Detailed Game Review – PHI 31, JAX 24
Posted: August 29th, 2013 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 101 Comments »Sorry for the delay. Kind of a crazy week.
Uneven performance that left you both encouraged and worried. There was a point in the game when it felt like 2012 all over again. Vick was making some bad mistakes. Bryce Brown fumbled. Damaris Johnson fumbled. The defense had breakdowns that led to TDs. Offensive drives stalled in the Red Zone. Crucial penalties wiped out a couple of big plays. Ugh.
Good news is that the team worked past the mistakes and found a way to win the game.
The starting offense scored 16 points. The backups scored 15. The offense ran 70 plays. Gained 452 yards. The defense came up with its first takeaway and had 7 sacks.
STs was outstanding, aside from DJ’s fumble.
Kelly seemed to solve problems within the game. That’s very encouraging.
OFFENSE
Plays
* Vick was under C more in this game than the others from what I remember.
* There was an interesting 4-TE set. Harbor lined up out wide to the right. Celek was standard to the left. Ertz motioned to the right side. Casey lined up as a FB. Shady then ran up the middle for 16 yds. Blocks from all 4 TEs helped on the play.
Players
QB
VICK – Erratic game. At moments, he looked terrific. Had to deal with a lot of pressure. Was able to evade much of it with his speed and running. Finished with 7 carries for 53 yds. Wisely got out of bounds on several carries. In the past we saw Vick go for every yard and take some big hits along the sideline. He was smarter and safer vs the Jags. The pressure did affect him as a passer. On the first play, he was forced out of the pocket. He rolled left and hit Avant for a good gain. On the next play he was forced to his right and got sacked. On the 3rd play, Vick had pressure around him. This was his first bad decision of the game. He jumped and threw the ball down the seam to Celek. You should virtually never throw while jumping. There was a LB buzzing under Celek so Vick had to put the pass up high. Celek extended for it, but couldn’t make the grab. There was a S playing beind Celek. He had a shot at the INT, but Celek tipping the ball sent it off course and it fell to the ground. This was the first appearance of 2012 Vick. You just don’t make that throw. If you have a clean pocket and can put some touch on that pass, go for it. Vick has hit Celek with some beautiful passes over the years. Vick forced that and was lucky it didn’t get picked off. Vick did check down to Shady on 3rd down. That led to a punt, but was a good decision.
Threw pass away in the mid-1st. Jags had played WR screen well so it was prudent decision. Forced a ball to Ertz down the field when he had Shady wide open in the flat. Pass was incomplete. I’d love to know what Chip thinks of that. Does he like the aggressiveness of the attempt or would he prefer the sure 5 yds?
Had a terrific play in the late 1st. Got pressure, but kept his eyes downfield. Moved up in the pocket and then took off running. Got down just as a defender approached him, but got a gain of 16 on the play. That was Mike using his athleticism in a good way. Hit DeSean with a good pass on the right side a couple of plays later. Missed Celek on a wheel route that would have been a TD. That’s a play you set up and then get a big result out of. Celek ran a good route and was open, but Vick overthrew him. Vick made the read, had a clean pocket and was mechanically sound. Just overthrew his guy. Veteran QB can’t do that. Has to be a TD.
Hit Shady with a quick checkdown on the next drive. That got 11 yds and set up 1st/ GL. The next play he hit Cooper for a TD. Showed great arm strength on that. Had a clean pocket and went through his reads. Found Cooper and fired a laser his way. Was late getting the ball to Celek on a corner route on the next drive. Pass still got there and led to a big gain, but could have been huge with a quicker throw. Brent was wide open and had lots of room to run. Used spin move to get away from blitzing MLB and get out wide, where he had room to run.
Threw a terrible INT in the mid-2nd. Got pressure up the middle. Tried to throw the ball away, but did so while jumping up and falling away. Had thrown an earlier pass while jumping. Simply can’t do that. Dropped a snap late in the half. Looked like a good snap to me. Got some pressure late in the half. Moved and then had a chance to re-set his feet and scan the field, but stayed on the move and threw the ball away. The next play a rusher looped inside and came free up the middle. He got Vick by the ankles. As Vick was going to the ground, he tried to throw the ball away. Dumb. Dumb x infinity. Just take the sack. The team was in FG range. The team had a timeout. Take the sack and move on. I hope Chip let Vick know that play was completely unacceptable and simply can’t happen again. A veteran QB just can’t make that decision. Don’t make a bad play worse. The sack wasn’t Vick’s fault, but the attempted throw was all on him.
Opening play of the 2nd half was a short pass to Celek. Vick sat calmly in the pocket. Kelce was driven right back to him, but Vick didn’t flinch. A couple of plays later he was calm in the pocket and threw a laser to DJax for a 1st down. The ball was perfectly accurate and had excellent velocity. Great throw. Whatever Kelly said at halftime worked. Vick looked back to being calm and under control.
FOLES – Good game. Ran 3 drives. 2 resulted in TDs. Was also on the field at the end for a kneel-down, but I’m not counting that as a normal drive. Foles had one play in the 3rd Qtr and was on the field for the whole 4th Qtr. The team had 22 offensive snaps in that period. Good tempo. Finished 10-11-112. Only threw short passes. The one incompletion was his first play of the game, a pass to Damaris Johnson. Made an impressive throw to Johnson for 11 yds. DJ was between 2 DBs. The ball was accurate and had some zip. Hit Casey with a quick pass on the right side. Ball was behind him. I couldn’t tell if Nick did this to keep Casey from running into a hit or if it was simply off-target. Hit DJ with a pass over the middle for a gain of 14. Another solid throw.
The argument against Foles is that he threw a bunch of short passes and only faced a backup defense.
The argument for Foles is that he made good pre-snap reads and knew where to go with the ball. He got it out quickly and gave his guys a chance to get RAC yards. They did. There was nothing physically outstanding about what Foles did. He just executed the offense in a crisp, efficient way and led the team to TDs.
RB
SHADY – Had 5 carries for just 9 yds. Cut the bum. JAX was very aggressive vs the run early on and the OL struggle with some of the things they did. Shady paid the price. Caught 2 passes for 19 yds. Looked good when he had space to work with.
B BROWN – 2012 all over. Looked great, but he had a bad fumble. Brown was at the 4-yd line and got hit as he was trying to score. The ball popped out and went through the side of the endzone. Touchback. Ugh. There is good news. Had 6 carries and 2 receptions after the fumble. Did a much better job of protecting the ball in traffic after the fumble. Had a sloppy pass block on 3rd/8 in 1st Qtr. Went after the blitzer, but didn’t keep moving his feet and the guy got wide and around him to pressure Vick. Blocked downfield on play where Vick scrambled. Let Vick get to the sideline cleanly. Alertly fell on the ball when Vick bobbled a snap late in the half. On the play where he fumbled, Brown looked great initially. Used his speed to take an outside zone run and get to the sideline. Turned upfield and was gone. Got about 25 yds on the play and looked really fast. Great play late in the game. Caught a short pass. Used hop to get away from the first defender. Then instantly put spin move on the 2nd guy. Then took on 4 Jags defenders. Went forward and got what he could. Reminded of a scene from a cheesy action movie where the hero beats up a couple of henchmen and then finds out there are still more. That’s terrific effort late in a presason game.
Finished 11-92. Was really good on the outside zone runs. Used his speed to get wide. Also was effective running inside. 2-10 as a receiver.
POLK – Good game. Caught screen pass in the 2nd Qtr. Didn’t have much room, but was able to get upfield and get 5 yds. Showed good speed on some outside zone runs in the 3rd Qtr. Finished 6-23-1 as a runner. Looked slow vs the Pats, but I think we can now safely say that was just a rough night. Has played well the last 2 weeks. Looks faster than ever. Also running with good strength/power.
