ALONE atop the NFC East! Feels good to be home, again. Last week we “struggled” to a double-digit win, over a team that was 2-0 and leading their division. This week we get to play host to a Commanders team that has allowed 19 sacks in three games, with a QB who has never played in Philadelphia before. That sound you hear? Those are knives sharpening.
A win here pushes us to 4 – 0, and eliminates the potential tie-breaker that Dallas holds, as the only team currently in the division, that has a division win. It’s early, but it’s good to take care of positioning as soon as you can.
A loss would hold us at 3 wins, and put us behind the Commanders with identical records and them winning the head-to-head. Worse, if Dallas also wins, we’d be behind both teams in third place. So a win here will solve everything.
Who’s Out, As Of – 9/29/23
Washington: OUT – / DNP – RB Chris Rodriguez (Illness)
Philadelphia: OUT – / DNP – S Justin Evans (Neck), S Sydney Brown (Hamstring), WR Devonta Smith (Illness)
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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Commanders.
1) Unleash Reddick:In three games we have just 6 sacks. That’s 2 per week. The Commanders have allowed 19 sacks in three games (6.3 per game), so we should feast. That however, is dependent on whether or not we can OLB Haason Reddick going. In three games, he has 1 (as in uno) tackle.
Not being able to get him going against the Commanders, can’t happen. The Eagles have him lining up at DE and taking on RT’s with a taped thumb. We’re getting pressure but just 6 sacks and we’ve cause just 2 interceptions. Get Reddick outside the offensive tackle, and let him hunt.
2) Finish in the Red Zone: Coming away with a Field Goal beats coming away empty handed, but touchdowns are the mission. This Commander defense has allowed 30+ points in back to back games (Broncos, Bills). This is a defense to get healthy against, folks. The red zone will loosen up, when we don’t reference our QB’s legs, on every play.
This week, the red zone seems like an excellent place to rediscover TE Dallas Goedert off of play-action. Or RB D’Andre Swifton a Middle Screen. A little less running from QBJalen Hurts, would go a long way towards keeping him healthy and us unpredictable.
3) Get ‘Em Down: Part of why we lost to this opponent last year, we our inability to execute basic tackling technique. We just couldn’t get their RB’s on the ground, and they just kept churning out 3 yard run, after 3 yard run, after 3 yard run. It hurt to watch.
This game needs to feature solid tackling, and none of that stuff.
4) Make Penny Make Sense:If RB Rashaad Penny is on the active list for this game, feed him 5 or more carries in the second half. The Commanders have a really good defensive line. Especially the interior, which they built the right way (from the inside out). The thing is, they’re big guys who go all out, playing a lot of downs.
After a half of chasing Swift, and RB Kenneth Gainwell, then cooling off during half-time, give the Commanders interior a banger to contend with. Kind of like working the body, to tire out the legs. So soften up that interior, so that Hurts has a pocket to stand in, when he needs to.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
The Commanders aren’t our real opponent this week. The Eagles are. How much rust have we not worked off? How lightly are we taking this opponent? Those are the things we have to worry about. If we have good answers to those questions, then this week is in the bag.
Yes, yes. Any given Sunday and blah blah blah. Look, this is a division game, at home, and we’re the better team, top to bottom. Unless something goes horribly wrong, this is a “W”. False modesty is as dishonest as bragging about something you don’t have. I will not draw a false equivalence between these two teams/organizations.
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WARNING: 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 Four Things as a gambling tool, then you are a fool trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
LAST year the Commanders (armed with their latest name), finished 8 – 8 – 1 overall, 2 – 3 – 1 in the division, and dead last in the NFC East. With the league essentially firing Washington’s owner during the offseason, there was no one to fire their coach. Sooo, he’ll be back. This team entered 2022 with a lot of questions, none of which seemed to get answered.
Let’s get a look at the 2023 Pre-Draft Commanders roster, to get an idea of who this team is today.
OFFENSE:
QB: They jettisoned Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke, and held onto this guy,
Oh, so they didn’t have one either.
Sam Howell, who was a 5th round rookie last year. Howell had just 19 attempts, but currently owns a 1 – 0 record as a starter. Washington is apparently so high on him, they signed Jake Fromm (NYG), and threw 8M$ at Jacoby Brissett (CLE). Brissett is essentially Tyrod Taylor 2.0. He’s a decent journeyman passer, and is likely only on the roster to teach Howell how to be a pro. Problem is, Washington needs someone to show Howell how to be The Man, and Brissett has never been that. The season is already starting off badly for this team. (-)
RB:Brian Robinson seems to be who the Red- sorry, Commanders- are hanging their hat on, as the basis of their 2023 attack. Robinson’s a physical, between the Tackles runner (797 rushing yards, 3.9ypc). Those traits played a role in him taking away the starting job last year, from Antonio Gibson. Gibson is a niftier runner, but his lack of physicality is hard to ignore. Especially for a 220 pounder.
Jonathan Williams started the last two games of the season and was absolutely forgettable in both games. Jaret Patterson and FB Alex Armah are also on the roster. All these players were here last year, and were totally unremarkable. Perhaps the coaching staff is looking to fine tune their approach, because all signs point to not adding anyone. (-)
WR:Terry McLaurin is the only player on this team’s offense, that defensive coaches feel a need to gameplan for. On just 13 more catches, McLaurin’s 1,191 receiving yards, were 535 yards better, than the 656 posted by Curtis Samuel last year. Last year’s rookie, Jahan Dotson led the team with 7 TD’s and added 523 receiving yards of his own. So perhaps the Reds- The Footb- Are they still the Commanders this year? Do we know that yet??? In any case, maybe “This group of people” are expecting Dotson to take a big step in 2023.
The second tier represents almost no substantial depth. Dynami Brown averaged 28.6 yards per catch last year, and 18.1 during his two year career. However his 43.6% catch rate, means he won’t be trusted with many targets. Dax Milne is a return man. The other three on the roster are just camp bodies. (+)
TE: This team has to spend a high pick here. Maybe a round one pick. Logan Thomas (39 – 323 – 8.3 – 1) is the top of the order here, and not a soul is losing a wink of sleep over matching up against him. He’s good for the run game, but otherwise he’s no threat. John Bates and Cole Turner aren’t causing anyone to worry either. Armani Rogers is QB trying to transition. There is also a guy named Curtis Hodges.
This is what it is. I’m not holding out on you. I’m not under-reporting in order to be funny, or make a point. You see Logan Thomas’s numbers? This is what they have. They didn’t add to it. Given their feelings on 5th round QB Sam Howell, it’s entirely possible that Washington could go into 2023 with this same group, like they did in 2022. Fucked if I know why though. (-)
OT: For the second year in a row, LT Charles Leno didn’t miss a start. That said, giving up a career worst 8 sacks after signing a three year extension last January, was probably not what Washington had in mind. Surely they were hoping for a star, when they stole him from the Bears.
