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FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 15: Raiders

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/12/15
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, playoffs, Reviews, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

EAGLES plow through Raiders.

EAGLES 31 – Raiders 0

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Jalen Hurts (12/15 – 80% – 175 – 3 – 0)

Rushing: RB Saquon Barkley (22 – 78 – 3.5 – 1 – 0)

Receiving: TE Dallas Goedert (7 – 6 – 70 – 11.6 – 2)

Drive Killer: LB Zack Baun (TD: 0/Int:1 / FR: 0/ 4th down stops: 0/ FF: 0)

Sack Leader: DE Brandon Graham (Sacks: 2.0/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 0)

Special Teams Ace: K Jake Elliott 1/1 FG, 4/4 XP

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

1) Try to Pick It: The call was to kill QB Kenny Pickett (15/25 – 60.0% – 64 – 0 – 1). To set the dogs on him. Well, we hit him 9 times with 4 of those being sacks, and two of those belonging to Brandon Graham. We got an interception off of Pickett, and OLB Jalean Phillips (no stats) also hit his arm on one throw, and deflected a pass at the line. We put the heat on my man. (DONE)

2) Win On Third Down: The Raiders came out aggressive and went for it on their very first fourth down. They didn’t convert and didn’t try that shit again. They ended the day converting just 3 of 12 third downs, meaning that we stopped them from converting, 75% of the time. Seems like a win to me! (DONE)

3) Fewer Comeback Routes: The Eagles ran just 19 passing plays on the day, and only 16 before the starters were pulled. Many of the routes involved clearing space for Dallas Goedert, instead of bringing routes back into his area. Nailed it! (DONE)

4) Second Half Run Game: The call was for 12 carries in the second half. We had 17. Ten of those were by RB Tank Bigsby (17 – 57 – 3.3 – 0 – 0), after the starters were pulled. However, 7 of those did go to Barkley, including some grind out yardage right up the middle. (DONE)

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This week’s Four Things score was 4 of 4. Same as last week. However, without 160 turnovers, a 4 of 4 score results in the blowout that it should be. We have sort of a short week coming up, then a 2 – 3 hour drive down 95, to go visit the Washington Commanders. (I still find myself almost typing Redskins.) A win down there, and the NFC East belongs to us, for the second year in a row.

****

Game Hero: Offensive Co-ordinator Kevin Patullo – It was 31 degrees outside. Instead of trying to throw the ball all over the field, Patullo called 39 hand-offs to just 18 pass attempts (and 1 sack). Like someone got him some common sense as an early Christmas present. There were also 8 QB runs, some of which were designed, some of which were scrambles. I’m not interested in picking gnat shit out of pepper, so I’ll call it 39 to 19.

Game goat: Reality – Sometimes reality fucking blows. In this game, QB Tanner McKee (3/3 – 100% – 33 – 0 – 0) continued to put out great tape, and he might have been auditioning for a starting spot in Vegas next year.

Each time he gets meaningful reps, he looks like the real deal. Even yesterday running our back-ups against the Raiders starters, you couldn’t help but notice his presence. His rookie contract ends next season, and he’s made it no secret that he wants to play. We won’t be replacing Hurts with McKee, so there’s no way McKee re-signs here.

If we’re smart, we package him with something to move up in the Draft. (Maybe even with Vegas.) Kenny Pickett will be a free agent, but he’s looking at a back-up role. Seeing how much love the Eagles players showed him after the game, and his 86 rating as an Eagles back-up, he might be a solid locker room re-addition.

On The Whole:

One of the best parts of this shutout, was how we kept the clock running, running, running. It kept the Raiders coaching staff unable to plot a comeback, because we’d weaponized time itself. As a result, the game was over nearly an hour before the one that followed it.

DE Brandon Graham after one of his two sacks in the game.

The best part however, might have escaped all but the most cagey of observers.

In the playoffs, the expression is to pack your defense and your run game. Yesterday’s game was a clinic of defense and running the ball. It was a master class in clock management. We held the ball for 39 minute to their 20. We kept them from an opportunity to be dangerous. The Eagles are getting into a playoffs mindset already.

FOUR THINGS: WK 6: EAGLES – GIANTS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/10/08
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Crazy Talk, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

WE just played an “L” of a game, but for a while there, we were throwing it all over the yard. We saw WR DeVonta Smith get his first 100 yard game of the year; and RB Saquon Barkley had a 47 yard catch and run touchdown, off a simple Wheel route. Behold, the giants! Who are 25th in the league against the pass. So yeah, we need to hack that bone.

