Offense

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2023 EAGLES

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/04/26

Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Draft, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, report, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams, stats, Super Bowl. Tagged: 2023, Bottom Line, Defense, Eagles, Howie Roseman, In A Nutshell, NFC East, Offense, Philadelphia, Pre-Draft Preview. Leave a comment

LAST year your Eagles finished 14 – 3 overall, 4 – 2 against the division, first place in the NFC East, Top Seed in the Conference, and lost the Super Bowl by a field goal. As is the case with successful teams, free agency has plucked a few feathers from the roster, but General Manager Howie Roseman has contained that spill. We’ve also had some coaching defections, but those may not prove as painful as the national media likes to think.

But enough chin wagging! Let’s look at how the Eagles 2023 roster looks 24 hours or so, before the NFL Draft.

OFFENSE

QB: Jalen Hurts is the class of this division, but that doesn’t mean he still doesn’t have a ton to prove. For many he answered the question of “Can he be a Franchise QB?”, by his play in 2022, and taking the Eagles to the Super Bowl. If one near MVP season, and a Super Bowl were enough, Carson Wentz would get more love than he does from this fan base. Fair being fair, Hurts has to have more than one great year, before we’re using the term “elite”.

Still, Hurts is the best in this division. His arm strength and accuracy are on par with Prescott, but Hurts forces fewer throws into underneath coverage. He’s also more mobile, and practically unstoppable with the QB Sneak (that several teams sought to outlaw). The measure failed, and now teams are pouting and vowing to imitate what they just sought to eliminate. It truly is an Eddie Murphy/Dexter St. Jacques moment, for Hurts. (Check it out. And you’re welcome.)

That said, in two seasons as the starter, Hurts has missed games in both, just as a natural consequence of how the coaching staff uses him. So it’s imperative to get the right back-up. Which is where Marcus Mariota comes in. He’s a better scheme fit than Gardner Minshew was last season, as mobility is part of Mariota’s game.

With Mariota as the back-up, it means the RPO threat never leaves the field. This is a point that the Eagles silently hammered home, by adding Ian Book as the third stringer. (Seriously, YouTube some video of this kid in college. The Eagles scouting department seriously deserves some sort of award. (+)

RB: Gone are the 1,200 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns of Miles Sanders. Taking up the mantle (so far) is Kenneth Gainwell. He’s fine as a utility player, but he doesn’t break tackles, run creatively, or have “take it to the house” type speed. In fact, in 225 touches (regular and postseason), he has exactly one play for 30 yards or more. Behind him is utility player Boston Scott, who is a great utility player, but who lacks the same traits that Gainwell lacks.

Injury-prone Rashaad Penny signed an heavily incentivized contract, in what is likely a last ditch attempt to have a career. When Penny is healthy, he’s explosive and powerful. He’s a physical runner who can also accelerate away from defenders; but out of the 82 games he’s been under contract for, he’s only suited up for 42 of them, with just 11 starts.

Last, and probably still least, is Trey Sermon. Sermon logged 2 carries last year for 19 yards (9.5 ypc.) so of course the logical place for him was wasting away on the Practice Squad last year. There are no clear answers here, besides the back-by-committee approach, which telegraphs an offense’s intent. (-)

WR:

At 230 pounds, A.J. Brown is the size of an elephant and runs like a deer. He caught for 1,496 yards and 11 scores, often seeming to do so at will, from anywhere, regardless of who was how close to his body. (Like in this picture.) Oh yeah! And his best friend in the world, just so happens to be his QB. And last year was their first season on the same team. And now they get to refine their connection.

If that sounds like a nightmare, consider this: If you try to double Brown, you’re just leaving room for DeVonta Smith, who is Brown’s polar opposite. Smith is a precise route runner, who capitalizes on the holes that secondaries leave when trying to contain an explosive athlete like Brown. Smith also has the more reliable hands of the two, and his grabs quietly eat up clock.

If Brown is an uppercut from Mike Tyson; then Smith is a chloroformed rag in a gloved hand, from your backseat, in a deserted parking lot. Either way, you’re going to sleeeep. Quickly. The only time that one of these guys doesn’t terrorize a secondary, is when both of them are doing it.

The fall-off after that is steep. Quez Watkins is blazingly fast, but his hands are so very suspect. He literally handed two turnovers to Dallas last year, during a 34 – 40 loss (and he’s mad that we’re still mad about that). Like Watkins, Devon Allen also sports 4.3 speed, but spent 2022 on the Practice Squad. Former Falcon Olamide Zaccheaus was just signed and he also has the speed to make house calls.

Britain Covey spent 2022 being a very lackluster return man, and may not see final cuts this season. Tyrie Cleveland was added to the roster from Denver, and it remains to be seen why Philadelphia did so. Unless it has to do with his college career, where he showed he could make a living, deep down the middle, as a 6’2 target with really good (not great) 4.46 speed.

Interestingly, Greg Ward is still on the Eagles roster. Ward is a decent, not great receiver, but he’s an awesome utility player. In just 40 games played, he’s caught 10 TD’s, and has some PR experience. He’s works well in the red zone; and having been a running QB in college, innately gets where he needs to be on a scramble drill. Lot of unusual tools in that box, and he’s only 28. Which may be why Zach Pascal was (surprisingly), allowed to walk. (+)

TE: Dallas Goedert is the best player at this position in the division. He is both a very good receiver, and a solid blocker. Last year he posted 702 yards and a catch rate of 79.7 percent. He did however, miss 5 games. The best ability is availability, and Goedert hasn’t played a complete season since 2018.

Jack Stoll is virtually an offensive lineman. He doesn’t have the size at just 247 pounds, but the Eagles potent run game wouldn’t be the same without him. Stoll won’t scare anyone as a receiver, but he catches what he’s thrown (78.6%). Third on the list is Grant Calcaterra. Same dimensions as Stoll, but polar opposite as a player. Catches well, but his blocking needs work.

Fact is, the Eagles need to address the lack of depth here. Goedert misses time. Period. The team needs a contingency plan for when (not if), that happens again. (+)

OT: Last year only six QB’s were sacked more than Jalen Hurts. Given that he missed two games, that’s an even more alarming stat. Of the 38 sacks allowed, LT Jordan Mialata surrendered 6.5 of them. He’s a mauling run blocker, but keeping the QB upright is the most important part of a LT’s job.

For the second season in a row, RT Lane Johnson didn’t allow a sack, and drew just three flags all season. Offensive linemen don’t get credit for yards gained, but Johnson is the best at not costing his team yards. There will a bust of him Canton, Ohio someday.

Jack Driscoll can play everywhere on the line, except the pivot. He’s filled in ably in Lane’s absence, but is ultimately better kicked inside, because he has clear issues with speed on the edge. Roderick Johnson and Fred Johnson are also on the roster. (+)

G: While LG Landon Dickerson only surrendered half a sack last year, he was penalized 13 times for 89 yards. That’s enough yardage to wipe out a touchdown drive. He has to improve in that department. On the other hand, the guy is a flat-out mauler both in pass protection and especially when blocking for the run.

Sua Opeta has been a spot starter and has done some mop-up duty as an Eagle, but now he may have the inside track on the starting gig vacated by Isaac Seumalo. Tyrese Robinson is the third player at this position. The playing is strong, but there isn’t a clear second starter. (-)

C: Future Hall Of Famer Jason Kelce returns for another run at the Lombardi. Behind him is a successor that the Eagles drafted, with Kelce’s help in scouting. That successor is Cam “Beef” Jurgens. With Kelce’s retirement being perhaps 17 games away, the Eagles want to get Jurgens feet wet soon, so there’s talk of playing him at Guard in 2023. Cameron Tom is a decent insurance policy. (+)

In A Nutshell: This Offense has no holes, but it does have cracks in the foundation. With the RB’s currently on the roster, the run game won’t scare anyone, but it’ll be functional. As long as it is, the play-action, and RPO stuff, still makes this one of the most explosive teams in the entire league. (+)

DEFENSE

DE: Josh Sweat notched a career-high 11 of the Eagles 70 sacks, returned an interception for a touchdown, and led the team with 15 tackles for loss. Brandon Graham at the age of 34, came back from an Achilles tendon tear, to post a career-high 11 sacks, despite only starting one game. Tarron Jackson and Matt Leo are also on the roster. Expect the Eagles to address this position early in the Draft. (+)

DT: Fletcher Cox started every game and turned in his best season since 2018, posting 43 tackles, 7 for losses, and 7 sacks. He returns at age 32 in what may be his final as an Eagle, largely to be a mentor. Jordan Davis blew no one away with his rookie stats (18 tackles, 1 for loss). This season more will expected as he’s no longer behind Javon Hargrave.

Milton Williams is more of a situational player, who despite not starting, posted 36 tackles with 9 for losses, as well as 4 sacks, He can also be moved to End. Marvin Wilson and Kentavius Street are more penetrators than run pluggers. It looks as if these reserves are built with an eye towards pass rush, with little concern for trench warfare. (+)

OLB: Haason Reddick posted 49 tackles (11 TFL) and led the team with a career-high 16 sacks. Nicholas Morrow comes over from the Bears, presumably to fill the coverage role vacated by Kyzir White. Patrick Johnson splits his time between here and at DE. He influences lots of plays, but seldom makes one.

Kyron Johnson and Davion Taylor may not make it to final cuts this season. Taylor was drafted as a project, but the Eagles haven’t put the time in. They might be about to lose a gem. (+)

MLB/ILB: With the departure of T.J.Edwards, Nakobe Dean will become the eye of the storm, in Philadelphia. More instinctual and a better athlete than Edwards, this move is expected to be an upgrade. That however, hasn’t been seen yet. Shaun Bradley and Christian Elliss are the reserves, but since Edwards rarely missed a down, they don’t have a ton of experience. (-)

Undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship was forced into 4 starts last year, and played better than anyone had a right to expect. He’s probably going to have to compete for a starting job in 2023, but his competition won’t have an easy contest. He has more aggression than the departed Marcus Epps, and brings his arms to his tackles.

When the Eagles decided not to overpay Chauncey Gardner, they opted to bring in Terrell Edmunds. Edmunds is an in the box thumper, but his coverage is better than decent. So he’s an excellent pick-up, and possibly an upgrade over last year. K’Von Wallace and Justin Evans are on the roster for now, but the Draft is in a couple of days. So we’ll see. (+)

CB: Darius Slay turned in 14 passes defensed and 3 interceptions. His 58% completion rate was a little high, but not alarming. On the other side is James Bradberry with 17 passes defensed, and 3 picks with a 57% completion rate, in 2022. There are no free or easy meals throwing against these guys.

Avonte Maddox is a capable Nickel, but he’s missing more and more time with injuries. You have to wonder if this is why the Eagles added Greedy Williams. Williams was a second round flame-out in Cleveland. But c’mon, it was Cleveland. So the Eagles are willing to take a flier on him.

