WE’RE about to get our first look at Head Coach Nick Sirianni’s vision for the Eagles. The 2021 edition will be sporting a new look Offense aaand Defense. That means any expectations have to be set entirely to the side, until we have some idea of what the team does and doesn’t do, well.
Being a preseason game, we all know that the wins and losses don’t blah blah blah. But that’s just officially speaking. Even getting a preseason win under his belt, would give Sirianni something to hang his hat on, during meetings and film study.
While in a loss, he could point the finger at certain players; in a win, he can heap reward on certain players. For players trying to win roster spots or starting jobs in August, the carrot is a far better motivator than the stick. There is no carrot without winning this game.
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 Pittsburgh:
1) Simple Communication: It will be interesting to see how often an Eagles QB throws to an area where there is no receiver. Or how often a hand-off is poorly executed. It will be interesting to see who calls the signals on Defense, and how responsive surrounding players are to those calls.
The Eagles have to keep things simple, and make sure they are on the same page. This is the first preseason game. While a win would feel nice and be worth some coaching capital, there is nothing smart about pulling out all the stops for a preseason win. Keep it simple. Communicate clearly.
2) Bring the violence: Pittsburgh isn’t still a “pound the rock and iron defense” type of team, but they carried that rep for so long, that they still sort of benefit from it. We can use that. Bringing the pain on tackles, will put the NFL on notice.
Listen, it’s a lot easier to cover a WR on a Crossing route, if he’s spending half of it looking for a FS. Lapses in his concentration means drops, rounded routes, “Alligator Arms”, and other things. So send the message during this preseason: In 2021, the fastest way through Philadephia’sDefense, is in an ambulance.
3) Have A Ball: Across the NFL over the last 5 seasons (2016 – 2020), there have been 86 defensive safeties. That’s just 17.2 per season, among 32 teams. The rest of the scoring is done via touchdowns and field goals, both of which require physical possession of the football. If the opponent doesn’t have it, they generally can’t score. So go get ball. When we do get ball, keep ball. Move ball. Score ball. None of this is complicated. DO THIS.
4) Shelve the Cute Shit: Every team likes to run trick and gadget plays. Offensive coaches live to show us all how smart they are. Well, save it for after our Offense has the basics down. More than that, let’s show teams that we can win in a straightforward manner. Winning the division would be nice, but HOW we win it, forecasts how far we can go in the postseason.
If we do these Four Things, the Eagle should win in a walk.
As we saw against the Cowboys in the Hall of Fame game, Pittsburgh is also trying to figure things out. While QB Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play in that game (so their offense struggled), he also didn’t play in that game (so this is his first taste of a new system). Sauce for the goose.
Still, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin knows his players and how to guide them. Sirianni is entering his first engagement as the leader of an NFL team. If the Eagles talent takes over this game, it could get ugly for Pittsburgh. That said, if it comes down to coaching, expect Tomlin to take our rookie to school. In fact, maybe we should hope that he does.
PREDICTION: EAGLES 13 – Steelers 20
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
LOOK at that! The Bengals have converted their field from grass to mattresses. Not only has it already improved the look of their stadium, but their owner thinks it will extend, or at least not keep shortening, the lifespan of QB Joe Burrow. The team is also asking the league to allow Burrow to wear several pillows duct taped to his helmet. It’s either that or spend the money to protect him.
Steelers LB T.J. Watt increased his sack total for the third straight year in a row. Due to notching 16.5 sacks, he continues to be above criticism. This is despite sporting a missed tackle percentage of over 10 percent, in every season of his career. If only there were some sort of clue about how to fix the defense…
The carriage turned back into a pumpkin, and the horses turned back into rats, as the Browns returned to reality and went 3 – 14 this year.
Somewhere out there is a desperate Browns fan, carrying a clear, platform shoe, and searching for Princess Odell.
Ravens K Justin Tucker’s rap/opera album “Come Kick It Wit’ Me” shot to the top of the Italian pop music charts this year. Sighting how he didn’t need this “NFL boll sheed no mo’ ”, Tucker announced his retirement. After which he flipped the double-bird, as he rode away barefoot in a kiddie pool, which was situated in the bed of an El Camino. There was no water in the pool.
NFC NORTH!
Raise your hand if you predicted the Lions going 14 – 3, getting a first round bye, and winning it all.
“It’s better than drinkable water!” was how one fan described the Detroit Lions Super Bowl parade. Thousands of fans came out to celebrate and cheer their team, not long before tens of thousands of muggers descended on both the fans and the players. The car-jacking of a parade float would be the low-point of the day, and perhaps the lowest in all of American history.
After a just barely failing to qualify for a wild card berth, a 9 – 8 Minnesota team is still unsure if they’re a bad team that frequently overachieves, or a good team that chokes at the slightest sign of true relevance.
