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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 4: Chiefs

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/10/04
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Head Coach Nick Sirianni argues that WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was running a route, not setting a pick. Sirianni was unsuccessful because everyone knows that Whiteside doesn’t run routes. He’s here to throw blocks. Like the illegal one that was just flagged.

MAYBE our head coach can’t learn?

EAGLES 30 – Chiefs 42

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

Passing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (32/48 – 66.6% – 387 – 2 – 0)

Rushing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (8 – 47 – 5.8 – 0 – 1)

Receiving: (S) WR Devonta Smith (10 – 7 – 122 – 17.4 – 0)

Offensive Line Report: (1 + 6:0 – 3)

Drive Killer: (S) LB Eric Wilson (1 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader: (S) DT Javon Hargrave (3 – 1.0 – 0 – 0)

****

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Chiefs did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) The back Seven: The idea here was to use the LB’s to do more than stand around and watch the game. Instead, we got another week of the same. This thing where our LB’s seem to be waiting for an invitation to each play from the offense, is the root cause of us allowing over 40 points in two straight games.

We dictated no action and allowed the Chiefs to impose their will on us. What is the point of having two of football’s better man coverage CB’s, just to sit them back on 6 and 8 yard cushions every play?

And why was LB Eric Wilson ever stuck with covering WR Tyreek Hill (12 – 11 186- 16.9 – 3)? He got a pick covering TE Kelce. THAT made sense. (NOT DONE)

2) Run the ball: This weeks play selection was 48 passes and 19 rushes. That’s means 71.6% of the time, we were passing. Oh, and of those 19 rushes, 8 of them were by the QB. So the ball was handed off just 11 times. At one point in the 4th quarter the score was 28 – 23 Chiefs. So it’s not like there was ever a reason to abandon the run. Yet we did. Again.

Are the Eagles trying to replace RB Miles Sanders (7 – 13 – 1.8 – 0 – 0) with RB Kenneth Gainswell (3 – 31 – 10.1 – 1 – 0)? Gainswell had the better stat line today, but that generally hasn’t been the case this season. Nor is Gainswell the blocker that Sanders is. Seems silly to rock this boat right now. (NOT DONE)

3) Ends Gotta Sweat Mahomes: The DE’s needed to show up in this one, and they didn’t. We did get another Bonehead Barnett personal foul, which helped the Chiefs on the touchdown drive that put them up 21 – 13 at the half. So at least Barnett is being consistent? (NOT DONE)

4) Throw the ball deep: We did air it out, which opened up the intermediate passing game, and gave the passing attack the feel of efficiency.

TE Dallas Goedert gets my fantasy team 7 points, on the way to my 141 – 106 lead, heading into Monday night. I have a Kicker to play and my opponent has no one left.

The problem is, without a balance of real run game, passing attacks become 50/50 in the red zone. We aired it out, but we were operating half of an offense again. Still, if our WR’s can be coached to run their routes in bounds, we might have something here. (DONE)

So we got 1 of the Four Things, this week. Next week we limp into Carolina, to face the 3 – 1 Panthers. There, we’ll get to see if our coaching staff is still incapable of learning from their repeated mistakes.

****

On The Whole:

Down 10 – 14, on first and goal from the KC 3, we threw two passes, and ran the ball once. To the outside. From the Shotgun. So we of course settled for a FG.

That there is a microcosm of everything wrong with Eagles football. It’s meant to be cute. Clever. It’s razzle-dazzle for the highlight reels. What it is not, is fundamentally sound. What it is, is 1 – 3.

Unsound football leads to losing. However, our coaching staff doesn’t seem to grasp that. In fact, this coaching staff, despite being just four games old, is already displaying an almost arrogant unwillingness to learn or adjust. This is both in-game and week to week.

Hurts has led the Eagles in rushing yards, in 3 of 4 games this season. The one he didn’t, was the game we won. We’ll see if the offensive coaching staff can pick up on that little nugget.

Playing the CB’s on cushions, and putting the LB’s in zone coverage on nearly every down, has opponents completing 72.7% of their passes, with 9 touchdowns against 1 interception. We’ll see if the defensive coaching staff can make anything resembling an adjustment, to stop that bleeding.

For the record, I don’t think this staff can. They are already too enamored with their own ideas of how things should be done. The trend is that things are getting worse. If we give up a 50 burger this season, someone needs to be fired.

FOUR THINGS: WK 4: EAGLES – CHIEFS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/30
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

LET’S clear the air. Last week wasn’t a sprint. It was Week 3 of a 17 week marathon. It wasn’t winner take all. It was part 1 of 2. Don’t get the story tangled. The Eagles aren’t done with the NFC East. Not by a damned sight.

