Nate Sudfeld

All posts tagged Nate Sudfeld

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 17: Some Guys

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/01/05
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

EXPECT zero fallout from this. LOL

Eagles 14 – Meh 20

EAGLES LEADERS:

(S) QB Jalen Hurts: (7/20 – 35.0% – 72 – 0 – 1)

(S) RB Boston Scott: (15 – 65 – 4.3 – 0 – 0)

(R ) WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: (3 – 2 – 40 – 20.0 – 0)

(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: Football Team? did the Eagles get around to doing? Well let’s see:

Yay, 4 – 11 – 1!

1) Lose the damned game!: We did a great job of doing this. Luckily, the giants were counting on us to win, so they could get into the playoffs. So yeah. Yeah. Fuck those guys. (DONE)

2) Evaluate Kelce’s heir: This never happened. C Jason Kelce played the whole game. (NOT DONE)

3) No Razzle-Dazzle: The Eagles ran not one but two WR Option passes. Neither was a big play and both were almost disasters. Then there was that ugly, and incomplete Back-side WR Screen… Silly. Just plain silly. (NOT DONE)

4) The Pocket Hurts: Hurts pocket presence was even worse this week. Yardage notwithstanding, it seems to be getting easier and easier to shut down our passing game, as Hurts fundamentals as a passer, have deteriorated with every subsequent week. Do you know the last time QB Carson Wentz completed just 35% of his passes? The answer is never. Not even as a rookie. (NOT DONE)

On The Whole:

Getting benched for a lesser QB, Hurts.

This whole narrative that the Eagles tanked, because Head Coach Doug Pederson pulled Hurts in the 4th quarter, for third string QB Nate Sudfeld, is ridiculous. True story, nothing in Suds history indicated that he’d look as bad as he did in this game. In fact, last night he threw his first career interception.

Meanwhile, Hurts had most of the game and was horrendous out there. In most cases fans would be SCREAMING to have a QB pulled for looking as bad as he did.

What people around the NFL don’t like about the loss, is that the Eagles profited so handsomely from it. We came into the game slotted 9th in the Draft. We left it slotted in the 6th spot. Normally moving up three slots in the first round of the NFL Draft will cost you your 1st and at least a 2nd rounder.

Instead, we moved up three slots in every round, all for the price of a game that was meaningless to us. And all we had to do was disappoint someone that we already hate (the giants). So we moved up essentially for free! And let’s be real. Isn’t hilarious to be able to talk about a QB controversy that involves Suds but not Wentz?

If tanking was such a bad thing, then where was all this league-wide clamor when the Jags decided to bench QB Gardner Minshew so that they could “Tank for Trevor!” Dead silent on that one right? Dear NFL. Eat my ass, you raging fucking hypocrites.

We had a shitty season, but we ended it like a boss.

DOUG BACKED ME UP.

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/08/23
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, playoffs, poll, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

BACK in June, I said that Nate Sudfeld would be our back-up QB for 2020, and rookie Jalen Hurts wouldn’t challenge for that spot. Actually, to quote myself verbatim, what I said was:

“if Wentz goes down, Sudfeld is our only QB who is well versed in the Offense. If Wentz goes down for the year (knock wood), and we’re already out of the playoff picture, sure, start Hurts. If we’re still in the playoff hunt however, Sudfeld has to be the guy. He has to be.”

Again, I said that back in June. So of course, when Head Coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday that “Nate is our No. 2, and obviously Jalen is still learning”, it felt like Doug put an official stamp on my statement. Yet people still want to have the debate about whether or not Hurts should be our back-up. Fine. Let’s do it.

Let me be clear about this first. I’m counting on QB Carson Wentz starting 14 regular season games, and winning in the playoffs this year. So for me, this is a moot discussion. It’s just an exercise in debate for debate’s sake. BUT, since we are talking about the #2 spot, we have to start the discussion from a point of Wentz being out again. So folks…

The Eagles will be a projected 84 – 87M$ over the salary cap in 2021. That means names like DT Fletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham, TE Zach Ertz, WR Alshon Jeffery, WR DeSean Jackson, and G Brandon Brooks, could all be potential trade candidates to help clear cap space. Not all, but any three or four of them, could be traded for chicken feed, just to get a team to take their contract.

