to re-invent the wheel here. Dallas has laid out the blueprint on how to beat them. All we need to do, is actually follow it.

If we do these Four Things, the final score should be:

PREDICTION: EAGLES 28 – Cowboys 17

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

FOUR THINGS: WK 6: EAGLES – RAVENS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/10/15
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LAST week we walked into the home of a 3 – 0 team, and almost strolled out with the win. Despite the loss, during the game QB Carson Wentz may found a long-term dance partner in WR Travis Fulgham. GOODY!! Because this week, we get to face a Baltimore secondary that comes into this game allowing a 66.7% completion rate.

We’ve fallen to #2 in the NFC East, and our remaining schedule isn’t an easy one. A win this week, would position us for another crack at the division lead. (Depending on what follows on Monday night.) A loss wouldn’t take us out of contention, but losing more ground this week, would make the remainder of the season, a very heavy lift.

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 Ravens:

1) Run the ball: Last week, RB Miles Sanders had a 74 yard TD run and finished the day with 11 carries and just 80 yards. That’s some bullshit. If Head Coach Doug Pederson was trying to lose the game, he absolutely figured out the way to do it. Throwing the ball all the time isn’t allowing our defense to rest. It’s Chess, not Checkers, Doug.

2) Stay disciplined: Set the edges and don’t chase eye-candy. This season we’ve made it apparent that if you get us running laterally, we can’t play defense. So keep the game North/South. Set a tone that not only helps us win this week, but sends the message to future opponents, that we’ve fixed a major weakness.

3) Challenge them vertically, early: They can score and we can’t stop anyone on defense. So we’ll need points to win. Get our players in an aggressive mindset early, and put our opponent on their heels. Attack. Attack. Attack. Attack.

4) Set up the Mark: TE Mark Andrews is the second most targeted option on their team, and the passes are usually short ones. Bait the QB into feeling secure about going to Andrews, and then step in front of the ball. That would of course be a turnover, but even if it isn’t, it’ll make the QB hesitant when delivering the ball.

If we do these Four Things, the final score should be:

PREDICTION: EAGLES 21 – Ravens 17

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 5: Steelers

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/10/12
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Roster, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THE Eagles were out-coached. AGAIN.

Eagles 29 – Steelers 38 

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Carson Wentz: (20/35 – 57.1% – 258 – 2 – 2)

(S) RB Miles Sanders: (11 – 80 – 7.2 – 2 – 0)

(B) WR Travis Fulgham: (13 – 10 – 152 – 15.2 – 1)

(B) DT Javon Hargraves: (1 – 0.5 – 0 – 0)

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for the 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: Pittsburgh did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Jump short routes: Aside from one miss by CB Cre’Von LeBlanc, nobody really tried to do this. Three times, on 3rd down, the Steeler’s QB was able to complete a quick short pass inside and to his right, while Eagles defenders just watched the play happen. He should have never been able to do that twice, let alone three times. Especially without getting his receiver blown up. (NOT DONE)

2) Trim their edges: We didn’t run any RB Screens, but we did make the Out routes come alive today! Fulgham created space, boxed out, and high-pointed the ball, giving Wentz an easy target to go to all day long. WR Greg Ward ran a similar route for his easy 8 yard TD reception. TE Zach Ertz continues to dog it out there. I gave him the benefit of the doubt for 4 weeks, but after watching him let that TE Screen fall incomplete, I have to call him on it. With what he’s putting on tape, no one is giving him George Kittle money. (DONE)

3) Set the edge vs the run: I said that Pittsburgh doesn’t do a lot of WR rushing and coming into this game they hadn’t. Today they took 5 whacks at it, and made us look silly in the process. However, that’s a hard thing to charge to the Defensive Linemen. It’s really something that has to be adjusted for with an alignment that doesn’t pack all the LB’s inside of the DE’s. We took away the interior run game, but our scheme and lack of adjusting it, allowed them options they usually ignore. (NOT DONE)

4) Fight for catches: Right before the Half, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside made a nice 37 yard grab. Other than that, Fulgham didn’t really have to win any contested balls, he found ways to create separation, and give Wentz a clean target. Maybe he can teach his team mates? (NOT DONE)

That gives us a score of 1 of 4 this week (6 of 20 on the year.) Thank goodness we get to face Baltimore next week. NO! You know what? We’ll re-group, get a couple guys back next week, and look at this with fresh eyes.

On The Whole:

We went in shorthanded vs a 3 – 0 team, and made a real game out of it. Silver lining, it looks like Carson Wentz has found a young WR that he trusts. That can only pay dividends going forward. This week Whiteside and WR John Hightower got the start. Next week, if WR’s Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson are still shelved, then expect Fulgham and Hightower to get the nod.

There were several things that annoyed me: The play selection was ass, again. There were just 12 handoffs in this game, 2 called QB runs, and 38 passes called (2 resulted in QB scrambles). That’s 73% pass to 27%run. Why is it okay that our Defensive Coordinator isn’t capable of making adjustments? How is it that we had no answer for a rookie playing in just his 4th pro game?

We got embarrassed by a rookie. And we got out-coached. The Steelers were flat-out smarter than us. Especially our Defense. We ate Jet Sweeps from a team that hardly runs them! We’ve been so bad at defending those, that opponents include them, just to run them against us. And if it wasn’t bad enough that in-game adjustments aren’t being made, week-to-week adjustments aren’t being made either. I feel like the game was never as close as the score.