This week we get the 1 – 2 Kansas City Chiefs, in our house. We have a Top 10 Defense being 10th in points allowed, and 7th in yards allowed. We’re going against a team that hemorrhages both points (32nd ) and yards (30th ). So this game IS winnable. Especially if RB Miles Sanders is allowed to play.

At the moment we’re in third place in the NFC East. A win gets us to 2 – 2 and keeps us very much in the running for the division. Especially if our rivals have a tough week. A loss would drop us to 1 – 3. While there would be plenty of time to make it up, playing catch-up is never a good thing.

****

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Chiefs:

1) The back Seven: We have to use our Linebackers more aggressively and creatively. Allowing the opposing blocking scheme to dictate the action, too often takes our LB’s out of plays, and makes it seem like we’re playing 8 vs 11. Let’s see some blitzing out of OLB Eric Wilson.

We also need our CB’s to play more man press. Giving up big cushions, leads to quick throws with zero pressure. It’s how we gave up a completion percentage of 80.5 last week, and 73.3 the week before.

2) Run the ball: ATLANTA – We handed the ball off 24 times, and won in a blowout. SAN FRAN – We handed the ball off 19 times, and lost a close one. DALLAS – We handed the ball off just 3 times, and got our O-rings blown out.

There exists an obvious pattern here, dear friends

Running the ball will keep the clock running, and the ball out of the hands of the Chief’s offense. That means our Defense gets a chance to rest. Nothing good comes from a gassed defense. We need 24 or more hand offs this week, with 18 or more going to Sanders.

3) Ends Gotta Sweat Mahomes: DE’s Josh Sweat and Derek Barnett have to show up this week. Not only do they need to get pressure on the QB, but they have to do a better job of setting the edge vs the run. Run the OT up the field, and either force the RB to cut back inside, or run back and around the block in the backfield. The Ends needn’t make every tackle, just cause them.

4) Throw the ball deep: The deep ball needs to be used to keep a defense honest. Early in this game, there needs to be a pass where the ball is in the air for 20 yards or more. We can’t run the underneath stuff, if opposing CB’s don’t even back pedal. You’d think a former WR would know that…

WR Devonta Smith needs to see at least two deep shots. Right now it seems that we spent a high draft pick, just to turn a talented kid into Josh Huff. We need to put the pressure on Smith to deliver, and not treat him like his confidence is delicate. Competitors, remember? Paper, rock, scissors?

If we do these Four Things,

At home? In front of our crowd? If we do these things, a win is in the bag. Scoring on the Chief is a given. If we can’t get laid in that whorehouse, we need to fire the coach before his post-game presser. Scoring is the easy part.

The hard part will be making sure they don’t score when they have the ball. Eating up the clock could act as a brake on the number of opportunities they see, but that means little if they can cash in those opportunities. Sadly, I think this is where we run into a problem, because Andy Reid is just a flat out better coach than Nick Sirianni.

****

PREDICTION: EAGLES 24 – Chiefs 30

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 3: Cowboys

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/28
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FUCK you, Nick Sirianni.

EAGLES 21 – Cowboys 41

…….

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

Passing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (25/39 – 64.1 – 326 – 2 – 2)

Rushing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (9 – 35 – 3.8 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: (S) TE Dallas Goedert (4 – 2 – 66 – 33.0 – 0)

Offensive Line Report: (0 + 2:0 – 2)

Drive Killer: (S) DT Javon Hargrave (0 – 0 – 0 – 1 – 0)

Sack Leader: (S) DT Javon Hargrave (5 – 2.0 – 0 – 1)

*******

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Cowboys (a) did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Erupt, disrupt, corrupt:

Crash the “A” gaps and disrupt the flow of their offense. There were just two clear instances of this being done. The first was when Hargrave made QB Dak Prescott fumble in his own end zone, which DT Fletcher Cox (0 – 0 – 0 – 0) recovered for a touchdown. The other was on a QB hurry near the first half.

Otherwise, useless LB and invisible DE play, did nothing to help the effort. Especially against the run, where the Eagles defensive front looked almost weightless at times. (NOT DONE)

2) Exploit the youth: Hurts had two drives where he remembered his legs. We scored on both. Otherwise, he seemed almost to be making a point of staying in the pocket. He also showed me something else that I think will put to bed any question of him being a Franchise QB.

If you get to see a replay of this game, look at Hurts’s head on passes. He doesn’t turn it. He’s not progressing through reads. He’s deciding where he wants to go with the ball, and holding it until the target is available. This is why defenders were able to squat on his routes and wait. His youth and inexperience were showing. Oh the irony! (NOT DONE)

3) Clear A Run Lane: Head Cock Nick Sirianni, dialed up 39 pass plays and just 3 handoffs. THREE! ALL GAME LONG! WHO DOES THAT!? Even Andy Reid (get well soon, Big Red!), would find that sort of play-calling lopsided. (NOT DONE)

4) Give Them Doubts: Hard to jump passes when you give up 7 and 8 yard cushions. I swear it’s like Jim Schwartz still coaches here! (NOT DONE)

This week we did none of the Four Things. Therefore, we were utterly, and deservedly, shit-canned on national television. Next week we get to host Andy and his 1 – 2 Chiefs, in the house that he essentially built.