RT Cornelius Lucas isn’t an All-Pro, but he’s better than decent.
As far as depth, Sam Cosmi was called on to start 6 games last season, but played at least 40% of the snaps in 6 other games. That means he saw time at other spots. He may have given up 4.5 sacks last year, but with that much movement in a second year player, the experience will only pay dividends down the road.
Free agent Trenton Scott was recently added to the team. This means players like Drew Himmelman, Alex Akingbulu, and Aaron Monteiro don’t really have deep shots at sticking around long. (-)
G: Andrew Norwell signed with Washington last year, and proceeded to give up a career high 3 sacks in 16 starts. The line was pretty inefficient running the ball as well. They ranked 12th in the league, despite the 4th most attempts, ranking 28th in average yards per carry.
They lost Wes Martin to Cleveland, so they replaced him with KC’s Andrew Wylie who surrendered 8 sacks and was penalized 5 times for 36 yards last year. They already had Saahdiq Charles on the roster, and spent a fourth round pick on him a few years ago. Still they chose to go get Wylie instead. Yikes.
Chris Paul had a start here last year, and didn’t embarrass himself. There are two other guys behind him, but that fourth spot should belong to Paul. (-)
C: Nick Gates fled the giants and joined a division rival for a three year deal paying him 5.5 per season. This automatically gives him the inside track on the starting gig. Tyler Larson got 8 starts last year, but Washington still felt they needed and upgrade. Chase Roullier got 2 starts and wasn’t awful. He’s actually been pretty solid no matter where Washington has used him during his career. Seems weird that they went so far out of their way, just to circumvent their roster. (+)
In A Nutshell: Washington isn’t a place that’s going to attract much top free agent talent, which is why they couldn’t do much to upgrade their offensive line. Unless they surprise everyone, they also don’t have a QB. You can’t win in the NFL without one of those. (-)
DEFENSE:
DE: Chase Young has played in 27 of a possible 50 games over his three year career, netting a totals of 75 tackles and 9.0 sacks. I doubt the team will pick up his fifth year option. Montez Sweat is a passing down specialist, who has been asked to play too many snaps for most of his career, due to injuries to Young. Sweat isn’t a liability against the run, but his 6’6 frame doesn’t help him win many battles in the trenches.
James Smith-Williams in addition to stealing all the last names, has grabbed himself a regular role as a starter, despite being a seventh round pick who plays like one. Efe Obada is coming off probably his best year after defecting from Buffalo. He matched his career-high 24 tackles, and added 4 sacks to boot.
Casey Toohill, and William Bradley-King all have at least a year in Washington’s system, so as depth they’re at least “scheme sound”. (+)
DT: This position is the beating heart of this teams defense, as two of the NFL’s best play side by side, as they did in college. Jonathan Allen posted his annual 60+ tackles and posted 7.5 sacks, as well as a career-high 16 tackles for loss, along with his first interception. Daron Payne earned a new contract buy posting career-highs in tackles (64), tackles for loss (18) and a team-leading 11.5 sacks. He also bagged his first safety. There’s a ton of fight in these two.
Of the reserves John Ridgeway’s 280 snaps (4 starts) far exceeded any other back-up. His number aren’t great, but to his credit, the team was 2-1-1 when he started. That only loss being to San Francisco. Phidarian Mathis was drafted in the second round last year, but in his first game, he tore the meniscus in his knee, and was put on I.R.
Benning Potoa’e (not Potatoe, Mr. Quayle) and David Bada were so good last year, that Washington went out and signed well-traveled Abdullah Anderson, most recently from Atlanta. Anderson finally saw real playing time last year (8 starts) and responded with 40 tackles and a sack. (+)
OLB: Washington is a muddled read here. Last year they had Jon Bostic and Cole Holcomb. Neither is (nor will be) on the roster this season. They added a free agent, and they have a couple of players they could elevate. It remains to be seen which route they’ll take.
Free agent Cody Barton had 136 tackles (5 TFL), 2 sacks and 2 interceptions last year for Seattle. That stat line gives him the inside track on starting, but he’s only signed to a one year deal. Indicating that Washington has someone waiting in the wings. Not exactly an internal vot of confidence for Barton.
Of the three guys who were on the roster last year, no one seems like a favorite to win the job. Khaleke Hudson started 1 game, playing 67 of the 72 snaps he’d play all season. Milo Eifler and Nathan Gerry combined for just 6 defensive snaps all season long. All 6 belonged to Eifler. (-)
MLB/ILB: Jamin Davis can chase and make tackles. Given the line in front of him, you’d expect him to be more of playmaker. David Mayo is just a guy, but he’s been around long enough to know what’s required of a pro, whenever he gets out there. So he’s depth. De’Jon Harris is also on the bench. (+)
S: In just 11 starts Darrick Forrest managed 88 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions. Kamren Curl put up 83 tackles (6 TFL), and 1 sack, but is pickless for a second year in a row. Percy Butler is the third man. It’s not pretty, but it’s stable. (+)
Kendall Fuller being held up by family
CB: Alright. Washington has nine players at this position, but I’m only going to mention six, because the remaining three are hot, roasted trash. Kendall Fuller started every game, grabbed 3 interceptions, deflected 13 passes, and scored twice. But unless you’re a Commanders fan, you’d have to be me to know that. Benjamin St-Juste took over the starting spot in Week 5. While he didn’t make many plays on the ball, he did record 2 sacks. (Not that pass rush is what most seek in a DB.) Danny Johnson also had a sack. And an interception.
Looking to upgrade their secondary, the Commanders ran out and added Cameron Dantzler. Off of waivers. From Minnesota. (-)
In A Nutshell: They’re still solid down the middle, but they’re years behind the division, on the edges. For years Washington has relied on it’s defense to keep them in games, and maintain some semblance of respectability for the franchise. After years of the same coaches, running same system, with more talent going out than coming in, that will all come to an end in 2023. (-)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P: Joey Slye is the Kicker right now, but another season like last year could change that. Actually it’s hard to believe that there isn’t already a second Kicker on the roster. His 25/30 (83.3%) mark only looks worse when you factor in, him being 12/16 from 40+. Even his extra points were an adventure at 24/28 (85.7%).
Where he shined was his 60 touchbacks on 77 kickoffs (77.9%). All season long, opponents only had 15 KO returns in 17 games. That’s helps win the hidden yardage battle and sets the defense for success. (-)
Punting for Washington is Tress Way. Returners felt encouraged to make hay on 34 of his 83 punts (40.9%), but the coverage team gets down there fast enough to preserve 43.0 yards of Way’s 46.8 yard average. (-)
In A Nutshell: There are no clutch performers here, just grinders. This unit is treated like it’s an extension of the defense. It isn’t geared to making a sudden plays. Instead, it makes a creeping difference in games, with regard to field position. It’s a playing not to lose, instead of playing to win. Which shows up in an 8 – 8 – 1 record. (-)
BOTTOM LINE: Barring a couple of miracles in next week’s Draft, this is a 5 or 6 win team for 2023. Which could be great for 2024.