However, the giants are also 26th against the run! Probably need to dial up a bit more of that too.

Sooooo, we’re gonna need our Eagles, to go ahead and hand it off more than eleven times this week. Yeah. That would be great. 

A win improves us to 5 – 1. It would maintain our seat atop the NFC East division.

A loss, would stall us at 4 – 2. It could possibly drop us to second in the division, depending on the outcome of the Washington/Chicago game.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the giants.

1) Don’t Overthink It: There are only six teams in the NFL that are worse at defending the run, than the giants are. The Eagles are a better team when our identity is as a running team. We need to establish the run, and in a big way. If we don’t get it done against the giants, future opponents will smell blood in the water.

2) Strangle Their Pass Rush: Guys being injured on our Offensive Line, means that part of protecting QB Jalen Hurts will have to be scheme. Run hot routes to the vacated areas behind the giants DE’s. These will be short throws, but they’ll A) avoid sacks, B) keep down and distance on schedule, and C) act as an extension of the run game.

The best part is that, this key isn’t blitz dependent, but it works against the blitz with no adjustment needed. If the giants want to counter by having their MLB play man coverage, then Hurts can grab an easy five rushing yards directly up the gut.

3) Push the Interior Pocket: The giants are starting a rookie QB, who likes to run. Look, let’s not get too hung up on trying to trick or confuse him. He can grow past that. We’re going to be seeing this guy twice a year, for who knows how long. This is his first meeting with the Eagles. Let’s focus on beating some PTSD into the lad.

He likes to run? Fine. Push the pocket into his lap, and let him dart into hits by LB Zack Baun and LB Jihaad Campbell. Maybe get a fumble or two out of it! Surging that line segment backward, will also work against their run game.

4) Take Away Anything Easy: Don’t let them beat our coverages, with quick throws. Advertise a ton of man coverage, but muddy up the underneath, when playing Zone defense.

****

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

The Eagles have all the talent in the world on this roster. So identifying what they need to do, and assigning it to the right players, is child’s play. The problem is, that the Eagles are not always quick to apply what they’ve learned. They can be very obstinate about how soon to fold in a new wrinkle.

****

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.

FOUR THINGS: WK 5: EAGLES – BRONCOS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/10/03
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, Preview, Roster, X's and O's. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

LAST week’s win over Tampa Bay, gave us our third consecutive win over a team that won their division last year. We hit some rough chop in the second half, but we have a very talented, very battle tested roster. We’re led by celebrated battlers on both sides of the ball like, RT Lane Johnson and DT Jalen Carter. The Broncos can’t make that claim.

A win improves us to 5 – 0. We would enjoy another week as the only undefeated team in the conference, remaining firmly atop the NFC East.

A loss, would leave us standing at 4 – 1. Still atop the division, but now tied at the head of the conference with the 49ers.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Broncos.

Look at all the room in that box! SPREAD. OUT!

1) Run Fewer Bunch Formations: We’re less effective when we do that, because it makes it easy for opponents to crowd running lanes, give us different blitz looks, and muddy any underneath passing lanes, while they drop into coverage. So how about we stop doing our opponents any favors.

Let’s get our WR’s split from the ends of line, to pull defenders laterally, and create spacing for RB Saquon Barkley to run. We’re going against a VERY smart coach this week. It’s important that we understand where our natural advantages are, and exploit those beyond his ability to scheme solutions.

2) Limit Their Run Game: Under 120 rushing yards they are 0-2. Over 120 they are 2-0. Make their QB carry the offense, since it’s highly unlikely that he can. The Broncos offense is a decent stew, meaning that their ingredients (the players) combine to make a final product that is richer and more complex, than any of the ingredients alone.

That being said, they are a decent stew, not a great one. They have no special ingredients. The Broncos don’t have any truly scary players, that you have to worry about taking over a game. So stymie their run enough to make their attack unreliable. Get their young QB trying to forcing things. Then capitalize on his mistakes.

3) Don’t Overthink It: The Broncos defensive linemen are prioritized for quickness, so their line is on the smallish side. They use a 3-4 front, dressed up as a 4-3 or a 5-2. It looks a little like this:

This is what we should look like spread out, to force those lineBackers into coverage, and out of blitzes. The 49 back there is former Eagle Alex Singleton. (Everyone wave hi!) Let’s get him chasing Saquon all day. If they want to go with a small line, let’s spread it thin and run over it!

