Wild Card

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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WILD CARD GAME: Buccaneers

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/01/17
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THERE were many lessons in this game.

EAGLES 15 – Buccaneers 31

EAGLES STATS:

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

Passing: (S ) QB Jalen Hurts (23/43 – 53.7% – 258 – 1 – 2)

Rushing: (S ) QB Jalen Hurts (8 – 39 – 4.8 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: (S) TE Dallas Goedert (12 – 6 – 92 – 15.3 – 0)

Offensive Line Report: (1 + 0:1 – 2)

Drive Killer: (S ) OLB Alex Singleton (0 – 0 – 1 – 0 – 0)

Sack Leader: (S ) DE Ryan Kerrigan (3 – 1.5 – 0 – 0)

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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: Buccaneers did the Eagles actually get around to doing? Well let’s see:

1) Run the ball to our left: Nope. Hardly even tried. Note: RB Boston Scott (1 – 34 – 34.0 – 1 – 0) had a touchdown run, and RB Miles Sanders (7 – 16 – 2.2 – 0 – 0) had his longest run of the day (14 yards) going to the left. Maybe we should have tried to run more in the first half? I say that because we had 4 just handoffs in the first half. Four.

In fact, we only handed the ball off just NINE times in this game. Which EXACTLY matches what we did in our Week 6 loss to this team. (NOT DONE)

2) See Tom Run: We collected 4 sacks in this game, but in general our coverage was so loose, the ball was quickly out of QB Tom Brady’s (29/37 – 78.3% – 271 – 2 – 0) hand. There was never any chance of making him run to buy time. (NOT DONE)

3) Man Press Coverage: Instead of dictating to the QB by using Man Press coverage, we played soft on the corners, and tried to “confuse” Brady with slight shifts and bails. It was a sign of our stupidity, to be so blatantly disrespectful of a QB who’s career is old enough to drink legally.

We didn’t show him a single thing he hasn’t beaten a hundred times already. It was goofy on our part to suggest it in a meeting. It was full-blown Are-tarded to try to work it into a game. (NOT DONE)

4) Speed Kills: We tried 3 times (not 6) to get the ball deep to a WR. Two were overthrows to WR Quez Watkins (7 – 2 – 35 – 17.5 – 0) and one was an interception while trying to get to WR Devonta Smith (11 – 4 – 60 – 15.0 – 0). Too many passes were being thrown to a double covered Goedert. (NOT DONE)

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So we did 0 of the FT’s, and we got shit-canned as a result. While some would tell you that 15 – 31 isn’t being shit-canned, you and I would know that those people didn’t actually watch the game.

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On The Whole:

This one has me in a weird place. While many didn’t give us a chance to win, I almost EXPECTED us to. Yes expected. Given Tampa’s overall injuries, we were clearly the more physically talented team on the field. Given that they suffered injuries during the game, that edge should have been magnified.

The problem with us is mental. Once again, our coaching staff approached this game like they were more afraid of being embarrassed, than they were hungry to win. The play calling on Offense childishly simply, and our Defense had the feel of a preseason game, where a team doesn’t want to reveal too much.

Being that I practically expected a win here, you’d think I’d be angry, or disappointed. Weirdly enough, I’m neither. Instead what I feel, is that this game is THE GAME that truly begins the Nick Sirianni era. All of that first year coach, virtual rookie QB, team in transition bullshit, died today. There are going to be expectations next year, of getting past this point. This game has set the tone for how we view the rest of Sirianni’s reign.

I’m not going to harp on players too much here. I’m not going to talk about the future of Hurts. I’m not going to talk about any first round busts, being absolute fucking trash. I’m not going to talk about the Draft. Not here. Not today. There were many lessons in this game. We need to take the time to unpack them, as we turn our eyes to winning the NFC East in 2022. 

FOUR THINGS: Wild Card Game: EAGLES – BUCCANEERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2022/01/13
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

LAST week, our back-ups and Practice Squaders lost 26 – 51 in the season finale. Our craven opponent, played their starters for most of that game. Their starters! Still, we racked up 26 points, and 315 yards, with of 149 of those yards on the ground (4.5 ypc). Again, we did that with a bunch of guys who won’t even be on the roster this week.

This week we travel to Tampa Bay, to play a Buccaneers team that found a way to lose to Washington, and was swept by New Orleans this season. Having been shutout (0 – 9) in one of those games. Fellow Eagles fans, if “the goat” can lose to teams that don’t even have a QB, then expect us to surprise a lot of people on Sunday.