Would you waste what may be their last season, as well as the possible swan songs of G Jason Peters, C Jason Kelce, and DE Vinny Curry, just to develop a kid that will still be Wentz’s back-up in 2021? Or would you rather we try to ride this roster to one more deep playoff run?

While it’s not impossible to win a SB with a rookie QB, it’s also never been done. So if you picked the deep playoff run, then you’re picking Sudfeld. And you’re bullshitting yourself, to tell yourself anything else.

This time next year, we’ll be having a stupid debate over whether Hurts should be the starter. (The local media will see to that.) So obviously I’m sure that Hurts is the #2 next season. Sudfeld’s deal is one year, his body of work is unimpressive, and Hurts has gifts that cannot be ignored. So the handwriting is clearly on the wall, regarding next year’s pecking order.

That being said, do not be surprised to see Sudfeld back in 2021. Most teams have a starter, we could use the depth, and he knows it here. And it’s not like he’ll get a better shake elsewhere. He lacks the resume for that. Especially if Wentz stays healthy and Sudfeld doesn’t play in 2020.

 

 

 

 

KAEPERNICK IN PHILLY?

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/06/19
Posted in: Conversations, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

NFL: Super Bowl XLVII-Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers

HEAD Coach Doug Pederson said the Eagles look at everybody. That said, long-time Free Agent QB Colin Kaepernick definitely falls in the “everybody” category. QB Carson Wentz being backed up by a guy who led a team to the Super Bowl, initially sounds like a good idea. However, given any thought, it’s fraught with problems.

First, if Kaepernick were a back-up, which back up would he be? Second, third, or fourth string?

Fourth string means that Kaepernick steals a roster spot from someone. So he hurts our depth, and may not even play a meaningful down all season long. That’s a bad trade-off, in exchange for twenty weeks of Carson having to answer the same questions repeatedly, about a guy he hardly knows.

carsonwentz_camo

Third string means that rookie QB Jalen Hurts has his development pushed back a year. Hurts is clearly here to be the #2 in 2021, so he needs to be able to get his feet wet in 2020. Kaepernick at #3 means Hurts is pushed to #4 on the depth chart. That almost certainly puts the rookie on the Practice Squad. Which is no place for a second round pick to start his career.

Second string means that QB Nate Sudfeld probably wouldn’t make the 53 man roster. He’s already on a one year deal, with Hurts breathing down his neck like a prison shower scene.

prison shower

Everybody asked Wentz what he felt when Hurts was drafted. Well here is how Sudfeld felt.

However, if Wentz goes down, Sudfeld is our only QB who is well versed in the Offense. If Wentz goes down for the year (knock wood), and we’re already out of the playoff picture, sure, start Hurts. If we’re still in the playoff hunt however, Sudfeld has to be the guy. He has to be.

Kaepernick may be more athletically gifted, but he can’t offer what Sudfeld can, in terms of keeping our playoff hopes afloat. He may be more experienced, but making him the #3, essentially throws away a second round pick. Is he worth not keeping an extra DE, or CB, or WR, if he doesn’t play a down all year?

Liberty Bell (4) - 1.16.12

On one hand, I love the idea of Philadelphia being the place where Kaepernick restarts his career. The idea of him taking a knee in the very city where Free Speech took it’s first breath as a Human right, gives me chills to even write it. The very POWER of the idea is seismic, and it nearly brings tears to my eyes. I want it, I CRAVE it on this city’s resume, because most American cities don’t have the backbone to take the weight of it.

This is the team that took in Micheal Vick when all the other NFL teams, bailed. QB Donovan McNabb vouched for him, and head coach Andy Reid took that recommendation to owner Jeff Lurie. These men believed in each other, and as a result, look at Vick today.

So yeah. Colin Kaepernick redefining how Americans view and accept political expression? I lust for that as part of Philly’s history. However, if it won’t work for the team, there’s no realistic way to expect it would happen. So Kaepernick coming to Philly is going to be a pass. (Get it? A pass?)