Josiah Scott had a rough 2022. He had 2 interceptions, but he also allowed 68.8% completion rate. Zech MacPhearson is a fourth rounder who acquits himself nicely, but the bench holds a strong grip on those without Draft pedigree. Josh Jobe and Mario Goodrich are longshots to make a deep roster. (+)

In A Nutshell: Every defensive lineman on this team can be described as ‘disruptive’. Every. Single. One. Point to the other team in the NFL that can say that. This unit poisons offenses at the root, by destroying blocking concepts. If you can’t block, you can’t play. Anyone expecting the Eagles Defense to take a major step back, because of a couple free agent defections, can’t see the forest because of the trees. (+)

SPECIAL TEAMS

K/P: Kicker Jake Elliott didn’t attempt many Field Goals in 2022. He was 20/23 (87%) 6/8 from 40+, and 51/53 (95.4%) on extra points. Yes. 53 attempts. The Eagles were a scoring machine. Those 53 attempted XP’s, doesn’t mention how often they went for two. Elliott had a career-high 63 touchbacks on 91 kickoffs (69.2%). (+)

Arryn Siposs was a sore spot lat year. A punt is the first play on defense. It sets the Defense up with a good or a bad situation. So his 45.6 yard per punt average and his 39.6 yard net, are just too far apart. Additionally, 20 of his 44 boots (45.4%) were returned for an 8.0 yard average. All of that needs to change. (-)

In A Nutshell: Elliott isn’t needed much, but when he is, he’s a great bet. I wouldn’t call him a sure thing and risk a paycheck on him! But I could wager a pineapple without batting an eye. Our punting game however, didn’t do much to help this team in 2022. This unit is more good than bad, but when it’s bad, it’s fish rotting in a nightstand bad. (+)

BOTTOM LINE: Eagles fans are told not to expect 14 – 3 again. Fine. Keep it. Especially with 15 – 2, 16 – 1, and 17 – 0 still out there. Realistically, as it stands, this is probably an 11 or 12 win team. This team can score with ANYBODY, while making it harder to score for everybody. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to this roster in the next 48 hours.

2023 Cowboys

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/04/25

Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Draft, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: 2023, Bottom Line, Dallas Cowboys, Defense, Eagles, In A Nutshell, NFC East, Offense, Philadelphia, Pre-Draft Preview. Leave a comment

LAST year the Cowboys went 12 – 5 overall, and 4 – 2 against the division, to finish second in the NFC East. They utterly rolled over the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, but then vs San Francisco, couldn’t get the engine of their offense to “turnover”. It would also mark the last game as a Cowboy, for C Ezekiel Elliott. In the aftermath, head coach Mike McCarthy, fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and took over the O.C. job, himself.

For the first time in a long time, there’s real interest, not just hype, about the Cowboys. People, and Cowboys fans, are curious about what happens next. So lets take a gander at the 2023 Pre-Draft Cowboys.

OFFENSE

QB: People will keep mentioning that Dak Prescott led the NFL with 15 interceptions in just twelve games, last year. Ignore it. It’s an overblown stat. John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Warren Moon, Peyton Manning, have all surpassed 15 picks PLENTY of times. Vinny Testaverde played 20 years, and one year he threw 35 picks vs 13 TD’s. What matters isn’t how many picks you throw, but when you throw them. Like Prescott’s game winner vs Jacksonville.

Prescott has never been a great passer, but his delivery skills (read + velocity + accuracy) are still (as a combination) better than most. Add to that, his comfort in his system, and it only magnifies his ability to be effective. He is not a top 10 passer and he’s no longer dynamic, but he’s very experienced and still in his prime. It would be a mistake to underestimate him.

Preseason Hall of Famer, Cooper Rush led the team to a 5 and oh wait… 4 – 1 record last year during Prescott’s absence. Be it his completion percentage of 58, or his 5 TD’s vs 3 picks, the Cowboys organization brought him back for two more years. Will Grier has 52 career attempts and 4 interceptions vs no scores. Not a sexy group, but solid. (+)

RB: Gone is Ezekiel Elliott. Currently the head of the Cowboys running attack is Tony Pollard. Pollard, who’s game is speed and explosiveness, is not yet healed from a broken ankle suffered in the playoffs, and the subsequent Tightrope surgery that followed it.

Hedging their bets, just in case Pollard isn’t himself, Ronald Jones was added to the team. Jones is a decent player who can get production if he sees touches, but he’s not special. Rounding out the list is Malik Davis, yet another 6 foot, 205-ish pound RB.

With the way that Dallas historically likes to use this position (heavy use, between the Tackles, just a handful of plays designed), this team is either about to go in a new direction, or find out they’re incompetent on offense. (-)

WR:

At first glance the Cowboys situation seems great here. Then you realize that last year’s number two and three receivers are no longer on the roster, and number four is a RB rehabbing a broken ankle. Did I mention that number two was a TE?

Leading off is Ceedee Lamb, who had a career year, but he did most of his damage from the slot. This calls up a question that’s been dogging Lamb for three years: Is he truly a number one, or is he just Robin in Batman’s costume? Brandin Cooks was signed to add a legit deep threat, but it remains to be seen how well he’ll fit into a run-heavy system, where he’ll be asked to play heavy downs, despite not being the first option even on passing downs.

Signing Cooks wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence for Michael Gallup, who sports a catch percentage that has never seen 60 in any of his five years. However, he carries a 19M$ dead money hit for 2023, so he will be on the roster this year. KaVontae Turpin is a 153 pound returner who wants to be featured more as a receiver. Thus far he’s only been thrown two passes, catching one for 9 yards. Jalen Tolbert is also on the roster.

There’s plenty of talent here. The question is, in a run-heavy system, can it be blended in a way that keeps egos form becoming corrosive. (+)

TE: Jake Ferguson is the top of the food chain in Dallas now. His rookie numbers (19 – 174 – 9.2 – 2) notwithstanding, the organization seems to believe in him. That seems odd given the team’s stated re-emphasis on the run, and Ferguson being far from a “mix it up” type player. But, oh well!

Peyton Hendershot received an awful lot of press for a guy who’s entire 17 game stat line, was (11 – 103 – 9.4 – 2). Sean McKeon is the third stringer here. These guys are neither scary targets, nor great blockers. It’s hard to believe that this team won’t use a Day One or Two Draft pick on this position. (-)

OT: The Cowboys are going all-in on LT Tyler Smith. This means that Tyron Smith is likely staying at RT. How many snaps he takes there is another question. Over the last three seasons, Tyron has played in just 17 regular season games, missing 33 of a possible 50.

Ready to fill-in is Terence Steele who had 13 starts last year and only surrendered 1 sack. There’s also Josh Ball 41 snaps worth of pro experience; 26 of which came in a 27 – 23 win over the Texans. There are two more warm bodies as well. (+)

G: Future Hall Of Famer Zack Martin anchors the right side. As for the left, after losing Conner McGovern to Buffalo, the Cowboys currently have Matt Farniok who started 2 games last year and didn’t embarrass himself; and Chuma Edoga, who was a back-up when he was a Falcon. (-)

C: Tyler Biadasz is not particularly quick, or strong. Sohe’s a hard place for an offensive attack to hang its hat. But it’s either him or Brock Hoffman, who has yet to play an NFL snap, on offense. (-)

In A Nutshell: The head coach has revamped the offensive system to be run-heavy, despite most of his talent being at WR, not RB. Their offensive line is fully functional, but shaky in a couple of spots (C, LG). If the run game can get going, then the rest of the offense will stabilize. That said, any form of setback for Pollard probably dooms this unit. (+)

DEFENSE

DE: DeMarcus Lawrence started every game for the first time since 2019, and produced a career-high 65 tackles, on a Top Five defensive unit. On the other end of the line, Dorance Armstrong was second on the team with 8.5 sacks. So the Cowboys are fine here.

Used as a situational player Dante Fowler contributed 6 sacks, which was a lot of bang for the Cowboys buck. Rookie Sam Williams notched 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and basically seemed to live in opposing backfields with 10 tackles for loss. Chauncey Golston rounds out the quintet, as a third rounder with so much talent ahead of him, that he barely sees snaps. (+)

DT: Osa Odighizuwa is an active and disruptive to blocking schemes against the pass. However, as a combination of his body type and play style, he can become an outright liability vs the run. He posted 43 tackles and 4 sacks last year, in 17 starts. He’s Robin in a Batman costume. Expect the Cowboys to get him some help.

Johnathan Hankins was added last year via trade with the Raiders, to beef up the run defense. That mission was a success, but Hankins comes with a few pronounced limitations, such as change of direction and motor. He produced 20 tackles last year, with just 1 being for a loss. Both were career-lows.

Quinton Bohanna began last season as the starter, but then lost his spot after nine games. After 27 games with 10 starts, he’s amassed just 29 tackles, with 1 for a loss. At 6’4, 360 pounds, he’s probably too bulky to produce in the NFL. While he can eat space, he can also be run away from too easily. Neville Gallimore is disruptive, but he’s just a rotational player. (-)

Former Eagle Brian Westbrook and Micah Parsons

OLB: Micah Parsons started every game, and posted 65 tackles (13 TFL) and a team leading 13.5 sacks. Teams seemed to figure out how to neutralize him, by forcing him to cover more. Dallas also added I.R. resident Takkarist McKinley, possibly to beef up their pass rush. (+)

MLB/ILB: Leighton Vander Esch was re-signed, much to the surprise of pretty much everyone. In 14 starts he posted 90 tackles (4 TFL) and 1 sack. He no longer has to be respected in pass coverage, and never offered much as a pass rusher. Damone Clark was a fifth rounder who found himself starting 5 games. Nothing impressive, but he at least picked up experience. (+)

S: There are eight players at this position. I will only be mentioning four. Donovan Wilson had 101 tackles (7 TFL), and 5 sacks, playing more like an extra ‘backer than a DB. Jayron Kearse (77 tackles, (7 TFL), 2 sacks) also spent a lot of time around the line of scrimmage. This made the Cowboys faster vs underneath passes, but left them too small against the run.

Malik Hooker only had 6 starts last year, but he played 81% of the Cowboys defensive snaps. He turned in career-highs in tackles (62) tackles for losses (2) and tied his career best with 3 interceptions. Israel Mukuamu had 3 starts last year but didn’t do anything remarkable with them. The Cowboys have the deepest group in the division. (+)

CB:

Trevon Diggs gets emotional at A.J. Brown, after Devonta Smith scores

For most players, 14 passes defensed and 3 interceptions would be a great year. For Trevon Diggs it meant coming back down to Earth. In a bid to not give opposing offenses an easy side to throw to, Dallas traded for Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore isn’t the ballhawk that Diggs is, but his technique is much more solid. Diggs gave up a 64% completion rate last year. Gilmore won’t be so generous.