In any case, their front five averages about 274 pounds, (291 across the middle three.) Our front five averages 329, (middle three 318). Our Offensive Line features multiple All-Pro players, and their defensive line does not. We have the size and talent advantage up front. So spread them out, and run the ball down their throats.

4) Box Them In: Set the edges and walk the middle of the pocket back to the QB. If their very average o-linemen are busy fighting our talented Defensive Linemen, then they shouldn’t be able to leak out and affect LB’s Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell, making them free to roam, hit, tip passes and catch tipped passes.

****

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

The Broncos are coached by Sean Payton, who is not just clever, he’s downright sneaky. He’s wringing more out of his team than he probably should be at this point.

Having given him more than fair praise, the fact is, coaches don’t score points, players do. The Broncos players just aren’t on the same level as the Eagles, and we should make that crystal clear. We need to come out and just bully this opponent. Make it a physical beat-down, and change Sean Payton’s mind about the Brotherly Shove.

Speaking of the BruvShove, the Broncos have just one defensive line player on their entire roster, who is 320 pounds. Hoo boy!

****

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.

FOUR THINGS: SUPER BOWL LIX: EAGLES – CHIEFS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/02/07
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, Offense, Players, playoffs, Special Teams, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

DISMANTLING Washington 55 – 23, has led us back to the Super Bowl! We got key contributions from QB Jalen Hurts (Offense), LB Zack Baun (Defense) and RB Will Shipley (Special Teams). It was a total team effort. It’s brought us this far, and it will continue to see us through, until we complete our mission this Sunday.

Our opponents are not quite as complete a team, as they live and die on the ability of their QB to bail them out. Which is exactly the sort of team that we just faced. And then faced down! I’ll take our active 48 vs their 1, any day. Especially when our 48 includes RB Saquon Barkley and DT Jalen Carter

With a win, Philadelphia will be the champions. We will have completed the mission, by getting what we came for.

If we were to lose, it would mean disappointment.

Here is to completing our mission.

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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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Chiefs.

RB Saquon Barkley thunders through the snow.

1) Don’t Get Cute: Do what got us here. Run the ball with Saquon, while we let our Offensive Line be physical, and tee off on the opponent. Wear down their defense. We’ll take big plays, but we don’t need them. A bunch of mauling, clock-eating drives that end in touchdowns, is probably better anyway. Especially in the first half.

2) Bait Their QB Into Bad Throws: The opposing QB prides himself on getting the ball out of his hands, after about 2.6 seconds. WE CAN EXPLOIT THAT! Against Pittsburgh, commentator Tom Brady described our short coverage as “muddy”, because our defenders didn’t rush into their drops. We used this again, last week.

This week we could turn that up a notch, by presenting a hole underneath, and then immediately closing on it. Of course the first couple of holes, need to be free completions. Just to bait the hook. THEN we start jumping every hole we present. That would make their QB stop trusting early openings, and hold the ball longer.

DT Jalen Carter with his first sack of this game.

3) Give Our Pass Rush Time: We have to keep their receivers covered long enough, for our pass rush to get to their QB, or at least get him to move his feet. Getting him on the ground is ideal, but failing that, we want him throwing from a moving platform, to moving receivers, navigating moving defenders.

OLB Nolan Smith helps DT Jordan Davis notch a sack

Getting OLB Nolan Smith to set a hard edge outside of the RT, would help our interior pass rush, and generate a few holding calls to boot.

4) Motion Our Hot Read: The Chiefs like to use exotic blitzes. WE CAN EXPLOIT THAT! You’ve seen it in games, when a man is put into motion to determine if a coverage is Man or Zone? Here’s a variation on that. When possible blitzers approach the line, motion our hot read player, completely away from the blitzer(s).

That right there presents a dilemma. Does the defense come out of the blitz to cover, or do they leave the “hot” open for a quick pass? By the way, I like the idea of using Saquon or RB Kenneth Gainwell in this role.

TE Dallas Goedert also provides an excellent option

****

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

QB Jalen Hurts. All he does is win.

Check the field for slipperiness! Bring every kind of cleat that money can buy. Every player should bring three pairs of shoes! Am I traumatized by what happened in Arizona? You’re damned right I am. No repeating that shit, this Sunday.

****

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.