TUCKER – Only 2 for -1 as a runner, but looked good as a receiver. Caught short pass on 3rd/2 and turned upfield for a gain of 18. Broke at least 2 tackles and it took several shots before he went down. Caught a short pass in the right flat and got upfield for a gain of about 10 yds. Left the game late with some kind of minor leg injury.
TE
CELEK – Good game. Led team as receiver (4-54). Also had a strong night as a blocker, both in the pass and run game. Caught a short pass at the end of the 1st Qtr. Fought upfield and took a couple of big shots. Had an excellent seal block of DE on outside run to his side. Lined up out left on the next play and had a good block on WR screen. Stayed in on a few pass plays and did a good job.
ERTZ – Caught a 1st Qtr pass from Vick. Lined up in the right slot. Went upfield and turned around. Made smooth hands catch. Gained 14 yds on the play. Vick tried to hit him with a downfield throw on the next play. The pass was behind Ertz, but that’s where Vick had to put it because of a defender. Ertz adjusted to the ball, but couldn’t make the grab. Not a drop, but a pass you’d love to see him catch. Solid job as a blocker. Still played in space a lot.
CASEY – Good block of DE on 4th/1 run to his side. Caught short pass from Foles. Made a nice adjustment to the ball.
HARBOR – Mostly was outside as WR/TE. No passes thrown his way.
IGWENAGU – Caught a pass from Foles in the 4th Qtr for 7 yds. Played a lot as in-line TE. Solid job as a blocker.
SHAW – Didn’t stand out.
CARRIER – Didn’t stand out.
WR
D JACKSON – 3-48. Long of 22. Smooth showing. Also did a solid job as a blocker.
AVANT – Another good game. 3-36. One of the catches was just spectacular. Vick tried to hit him in the flat. The ball was tipped. Avant just reached out and scooped it in with one hand. Watching live, I thought for sure the ball hit the ground. Amazing catch. Then he made the DB miss and got upfield for 11 yds. Opened the game with a very good catch. Got loose in the secondary and made a leaping catch along the sideline. Was able to get his feet in as he came down. Caught a WR screen late in the half and got 10 yds. Has looked pretty good on those plays this summer.
COOPER – Only 1-9 as a receiver, but had a good game as a blocker. That was both in the run and pass game. Good block on WR screen to Avant. Kept control of his DB and gave Jason room to run.
D JOHNSON – Good catch on pass from Foles in the early 4th. Reached up and plucked the ball despite DB being right there to hit him. Total focus. Caught one over the middle for 14 yds.
SHEPARD – Good showing. Caught WR screen in the early 4th. Had a pair of good blocks on the outside. Split them and flew upfield. A DB closed in for the tackle, but Shepard cut back to the inside. He broke the arm tackle and got additional yds. You could see his natural athletic ability on that play. Gained 29 yds. Lined up on the other side on the next play. Went inside on a short route. Foles hit him. Shepard made a LB miss and then got upfield for 9 yds. Great RAC skills on those plays. Good block on Brown’s TD run to his side.
MOMAH – Didn’t stand out.
SALAS – Didn’t stand out.
N MILLER – Didn’t stand out.
MAEHL – Good job as a run blocker.
OL
This was a rough game for the O-line.
There was a play where Todd, Lane both blocked a LB and both left a DL wide open to stuff Shady. Pure confusion. JAX used some stunts and slants and had the guys confused on who to block at times. Good learning experience.
PETERS – First game back since 2011. Was a little rusty, but looked pretty darn good pretty quickly. Showed off his natural gifts in pass pro. Great feet. Great balance. Knows how to use his hands. DE tried to attack inside. Jason hit him from the side and put the guy on the ground. Had blizing DB fire off the edge to his side. The guy jumped to deflect the pass. Jason popped him in the stomach and the DB went crashing to the ground. Coach Stoutland will love seeing that. Make those guys pay when they jump.
MATHIS – Called for holding on early 3rd/8 that wiped out a 1st down. Was blocking Mincey (athletic DE who plays some inside) and just failed to get his hands on the defender quickly enough. Smart to hold and keep Vick from getting blasted. Excellent block on 3rd/long. DT used hard inside move. Evan got on him and rode the guy that way. Moved him completely over to the right side. Sustained the block perfectly. Beaten by Mincey on another 3rd down pass play. Just too quick for Evan on the play. Was beaten to the inside by Marks on a later pass play. Failed to read a stunt late in the half and didn’t pick up a rusher that looped inside and sacked Vick. Rough game for Mathis.
KELCE – Got beat by the NT on the first play, which led to Vick having to get on the move. Terrific block on inside run by Shady. Went to the 2nd level and engaged Poz. Sealed him and then drove Poz completely out of the box area. Picked up Babin on a stunt and got him to the ground. Took an awkward, hard fall after a run where players hit him from behind. Very encouraging to see Jason hop right up. Struggled with the massive DTs on some plays. Got driven back in pass pro a couple of times. Had a terrific block when pulling on Brown run in the early 3rd Qtr.
HERREMANS – Sloppy game. Roy Miller beat him with an inside move and was then able to chase down Vick from behind for the sack on the opening drive. Still has moments when he’s outstanding. Had to make reach block on the NT and fired off the ball. Was able to seal the NT and then ride him out of the play. That is a hard block and Todd made it look easy. Tackled blitzing LB on 3rd/8. Somehow didn’t get called for it. Was an odd play and Todd didn’t make the tackle until Poz’s 2nd effort, but he did get him from behind. Struggled on pass play where DT took a hard outside rush. Gave up the pressure that led to Vick’s INT. DT caught Todd with his hands down and got into his body, then by him. Just had a rough game. There were too many plays when DL got the best of Todd.
JOHNSON – Found out what it’s like to go against a good speed rusher. Johnson had never dealt with anyone like Jason Babin and that was a problem in the 1st Qtr. Babin got the best of him with speed off the edge and then spin moves back to the inside. The good news is that Johnson adjusted and got better. Babin used a spin move on the 2nd play and flushed Vick out of the pocket. Johnson had an excellent block on long inside run by Shady. Lane sealed the LB and gave Shady a huge void to hit. Great block on Vick’s TD pass. Handled Babin’s speed and wouldn’t let him back to the inside either. Lane settled down in pass pro in the 2nd Qtr and looked much better. He used his arms to lock onto Babin. Lane kept his feet active so he could mirror Babin. The talent is there. Just learning how to play.
TOBIN – Backup LT. Hustled downfield on Shepard’s long catch and run. Didn’t have anyone to block, but you love that hustle from a rookie who was blocking on the backside of the play. Easily could have gotten a penalty for the Runyan Rule late in the game. Dove on a pile a good half-second after the play was over. Love the hustle. Made a really smart decision on Polk’s TD run. Pulled to the left. Could have stayed out in front for no reason, but decided to block the first guy he saw. Made sure that guy wouldn’t get to Polk. Drives me nuts when some OL pull and run in space with no one to block, waiting for someone to appear. Get the first guy and make sure he’s taken out of the play. Tobin got in the way of 2 defenders. Don’t know if either would have made the play, but I do know for a fact that neither did make the play. Love watching this guy play. Limited talent, but great effort.
BARBRE – Backup LG. Pulled to his right on 4th/1 power play. The LB stayed real low and Barbre grabbed him. Called for holding, which negated a good run by Polk. Tough play. Give the LB credit. Pulled as lead blocker on Brown’s TD run, but no one was there to block. Looked good on the move.
TENNANT – DNP.