*******

On The Whole:

This was humiliation on a national stage. This game was less about how well the Cowboys played, as much as it was about how corrosive and self-destructive the Eagles were.

The Cowboys didn’t decide that we would hand the ball off 3 times and throw it 39.

The Cowboys didn’t decide to keep our CB’s on deep cushions.

The Cowboys didn’t keep dialing up 6 yard routes for us, that their CB’s were able to sit on.

The Cowboys didn’t decide to keep us in zone vs a run game that was making a point of whipping us.

The Cowboys didn’t make us commit penalty after bone-headed penalty.

The Cowboys didn’t tell us to start a one-read QB.

That was us. That was our coaching staff

FOUR THINGS: WK 3: EAGLES – COWBOYS (a)

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/25
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LAST week we dominated and still lost. Not happy about that, but our defense took a team that had scored 41 the week before, and held them to 17. The Atlanta team that we held to two FG’s in Week One, just put 25 on Tampa Bay. We allowed just 11.5 points per game, vs two talented offenses, led by QB’s who have started Super Bowls. (Both also had leads, before suffering horrifying collapses.)

Our opponent this week is giving up 24 per game, despite producing 6 turnovers in two weeks. That sounds like a leaky defense to me! Hey, Leaky Deefie, this is QB Jalen Hurts. As in, Jalen hurts shitty defenses like yourself.

Last week’s loss took us from the top of the division, to third place (actually tied for second) in the division. Beating an NFC East opponent would move us up that ladder. If nature takes it’s course and Buffalo beats Washington, we’d be alone in 1st. If Washington wins, we’d be tied with them for the top spot. In any case, we need this win.

*******

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Dallas Cowboys:

1) Erupt, disrupt, corrupt: As efficient as the Cowboys offense is looking right now, it might be hard to believe that they have a glaring Achilles heel. BUT THEY DO! Whether it’s QB Dak Prescott stepping up into the pocket, or RB Ezekiel Elliott inside running, their best offense isn’t from Tackle to Tackle. It’s only from Guard to Guard.

Crashing the ‘A” gaps on either side of C Tyler Biadasz, will spoil their offense at the source. It doesn’t allow Prescott to step up, and doesn’t allow Elliott any room to build momentum. Let’s get Prescott running. Not bootlegging. Running. Between his rebuilt ankle, and his questionable shoulder, let’s see what his delivery looks like when he’s on the move.

2) Exploit the youth: The Cowboys defense allows about as many points (24.0) as they score (24.5). Their opponents complete 69% of their passes, and average 4.5 yards per run. Dallas also misses tackles at a rate of 11.9%. (For perspective, our Eagles miss 4.3%). Their defense is young, and under intense stress covering for injury losses.

We should use that stress to implode the unit. In the last two games, the Cowboys have struggled vs pocket QB’s. Jalen Hurts ability to run, could overwhelm Dallas’s fragile system. We need to see Hurts on some misdirection bootlegs, where he’s getting the ball to TE’s and RB’s. That way we get to eat up clock, and OUR Defense stays fresh.

3) Clear A Run Lane: Operation C.A.R.L.! If Dallas wants to start a 245 pound rookie LB at DE, against RT Lane Johnson, give’ em the match-up they want. Run the ball early to the right, to take advantage of the physical mismatch. Beat on the rookie. Lay him out a few times. Welcome him to the NFL, and take the chase right out of his legs.

Then in the second half, the Read Option and Screens will be nails in their coffin. Close your eyes and see a Cowboys blitz, countered with a RB Screen. Touchdown Sanders! Envision the argument on their sideline. Wait what?! Did Prescott just shove DE Randy Gregory? Oh my god, Randy hit him with a helmet! POPCORN! WE NEED POPCORN!

4) Give Them Doubts: We play Cover Two. So here and there, we can afford to gamble. Early in the game, our corners need to jump a couple of Prescott’s passes. Doesn’t matter if they’re complete or not. A couple of near picks, will affect him for the rest of the game. Interceptions would be great, but attempting them is more important.

We want Prescott looking for that next jump. Get him to pat the ball an extra time or two before releasing it. Get him thinking, not playing. If we can slow his release, it allows our pass rushers more time to get to him. More importantly, it takes their passing offense out of the rhythm they’ve had these last two games.

*******

If we do these Four Things,

Offensively, if we follow FT, the Eagles would rule time of possession in the first half, keeping our Defense fresh for the second half. Defensively, if we follow FT, the bottom will drop out of the Cowboys offense. If that happens, it will strand their defense on the field. As a soft defense, we need them be on the field as much as possible.