Let me let you in on a secret: The Bucs are ranked #3 against the run this year. However, they’ve played a number of teams that already don’t run the ball much. So that #3 is an inflated ranking. When they did play teams that run a lot (Washington, New Orleans, Indianapolis, New England), those games became either losses or went down to the wire.

Understand Eagles fans, we have a chance, and it’s not just a slim one. Our chance has three chins and tops doughnuts with insulin. Don’t let the naysayers sway you. They’re just still trying to be right. (They should have listened to me all along.)

Defeating the Buccaneers, will earn us a trip to Green Bay. Losing to them, will mean a quiet plane ride home. It’s as simple as that. GO BIRDS!!!!

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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 Buccaneers:

1) Run the ball to our left: That may sound like a no-brainer, but there’s more to it. LT Jordan Mailata (24 years old) and LG Landon Dickerson (23 years old) are on their way up. They are massive, powerful, and physical even in their mental approach to the game.

Across from them are what’s left of DT Ndamokung Suh (34) and DE/OLB Jason Pierre Paul (32). Both are coming off of their worst seasons as a pro. They have posted 27 and 31 tackles, respectively this season. They don’t want the heat that our left side brings.

Pound the ball on these guys. DT Vita Vea is just 26 and at the top of his game. However, at 347 pounds, just get him chasing Screens and Stretch runs early in the game. That will get him sucking wind, and take the explosiveness out of his hips. By the third quarter, we should be able to work Tampa’s right side relentlessly.

2) See Tom Run: Ideally we need to get either DT Fletcher Cox, or DT Javon Hargrave to hit QB Tom Brady early in this game. Not pressure him. Actually knock him on his ass. Take away his trust in climbing the pocket. He cannot be allowed to get comfortable in the pocket.

Once Brady can’t step into his throws, periodically blitz MLB T.J. Edwards to flush him out. Force Brady to make throws on the run, to receivers who are filling in, and aren’t used to catching off-platform passes from him. All we need a couple of mistakes.

Brady has never had the strongest arm, but over the years he’s found ways to compensate for what he’s lost physically, with anticipation, timing, and altering his mechanics to suit what he can still do. If we can get him running frequently, we’ll severely alter those mechanics, wreck his timing, and subvert any other trick that he routinely relies on. All in one fell swoop.

3) Man Press Coverage: Don’t attempt to disguise our coverages too much. Brady won’t be fooled by pre-snap hysterics. What will shake him, is knowing that he’s going to have to hold the ball longer than he’s accustomed to, because his receivers aren’t open early. That will allow our pass rush to close in.

We’re not trying to be subtle here. The Buccaneers offense will be without key pieces (WR’s Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown), and some of their returning pieces (RB’s Leonard Fournette and possibly Ronald Jones) are playing through injuries that sidelined them in Week 18.

The Buccaneers are limping and leaking blood. This game is about us pummeling a weakened opponent, and bullying an old man out of the delusion that there is room for the elderly in this sport. His end is very fucking nigh, and on a national stage, WE, US, THE EAGLES, need to show that to the world.

4) Speed Kills: Use our speed and go deep 6 to 8 times in this game. Tampa’s secondary is LOADED with bums. Even at their best! So when they walk a Safety up to help slow our run game, that will leave them in Cover 1 or Cover 3. Meaning that either WR Quez Watkins or WR Devonta Smith has a one-on-one match-up. That’s when we launch it!

This game should be QB Jalen Hurts’s coming out party. Get him on bootlegs and let him launch a few, leading the receiver into the end zone. And when Tampa goes to a Cover 2 or Cover 4, go back to running it down their geriatric throats.

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If the Eagles do these Four Things, then we’ll be virtually impossible to beat. That being said…

The last time we faced this team, we lost by 6 points, in what was the 6th NFL game that Head Coach Nick Sirianni ever coached. In that game, RB Miles Sanders carried the ball 9 times for 56 yards (6.2ypc). Jalen Hurts ran 10 times and threw 26 attempts. It was one of the worst called games in Eagles history, and still we only lost by 6.

There is no need to be subtle here. This is a beating. This is revenge. This is truth being put on display. Brady is 44 and says he wants to play until he’s 50. OH REALLY?! So we need to put his body to the test. For everyone who says we can’t win because we’re facing the goat, they need to be reminded that we’ve feasted on this goat before.