As Chicago continues their search for a passer, Bears QB Justin Fields was traded to Buffalo for QB Mitch Trubisky. One Chicago football fan said “Eh, it’s good we went an’got a veteran quarterback now, ‘cause Fields played like a rookie. I mean, why din’t he just look at what Tommy Bradley does in Tampa, then come right out and copy exactly what he saw?How hard could dat be, right?? Anyways, Trubisky sounds like a good Polish name. It feels familiar. I like it.”
After another implosion in the second round of the playoffs, QB Aaron Rodgers is continuing to act like he’s doing Packers fans a favor, by allowing them to overpay him millions more than he’s ever truly deserved. Perhaps Green Bay should have double checked for a discount.
AFC WEST!
After not allowing fans in to SoFi Stadium at all in 2020, the LA Chargers opened their arms to their loyal, fickle, frequently disinterested fan base. In a stadium that seats 70,000, the Chargers drew an average of 28,000 to their games. Somewhere the ghost of Al Davis is laughing so hard, that he’s gasping for air.
Despite being heavily favored by odds-makers, the Raiders Super Bowl loss continues to confound people. Suddenly retired Raider QB Derek Carr, could not be reached for comment as he was out on his yacht. The gold one, not the one made entirely out of stacks of money. His agent Pete Rose also declined comment.
The Chiefs were expected to have a more difficult road, but no one thought they’d miss the playoffs. As a disciplinary measure for yet another violation of team player conduct policy, Andy Reid ate WR Tyreek Hill, prior to the final game of the preseason. When asked if he regretted having eaten the WR, coach Reid responded “Listen, you’d expect athlete meat to be tough, but Tyreek, he was something special. Didn’t even need a marinade. Wait. What was the question?”
The Denver Broncos are trying to decide whether to screw over either another old RB, or another young QB, during this offseason. Either way, it will most certainly cripple the team’s offense next year. Their fans of course, will again feel like they’ve been stabbed directly in the face, when the team spends their top pick on a WR.
NFC WEST!
The 49ers, who paid QB Jimmy Garoppolo 26M$ to sit and watch rookie QB Trey Lance have an up and down year, will still owe Garoppolo 27M$ next year. Worse yet, they likely have to endure at least one more year with him on the roster, as he won’t waive his no-trade clause. That is, unless he gets an offer he likes, from a team that won’t mind him throwing with his eyes closed. Still, the defense was good enough for the team to post a 10 – 7 record.
Seattle RB Rashaad Penny was surprised to learn that the team is declining to pick up his 5th year option. Penny was selected in the first round of the 2018 Draft, but didn’t get his first start until 2021. In that game, he had one carry for 8 broken tackles, and a 63 yard touchdown. It also resulted in a torn hamstring which ended his season. Tore it right off the bone! When asked whether Penny is “a bust”, GM John Schneider, shrieked, burst into tears, and attempted to answer questions. He however, couldn’t be understood through his high-pitched, racking sobs. Seattle predictably bowed out in the second round of the playoffs.
No matter how much talent Arizona adds, sub .500 is the best God will allow. In other news, QB Kyler Murray married the dancing hula girl on the dash board of J.J. Watt’s car.
It was a beautiful ceremony. When Murray stood on a chair to kiss his bride, there wasn’t a dry eye to be seen, according to Stevie Wonder, who was told that he was in attendance.
The Rams added a ton of weapons in the offseason, but neglected to help their offensive line. This led to QB Matt Stafford being lost for the year in Week Two, and also left the run game stuck in neutral since the preseason. Give you one guess what they’ll be taking with their first round pick this year. Oh wait! They won’t have a first rounder this year. Or next year. Dopes.
AFC SOUTH!
After partially tearing the meniscus in his right knee in training camp, it was quickly thought by both QB Carson Wentz and the Colts front office, that the smartest thing would be for Carson to just rest, relax and let that tear take 3 to 5 months to heal on its own. While the Eagles paid him 34 million dollars.
Though Wentz played only half the season, taking just under 50% of the snaps, the Colts almost rallied to make the playoffs, going 7 – 1 with Wentz starting. Pretty smart trade. Especially since Wentz didn’t count against the Colts 2021 salary cap.
On a roster that features RB’s David Johnson, Mark Ingram, and Phillip Lindsay, you probably would never guess who led the team in rushing yards. It was Texans QB Tyrod Taylor, who spent the season running for his goddamned life. In the hopes of not suffering another punctured lung, Taylor racked up a career best 836 yards. Meanwhile, R. Kelly is alleging that QB Deshaun Watson inappropriately… (No. I’m going to draw a line here. Gotta preserve a little class.)
WE WILL SUCK YOUR DICK!!!! That’s the Jaguars latest promotion to get people to come to the stadium. Lord knows no one wants to watch them play football. Look at all the upgrades! Super-fast WiFi, an impressive sound system, they put in a party deck, a pool… They’ve done everything they can to avoid improving the team. Now the team has executives slobbing knobs. And they’re all so bad at it! C’mon folks! More spit, less teeth. This is basic stuff!