Though the Eagles will be without DE Brandon Graham, RG Brandon Brooks, LT Jordan Mailata, and FS Rodney McLeod, this still feels like the Eagles are about to blow the Cowboys out, this Sunday.

Keep in mind, I don’t go around predicting blowouts, but this feels like the Cowboys are walking into a trap. Eagles fans just came back last week, and yet the chatter around this game seems oddly muted. There’s a stillness around this game. It feels almost unnatural. I can’t explain it, but that’s how it feels.

I don’t expect a close game.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 30 – Cowboys 16

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

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 2: 49ers

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/20
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

TOO many missteps. 

EAGLES 11 – 49ers 17

 

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report* (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted:missed of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).

Passing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (12/23 – 52.1 – 190 – 0 – 0)

Rushing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (10 – 82 – 8.2 – 1 – 0)

Receiving: (B) WR Quez Watkins (2 – 2 – 117 – 58.5 – 0)

Offensive Line Report: (1 + 1:2 – 2) 

Drive Killer: No Qualifier

Sack Leader: No Qualifier

* (Formula adjusted after Week 1)

 

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: 49ers did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Take Away the Edges: The Defense did a great job of this, rendering the 49ers run game anything but explosive. There were a number of runs that ended up as tackles for losses. Screen plays were blown up early. Pitches were compromised. Unfortunately, the defense couldn’t get off the field and ended up both gassed and losing the field position battle. Still, they held those edges. (DONE)

DT Javon Hargrave has been a monster in these first two weeks

2) Next Level Tackling: For the most part (especially in the first half), the tackling was sharp. No one was getting dragged, or dilly-dallying with the ball carriers. They just got the man on the ground. Tackles were still being made later in the game, but a secure tackle after a 15 yard completion on 3rd and 7, or a 5 yard completion on 3rd and 3, doesn’t really help the cause. But the tackling was solid, so we’ll credit that. (DONE)

3) Get the Ball Downfield: Hurts took 4 deep shots down the field. There was the 91 yarder to Watkins. There was the recalled touchdown to WR Jalen Reagor (5 – 2 – 5 – 2.5 – 0) where Reagor stepped out of bounds twice on one route, drawing a penalty instead. Finally, there were two deep shots to WR Devonta Smith (7 – 2 – 16 – 8.0 – 0).

Even if all four had doinked harmlessly on the ground, teams now will realize that we will air it out. The fact that Hurts connected on two of them (defenses studying film won’t care about the penalty), will provide room for him to operate underneath in coming weeks. This didn’t result in a win, but today’s game will bear fruit all year long. (DONE)

4) Screen Sanders: RB Miles Sanders (13 – 55 – 4.2 – 0 – 0) was split out wide a few times, but unless I blinked and missed it, I didn’t see a single Screen thrown to him. In fact, the RB/TE thing that I talked about in FT, was a total non-factor. Amazingly, Sanders and both TE’s totaled just 6 targets.

I specifically said they should NOT lean on rookie RB Kenneth Gainswell (6 – 14 – 2.3 – 0 – 0) and now you see why. He’s a neat toy, but he’s not yet an NFL caliber RB. (NOT DONE)

 

We nailed 3 of Four Things, but it wasn’t enough. Next week we head down to Jerry World to give Head Coach Nick Sirianni his first NFC East victory.

On The Whole:

While no loss is good (talking to YOU, Cowboys fans), this one could benefit Sirianni for the rest of his career. He got too cute, and it bit us in the ass. There were too many fundamentals that we didn’t adhere to, and it cost us the game.

Let’s start with our passing game. Reagor had a score called back due to stepping out of bounds, but even on Watkins 91 yarder, and a couple of Smith’s incompletions, you saw our WR’s pinned against the sideline.

This is because they were running their routes to the outside of defenders. That works against the receiver, because the sideline is a 100 yard long defender. That’s not even football 101. That’s 098 type stuff. It’s remedial. With Sirianni being a former WR, you’d think his concepts would all involve avoiding the sideline.

We got 4 shots from the one yard line, and decided not to take 4 downs and hammer that fucker in. Instead, Sirianni dialed up “Silly Silly” and for whatever reason WR Greg Ward (no stat line) threw the ball out of bounds. ON 4th DOWN! Somewhere out there, Doug Pederson is playing that on a loop and jerking off, while laughing like a maniac.

This was a bad loss. It was the worst kind of loss. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I realize that it was entirely self-inflicted. Here’s hoping we’re smarter next week.