VANDERVELDE – Backup C. Good block of LB on run in early 4th Qtr. Got to the 2nd level, engaged and sustained. Pulled and went outside on Brown’s TD run. Had no one in front of him so went after a DB. Looked good on the move. Flew upfield on run play and tried to cut LB. Good attempt, but didn’t get the guy down. Real good block of DT on inside run. Had to reach to his right, then extended his arms and sustained the block. Really struggled vs the Pats. Has gotten a lot better in the last 2 weeks. On track to be the backup C.
WATKINS – Backup RG. Excellent in pass pro. Got a wide base and locked onto defenders. Didn’t give ground. Pulled on Brown run to the outside. Hit a LB in the side. Got just enough of the guy to affect him. Didn’t hold, though. Let Brown get wide. Had a couple of good run blocks.
KOPA – DNP
PURCELL -DNP.
REYNOLDS – DNP.
BAMIRO – Backup RT. Has gotten worlds better. King Dunlap was a gentle giant. Bamiro is a goofy kid that is just learning how big and strong he is. Watch out for the day when he realizes he can kick everyone’s ass just about any time he wants to. Still struggles at pass pro, but will force the DE to go wide to get around him. Had a false start on 2-pt play that made Kelly opt for PAT. Drove DE 10 yds up the field on a run play, then pushed him away. Seems to be really taking to the coaching he is getting.
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DEFENSE
A lot of people came away very worried about the defense. I had some concerns, but think some people are being a bit over the top. The Jaguars scored 3 TDs in the game. Only one of them came against the full starting defense. That TD came on the opening drive. The long TD run happened when there were 5 backups mixed in with the starters. 3 of those backups were rookies and 2 of them played significant roles in the score. The final TD came when the Jags starters scored on the backup defense.
The Jags gained 346 yards and scored 24 points. That’s not good, but let’s hold off on talk of this defense being completely dreadful. The starting 11 actually played a solid game. They had 3 sacks, deflected a couple of passes and came up with a takeaway (INT). Gang Green? No. But that is a step in the right direction. This defense isn’t going to shut people down. They did at least start making some things happen.
PLAYS
1st TD – The Jags had a RB, TE, Denard Robinson and 2 WRs on the field. They split the TE far left. That put Robinson and the WRs on the right side. The Eagles went with a base defense and no one was on Justin Blackmon in the slot. He came upfield and Pat Chung then broke over to cover him. Blackmon was wide open for the easy TD. This should be a simple schematic fix. The OLB to Blackmon’s side maybe should have gone out over him. In a real game, the D would hopefully call a timeout if faced with this situation. Part of the confusion is Robinson. Is he a WR or RB? He was lined up between Blackmon and the other WR, which meant he got a DB on him.
* 3rd/5 in RZ – Barwin sacked Henne. Coverage sack. All 3 CBs locked down WRs. Kendricks went with one guy. Ryans/Allen doubled other receiver. No one open at all.
Long TD run – Backup DL was in the game. Damion Square was at NT and got moved off the ball. He started between the numbers and ended up outside the numbers. Part of that was him trying to flow to the ball, but the NT needs to stay more to the middle of the field. Both Chung and Allen took poor angles to the ball. Ryans overran the play by a couple of yards. The backside was wide open. TD.
PLAYERS
DL
COX – Best game of the summer. Lined up over the LG and drove him back into Henne’s face on early pass play. Fought off attempted cut block and got into backfield on run play. Grabbed RB from behind and held the play to minimal gain. Fought off another cut block and got RB as he started up the middle. Drove the LG back on a run play that came to his side. Limited the RB’s choices. No gain on the play. Showed his speed by chasing down Henne late in the half. Henne started to scramble on 3rd/5. He got out wide. Fletch took a good angle and flew out there. He got Henne up high and made a violent, twisting tackle that kept Henne a yard short. Wasn’t dirty. You just had 2 guys going full speed and Henne is no small QB. Wasn’t dominant in the game, but started to look more like the guy from last year.
SOPOAGA – Got off single block to open 2nd drive and helped tackle RB up the middle. Sopes has just had an odd summer. Wasn’t getting moved off the ball consistently, but also wasn’t pushing the OL backward. Doesn’t get free when single-blocked as much as I’d like. Gets little push on pass plays. Doesn’t hurt the defense, but isn’t the anchor you’d like at NT.
THORNTON – Good game. Solid job on run defense. Didn’t make plays, but ate up blockers. Got the best of the C while rushing as the NT in the Nickel. Forced Henne to throw the ball off-balance and to a checkdown target. Beat the RG with a good inside move and sacked Henne on the 3rd drive. Got some inside pressure on pass play late in the half. Lined up at NT in a 3-3-5 look late in the half.
CURRY – Came into the game in the early 2nd Qtr as part of the Nickel D. Excellent pursuit on plays where the ball goes outside. Hustles to the ball. Came free to the inside in the 3rd and got RB for a loss. Used hard inside move to get by OG and pressure Henne in the early 3rd. Lined up at LDT and split the G/C to hit Henne as he threw in the 3rd Qtr. Got a sack on the next play. Henne tried to run up the middle and Curry was able to get off a block and sack him. Disruptive when he’s allowed to attack upfield.
GEATHERS – Picked it up a bit. Came in on the opening drive. Drove the RG back on run play and forced the RB to go wide. Drove Joeckel right back to Henne in early 2nd and flushed the QB. Made impressive tackle in the 3rd Qtr. Avoided cut block and moved down the LOS and got RB as he cut back to the middle.
LOGAN – Came in at NT on the opening drive. Has terrific lateral movement ability. Engages the blocker and is able to move right or left in pursuit of the ball. Good feet. Terrific hustle to fly out wide and get RB after short catch and run in the flat. Gets the most push of any Eagles NT on pass plays. Did a better job of holding his ground vs the run.
SQUARE – Played some RDE on the opening drive. Got off block and tackled RB as he started upfield. Good awareness. Struggled at NT. Played DE in the 3rd Qtr. Got moved off the ball several yards by a double team. Struggles to anchor. I don’t like him at NT. The coaches love Square, but he’s got some holes in his game. He’s in the no-man’s land. Not big enough to be power player. Not athletic enough to be movement player. Gets by on skills and smarts, even as a rookie.
DIXON – Came in at NT in the 3rd Qtr. Flashed. Fired off the ball on one play and looked quick. Got cut so didn’t affect the play. On another run the grabbed the C and threw him aside and helped stuff a run. Other times he looked lost. On the ground more than you’d want. Needs to show better awareness vs cut blocks. Needs to use his hands better. Someone tell him he’s not the Venus de Milo. Needs to play to his size. Remained up and down all game. One good play, one bad. The guy from 2010 appears to be long gone.
KRUGER – Came in a LDE in the late 3rd. Also played DT and RDE. More physical this time out. Still doesn’t have the strength to be a good NFL player right now. Needs to develop.
KING – Played RDE for much of the 3rd Qtr. Uses his hands and arms well. Able to get into blockers and keep them off his body. Not a very athletic guy, though. More effort than talent.
WALKER – Took over at NT in the late 3rd. Love his size, but doesn’t use it consistently well.
OLB
COLE – More progress, but still up and down. Dropped into coverage on the first snap. Saw the ball headed kinda his way so Trent leapt to get a hand on it. Pass was too high, but that was good awareness. Had dropped back 8 yards at that point. Looked to be okay depth. Trent isn’t totally stiff in space, but is very herky-jerky. One thing he definitely struggles with is getting a jam on receivers in the slot. The Eagles have OLBs line up over them and try to jam them at the snap, then release the player. Trent has a habit of lunging and getting off balance. Run defense is up and down. Went too far inside on the opening drive and let the RB bounce the run outside. Trent recovered and got on MJD, but couldn’t bring Pocket Hercules to the ground. Lined up as DE in the Nickel and used good burst, move to get by the LG and get right in Henne’s face. Hit him with his hands, but didn’t draw a flag. Just slung Brett Brackett aside and got RB on 2nd Qtr run. Did a great job on another 2nd Qtr run to his side. Shed the block of the TE and stopped the RB for no gain. Drew double teams a couple of times as a pass rusher.