The Titans were the favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, until QB Ryan Tannehill tore his Achilles in Week One, and QB DeShone Kizer “Soze” stepped in and killed the whole team. Kizer continued the 0 – 15 magic that he had in Cleveland, going 0 – 7 before being benched for QB Logan Woodside… who then promptly tore his ACL, meaning that Kizer would come back out, and finish the season. Kizer went 0 – 15 (again), even though he also lost the two games started by other QB’s.
NFC SOUTH.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have increased their reward for information about head coach Bruce Arian’s whereabouts. Police are looking at DT Ndamukong Suh as a person of interest because, well… Because he’s fucking Ndamukong Suh! I mean come on!
With the retirement of QB Drew Brees last year, the Saints 6 – 11 season shows that they have gone back to being the hapless, talent squandering, afterthoughts that have historically always been. Fans are taking it well, saying that their relevance was nice while it lasted.
The Falcons 5 – 12 record was predicted immediately after they traded WR Julio Jones to Tennessee last year. For a team with no defense, keeping Jones to go with their other weapons, would have made outscoring opponents easy. But Atlanta said “Fuck that!” and thew their easy button out of a tenth floor window. Nowwww look at them. Just look. SMDH.
Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey spent this season being 25 going on 35. Bouncing back from an injury, while being the focal point of an offense, with a QB trying to re-hab himself from having been a Jet, did no favors for McCaffrey. His 663 yards in 10 starts, will likely have the Panthers spending yet another late round draft pick on a RB, who is ill-suited to ever being a starter. Or a contributor. These guys just can’t learn.
AFC EAST!
The NFL finally made good on its threat to banish the Jets, who can no longer be referred to, as a “professional” football team. As the NCAA has not yet agreed to take them, the Jets have no official league designation yet. The CFL hasn’t offered a verbal or written response as to whether the Jets can seek asylum in Canada. However, the CFL’s pursed lips and side-eye, have offered a very strong hint about where they stand on the issue.
Bill Belichick has coached his last game for the Patriots. He is expected to take the job in Tampa Bay, after coach Bruce Arians suddenly went missing. QB Tom Brady is telling Congress that they cannot search his house.
Buffalo WR and anti-vaxxer Cole Beasley is recovering from the Delta variant of Covid-19. Luckily his access to the best medical treatment that NFL money can buy, put the odds for a full recovery, heavily in his favor. His wife Krystin however, was not an NFL employee. Get vaccinated.
After having changed his name from Jomal Wiltz to Jamal Perry in 2020, the IRS caught up with the Dolphins CB anyway. This goes to show, if you’re going to change your name, do it before you’re on television at least 17 times a year.
NFC EAST!!!
For the second year in a row, Washington won 7 games! While their 8 losses are fewer than the 9 from a year ago, their 2 ties offer little in the way of optimism. Because of that, there is currently a split in their fan base. Half of their fans argue that the 7 – 8 – 2 team, is an 8 – 8 team (“Because two half wins, equals one whole one. Dummy!”). Meanwhile, other half of their fan base sees the team as 7 – 8, and thus improved over 7 – 9 (“Because thems two ties cancels theyselves out. Stupid!”). Either way, the rest of us just see a degenerate, losing team that missed the playoffs.
The giants didn’t have to depend on a division rival to get to the playoffs this year, because they used StubHub! They got a great price, on great seats, and watched the Lions model the sort of franchise New York hopes to become. Maybe next year the giants won’t go 5 – 12, and they’ll qualify for a playoff berth on their own. Hey! The giants in the playoffs! Look at me! I got jokes!
The Cowboys went 12 – 5 and easily won their division. With a 5,000 yard passer, a 1,700 yard rusher, and THREE 1,000 yard receivers, right out of the gate, Dallas took the NFL by storm. Which is why their first round dismantling in the playoffs was so surprising. The 41 – 6 walloping at the hands of QB Joe Flacco, will forever be known in NFL circles as “The Dall-Ass Whipping”.
The Carson Wentz trade didn’t yield the Eagles a first round pick, and QB Jalen Hurtswas so bad that he was benched by Week Nine. Also, Head Coach Nick Sirianni retiring mid-season to join a professional Rochambeau league, didn’t surprise as many people as you’d think.
After which the hapless Eagles managed to rally and stumble into the playoffs as a wild card. At which point they utterly shelled the Cowboys 41 – 6, before losing to Detroit in the second round.
DISCLAIMER: If you use this article for gambling or betting purposes, you’re an idiot and your money is safer with other people. Don’t be dunce. Stop gambling on sports.
KEEP in mind, when these predictions come out, no one knows who will be drafted by which team. So this is an assessment of the team as it is staffed by veteran players with track records.
Rookies may contribute heavily to their team, but they don’t usually shake up the NFC East as a division. That being said, there’s a pretty good chance that what you see here, will be how it shakes out for the year.
Now let’s look at 2021:
If you’ve read all of the articles leading up to this, you’ll understand my conclusion. Good job! If you didn’t, you’ll likely be annoyed because you did a bad job of preparing. The fact is, I gave NO team’s overall offense a passing grade, and I gave NO team’s defense one either.