Offensively, letting a 5th round draft pick QB the team is brilliant. He’ll either be a revelation; or he’ll lead them to a top pick in the 2024 Draft. Their best weapon is WR, but with a leaky offensive line and a questionable QB, they may not get a chance to use him like they need to.
Defensively, they’ll just be on the field too much, and wear down in games where their offense can’t keep up. The defense won’t be awful talentwise, but they may end up being statistically awful.
As a team, there just aren’t enough difference makers in any unit. They have a WR, and two DT’s to be concerned about. That’s it. Most everything else is stuff you’d find at a yard sale.
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
Offensive Line Report/Enforcer : (6 + 1 – 2 = 5) C Jason Kelce
Drive Killer : (S) DE Josh Sweat(0 – 0 – 0 – 1 – 0)
Sack Leader : (S) DE Josh Sweat (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 1)
Ace : N/A
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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: COMMANDERS did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
1) Set hard edges: Can’t really complain about this one, though. Washington didn’t do a great job of running the ball (44 – 142 – 3.2 – 1 – 0), but they did commit to it. So it was enough to do two very important things A) Keep the ball out of our Offense’s hands; and B) Tire out our Defensive Front seven.
We wanted Washington to run inside, and Washington wanted to run inside. So in a weird sense, both teams got what they wanted. At least on first and second downs. There were many third downs that were marked as 3rd and 1, that were more like 3rd and a foot, foot and a half. Unfortunately, even though these runs happened where we wanted, those were easy to convert, and kept our Defense on the field. Still we kept most runs bottled, and no one broke anything crazy. (DONE)
2) Invert the Pocket: Nawp! Their QB not only made a habit of getting the ball out quickly, but we didn’t push the pocket in the middle much. That’s a little harder to do, when a defensive lineman is gassed from eating double helpings of run blocking.
Of course, our pass rush wasn’t helped at all, by all the off-coverage that was called in this game. For half the game, I had trouble figuring out who Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon wanted to win the game. There was more heat in the second half, but by then Washington had a full head of confidence. (NOT DONE)
3) Run the Ball More:In our victory, there were 21 hand-offs, so in this one, the order was for MORE of that. Instead, in this game there were just 14 hand-offs, with all of 2 (to two different RB’s), in the first half. (NOT DONE)
4) Devonta De Decoy: I said that if Washington doesn’t shade to whichever side WR Devonta Smith (8 – 6 – 39 – 6.5 – 1) is on, then the Eagles should do what we did in the first game and, let Smith put on a clinic. And we did just that!
Sadly, with us not running the ball, Smith didn’t have as much room to operate and ended the night averaging under seven yards per catch. It also created no room to roam for the other receivers. So this was clearly done, but the spirit of it was corrupted by a lack of commitment to core football. (DONE)
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Despite doing 2 of the Four Things, we lost still lost the game. Next week do battle with the NFL’s strangest situation, as we travel to Indianapolis to take on the 4 – 5 – 1 Colts.
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On The Whole:
This game was a well-deserved loss. The Eagles did everything they could to lose this game, and the more I think about it, the more grateful I am for the loss. To non-Eagles fans that will come across like bullshit. Fuck ‘em. As an Eagles fan, keep reading and you will soon get where I’m coming from. (And you’ll likely agree.)
Right now, it’s 3:33a.m. I’ve changed the cat litter, grabbed a shower, and put dinner in the crock-pot. My point is, before I started writing, I had some time to think, instead of just writing in the moment. So much of that game didn’t sit right with me, and eventually I figured out what it was. It felt like Chip Kelly was coaching.
Remember scoring quickly and leaving the Defense out there, unable to get off the field? Remember having our Defense grow more and more tired as the game went on? Then there was Gannon doing his Bill Davis impersonation. Big time talent at CB, playing on huge cushions, making sure that we couldn’t get pass rush. Remember two seasons of 10 – 6, that led to zero playoff wins?
I would rather lose this game, and have Head Coach Nick Sirianni learn that he can’t get away with Kelly-ing, then to have him (and the team), think that this is a viable formula. Take the loss now, so that we don’t try this shit in the playoffs. Take it now, so that we don’t take it against a Colts team, coached by a guy with a 20 – 16 high school coaching record.
Look, we got away with sleepwalking against the Texans last week, which is probably why we came out so flat this week. We got away with it last week. Taking this loss to an inferior Washington team is embarrassing, but not humiliating. It’s a decent wake-up call, but it won’t wreck anyone’s confidence. It’s just a hard slap in the face.
Better still, teams are going to look at this as the blueprint for how to beat us. Heavy run, control the clock, get turnovers from each of our top four receivers. There are no subtleties about that formula. Nothing is nebulous. Everything is broad. So it gives the Eagles things to work on both as a Defense, and as an Offense.
It gives us some specific things to focus on, which could go a long way to fixing the problems we’ve been having all season long. Things like not playing well for four quarters. Taking our foot off the gas. This loss could make us stronger than we truly were, when we were undefeated. So I’m grateful that it came exactly where it did.
There are no moral victories here. This isn’t about silver linings. In fact, if we don’t put in the work, there’s no reason for optimism. However after this, if this team puts in the work, our best football will be here shortly.
UNSTOPPABLE. We rolled through Houston last week, while practically in sleep mode. I still can’t tell if it was funny, that they were so helpless once we stopped hitting the snooze button; or if it was terrifying, that even playing sub-optimal football, we still cruised to a double-digit win margin.
This week we get shot at sweeping the Commanders. Understand, the last time we faced them, we rolled over them 24 – 8, in their house. A freak scene in their backfield the last time we hit it, sacking their QB nine times. That’s not a typo. It was NINE TIMES, with DEBrandon Graham leading the way with 2.5. This time they have a lesser QB back there. This time they’re in our house, not their’s. This time, we have an immediate goal.
And they, are standing in our way.
A win here, puts us at nine victories for the year, guaranteeing us to finish above the .500 mark. A win here, means that we swept a division rival. A win here, sees the Eagles at the head of the NFL table, for yet another week. A win here, makes the Eagles 9 – 0 for the first time in franchise history. A loss would see us at 8 – 1, but still atop both the NFC East, and the NFL. Damn. It’s good to be the king.
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The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Commanders
1) Set hard edges: This is another repeat from the last time. It shouldn’t be hard to do this since neither of the Commanders runners are Toss or Sweep guys. So they likely won’t fight us on it. They mostly like to run between the Tackles, and we want them trying to do exactly that.