BARWIN – Good game. Used a hard inside move to get some pressure on Henne on the early TD pass. Got some pressure by bull-rushing the RT and driving back to Henne on early 3rd down. Came up with an INT early in the 2nd Qtr. Lined up over slot guy. Dropped back, saw the ball at the last minute, reached up and knocked the ball to himself. Caught it as he fell to the ground. Impressive. On 4th/1 run to his side, Barwin for some reason looped inside. If that was the design of the defense, it was a bad guess by the coaches. If Barwin did that on his own, that was an incredibly dumb decision. The RB was able to get to the edge. Shed the block of the FB and stopped RB on edge run for a short gain. Had a really nice play on 3rd/5. Lined up as Joker in Nickel. The NT took on the C and then Barwin hit the C from the side, knocking him completely to the ground. Barwin then moved around him and sacked Henne.
GRAHAM – Came in at LOLB on opening drive. Set the edge on early run. Kept the RB to the inside, but couldn’t cleanly shed the block of the TE. Dropped into coverage on pass play late in the half. Actually looked the most nimble that I’ve seen from him. Took over at LOLB in the 3rd Qtr. Hustled out wide and made tackle on WR screen. Best pressure in the game came on a play where the TV angle was terrible. Flew off the left side and forced Henne up the middle, where Curry sacked him. Graham needs to do a better job on runs plays that come at him. Just engaging the TE and setting the edge isn’t enough. Needs to be able to shed the block and have a chance for the tackle. Wasn’t doing that vs JAX.
MCCOY – Bad game. Got sealed too easily by LT on early run and ball went to that side. Full time ROLB in 3rd Qtr. Brackett knocked him back with a block and sealed him for run to that side. Next play was a run at him. FB blocked McCoy to the inside, partly because McCoy tried to side-step the block. Cannot do that at the point of attack. Must engage the blocker and hold the point. Did a better job on the next run by taking on the FB and the runner went to the inside. Got blocked by WR and didn’t get off the block. Actually moved backward trying to shed the block. Ugh. Took on the FB on the next run and the ball then had to stay inside. Took on the LT on run play to his side on 3rd/4. Looked like he might have gotten held, but couldn’t shake the block and the RB got out wide for a good gain. Covered Denard Robinson in the flat in the RZ and did a pretty good job of sticking with him. Pass was off target and dropped. Got some pressure off the edge on 3rd down pass in the 3rd Qtr. Got sealed inside by FB on outside run to his side. Did a good job of covering RB 1 on 1 in flat on 3rd down. Had him pinned by sideline. RB cut back inside and got a couple of yds, but pursuit made the stop. McCoy had some good moments, but he was blocked way too easily on some run plays. Can’t choose when to be tough. Gotta do that every play. Still talented and a player worth developing.
LONG – Took over at LOLB in the late 3rd. Good job of taking on FBs and TEs on runs to his side. Destroyed the LT and got a strip sack late in the game. Wow play. Not explosive or overly athletic, but he is tough and physical.
BROWN – Took over at ROLB in the late 3rd. Used good inside move to get by the LT and hit the RB as he threw. Chased down a 4th Qtr run by hustling down the LOS and getting the RB as he started upfield. Lined up at DT in the Nickel late in the game and got to the QB. Quick off the ball and used his hands well to beat the LG. Couldn’t make a clean tackle, though. Got a sack late in the game when he used his hands well to cleanly get by the LT. Looked his best as an Eagle, but that raises the question of why it took so long? Playing like this the last 2 weeks would have him pushing for a roster spot. Now…who knows?
ILB
KENDRICKS – Good game. Took on the FB on 3rd/1 run play. Stuffed him, but no one was there to get the RB. Flew out wide to tackle MJD after a short 3rd down pass, but MoJo dropped the ball. Really good speed for MK to get out there so quickly. Blitzed up the middle and got a bit of pressure on the play where Henne was picked off. Got Henne down on play where he was flushed and started to run. Only got a yard on that. On next play, got Henne down for a loss. Busted pass play where WRs didn’t run the right routes. Dropped way deep on 3rd/12 and was basically like a FS. Blitzed up the middle in the early 2nd Qtr. Timed it well and got right in on Henne. Wisely pulled up since the ball was out. Next play was 3rd/1 pass. Kendricks batted the ball down. Both plays showed athleticism and excellent awareness.
RYANS – Made solid pursuit tackle on early run. Good game in coverage. Always seems to be in the right spot. Run D can still be erratic at times. Overruns some plays as he tried to get to the RB.
CHANEY – Just cut the other day so I’ll keep it simple. Not impressive. No instincts. Doesn’t play to his athletic ability. Not physical enough. Still has good potential, but must play in the right 4-3 system.
MATTHEWS – Played in the 3rd Qtr. Came over to the right and had chance to tackle Robinson, but then he cutback and Casey wasn’t quick enough to get him. Tackled RB on inside run. Wasn’t his primary gap, but Casey found the ball in traffic. Hustled outside on WR screen and got in on the tackle. Cleaned up tackle that Whitley started and put RB down with authority. Fired upfield into the LG on run play and forced the RB to cutback. Used his hands to take on the blocker. Aggressive, physical. Blitzed in the early 4th and was credited with sack. Several guys got their hands on the QB. Great effort by Matthews. Good showing, but his lack of top speed will always limit what he’s able to do. I do love the fact he’s more physical now than in the past. That at least gives him a chance. Does look okay in coverage.
ACHO – Came into the game in the mid-3rd. First play was run outside. Acho flowed outside and made the tackle. Tackled RB on inside run. Moved laterally and then stuffed run play that came right at him. Does a really good job of finding the ball in traffic and then getting to the right spot. Tackled TE after short catch over the middle. Should be the #3 ILB in my opinion.
KNOTT – Came into the game in the mid-3rd. Better in coverage than vs the run. Took on blocker on inside run play that came his way. That’s a step in the right direction, but still had other plays where he ran around blockers. Didn’t make any big plays, but had a solid showing.
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ALLEN – Tackled the RB on 4th/1 play where he got loose. Was lined up deep and hustled over in pursuit. Didn’t make a clean tackle, but did get the runner down. Gave a shot to WR Justin Blackmon when he tried to come inside and block Nate on a run. Kinda surprised me to see that. Odd game. Was generally in the right spot. Was around the ball a lot. Just never had a chance to really make plays. The action seems to stop before he’s got his chance to hit or tackle. He’s not missing tackles, but also isn’t making them. There isn’t a lack of effort. Just the way the ball bounces some times. I don’t feel confident in him, but also can’t say that he’s made key mistakes in the last 2 weeks. Hope he plays on Thursday. Need to see some tackles. I do trust him in coverage and that may be enough for him to remain the starter.
CHUNG -Came up quickly in run support to help tackle MJD. Had chance to make a play early on. JAX ran play-action pass and dumped the ball to the TE in the flat. Chung was on the move and had a good angle. A big hit would have kept the TE from getting the 2 yds they needed. Chung got a solid shot, but not enough and the TE got 2.1 yds. No mistake on Chung’s part. You just wish he made that play. Came up quickly to get MJD on 3rd/1 run where he got loose for 5 yds. Helped Cole get RB down on run play that tried to go outside. Did a good job of working to the ball through some traffic. Took a poor angle to the ball on the long TD run. Was too aggressive. Needed to keep the runner boxed in, but ran in out of control and let the RB get out wide.
SIMS – Played in the 3rd Qtr. Was slow to recognize the FB had split out wide. Got out there late and the FB made him miss with a quick move and got about 10 yds on the play. Made diving attempt for the ball on play where it bounced off him and was caught, then challenged. Gave up TD while in man coverage and ran into a pick play. Was covering TE. Just not seeing it this summer.