FOUR THINGS: WK #2: EAGLES – 49ers

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/16
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LAST week we dismantled the Falcons, 32 – 6. Our balanced Offensive attack allowed yards to flow naturally, from a well-spring of young talent. This week, a 49ers team who’s defense allowed the Lions to score 33 points, has to try to win at the Linc. Gonna be a long plane ride home.

A win here keeps the Eagles firmly in command of the NFC East. It also forces people to stop questioning last weeks win, and see the Eagles as a legitimate contender in the NFC. A loss, opens the door for a division rival to even up with us. Washington faces New York tonight, so somebody (Washington) has to come out of this with a win. If they tie, I’ll laugh myself sick.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the San Francisco 49ers:

1) Take Away the Edges: The 49ers like to run the ball by moving the entire offensive line to a side at once. When a line blocks like that, it forces a defense to flow with it. So there is no opposing momentum from defenders, because even when they make tackle, it’s going with the direction of the runner. It looks like power, but it isn’t.

It’s a Chinese finger trap. Not knowing why it works, is exactly what keeps it working. As a former offensive lineman, I’ll let you in on a secret: It has a simple solve. Our DE’s have to set a hard edge. Like a rock in a stream. With as much as the 49ers like to get their linemen running, that rock will “bunch” the linemen together, using them to trap their own RB.

See when the Lions DE’s give away the edges?

See the result? Like I said, simple solve. Also, as we take away the edges, that “bunching” will help limit inside running. Our DE’s have to think run first, except in obvious passing situations.

2) Next Level Tackling: Our LB’s have to not stick to blocks and make tackles. None of that wrestling for the ball, crap. At least not early in the game. That keeps resulting in broken tackles and extra yards. Just get the man down. Our Defensive Line will have its hands full keeping he LB’s clean. Don’t squander their work.

3) Get the Ball Downfield: QB Jalen Hurts didn’t really need to throw deep, last week. Our Offense is designed to get the ball out of Hurts hand quickly, so you can bet that the 49ers will be trying to limit our quick options. This week, if Hurts sees a one-on-one on the outside, the NFL needs to know that he will, and more importantly that he can, take advantage of a defense.

The Eagles need to use this game, to let NFL teams know they can’t stack the box against us. If we can’t prove that we can hurt a team from distance, all the nice little things we did last week, will slowly begin to evaporate. We can’t show the league that we’re one-dimensional. We can’t give future opponents something they can be confident about.

4) Screen Sanders: The 49ers allowed the Lions, THE LIONS, to complete 16 of 20 passes (80%) to their RB’s, for 111 yards and a score. I know that our coaching staff is in love with rookie RB Kenneth Gainswell, but RB Miles Sanders runs harder and breaks tackles better than Gainswell. So he’s more likely to exploit a quick, but undersized 49er LB corps.

*****

If we do these Four Things,

Last week the 9ers had to stand on the gas pedal just to beat the Lions 41 – 33. (Nice score.) They had trouble dealing with the Lions RB’s and TE’s in the passing game, as 25 of 31 (80.6%) targets were caught. Any defense that can’t cover RB’s and TE’s, will get KILLED by the Eagles. Getting the ball to Sanders will open up the deep game.

Early on, QB Jimmy Garoppolo may look pretty good, because with our DE’s concerned with taking away the run, they likely won’t get as much heat on him. That’s fine. Once the Eagles establish a lead, the DE’s can pin their ears back. In the meantime, that emphasis on tackling will be huge.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 27 – 49ers 20

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

REALITY CHECK FOR EAGLES FANS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/14
Posted in: Conversations, Fans, NFL, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA beat the holy hell out of Atlanta, 32 – 6 in the season opener. It brings our Eagles to 1 – 0, and puts us in the driver’s seat for the division lead, since no one else in our division was up to the challenge put to them this week. But just how significant was our victory over the Falcons?

Atlanta is a bad team. Let’s get that out of the way, right now. Like us, they were 4 – 12 last year. In fact, they originally were two draft slots ahead of us, until we traded back from 6th to 10th. Their defense was the stuff of comedy legend. Only three teams allowed more yards than Atlanta did. Nobody allowed more passing yards.

As a result, last week’s NFL Power rankings had the Eagles ranked 25th and the Falcons 26th. In an article that the NFL put out last Monday, they had the Falcons projected win total at 6, and ours at 5. All indications had us being evenly matched teams. Except, 32 – 6 proved that we are not evenly matched.

A score like 39 – 40 indicates being evenly matched. 

(Remember how dominant the Cowboys were in this one?)

But back to the Eagles! The beginning of the game saw the Eagles getting punched in the mouth, and it seemed like our Defense would get run over all day. Then our Defense rallied, holding a 1st and Goal, to a field goal. After which, we built from there. That’s character. Which has nothing to do with how good the Falcons are or aren’t, but has everything to do who the Eagles are.