FOUR THINGS: CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: EAGLES – COMMANDERS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/01/25
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC Championship, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Rivals, Super Bowl. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

ANOTHER successful home defense, and now we host the National Football Conference Championship Game. Whether you believe in RB Saquon Barkley, or openly and roundly criticize QB Jalen Hurts, they both continue to lift this Offense. Then there are the young guns on Defense, led by DT Jalen Carter and LB Zack Baun. This team is still heating up. It is still learning and improving.

This week we get a rubber match, against a team that won our last meeting, after we lost two key starters during that game. And even then, they just barely pulled it out. Oh, and did I mention that they were at home? Yeah. They were at home and needed that many stars to align, in order to beat us. This week the astrology is different. It’ll be them, vs our Eagles and 70,000 raving maniacs. All spelling the team name correctly.

I like our odds.

Win and we’re headed to New Orleans on our quest to win the Super Bowl.

Lose and it’s a short trip for the players to clean out their lockers.

Here’s to earning one more week of pain and sacrifice.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Commanders.

QB Jalen Hurts throws a laser.

1) Torment Single-high Coverage: We haven’t done this to them this year, but we need to make it happen Sunday. They will be loading the box to stop Saquon. So we have to capitalize on the one-on-one match-ups they leave WR DeVonta Smith and WR A.J. Brown.

Hurts has to identify the coverages, and get the ball out ASAP this week. If they show any form of Cover Two, audible to a run, and get behind either LG Landon Dickerson, or RG Mekhi Becton. However, if they walk a S up into the box, mix in some play-action and take advantage of the Commander’s so-so secondary.

2) Limit the Scrambling: The edges must be contained here. Especially the one manned by OLB Nolan Smith. When their QB goes to run, he should find a fence there on his right, to his passing side. This means that the DT playing beside Carter, needs to win that “A” gap to flush the QB, and not let him set his feet to run or pass deep.

DT Jalen Carter brings down QB Jayden Daniels

3) Muddy the Coverage: Take away anything quick. Small cushions and Safeties who delay their drop will help crowd the box, and force their QB through his progressions. That helps us vs the short pass, the regular run and scrambles. Which gives our pass rush time to get to the QB, for sacks and causing errant passes.

They may get off a few deep shots; but I’ll trust CB Darius Slay and S C.J. Gardner-Johnson any day, over the ability of the Commanders third rate receivers, to track down rushed passes.

4) Geodert As Hot Read: Their chief pass rushers are their OLB’s with 10.5 and 8.0 sacks this season. The next closest player has 5. Their rush comes off the edges, and this is easily exploitable with short passes in the Flat to TE Dallas Goedert. In our first meeting Goedert caught all 5 of his targets for 61 yards. He was on I.R. during our second meeting, which again, we lost.

On third downs, Goedert should run to OLB Dante Fowler, and line up outside of him. If Fowler rushes Hurts, then Goedert vs Zone, should find himself all alone. However, if the coverage is Man, well that should create time for Hurts to hold the ball, as the play unfolds. Look, he’s gonna do it. We might as well find a way to make it stop costing us.

****

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

RB Saquon Barkley makes a housecall.

Not to be cocky, but the Eagles are the more talented team. The healthier team. And playing at home. While every indicator says that we should win this game, we still have to go out and play the thing. No one is going to just hand the NFC trophy to the Eagles. It must be earned, and our guys not only understand that, they respect it. Besides, I doubt that Head Coach Nick Sirianni would have it any other way.

****

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.

FOUR THINGS: DIVISIONAL ROUND: EAGLES – RAMS

Posted by The BEAST on 2025/01/18
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFL, playoffs. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

OUR Eagles were dominant last week, despite it offensively being far from our best showing. We held the #8 team in scoring, to just 10 points. That doesn’t bode well for this week’s opponent who ranked 20th in scoring this season. Perhaps our #2 ranked Defense can grab another 4 takeaways this week. I know CB Darius Slay and LB Zack Baun will be doing everything they can, to make that goal a reality.

A win this week and we move on to the Conference Championship. There’s even an outside chance that we could host that game.

A loss would mean the end of our season.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Rams.

1) Pound the Rock: The Eagles Offensive Line is better than the Rams front seven. That has been proven twice in the last two years; both times in the dome that the Rams call home. This time the game is here, in Philadelphia. Oh, and it’s supposed to snow throughout the game.

The last time we saw this team (eight weeks ago), we hung 314 rushing yards on them, with RB Saquon Barkley accounting for 255 of those. He averaged 9.8 yards per carry and absolutely ruined their shit with touchdown runs of 70, and then 72 yards. So expect them to load the box, to prevent a repeat performance. We need to run it, in order to keep the box loaded, and open up big play opportunities downfield.