NEXT COWBOYS QB: NATE SUDFELD

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/05/22
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Crazy Talk, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals, Roster. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Nate Sudfeld W17 vs Dallas

REMEMBER during the 2020 Draft, Eagles GM Howie Roseman said that he wanted the Eagles to be a “QB factory”. Well the first product to roll off the line may be QB Nate Sudfeld. Regrettably the Eagles only have Sudfeld under contract for 2020, so we won’t get anything for him, but the Dallas Cowboys seem like the most likely 2021 landing spot for him.

Currently Dallas is embroiled in a fruitless standoff with free agent QB Dak Prescott. The Cowboys slapped a 31M$ franchise tag on him, as a counter to his unconfirmed request of over 40M$ per year. The two sides are so far apart, that unless one side caves completely, you can just about bet that Prescott won’t sign the tag, and has already played his last down as a Cowboy.

Writing out a check.

I’m guessing it tops out at about 33 million?

At this rate, this time next year will see Prescott in another jersey, and the Cowboys will be in search of a new franchise QB. Unless they tank in 2020, they likely won’t have a shot at one in the 2021 Draft. So their search might take years. Unless they hit upon another QB like Tony Romo (undrafted free agent), or Prescott (4th rounder).  Right?

Wrong.

Dak-romo-1

Problem with bargain basement QB’s is that they tend to yield bargain basement playoff success. Romo and Prescott have a combined 3 – 6 playoff record. Neither ever made it past the Divisional round while they were a Cowboy. QUICK! Where was Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman selected? Oh that’s right! He was a #1 overall pick in 1989. He also won three Super Bowls.

So don’t expect much from the Cowboys trying to take a shortcut. Bargain basement effort, yields bargain basement returns. Top-shelf is on the top shelf for a reason. Reaching for anything else…is just settling. And unless 3 – 6 is your style, settling ain’t winning. 

Next year the Cowboys will need a QB, and the guy they’re trying to short-change, will have an easier time finding job, than the Cowboys will of finding a new QB. That will leave the Cowboys with options like what’s left of Cam Newton or Phillip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett (not a bad option), Andy Dalton, Mitch Trubisky, Jameis Winston, or Nate Sudfeld. Folks, those are the highlights of the 2021 QB free agent market.

Slim Pickens

But Nate Sudfeld? Why Nate Sudfeld and not those other guys?

If the Cowboys are going to start looking for a franchise QB, they can only go one of two routes: A) Hand the keys to a rookie and roll the dice, or B) Develop a QB, to give him a bonafide chance to succeed. Picking door #1 could yield any result. Door #2 however, is a process. That’s where they would need Nate, specifically.

shadenfreude2

To develop a QB, a team has to do it from a point of stability. So they first need to start out with a QB who they can rely on if the new guy is a dud. So they’d need youth. Not raw youth, because then their older free agents won’t stick around to lose games, thus creating holes that will cost more draft picks. He also can’t be so bad that fans will scream for the young guy, well before he’s ready.

They’ll also need the QB to be relatively inexpensive. This is because getting some of those older FA’s to stay, will mean overpaying them. A young QB needs stability around him. Constant change has wasted plenty of promising QB talent. Right, RG3?

The final ingredient, is a guy that fans will let a team move on from, once that young gun is ready for the job. So while a guy like Brissett may look appealing from the get-go, you don’t want him accidentally growing on your fan base.

USATSI_13545201-e1571795919722-1024x758

Nate Sudfeld was almost cooked up in a lab to be the Cowboys 2021 starter. Not a heavyweight, but not a lightweight. He’s been well-coached, isn’t too expensive, not an injury risk, has prototypical build, strong enough arm, comes from a winning culture, and might bring a wealth of intel about the enemy. Comb that list up there, and you’ll see that no one even comes close.

So why is an Eagles fan so giddy over the thought of Nate going there? Because the Cowboys will almost certainly not opt for developing a QB. Even if they do, the process takes a couple of years. That means barring a miracle after 2020, a division rival is out of the running for a minimum of two years. Longer if they get their gamble wrong.

Oh by the way. Keep in mind that ALL OF THIS is balanced against the ticking of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’s biological clock. So they will feel obligated to rush all of this. And people in a big rush, always do stupid things. Sometimes VERY stupid, costly things. 

Damn. If only we’d signed Nate to a two year deal. 

