Defense Coming Together
Posted: September 13th, 2014 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 130 Comments »The Eagles allowed 306 yards to the Jags. That number doesn’t stand out as good or bad. Under 300 is good for sure. Above 300 and you have to check out some other stats for comparison’s sake. So let’s do that.
Last year the Eagles only allowed less than 325 yards twice. One of those games was the snow bowl against the Lions (231). The other game was the blowout of the Bears late in the season (257). The 306 yards from the opener would have been the third best game for last year. That shows some progress.
You might argue that the Eagles were only playing Chad Henne and the Jags. That’s a fair point, but remember last year the Eagles gave up 396 yards to the Packers without Aaron Rodgers. Matt Cassell and the Vikings put 455 yards on the Eagles. Part of being a good defense is shutting down the teams you are supposed to shut down.
For this year, the Eagles are 7th in yards allowed and tied for 10th in points allowed. One game is obviously way too small a sample size to come to any conclusions, but it is good to see the unit showing progress. Going up against Andrew Luck and the Colts will offer a much better test for how good this defense really is.
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Set aside stats and just focus on execution. The defense is worlds better in that regard.
Watch the KellyStrator segment from PE.com to see Chip showing the defense in action. Players are executing their assignments better and that makes the scheme all the more effective.
One of the things that Kelly shows in the video is tight coverage on a play where Henne is under some pressure. Bill Davis has talked about this. Juan Castillo used to try and explain it. Coverage and a good rush go hand in hand. If you can’t cover, the pass rush won’t be effective. If you can’t rush, coverage won’t be able to stick with receivers.
We talked a lot in the offseason about the need for Trent Cole and the pass rushers to play a lot better. That was true, but better play by the secondary will help the guys up front quite a bit. The Eagles got that on Sunday (after the 1st Qtr) and the pass rush had a good day. Henne was sacked 3 times. He was hit several others. He was uncomfortable in the pocket on a regular basis.
Luck will be a huge challenge because of his mobility and the fact he’s got better receivers. They’ll be harder to cover and he will be harder to pressure.
The Eagles can win a shootout on Monday night, buut I’m curious to see if the defense can surprise a few people and play better than expected.
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One player who helped the D last week is Brandon Graham. Bob Brookover wrote about Graham and how he’s fighting to carve out a role on this team and also get his career going.
“Yeah, I used to think too much [about playing time],” Graham said. “And then I’d get to that day and not play that much. It was kind of like a downer because of how hard I worked during the week. Now I’m just coming in with high spirits. We’ve got a great team, and I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help us get to the championship.”
Davis is pleased with Graham’s progress, but making no promises about future playing time.
“He’s a good option,” Davis said. “It’s having three solid players there, so you just want to make sure now that any of the three that are in there can play and roll and they are going to produce. We are very pleased with Brandon. He had a solid game. He really did.”
While Graham waits for a chance to play more, he can offer some counseling to Smith, who dressed but never set foot on the field Sunday.
“I told him not to be discouraged,” Graham said. “I’ve been there before. You do what you have to do to get on the field and that [for Smith] is special teams right now. Whenever that opportunity comes he has to take advantage of it.”
If Graham continues to play well, the playing time will come. The worst thing he can do is try to do too much. Graham needs to play within the framework of the scheme. He’s talented enough to make plays, like he did last week.
I still don’t think Graham has much of a future in Philly (bad fit to the 3-4), but I would love for him to prove me wrong.
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Outdside of two poor coverage mistakes from Cary Williams and some underwhelming safety help after those mistakes, the D was really fun to watch last week.
Totally different challenge this week, but I’m not going to lose sleep over getting torched by the 2nd best QB we’ll play all year after Rodgers, on the road, in a dome, and with that team being a lock division winner.
Bet we intercept Luck twice
I say 2 int. N at least one fumble.
Wouldn’t be surprised if he coughs one up. I think we are going to put some really hard hits on him…
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I expect Meco to make Trent Richardson fumble. If Meco hits Trent the way he was cracking Eddie Lacy in Greenbay last year, Trent will def cough it up.
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After the game ends, the story will be about Nick FOles and this much improved eagles defense.