2) Force Their QB to Run: The Rams QB was born in Tampa FL, played high school ball in Texas, went to Georgia for college, was drafted by a Lions team that plays in a dome, and then he was traded to this Rams team. Which also plays in dome. Did I mention that tomorrow here in Philly it’s going to snow? Heavily.

We need to chase him and make him run around a little. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about a dangerous runner here. This season he ran the ball 30 times for 41 yards. His longest run being 9 yards. Let’s repeatedly alter his a launch points, on a slippery surface.

We want him to not trust his passes, because he’s unsure of the ground, his footing, his visibility, just everything. Take away any semblance of him being able to physically get into a rhythm. And hit him literally any time we can.

3) Dallas Goedert Is the Key: Somewhere between trying to not give up another 300 yards rushing, and covering WR’s A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, there exists TE Dallas Goedert. Opponents having to account for him, means that even a loaded box can be stretched laterally.

We don’t need a lot of Goedert statistically. What we do need, is for at least 5 targets to go his way. The earlier that starts to happen, the easier our Offense will have it. The Rams OLB’s are basically DE’s. They can’t cover. That means either an ILB has to open a gap to cover Goedert, or a S has to rotate down. Which leaves Brown or Smith with one-on-one.

4) Don’t Overthink It: Don’t get cute or start second guessing what we do. If adjustments are needed, make them, but there is no need to do anything radical to stop the Rams. Stick to our scheme.

****

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

Eight weeks ago, we beat this team in their house, 37 to 20. That was a double digit win, without WR DeVonta Smith. We can’t come out flat, or expecting the weather to do us a favor. We need to use the weather as an obstacle during the game. Everything about this match-up, favors to the Eagles. Our guys simply have to go out and claim what belongs to them.

****

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.

FOUR THINGS: WK 17: EAGLES – COWBOYS

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/12/28
Posted in: Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs, Rivals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

CAN’T win ‘em all. You should however, win the ones where you pull five turnovers from your opponent. Speaking of five turnovers, that’s how many we collected the last time we saw this week’s opponent. MLB Zack Baun was in on three of those. A repeat performance would be awesome, as we go for the sweep.

The Cowboys don’t do a good job of scoring points, and our Defense is pretty good at not giving points up. So if both teams show our true colors, this one should be a walk for the Eagles, even without QB Jalen Hurts this week, due to concussion.

A win will see us improve to 13 – 3, complete the sweep of the Cowboys, and clinch the NFC East crown. It will also technically keep us alive for the #1 seed in the Conference.

A loss will hold us at 12 – 4, but we can still clinch the NFC East, if Washington finds a way to lose to Cleveland. Highly unlikely? Yes. Impossible? N- Yes. Yes it’s impossible. Who are we kidding? We’ll have to win to clinch.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Cowboys

1) Establish the Pass Immediately: Last week after Hurts went down, the Commanders sensed that QB Kenny Pickett couldn’t hurt them as a passer, so they started selling out against the run. We became one dimensional and produced just 5 field goal attempts (4 makes) in three quarters of football. That can’t happen again.

Pickett cannot rely solely on Slants, Crosses, and Hooks this week. All of those routes can be played from a loaded box. The ball has to find the TE and Slot WR this week, in order to stretch the box laterally and open up running lanes inside.

2) Lean On the Run: Last time we faced the Cowboys, I suggested lightening RB Saquon Barkley’s load. We did that and it worked. That would be the wrong approach this time. We’re an Offense in a tight spot. This is where it’s important to have an identity and know what it is. Our identity is running the ball. Let’s not get cute.

Running the ball will also set up play-action, which MUST be employed this week to create space in the pocket for Pickett. Screens are not the same as running the ball, despite what many offensive coordinators seem to think.

3) Take Away Anything Simple: Keep the coverage muddy underneath and force their QB to throw the ball deeper than he usually does. He’s a bright guy and he reads well, but he doesn’t have the arm strength to reliably deliver what his eyes see downfield.

We may have to live with a few big plays, but on average, him taking shots, benefits us more. He is also not fleet of foot. If he’s holding the ball, then the pass rush has time to impact the game, by impacting him.

4) Use Five Man Fronts: Recently the Cowboys have found confidence running the ball vs bad teams. They are likely to try their hand at it with us this week. Get into some five man fronts and shut that shit down tout de suite. That same front can be used to eliminate the frequent double teams on DT Jalen Carter.