THERE IS NO CONTROVERSY

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/05/07
Posted in: Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2019ps1 Dillard prtoects Sudfeld.jpg

DRAFTING QB Jalen Hurts won’t lead to controversy on the Eagles team. The national sports media however, has almost nothing to talk or write about, because nothing is happening. Hey, I get it. Unlike me, they get paid to meet deadlines. While I can disappear for days at a time, they have to produce something daily.

Which is why they’re attempting to imply, that there will be disharmony in Philadelphia at the QB position. (I say “attempting to imply”, because to outright say it, they’d have to offer proof, and there isn’t any.) So while you may read a lot of articles about ‘The Controversy!!’, you can just shrug that bullshit off. That is, unless a quote comes from an Eagles player who also gives their name this time.

wentz in pocket.jpg

QB Carson Wentz has an injury history that though often over-stated, cannot be ignored. So there is to be no doubt that Hurts was brought here as the insurance policy for Wentz. That however, is down the line. Hurts is definitely here to be the back-up. Just not in 2020. There are three clear reasons for this:

1) Does anyone remember QB Nate Sudfeld? Sudfeld is your actual #2. He knows the Offense, he knows the players. He may not be spectacular, but when he’s in, you don’t worry.

2) Prior to being drafted, Hurts was said to still need some polishing of his deep ball accuracy, and how often his deliveries are off-schedule. Those are thing that can be fixed with time and experience, but those are two elements he won’t get a ton of any time soon.

3) He will also have an abbreviated Training Camp this year. If Hurts was going to supplant Sudfeld, he’d have to outplay him in camp. There is almost no time to do that. So if Wentz gets hurt while the team still has something to play for, you will see Sudfeld not Hurts, take the field.

So if Hurts is the third stringer, then Wentz is in no danger, thus, ZEE-RO controversy. It’s just math y’all. Don’t be afraid of it.

Nate Sudfeld2.jpg

Granted, if it’s Week 9, the Eagles are 0 – 8, and Wentz gets injured, sure, put the kid in. What’s the worst that could happen? That said, if it’s Week 9, the Eagles are 5 – 3, and Wentz gets hurt, don’t pretend to be surprised when Sudfeld starts Week 10. I told you how it would play out, because it’s obvious to anyone who isn’t trying to manufacture a story.

BTW: There is an upside to all the nonsense. It’s a gift from our rival NFC East fans:

Carson Wentz’s credibility as an NFL QB is never in question. Even from rival fans. So. if they think that Hurts could take the starting spot from Wentz, doesn’t this mean that they see Hurts as a weapon? If Wentz was good enough to win the division 2 of the last 4 years, what do they think Hurts will do? I’m just saying, is all.

Mmm Hmm face

AND NOW FOR SOME MAGIC

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/25
Posted in: Coaching, Conspiracy Corner, Draft, Front Office (F.O.), Offense, Players, Rivals, Roster, Super Bowl, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Roseman and Wentz
HEY Eagles fans, wanna see a magic trick? You know, it’s bad enough that GM Howie Roseman seems to have taken a contract out on his own team. It’s bad enough that we had to watch roster holes go unfilled, or filled with lower ranked players. But worse than all of that, is rival fans making fun of us, for selecting a QB in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

That magic trick, that I mentioned? I’m going to show you how to wipe that smile, right off of our rivals faces.

Ricky Jay the Cups.jpg

They clown us because QB Carson Wentz is “always injured” right? Well isn’t drafting QB Jalen Hurts a solid way of addressing that in a long-term fashion? QB Nate Sudfeld was just signed to a one year deal, meaning that this year Hurts gets to sit, and only do package work. For 2020 that’s likely how it goes, even if Wentz gets injured again.

Odds are that Hurts signs a three year deal in a month or so. Then he barely plays in 2020. He becomes the #2 in 2021, and even if he plays, he likely doesn’t set the world on fire. Year 2022 he enters as the #2 again, and the Eagles get to offer him an extension or trade him.

If he’s traded, we get something we value higher than him. If we re-sign him, it won’t break the bank, and is still inside of Wentz’s cap friendly deal, which runs through 2024. If Hurts is re-signed to a 4 or 5 year deal in 2022, then it gives the Eagles some negotiating leverage with Wentz in 2024. Unless Wentz has earned himself a second ring.