The idea is to gum up the middle, define where the trouble spots will be, and let MLB T.J. Edwards patrol those lanes. Once their run game is contained, then we can pin our ears back and hunt the QB.
2) Invert the Pocket: The Commanders are healthier up front than they were the last time, but we just need to be disruptive. Send DT’s Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave through the ‘A’ gaps. Force their QB to move his feet, so he can’t set them, and drive the ball. We just got 9 sacks and a couple batted passes doing this to QB Carson Wentz.
This time we face back-up QB Taylor Heinicke, who’s 4 inches shorter, with an arm nowhere near as strong as Wentz’s. He plays the same brand of “hero ball” that Wentz does. However, unlike Wentz, Heinicke knows that he’s playing with house money, so he’ll play without fear of getting yanked. His eyes see openings that his arm can’t deliver on, and that’s where the Eagles need to capitalize (or should I say Capitol-ize? Get it?!)
If we can keep his feet moving, the ball will sail on him. And we have SS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson lurking out there. It’s unreasonable to expect as many sacks as the last time, but last time we didn’t get any interceptions. Let’s see how that shakes out Monday night.
3) Run the Ball More: Last time we played, QB Jalen Hurts was sacked 3 times. He had 35 pass attempts and ran 9 times. That’s 44 plays with the ball in his hand. Conversely, there were only 21 hand-offs. So it’s not a wonder that Hurts spent the day getting beat to shit.
How about not letting them tee off on Hurts? (I mean, if our playoff hopes are serious.) We didn’t do a great job of running the ball last time (30 – 72 – 2.4 – 0 – 0), but a hand-off isn’t always about yardage. Sometimes it’s about keeping the defense honest, and stopping them from pinning their ears back to hunt your QB. Capiche?
4) Devonta De Decoy: Earlier this season WR Devonta Smith lit the Commanders secondary on fire for 8 grabs, for 169 yards, including this crazy, 45 yard, ladder climb.
I would expect them to shade Safety coverage to his side early, in this game.
If they don’t shade to Smith’s side, then we should just pick up where we left off. Use Smith to put on another clinic on dissection of a secondary. If they do make the adjustment, then play-action towards Smith, should repeatedly result in a pair of one-on-ones to the opposite side. At which point Hurts just has to deliver the ball to a spot.
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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
This is far from a replay of the last game. The interior of their offensive line is back, but we’re missing DT Jordan Davis(I.R.), who was a huge part of our win over them. They’ll also have the services of their hard running rookie RB, who gives them a presence they just didn’t have, when last we met.
So expect them to be more physical. Expect them to try and make this game into a street fight. Usually as a Philadelphian, I would say, “Pack a lunch and come on wit’ it! ‘Cause we’re going all 15 rounds.” But not this time.
We have playoff hopes. They don’t. We don’t need to spend any more time or energy on this opponent, than it takes to put them down. We know what’s coming. This is just us deciding how it’s going to play out. We’re the better team, but this game isn’t about proving that. We’re just taking care of business. We’re walking into a room, shooting an animal with a bag on it’s head, turning on heel, and walking out. That’s it.
This isn’t a game. It’s an execution. Just like last time.
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Prediction: EAGLES 29 – Commanders 10
WARNING: 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 Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
GENERALLY when I talk football, it’s about my Eagles. I tend to keep mum about our rivals, unless we have a game coming up against one of them. Otherwise, I’ve reserved most talk about them for my Pre-Draft Preview,which drops each April. (Look for it!)
In 2017 however, I decided to try something new, and give our fan base a running commentary of what the division is doing around us. This ensures that Eagles fans actually are the NFL’s best informed, and most knowledgeable fans. (Provided that you visit this site often.) These updates will come out three times during the season: After Weeks 6, 12, and 17.
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This is where things are today:
Washington Commanders:2 – 4, 4th place
The Commanders score 17 points per game and give up 22. That’s the whole story with this team. That’s it. Per game, they are one stop and one score away from being a winning team. However, their big problem, is poor team culture.
The initial tone for team culture, is always set by the head coach. In this case it’s one of easy answers and finger-pointing. Where you have finger-pointing, you will also find low accountability, and a lack of unity. This was demonstrated by head Ron Rivera, when he was asked about why his team was behind other teams in the division, and he responded with “Quarterback.”
He could have said “Injuries.” His team’s best RB, Brian Robinson was shot prior to this season, but he fought to come back; and has just made his first start in one of this team’s two wins. Their best defensive player, DE Chase Young has been out since last season. They’re missing two-fifths of their offensive line.
Yet Rivera went with “Quarterback.”, seemingly dumping the whole mess on QB Carson Wentz. This is despite the fact that Wentz was traded for, because the team was already a mess, and they were hoping he could help clean it up.
With this noise going on, you’d never know that even without Chase Young, this team has five players with at least three sacks. You’d never know that this team is 57% in the red zone. You’d never know that Carson Wentz leads the division with 10 touchdown passes, despite being sacked 23 times already.
QB Taylor Heinicke won’t have anyone to pitch woo to him in 2022
Oh! Speaking of sacks, Wentz has a broken finger on his throwing hand, and QB Taylor Heinicke will be the starter for at least the next three weeks. Also, there is no firm date for Young’s return, and the NFL is preparing to remove the owner, from the team with the stadium that literally shits on it’s fans.
President of the Cooper Rush fan club.
Dallas Cowboys:4 – 2, 3rd place
While losing to Tampa Bay, in the season opener, QB Dak Prescott broke his thumb. A disaster for some teams, but not for the Cowboys. Stepping in for Prescott, was the man, the myth, the legend, the inevitable Hall of Famer, QB Cooper Rush. Like a velvet Mona Lisa hanging in an Applebee’s restroom, he was truly magnificent!
Rush scorched NFL scoreboards from New York to Los Angeles (both were road games!), with four touchdowns in only four weeks, whilst leading the Cowboys to four straight victories. Ever the perfect professional pocket passer, he ran only when he needed to, racking up 9 yards on 9 carries. You could not stop him, you could only hope to contain him!
Coming along for that four game ride, was the Cowboys 3rd ranked defense, which allowed 13.5 points per game, over that stretch. It was nice to see them making their small contribution to Cooper’s cause. OLB Micah Parsons racked up 6 sacks, and was being compared to Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. It was four weeks of utter bliss!
Then there were some troubles in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, in Rush’s last start, the clock failed his comeback effort, by not providing him with enough time. Also, there may or may not have been, three interceptions thrown by Rush. But this isn’t about assigning blame. Besides, it was Parsons fault for letting down Cooper and therefore the whole team. He isn’t nearly as good at getting sacks, when he’s made to cover receivers. There is simply no accountability with him.
So the Cowboys fell from 4 – 1 to 4 – 2. Sadly enough, Dak Prescott gets the start this week vs. Detroit. Even if the Cowboys win, it won’t be the same. There won’t be that Rush that fans get when Coopity-Coop is out there.