****

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

This week revolves around how well we support Kenny Pickett. Last week he was thrown into live fire, but this week is still his first start of the season. He will not be capable of elite play, so it’s ridiculous to expect it. Hell, he had never been that guy before we signed him.

What I’m hoping to see more from him, is play-action and TE. Play-action and Slot. A couple of gutsy scrambles up the middle. We also need to attempt at least one Brotherly Shove with him. If teams think that we won’t run our “unstoppable play” when Hurts is out, it will paint a MASSIVE target on him. We can’t have that on the doorstep of the playoffs.

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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.

FOUR THINGS: WK 13: EAGLES – RAVENS

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/11/30
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, playoffs. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

THAT Rams game was a statement win. Despite missing WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring), the Eagles still scored nearly 40 points, while rushing for over 300 yards, and even got 100 yards and a TD from WR A.J. Brown.

If we get Smith back, we just might end up terrorizing this week’s opponent, as they are the second worst pass defense in the entire league. Their problem isn’t a lack of talent or experience. It’s a fatal flaw built into the very structure of their defensive philosophy, and it has reared it’s head in each of their four losses.

This is a measuring stick game. This game will tell us that we are either ready for a deep playoff run; or it will tell us what needs tightening up, before the playoffs start. Win or lose, we needed a game like this.

A win raises us to 10 – 2, and ensures that we will hold the division lead, at least until our Week 16 re-match with Washington.

A loss would stall us at 9 – 3. We would however, still enjoy a 2 game in-division cushion over Washington.

****

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. Often I list fundamentals, as some of the four things. BUT NO MORE! Unless something specific is needed, fundamentals like Running the ball; playing lots of Man Press; and Tackling instead of going for the strip, will be automatically included. (Like the five consonants and a vowel that Wheel Of Fortune automatically spots you.) So here are the Four Things that we need to focus on this week versus: the Ravens

1) Control the Tackle Box: We have to make sure that two keys happen against the Ravens offensive line. The first key, is not allowing the middle of our Defensive Line to get blown off the Line of Scrimmage. With DT Jalen Carter getting double-teamed a lot, we’re going to need DT Jordan Davis to blow up a couple of inside runs.

The second key, is setting the edge. This will also help contain QB scrambles, and any Jet Sweep action. Setting the edge is where we are going to miss DE Brandon Graham (I.R.), the most. If we do both of those things, we’ll congest the running lanes and make it harder for them on the ground.

2) Unleash Goedert: The Ravens play a 3 – 4 defense, and their primary pass rush comes from their OLB’s. It’s a fatal flaw built into the very structure of the Raven’s philosophy of defense. That plays right into the Kerrigan Plan (if don’t know what that is already, click that link), and TE Dallas Goedert is exactly the man to execute that plan.

For a TE to be disruptive to the Ravens, he doesn’t need a bunch of yards or catches. He just needs to be important enough to the offense, that the Ravens have to pull an ILB to the outside, or keep a S over the TE. Either of these moves will weaken interior of the box. And you know what happens if the box is loose! Ohhh, say can you ‘quon…

Just get Goedert going early. He doesn’t need to finish the day with a ton of stats. We just need to force the Ravens to cover him. Or, if they choose not to, let him keep doing damage. We don’t need specific numbers from him, but you’ll recognize his impact if the interior run game looks good.

3) Keep Our Linebackers Clean: Tackling the Ravens RB will be a chore. Especially if he gets up a head of steam. Fortunately for us, he’s really big, at roughly 250 pounds. So he won’t fit through the smaller holes, and we can trap him in the trash on early downs, to help set up third and longs.

However, for those downs when he does see a decent hole, we need LB Nakobe Dean and LB Zack Baun to meet him in those holes. So blockers have to be kept off of them, so that they can see, and bring both arms cleanly to their tackle attempts. That might mean using more of the 5 – 2 alignment than we have been recently.

4) Take Deep Shots Early: To make Goedert more effective, and thereby open up the run, we need to get the ball downfield. That will clear space for the intermediate stuff. It’s not about making the catch (though it would be nice if we do). It’s about making the attempts. So don’t be bummed if a couple of early bombs don’t connect. Those passes are for stabilizing the Offense.

****

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

This game is a Test. This is to see if we are Conference Championship game material. While a road win over an 8 – 4 team, would strongly suggest that we are ready for a run; a loss (at this point in the season), doesn’t mean that we aren’t. It would just be pointing out the things we need to work on.