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All Four Things Prediction: EAGLES 27 – Buccaneers 23

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.

EAGLES PATH TO THE PLAYOFFS

Posted by The BEAST on 2021/11/05
Posted in: Conversations, Crazy Talk, NFL, playoffs, Rants, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THANKS to the NFL deciding to send 15 out of 16 teams in each conference to the playoffs, the Eagles have a chance at the postseason this year. YAY! Everyone gets ice cream, and a trophy! Everyone’s a WINNER! Well, everyone except that one team. Shame on them, for getting left out. Next time be special. Exactly like everyone else is.

I’m kidding of course, but not about the Eagles having a chance. That part is 100% true.

However, for those who really don’t know (and are too ashamed to ask), only 7 teams per conference get a seat at the postseason table. Four division winners, and 3 Wild Cards. Current math puts the 3 – 5 Eagles just on the outside of that picture. We sit a game behind the 4 – 4 Panthers, and a tie-break behind the 49ers. So just how far-fetched, or how probable, is our chance at seeing the 2021 playoffs?

Yes Jim. Playoffs.

Our last two games vs the Raiders and Lions, have signaled that Head Coach Nick Sirianni is learning the importance of balancing his Offense. No great shakes there, but consider that the hardest part of our schedule is behind us. Then add that 7 of the remaining 9 games are either at home, or played in our backyard (NYG, NYJ, WAS).

Provided that our team can stop shooting themselves in the foot, there’s no reason that the remainder of the season (Weeks 9 – 18) can’t be really, really good for the Eagles..

Weeks 12 through 17 could be a five game win streak (NYG, NYJ, WAS, NYG, WAS). On second thought, it should be a five game win streak. Which leaves the remaining 4 games (LAC, DEN, NO, DAL) up for grabs. That said, I fully expect New Orleans head coach Sean Payton aka Elderly Frankie Muniz,

to take Sirianni to school during Week 11. (Not a bad class for a young coach to take, frankly.)

With that five game win streak, plus a 50/50 split of the other 4, our Eagles could be a 10 win team this year. Currently the #5 seed seems to belong to the 7 – 1 Rams, and #6 so far looks like the 5 – 2 Saints. The Panthers are 4 – 4 with the #7 seed. As of now.

Everyone else in the NFC has 3 wins or fewer. So 10 wins will likely end up being enough to get into the postseason. So there’s still a path to the postseason, dear friends. And now that we run the ball, and blitz out of man coverage, we’re finally on that path.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED – WILD CARD ROUND – SEAHAWKS

Posted by The BEAST on 2020/01/06
Posted in: Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

NOBODY quit. No matter how bad it got. No matter who was hurt, no matter what the situation was when they got injured. The fight never left this team.

I feel pride and anger for this bunch. Obviously, I’m proud of what they accomplished in winning the division. I’m angry because they deserved a better ending than the one they got. It’s funny. I wasn’t angry during or immediately after the game. But now? As I sit here and do the autopsy, I see the scars, and the wounds, and the sacrifices laid bare before me. This isn’t anger. This isn’t anger at all. It’s sadness.

carson injureed.jpg

EAGLES 9 – Seahawks 17

We lost QB Carson Wentz (1/4 – 25.0% – 3 – 0 – 0) nine minutes into the game, to a helmet-to-helmet hit, where the defender then dropped all of his weight onto Carson, driving his head into the turf. That means there were two penalties on a play that could have resulted in an ejection. No one so much as reached for a flag.

2019 Josh McCown.jpg

Enter QB Josh McCown (18/24 – 75.0% – 174 – 0 – 0 / 5 – 23 – 4.6 – 0 – 0), playing in the first playoff game of his career. Given the situation and the lack of weapons at his disposal, he acquitted himself well. He showed more poise than leadership, and a great deal of plucky gamesmanship.

It bears mentioning that TE Zach Ertz (2 – 44 – 22.0 – 0) played through a broken rib and lacerated kidney. He wasn’t just a decoy as he was targeted 4 times in this game.

2019 Fletch Cox.jpg

The Defense played as well as they did during the season, but with no offensive support, you can’t expect miracles. DT Fletcher Cox (3 – 0 – 0 – 0) played a far more dominant game than his stat sheet reveals. He spent all day running over, through and past Seattle’s interior linemen. If we understood the concept of contain, the defense could have won this game singlehandedly.