WOLFF – Came in on the 2nd drive. On the field for the long TD run. Started back initially, read run and came upfield. Ran to where the RB was instead of anticipating where he’d be. Took to direct a route and once the RB was wide, Earl had no chance. Aside from that play, had a quiet game. Like Nate, just didn’t have many chances.
COLEMAN – Played some late in the game. I think the coaches know Kurt (good and bad) and wanted to focus on other players that are more erratic.
ANDERSON – Very active game. Played in the 3rd Qtr. Tried to take on the FB on outside run to his side. Got jacked back a couple of yards. Got RB on inside run in the 3rd Qtr. Looked like it was Colt diving for the ball on the play when Whitley’s leg got hit and hurt. Had a shot to pick off deflected pass in the late 3rd, but Colt doesn’t have good hands. Flew around the field and was in the action a lot, but the results were mixed. Lack of size and athleticism shows his limitations. Great effort.
CB
FLETCHER – So-so game. Made mistake on early WR screen. Came up quickly, but didn’t have outside leverage. Let Blackmon get up the sideline instead of forcing him back to the inside where pursuit was. Only cost 5 extra yards, but shouldn’t make simple mistakes like that. Still did make the tackle. Blackmon beat him for good gain on fade. Slight push-off, but great throw/catch. Brad had no chance. Limited WR screen to Blackmon to just 5 yds late in the half.
WILLIAMS – Good game. Was consistently good in press coverage. Didn’t face speedy WRs though so that helped him. Gave up early completion. Was in off-coverage. Closed to ball quickly. Active run defender. Played press coverage a lot in this game and showed good ability. Able to jam receivers at the line. Does a good job of mirroring them as they run the route and then look for the ball. Helped break up early pass with tight man coverage. Had tight coverage of Blackmon on 3rd/long & forced errant throw.
HUGHES – I didn’t see him in action.
BOYKIN – Played the slot in the 1st half. Very good in coverage. Moved to LCB in the 2nd half. Had a real impressive play in off coverage. WR caught pass in the flat. Boykin read it and flew up to make the tackle after only a gain of 2. Good awareness, burst and tackle. Gave up 14-yd catch on 3rd/14. Had a chance to tackle the WR short, but slipped. Ball was marked an inch short, which JAX got on 4th down. Broke up a pass in the late 3rd. Needs to stay in the slot for now. Better there than outside.
LINDLEY – Took over for Whitley after his injury. Broke up pass in the late 3rd. Had tight press coverage on the play. Showed good feet at times. Good tackler on several plays. Should play a lot Thursday. Could he challenge for spot with good game?
POYER – Played the slot in the 2nd half. Did a good job. Can be sloppy with his jams at times. At his best when pressing and being aggressive, physical. Tried to pick off short pass to his right. Dove, but missed the ball. Hustled up and chased the ball. Undercut another WR and went for the ball. Pass was too high and neither guy had a good shot at it. Very happy that we saw him going for the ball. That’s the Poyer from OSU. The light has come on for him.
WHITLEY – Played CB in the 3rd Qtr, working with #2 defense. Gave up short completion to his side when playing off. Got a shot on RB coming his way. Wasn’t able to make a wrap tackle, but good effort to get the hit. Came to the inside and got RB on a run up the middle. Will aggressively come up to take on blockers on outside runs to his side. Would have given up good gain to Blackmon while in off coverage, but Justin dropped the ball. Got hurt in the 3rd Qtr and is done for the year. Bad break.
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ST’s
JONES – Good game. 48.3 yds per punt. 1 inside the 20.
WING – DNP.
HENERY – 3 for 3 on FGs. Some were worried about him after an odd summer, but Henery was very good vs JAX. FGs were from 30, 31 and 45. The long one was down the middle and had another 10 yds of distance at least. 4 of 6 KOs were touchbacks.
– MISC –
KOR – Damaris Johnson averaged 28.5 yds per KOR. Had a long of 61. Johnson had a bad KOR. He tried to run wide and was tackled about the 10. If you watch the play, the lead blocker also goes wide, as if that was by design. Didn’t work either way, but you’d rather it be by design than him trying that on his own.
Bryce Brown returned a KO in the 3rd Qtr. The ball was way short. Brown bobbled it at first, then got control and went upfield for a short return.
PR – Johnson averaged 15.5 yds per PR, with a long of 37. The punter tackled him by grabbing his facemask. That set up a FG. Did have a fumble in the 1st half. Bobble the ball initially, but then got control of it. Was running up the field and got hit. The ball just came loose.
* Brandon Graham did an excellent job on KO in early 2nd Qtr. Got off block of LB and tackled the RS.
* Boykin and Hughes were the “starting” gunners on punts. Shepard was the left gunner on the next punt.
* Knott, Casey and Graham did a good job on mid-1st Qtr punt.
* Knott did a good job while covering KO in the early 2nd Qtr.
* Jordan Poyer was part of early PR unit (not as returner). Good sign to be on STs early in the game.
* Jake Knott and Kurt Coleman had key blocks on the long KOR late in the 1st half.
* Kurt Coleman had a terrific block on DJ’s long PR. Put one Jag on the ground and another guy started stumbling. Colt Anderson also put a Jag on the ground. Later in the play Coleman and Shepard got another guy hit another guy and put him on the ground.
* Sims made a good tackle in KO coverage in the 4th Qtr.
* Salas made the mistake of not keeping contain as gunner on punt. Let the PR cleanly get to the sideline.
* Shepard will run around some blocks in KO coverage.
just wish Vick would take what the defense gives him…can’t be ignoring check downs when you have the type of skill players that we have…a 5yard check down to shady can easily turn into a 15yard gain…l don’t think there is anything exciting about Vick being “agressive” and ignoring check downs, especially when you get off to a rocky start. Stop trying to be spectacular and make the right reads..
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Foles 99 yard drive is how I want this offense to operate. Foles is constantly wearing down the defense with his tempo, while giving our own defense a breather….when Foles is in the game, getting that first 1st down is crucial…Foles gets that first down, and the defense starts to wear down…
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When our QB is sorrounded with so many weapons, I have no desire seeing him do too much.
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Foles in studio the other day with Soadaro, just showed a ridiculous amount of growth from the year before. THis kid is a pro, he is a leader…just look how he handled the good Jags performance: after the game, Foles had a crowd of reporters around his locker giving interviews, in the middle of the interview, he stopped and told the reporters ” make way for my man Mike” and gave Vick a hug….Foles didn’t enjoy having a good game while Mike stunk it up, showed a lot of class what that kid did…Reporters were treating him like he had the best performance ever, and he constantly redirected all the raise to his teammates….This kid gets it, and he grows drastically from one year to the next…Instead of being down on him not ready to beat out Vick, be excited about who this kid can become in his 3rd and 4th seasons….I see something in the kid!!! Sorry, I just do!!!
Interesting point you made re Foles/Vick in the locker room. You could also see Vick pumping his fist on the sidelines after the Eagles scored marching 99 yards. I think the relationship between Vick and Foles is genuinly good!
Agreed! You will NEVER hear me bad mouth VIck The Man, he has been a class act and a great role model since he has been here. I Genuinly wish him a world of success, I just don’t have much confidence in it…
We will see. Just have a cheeky tenner on a full 16 games season too. 😉
Lol…I wouldn’t bet a Nickle on him playing 16 games
Now GEagle, Vick did run out of bounds on a few plays rather than gain a few inches. Heck, he even went down before being hit on a few runs. There is still hope.
There really isn’t….lol trust me
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Even a crackhead like Micheal Irvin knows lol
It was great to see Foles with a mistake-free performance after the first two games. “The Drive” was a thing of beauty. Want a consistent offense? Take what the defense gives you, all day every day.