DaRon Bland provided some spicy play, picking off 5 passes last season. That Nickel spot is unquestionably his this year. Kelvin Joseph is a former second round pick who is languishing on the bench. Jourdan Lewis has a knack for finding the ball and the QB, when he’s not on the bench. Nashon Wright cuts an odd picture for this position being 6’4, but the kid can play. (+)

In A Nutshell: The Cowboys have an extremely scary secondary, with just enough pass rush to help that secondary. Their predilection for speed however, motivates them to use smaller players, which sets them up for getting pushed around vs the run. It’s a “shock and awe” unit, that doesn’t do well in a fist-fight, or low scoring games. Luckily for the Cowboys, most teams are becoming less invested in running the ball, and therefore less adept at the things needed to achieve easy victories over this unit. (+)

SPECIAL TEAMS

K/P: Tristan Vizcaino is the only Kicker on the Cowboys roster. In his three year career he’s been on four teams, with a career mark of 11/12 (91.6%) and no kicks from 50+. (-)

Bryan Anger is the Punter. He’s got a 48.4 yard average with a 42.8 yard net. Both are best in the NFC East. He even launched an 83 yarder in 2022. On the other hand, of his 68 kicks, returners felt froggy enough to return 32 of them, for an average of 8.0. (+)

In A Nutshell: Expect the Cowboys field goal kicking to be spotty again this year. With the way they spend money at other positions, there isn’t much left to allocate to Kicker. The P has a big leg and does a good job of setting the defense up favorably. (+)

BOTTOM LINE:

This is a team that needs 20 points or more, to win games. In fact, this team hasn’t won a game where they scored fewer than 20 points, since November of 2018. They’re at four years and counting with that.

That puts all the pressure on RB Tony Pollard, to carry the run-heavy offense. If it works, things will be fine in Dallas. If it doesn’t, elements in that locker room will want coach McCarthy to switch his philosophy back to something they’re more comfortable with.

2023 giants

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/04/24

Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Draft, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: 2023, Bottom Line, Defense, Eagles, In A Nutshell, New York Giants, NFC East, Offense, Philadelphia, Pre-Draft Preview. Leave a comment

LAST year the giants finished 9 – 7 – 1 overall, 1 – 4 – 1 against the division, and third place in the NFC East. The East ran through the NFL like an Ex-Lax smoothie, and sent three teams to the playoffs. The giants won their Wild Card match-up against the Vikings, before being obliterated by the Eagles in the Divisional round. Still, it has left giants fans with hope for 2023.

So then let’s take a look at the 2023 Pre-Draft giants, to see if they are indeed, poised to take that next step.

OFFENSE

QB: Forget Daniel Jones’s jersey, I want his ski mask! This guy in four seasons has thrown all of 60 touchdowns (15 per year), and had the unmitigated gall to ask for 40M per year. And he got it! What happened was the giants organization fell in love with his 708 rushing yards last year, and they have visions of what he can be with better weapons. Also, he’s coming off of a season where he went 9 – 6 – 1. It’s his first winning record in four tries. And they actually paid him! Backing up Jones, is competent journeyman Tyrod Taylor. (-)

RB: With Saquon Barkley having not signing his franchise tag yet, he’s technically not on the active roster. So if a game had to be played today, the starter would be, back-up Matt Breida. Breida seems to have left his explosiveness back in 2019, and at 195 pounds, isn’t built to carry the load. Behind him is Gary Brightwell, an unremarkable, 6^th round pick from 2016. Last and certainly least on the list, is undrafted Jashaun Corbin, who didn’t log a touch in 2022.

Even with Barkley, this is a thin group. Without him, the load for winning games shifts entirely only the QB. This may be why Barkley hasn’t signed, given how he has to grovel for a long-term deal, while the QB that he carried, has been handsomely rewarded for Barkley’s hard work. Stay tuned! (-)

WR: Losing Richie James to the Chiefs has to hurt, especially after the way the Kadarius Toney trade turned out. Darius Slayton is a wildly inconsistent deep threat, who can disappear for weeks at a time. Even when he starts. Sterling Sheppard is a shell of himself, and can’t stay on the field. He’s played just 10 games in two years.

Isaiah Hodgins walked off the Bills waiver list midseason, and into 8 starts for the giants, as well as tying for team lead with 4 TD catches. (You can read that as either good or bad.) However, as a 6’4, 24 year old, the giants are more than willing to gamble on his upside.

Wan’Dale Robinson was a second round pick, who went down with an ACL tear during a less than promising rookie campaign. Brought in to bolster their depleted receiving corps, was Parris Campbell. Campbell defected from Indianapolis in order to upgrade the quality of QB that he plays with, and finally jump-start his career. (You want to tell him? I don’t have the heart to tell him.)

Jaydon Mickens comes over from Tampa, and Jeff Smith from the Jets. Both represent the bottom of those teams depth charts. A forty million dollar passer and no weapons? This has to be where their first pick goes. (-)

TE: On the surface, trading for Darren Waller looks like a power move for the giants. They only gave up a third rounder in exchange for one of the NFL’s most dangerous players at this position. On the surface it looks like they outright fleeced the Raiders. That being said, the player being described here, hasn’t actually been seen since 2020.

Since 2021, Waller’s career has been a mish-mash of missed games, and games where he’s flat out been invisible. And then there’s the injury history. Five injuries to his right leg. A recurring ankle injury in 2021; a knee strain in 2021; and most alarmingly two Grade 2 hamstring strains (tears) in 2022. Keep in mind, a Grade 2 strain to that same thigh, shut down his 2015 season.

Waller being traded doesn’t come from out of the blue. The Raiders nearly traded him to the Dolphins last year. So they’ve been looking to unload him. Makes me wonder if they know something about his long-term injury risk, that they aren’t letting on about. Or maybe given his drug history, they felt antsy about how he was coping with the move to Las Vegas from Oakland, where they transformed a 6^th round nobody, into a Pro Bowl player. (Look it up)

Aside from Waller, the giants still have their top two from last year in Daniel Bellinger and Lawrence Cager. Bellinger caught 30 passes for 268 yards, and is more like an extra lineman than a receiver. Conversely at 220 pounds, Cager is more of a slow WR. Something had to happen here. The question now is: Did it actually happen? (-)

OT: LT Andrew Thomas has turned his career around. As a rookie he was a turnstile, just utter trash, giving up 10 sacks that year. Last year, that number was more like 3. So he’s gone from being the anchor on the line, to being the anchor of the line.

Speaking of being a trash rookie, RT Evan Neal gave up 7 sacks last year, and that doesn’t begin to describe or define his struggles. This offseason they’re working with him to change his stance and his kick-step, but with him being 6’7 and 360 pounds, physics will only let coaching change him so much. Much of a lineman’s footwork has to be in-born. It takes talent. You can’t just teach any big man to play offensive line, and re-programming only goes so far.

Matt Peart has been an absolute disappointment, but he’s depth, he was a third round pick, knows the system, and is still on his rookie deal. So he’ll likely survive final cuts this season. Peart was such a disappointment that last year, the giants added Tyre Phillips from B-more. Phillips ended up with 5 starts filling in for Thomas (1 game) and Neal (4 games). They’re fine at LT, but RT is in the shop, up on a lift. (-)

G: The giants have nine, NINE players listed at this position! Only five of them have a chance of sticking with the team, and that’s only until Shane Lemieux gets off of I.R. At which point his placeholder will be cut, and the number will drop to four. Shane will open the season as the fifth at this position. Sounds stupid and it is, but wait, watch, and see.

Last year they signed free agent RG Mark Glowinski to a 20M$ contract and he responded by allowing a career-high 4.5 sacks, contributing to the 44 that the line would allow as a whole. Likely to man the LG spot is Ben Bredeson. He had 8 starts last year and didn’t allow anyone to take down his QB. What’s more, the team started 6 – 1 with him in the starting lineup, and went 3 – 6 – 1 once he sat down.

Jack Anderson and Wyatt Davis represent the only real depth on this team, but they don’t have much experience. There’s a lot of “up in the air” about the depth chart here, and it will stay that way until Lemieux gets back. (-)

C: After losing John Feliciano to San Fran, and Nick Gates to Washington, the giants don’t have a player designated at this position. Perhaps they hope to develop one from their large pool of Guards, but the pivot isn’t a plug-and-play position. Someone has a rude awakening coming. (-)

In A Nutshell: Everything is wrong with this offense. The QB is grossly overpaid; which has offended the workhorse RB, who’s staying away as he begs for a decent contract offer. This will only highlight the weakness at WR. Especially if the TE doesn’t return to his All-Pro form. All of this is built on the back of an offensive line that seems much worse than they were last season. (-)

DEFENSE

DE: Because the giants favored a 2-4-5 look last year, Ryder Anderson is currently the only player listed at this position. As an undrafted rookie last year, he made two starts, grabbing 2 sacks, and 8 tackles. Not bad, but given his body type, there may not be much of role for him in this scheme. (+)

DT: Dexter Lawrence is a mountain of a man, coming off the best season of his four year career, with 68 tackles and a team-leading 7.5 sacks. He’s currently holding out of voluntary team activities, while he asks for/demands a better deal. Though talks are characterized as ‘good’, don’t expect to see him in pads until there’s a new contract.

Playing beside him, is Leonard Williams. Williams’ declining play hasn’t lived up to his contract, and now there is talk of everything from restructuring his deal, to trading him. Beyond that there’s young D.J. Davidson, and a pair of veterans Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and Vernon Butler who have both been in the league for years, but both are just guys. (-)

OLB: People are singing the praises of Kayvon Thibodeaux. While his rookie season only produced 49 tackles (6 TFL), and 4 sacks, the talk is that there is still plenty of upside for 2022’s 5^th overall pick.

Azeez Ojulari missed most of last season. Still, for the 7 games he played, he netted 14 tackles (3 TFL), and 5.5 sacks. So he was impactful when he was out there. He’s expected to be healthier this year, and so the giants are awaiting bigger things from him.

Undrafted rookie Tomon Fox put together a pretty nice campaign in 2022. He posted 1 start, and ended the season with 24 tackles (3 TFL), and 1 sack. Second year player Elerson Smith, lives on I.R. (+)

MLB/ILB: The giants coaching staff was so impressed by this position last year, that they allowed Jaylon Smith to just wander off, and went out and signed Bobby Okereke from Indy. Rookie Micah McFadden started 7 games, and notched 59 tackles (9 TFL) and 2 sacks. Not overwhelming, but it portends good things. The remaining four guys are just roster filler. (+)

Been a couple years since Xavier McKinney had one of these…

S: This position is a mess. Losing Julian Love was a tough blow. Xavier McKinney missed practically the second half of last season, but started both playoff games. So far in his three year career, he’s missed half of two separate seasons. In his one complete season, he was an absolute menace. The question however, is will he play a whole season, or just half of one.

Even at his best, McKinney can’t play two spots. Which raises the question of, who gets the other job. Both Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton, each started 5 games last year. Pinnock was more of an in the box presence (41 tackles, 2 for losses, 1.5 sacks), while Belton (31 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 interceptions) seemed to be more suited to coverage. Everything here is a question. (-)

CB: Adoree Jackson started the first 10 games last season, missed the rest of the regular season, but returned in time for the playoffs. He’s serviceable, but hardly a difference maker anymore. Darnay Holmes played Nickel last year, but may move into a more prominent role with the departure of Fabian Moreau.

Cordale Flott made 6 starts last year, as a third round rookie, and was made to look like one. On the other hand, last year could be great for experience and as a teaching tool. Nick McCloud saw a lot of action last year, and may be asked to step up in 2023. Rodarius Williams, and two more warm bodies are drawing paychecks at this position.