Despite all the media pundits putting rookie TE Kyle Pitts in the Hall Of Fame, prior to even playing a game, he was held in check with a small Nickelback in Avonte Maddox. Atlanta was held to 0/2 in the red zone. Meanwhile our execution had us 3 for 3.

This was all done with a rookie head coach, and most impressively, no turnovers. We committed none, and we got none, and still we blew a team out. We put up a 26 point differential, without taking the ball away ONCE. Did you know, there are teams out there who can’t win a game, even if they get spotted FOUR turnovers. It’s true!

“It was just the Falcons.” Sure, if you’re an idiot. For those who aren’t idiots, this game wasn’t about the opponent. It was about the Eagles. The Eagles didn’t squeak by the Falcons. They did what you’d expect a playoff team to do to a bad team. They wiped the FLOOR with them. The Eagles got punched in the mouth 0 – 3, took the lead 7 – 3 on rookie WR Devonta Smith‘s TD grab, and from there never looked back.

How meaningful was this win? That question isn’t determined by who is, or who isn’t across the line from us. It’s about who we ourselves are striving to be, regardless of who opposes us, or doesn’t believe in us. It’s about being good enough, because we continuously make damned sure, that we are. Don’t let anyone obscure that for you. Not regarding this football game, or in your day to day lives.

And only an idiot wouldn’t see the meaning, in that.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 1: Falcons

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/13
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

PHILADELPHIA put Matty on ice!

EAGLES 32 – Falcons 6

 

EAGLES STATS:

New categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s + 3rd and 4th downs converted of 2 yards or less – sacks allowed); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down stop – FF – TD).

Passing: (S) QB Jalen Hurts (27/35– 77.1% – 264 – 3 – 0)

Rushing: (S) RB Miles Sanders (15 – 74 – 4.9 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: (S) Devonta Smith (8 – 6 – 71 – 11.8 – 1)

Offensive Line Report: (1 + 2 – 1)

Drive Killer: (S) DT Javon Hargrave (0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader: (S) DT Javon Hargrave (3 – 2.0 – 0 – 0)

 

I hear you asking, “What about all the stuff that stats don’t reveal?” Well, that’s the reason for these Four Things articles. It’s to point out what we need to address BEFORE the game. Then AFTER the game, there’s a no-bullshit assessment of whether or not the Eagles did any of what they needed to do, to ensure the win.

So how much of what I mentioned in Four Things: Falcons, did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Melt Matty Ice: Surprisingly, the Falcons coaching staff came out with scripted plays, to get QB Matt Ryan moving on bootlegs and such. We didn’t expect it and it showed. Especially on the first drive. No-huddle, Ryan being mobile, poor tackling. It’s a wonder that we held them to a 21 yard FG.

As the game settled, Ryan’s theatrics stopped. Our interior pass rush kept Ryan from stepping up, forcing him backwards throughout the second half. This is evidenced by our DT’s getting 4 sacks on him. (One of two by DT Hassan Ridgeway (1 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) were wiped out by an intentional grounding penalty, on Ryan. Why he wasn’t ruled “In the Grasp” and the play blown dead, is a mystery to me.) (DONE)

2) Be Smash Mouth All-Stars: Did our RB’s see 25 hand-offs? No, they got 24, but I’m going to have to adjust my thinking about hand-offs and the run game. There were a few runs for Hurts where he was used like a RB, running behind blockers. We ran it 31 times for 173 yards. This is going to be what Eagles Offense looks like under Hurts.

It’s just Week One, but between Sanders 74 yards and Hurts 62, we have two players on pace for 1,000 yards. As for the hand-offs to the right and up the gut: We posted 24 carries for 111 yards, with an 8 yard touchdown up the gut for rookie RB Kenny Gainwell (9 – 37 – 4.1 – 1 – 0) who was practically untouched. (DONE)

3) Get Mitts on Pitts: Let me nutshell this. Rookie TE Kyle Pitts (8 – 4 – 31 – 7.7 – 0) is a mismatch for 95% of the NFL as a TE. However, the Falcons split him out often, and tried to use him like a WR. That worked in college, but he’s not quick-twitch enough for NFL WR. As a result, we kept him under wraps with 5’9” Nickle CB Avonte Maddox (5 – 0 – 0 – 0).

We didn’t do this one, but it wasn’t a failing on our part. While I can’t say that “I called it”, I can say Falcons head coach Arthur Smith not understanding his TE’s limitations, is 33% of the reason the Eagles sit alone atop the NFC East today. Good thing they traded away WR Julio Jones. Had he stayed, this game would have gone differently. (NOT DONE)

4) Run From 21: We played a lot of 21 (2TE, 1RB) and it worked out for us masterfully. It gave Hurts easy completions that stretched the defense horizontally. Which in turn, created outside running lanes when OLB’s had to respect the TE in front of them.