I agree with you about Foles. He passes my vibe test with flying colors. I’d bet a non-cheeky tenner that he turns out to be a very solid qb.
Which of our lineman pulled on a run play early on, got to the second level, whiffed on a block and his man made the tackle short of the first down ruining what could hav been a big play…it was a run to the right, I thought it was Herremans who pulled outside….anyone remember the play? that can’t happen!
Maybe Herremans needs to be replaced. He’s missing some key blocks and could get our QB hurt.
The Brown fumble was the result of a “perfectly” placed helmet on the ball. Not sure any running back could stop that given that he was headed down.
If he doesn’t get it together soon, I’m sure Chip will make a change. It’s not like Watkins is beating the door down for a spot just yet. Todd spent the last few years playing RT, now he has had about 5 ok to bad quarters at RG, it’s not time to overreact just yet, he could just be getting used to game action playing a very different position then the one he played last year….but I agree that his level of play has not been acceptab,e aNd that he better get it together soon
hopefully he’s just a vet coasting through the preseason.
The players who are on the bubble I will enjoy watching the most tonight are:
OT Bamiro: might have a chance to sneak onto the roster with a good showing AND if the Eagles decide to put Dennis Kelly on (the returnable) IR.
S/CB Kurt Coleman: maybe his last days as an Eagle, and despite his (physical) limitations I like this guy. Cannot wait to see him getting some reps at corner back!
CB Jordan Poyers: an early fan favourite shortly after the draft Jordan has a long ways to go. Let’s hope he continues to improve. Coming up with a big play (INT any one?!) would make a strong case for the final roster.
DE Clifton Geathers: his size and tremendous upside makes me root for him. Hopefully he can dominate the 2nd and 3rd stringers of an below-average Jets O-Line.
S Colt Anderson: something makes me think that Colt has to have at least a couple of nice plays on D as being a special teams demon might not be enough to make the roster this year…
WR Greg Salas and Russel Sheppard: I expect big things from BOTH tonight. A strong showing could make CK & Co. to go with 6 WRs on the roster.
I really hope to see Geathers become more physical. Right now he is the DL version of King Dunlap.
If Geathers and Bamiro both develop like we hope they can, I would pay to watch them battle in 1v1 drills in TC.
there was a play where (i think it was) Geathers just absolutely plowed over the OL in the last game. (i’m assuming this is what Tommy noted above as driving Joekel back and flushing the QB). it was pretty fun to watch our DL just manhandle their OL like that. he pushed the OL back so far, he more or less ran right by the QB haha. i want to see more of that from the big man!
Just rewatched that play, we need more of that from him on a constant basis.
Yeah, Clifton showed me something in this last game. Especially on one series when he was pretty dominant but Anders is right, we need to see more…
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the play Tom mentions when he beat his man, and hunted the RB down the line of scrimmage to make a stop was big for a dude that size. Hopefully it clicked for him last game and we see more.
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Bamiro to me, has to make the team. He just has too much potential to risk losing. Kid is improving Fast, and in two years he cane a legit player in this league…I few him as much less of a risk then Momah
Why not Geathers as NT backup. Soap seems to be sliding.
Gaethers simply isn’t wired to be a NT. We are worried about him being aggressive enough to make the team, so there is just no way to make him a NT(ATleast I don’t think so)…..and I think we will be pleased with Soap. He won’t be spectacular, but he will do his job and allow Kendricks to become the stud that he is destined to be..When Soap comes out the game, expect Logan to replace him
Height is actually a detriment at NT, I believe, at least above 6’3 or so. You don’t want a guy whose pads it’s easier to get under getting double teamed (or, god forbid, not even needing to be double teamed to be knocked off the line). He would have to be more technically sound than a shorter guy, all other things equal.
do you think we will keep both Salas & Sheppard? i dont know if there is room on the roster for both, and i can’t decide who has been playing better…
Salas seemed to pull ahead early in the offseason but has been pretty quiet lately. Shepard has been quietly consistent and i’ve been hearing more about him on ST than Salas. its going to be hard to pick one if they have to!
personally, i’m rooting for Shepard. i like reading about him putting in hours and hours of extra time working on the jugs machine and working with Avant. its a nice story to have on the team if we can keep the mentor and the understudy to keep pushing him to be better.
It’s gonna be a tough decision, however I currently lean towards keeping all 6. And it is possible, provided we only go with 3 RBs and not more than 9 offensive linemen.
There will be one position that we will have to go light with, and I hope that it will be the position with the least quality, i.e. cornerback or safety.
my list for tonight:
#1) Jolly OL St Nick!!!… I expect him to grow with every chance he gets to get on the field, so tonight is exciting for me.
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#2) Nate Allen/Wolff….If I’m Allen, I’m am extremely embarrassed to be playing in a 4th preseason game especially when there is so little competition at the safety position…Hopefully it’s the wake up call he needed(although I feel foolish making that statement)…If Stella can’t get her groove back playing against fringe players then we are in trouble…he is a 4th year, experienced player, playing against QB trash tonight. Is it to much to ask of him to bait a QB into a bad throw and make a damn play?…Nate is lucky he is playing with Chung and nOt Bernard Pollard, cuz Bernard would have been on his ass this entire camp!
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#3) B. Grizzle….Oh yee of little faith, watch the year Graham has, as soon as we go predator with him and cole.
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#4) Is there any doubt that curry is gonna hit someone tonight?..His campaign of violent terror will continue tonight, and I expect him to look like the best play on the field for most of this game.
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#5 Square was quiet last week. I’m hoping him and Gaethers show up and force the coaches to keep 7 linemen, sorry Dixon
and Pollard would be cut by Kelly for been dump ass and hurting his team.
When has pollard hurt his team this preseason?
He hasnt yet, but he is a walking 15 yard flag that cant cover.
Yes…but he is also a walking instill fear in WR going across the middle. when Bernard hits you a few times during the first half, WR’s think about it late in the game. They aren’t as Eager to go hard and an give the QB a target going across the middle…I have seen plenty of great WR’s in the playoffs, drop a routine catchable ball on an important 3rd down because they heard Pollards foot steps(Cough Welker Cough)…How about the fumbles he creates?..
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you can’t play Chung and Pollard together, so It’s not like Id rather have Pollard over Nate, but I would love to see a guy like him set the tone for an Eagles defense, but yes I conceded that it can’t be Bernard
Easy to say, but if Brown doesn’t fumble and Johnson doesn’t fumble, Vick leaves the game up a.TD. If, if, if this team can just be ok with the turnover diff, itmight actually be a special.season.
If Brown and Johnson does not fumble, there is a great chance the first team offense would have scored 23-26 points and only have given up 14.
Standing headline:
“HERREMANS – Sloppy game….”
I’m seeing that as well. I’m also seeing positive things from Watkins. What are the chances there’s an under-the-radar competition happening there?
I had hoped Watkins or Babre had gotten the 3rd quarter with the starters against the Jags to see how they stack up.
Sadly, I think Herremans has been on the decline. Last year I wasn’t satisfied with his play prior to injury. I was hopeful that a return to G would bring out the best in him, but I think he’s just getting a bit long in the tooth.
Yes, he’s not a good fit for a Chip offense.
Thanks Tom.
That may be the most positive review ever written of Watkins in the NFL. Hopefully he can dominate tonight.
Vandervelde was made to play center, he just needed a year to make the switch, think of him as a bigger, but less polished version of Kelce.
Kelce 6-3 280 [4.89 1.70 4.14 7.22 30 9’2]
Vandervelde 6-2 301 [5.12 1.68 23 4.52 7.30 31 8’10]
Vandervelde gives you an athlete that can do some of the special things Kelce does with training, unlike someone like Reynolds, who’s more of a man blocking center.