This position wasn’t very good in 2022, and the loss of Moreau doesn’t help. (-)

In A Nutshell: Personnel turnover is part of any business, but the giants haven’t been able to mitigate key losses. Especially in the secondary. This doesn’t bode well at all. (-)

SPECIAL TEAMS

K/P: Kicker Graham Gano was 29/32 (90.6%) last year, hitting 18/20 from 40+, and connecting on 32/24 (94.1%) extra points. Of his 84 kickoffs, 50 were touchbacks (59.9%). Big leg. Reliable. What’s not to like? (+)

Punter Jamie Gillan is maybe out-kicking his coverage a little. Last year he averaged 46.8 yards per punt, with a net of 40.1, which is fine. The issue is, of his 74 punts, 28 were returned (37.8%) for 277 yards (9.8ypr). While no opponent took a kick to the house last year, they often had room to try. Again, not a huge problem, but something to work on. (+)

In A Nutshell: Being able to rely on their kicking, especially in Met Life stadium where the wind swirls, and can change direction, helps the giants in any game where they can keep the score close. This has allowed them to steal quite a few games over the years, and will probably help them steal 1 or 2 more this season. (+)

BOTTOM LINE: Personnel losses and holdouts are the story of the giants offseason so far. While other teams are talking about what they’re adding to get stronger, the giants are clearly having trouble just treading water. Every indicator says that they will take a step back in 2023. A 9 – 8 finish would be a strong mark for them this year.

2023 Commanders

Posted by The BEAST on 2023/04/22

Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Draft, free agents, Front Office (F.O.), NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Reviews, Rivals, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: 2023, Bottom Line, Defense, Eagles, In A Nutshell, NFC East, Offense, Philadelphia, Pre-Draft Preview, Washington Commanders. Leave a comment

LAST year the Commanders (armed with their latest name), finished 8 – 8 – 1 overall, 2 – 3 – 1 in the division, and dead last in the NFC East. With the league essentially firing Washington’s owner during the offseason, there was no one to fire their coach. Sooo, he’ll be back. This team entered 2022 with a lot of questions, none of which seemed to get answered.

Let’s get a look at the 2023 Pre-Draft Commanders roster, to get an idea of who this team is today.

OFFENSE:

QB: They jettisoned Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke, and held onto this guy,

Sam Howell, who was a 5^th round rookie last year. Howell had just 19 attempts, but currently owns a 1 – 0 record as a starter. Washington is apparently so high on him, they signed Jake Fromm (NYG), and threw 8M$ at Jacoby Brissett (CLE). Brissett is essentially Tyrod Taylor 2.0. He’s a decent journeyman passer, and is likely only on the roster to teach Howell how to be a pro. Problem is, Washington needs someone to show Howell how to be The Man, and Brissett has never been that. The season is already starting off badly for this team. (-)

RB: Brian Robinson seems to be who the Red- sorry, Commanders- are hanging their hat on, as the basis of their 2023 attack. Robinson’s a physical, between the Tackles runner (797 rushing yards, 3.9ypc). Those traits played a role in him taking away the starting job last year, from Antonio Gibson. Gibson is a niftier runner, but his lack of physicality is hard to ignore. Especially for a 220 pounder.

Jonathan Williams started the last two games of the season and was absolutely forgettable in both games. Jaret Patterson and FB Alex Armah are also on the roster. All these players were here last year, and were totally unremarkable. Perhaps the coaching staff is looking to fine tune their approach, because all signs point to not adding anyone. (-)

WR: Terry McLaurin is the only player on this team’s offense, that defensive coaches feel a need to gameplan for. On just 13 more catches, McLaurin’s 1,191 receiving yards, were 535 yards better, than the 656 posted by Curtis Samuel last year. Last year’s rookie, Jahan Dotson led the team with 7 TD’s and added 523 receiving yards of his own. So perhaps the Reds- The Footb- Are they still the Commanders this year? Do we know that yet??? In any case, maybe “This group of people” are expecting Dotson to take a big step in 2023.

The second tier represents almost no substantial depth. Dynami Brown averaged 28.6 yards per catch last year, and 18.1 during his two year career. However his 43.6% catch rate, means he won’t be trusted with many targets. Dax Milne is a return man. The other three on the roster are just camp bodies. (+)

TE: This team has to spend a high pick here. Maybe a round one pick. Logan Thomas (39 – 323 – 8.3 – 1) is the top of the order here, and not a soul is losing a wink of sleep over matching up against him. He’s good for the run game, but otherwise he’s no threat. John Bates and Cole Turner aren’t causing anyone to worry either. Armani Rogers is QB trying to transition. There is also a guy named Curtis Hodges.

This is what it is. I’m not holding out on you. I’m not under-reporting in order to be funny, or make a point. You see Logan Thomas’s numbers? This is what they have. They didn’t add to it. Given their feelings on 5^th round QB Sam Howell, it’s entirely possible that Washington could go into 2023 with this same group, like they did in 2022. Fucked if I know why though. (-)

OT: For the second year in a row, LT Charles Leno didn’t miss a start. That said, giving up a career worst 8 sacks after signing a three year extension last January, was probably not what Washington had in mind. Surely they were hoping for a star, when they stole him from the Bears.

RT Cornelius Lucas isn’t an All-Pro, but he’s better than decent.

As far as depth, Sam Cosmi was called on to start 6 games last season, but played at least 40% of the snaps in 6 other games. That means he saw time at other spots. He may have given up 4.5 sacks last year, but with that much movement in a second year player, the experience will only pay dividends down the road.

Free agent Trenton Scott was recently added to the team. This means players like Drew Himmelman, Alex Akingbulu, and Aaron Monteiro don’t really have deep shots at sticking around long. (-)

G: Andrew Norwell signed with Washington last year, and proceeded to give up a career high 3 sacks in 16 starts. The line was pretty inefficient running the ball as well. They ranked 12^th in the league, despite the 4^th most attempts, ranking 28^th in average yards per carry.

They lost Wes Martin to Cleveland, so they replaced him with KC’s Andrew Wylie who surrendered 8 sacks and was penalized 5 times for 36 yards last year. They already had Saahdiq Charles on the roster, and spent a fourth round pick on him a few years ago. Still they chose to go get Wylie instead. Yikes.

Chris Paul had a start here last year, and didn’t embarrass himself. There are two other guys behind him, but that fourth spot should belong to Paul. (-)

C: Nick Gates fled the giants and joined a division rival for a three year deal paying him 5.5 per season. This automatically gives him the inside track on the starting gig. Tyler Larson got 8 starts last year, but Washington still felt they needed and upgrade. Chase Roullier got 2 starts and wasn’t awful. He’s actually been pretty solid no matter where Washington has used him during his career. Seems weird that they went so far out of their way, just to circumvent their roster. (+)

In A Nutshell: Washington isn’t a place that’s going to attract much top free agent talent, which is why they couldn’t do much to upgrade their offensive line. Unless they surprise everyone, they also don’t have a QB. You can’t win in the NFL without one of those. (-)

DEFENSE:

DE: Chase Young has played in 27 of a possible 50 games over his three year career, netting a totals of 75 tackles and 9.0 sacks. I doubt the team will pick up his fifth year option. Montez Sweat is a passing down specialist, who has been asked to play too many snaps for most of his career, due to injuries to Young. Sweat isn’t a liability against the run, but his 6’6 frame doesn’t help him win many battles in the trenches.

James Smith-Williams in addition to stealing all the last names, has grabbed himself a regular role as a starter, despite being a seventh round pick who plays like one. Efe Obada is coming off probably his best year after defecting from Buffalo. He matched his career-high 24 tackles, and added 4 sacks to boot.

Casey Toohill, and William Bradley-King all have at least a year in Washington’s system, so as depth they’re at least “scheme sound”. (+)

DT: This position is the beating heart of this teams defense, as two of the NFL’s best play side by side, as they did in college. Jonathan Allen posted his annual 60+ tackles and posted 7.5 sacks, as well as a career-high 16 tackles for loss, along with his first interception. Daron Payne earned a new contract buy posting career-highs in tackles (64), tackles for loss (18) and a team-leading 11.5 sacks. He also bagged his first safety. There’s a ton of fight in these two.

Of the reserves John Ridgeway’s 280 snaps (4 starts) far exceeded any other back-up. His number aren’t great, but to his credit, the team was 2-1-1 when he started. That only loss being to San Francisco. Phidarian Mathis was drafted in the second round last year, but in his first game, he tore the meniscus in his knee, and was put on I.R.

Benning Potoa’e (not Potatoe, Mr. Quayle) and David Bada were so good last year, that Washington went out and signed well-traveled Abdullah Anderson, most recently from Atlanta. Anderson finally saw real playing time last year (8 starts) and responded with 40 tackles and a sack. (+)

OLB: Washington is a muddled read here. Last year they had Jon Bostic and Cole Holcomb. Neither is (nor will be) on the roster this season. They added a free agent, and they have a couple of players they could elevate. It remains to be seen which route they’ll take.

Free agent Cody Barton had 136 tackles (5 TFL), 2 sacks and 2 interceptions last year for Seattle. That stat line gives him the inside track on starting, but he’s only signed to a one year deal. Indicating that Washington has someone waiting in the wings. Not exactly an internal vot of confidence for Barton.

Of the three guys who were on the roster last year, no one seems like a favorite to win the job. Khaleke Hudson started 1 game, playing 67 of the 72 snaps he’d play all season. Milo Eifler and Nathan Gerry combined for just 6 defensive snaps all season long. All 6 belonged to Eifler. (-)

MLB/ILB: Jamin Davis can chase and make tackles. Given the line in front of him, you’d expect him to be more of playmaker. David Mayo is just a guy, but he’s been around long enough to know what’s required of a pro, whenever he gets out there. So he’s depth. De’Jon Harris is also on the bench. (+)

S: In just 11 starts Darrick Forrest managed 88 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions. Kamren Curl put up 83 tackles (6 TFL), and 1 sack, but is pickless for a second year in a row. Percy Butler is the third man. It’s not pretty, but it’s stable. (+)

CB: Alright. Washington has nine players at this position, but I’m only going to mention six, because the remaining three are hot, roasted trash. Kendall Fuller started every game, grabbed 3 interceptions, deflected 13 passes, and scored twice. But unless you’re a Commanders fan, you’d have to be me to know that. Benjamin St-Juste took over the starting spot in Week 5. While he didn’t make many plays on the ball, he did record 2 sacks. (Not that pass rush is what most seek in a DB.) Danny Johnson also had a sack. And an interception.

Looking to upgrade their secondary, the Commanders ran out and added Cameron Dantzler. Off of waivers. From Minnesota. (-)

In A Nutshell: They’re still solid down the middle, but they’re years behind the division, on the edges. For years Washington has relied on it’s defense to keep them in games, and maintain some semblance of respectability for the franchise. After years of the same coaches, running same system, with more talent going out than coming in, that will all come to an end in 2023. (-)

SPECIAL TEAMS

K/P: Joey Slye is the Kicker right now, but another season like last year could change that. Actually it’s hard to believe that there isn’t already a second Kicker on the roster. His 25/30 (83.3%) mark only looks worse when you factor in, him being 12/16 from 40+. Even his extra points were an adventure at 24/28 (85.7%).