New York giants:5 – 1, 2nd place
Even though the prior two teams are absolute circuses, the giants are the team that makes me laugh the hardest. The funniest part is that nobody else seems to see it yet. Not the team, the media, most fans… It’s an absolute riot! After this article you will totally have a different take on their season. I guarantee it. (In my head, I can hear Bill Burr reading this article, and it’s fuckin’ awesome.)
When a team falls short in the playoffs, they go out and get more offensive or defensive firepower. They add a WR, or a TE. Maybe beef up the o-line. They add a pass rusher or strengthen their secondary. Maybe replace a shaky Kicker. The part that double-digit win teams don’t monkey with, is the QB.
A team’s entire offense runs through the QB. Everything from his pre-snap read, his cadence, his way of processing checks, the way he wants the ball snapped, the way he reads a defense, who he relies on in certain situations. And then there’s the idea that the new QB has to learn an entire play-book, and new players, while playing what would be a tougher schedule.
So winning teams don’t mess with their QB situation.
Hey, did I mention that the giants opted to not pick up the fifth year on QB Daniel Jones’s rookie deal? I didn’t? Well, the giants opted to not pick up the fifth year on QB Daniel Jones’s rookie deal. That makes him a free agent after this year. So now if they want him to come back in 2023, they have to pay the guy more than they would have, if they’d just picked up his 22M$ option.
Sometimes winning is worse…
So the giants are on the verge of either giving Daniel Jones a multi-year contract, for more than 27M$. Or, if they don’t, they have to start all over, and hope that the next guy isn’t worse. What do I mean by worse? Do you see what’s happening with QB Russell Wilson in Denver? Or they could draft the next Ryan Leafwhile hoping for a Peyton Manning.
If you’re a fan of the giants, your team is either teasing you with ONE good season, or damning you to four more years of Jones. He’s either your starter next year, or he isn’t. There isn’t a third option! Oh yeah, right now RB Saquon Barkley leads the entire NFL with 771 yards from scrimmage. (Had I led with that, giants fans would have been on the ceiling. Mentioned now, it hardly matters to them. Which goes to show, you can troll a fan base with good news.)
Now if you’re a giants fan, every win will seem like a month added to a prison sentence. If you’re a rival fan, every win makes you giggle a little. Even if they beat your team, there’s sort of a silver lining there, because you know you’ll get ‘em next time. A ten win season is the worst possible scenario for their front office. Imagine having to justify dismantling a ten win team, to 8.8 million people. That’s what they’re facing if they keep winning!
Oh yeah, and their defense is playing extremely well. Ranked 7th in the league! (To giants fans, that just felt like a stab wound.)
*****
So that’s the state of our division rivals as our Eagles head into the Week 7 Bye. See ya in six weeks everybody!
OLB Hassan Reddick and DT Fletcher Cox have a meeting at QB Carson Wentz
THIS wasn’t a game. It was an execution.
EAGLES24 – Commanders 8
EAGLES STATS:
Categories include an EXCLUSIVE weekly Offensive Line Report (Rushing TD’s (6 points)+ 3rd downs converted by handoffs(1 point) + sacks allowed (-2 points)= score); as well as Drive Killer (Int – FR – 4th down Tackles – FF – TD).
New Category Ace is for Kick return TD’s, Returners run-down, kicks blocked, etc.
Sack Leader : (S) Brandon Graham (4 – 2.5 – 0 – 1)
Ace :N/A
****
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: Commanders did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:
Rookie DT Jordan Davis deflects Wentz’s first attempt.
1) Invert the pocket: From the start the Eagles were on this. QB Carson Wentz(24/43 – 55.8% – 240 – 0 – 0) had no room to step-up, and was a sitting duck for 9 sacks on the day. His first attempt was deflected by rookie DT Jordan Davis (no stats), after which: The hunt, was ON! DT Fletcher Cox (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) is up to 3 sacks for the young season, where he had just 3.5 in 2021. DTJavon Hargrave (2 – 1.0 – 0 – 0) had a fumble recovery.
Added to this, was the Commanders in ability to run the ball. They were held to 77 yards on 22 carries (3.5), as the Eagles focused on clogging up the middle of the field. In fact 22 of those yards were from Wentz on three scrambles. Without those numbers, the Redsk- Commanders, ran for 55 yards on 19 carries (2.8). (DONE)
2) Go Deep Off Play-action: We didn’t get around to this until the second quarter, but when we did, it drew a 17 yard pass interference call. There were quite a few deep shots, but almost none of them came with the use of play-action which made things more difficult throughout the game. This was technically done, but was woefully underutilized. (DONE)
3) Score in the Fourth: Not only did the Offense not score in the fourth quarter, we began it by giving up a safety. For the third time in three games, the team fizzled out in the second half. This is beyond embarrassing. It is downright alarming. The Eagles have scored 86 points this season, with 65 of them in the second quarter of games. We’ve scored just 7 in the first quarter (Vikings), 14 in the third (Lions). Zero in the fourth. In fact, the Offense is now giving up points directly. (NOT DONE)
DE Brandon Graham wreaked havoc in this one.
4) Set the Edges: And OB-HOY did they! Our man Brandon Graham (2.5 sacks) ATE TODAY! On the other side of the line DE Josh Sweat (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 0) ATE TODAY! On top of which, they kept the action bottled up, making it easier to close in on the QB. Of course, the Commanders offense featuring a seven step drop, only helps to facilitate DE’s getting to their QB. (It’s why they gave the Lions five sacks last week.)
Our DE play was aggressive, but more importantly it was sound. Contain, then rush. It’s the mindset they should bring every week, regardless of it’s a mobile QB or a statue; a power RB, or a slasher. Good technique yields consistent results, and often consistent rewards. This having been said, I still think Graham’s replacement should be top priority in the next Draft. (DONE)
****
This week saw 3 of Four Things accomplished. This week we got to smack up the QB who helped us win our first Super Bowl, and next week we try to smack up the Head Coach who won it for us. Feels like the schedule makers just felt like being bastards, and making us look like friggin’ ingrates.
****
On The Whole:
Alright. Same as last week. Gripes then glory. Let’s start.
So much of the credit for this win will go to Jalen Hurts and that’s a shame. It’s damned near criminal. He essentially phoned in the second half of this game, like he’s been doing since the season started. I wonder what it would look like if he played a whole game.
If I was RB Miles Sanders I’d start preserving my body for my next team. I wouldn’t come back to the Eagles. The way they dick around with his playing time, (in a contract year, no less!) is disgusting. Especially since the coaches keep putting lesser players on the field, in his stead. Neither back-up can break an arm tackle, and one is absolute liability in pass protection. It’s part what’s wrong with the Offense in the second half of games.