Understand, right now, as long as we don’t get blown out, either result is a good result, due to the caliber of our competition. Why pad our late season, with bottom-feeder wins? That’s what the Cowboys do, and what happens to them in the playoffs? Like clockwork, you can almost set your calendars to Dallas losing in the Divisional round. It should damned near be a holiday!

Look, let’s take this test, and dissect it afterwards. Win or lose. The goal is a parade in February, and this Sunday in December, is an important study tool in helping us to accomplish that.

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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.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 10: Cowboys

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/11/11
Posted in: breakdown, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, NFC East, Offense, Players, Reviews, Rivals, Special Teams, stats. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

 

LB Zack Baun forcing one of two fumbles

EAGLES get five turnovers, in blowout.

 

EAGLES 34 – Cowboys 6

 

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Jalen Hurts (14/20 – 70.0% – 202 – 2 – 1)

Rushing: RB Saquon Barkley (14 – 66 – 4.7 – 0 – 0)

Receiving: WR Arthur Brown (7 – 5 – 109 – 21.8 – 0)

Drive Killer: LB Zack Baun (TD: 0/Int: 0/ FR: 1/ 4th down stops: 0/ FF: 2)

Sack Leader: DE Bryce Huff (Sacks: 1.0/ FF: 1/ Tackles: 1)

Special Teams Ace: K Jake Elliott 10 points on 2/2 FG and 4/4 XP

****

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

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

1) Take Away Anything Simple: QB Cooper Rush (13/23 – 56.5% – 45 – 0 – 0) and QB Trey Lance (4/6 – 66.6% – 21 – 0 – 1) never really had underneath or intermediate options, so instead they threw a few fruitless attempts downfield, but mostly kept dumping it off, on passes around the line of scrimmage. At that point the Eagles just made the tackles.

We entirely boxed up their passing game at 2.2 yards per pass attempt (17/29 – 58.6% – 66 – 0 – 1), and used the same coverage concept, to control their run game (24 – 97 – 4.0 – 0 – 1). We did the fuck out of this. It won’t work every week, but we need to keep this concept on speed dial. (DONE)

2) Play-action Should Be Deadly: Play-action was used effectively in this game, but not in the way that I mentioned here. Who cares? We won! On a very positive note, our TE’s and WR’s three and four were meaningfully involved.

TE Dallas Goedert scores!

Retuning from injury TE Dallas Goedert (3 – 2 – 25 – 12.5 – 1) struck paydirt, as did rookie WR4 Johnny Wilson (1 – 1 – 5 – 5.0 – 1). For the second week in a row WR3 Jahan Dotson (1 – 1 – 27 – 27.0 – 0) grabbed a pass over 25 yards. Even though this wasn’t done, there is a silver lining. (NOT DONE)

3) Blitz From the Defense’s Left: We didn’t do much blitzing in this one. Instead, our four man pass rush benefited, from the coverage concept we were running. We got three sacks and three fumble recoveries out of it. Can’t be mad at that! (NOT DONE)

4) Take the Points, Nick!: Head Coach Nick Sirianni was great in this one! He took the points that were available. He didn’t gamble with either the situation or his player’s health. (DONE)

++++

This week’s Four Things score was 2 of 4, but what a 2 of 4! It was- Nope! No time to dwell on it. Four days from now, we host the 7 – 3 Commanders, in a battle to keep first place in the NFC East.

****

LB Zack Baun forcing RB Ezekiel Elliott to cough up the ball near the goal line

Game Hero: LB Zack Baun – He was part of THREE, of our five turnover in this game, he forced two fumbles. One was recovered by S Reed Blankenship (4 – 0.0 – 0 – 0) and the other by DB Cooper DeJean (2 – 0.0 – 0 – 0). He also recovered a fumble forced by DE Bryce Huff.

Game goat: QB Jalen Hurts – He had two first half turnovers (1 interception, 1 fumble), keeping this game an actual game, for longer than it should have been. He also invited five first half sacks, with his tendency to hold the ball too long.

On The Whole: Lots of people will tell you that Dallas was without their starting QB for this game. That’s wrong. Cooper Rush is their starter now. He’s never played on any other team, so he knows Dallas’s system. He had a week’s worth of prep for this game. He had reps with the Ones. So we defeated their starter.