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We blew a team out last week losing the turnover margin… We are going to win the turnover battle this week by a nice margin.
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I love that every single national analyst picking the Colts.. Watch the show this defense puts on in the second half..
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I expect our conditioning to take over 4th quarters
i’m hoping trent fumbles and bradshaw gets those touches.
Exactly what I was thinking watching the game. It has been a while since I was able to enjoy watching our defense play. Offense is great and all, but most Birds fans cut their teeth watching dominant defenses.
I came into my fandom in the mid/late 80s as we hired Buddy Ryan. The Bud Carson greatest D ever of 91 was the fall of my freshmen year of HS. The Jim Johnson good Ds of the first half of the 2000s was also a time when a lot of folks came into their own as fans.
I agree I have a need to see a good D.
what great great FA signing connor barwin was… the dude can do anything out there. Really smart player glad to have him!!
I hope kendricks can put it all together this year. That pass deflection he had was real nice, thats the kind of plays you wouldnt expect from him since he is shorter.
Fletch Cox looked like a force.
The way we can shut down the run with our young DLine and SMART play from connor is awesome!! I expect the colts to be one dimensional the entire game because of that.
Yup.. The difference in the game is we can run on them, they can’t run on us.
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We don’t have a 16 sack pass rush terror, but as a team we should be good at getting to passers.. One thing that drastically Improves all pass rush is being allowed to pin your ears back and rush because you know you opponent is forced to throw every single time… That’s what will happen sooner or later to luck and the colts, and that’s what’s going to lead to luck throwing the two interceptions that will make the difference in this game..
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They won’t be able to shut down our run and make us one dimensional, which means that pass rush is going to suffer and they will be forced to blitz and Chip knows it.. Problem for them is Nick has been surgical against the blitz in the past. Chip will have Nick sharp and ready to take advantage of their blitzing, with man beaters and getting Sproles one on one against a team that will play a lot or man… This is a good week for the wheel routes… Of course, Ertz can also have a monster day. Before their best LB in coverage got hurts, broncos TE caught 3 TD against them, what will Ertz do to them with him injured?
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Also have some big fat DL, perfect victims to wear down with our tempo.. The hogs up front will wear down, proud BIG run stuffing LB Daqwell will be pushing to try and stop shady and we can just abuse him in coverage all day. Throw to whoever he is matched up with, then again the colts have a few players I can say that about.
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This is Nick FOles and our defenses national Coming out party
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31-23 eagles
wait, why so close? 40-24
Colts fans are really confident they can stop McCoy and the Eagles run game after they stopped the famous Monte Ball….
Lol
fletch looks great, barwin and even kendricks look good. sad najee is injured was really looking forward to seeing his development. i like the way kendricks was making blocks for cox’s td.
talent aside it seems like those guys enjoy playing together.
wasn’t this a highly touted rookie class. but other than brandin cooks haven’t really heard anything impressive about the rooks. i know it’s early but even the preseason was all ” crickets” regards to rookies. clowney had a “meh” debut and got injured. mack has been all but invisible. my man crush justin gilbert got schooled. ryan shazier, mosley have looked very pedestrian so far. everyone is being hard on marcus smith, especially as he didn’t even play..but so far the rooks have yet to make a blip on the radar. gives me hope where smith is concerned.
That’s ridiculous
does smith mean they have to pay more for cole next year?
Cole is going to get cut next year, no way the Eagles aint saving those 11 million.
Who do you think we’ll try to get in FA next year?
orakpo? worlids? don’t think smith will be ready to start at a high enough level, but it’d be great if he could.
No, and no
Justin Houston or Jabaal Sheard.
Houston is highly likely if we cut Cole. We have the money but will he want to play here? Can Sheard sort of cover?
If Peyton retires after this year, Howie better try to get Demaryius Thomas. He has everything Chip wants ina WR.
Demaryius Thomas, what Eagles fans think Jordan Matthews is
Ya..when Demaryius is 35 he’ll be like Matthews.
Really doubt Houston hits FA, Chiefs most likely cut Hali (save 9 mill) and sign Houston for those money
Jabaal Sheard isn’t even starting right now from what I can see in Cleveland. He might be able to be had for a very team-friendly deal.