Where he shined was his 60 touchbacks on 77 kickoffs (77.9%). All season long, opponents only had 15 KO returns in 17 games. That’s helps win the hidden yardage battle and sets the defense for success. (-)

Punting for Washington is Tress Way. Returners felt encouraged to make hay on 34 of his 83 punts (40.9%), but the coverage team gets down there fast enough to preserve 43.0 yards of Way’s 46.8 yard average. (-)

In A Nutshell: There are no clutch performers here, just grinders. This unit is treated like it’s an extension of the defense. It isn’t geared to making a sudden plays. Instead, it makes a creeping difference in games, with regard to field position. It’s a playing not to lose, instead of playing to win. Which shows up in an 8 – 8 – 1 record. (-)

BOTTOM LINE: Barring a couple of miracles in next week’s Draft, this is a 5 or 6 win team for 2023. Which could be great for 2024.

Offensively, letting a 5^th round draft pick QB the team is brilliant. He’ll either be a revelation; or he’ll lead them to a top pick in the 2024 Draft. Their best weapon is WR, but with a leaky offensive line and a questionable QB, they may not get a chance to use him like they need to.

Defensively, they’ll just be on the field too much, and wear down in games where their offense can’t keep up. The defense won’t be awful talentwise, but they may end up being statistically awful.

As a team, there just aren’t enough difference makers in any unit. They have a WR, and two DT’s to be concerned about. That’s it. Most everything else is stuff you’d find at a yard sale.

2022 QUARTERLY REPORT CARD: QUARTER TWO

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/11/27

Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, report, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: 2022, Defense, Eagles, grades, mission, Offense, Philadelphia, Players, playoffs, Quarterly Report Card, report, review, Special Teams. Leave a comment

SEASON Reviews are usually done at the end of the season. A few are also done at the halfway mark. Starting in 2017, Eaglemaniacal.com began treating the season like a game, and breaking it into four quarters.

In 2021, the NFL expanded the season to 17 games, which makes for an uneven split. So this year (at least), these Quarterly Reports will come after games (not Weeks) 5, 9, 13, and 17. (Ugh. I hate even looking at that format.)

Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.

Note: This Report was supposed to come out BEFORE the Colts game, The records below reflect the records at that time.

STATUS: 8 – 1, 1^st in NFC East, 1^st in the NFC

OPPONENTS: (After game nine)

(W ) Dallas 6 – 3

(W ) Pittsburgh 3 – 6

(W ) Houston 1 – 7 – 1

(L ) Washington 5 – 5

OVERVIEW: Bad news first. We just suffered our first loss. We are allowing an increasing number of rushing yards as this quarter wears on. Now the good news. We didn’t allows a team to reach 200 yards passing for any of these four games. We also haven’t allowed a team to reach 20 points in 3 number of those four games.

We’ve also started scoring points in both halves of ball games. It sounds like sarcasm, but it isn’t. Looking at the Raiders and Raven blow big leads repeatedly this season, makes a clear point. It’s not how many points, it’s how often points. Big, early leads that get chipped into, give the opponent confidence. However, constantly topping up our score, can make an opponent feel that they’ll always be just out of reach.

This is how to make opponents dread seeing us on their schedule.

NOTE: This Report was supposed to come out BEFORE the Colts game, but the Monday Night game threw everything off. That means no mention or consideration of the Colts game stats will figure into this report. This segment will be the only place that will mention DT Linval Joseph or DT Ndamukong Suh, and even then, only to say that they aren’t discussed in this Report.

*****

GRADES:

QB: B / Jalen Hurts rushing this quarter (26 – 88 – 3.3 – 1 – 1) is way too much risk for way too little reward. Also the number of times he’s been sacked 12 in the last three games is up 11 in the first five games. The boil-down is that our QB is taking too much punishment, for too few yards. Some of it is the line, but some of it is him holding the ball too long.

When he does get the ball off, he’s just gunning defenses down. In the first five games, he threw 4 TD/2 Ints. In these last 4, he’s thrown 10TD/1 Int.

RB Miles Sanders scores in our 26 – 17 victory over Dallas

RB: C / Miles Sanders (56 – 296 – 5.2 – 3 – 0) has been effective when used, and even enjoyed a three game scoring streak. Where he’s fallen off, is just 2 targets in the last four weeks, vs 11 in the first five. His snap count was also down. Kenneth Gainwell (11 – 57 – 5.1 – 1 – 0) has been effective as a runner, but his 5 catches for 29 yards (5.8) isn’t what the team was hoping for from him. Boston Scott (15 – 47 – 3.1 – 0 – 0) has seen mostly mop-up duty, and hasn’t been part of recent games while they’re still in contest. Trey Sermon hasn’t played since week five.

This group has been less involved and it has showed itself in the slow start against the Texans and the loss vs Washington. Running is this team’s bread and butter. This has to get fixed.

TE: C / Dallas Goedert (24 – 19 – 209 – 11.0 – 2) has been a consistent catalyst for the Offense. Key third down conversions are becoming his calling card. He should see more targets when the Offense is inside the 10, but the Offensive Coordinator is in love with bunch formations and trying to get our QB killed.

Stepping up his production is blocking TE Jack Stoll (5 – 3 – 45 – 15. 0 – 0). His numbers are meager, but his last quarter as a receiver has already been more impactful, than his entire 2021 season. No other Eagles TE has caught a pass since Week 1. We have no depth here. The pending injury report on Goedert (hurt vs Washington), will tell us if we’re lucky or screwed.

WR: B /A.J Brown (28 – 16 – 289 – 18.0 – 5) has been on a tear. Aside from the Washington game where he pulled up lame early in the contest, he’s scored in each game this quarter. Devonta Smith (23 – 18 – 128 – 7.1 – 2) has become just a possession receiver this quarter. Even his two scores were both in the red zone. This seems to work better for making the QB comfortable, than it does for sustaining scoring drives. Smith needs to be opened up more.

WR A.J. Brown scores easily on a pass rusher forced to cover.

Quez Watkins (8 – 7 -105 – 15.0 – 0) has been far from featured, but at least he’s been less of an afterthought this last quarter. Zach Pascal (5 – 4 – 75 – 18.7 – 1) is still a blocker/enforcer/H-Back, but the Eagles seem to want to weaponize him more. Which is good! He’s too small (214 pounds) to consider in a TE role, but he can gives us versatility if we motion-switch alignments vs a Nickel or Dime front.

OT: B / LT Jordan Mailata (6’8”) had one bad game vs DE Jerry Hughes (6’2”), but you’d swear that the media was going to rename him Winston Justice. It did however expose that in a playoff game, at his height, Mailata might require help vs shorter DE’s who can flatten and bend the corner. Good to know in advance!

RT Lane Johnson did what Lane Johnson does. Legitimately a Hall of Fame candidate, he opens holes and doesn’t allow defenders to touch his QB. He missed about half of the win vs Dallas leaving with a concussion. Swing T Jack Driscoll came in and batted clean-up. He allowed more hits and pressure than Johnson did, but look at who we’re comparing Driscoll to.

OG: B / LG Landon Dickerson is at his best teeing off on players and imposing his will, in the run game. He’s doing a great job and not allowing sacks, but his game still feels muzzled. RG Issac Seumalo does a good job getting to the second level in the run game, but he still seems to have trouble with bull rushers. Given that he plays the right side, it makes the QB have to feint back and not get as much on his passes.

C: A / Jason Kelce has been letting it all hang out this quarter. Even pulling teammates by their helmets for extra yards! He looks like a man who wants to prove that he can still play at high level; so that when he does walk away after this year, he leaves his legend intact.

DE: F / Josh Sweat hasn’t generated much heat in the last quarter. He produced a sack/fumble against Washington, but otherwise has been quiet. Brandon Graham was also practically invisible. Since coming over in a Week 8 trade, Robert Quinn has been active, but hasn’t put his stamp on the defense.

Schematically this position has been where it needs to be, on the field. What it hasn’t done, is make anyone take any notice of it. That’s led to a lot of finger-pointing (not internally), towards the wrong folks, and solutions that aren’t really.

DT: C / Much has been asked of Fletcher Cox. Statistically he isn’t posting numbers, as he’s been asked to play over 70% of the snaps in three of the games this quarter. Last week he played 70 snaps (85%). SEVENTY! For a d-lineman at age 31, that’s a ludicrous ask., But he’s been game to try. Honestly, at his age he should be playing more strong-side DE, if we’re using a lot of outside rush, but I don’t coach the Defense, so…

Nearly (but not quite) as much has been asked of Javon Hargrave, who’s racked up 6 sacks , 5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a partridge in a pear tree. (Note: He was in on 13 tackles with just 1 being for a loss this week vs Washington. This is telling.) Rookie Jordan Davis is on I.R. with a high ankle sprain. He wasn’t racking up stats, but he’s the rock that our run defense is built on. We haven’t been right since he went down.

Milton Williams also moonlights at End and probably needs to play out there more. He’s a not really an inside penetrator, or a pocket collapser, but as a Nickel body, he’s ideal. Marlon Tuipulotu has a sack and a fumble recovery this quarter. The thing is, he plays entirely too much football south of his finger divots. He’s just not very quick off the snap.

OLB: C / Hasaan Reddick has added 2 sacks and 5 QB hits this quarter. What he hasn’t done is force a turnover or be much of force against the run. One or the other needs to be part of his game. Opponents have been careful about throwing the ball around Kyzir White, but more and more runs are being tilted towards his 216 pound frame. (It may be time to start giving rookie Nakobe Dean some of White’s snaps early in games.)

Patrick Johnson moonlights at End, and is producing no impact plays at either spot. If you listen closely, you can almost hear his replacement being drafted.

MLB: B / T.J. Edwards has racked up 45 tackles in the last 4 games. He makes plays despite not being kept very clean up front. He’s at his best when he just drops ball-carriers, instead of holding them up as they fight for (and gain) more yards. (It’s an attempt to slap the ball out, and every team teaches it.)

SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson with one of his TWO interceptions in our 26 – 17 victory over Dallas.

S: A / If you hear Jaws music while you’re Christmas shopping, it just means that Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is in the area. Grabbing 5 interceptions and 1 sack over these last four weeks, to QB’s this guy has been scarier than cancer. Marcus Epps continues to play every single down, of every game this season. He still doesn’t have any wow stats, but the way the Secondary is playing may be all the wow he needs. K’Von Wallace is has seen an uptick in downs this quarter.

CB: B / Darius Slay is not coming off of his best game, allowing (8 – 6 – 104 – 17.3 – 0) vs Washington. Otherwise (9 – 5 – 23 – 4.6 – 0), he’s had an extremely strong quarter (17 – 11 – 127 – 11.5 – 0) and owns his corner. James Bradberry (26 – 11 – 124 – 11.2 – 1) has seen more traffic, but owns his corner as well. Both have an interception each, in this quarter.