Bamiro will make the roster, the physical skills are there, the mental makeup is great, and he’s shown steady progress (i.e. coachable) – he’s basically a stronger version of Kelly but much rawer (Stony Brook doesn’t have quite the same OL coaching or weight room as a Big Ten program). Two years from now one of these guys will be the RT with Lane moving to LT and Peters to OG.
Watkins and Barbre are both 29, Barbre is a better athlete who can play LT, Watkins might be the better OG. However, Tobin will make it to the PS, so both will make the team and I’ll bet on Kelly going on IR.
Agree, my 4 backups are Babre, Watkins (seems to have his head straight this year), Bamiro and Vandevelde. Not world beaters, but I would trust everyone of them more than any of the backups last year.
Put Kelly on the IR that lets him return.
I believe more and more that the Eagles will stash Kelly on the (returnable) IR. The risk of losing Bamiro with Kelly not being able to play for at least the first two regular season games is just too high.
Can’t use returnable IR until after final cutdown. You would have to keep him on roster, cut down to 53, then you could IR him (returnable) and reclaim the roster spot then. So they still would need to expose someone.
Thanks for the good info. I was not aware of this. Makes things even more complicated.
And to IR him before the season they have to expose him to waivers first.
yea but we could expose somebody like Colt Anderson/Kurt Coleman that nobody would pick up any way, but we need just for depth
Wouldn’t be surprised if either one of them was picked up
We don’t have any sure fire good safeties after Chung, they all have serious issues as starters so I would rather not risk our ST captain in Colt
I think we need Coleman more than most of us would like to think or can easily accept. And he would be snapped up by half a dozen other teams that are desperate for any safety help they can get.
I’d rather keep Coleman then Nate. Neither should start for us at safety next year, why lose a good ST player in Coleman?
I would take my chances dropping Colt. Most teams aren’t looking for special team aces until they have problems in regular season games.
Who would you plan on keeping? Coleman, Wolff, Chung and Nate?
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How much of a drop off in ST is there from Colt to Kurt?
Yes, those are the safeties I would keep. Pick another one up after the final cuts, if there is a good option.
It’s significant, but there is also a drop off from Kurt to Colt as a backup.
My guess is that the Eagles believe that they have better special teams all around from all the work they have put into it this offseason and they don’t need to keep a guy like Colt around to continue to have good special teams if he is not helping us enough defensively.
After watching us, i feel really bad for any team in worse shape than us at Safety. Except the Giants, of course.
Ours might be worse than anyone’s, all things considered, but teams are looking for depth, and Coleman is going to be better than some teams’ backup safeties, plus he is a special teams contributor. I think someone would pick him up. If one is so intent on getting rid of Coleman, they should find someone better first to replace him with.
If we cut a vested veteran that we trust, they bypass waivers and become a free agent. That would allow us to juggle the roster to get Kelly to the IR and not expose anyone to waivers.
That is also a possibility. But then they are exposed to FA rather than waivers.
After watching how smooth Shepard looks as a pass catcher. One really do wonder if it was more LSU and less Shepard’s fault for his less than stellar college career. I mean had Shepard been a WR for a program better a developing offensive talent, there is a great chance he could have been a top 100 pick.
I’m with you, and I’ll see your Sheppard and raise you a Benny Logan lol…seems to me like LSU held both of them back. I knew we were getting a player in Logan who was strong and willing to do the grunt work, but LSU sure didn’t allow him to show off his athleticism and get after it. I thought we we getting a Mike Patterson type in Benny. But I see a lot more ability then that…same goes with Sheppard. They had the kid playing as a runner, WR, return man and even a CB….I’m excited to see Shep tonight play with Foles who has been pretty much flawless on his ball placement on screens and short passes, putting the ball were guys catch it in perfect stride and pick up YAC yards
A bit worried about Herremans at this point. I wonder if Watkins or barber will challenge for his job.
Not yet…we respect him too much. he will be given every chance to succeed, and if he can’t get it together, then we start talking about making the switch….Keep in mind he is probably pretty damn good for Lane Johnson. there is just no way that Watkins can help Lane out the way Todd can by playing next to him.
His experience and on field help for lane are definitely huge. I wouldn’t want to lose that. He’s also been one of my favorite Eagles as far as personality for a long time so I’m hoping he gets back to form after the preseason. There’s just been a lot of chatter about Barbre playing really well. I wasn’t thinking they’d pull Todd before the season or anything but if he continues to play poorly for a few games I wonder of they give someone else a shot. I’d say no chance last year but with new staff I’m not sure what to expect.
Doesn’t Barbre swing between Tackle and Guard but only on the left side? Or can he also play RG?
I’m not sure. I know he’s on the depth chart on the left side. I think this article and another similar one possibly by Sheil is what made me think he was a possibility.
http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/08/26/philadelphia-eagles-danny-watkins-on-the-hot-seat/
Babre has only played the left side for us in pre season games.
Herremans has been up and down over the last few years. I don’t think it’s the difference between being a guard and tackle, as some do. What I’m really not sure about is whether he can handle the new faster pace for a whole game.
Here’s that other article that said barbre had passed Watkins on the depth chart. http://www.phillymag.com/eagles/2013/08/28/ten-eagles-on-the-roster-bubble-2/
Thanks for the links..
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IC..could be. I won’t disagree, but he has always been a more muscular lineman then a slob lineman so I ATleast give him a glimmer of hope to be able to handle the pace. JP is more of a concern about the Tempo since he is a bigger man, but he is The Man, so when he needs a break I’m sure the tempo will slow down. I like Herremans chances to be able to keep up with the pace that JP sets…because by week 3, the Boss Hog will be rolling and he is who we tailor this thing around…in my Humble oppinion of course…Don’t think Chip will out kick, JP’s coverage 🙂
the backup OL sounds like they had a decent game.
very nice words for watkins, barbre et al. hopefully the injury to Kelly doesn’t sting too badly during the season! (more hopefully we don’t even *need* the backup OL, though!)
I know Watkings and the center were very effective in run blocking, it stuck out while watching the game with help from BALDI’S commentary, so it’s great to read Tom grade Watkins highly for his pass protection, because I liked what I saw in the run game
Did the Jags stop slanting and stunting later in the game?
They did some of it, but the backups weren’t nearly as good at it. JAX has a weak roster that they are rebuilding. Depth is an issue for them.
Cool beans. I was trying to get a handle on what the difference in pressure was a result of:
1) Kelly made an adjustment
2) Jags stopped what they were doing for whatever reason
3) Our backups were better than theirs.
Sounds like mostly #3. Can’t totally rule out #1.
I might bet a cheeky tenner that Vick lasts all 16 games this season…
Well there’s a new vocabulary term. What is that, a smartassed ten dollar bill?
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Personally, I prefer my money to keep its mouth shut.
cheeky tenner = waste of a ten pounds note. 😉
I’d use it as a doorstop. (Kidding.)
Thanks for the knowledge. I think I like my definition better though. 🙂
Thanks to whoever post the Ross Tucker interview in a different thread. Some really good stuff in it. he says that calling us Gimicky is way overblown because basically we will be a blend of two of the hottest offenses in football, NE high tempo, and Washingtons read option ground n pound attack..Definitely an interview won checking out..
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A good read is the rolling stone piece on Hernandez and the Patriots turning a Blind eye to it all…Today PFT reports that the writer thinks Hernandez will get acquitted and return to the NFL…hopefully he won’t be Lurie’s next redemption project
eagles worked out former Ravens LB Bryan Hall and former Rams CB, Robert steeples…anyone know anything about either? All I got is that Hall played 73 snaps or the Ravens last year and is experienced in the 3-4(Rotoworld)
Tommy, I was interested in watching Lane Johnson and Luke Joeckel to compare them. I came away thinking there isn’t a huge difference. Lane seems to be better at adjusting his feet, while Joeckel looks like the more pure run blocker. I was wondering what your take was. I haven’t seen much of the Chiefs, but the limited footage I have seen makes me like Joeckel and Johnson better than Fisher. It will be interesting to see which of these three tackles turns out to be the best in hindsight.