Between not playing our best players in key situations, and doing silly shit like having Devonta Smith return a punt, we’re only outsmarting ourselves. We should have buried Washington in the second half! Their back-up QB should have started the 4th quarter. But noooo! We’re too busy being fucking clever, while posting no points in three quarters.
And now for a happy tune. I want to start with Avonte Maddox tackling a TE, 67 pounds heavier than himself, in a goal line situation, to force a turnover on downs. Trap game, my ass!
WR A.J. “Swoll Batman” Brown
Eagles WR’s played outstanding today. Devonta (Skinny Batman) of course, played out of his mind today. The there was (Swoll Batman) WR A.J. Brown (10 – 5 – 85 – 17.0 – 1) who pulled a man with him into the endzone after a 9 yard strike from Hurts. Unfortunately (Fast Batman) WR Quez Watkins (no stats) only saw one target today.
Jalen Hurts had a very good first half. No turnovers, didn’t run too much, or too soon. He looked good in the pocket. His protection probably would have been better, if the play-calling involved handing off the ball more.
Remember when everyone assumed MLB T.J. Edwards would lose his starting gig to a rookie? Remember when I said not so fast?
THESE LB’s! MLB T.J.Edwards (9 – 1.0 – 0 – 0), and OLB Kyzir White (8 – 0 – 0 – 0) were out there cleaning up whatever slipped through the D-Line. OLBHassan Reddick (2 – 1.5 – 0 – 1) also ATE TODAY!
DOMINATION! Monday’s beat-down of the Vikings, can’t be called a win over a bottom feeder, but maybe this next one can. This week we travel to D.C. to face a division rival that’s giving up 157 rushing yards per game, at a pace of 7.5 yards per carry. That 7.5 is NOT a typo. The last thing they needed was a visit from a ground game averaging 189 and 5.2, led by RB Miles Sanders. Damned shamed, ‘cause here we come.
A win should put us alone at the top of the division, because there is no way the giants beat the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. A loss would put us behind the Commanders, regardless of how the giants/Cowboys game works out.
****
The point of Four Things isn’t to predict a winner, it’s to discuss which tactics would give our Eagles the best chance to win this game. So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week, versus the: Commanders
1) Invert the pocket: Commanders C Chase Roullier is on short term IR with a knee injury. So G Wes Schweitzer will slide to the middle for the time being. Schweitzer has played there twice before, and was injured both times. He’s a back-up, and also kind of smallish at just 300 pounds.
Have DT’s Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis alternate bull-rushing the “A” gap, with driving Schweitzer backwards into the QB. Don’t allow there to even be a pocket. Bend the middle backwards, and get a structure that should be shaped like a “U” to look more like a “W”. That will drive QB Carson Wentz out of the pocket. (Better to face his legs than his arm.)
2) Go Deep Off Play-action: Washington runs a 4-2-5 scheme on defense. This is emphasizing speed over power or size. We can use that to our advantage. Committing to the wrong read, pulls faster players further from the place they need to be.
Use play-action early, to scare their defense from committing to the run, later on in the game. Another launch to WR Quez Watkins in the Slot, (completed or not), would be exactly the thing to back their defense off.
3) Score in the Fourth: Whether we have a big lead or we’re trailing, we need to put up some points in the last quarter of this game. After two games with no points in the final frame, we need to show that we can finish strong, and not just “hold on” at the end of games.
4) Set the Edges: If the middle of their offensive line is compromised, then they won’t be able to run up the middle, and their QB won’t be able to step up. This means everything is either backing up, or spilling out the sides.
Hurry, Brandon!
We need DE’s Brandon Graham andJosh Sweat to define the ends of the line, so that our LB’s can fly to the ball carrier. At least while they’re still trying to run the ball. This also allows the Secondary to focus more on coverage than on filling for the run.
****
If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…
I saw on-line that someone thought of this as a “trap” game. There’s no way the Eagles are looking past or underestimating this Commanders team. Seemed stupid to me, so I waved it off. Then I saw it on-line a few more times. So let me address this.
Trap games tend to follow games that the team had circled on their calendars weeks earlier. What makes the trap game, so dangerous is 1) It’s an opponent that should be easily beatable; 2) The team just can’t get emotionally “UP!” for it.
The Commanders are a division rival. The Eagles will be up for it. This is our first division action, since Dallas’s starters ran roughshod all over our second and third stringers last year. So the Eagles will be up for it. QB Jalen Hurtswill be head to head with Carson Wentz. You’d better believe the Eagles will be UP, for this one.
Speaking of quarterbacks, Carson Wentz is a problem. Last week, under duress all day, and sacked 5 times, the man still threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Local media keeps talking like he gifts four footballs per game. Be nice if he did that this week, but you’d be a fool to put money on it.
If we win this game 74 – 0, it will feel like a loss if Jalen Hurts gets injured. Understand, QB Gardner Minshew is more than just a capable back-up. Like when QB Nick Foles backed up Wentz, we didn’t have a starter and a back-up. What we had, were two starters. So we’re in good hands if Hurts does get hurt.
That said, if Hurts gets hurt, the emotional impact, the blow to the locker room confidence… We don’t need that. So keep him healthy.
****
Prediction: EAGLES 28 – Commanders 25
WARNING: 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 Four Things as a gambling tool, you are trying to lose your money, and will deserve it when you do.
Check back in a couple of days for Four Things Reviewed, and we’ll discuss how this game went.
TRANSFORMING from a WR into a TE. The NFC East has two players attempting this transition in 2022. For the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (JJAW). For the Washington Commanders, it’s Antonio Gandy-Golden (AGG).
Both have been disappointments as WR’s, so they and their teams are hoping a position switch will unleash the potential that got them drafted. The overall odds don’t favor either player, but JJAW is the most likely to succeed at this.
During the offseason, JJAW added 12 pounds of muscle to his frame, going from 225 to 237 pounds. While already being an accomplished blocker from the WR spot, the extra padding will help him when he’s asked to line up as an in-line TE, and block for the run.
AGG was drafted with a 4.6 40-time, and played at 218 pounds last year. He’s somewhere in the area of 230 pounds now, and trying to get to 245. His head coach and teammates say that he just needs to learn how to block. If he gets that down, then he’ll– Wait. What? If he can’t block, then why would they try to move him to… Ugh.
Just goes to show, you can take the Redskin off the helmet, but you can’t take the Washington out of the football team.
JJAW has made his bones as a blocker, and he’s become a key Special Teamer. Those two things say that he’s willing to stick his face in there, and do the dirty work. Perfect! That mentality may just transform a bust at WR, into a match-up problem at TE.
Winning contested balls is what caught the Eagles eye. Combined with his 4.49 40-time, GM Howie Rosemanleapt to overdraft JJAW, envisioning him as a red zone headache. Now in 2022, drawing coverage mostly from LB’s and SS’s instead of CB’s, he may actually become one. Especially if he can eliminate the high percentage of phantom incompletions that have plagued him so far.