Doubt it…. Browns new coach loves his violent nature,
Love Jabaal Sheard. We should have traded for him last year when they drafted Mingo..
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My bet is we trade from Dion… Signing OLBs in FA cost too damn much
I have zero clue on if he hits FA and if the Eagles will have interest, but I would love KJ Wright.
No. Cole is gone, until he gives us a major discount and is OK coming off the bench..
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Dion Jordan is going to be an eagle. We keep trying to get him, sooner or later, they will cut their losses and trade him to us… My bet is we aquire Dion in Febuary-April of this upcoming year
You gotta stay away from that WIP. Your stress level will drop, and your opinions of mankind will improve.
Quitting is tough, but you can do it. Download Spotify, and see if they make some kind of gum to help.
I don’t listen to WIP, unless it’s to hear chips and Howies weekly interview.. Wtf can I get out of listening to Kindergarden level football acumen? Lol
Attouchu, Barr and Mack did very well
i admit i didn’t see vikes and the raiders play..but i was not impressed by what i saw out of attaboy…however i think they will all grow into special players…just hoping marcus will too.
I have no fear Smith will be fine. Cant expect a raw player like Smith to be great right away in complex scheme like ours
Marcus will be excellent
Attachou and Barr played great I thought.
r u serious? Didn’t mosley just take someone’s job and shazier is starting as well.
Shazier is starting by default
Mosley has been raved about. He’s been a beast. Had a huge FF and FR recovery Thursday night. He’s made a ton of noise. Gonna be a great player.
Him, Fuller, Cooks and Barr was the 4 players I really wanted
Gilbert,Barr,Shazier were the players I wanted the eagles to target
Lol u wanted players that would all be drafted before it was our turn to pick? Why stop at top 10 pick Barr? Shoot for Mack and Clowney while your at it 🙂
i just don’t trust defensive players coming out of the saban defense.they just seem to be way overrated and a product of the system more than their own talent or abilities.he’s being touted as the next luke kuechly and i just don’t see that happen.
That’s fine if you don’t trust him because he’s from a Saban defense. But to say he’s been pedestrian is just flat out not true. He’s looked fantastic from Day one. He’ll take over Ray’s role as the leader of that team/defense.
Few more weeks and everyone will start to realize that they severely under estimated this defense this summer… All the people who sold this defense short because all it added was Jenkins and Carroll, are going to start realizing how silly they were.
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Our defense is going to make it’s mark on Monday night, but it’s going to be a team win.. Luck is a heckuva young QB, but Nick is going to out play him on Monday night, which isn’t all that surprising when you look at their career stats.
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With that said, outplaying Luck isn’t that fair because I expect our defense to bring it on Monday. FOles and our offense will handle that Colt defense easier than luck will handle our defense. I know FOles will out play him and we will win this game, I’m just not sure by how much. How much will depend on how nasty our defense already is this early in the season. I know by the end of the year, if injuries don’t kill us we will have grown into a top 8-12 defense, I’m just not exactly sure how close we are to that defense the second week in September.
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Difference in nth is QB Duel, will be the difference in the game. FOles has his typical 2-3 TD 300 yards, no interception day… Luck will throw two INTs.
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As good as he is, he has to do too much for the Colts to beat good teams, and the pressure FOles and our offense will put on him via lighting up the fucking scoreboard, will result into Luck having to force some throws which lead to two Interceptions, that will allow us to pull away from what was supposed to be a tightly fought QB Duel
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Monday Night is Chip Kelly! and the Nick FOles led Eagles, with a real Philadelphia defenses national coming out party. After Monday. Our defense and our young QB will have arrived!
you should just quit your job and be a motivational speaker. foles better than luck? ehhhhhh, nah.
He could teach QBs about short memory.
Where does it say that FOles is better than luck? Luck and Wilson are the only young QBs I respect on par with nick.
Reading comprehension problems again?
4-0 here we come
I have a laser focus on putting a statement win on the board in San Fran week 4.