You can still see that Johnson is more raw than Joeckel and Fisher, but he is already playing at least as good or better than both of them, this means in a year or two once he have taken to Stoutland’s coaching, he will be the best.
Also seems the more raw Kyle Long might end up as the best guard taken in the first round (tho Warmack is as good as advertised).
4 years from now, lLane will be able to do everything that Joekel can do, but there is no way Joekel will be able to do everything that Lane can do…Face it boys, we hit a grand slam!!
I am not sure I buy that Vick was throwing that ball away on the interception, at least not until he was mid-throw. He pumped to a wide open RB in the middle of the field, then turned and stepped, and threw towards the sideline as he was hit, five yards short of DJax. I think it was a(nother) case of trying to do too much.
completely agree
I think that crappy throw was about the best thing that could happen. It took place during pre-season so it is of no consequence, and it’s a perfect example of what Chip can point to and say, “Don’t do that.”
NFL tweeted this pic
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2885/9620683333_fb59b49391.jpg
A quick note on the 99 yard drive:
The Oregon offense, philosophy-wise, is very similar to the Triple Option. That is, at heart, it’s about creating big plays by breaking a defense. Defenses that can be broken, felt forced to commit players to the short zone. The Jaguars did not do so and stayed in very vanilla formations so far as I can recall. That makes it pretty hard evaluate just how good Fole’s play was. He did everything right, of course, but you need way too much luck to be able to make 99 yards in the chunks he got. On the other hand, the Jaguar DC was pretty much letting him have it, so
I want to take the comments I read on here at face value, but I’m finding it very difficult to believe you would make a point of criticizing a 99-yard Vick-led drive in which he completed 10 consecutive passes as “pretty hard to evaluate.”
One of the key things we should take away from the last few years is that it is better to march down the field taking what is there than to get bruised and broken stubbornly trying to hit the jackpot.
And THAT is Chip’s philosophy. Put the defense in a situation where they pick their poison, then keep pouring it down their throats until they pick a different poison. Foles ran the offense flawlessly on that drive.
Wait, you mean you’d rather get a paycheck and not the lottery ticket?
/me rolls eyes…
“I’m normally nice, cool, laid-back guy, but I’m going to accuse you of arguing in bad faith.”
Not really the sort of thing you try if you’re intending on an actual conversation, man
*To the rest of y’all*
Big plays are the lifeblood of a successful offense carrying their weight. It’s why quarterbacks, real quarterback and not pretty boys, have strong arms. The broader point of having a structured offense, whether that be Marty’s system, Gilbride’s system, Kubiak’s system, or Shanahan’s system, is to have an offense that gets yards while creating opportunity to get big chunks, whether that be a play action fake or the speedster blowing by safeties guessing run and catching the deep ball.
The entire point of spread offense, at least the more extreme versions, is to give teams with less overall athletic talent a chance to put their playmakers into space and work a little magic. That generally can beat teams that doesn’t have a disciplined defense. That is also in part why Kelly’s NFL offense will probably be a blend–NFL players are much less likely to be out of position. Why is that important? On any given play, better talent beats lesser talent. A team like Georgia Tech cannot recruit the talent that Georgia has, so that offensive line cannot reliably dominate Georgia’s line. So while the triple option works to gobble up ground, it’s nearly entirely dependent on perfect or nearly perfect execution. A penalty, like the opening one of the 2009 Orange bowl where GT lost to Iowa, will force the offense not to play it’s game. Remember, in an offense like GT or Oregon, that light OL is running down the field being lead blockers. That’s how the offense forces the defense to bring up safeties–if the DC calls conservatively, he’s going to have his safeties run over. The gain is stopped, but after losing 15-20 yards. Those gaps gotta get filled, and filled quickly–with the risk that if the defense breaks, you have players taking it to the house.
In the NFL, you see this most clearly with Minnesota. Adrian Peterson is usually behind a fullback, and big uglies are trying to setup downfield blocks. Sure, you can have eight or nine in the box, and that causes a lot of short yardage gains. However, it also can break and Adrian’s gone, man. When the defense is doing a good job with AD, getting turnovers or not allowing huge gains, the Viking’s offense is rather stifled. Dinking and dunking does not work in the NFL, not truly. Bad teams get away with it, because the DC is most concerned about saving the good stuff for better offenses. Good teams with good defenses, like the Texans, gets lots of wedgies when comes playoff time. You’ve gotta be able to pass deep out of the pocket, and not just from play-action, you know…
The paucity of attempted air yards for Foles is just really telling. Because no, you can’t just take what the defense gives you, especially not against good defenses. Good defenses forces you to decide on best likelyhoods, and good players have to find that crease that might be more than a crease, that slightly open guy that might be more open than you know, but you gotta run/throw to daylight. Sometimes it doesn’t work out. However, in the end, the Alex Smiths of the world loses their starting jobs. This has been true for a long time. I mean, how do you think Joe Montana lost his job with the 49’ers in the end? He threw most of his interceptions on deep balls. That eventually got him to start being much more conservative about them. The problem with that was that Steve Young can throw deep balls just fine, in addition to running the accustomed 49’er offense, and the coaches went with Young.
“Only one of them came against the full starting defense.” I think that sentence is incomplete :). Not only did they score, the moved with ball with unbelievable ease. It was as if that defense wasn’t on the field. It wasn’t a one play drive. After that drive, was the starting unit still on D for the rest of the quarter? Was Jags starting offense still out there for the rest of the quarter/half? Is this where Davis made adjustments on the D?
The long TD run came with several backups in the game that most likely will see very little playing time. This means that the Eagles starting D gave up 10 points against the whole first team Jags O (except QB but Henne isnt any worse than Gabbert)
[…] – and me to have time to watch it – here in DC. For a detailed review, check out Iggles Blitz. For a more brief review, check out Bleeding Green […]
“Kelly seemed to solve problems within the game. That’s very encouraging.”
That alone will make this year better than last – even if we somehow duplicate 4-12 again, at least we will know that we gave it our best shot, coaching-wise.
Hahaha “How Stella got her groove back” is airing tonight on TV at the same time that the Eagles play. Lol Is this an Omen? is tonight the night that Not so Nasty Nate’s stones drop and he starts to shut me up?
..
I am most skeptical about Vicks health and Nates ability, but I’m a die hard so this is what I hope to be wrong about…Tonight is an opportunity. show me something Nate!!
what time is the game tonight? lol i’ve been away from the world lately
7pm
No, it’s midnight. Over here in London. 😉
I remember those nights as an Eagles fan living in Europe….What’s worse is being A UFC fan living in Europe. events don’t start til 3am(Italy time), and you don’t get to see the main event til like 6am…sucks.
…
Im jealous of west coast fans, would give anything to wake up to a 10am Sunday football game
Am I nuts for staying up to watch the final pre-season game during a working week?! Or is it just my green blood that keeps me awake?!
Living in the UK being 5 hours ahead of E.T. I am glad that the Eagles won’t have that many prime night games this season. It’s better for my eye rings. 🙂
thanks!
You seemed to mention Knott quite a bit on ST. Could be a factor in deciding whether he makes the roster? How would you feel about Acho/Knott as the backup ILBs or am I being too harsh on Matthews?
[…] Tommy Lawlor wrote in his epic, 8,000-word detailed game review, it was an “uneven performance that left you both encouraged and worried. There was a point […]