TE Dallas Goedert (5 – 4 – 42 – 10.5 – 1) and TE Zach Ertz (2 – 2 – 34 – 17. 0 – 0), combined for 6 catches, 78 yards and a score, on 7 targets. As long as they produce like this, our inside run game can never be completely shutdown. This is the key to our entire Offense. This is where those 32 points were born. (DONE)

 

We start the season with 3 of 4 the Four Things done, in an absolute blowout of a trash ass team. Now we turn our attention the 1 – 0 San Francisco 49ers, who are coming to OUR HOUSE, next Sunday.

 

On The Whole: On Offense, we threw the ball 35 times and ran it 31. That’s 53% pass, to 47% run. That’s a well-balanced offense, folks. The closer to 50/50 the better, with 55/45 being the farthest deviation under well-balanced. That keeps a defense honest, and gives an offense real options. It also really helps keep a QB’s jersey clean.

On Defense, our LB’s have to stop sticking to blocks, and do a better job of making tackles. Stop holding up ball-carriers to get at the ball. We just end up allowing the pile to move. Let the the ball-carrier create the fumble while fighting for extra yards when stopped well short.

On Special Teams, the feet were excellent. P Arryn Siposs had four boots that had the Falcons starting at the 8, 14, 8 and 18 yard lines. Our returners sucked ass, in this one. There was entirely too much backwards running. That can’t happen at the outset of a return.

We started rough, rallied, and then locked it down. It’s a great start to a season, and a character building win. No need to take a moral victory from a loss, for this NFC East team.

FOUR THINGS: WK #1: EAGLES – FALCONS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/08
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WHAT does an underdog look like? Are they seldom mentioned? We got that. Lightly regarded? Got that too. Thought of as lightweights, even among bullshit rivals? Check and double check! In fact, here’s what NFL.com said about us just this past Monday:

Gentlemen and ladies! Your 2021 Philadelphia Eagles are OFFICIALLY, an underdog.

Fuck the odds makers! Let’s start head coach Nick Sirianni’s career off, with a win! Our rebuilding Eagles come in with dynamic QB Jalen Hurts, vs a defense that in 2020, was 19th in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed. To improve it, the Falcons scarcely added players, but did add a defensive coordinator who retired in 2018, and again in 2020. Makes me wonder how dialed-in, he’s going to be for this.

A win this week, means we’ll have no ground to make up for, with regard to winning the NFC East. (Yeah I said it!) While it’s too early to focus on winning the division, we need to make sure that we don’t fall behind at the outset.

The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.

So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Atlanta Falcons:

1) Melt Matty Ice: In 2019, QB Matt Ryan ran for a career-high 147 yards. So he’s not the most nimble or fleet of foot. Nor does he do a great job of throwing on the run. So the obvious thing to do, is to collapse the pocket directly in front of him, so that he can’t step into throws, and has to move around, and change his throwing platform.

Mentally we’re not going to disguise enough to trick Ryan into making mistakes. He’s too smart, and too experienced for that. What we can do is physically beat on him, mentally harass him, and take him out of the game emotionally, by making him do things he’s uncomfortable doing.

2) Be All-Stars and Play Some Smash Mouth:

Underdogs, motherfucker!

This has to be a game where our RB’s see 25 or more hand-offs. We have RT Lane Johnson, RG Brandon Brooks, and C Jason Kelce. When healthy, they are as good as there is in the NFL and thus, on Earth. Oh, and did I mention that they are healthy. So we need to get RB Miles Sanders running behind the best right-side on the planet.

The Falcons run a 3 – 4 scheme that’s more of a 5 – 2. Their d-line is backed up by a pair of vastly undersized ILB’s. They are tiny beyond the line of scrimmage, so we need to give them a steady diet of inside and right-side Zone running.

3) Get Mitts on Pitts: Rookie TE Kyle Pitts shouldn’t be allowed free releases. Jamming him will give our pass rush, that extra second to force Matt Ryan to move, forcing Pitts (and others) to keep cutting routes short to give the QB an easy target. If we jam Pitts enough, we can routinely turn (for example) a 7 yard Flag into a 3 yard Curl. At which point we’ll have disrupted their entire gameplan.

4) Run From 21: Remember a couple years ago when we kept sweeping the Redskins because they chose to play DE Ryan Kerrigan as an OLB, despite the fact that he can’t cover in space? It led to TE Zach Ertz and former Eagle RB Darren Sproles killing them on the edges. Well the Falcons are making the same mistake, playing DE’s like OLB’s.

Remember this? That’s Kerrigan (with help), failing to cover Ertz.

We still have Ertz, and we also have TE Dallas Goedert, (as well as any RB on our roster). This creates a situation where the Eagles need to abuse the Falcons for short passes to the flat, 5 yard Outs, and such. If Atlanta wants to give away free samples, we need to bring a stolen shopping cart.