I like how badly GEAGLE wants the Colts game and you want San Fran. You both have been damn focused for months now. I hope you both get what you want.
Thank you.
Thank you…
I will be at SF to see the overrated Niners lose.
Nice! I heard that new stadium is both excellent and expensive. The Eagles need to reward your dedication as a fan with a win!
Nice
Colts, Niners, Seahawks… 3 games we will not lose, we can not lose!!
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Btw, Ray Hortons titans defense will trick romo into throwing all types of INTs.. Titans need to beat cowboys
Defense will give up big throws, secondary can get beat on 50/50 balls. Run d is stout. Generally everyone on defense will be on same page. I see top 15 in all categories, but seems to play better when it counts, red zone d, third down d.
Just finished watching some Breaking Bad. Such an amazing show. Excited for football tomorrow!
My take on the AP situation.
We all have our own opinions and stances on corporal punishment as a tool for raising a child. That’s fine. However my concern with the situation is Peterson. He doesn’t seemed to have adapted to the world around him. Less than a year ago Peterson had another one of his young boys (2 y.o) killed by the abuse of the mother’s boyfriend. Yet here we are and AP who is 6’1 225lbs, one of the best athletes in an incredibly violent sport, is laying hands on his other son who is also extremely young (4 y.o). One, I’m not sure what a 4 year old could do to deserve an ass whooping of that degree, secondly the fact that AP hasn’t stepped back and reevaluated his parenting practices based on such personnel and tragic event is sad.
And I think that is a valid point. I don’t see that as criminal (at the current level of charges). I definitely don’t see it as something that gets one a conviction in Texas either. Connecting AP to a plea deal to withdrawn charges in trade for mandatory enrollment in classes on how to parent in a more modern manner serves the situation best.
Yes. Before the game today too
ha ha. I don’t think much is going to change his de-facto suspension for today.
Right but compared to Hardy this is crazy. The Vikings have some class while the Panthers owner cries and says there is nothing he can do. There needs to be some fair and objective policy. So yes I blame Roger.
I don’t think AP should switch his kid. I’m just saying there is no consistency.
I’d buy that for a dollar. Hardy has a two count guilty conviction. How that doesn’t equate to the 6 game suspsion is comical.
But hey, the league totally told him to sort his facepaint out, so there’s that.
Monday night football blows. Waking up Sunday to no eagles, blows
it takes a lot of the luster out of today
It really does… Bad enough with no eagles, but to air all the worst games makes it a crappy sunday
I also hate it, I try to rationalize sure we gets a little extra time to prepare but so does our opponent, but then we get a short week to prepare for next week’s game and that puts us at a disadvantage against a team that didn’t also play monday night and…..yeah it all boils down to not wanting to wait an extra day to see the birds play for me as well.
Lol sucks all the way around
Polk is probable…. Yay
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WTF, 1pm games Blow.. Cbs is showing Jags and Skins (two of the worst teams in the NFL go at it)
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Fox is airing incompetent Eli and the midgets vs. cardinals.. cardinals defense is in shambles and word is Carson has nerve damage in his throwing shoulder
What a shitty lineup for 1pm…
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Rather see the Titans vs. Cowboys game, get to check out that Ray Horton defense for when we play them
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Jets vs. Packers 4pm on CBS…. Meh
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WTF No Denver vs. KC? GTFO here!!!!
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Tonight’s Niners vs.Chicago is WACK, with Alshon and Brandon Marshall sounding like they won’t play
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How aren’t they airing the Kansas City fatman vs? broncos?
Huge Polk fan. Especially that year they won the city championship when Al Bundy scored 4 TDs.
[edit] image upload didn’t seem to work, sorry folks
I prefer Kelly Bundy, tho I’d throw Peggy a back shot too.l
,l
I still watch that show when I wake up at like 4-5am
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Imagine Al bundy and his anti woman club give their thoughts on this weeks NFL woman’s issue lol
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Best al bundy moment is the poem he made up about “the nudi bar”
Maybe if it was 1996.
Peggy doesn’t look bad in sons of anarchy….
I don’t shop in the cougar aisle. I’m sure if those clothes came off, you’d be less enamored with her.