Instead of rating units (offense, defense, special teams), this year everyone was so weak in key areas, that I was forced to award points for positions. So if this year’s report feels different than another year’s, rest assured, it is.
Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA
Yeah. I was surprised too. I gave no team points for QB, as everyone either has to prove themselves (Prescott, Hurts), or they’ve been trash historically (Fitzpatrick, Jones). Of all the teams here, Philly is the only one without an immediate need for offensive line help, as they are the only team in the division who doesn’t need help at OT, and even have competition there. They also have the best TE situation in the division by far, and a complete stable of RB’s. What they lack is WR firepower, but that’s more of a playoff problem, than a regular season issue.
Weakest Offense:NEW YORK
They have one OT and a C. Everything else is in a state of unnecessary upheaval. This team’s offense used to run through RB Saquon Barkley, but that can’t happen this year, as he’s just getting back from a torn ACL. QB Daniel Jones has to step up and prove that he can carry the… Sorry. I had a laughing fit. Jones is on his last leg as a starter, and it’s the worst kept secret in all of sports. Sadly too many of the pieces just don’t complement each other. It’s awkward. It boxes lefty. This offense was ruined in the front office, and it gets worse every year.
Strongest Defense:WASHINGTON
All four teams have issues in the secondary. That can’t even be debated. Of all the teams, Washington has the least issues and the best front seven. They can play their base 4-3, but they can easily flex to a 4-3 under, or to a 3-4, without changing personnel. NY wants to be multiple, and still can’t pull it off as well as Washington can.
Weakest Defense:DALLAS
They not only have everyone’s coverage problem, they also can’t rush the passer. They have a pair or good young LB’s in the heart of their unit, but that wasn’t enough last year, and won’t be enough this year.
Strongest Special Teams: DALLAS
They have a pair of reliable legs. Nothing fancy, but reliability is how you win field position battles. Which in turn is partly how you win games. Especially close ones.
Weakest Special Teams:PHILADELPHIA
A Kicker who seems to be rotting away on the inside, and a Punter who’s entirely an experiment from another part of the world.
Projected Winner: WASHINGTON
Having the most solid defense in the division cannot be ignored. Their offensive woes are partly due to focusing on adding defensive talent, and partly due to a scheme which relies too heavily on being cute, instead of being smart. Last year they went 5 – 1 (out of 7 wins), under game managing QB Alex Smith. This year their starting QB likes to gamble with house money. On it’s own, this team can’t win the division. But they could get by, with a little help from their friends.
Darkhorse Winner:PHILADELPHIA
New York is a team rotting on the vine, and Dallas doesn’t think they need a defense. Besides, whenever the Cowboys see something they don’t like in the mirror, they just cover it and add another WR. QB problems be damned, there is no way a team with so much talent on it, should have finished 6-10. I meant the Cowboys of course. There is no way I could have been talking about the giants.
After taking a looooooong look all four teams over this last month, I’ve noticed that Philadelphia is not nearly as far away as many people, (including me initially) might think. Currently, they have the most complete offense, and the second most complete defense in the division. If they end up putting things together at the QB position, the Eagles will have people treating them like a team that’s missed the playoffs for the last decade, instead of the team that has won the East, two of the last four times.
KEEP the streak alive! The Eagles will be looking to start the second half of the year, like they should have started the first: By putting down a division rival. This is no time to play down to our opponent. Instead, we have to get back to the competent play-calling that made execution and game-flow, seem almost Zen-like.
A win here puts the Eagles at 4 – 4 – 1 (.500), while driving the giants down to 2 – 8. A loss, still has us leading the division, but it lifts everyone behind us. While this isn’t a “must win” game, winning this week would the division lead on a high shelf, in a division full of short arms and legs.
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the giants :
1) Hand the ball off 20+ times: The only game where I called for 20+ handoffs and we lost, was the Rams game. The other 4 times: 3 wins, 1 tie. To sweeten the pot, we get RB Miles Sanders back this week. To give ourselves the best chance to win, we need to run the ball both early and often. EARLY! And OFTEN!
2) Play gap control defense: The giants seem to have found a runner that they feel good about, in addition to having a QB with some mobility. Take that away early. Force early 3rd and longs, then bring a 5th rusher like MLB T.J. Edwards from their offense’s strong-side. Not from the edge, but between DE Brandon Graham and DT Fletcher Cox. Let their QB see the rush. Speed up the clock in his head, while taking away his favorite scrambling side. Force him to his left. From there he will find ways, maybe even invent ways, to get our Defense the ball.
3) Spread them out: In the last match-up, our Spread formations kept the giants out of their base defense, robbing them of any real pass rush. Do this again, and run the ball down their throats. Getting back WR Alshon Jeffery this week should make this part so easy.