JJAW and AGG. The tale of two WR’s trying to become TE’s. One seems set up to fail. The other could possibly succeed. Even wildly.
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.
While rookies may contribute heavily to their team, 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.
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. (Read the supporting articles!)
CONTEXT!
Now let’s look at 2022:
Offense, defense, special teams. Three units, multiplied times four teams, equals twelve total units in the division. Easy math, right? Out of twelve units, only three units across the division either stayed strong or got stronger. Nine units however, either stayed weak or got noticeably weaker during the free agency period. Put plainly, so far the NFC East is already weaker than it was in 2021.
Strongest Offense: DALLAS
They have all kinds of issues with their offensive line, but they have a real QB, and they have the most dangerous collection of skill players in the division. Philadelphia has a great offensive line situation, which allows for the smoke and mirrors, which they use to offset a lack of WR talent or a QB who can read a defense.
Weakest Offense: NEW YORK
Their offensive line is shit. It’s just shit! They have the least talented QB in the division. In fact, it can now be argued that he might not be as good as his new back-up (eventual replacement). Their RB clearly has his eye on the exit, and they lost their underachieving TE, and replaced him with- No. They’re about to draft a TE. They have to be. There’s no way they can be serious about going into 2022 with him as the starter.
Strongest Defense: PHILADELPHIA
This was the easiest call. In 2021 the Eagles surrendered fewer passing yards and fewer rushing yards than the Cowboys. The Cowboys allowed 21.1 points per game to the Eagles 22.6. From that, the Eagles added not just a pass rusher, but a sack artist, as well also upgrading speed at LB. The Cowboys lost a starting DE and a starting S, then replaced neither with a player of similar caliber. The other two teams aren’t even part of this conversation.
Weakest Defense: NEW YORK
New defensive coordinator, a soft secondary, and a bunch of edge players, but no real DE’s or OLB’s. This is the current state of the defensive side of the ball in New York. It’s a toolbox full of hammers and mallets, but no screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches or even a tape measure. And at some point in the next two weeks, a kid out of college will be expected to provide a spark of hope. Yikes.
Strongest Special Teams: PHILADELPHIA
Washington has the much better punting situation, but Philadelphia has a far superior kicking game. However, since punts never produce last minute wins, the edge goes to points.
Weakest Special Teams: DALLAS
New York’s punting situation isn’t “bad”, it’s more of a big question mark. The kicking situation in Dallas however, is pure comedy. This team does such an amazing job of fucking this up every year! They deserve a round of applause for the work they do. I mean c’mon, it has to be deliberate. No one is this bad, this long, without a supreme level of effort being put into it.
PROJECTED WINNER: DALLAS
You’re thinking “Philadelphia won two of these categories to Dallas’s one. So how can Dallas still be the favorite?!”
For the record I totally agree, except there’s two things nagging my mind:
The first thing is, 17 – 37, and 21 – 41. Those are the scores that Dallas has won by, in the two games Jalen Hurts started against them. Those aren’t just loses, they’re blowouts. While Dallas continues to dominate Hurts, picking the Eagles as the favorite is out of the question.
The second thing is, a two game sweep has an effective difference of four games. The make-up distance in a playoff race, between let’s say 4 – 6 vs 6 – 4, is four games. If the Cowboys sweep the Eagles again, that gap would be very hard to make up. Given that the last Eagles QB to beat Dallas was Carson Wentz, there is nothing in recent history to indicate that the Eagles will turn this around this season.
DARK HORSE WINNER: PHILADELPHIA
Overall, Philadelphia looks like the strongest team in the East. The issue is at their QB position. Which is huge. If Jalen Hurts were to take a a couple of steps forward in being able to read defenses, and utilizing his second WR, this Eagles team would sweep the division, and win it in a walk. However, until we see that for Philadelphia, QB is a huge question mark at best, and a liability at worst.
LAST year the Washington (insert name here), went 7 – 10 and finished third in the NFC East. The only thing more disgusting than the sewage that the stadium spewed on it’s fans, was the football that the team played on the field. Turns out that owner Dan Snyder was apparently not only cheating the fans, but the NFL shared revenue pool as well. Surely the Redsk- sorry, the newly named Commanders, have a lot to shake off.
In any case, this is what their roster looks like just 14 days before the Draft:
QB: The same Colts front office that thought they could do better than Peyton Manning (HOF), and then ran Andrew Luck out of football, has traded Carson Wentz (9 – 8, 62.4%, 27/7) to this team, after just one year with their team. Pundits are siding with the Colts (for now), but we’ll see how long that holds up.
Many question Wentz’s decision making (akaplaying “hero ball”) at times, but no one questions his talent. Posting the numbers that he did last year, given his weapons in Indy, (see above link) speaks to that. Oh, remember Wentz’s “injury prone” label? He hasn’t missed a game due to injury in 3 years now. For those keeping score, that’s 85 games played, with 8 missed to injury. Now he gets a shot to shake his “broken QB” label. Stay tuned.
Taylor Heinicke (7 – 9, 64.9%, 20/15) is an average athlete, with above average moxie. Despite having an average arm, he’s more of a gunslinger than a game manager. Translation: He’ll gamble with the football. That, more than any other reason, is why Washington felt the need to trade for Wentz. Still, there’s a ton of fight at this position. Both players have a “never say die” attitude, which could become contagious. That’s impossible to overlook. (+)
RB: Antonio Gibson (1037/4.0/7) led all NFC East RB’s in rushing yards. Unlike is rookie year, he didn’t miss a single game, and even saw incremental improvement as a receiver. He also led all NFC East RB’s in fumbles (6).
His hands and explosiveness are nowhere close to what you’d expect from a guy who played WR in college. In 16 games, he’s produced no runs longer than 27 yards. His game also seems to lack much physicality. Which might be why he continues to struggle with pass protection, and ball security.
Jaret Patterson (266/3.9/5) and J.D. MiKissic (212/4.4/2) give Washington two more backs who can catch. However, physicality, explosiveness, and creativity as runners, seem to be lacking thoughout this position. (-)
WR: Terry McLaurin (77/1053/13.7/5) is alone out there. Even with all the attention that he attracts from defenses, the next most productive players at this position, were Adam Humphries (41/383/9.3/0) gone.DeAndre Carter (24/296/12.3/3) gone. And thenCam Sims (15/211/14.1/2). You are looking at this team’s 2021 TOP four players at this position. (This is very similar to what Wentz just had in Indy.)