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

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

1) Keep them in their base: This happened, but I’m not sure if we triggered it, or their injury issues helped them play into our plans. In any case, they stayed in a defense that we had a legitimate chances against, all game long. (DONE)

2) Keep contain: HA!!! This, even more than Wentz’s injury, is what cost us the game. Their QB is at his best, when he can get outside of play design, because free-form offense breaks down defenses. Our DE’s were far too inconsistent with their rush depth and rush angles, which allowed Seattle to convert long third downs all game long. (NOT DONE)

3) Be the aggressor: That went up in smoke when the playbook had to be simplified to accommodate McCown. We leaned heavy on a handful of plays, where the only times it seemed the ball was in the air for more than 8 yards, was on a few passes to TE Dallas Goedert (7 – 73 – 10.4 – 0). Everything else was dink and Dak. (Sorry, force of habit.) (NOT DONE)

4) Cover more, don’t blitz: Don’t use the Safeties to blitz. Our only sack was from SS Malcolm Jenkins (7 – 1.0 – 0 – 0), who was sent after their QB a few times. Usually resulting in a big play. (NOT DONE)

This game’s Four Things score is 1 of 4. Thus players clean out their lockers tomorrow. Some for the last time.

2019-Kelce and Peters.jpg

On The Whole:

If we were blown out after losing Wentz, it would be understandable. But we weren’t. If we lost to a far superior team, it would be understandable. But we didn’t. (I mean, you can’t look at the score, and think that if Wentz were in, it ends the same way.)

With the Eagles it’s a number of small things. And we saw them made manifest on the field in this game. Things like a lack of contain, receivers schemed to run free in our Secondary, the lack WR help in a passing league. There are a number of things that need to get cleaned up on this team.

Not going to get into that yet. Instead, I’m going to put out a LONG overdue Rivals Report this week. Then I’ll take a couple weeks off, to start formulating my offseason outlook, and do some general site maintenance.

 

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WILD CARD ROUND : BEARS

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/07
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Roster, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

ONE win down, three more to go. On the road, with a back-up QB, playing against the league’s top ranked defense. Oh, and down at the half. If it were any other team, that game would have turned into a blowout. Instead, OUR defense came out and showed our opponent the difference between being ranked as the best, and actually being the best.

(It also helped that our opponent kicked the potential game-winning field goal, smack into the upright. For the ELEVENTH time this year. Yes. Eleventh.)

1-doink

EAGLES 16 – Bears 15

QB Nick Foles (25/40 – 62.5% – 266 – 2 – 2) had the worst playoff game of his career. Meanwhile he proved as clutch as a handbag, slinging the go-ahead touchdown on 4th down, to WR Golden Tate (5 – 46 – 9.2 – 1) leaving less than a minute in the game. LT Jason Peters let the world know, that even with a bad wing, he’s still a one-on-one match for one of the best pass rushers in the game.

Touchdown Tate.jpg

The guy playing out of his mind was OLB Nigel Bradham (7 – 0 – 0 – 0). Deflections, tackles for losses, even diving on a loose ball that was an incompletion. His stat line can’t communicate how disruptive he was. S Tre Sullivan (3 – 0 – 0 – 0) got his hand on three passes and played the best game I’ve ever seen from him.

nigel bradham

Nobody made plans for Nigel. So he just wrecked shit.

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

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

1) Score more than 22 points: Okay, the Eagles didn’t score 22, but everything else in that section, we did. We left no points on the field due to 4th down gambles. We put the game on their QB. Though we accomplished the spirit of this, the heading wasn’t matched so I put ot down as not. NOT DONE

2) Run the damned ball!: We had 22 handoffs, not 25. We also started G Isaac Seumalo and got no push inside. In a way it’s like the coaching staff was just paying lip service to running. NOT DONE

3) Set hard edges: We didn’t allow a bunch of runs to the outside, and kept the ball-carriers well bottled. DONE

4) Work the edges: The TE’s saw plenty of work, but most of the passes on the outside were for WR’s. Still did the job. DONE

This game saw us snag 2 of 4 of our Four Things goals. Not bad since we got out with the win. Next week we head down to New Orleans, to give them the playoff game they wanted from us so much, last year. Careful what you wish for fellas!