4) Mix up our coverages: In the first meeting, the giants scored a redzone TD by preying on the way Eagles DB’s switch off coverages. It was a film study TD, and I tip my cap to the giants for the excellent prep. Kudos. This time we need to feed them a few looks with similar keys, so that we can bait them into throwing balls into places where they shouldn’t be. It’d be nice to see CB Darius Slay finally get himself a souvenir from this season.
If we do these Four Things, the final score should be:
PREDICTION: EAGLES 30 – giants 14
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
THIS week’s opponent is garbage. They are 1 – 5 trash, and they play like 1 – 5 trash. The last two weeks saw us nearly snatch two games, from teams with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. This year’s giants could never do that. So we need to got out there, and not play down to them. Injuries be damned.
With Dallas (2 – 4) losing to Arizona on Monday, a win over the giants on Thursday would put us at 2 – 4 – 1. Our winning percentage would be .357 to their .333. Pathetic? Sure. But it would still be the division lead? You bet! (Of course until Sunday, when Dallas shit cans Washington.)
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT.If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the giants :
1) Hand it off 20 times: The handoffs aren’t about making yards. The giants are stout inside, and we’ll be leaning in RB Boston Scott. So no one expects miracles. The handoffs are to set-up play-action, keep pass rushers off of QB Carson Wentz, and not have our Defense on the field all game long.
2) Be sack religious: Go get the QB! In recent weeks he hasn’t shared the ball as much with opponents, because he hasn’t seen serious pass rush. Pass rush is what our defense does best! So go get him!
3) Spread them out!: The giants run a base 3-4 defense. Being that we we’re down to 3rd and 4th string TE’s, we should run less 12 personnel, and more 11 and 10. Use a Slot WRs to force them out of their base, make them smaller and give ourselves the corners to run the ball. WR’s J.J. Arcega-Whitesideand Travis Fulgham, match-up well as blockers vs the giants Nickel and Dime DB’s.
4) No 50 yard field goal attempts: This is not an indictment on KJake Elliott’s ability to kick from distance. It’s to put the pressure on the Offense. This is Cortez burning the ships. Let’s be honest, the schedule only gets harder after the Bye. This game is an opportunity to work on and tighten things up. We should be able to win while doing so. If not… then the remainder of the season probably doesn’t matter.
If we do these Four Things, the final score should be:
PREDICTION: EAGLES 24 – giants 16
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
WE shit the bed Week 1, and rolled over in it Week 2. On the upside, finding our run game led to our QB not being sacked once, behind what is STILL a makeshift Offensive Line. That sort of stepping up is why injuries can never be used as an excuse here.
This is a battle of two 0 – 2 teams. Some say that something’s gotta give, and so an Eagles win won’t be much of a big deal. Those people are dead wrong. This team is currently just a single game behind. We have two losses, and are still just ONE game behind. We aren’t exactly chasing the ‘72 Dolphins here. A win mean means a lot.
A win gets us to 1 – 2, and back in the national conversation with regard to who wins our division. A loss puts us at 0 – 3 and in the basement with a jackhammer.
The point ofFour Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics will practically guarantee our Eagles this win. CAUTION: I don’t have the faintest clue as to what a point spread is, and I know even less about how it works. I know football and that’s IT. If you use FT as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Bengals:
1) Give the rush time to get home: Everyone is talking about how disappointing the Defensive Line is, and it drives me nuts. Are we being shredded by numerous deep, accurate throws? Nope. Opposing QB’s are getting the ball out of their hands quickly. Which means that opposing receivers are uncovering quickly. Which means the coverage is shitty. (This is the same coverage that had GM Howie Roseman boasting about WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside during Training Camp. So keep in mind that our Secondary may be trash.)
If Not Malcolm Jenkins wants people to stop bringing up Malcolm Jenkins, he needs to give us a reason to stop missing Malcolm Jenkins. Otherwise, we’ll keep saying Malcolm Jenkins, when we say we miss Malcolm Jenkins.
2) Trust the Offensive Line: After taking an 8 sack beating during Week 1, QB Carson Wentz’s Week 2 accuracy came into question (despite receivers getting two hands on some of those “errant” passes). He was clearly rushing passes, forcing passes, and (in my opinion) seeing ghosts.
After a week of being able to run the ball and not getting beat to shit, he’ll have some reason to trust his Line again. If he does, he should look more like himself, in terms of his processing and delivery mechanics.
3) More balanced play-calling:
Week One (42 passes, 17 called runs) 71.1% passing.
Week Two (43 passes, 24 called runs) 64.1% passing.
So far this season, we’ve thrown the ball 67.4% of the time. No one will buy play-action from a team that never hands the ball off. We’re telegraphing to opponents that they can unload the box, and pin their ears back. That makes it harder to utilize all the speed we added this offseason. Even a 34 pass to 26 run ratio, would change that.