Wentz SB ring

This means, as of today, we’re solid at QB through 2026. Can the Redskins say that? Can the Cowboys? The giants certainly hope that they can. We on the other hand, have an MVP caliber starter with a Super Bowl ring, who’s backed-up by a proven winner.

Granted, we Eagles fans may have wanted something else, but right now at QB, what we have on tap is better quality than some our rival’s top shelf. And if they’re reading this, you can bet that they’re not smiling.

Abracadabra.

BUILDING THE EAGLES ROSTER

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/04/02
Posted in: Conversations, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Roster, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

 

jeff lurie and doug pederson.jpg

WHILE I myself have been critical of General Manager Howie Roseman during the first round of Free Agency, I did remind people (and myself), that it’s still early. There is no need to panic. Also, I have concerns about a number of holes left throughout the entire team. Not just at receiver.

There are a few sportswriters crying about the Eagles not getting QB Carson Wentz any new WR’s. They shook their heads about Roseman saying that the team internally, sees our WR position differently than people do from the outside, and that we have plenty of talent at receiver. I agree with his assessment, having written in support of our current receiving corp, back in early February, as one of my first article in The 12.

2019 Eagles WRs - Good luck trying to sleep

Hey! Remember a year ago when everyone was sure that WR’s Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, and Nelson Agholor were going to torch the NFL? Remember a few months ago when the excuse was that Carson didn’t have Jeffery, Jackson, and Agholor? So wait. Now he’s getting Jeffery and Jackson back, and everyone is bummed about it? Are people really that upset about losing Agholor? Was he the difference maker? Is… Is that what this is?

Are people really upset that we didn’t get WR Stephon Diggs, who publicly threw his QB under a bus a few times? Are we really upset that we didn’t get WR Robby Anderson, a former Jet who’s not always proven to be coachable, and so had no serious suitors besides Carolina? Are we really upset that we didn’t spend 20 million on WR Amari Cooper, who has a well documented history of losing interest during games? In what way has Breshad Perriman proven himself the equal of either of our starters?

FYI: Trading for WR DeAndre Hopkins was do-able, but he wanted a new deal that the Eagles felt was outside of the team’s price range. Maybe something could have been worked out, but the Eagles want to get younger, and if we’re being honest, I’m not sure how Hopkins would have fit in the Audience Of One locker room, anyway.

AO1 carson_wentz .jpg

Make no mistake we have plenty of holes on Offense. Too many in fact, to obsess over any one position.

Depending on who you ask, LT is either solid for the next decade, or we have a bust waiting to be exposed and get our QB killed.

There is no insurance behind our starting RB.

If we don’t add some speed at WR, we’re one injury away from being where we were in Week 3 of 2018, and Week 3 of 2019.

Another veteran QB is an absolute must have. Preferably someone with a little mobility. Maybe signing FA’s Blaine Gabbert or Blake Bortles? A trade for Jacoby Brissette would also be a thing of beauty. (Though he would need his deal stretched out to five years.) Not to fuck over QB Nate Sudfeld, but you saw us last year. You can’t ever have too much talent at QB.

The Draft and the second round of Free Agency still lay ahead of us. Would it have been nice to have a few new, shiny pieces by now? Sure. Like I said, I’ve already said as much. But to whine and say silly shit like “Carson’s being hung out to dry.” That’s alarmist and stupid. Don’t be that fan. And ignore such rantings. 

JOSH McCOWN NEEDS RIGGING

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/08/18
Posted in: Conversations, free agents, Offense, Players, playoffs, Rants, Roster, Super Bowl, The 12. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

kobayashi maru.jpg

WITH the Eagles QB room turning into an infirmary, our Front Office went out and signed QB Josh McCown to a 1year, 2M$ deal, that’s worth up to 5.4M with incentives. Lots of fans seem happy with the signing. To me, he’s the Human version of the Kobayashi Maru, the ill-fated ship in Star Trek II’s ‘No win scenario” simulation. So I flat out don’t like the signing. Let me breakdown why.