The Curtis Samuel (6/27/4.5/0) experiment from last season, was derailed by a groin injury. Washington has to hope that Samuel will bounce back, and 2022’s 3rd round pick Dyami Brown (12/165/13.8/0), can become a difference maker in 2022. Oh they also brought back Kelvin Harmon who spent 2019 with them, then was out of football until now. Ugh. (-)
TE: Logan Thomas (18/196/10.9/3) and John Bates (20/249/12.5/1) aren’t glamorous, but they’re stable building blocks. Thomas had his 2021 shortened by an ACL tear, but is expected back by the start of training camp. He’s not a scary receiver, but he’s reliable. He’s also a vicious blocker.
Bates saw a lot of action later in his rookie year, partly due to injuries to other players. Still, it’s valuable experience, and it gives Washington a solid knowledge base to improve the position from. Sammis Reyes is the team’s two year, lackluster experiment at TE. (+)
OT: In 2021 Washington added free agent LT Charles Leno, and he started all 17 games. On the one hand, their 2021 offensive production improved both in the run game (1,611 yards, 4.0ypc to 2,061, 4.3) and in pass protection (50 sacks to 43), from the prior season. On the other hand, letting stuff like this keep happening
shows that LT may still need some work.
Rookie Samuel Cosmi, outright won the RT job, during training camp. He however, was in and out of the line-up, due to hip and ankle injuries. Rookie Saahdiq Charles filled in during Week 8, and is all of their depth here. (-)
G: RG Brandon Scherff escaped via free agency. LG Ereck Flowers had the best year of his career, and he was still released. Jacksonville’s Andrew Norwell will fill his place, which is a laugh riot. Washington has fucked up here.
Wes Schweitzer filled in for Brandon Scherff during Weeks 3, 4, and 5. Saahdiq Charles got two starts in Scherff’s place during weeks 15 and 16. There are also a handful of young guys, but no one that the team is pushing to play. (-)
C: With Chase Roullier in the line-up, Washington averaged 230.5 passing yards per game. When he went down for the season, they averaged 177.4 passing yards per game, never once throwing for 230 during his absence.
Once Roullier was lost for the season, Tyler Larsen took over for a couple of games before being injured for two weeks during Week 11. At this point Wes Schweitzer took over. Aaand was hurt and put on I.R. in Week 12. Keith Ismael took over in Week 13. Then BEHOLD! Larsen is back to start Week 14, before being injured during that game, and lost for the year. Ismael would go on to finish the last four games as a starter. At least there’s depth. (+)
In a Nutshell: There is a ‘no quit’ vibe coming from the entire QB position. Washington had that last year, but they seriously upgraded their talent there. The interior of their line has been utterly decimated, and the edges aren’t very good. Making matters worse, most of their weapons don’t scare anyone. (-)
Montez Sweat and Chase Young
DE: Chase Young played just nine games before going on I.R. with a torn ACL. Up to that point however, he really wasn’t all that effective. With just 1.5 sacks, and 4 QB hits, he was on pace to achieve half of his rookie numbers. Worse still, with him in the line-up, Washington allowed 29 or more points, five times. With him on I.R. that only happened just once. Washington went 3 – 6 with him, 4 – 4 without him. Montez Sweat started off on a tear, but he ended up missing seven games, during which the team went 5 – 2. With him in the line up they were 2 – 8.
Behind Young and Sweat, Washington has Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams. Laugh if you want, but when they both started in 2021, Washington was 4 – 0 and never allowed more than 21 points in a game. Might have something to do with Toohill and Smith-Williams playing the End position fully, and not just “pass rusher”.
In any case, Young and Sweat will be the starters for 2022. So the pass rushers will replace the Ends, and this defense will be less than it should be, leaving their fans scratching their heads over why it’s happening. Again. (-)
DT: While Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne “only” accumulated 13.5 sacks as interior linemen, they are responsible for 45 QB hits in 2021. Forty-five. As interior linemen! This is a two man wrecking crew. Provided they don’t wreck each other first.
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
That said, with the losses of Tim Settle and Matt Iaonnidis, Washington has gone from having top shelf starters and rock solid depth, to great starters and no depth. Seriously, the jersey numbers for the other two players are 64R and 68R. Camp bodies. The starters are All-Pro, but with no depth, they’ll wear down early in the year. (-)
OLB: Cole Holcomb played 1,021 snaps and had 142 tackles, with 2 picks last year. He’s not spectacular, but he’s a very solid player, who never comes off the field. Due to playing Landon Collins in a hybrid role, no other player saw much many snaps at this position. With Collins now gone, there is zero depth here. They are one Holcomb injury away from a complete disaster. (-)
ILB: Due to injury in 2021, Jamin Davis started 8 games, eventually fell out of favor and ended up behind David Mayo, who contributed 28 tackles. This position is doesn’t have players, it has staff members. (-)
S: Landon Collins was released because he wouldn’t take a pay cut, so that the team could afford Carson Wentz. In 2021,Kamren Curl saw 14 starts at SS, and allowed 59% of passes thrown his way to be completed, vs 73% in his rookie year.
The FS spot was manned by free agent addition Bobby McCain. McCain picked off 4 passes, defensing 9, and notched 63 tackles. All of which were career-highs. If Washington liked him enough to sign him in 2021, they will likely re-sign him for 2022. The starters (Curl and McCain) are decent and may even get better with time. (+)
CB: Kendall Fuller is the top player at this position, and he was essentially a scratching post for the first half of last season. He surrendered 60 yards or more in four of the first eight games, and allowed over 100 yards, in two of them. Things got better down the stretch, as he only allowed 60+ yards in two of the last nine.
On the other side, William Jackson gave up a touchdown pass in five straight games. He only played in 12 games. In reserve, Washington has a guy named Corn Elder, which is an absolutely terrifying name. It sounds like rape in an outhouse. (-)
In A Nutshell: Last year (during the preseason), everyone expected the defense to carry this team to the top of the NFC East. What happened instead, was that it completely collapsed. Like this.
The line has talent, but everywhere else is just loaded with depth issues, or starters who shouldn’t be. This however, is what Washington has to work with. At least for now. (-)
K: This should be Joey Slye’s job. He went 12/12 on field goals with a long of 55, and was 9/10 on extra points. Brian Johnson is also on the roster, but c’mon. Even Washington can’t cock this up. (+)
P: Tress Way averaged 48.5 yards, with no blocks in 60 boots, surrendering 9.0 yards per punt return. Not stellar, but far from bad. (+)
In A Nutshell: It’s not glamorous, but it should do. Slye gives them what looks like accuracy and range. The only question is can he do it over a longer sample period. (+)
BOTTOM LINE:
As things stand right now, this offense is in trouble. As their QB gets to know his team, six times a year they get to go against teams that already know him. Two of those times, he goes against the team that built him. So there’s rough sledding ahead.
Defensively the coaching staff is basically the same, and we’ve already seen every trick that Washington knows. We saw it in 2020 to the tune of a 7 – 9 record. We saw it again it in 2021, to the tune of 7 – 10. In 2022, expect opposing receivers to be 7 – 11, and Washington to be 8 – 9.
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