4) Do the hardest thing: Dear Eagles, Right now the hardest thing for this team (or any losing team, trust me, I’ve been there), is remembering to have fun. Remember why you compete. Remember that you love to show off. Are you better than the man across from you? Then PROVE IT TO HIM. Prove it to his woman watching at home. Prove it to his mother, who’s hoping you don’t kill her boy. Prove it to his father, who this week can’t say “I taught him that!”
This is just Week Three. This is no time for the ‘Dig Down Deep!!!’ speech. It’s too early for the ‘Who Wants It More?!’ speech. This week’s speech is the ‘Trust Your Brother, and Have Fun’ speech. Don’t go to work this week. Don’t “practice your craft” this week. Just go out there and play football. Let’s see some joy out there. Let it be infectious. Just don’t get Covid.
If we do all these things we should win, with a score looking like:
PREDICTION: EAGLES 27 – Bengals 23.
Check back in a couple of days forFour Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how it went.
KEEP in mind, when these predictions come out, no one knows who will be drafted by which team. So this is an assessment of the team as it is staffed by veteran players with track records.
Rookies may contribute heavily to their team, but they don’t usually shake up the NFC East as a division. That being said, there’s a pretty good chance that what you see here, will be how it shakes out for the year.
Now let’s look at 2020:
Strongest Offense: PHILADELPHIA
This Offense won the division last year on spare parts. To imagine that they won’t be more potent at full strength, is naive. Oh, and they still have most of those spare parts under contract. Oh, and then there’s that whole thing about the players not having to learn a new system. Fact is, if the season were to start today (and we are discussing today’s rosters), Philadelphia’s second string would be more ready than their rival starters, who have yet to even do basic installations of their systems.
Weakest Offense:WASHINGTON
This unit has deficiencies everywhere, and they haven’t even decided on who will be their starting QB. That will lead to leadership issues, and a lack of uniformity in how players execute technique in their approach to the new offensive system.
Strongest Defense:PHILADELPHIA
Keep in mind this is mostly a rating of the athletic talent and experience. This rating does not take into account the defensive systems that teams will run. Talentwise, both New York and Washington are on Philadelphia’s heels, and Washington will likely run a better system. This however, is about how things stand today, BEFORE the draft, BEFORE camp, and BEFORE injuries. At this moment, Philadelphia owns the edge in talent, experience, and intel on rivals. Also keep in mind, anything that can improve for the other three teams, are also things which can still improve for Philadelphia.
Weakest Defense:DALLAS
The secondary is a mess. The hole left by an OLB’s injury in Week 11 last year, still has yet to be addressed. A series of desperation moves were made to shore up a defensive line that suffered a bug loss. Worse yet, if the offense sputters, the workload will shift to a defensive unit built for speed, not for the pounding of being on the field for 33 to 35 minutes per game.
Strongest Special Teams:WASHINGTON
Washington has the division’s most reliable kicking game, and the only return unit to be concerned about, at this point. On its own it won’t win any games, but if this unit can get some help, it could turn into a couple of upsets this season.
Weakest Special Teams:PHILADELPHIA / DALLAS
Neither team has a returner to be concerned about, and both allow too many punt return yards. It can be argued who has worse kicking. While Philadelphia’s kicking game is eroding slowly enough to barely notice it, Dallas is holding auditions for anyone who might be reliable. In either case, neither team shows much cultural respect for the hidden yardage game anymore.
Projected Winner: PHILADELPHIA
As it stands today, Philadelphia is a 9 win team. New York is a strong 7, with Dallas hovering at 6 (without their QB). Amazingly, Washington may see their win total double from 3 to 6.
Philadelphia did it’s rebuild early, and now gets to watch the rest of the division suffer through one. Despite the holes currently on the team, there is coaching stability, and cultural stability in the locker room. It’s a host of young players who have been battle-tested, working shoulder to shoulder with guys still on the roster. The roster doesn’t hope they can weather adversity, they know they can, because they’ve done it for the last three seasons. Heaven help the NFC East if the Eagles aren’t injury riddled this year
Darkhorse Winner:NEW YORK
Washington has no shot in 2020. Dallas has quite a bit of internal turmoil kicking off right now, and loading up on troubled players, is not the way to overcome internal adversity. Should Philadelphia decide to secede from the NFL, then New York would have the best chance at winning the division. Otherwise, this one is pretty much a wrap for 2020.
THIS is the week. Over the years the Seahawks have had the Eagles number, but that comes to an end this weekend. Not because I wish it, an Eagles fan. Not because I’m trying to put out a hopeful vibe. Both of those are true, but this is more than that.
I can’t see beyond this week. I’m not even trying to look beyond this week. It’s weird, but I’m not even envisioning “what-if” match-ups yet. (Yet.) All of my focus is on how THIS WEEK, the Eagles feel like a team of destiny. I saw it weeks ago, after we lost to Seattle. Remember after we lost, in Four Things Reviewed, I said this:
This game had a lot to do with not having weapons, but there are also a few things that need to be tidied up, if we’re going to make any noise in the playoffs.
WHHHHHA??? Did I just predict this loss, and still say playoffs?