First off, this signing only has real impact if QB Carson Wentz gets seriously hurt in the first three or four weeks of the season. If that’s the case then we’re fucked already. Yeah yeah, I know, 2017. I was on here making memes about believing in QB Nick Foles when most of the fan base was doubting him. Remember these:

0-post-Week 15

This was after the giants game

1wc -Nick of Time

0- W17 I believe

That said, 2017 was an anomaly, and 2018 proved it. Back-ups are back-ups for a reason. Don’t let nostalgia get the story twisted.

Speaking of back-ups, I’m hearing that McCown might be ahead of QB Nate Sudfeld on the depth chart, when Sudfeld comes back to active duty. That would be FARCE! McCown will have to be spoon-fed an Offense, that Sudfeld is already steeped in. McCown will have to develop his timing and touch with each receiver, whereas Sudfeld already has that. McCown will have to learn all the blocking protections.

mccown wentz.jpg

Like Pat Ryan and Mark Sanchez, McCown continues a long tradition of Jets who can to the Eagles to secure their place in the Hall Of Fame.

Unless we’re going to scale back the playbook for him. That usually makes a team predictable, no?

Some are touting McCown’s 17 years of NFL experience. However, what he has lots of experience at, is losing. His career mark as a starter is 23 – 53 (.302). No team he has ever started 10 games for, has EVER seen the playoffs. No team he has started even 7 games for, has ever finished with a .500 record. He’s everything you claim to hate about Sam Bradford. (Minus the sleeves.)

So playing McCown is essentially waving a white flag over the season. If it comes down to us leaning on a non-Wentz QB, why not lean on Sudfeld, or a QB like Clayton Thorson, whom we spent a draft pick on? If we’re just going to roll over and play for Draft position, then doesn’t it make more sense to develop our youth, so that the team has leverage in any possible holdout situation, and doesn’t end up where the Dallas Cowboys currently are?

This McCown signing make zero sense. It’d have made more sense to have WR Greg Ward take a few snaps per week at QB. He’s played the position at a high level in college and could be our 4th string/emergency QB. (It would also put us in position to do what I suggested in THE 12.)

Some look at the surface of this signing and they see a 17 year vet, with a name they recognize. They see that as a good thing. I look under the hood of this signing and I see a (well-traveled) 17 year vet, with a name I recognize (as not being good enough to win). There’s no way I can be happy with this.

Unless we can rig the simulation…

WHAT’S REALLY THE MATTER?

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/08/11
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

EVERYTHING matters. If that’s to be believed, then why didn’t our starters play at least a series on Thursday? Don’t hand me injuries. These are football players. They aren’t fine china. They need to be ready and up to speed for opening day, and from what we saw in this first game, at least the depth on this roster looks anything but ready.

2019 kermit madness

The coaching staff having so many players not even warm-up, speaks either to fear of injury, or a casual attitude towards the preseason. Neither is good for programming the mindset of rookie players. It’s hard to teach them that “everything matters” in practice, and with diet, and with study, and with training, when the staff regards some games as not mattering.

Instead, we were served up second stringers given the opportunity to impress, and push for more playing time during the season, (if not a re-order of the depth chart). However, few of those players did anything to catch an eye. There was an appalling lack of urgency and energy on their part. It didn’t really look as it much was at stake for them.

Some players showed up. TE Dallas Goedert made the most of his opportunity, looking downright uncoverable against starting level talent.

2019ps1 Dillard prtoects Sudfeld.jpg

QB Nate Sudfeld looked poised and polished, even after his injury. I was confident about him when I wrote my Pre-Draft Prediction in April, and he’s been everything I said he was. Rookie LT Andre Dillard already has me thinking he should be above OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai on the depth chart at LT. MLB Zach Brown looked like a seasoned pro, and LB L.J. Fort, looked like a roster must-have.

Some players who entered the game as second stringers, may have hurt their cases to make the final roster. DE Josh Sweat has yet to make his presence consistently felt. He seems incapable of stringing two good downs, back to back. LB Nate Gerry simply doesn’t the instincts for LB. The coaches want to see him as a fast, athletic LB; but really he’s a slow S, playing about 15 to 20 pounds too heavy. OL Matt Pryor is a guy I’ve been pulling for, but his mental errors are drive killers. Being a penalty magnet will have officials paying him more attention, and that alone could be enough to keep him off a roster. The fumble by RB Josh Adams held open the door for unremarkable RB Wendell Smallwood.