Avonte Maddox is currently on I.R., but he forced a fumble and recovered one (on two different plays) vs Pittsburgh this quarter. Josiah Scott filled in at Nickel for Maddox, and on 54 downs this week, only 1 ball was thrown his way. That said, he wasn’t a huge help vs the run, as Washington ran 49 times vs throwing it just 29.

LS: A / Rick Lovato hasn’t blown any snaps and even helped on a tackle this week. Finally! I was beginning to think the Rickshaw wouldn’t run over some poor sucker this season.

P: C / Arryn Siposs has only had to punt 14 times this quarter, and his average of 47.1 yards per boot, which is a two yard improvement over last quarter. Unfortunately this quarter there have been 6 returns for 56 yards (9.3), which isn’t great on two fronts. First, there seems to have been some out-kicking of the coverage. Second 6 of 14 punts is a high return rate. Also smacks of out-kicking.

K: B / Jake Elliott hasn’t made a Field Goal attempt since Week 6. In fairness, he’s only attempted one since Week 6. He’s been 13 of 13 on extra points this quarter.

PR/KR: F / Britain Covey during this quarter has returned 4 punts for 32 yards. He’s been better about attempting kick-off returns with 7 this quarter vs just three in th first five games. He’s only garnered 137 yards for an average of 19.5 yards. Meaning we’d be better off if he’d stayed shy about returning the ball.

*****

WR A.J. Brown tattooed FS Minka Fitzpatrick with THREE touchdown catches like this, in this game.

SINCE LAST QUARTER:

Last Quarter having the Offense play a full game of football was listed as the mission. On a side note, Jalen Hurts throwing for more than 4 measly touchdowns over five games, didn’t seem like too much to ask. Well both prayers were answered.

So we’re on track, as far as maturing as a team. We aren’t peaking too fast, and we’re being thrown some adversity to overcome and learn from. This is all good for us. Even the Washington loss. Perhaps most especially the Washington loss. We had a couple of weaknesses exposed. It’ll be interesting to see how we respond to that.

MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:

Secure a playoff berth. Even a Wild Card. Sounds ridiculous as the #1 overall seed in the conference right now, but mathematically, we’ve secured nothing yet. There are seven seats at the table, so we officially need to be better than nine other teams.

This expanded playoff format will keep the playoff picture cloudy, longer than in past years. However, over the next few weeks, by virtue of how many losses they have, the math will eliminate some teams. Possibly as soon as Week 13. By the end of this Third Quarter, we need to lock a berth down

2022 QUARTERLY REPORT CARD: QUARTER ONE

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/10/15

Posted in: breakdown, Defense, Offense, Players, Rants, report, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: 2022, Coaching, Defense, Eagles, grades, Offense, Philadelphia, quarterly, Quarterly Report Card, Special Teams. Leave a comment

In 2021, the NFL expanded the season to 17 games, which makes for an uneven split. So this year (at least), these Quarterly Reports will come after Weeks 5, 9, 13, and 17. (Ugh. I hate even looking at that format.)

Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.

STATUS: 5 – 0, 1^st in NFC East, only undefeated team in the NFL, 27.0 apf / 17.6 apa

OPPONENTS:

W Detroit 1 – 4

W Minnesota 4 – 1

W Washington 1 – 4

W Jacksonville 2 – 3

W Arizona 2 – 3

OVERVIEW:

We’re 5 – 0 with no strong showings during the run. The win at Minnesota was the closest, but our Offense stalled out and didn’t produce any points after half-time. That’s not strong. Same with the game against Washington. The win over Arizona saw us put up a field goal in third, and the game winning kick at the end of the fourth, but we needed them to miss one to cement our win.

We’ve scored 24, 17, 24, and 20 points in the second quarter, in each of our first four games. However, when teams make their adjustments at the half, Offensive Coordinator Shane Steichen is doing an abysmal job of adapting. As a result the weight of the game is shifted squarely onto the Defense, instead of being a team effort.

This is unsustainable.

GRADES:

QB: C / Everyone is taken with the 5 – 0 start, but the reality is, that Jalen Hurts hasn’t put together a whole game, so far this season. There hasn’t been one where he didn’t hit a wall in the second half of a game. Some of that I put at the feet of the coaching staff (as I mentioned above), but some of it is Hurts. Last year after five games he’d thrown 7 TD’s, right now it’s 4. No big deal though, because he’s running for TD’s, right? Perhaps, but those yards aren’t free.

That may be why he physically seems to wear down in games. He’s a ball of energy in the first half of games, but is MUCH more demure later. Part of that may be the beating he’s taking. Five games into last year, his rushing stats were 43 – 256 – 5.9 – 3TD. That was 8.6 carries per game. This year it’s 68 – 266 – 3.9 – 6TD, for 13.6 carries per game. He’s on pace for 231 carries this year! He had 139 last year, when he led the team in rushing attempts. And he got hurt.

Maybe we need to start a mailing campaign, to tell our coaches that Hurts isn’t Harry Newman. If we use Hurts like a QB instead of a 1930’s Tailback, he might be all around sharper in the second half of games.

RB: C / Miles Sanders is 4^th in the NFL in rushing yardage (87 – 414 – 4.7 – 3 – 0). He’s running harder this year, but he still doesn’t drive through his pads. Also, his receptions mostly seem to be behind the line of scrimmage and along the sideline. That’s no way to make him an effective receiver. He has just 41 yards on 10 catches, for an average of 4.1 yards per catch. He averages more running!

Kenneth Gainwell (18 – 72 – 4.0 – 2 – 0) and Boston Scott (10 – 29 – 2.9 – 1 – 0) have also disappointed catching the ball. This is another thing that I put it down to this coaching staff. Sanders and Scott used to be threats as receivers, but no Eagles RB has been that since last year. We recently added Trey Sermon, but he has just 2 carries right now.

TE: B / Dallas Goedert (29 – 24 – 335 – 13.9 – 1) is catching 82.8% of balls thrown to him, he’s running HARD after the catch, and contributing to the run game. The only knock is that many of his catches are coming on Screens. Running so many Screens has exposed the team to more ‘illegal blocker downfield’ penalties. More variation is needed.

Jack Stoll has only caught 1 pass, and that needs to be addressed. We need to make teams cover him, so they can’t double someone else. That said, in the three games he’s started, we’ve run for 210, 216, and 139 yards. Rookie Grant Calcaterra had a 40 yard grab a few weeks ago, but has been quiet since. If he’s our insurance policy for Goedert, we should include him more.

WR: B / Devonta “Skinny Batman” Smith (38 – 28 – 353 – 12. 6 – 1) has been up and down this quarter. One game with 169 yards, two with 80, two with under 20, and only averaging 10+ yards per catch in two of them. His production needs to be less erratic. A.J. “Swole Batman” Brown (45 – 28 – 436 – 15.5 – 1) except for last week, has been good for at least 5 catches, 69 yards and 13 yards per catch, every week. A young QB can hang his hat on that.

Quez “Fast Batman” Watkins (8 – 5 – 88 – 17.6 – 1) ripped off a 53 yard touchdown bomb in Week Two, and has scarcely seen a ball thrown his way since. He’s played over half the snaps this season, but again, he’s been targeted just 8 times. I don’t get it! Zach Pascal (7 – 6 – 39 – 6.5 – 0) has been a great pick-up for this team. Often lining up as an H-Back, he does a lot of the dirty work (blocking, decoy routes to pull LB’s, short routes to move the sticks).

OT: B / Lane Johnson is a monument to quiet, yet consistent dominance.

At RT he’s as good a pass protector as just about any LT in the league. Speaking of LT, Jordan Mailata was also dominating until his shoulder injury vs Jacksonville. Stepping in since then has been Jack Driscoll, who wouldn’t be playing if back-up Andre Dillard wasn’t on Injured Reserve. Still, third stringer Driscoll has played better than some starters in this league. No exaggeration.

OG: C / They’ve been money on 1 yard Sneak plays, but on other runs, they aren’t blowing people off the line like last year. Isaac Seumalo and Landon Dickerson have both had to come out of games and have Sua Opeta fill in them, during this first quarter. It does not bode well that there are durability issues at this position, this early in the season.

C: A / Jason Kelce has been a the tip of the spear on this line. His game against Jacksonville was a thing of sheer beauty. His toughness at Arizona was an example to the youth. Especially for Cam “Beef” Jurgens, the guy tasked with replacing him.

DE: C / Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat have cooled off a little, in the last couple of games. The pair combined for 5.5 sacks and 14 QB hits in the first three weeks, but have been blanked in those categories over the last two games. (Which helps explain the sharp rise in opponent scoring.) Back-ups Patrick Johnson and Tarron Jackson provide rest for the starters but not much else so far. This position needs to pick it back up, or this season is going to get real long, real fast.

DT: A / Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave have combined for 4 sacks, 2TFL, 9 QB hits, 1 FF, 3 FR over these first five games. Statistically, this position hasn’t recorded a sack in two weeks, but they are generally collapsing the pocket, and giving QB’s nowhere to step up when they throw.

The increased presence of rookie Jordan Davis has turned the middle of the Eagles defense into the Bermuda Triangle. Offensive players go in, but yards don’t come out. The Eagles got gashed for 181 rushing yards Week One, but since then, are giving up an average of just 86 per game. Milton Williams provides depth and versatility.

OLB: A / Hassan Reddick has come on strong over the last three games. With 3.5 sacks, 2TFL, 4 QB hits, 3FF and 2FR, he suddenly has given the Eagles that edge pass rusher, who can speed up a QB’s internal clock. Kyzir White hasn’t started any of the last three games, but he plays over 60% of the game primarily challenging underneath passing options, and cleaning up on run plays. Patrick Johnson is listed here, but mostly plays on the line as a situational rusher.

MLB: A / After the Draft, all the chatter was about how rookie Nakobe Dean would take the starting job here and change the face of the Defense. I kept saying “Not so fast.” Well to this point Dean has seen just three defensive snaps, all of which were in Week One. The reason for that? Mr. T.J. Edwards.

Here in his fourth year, Edwards is putting the NFL on notice. His 41 tackles leads the team by a wide margin. His career high in tackles for losses is 5 in a season. Through these five games he already has 4. His career high in sacks is 2 in a season. So far he has 2 in five games. His career high in QB hits is 4, established during these five games. And he’s always on the field.

S: B / FS Marcus Epps has so far played every snap of every game this year. SS Chauncey Gardener-Johnson has played every snap but two this season. Opponents haven’t been challenging the Eagles deep, much at all, as a combination of scheme, communication and talent have made QB’s think better of it. The only knock I have, is Epps leading with a shoulder, instead of his arms on too many tackle attempts.

CB: A / Darius Slay and James Bradberry have to be the best duo in the NFL right now. With 4 interceptions (2 each), and 9 passes defensed between them, there isn’t one side for passers to favor, as they avoid the other. Nowhere is safe! In Week Two, Slay essentially put WR Justin Jefferson in street clothes all night long.