Yes. I did. Stay tuned. Stay dialed in. See you back here, soon.
Who besides me was saying that, back then? Where are we now?
This almost feels like we’re viewing the story of ‘How the Eagles Got There’. Like history has chosen to run alongside us fans, so that we can turn our heads, and see history looking right at us. Meeting our eyes. To be gifted with a view of it, and do what most people never get to do: To understand history as it unfolds before us, in real-time.
The Eagles come into this game missing a number of key pieces, but we’re talented enough, driven enough, mentally tough enough, and experienced enough with this very problem, to handle it. Also QB Carson Wentz has shone brighter and brighter, as the stakes have gotten higher and higher.
The Seahawks are also missing a few key players. However, unlike us, they’re missing players who help underpin the principles of their physical identity. (This is why they went out and signed a player who symbolizes what they’ve lost.)
They aren’t missing their heart, but they’re walking into a fistfight with busted-up knuckles, and sprained wrists. They can and will punch, but it remains to be seen who their punching will hurt more, them or us.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Seahawks:
1) Keep them in their base: Seattle is wounded, small, and under-experienced at LB. So those are just the players we need to keep out on the field. Luckily, due to injuries we still have to run a lot of 12, 21, and 22 personnel packages. So this one should be easy to do.
Our run game needs to attack the edges as well as the inside. If do that, we could get another big game from TE Dallas Goedert, and make life easier for the entire Offense. In fact, with the return of RB Jordan Howard, we could run some Wishbone in 23 personnel.
Imagine pre-snap motion to shift a TE left, get RB Miles Sanders lined up wide right, and RB Boston Scott standing next to him in the Slot. Can you envision how scary that one side of the formation would be? Probably forgot all about Howard back there, with two blockers on the backside of the formation. This would be a wrinkle that Seattle hasn’t prepared for, because we’ve never done it. Just throwing it out there.
2) Keep contain: We sacked QB Russell Wilson 6 times a few weeks ago, and it was great. The problem was, we dedicated too much effort to chasing him, and it opened up opportunities. Like that trick play on Wilson’s lone TD pass. Proper lane discipline by DE Derek Barnett would have prevented that, and might have even turned it into a sack.
3) Be the aggressor:Last time we met, we did a pretty good job of employing play-action early, but we were timid with our route selection. Despite Wentz completing 73% of his passes, we didn’t really threaten the Seahawks, and it bogged our Offense down throughout the game. Especially at key points.
This time, if we’re using play-action, we need the ball in the air and downfield, for 8 yards or better. This would be a great time for WR JJ Arcega-Whitesideto give us that red zone threat we drafted. We’re at home. We’re the 4th seed. We have to be aggressive about tossing these bums out of our house.
4) Cover more, don’t blitz: Earlier I mentioned that we sacked Wilson 6 times a few weeks ago. What I didn’t mention, was that three of those sacks came from our Safeties. Only an idiot or a novice, wouldn’t realize the Seahawks want to exploit that this time. So don’t give it to them. By all means please, use the Safeties to fake some blitzes. But this week, always back out of it, or bring that blitz with some other player. No Safeties. Force Wilson to hold that ball a little longer, and give the rush time to get him.
If we do all these things, we’re just about guaranteed to win. Now that we’ve covered what should happen, let’s get into what likely will happen:
The Eagles will play to stop the run first. DC Jim Schwartz will not stomach being beaten by a guy was on his couch, just a couple of weeks ago. That means that the Seahawks are going to have to rely on their passing game.
Fun fact: In our last meeting, no Seahawk player had more than 38 yards receiving. The Seahawks don’t have a WR like a Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, or Darius Slayton. When we got spanked by those guys, we at least were being spanked by top-tier talent. The Seahawks have none of that.
When we last met, the Eagles were without our top receivers, and were shaky about the guys we had to throw to. Not anymore. Carson is throwing cross-body touchdown passes to third string TE’s, and throwing the ball to draw penalties now. He wun’t doin’ NONE of that back then!
The animal that Seattle last faced, has evolved quite a bit. They last faced a Charmander, and now are about to encounter a full-on Charizard.
Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard.
To quote a guy I used to work with “Sorry ‘bout your life homie!”
LAST week’s preseason game was a chance to learn, and to grow, and to experiment. We were handed an opportunity, and we just (smh) chucked it out a window. I picture a closed door, the smell of mary-joowanna, loud giggling, and Head Coach Doug Pederson inside saying “Let’s bench everybody! Like everybody, everybody. Will the coach let us do that? Oh shit. We’re like the same guy. Yeah. Tell him that we’re benching everybody”.
With any luck, MJ
won’t show up this week.
This week. It’s just preseason. It doesn’t count. The point is studying. Yadda-blah yadda-blah. Have I said all the necessary boilerplate? Good.
Remember when this guy was OUR Opening Day starter?
This game will feature a duel between QB Carson Wentz and QB Nick Foles. They will both likely play less than a quarter, and will be running vanilla versions of their respective offensive systems.