2019ps1 Marken Michel 75y TD.JPG

Many people would include WR Marken Michel as a standout, but his 75 yard TD catch was just one catch, on one attempt, of a 50-50 ball. A larger sample size is needed. Conversely, SS Johnathan Cyprien blew an assignment and helped give up a TD pass. That’s from a relatively small sample of downs, from a player who just got here, with a year’s worth of rust to knock off.

As a fan I’m hoping that the Eagles pick it up, and look sharper in this next preseason game. I have my doubts about that however. RT Lane Johnson has already been shutdown for the remainder of the preseason, due to a knee issue that he’d play through during the season. Thus, he will not log a single down before he sees Redskin OLB Ryan Kerrigan, Week One. (Pretty cool, right Carson?)

There is no push from behind and no pull from ahead, so far. If the Eagles don’t start treating things like they truly matter, the derailment of this 2019-2020 season will be an inside job. That’s the everything. That’s what we have to understand. After that, nothing else matters.

Metallica Nothing Else Matters

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED – WK PS1 – TITANS

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/08/09
Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Rants, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

IF you hadn’t already heard, QB Nate Sudfeld has a non-season ending broken left wrist. QB Cody Kessler is your back-up. I’m looking for my whelm, but it’s under something right now.

Until last night I didn’t know that you could waste a meaningless game, but the Eagles sure as hell learned me “reeeal gewwwd”. I expected more urgency and purpose from our coaching staff. Silly me.

Eagles 10 – Titans 27 

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Mumble mumble mumble. Bitch bitch bitch. Grumble rant weep string of profanities.

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

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

1) Starters need to play a quarter: NOPE! Didn’t even dress. (NOT DONE)

2) Go deep to DJax: Again, didn’t dress, and even the sideline interview was shallow. (NOT DONE)

3) Look good running the ball: Let’s see… 16 handoffs, for 36 yards. That’s (carry the 12…) 2.25 per tote. You read that right. That’s not a typo. It was two and a motherfucking point two-five yards per carry! RB Jordan Howard (3 – 8 – 2.7 – 0 – 0) didn’t do much to signal that our run game has turned the corner. Then again, neither did anyone else. Isn’t that right, Josh “Do you want fries with that?” Adams? (NOT DONE)

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4) Testing LB depth: LB Zach Brown was stout against the run and didn’t invite any passes thrown his way in coverage. That made me happy. I thought that LB L.J. Fort looked very good out there. Especially in coverage. LB Nate Gerry overran his run fit on one play, and gave up a long run up the middle. It was shades of the 90 yard run that he surrendered to Redskins RB Adrian Peterson last season. The middle is probably the wrong spot for Gerry. S Johnathan Cyprien looked good when acting as a LB, but missed his deep S assignment, and helped give up a touchdown that at first looked like it was on Fort. The Eagles need to clearly define Cyprien’s role. (DONE)

So that brings us a Four Things score of 1 out of 4. In a lot of ways this was a wasted week, because any questions you had about the starters are still unanswered. Questions about the back-ups? Still unanswered. Maybe we’ll get some of those answers next week when we go visit QB Nick Foles down at his new digs in Jacksonville. QB Carson Wentz (if he dresses) vs Nick Foles. Should be a hot one!

On The Whole:

The thing about playing back-up exclusively in Preseason Game 4 is that there is no next game, and cutdowns are right on the back of that. There is real pressure to be had in that situation. Players reveal themselves in those moments.

Playing back-ups exclusively in the first game, takes the pressure is off, because they know they get a second audition in PsG 4. Did you see a sense of urgency out there last night? I know I sure didn’t.

I’m not trying to ruin anyone’s enthusiasm, but if the theme of this year is that everything matters, then this game should have looked as if the coaching staff took it seriously.

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There were some positives however. LT Andre Dillard looked flat out amazing for a a rookie, in his NFL debut. He was poised and cagey, despite not being physically overwhelming. DE Shareef Miller could end up as the 5th end in the rotation. He did a good job of setting the edge, and pressing the action upfield. His hand-fighting still needs work, though.