If we do these Four Things, we should win this game. In fact, I really like our chances here, despite not having seen our Starters in the preseason. It really comes down to

1) Is our Offense is better than their defense? Yes. It is.

2) Is our Defense better than their offense? Uhhh, possibly.

QB Matt Ryan is an 11 year veteran, who has spent his last 8 seasons with WR Julio Jones (now a Titan). In Ryan’s first 3 seasons, he never reached 4,000 yards passing, or threw more than 26 TD’s. He has to cope with no longer having an outside weapon who warps coverages.

Ryan will be relearning Life without Julio, so we need to (and we can) hammer and harass him, and make him wonder if he really still wants to be doing this. Especially for an owner, who given ten attempts at counting his own balls, would never get the same number twice.

Don’t ask. Just take. We want it all! Socks and draws! This is one that we should win. From the moment we come out out of the tunnel, Atlanta needs to know that, we’re taking all three bags.

If we play our cards right, maybe we can get Atlanta’s DC to retire again next week.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 23 – Falcons 16

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

THE QB OF THE FUTURE

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/09/06
Posted in: Conspiracy Corner, Conversations, Front Office (F.O.), NFL, Offense, Players, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

THIS is Monday, September 6th 2021, and this article will probably seem crazy to you.

While everyone else was yelling and weighing-in on the trade for QB Gardner Minshew, I shut up. What I did was sit back, observe, and consider.

This article marks my first official statement on the trade, or on what Minshew being an Eagle truly heralds. This article is not about this season, but about the future. The long game.

Never lose sight of the long game.

*******

Early in June, I wrote that the NFL is Killing Off All Starting QB’s. I told you that the NFL is changing the concept of the every game starter. I got into the reasons why this is happening, and why it is happening, specifically now.

While it may have seemed far-fetched when I wrote about it in June, if you caught last week’s final preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers, you were treated to more of the Wentz/Hurts, Brees/Hill style of platooning QB’s, that I mentioned in the ‘Killing’ article.

While working on this article, I saw Saturday, that NFL reporter Bucky Brooks put out an article recommending that the 49ers utilize the two QB approach. Figuring that he’d covered it, I almost put this article in my ‘Unpublished Articles’ folder. However, after reading Brooks, I saw that he left it at just the 9ers, and hadn’t really broached the broader subject.

Brook’s article (and even the original draft of this one), mentions the 49ers head coach saying “I don’t need to announce the quarterback, I don’t think I need to announce the starting punt returner, either, but I bet you guys could figure it out,“.

Clearly, the coach was having fun at the media’s expense, but since when was a head coach ever coy about such a thing, two weeks before the season opener? Especially after subbing his QB’s in and out, like a wresting tag team. This is different, folks! Don’t get caught missing the action, while staring directly at it. Don’t let NFL GM’s brag about how they snake charmed us.

Getting back to the Eagles, many people (fans and pundits alike), are speculating that the Minshew trade is about having an insurance policy for QB Jalen Hurts, or having someone to push him. Neither is true. Minshew will play this year. Not just that, but even if Hurts is still healthy by Week 8 or so, you’ll still see Minshew take a few snaps. At least.

Expect to hear (or read) some kooky nonsense about how the coaching staff has “different packages” they want to run for Minshew. As if he has a physical trait or ability that Hurts doesn’t, which the staff desperately needs to get out on the field. It will be utter nonsense. Just enough babble to excite the kind of fan who reads Dave Spadaro, unironically.

In the “Killing” article, I went into why NFL franchises need the two QB system to control their costs. In this article, I’ll add that franchises also need the two QB system, as a means of increasing revenue. The central idea here, is that more games, equals more money. But first, “relics” like Aaaron Rodgers have to be phased out.

The NFL can’t ask television networks for substantially more money, without offering a substantial increase in their product, or finding some other value added aspect. That’s just Sales 101. This is easily solvable by adding more games, which the NFL is eager to do.

We all know that NFL has long had it’s eye on international expansion. (More games.) They’ve also been in talks with the Player’s Association over the years, to find ways to lengthen the regular season. (More games.) Right now were seeing the league attempt to lengthen the regular season, by undercutting the preseason. (And so far the results are ugly.)

Teams can’t play a 20 – 21 game regular season with just one starting QB. The Human body can only take so much punishment. The two QB move, is a move that the NFL has to make, if they want to grow the league. So the NFL has to transition you to being okay with a two QB system. Whether your team runs it or not, is immaterial. The NFL just has to normalize the idea.

Again, this is Monday, September 6th 2021, and this article probably sounded crazy to you. That’s okay. I just wanted to get it on record, that this was another time when I was out, waaay ahead of the curve. While a couple of my “I told you so” articles have been open to interpretation, the one that I will write about this one, won’t be.