Eagles Bears WC.jpg

On The Whole:

Wanna hear something hilarious? Bears K Cody Parkey (3/4FG, 0/0XP), is in the first year of a four year deal. With 9M$ guaranteed. Yes. You read that right. Guaranteed. Current 49er and former Bears K, Robbie Gould was in the stands watching the game. Did I mention he’s the Bears all-time scorer? I didn’t? Well he’s the Bears all-time leading scorer. Aaaand they probably could have used him. Such a shame that they cut him. Looks like the team came down with a case of that there Karma. Heard it’s been going around and coming around.

Okay, stop laughing, stop laughing. We have our own glaring issue to stare down. This thing where we’re trying to wring one RB out of four players, has me worried. Yes, I said four. RB Boston Scott got to see time in the backfield, picking up at least one blitz.

The inability to manufacture meaningful rushing yards, is a problem. If we don’t figure out how to provide balance, this magic carpet ride likely ends next Sunday.

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FOUR THINGS: WILD CARD ROUND: EAGLES-BEARS

Posted by The BEAST on 2019/01/03
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, Preview. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

1 WC-CHI.jpg

GUESS who’s back?

Back again.

Philly’s back.

We got in.

Guess who? It’s that team that nobody wants to see on their schedule! Say hello to 53 guys, pulling together, feeling disrespected, and trying to prove a point while playing with house money! Led by QB Nick Foles who’s trying to lay the groundwork for “Mucho Paper in March”. (You know they’ve been paying him to kill teams, right?) I feel sad for teams that just got an invite to the playoffs, because brother, we’ve been playing playoff ball for WEEKS now.

Die Hard Welcome.jpg

Step One was qualifying for the playoffs. Now for Step Two.

Last year as the #1 seed, the Eagles only had to defend the summit. This year we start at the very bottom of the mountain, and have to slay monsters on our way up. The monsters this week, are the Monsters of the Midway. (And to be fair, the “vs” artwork on their website, is pretty cool.)

Eagles v Bears Chicago website.jpeg

At 12 – 4 and getting to play at home, national pundits are already convinced that the Bears will make short work of the Eagles. We are once again, dismissed as a non-factor in the NFL playoffs. No matter. We still have our trusty bottles of Spite.

SPITE bottle

Yep! Those who do not learn from history, are doomed to see us repeating as Super Bowl Champions.

But first we have to slay THIS monster.

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

1) Score more than 22 points: Score however we can, whenever we can. Don’t roll the dice early on 4th and 2, and such. Just take the field goals. The Bears are 0 – 4 this year when they allow more than just 22 points. They are 2 – 6 when they allow 20 or better. That’s because in “shootout situations” their QB has a tendency to share the football with his opponents. Scoring points puts the game on his shoulders, and he can’t carry that load. So let’s hand him a shovel, and let him bury his own team.

2) Run the damned ball!: It’s a good luck charm and SCREAMED REMINDER, Doug! We need 25 carries. Not only has it worked for us, but 3 out of the 4 Bears losses have come against teams that attempted 25 runs or more.

3) Set hard edges: Let’s keep all runners directly in front of our tacklers. Let’s make tackling easy and hits painful.

4) Work the edges: Like the Redskins, much of the Bears pass rush comes from their OLB’s. That’s a problem against teams like us, who have players like TE Zach Ertz and TE Dallas Goedert.

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 last time we played this team (November 26, 2017) we whipped them 31 – 3. They have pretty much every major piece that they had last year. Except for OLB Khalil Mack on defense, and TE Trey Burton of course.

Otherwise this is the same team that we beat the holy hell out of, a little over a year ago. That’s not saying that they haven’t gotten better. What 31 – 3 says, is that there’s a fundamental factor, an elemental vibe if you will, that the Care Bears just have no deep-seated answer for. (Trivia nugget: QB Nick Foles was 3/3 in that game. 21 yards passing.)

To be fair, we were at home and also leaned pretty heavy on RB’s LeGarrette Blount, Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement that day. Scared? Worried? Don’t be. The hatchet that we did them in with was really Zach Ertz.

If you’re worried about the Secondary, we got apretty good day from S’s Malcolm Jenkins and Corey Graham, as well as CB’s Jalen Mills and Rasul Douglas. Hey, aren’t most of those guys playing Sunday? Yeahhhhhh, baby. Feeling a little better? Oh, I knew you would. I knew you would. I knew would.

To make a long story short but always worth the telling, I hear New Orleans is nice this time of year.

PREDICTION: EAGLES 24 – Bears 19

yeah-bitch