While Bradberry has played all but two downs this season, Slay has been dealing with nagging injuries. Zech MacPhearson had to step in for an injured Slay, vs Jacksonville. They targeted him twice, completed neither and decided caution was the better part of valor. Avonte Maddox is the Nickel, but has been out since Week Three. Josiah Scott has been filling in for Maddox and looking like he needs more practice.

LS: A / Rick Lovato hasn’t had any issues.

P: B / Arryn Siposs is averaging 45.8 yards on his 20 punts. More importantly, only 8 have been returned for 38 yards (4.7 per) . So he’s not out-kicking his coverage.

K: A / Jake Elliott is 4/5 on field goals, and 13/14 on extra points. He was injured on a kick, but gutted out the rest of the game. The following week, Cameron Dicker was 2/2 on XP, and 2/2 on FG’s including the game winner over Arizona. Gutty. Seamless. Clutch.

PR/KR: D / Britain Covey has been sort of trash as a return man. I have no idea why he keeps running AT crowds with open field on either side. He’s had a couple of muffs and is just averaging 6.1 per punt return. I rooted had for this guy in the preseason.

SINCE LAST QUARTER:

Jalen Hurts has improved as a passer. His timing, recognition, placement… All better. He now needs to be his best version for four quarters, not just two. While all the talk has been about how good Hurts would be with WR A.J. Brown, the real story was how the Defense was revamped and re-armed. It shows when the Ofense stalls out and the Defense is out there preserving wins.

MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:

The Offense needs to carry it’s weight for four quarters. There is no reason why this team should have to participate in a shootout, to see 30 points. Hurts also has to throw more than just 4 damned touchdowns. Yes, he’s running for them, but if he wants QB money on that next contract, he needs to produce like a real QB. Otherwise we’re going to witness an ugly break-up when he accuses the Eagles of low-balling him.

#9: SPREAD THE OFFENSE

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/06/07

Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Offense, The 12. Tagged: 2022, bunch formation, Eagles, Jalen Hurts, Offense, Philadelphia, play-action, rub route, The 12. Leave a comment

WORST thing the Eagles can do to QB Jalen Hurts, is to operate with the WR’s in Bunch Formation. You know that thing where three receivers bunch up in a cluster beside the Offensive Line? It’s supposed to create mismatches, but for a QB who is the Floyd Mayweather of football, it pays to keep things closer to Dick and Jane, than Atlas Shrugged for him.

So the Offense should be kept spread out. After all, the idea is to get receivers open. If they line up close to open, before the snap, the job is partly done for them. That, and it forces the opposing defense to declare their assignments. If a defender leaves his assignment to blitz, then his assignment is open. Or if someone was giving help, then their assignment is open.

While we’re on the subject of help, it’s harder for defenders to give it, if they’re spread out. The more space one player is responsible for, the easier it is to bait him into a serious mistake. Given the high use of play-action in our Offense, catching defenders in the wrong place, could happen multiple times per game. That’s harder to make happen, from a bunch formation.

Another benefit of spreading out, is that batted balls are less of threat to us. Batting a ball near a crowd is a dangerous thing for an offense. Better to not gamble.

The worst part of bunching is penalties. Offensive Pass Interference. Illegal picks. These get called when a “rub route” isn’t executed well. Defenders are allowed to jam, and otherwise make contact with receivers within five yards of the line of scrimmage. But when receivers do it, it gets called OPI, or pushing off. Bunches gives the defense a sort of “benefit of the doubt”.

Coaches frequently say that they have to put their players in a better position to succeed, and this is true. However, they also have to put opposing players in the best position to fail. Make our player’s jobs easy, while making their player’s jobs hard. We can start by making it harder for them to help each other, and making it easy for Hurts to read it, when they mess up.

2021 QUARTERLY REPORT CARD: THIRD QUARTER

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/12/12

Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Draft, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, report, Reviews, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: 2021, Defense, Eagles, grades, Offense, Philadelphia, player, Quarterly Report Card, Special Teams. 1 Comment

Since football is a hard sport, we’ll take a hard look at where our team currently stands, in relation to where it started. Then we can discuss where it needs to go next.

STATUS: 6 – 7, 3^rd place in the NFC East, (Points per game: +25.9/-22.4)

OPPONENTS:

( W ) Denver 6 – 6

( W ) New Orleans 5 – 7

( L ) New York giants 4 – 8

( W ) New York Jets 3 – 9

OVERVIEW:

On the one hand Head Coach Nick Sirianni deserves credit for staying the course to get us back into the playoff conversation. On the other hand he deserves the blame for sticking with a Defensive Coordinator who has cost us at least three games (49ers, Bucs, and Chargers.) The giants loss is on Sirianni, for trying to force-feed a draft bust. Picture us being 9 – 4 right now.

Having found a devastating ground game, the Eagles have managed to battle back to 6 – 7 after a 3 – 6 start, and have turned the season on it’s ear. The players have put themselves in a position to not only make the playoffs, but with some help, possibly even win the East.

Even now, during the Bye Week, today’s game between Washington (6 – 6) and Dallas (8 – 4) stands to help us out. A Dallas loss keeps them from pulling away definitively with the division. A Washington loss doesn’t allow them to cement the number two spot. So either the top spot or the second spot, should become far less secure before 5:00pm.

Here’s how we look with 4 games left to decide.

GRADES:

QB (C ) – In this last quarter of the season, Jalen Hurts has clearly regressed. His last three games have seen his passing yardage slide from 178 to 147 to 129. His accuracy has gone from 69.5% to 54.1 to 45.1. Touchdown to interception ratio? That has gone from 2:1, to 0:0, to 0:3. Over that same span, his pass attempts have gone from 23 to 24 to 31. So literally, the more he throws, the worse he’s been. Those are facts, and they are beyond dispute.

Gardner Minshew stepping in for an injured Hurts, and throwing for 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, and completing 80% of his passes, only throws more light on the Hurts issue. Granted, it was against the Jets, but it was also a QB in a new system, throwing to guys he hasn’t really worked with. It was our back-up vs their starters, and we scored on 7 of 8 drives, with three touchdown drives to open the game.

Let me say this plainly: Jalen Hurts is NOT progressing in his ability to play NFL QB. This coaching staff (and half the fan base) has been giving him a pass, because of his ability to run.

Minshew just gave fans a taste of a what an Eagles passing game could look like. From here on out, Hurts either has to be better, or the coaches will have to get better at making excuses for why a player advertised as being highly coachable, has not improved in over a season’s worth of play.

RB (A ) – Miles Sanders coughed the ball up a couple of weeks ago, but otherwise has been extremely effective, posting 308 yards and 5.6 yards per tote over this quarter. That has been regardless of whether we were running a Read Option or Traditional run concept. Boston Scott has chipped in 161 yards at a clip of 4.8 per carry.

Until this week Kenneth Gainwell hadn’t been very effective as a runner this quarter. But I guess a game against the Jets will cure that. Jordan Howard was killing defenses with 146 yards on 22 carries (6.6 per tote!). Then he hurt his knee and has missed the last two games.

WR (D ) – A month ago, Devonta Smith had back to back big games, but since then he has been de-emphasized in the passing game, in favor of Jalen Reagor, and Smith has let his frustration be known to his coach. Reagor continues to be a flop in every aspect of the game of football, and the results of force-feeding him the ball (13 targets, 5 catches, 49 yards, 9.8 ypc) has only highlighted how foolish it was to spend a draft pick, or a dollar on him. Quez Watkins ( 14 – 9 – 116 – 12.8 – 0) has played a lot of snaps, but he doesn’t see nearly as many targets as he should.

In the last four games, none of the 5 players at this position has posted 70 yards. No player at this position has seen 10 targets in a game since Week 4. It is doubtless that this position is underperforming, however it is difficult to produce without the football even coming your way.

For all the fanfare that the run game has garnered, those rushing yards would be even easier to come by if opponents had any fear or respect for our outside passing game.

TE (C ) – Dallas Goedert was effective with Hurts (13 – 8 – 90 -11.2 – 0) throwing him the ball. However, with Minshew (6 – 6 – 105 – 17.5 – 2) Goedert could be terrifying over the long-haul. Jack Stoll has seen his snaps take a steep dive, as the coaching staff has been running more 11 than 12 Personnel. So his presence on the field literally is telegraphing R-U-N to defenses. We need to throw him some passes if only to legitimize him as an eligible receiver. Still waiting to glimpse Tyree Jackson’s potential.

OT (A ) – Neither RT Lane Johnson, nor LT Jordan Mailata has missed a single snap this quarter. Also during this stretch, Mailata has gone into the business of making sure his opponents eat some pancakes.

Such a nice young man.

Seriously though, these guys have been distributing Act Right to opponents, almost like a burning bush told them it was their only mission in Life. It’s one of the primary reasons that the Eagles are running for 212 yards per game over these last 4 games. In the last game we piled up 185. With no Jalen Hurts. This position has been amazing.

OG (C ) – Landon Dickerson is the future at LG. Even when Isaac Seumalo comes back from injury. Dickerson is a mauler in the run game. That allows us to run strong anywhere along the line, not just to the right. There are still nuances of pass pro that he has to get down, but that will come with time and facing different types of pass rushers.

Jack “Of All Trades” Driscoll was solid, until he was lost for the season. Replacing him is Nate “Too Big” Herbig. So we have one versatile guy filling in for another versatile guy, who was filling in for a Pro Bowl caliber player. The step down would be massive, if not for the men just to right and to the left of the RG spot. Herbig isn’t the most explosive player (which will hurt us on QB sneaks), but he’s a wide body who isn’t easy to push round.

C (B ) – Jason Kelce Is setting a great example with his attitude and mental toughness, through what has to be his last campaign. He has missed snaps in each of the last 4 games, and it’s becoming apparent that sheer grit and the possibility of a playoff spot, is what is getting him through.

The guy who’s filled in for him has been Nate Herbig. It’s long been rumored that Herbig is Kelce’s successor at the pivot. That would be awesome. While Herbig lacks true explosiveness when playing G, that deficiency is largely negated when snapping the ball.

DE (F ) – Through 4 games this position added 2.5 sacks and 5 hits on QB’s. Josh Sweat and Derek Barnett are playing both fewer snaps in number, and a lesser percentage of the total snaps. That says that the position is becoming more of a rotation. Maybe to light a fire under the starters, maybe to see if the bench was hiding a star. Still, it’s been a low production position. There are other factors at play here, but the bottom line is that through ¾ of a season, this position looks weak.

DT (C ) – Javon Hargrave added 1.5 sacks this quarter to bring him to a career-high 7.5. Fletcher Cox has 3 QB hits this quarter, but no sacks since Week 5. In fact, he has just 1 this season. Oddly enough, whenever he misses a few downs here or there, his absence is immediately felt. Milton Williams looks like a solid rotational pass rusher, but he cannot be confused with an every down difference maker. Hassan Ridgeway started this quarter with is snap share at just 22%, but has seen it tick up each week to 37%.

OLB (C ) – Davion Taylor was making progress as a starter, when he suffered what the Eagles called a knee sprain, which later required surgery, and now has him on IR.