While neither played in their team’s opener, both teams will feel a need to rebound after poor showings as the Eagles lost 10 – 27 to the Tennessee Titans, and the Jags got absolutely shit-canned 0 – 29 by the Baltimore Ravens. (Seriously. They got blown out by a team that can’t even score points.)
Of the Four Things we need to focus on, three are from last week, because we didn’t even attempt them, so we still need to see how they shake out.
So let’s talk about the Four Things we need to focus on this week versus the Jaguars.
1) Starters need to play a quarter:One quarter, that’s it. We need a few looks at how some of the new guys (DT Malik Jackson, WR DeSean Jackson, MLB Zach Brown) are meshing. While we don’t want to overwork those guys, we need a large enough sample size to be able to say “Okay, X has got this” or “X needs to work on such and such”.
2) Go deep to Djax:Not too much this week. One shot over 30 yards should be good. The idea is to test the chemistry between Djax and QB Carson Wentz. If there are any bugs in their timing, now is the best time to throw interceptions. Also, the longer we wait to “unveil the weapon”, the more pressure there will be for it to work, when people first see it. Get the ‘Oooh Ahhh Ohhh’s’ out of the way early.
3) Look good running the ball:Despite all the buzz about rookie RB Miles Sanders, the guy we need to have a big year is RB Jordan Howard. Finishing with a stat-line of (5 – 20 – 4.0 – 0 – 0) with a 10 yard run somewhere in there, would be a solid indicator that we’re better off now, than we were during the playoffs.
4) Generate some pass rush up the gut: DT’s getting turned parallel to the line of scrimmage has to stop. And ( Yo Malik!), it has to stop, THIS WEEK. We can’t have another week of QB’s standing flat-footed and delivering strikes.
If we do all these things, we’re just about guaranteed to win. Ignore that. This is still a classroom. Now that we’ve covered what should happen, let’s get into what likely will happen:
Everybody important will be on a pitch count, so it’s too early to forecast which player to watch out for, or who might have a breakout day. Thus, like last week, this week and likely the next two of these, I will keep things really really general. I hate it more than you do, but that’s part in parcel of these next four weeks.
The Snow Bowl
Neither team played their starting QB last week, and so now a rush has to be put on getting both offenses to gel. This puts both of these teams on the same clock, and makes them easier for me to read in advance.
Since the starters on both teams likely won’t log a down in PsG4, this game will serve as the measuring stick, and then PsG3 will be the dress rehearsal. So expect a little razzle dazzle mixed into both game plans. Less for winning’s sake, and more just to energize the psyche of the rosters. However, when the starting QB’s come out, expect the game to slow to an ugly crawl.
The Jags have homefield advantage, but the Eagles have the more polished roster, with more dangerous players on offense. Seriously, the Jags added WR’s Chris Conley and Terrelle Pryor to bolster their receiving corps. Yes. That, Terrelle Pryor. Him. They’re giving him actual money to catch passes. So we should win this one. The wins don’t count, but if we lose to these pussycats, I’ll dust off my panic button. I won’t press it yet, but I’ll get out of storage with my Chip Kellymemes.
Keep in mind, when these predictions come out, no one knows who will be drafted by which team.
This is an assessment of the team as it is staffed by veteran players with track records.
Rookies don’t usually shake up the NFC East division, so there’s a pretty good chance that what you see here, will be how it shakes out for the year.
Strongest Offense:PHILADELPHIA
While there are issues with the Offensive Line, every team except Washington has issues there. While the Cowboys also have dangerous weapons, they have no proven coaches on that side of the ball. Philadelphia has players, coaches and a system that has yielded two straight playoff runs. This one was easy.
Weakest Offense:WASHINGTON
Lacking a QB, or credible receivers makes the Redskins a team a one-dimensional, running team. Oh yeah, and they have a 33 year old RB as the tip of their spear, and no reason not to load the box.
Strongest Defense:DALLAS
Like Philadelphia, they have a strong front seven. Dallas however, lets their DB’s challenge receivers, which occasionally helps out the pass rush.
Weakest Defense:WASHINGTON
There are holes all over this unit, and they will likely get shelled this year vs deep threats. Their 3-4 system allows too many easy passes to the Flat, and they don’t have the speed to cover deep.
Strongest Special Teams:NEW YORK
Give them credit for turning a liability into an asset. Better yet, give them credit for committing to winning the hidden yardage battle.
Weakest Special Teams:DALLAS
Ignoring depth is how you end up with weakness here.
Projected Winner:PHILADELPHIA
Last year a very healthy Dallas went 10 – 6, won the division, and lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. Last year an injury ravaged Philadelphia went 9 – 7, and also lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. Philadelphia has shown that injuries won’t derail the team from the postseason. Dallas has shown no such resilience. That doesn’t mean it will be easy. The division will be a war in 2019.
Darkhorse Winner:DALLAS
The Redskins and giants are too poorly run to seriously be mentioned here.
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