Saquon Barkley had 14 rushing attempts and he caught 1 pass, for a total of 15 touches. I said it would be nice if he had 16 touches or fewer; because we need to lighten his workload. That is, if we don’t want him to be gassed for the playoffs. Besides, it first gives him a break in anticipation of the game against the Commanders on Thursday.

So right now we’re on a five game win streak, we sit atop the division, and right now we seem to be getting better every, single week. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty good about the season right now.

FOUR THINGS REVIEWED: WK 9: Jaguars

Posted by The BEAST on 2024/11/05
Posted in: breakdown, Coaching, Conversations, Defense, Four Things, Offense, Players, report, Special Teams, stats, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

THIS game was too exciting.

 

EAGLES 28 – Jaguars 23

EAGLES STATS:

Passing: QB Jalen Hurts (18/24 – 75.0% – 230 – 2 – 0)

Rushing: RB Saquon Barkley (27 – 159 – 5.8 – 1 – 1*)

Receiving: WR DeVonta Smith (6 – 4 – 87 – 21.7 – 1)

Drive Killer: LB Nakobe Dean (TD: 0/Int: 1/ FR: 0/ 4th down stops: 0/ FF: 0)

Sack Leader: DE Josh Sweat (Sacks: 2.0/ FF: 0/ Tackles: 4)

Special Teams Ace: S Sydney Brown FF on punt coverage (CB Kelee Ringo FR)

****

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

1) More Jalen Under Center: We started out doing a fair amount of this, but we got away from it too often. The first drive featured 3 plays Under Center (UC), vs 4 in Shotgun. Balanced, right? In the half’s remaining five drives, Hurts was UC exactly 6 times. That’s 9 times in the first half. We ran 11 plays UC in the second half, for a total of 20 all game long. Out of 73 offensive plays.

The worst part of all of this, is that we scored each of our 5 TD’s, from the Shotgun. Even Barkley’s 19 yard run was a delayed hand-off from the ‘gun. (NOT DONE)

2) Screen Their Ends: We flat out didn’t even try to do this. (NOT DONE)

3) Lots of Defensive Shifts: The Jags started out with a back-up LG, playing next to a newly minted starting LT. Then the LG went down and a third stringer went in. This should have been an eight sack day, but instead, we got just two. No attempt was made to confuse their blocking scheme, and our Defensive Line played from where they lined up.

Look, I get it. The Jags don’t have a good line, so there’s no need to put out tape, that better teams can use to scout us. Makes total sense. But we could have showed something. (NOT DONE)

4) Take Away the Short Pass: We did an exceptional job with this. Our LB’s didn’t just drop into weak zones, they played some Man Coverage vs RB’s and TE’s, instead of getting caught covering top shelf WR’s. There were times when we let their QB complete quick passes and other times where we tightened the screws. The alternation proved effective.

I mentioned that taking away the short windows would help us make the most of deflections, and what happened? LB Zach Baun (10 – 0.0 – 1 – 0) managed to grab an interception because of exactly this. Josh Sweat also notched a great 3rd down sack. (DONE)

++++

This week’s Four Things score was 1 of 4. If the Jags were a better team, we probably would have lost this game. Fortunately for us, they’re a shaky team, with deep injury problems. We’re being served a second helping of that, next week! The Eagles travel down to Dallas, to take on the (0 – 3 at home) Cowboys.

****

LB Nakobe Dean seals the win with an interception in the endzone, as LB Zack Baun looks on

Game Hero: LB Nakobe Dean – It’s very easy to make the case that this should have been Hurts or Barkley. However, it was Dean that stepped up, trusted his gut and made a play on the ball, to seal our victory. If that play doesn’t get made, and the receiver catches it, we’re looking at a 29 – 28 ballgame with seconds left. Dean rescued us.

Game goat: Replay Assistance – Even with using replay, the officiating crew got the fumble by Barkley wrong. That fumble recovery was subsequently returned for a touchdown by Jacksonville.

If that bogus 7 points weren’t on the board, the Eagles win 28 – 16. Had we gotten to keep that ball, and scored a field goal, that final would have been 31 – 16. And had we scored a touchdown, we’d have ended the day 35 – 16. Well, 33 – 16. We’d have gone for two and missed it.

On The Whole: I have bad news. You can’t separate the coach from his victories. Yes, Head Coach Nick Sirianni, did take extra points off the board several times. However, it was his game-planning that led to the touchdowns I n the first place. You may not like his antics, or the way he wears his heart on his sleeve. You may hate his over aggressiveness. That said, he gets his guys motivated and ready to play on Sundays.