(The Eagles have yet to confirm exactly what the surgery is for, but my experience and my gut says meniscus tear. That’s by no means official, but when they say it in 2022, remember where you heard it first in 2021.)

Due to the injury, Alex Singleton has reclaimed his starting role. He went right back to work as a tackling machine, and had been more impactful than he was before being benched in favor of Taylor. Genard Avery is seeing fewer snaps these days as the Eagles are using more Big Nickel.

MLB (A ) – T.J. Edwards hardly ever leaves the field anymore. This indicates that the Eagles have finally stopped worrying about the rumored “athletic limitations” that stemmed from the 2019 Combine. When given the opportunity, Edwards has shown that he can flat-out play football. It only took two seasons, but being geniuses, the Eagles have swiftly caught on! (Was that too much sarcasm?)

Edwards has not only made tackles, but he’s snagged a pass and recovered fumble, giving him a pair of takeaways this quarter.

S (D ) – Rodney McLeod is no longer an impact player on the back end. He always seems a step (or two) slow, and his tackles lack any authority. I get the feeling that he won’t be back in 2022 and he knows it, which is why he’s playing so passively.

Anthony Harris is like a smaller Landon Collins. He’s more than willing to lay a hit, but he’s not much of a factor vs the pass, as he’s only gotten his hand on a pass ONCE this season.

Marcus Epps just snagged his first pick, and leads players at this position with 4 passes defensed despite playing just 49% of the defensive snaps this season. This position would benefit from making him a starter over McLeod or Harris.

CB (C ) – Darius Slay has posted a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery, and two touchdowns this quarter. He’s been targeted 17 times for 6 completions, and surrendered just 58 yards. Steve Nelson though! Teams seem to be picking on him these days, with 10 completions on 16 targets (62.5%), 109 yards, and two scores allowed. Avonte Maddox has allowed 17/22 (77.2%), for 181, and a score.

Two players giving up over 62% completion rates and over 10 yards per completion, is a recipe for not being able to get off the field. This has to be addressed! Rookie Zech McPhearson has played 70 snaps in the last 4 games, but is 5/2, for just 22 yards. Let me reiterate. In his last 70 snaps, our rookie has been thrown at just five times. FIVE! Keep an eye out for him.

LS (A ) – Last time I did one of these, I mentioned that Rick Lovato didn’t have an tackles yet. In the last 4 games he’s posted 2 solo. The man is a BEAST and an animal!

P (A ) – Arryn Sipos is still averaging 45 yards (45.2) per boot. Of the 12 punts he’s had this quarter, 7 were returned for 65 yards, which is 9.2 per return. Not great, but it’s down nearly 3 yards from the 12 yards per return last quarter. That suggests that his kicking is being timed better with his coverage unit. Improvement is always applauded.

K (A ) – Jake Elliott was 11/11 on extra points and 11/11 on field goals during the quarter. For points he’s been absolute money since Week 7. Absolute. As in no flaws. As in resplendent clarity. If he were a diamond, you could see next and last year in him. Flawless!

Kickoffs however, are increasingly a problem. Of his 26 kickoffs, 19 were touchbacks (70.3%). Could be better, but not alarming. The returns (7 – 221 – 31.5 – 0) are worse than the 22.2 we were giving up last quarter.

At this point, this can’t put on Elliott. At this point, Special Teams Coordinator Michael Clay owns the blame for this. Elliott is what he is. There is enough tape to know this by now. Kickoff duty should have been reassigned by now. Either that or the kickoff strategy should have been altered, to place the ball inside the numbers, to let the coverage unit cup that side of the field, from hash mark to side line.

PR/KR (F ) – WR Jalen Reagor hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with his punt returning (14 – 90 – 6.4 – 0). While he’s doing a ton more returning this quarter vs last report (just one return), he never is a threat to break one. His kick returning (7 – 116 – 16.5 – 0) is equally dreadful.

KC (F ) – This quarter’s 31.5 yard per kickoff return is again, alarming. It seems that we are not able to get this issue under control. On the plus side we’ve gone from allowing 9.5 yards per punt return to 9.4, so improvement must be celebrated.

SINCE LAST QUARTER:

I said that 2 – 2 would probably keep our playoff hopes alive, but that 3 – 1 would almost certainly do the trick. Well we went 3 – 1, and right now, are mathematically on the outside of the playoff picture. However, due to upcoming match-ups for all of the Wild Card candidates, we are still VERY much in the thick of the hunt.

In fact, we could still pull off winning the division.

Here’s how the Eagles win the East: We run the table, and Dallas gets swept by Washington. That’s it. That’s everything that has to happen. That would set it in stone.

MISSION FOR THIS QUARTER:

RUN THE FUCKING TABLE! It’s as simple as 10 wins and we’re in. Right now, I want to see us crack the playoffs and potentially get hot, right when everyone really needs us not to. I want the Eagles to scare the boiled shit out of the NFL, and possibly bring Philly another parade.

So this quarter we have to find a second receiver, so we can keep our run game open. We need a WR besides Devonta to either average 50 yards per game, or score twice in the next two games. Either would work to spread defenses. Jalen Hurts running for touchdowns in the red zone (unless they’re on QB Sneaks) has to stop. We need to diversify our attack.

For those of you watching the Draft picks:

We already have three first round picks, and any team that makes the playoffs is going to be picking 18^th and lower. Currently we’re 6 – 7, the Colts are 7 – 6, and the Dolphins are 6 – 7. All of us could make the playoffs this year, which would make those picks better as ammunition for a later Draft.

All of that however, is already in the bag! So while we’re winning, stop thinking about the picks. Picks are for next season. We’re still alive in this one. We need all your positive energy and focus, on a possible parade for this season.

That said, if we lose the next two and fall to 6 – 9, then we should tank, and try to get at least ONE pick in the top 10. But while we have a chance at the playoffs, tanking is OFF the table.

NO ROOM FOR TALK

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/05/30

Posted in: Conversations, Defense, Offense, Players, Rants, Roster, Uncategorized. Tagged: 2021, Defense, Eagles, Jalen Reagor, Offense, Philadelphia, roster, sacred cows, Starter, talk. 1 Comment

GOING 4 – 11 – 1 means STFU. Whether it’s players hyping the leadership of a 1 – 3 QB, or a second year WR, calling out my fellow fans. All the talk needs to stop. Last year the Eagles fell halfway short of even going .500. That means there’s a ton of stuff to fix, and nobody who was on the roster when we posted that record, has time to run their mouth.

I’m a devoted fan, but I’m not delusional. We still haven’t addressed our weakness at CB. We still don’t know if our top FS will be ready by Week One. What will our TE depth look like when TE Zach Ertz is moved? Who is our starting LT? If you project 1 – 3 over 17 weeks, it comes out to roughly 5 – 12. Is QB Jalen Hurts better than that finish? What system will he even be running?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad for the enthusiasm that players have had for mini-camp. Unfortunately, I don’t sense a “hardhat mentality” when these guys speak to the media. I’m seeing big smiles, lots of teeth, and eyes crinkled at the corners. I’m seeing comfortable guys, mostly confident in their roles. Calm as Hindu cows.

And it makes me sick.

With all the upheaval this offseason, no one should feel like a sacred cow. But there it is. Right on the player’s faces. The fact that you see that, says that the players aren’t really buying into the ideas that “Everyone has to compete” and that “Nothing is will be handed to you”. And why should they?

Show of hands if you think that RT Lane Johnson has to earn his spot. How about RG Brandon Brooks? C Jason Kelce? LG Issac Seumalo? Seems to me that 80% of the Offensive Line from 2017 will still be starting in 2021. And that’s with a new coaching staff in place!

Let me add RB Miles Sanders and TE Dallas Goedert, to Hurts and the O-Line. Rookie WR Devonta Smith will start on the outside, and WR Jalen Reagor will start in the Slot. That’s 9 of 11, right there. The spots up for competition: LT and WR#2.

How about DE Brandon Graham, DT Fletcher Cox, DT Javon Hargrave, and DE Derek Barnett? How many of those guys ride pine without an injury? What about CB Darius Slay, OLB Eric Wilson, LB Alex Singleton, or S Anthony Harris?

That’s 8 of 11 guys that we know are Week One starters already. If S Rodney McLeod’s leg lets him, that’s 9 of 11. This drops the real competition for availability of spots to just MLB and CB. Feel free to point out where I’m wrong. Go ahead. I’ll wait…

Anybody? Nobody?

So yeah. That’s it. We have LT, WR #2, MLB, and CB. That’s all the real competition on this team for starting spots. There will be fierce competition for back-up roles. But the starters?! When 18 of 22 spots are a virtual lock, the sacred cows on this roster have no reason to do anything but smile and talk right now. No reason except 4 – 11 – 1.

COMPETITION: HURTS, FLACCO

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/05/25

Posted in: Coaching, Conspiracy Corner, Offense, Players, Preview, Rants, Roster, Uncategorized, X's and O's. Tagged: 2021, competition, Eagles, Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco, Nick Sirianni, Offense, Philadelphia, QB, sandwich. 3 Comments

THE Eagles coaching staff (with straight faces), keeps telling us fans that there will be a REAL competition between QB Jalen Hurts and QB Joe Flaaco, for the starting job. We’re being told that nobody is being handed anything. I have yet to meet the Eagles fan dumb enough to buy what this coaching staff is selling.

Can we be honest here? Flacco was brought in, so that when Hurts “wins” the job, dipshits can say things like “Hurts beat a former Super Bowl MVP to win the job. So of course Hurts has to be legit, right?” Prepare to hear that repeatedly, from the sort of fan who unironically, still wears a Kevin Kolb jersey.

Understand, while head coach Nick Sirianni has designed plays before, it was never his responsibility to define the philosophy of a system. As a HC, he now gets to decide that. He’s no longer designing plays within the framework of what his boss wants. Now he gets to decide what that framework looks like.

This is a QB Screen I designed years ago. Flacco could never make this play scary.

So who’s skillset do you think the Eagles offensive system will be built around? Flacco’s overall fading skills, and limited athleticism? Or will it be Hurts’ upside and dynamic mobility? When passing plays are drawn up, will they include a heavy percentage of RPO’s, Options, and Bootlegs? Or will they almost entirely consist of 3 and 5 step drops?

In four starts last year, Hurts ran for 272 yards. (BTW: That projects to 1,156 rushing yards, over 17 games.) Flacco? He ran for 292 yards. He didn’t do that in 2020. He did that over the last 7 seasons. Combined. Keeping in mind that Flacco can’t be dangerous running RPO’s, Options or boots, do you really think the new coach will handcuff himself to an anchor? Neither do I.

When Training Camp opens, both the system and the playbook, will be built to suit Hurts, not Flacco. So in what universe is this a real competition? Being that Flacco can’t excel in this system, Hurts will win the starting job in a walk.

Flacco: So you’re saying there’s a CHANCE?

Besides, if Hurts finds himself involved in real a competition with what’s left of Flacco, then basically the Eagles 2021 season would already be a yellow mustard and jizz sandwich. Seriously. It’s embarrassing that the Eagles are even trying to sell this “competition”.

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