Hahaha true that…
And I’d like to take this moment to thank the internet for the Kate Upton stuff a few weeks ago…………….. I totally shop in that aisle!
I have the morals of an alley cat, you can catch me scrounging thru the trash in most aisles 😉
I’m in NC and I got Cam v Stafford and KC v Den.
just above you in va, im trapped in the redskins market…
I feel your pain. Spent 10 years in Skins country. Unbearable listening to the offseason Super Bowl champs. Only joy is watching them crash and burn.
Now that’s a nice Sunday of football
Drives me crazy they won’t show more games. Since Carolina is the 1 game, no other games at 1. And since they are on Fox, no 4 Fox game. I don’t need several hours of post game analysis. Put on another f’in game
Why are you complaining at all?! I am happy to see those games because I will be rooting against the NfCE teams…
Wanted to see Dallas vs. Titans, for a chance to scout Ray Hortons defense since I view the titans game as a trap game in the middle of our season…
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I want to see KC vs, Denver. I have Jamaal Charles, and I want to see if Andy is dumb enough to only let Charles touch the ball 11 times again..
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Sunday night game has more injuries than starters between two teams.
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Arizona vs. Giants is a joke of a game
Wouldn’t it be so awesome if the jags wipe the floor with them though?
Wouldn’t surprise me…that skins secondary sucks! Morris should struggle running on jags front and they should beat up RG3 today… Wouldn’t mind seeing a jags win.
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Debating whether I should start Hurns against the skins with Cecil short and Marquis Lee both banged up, or do I go with Kelvin Benjamin even if Cam as banged up Ribs?
I have nothing but contempt for the fan bases in DC and especially NY. They don’t deserve to be on the TV in the greater Philadelphia area over better national games. EVER.
It’s one thing if they were playing decent teams, but a Sunday filled with NFC trash vs. Teams picking in the top 10 of the next draft is just horrible
So many better games to show than catering to the people whose houses I need to trash on mischief night.
Chaps,
I needs your ff advise: shall I start Larry Fitzgerald or Mike Wallace today? I am going back and forth…
Wallace, Palmer is out so any Cards skill player is bad value
GAME DAY BABY, LETS DO THIS!!!! LETS BRING THE HOUSE DO…oh shit, the eagles play tomorrow
Not sure who is worse, Eli manning, or the backup QB of the Carfinals.. What a pathetic game. Pray that the giants don’t catch a major break and win because they are facing a backup QB.. Then again, giants suck, and win they get just ensures they just miss out on Marriotta 😉
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Would you rather have Eli this weekend or the cardinals backup, or the rams 3rd string QB? Lol
Cards D still isn’t getting blocked.
3 of the cardinals best front 7 players are out with injury… Caleus Cambell alone should be enough to get thru that crap line tho
Those guys were all out last week when they terrorized a better QB with a better line.
True dat. Good stuff, made me feel better about the game
Do any NFC east teams get a win today? Or are all our rivals 0-2 at the end of this day?
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Thinking Dallas is losing for sure…especially if Titan QB can play to last weeks level
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jags may be a better team than the skins.. If the skins are better, it’s not by much, that’s how over rated that joke of a team is.
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Giants are pathetic.. They face a really banged up Arizona team. With that said, the giants are THAT bad…
The rest of NFC east is really really bad, epically bad.
Carson Palmer is inactive. The Giants have a chance.
I know.. They def have a chance, tho I wouldn’t be surprised to see Drew Stanton put up points on midget defense.. All he has to do is throw it up to those two Big Wr’s
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Curious to see some more of Arizonas rookie slot WR. John Brown…. No one talked about this kid, but Zona is really high on him
How awesome was it to see Graham/Curry/Cox/Cole on the field rushing the passer?
http://i.imgur.com/HhFkmbX.jpg
I would use those 4 in a 4-2-5 in some nickel situations with barwin and Kendrick as the two LBs… That would give us a front 6 filled with players who can pass rush/blitz… Tough for QB to know who is rushing and who is dropping into coverage since Kendrick and Barwin can both blitz
I love it, but we’ll have less of a chance to do that if Indy goes 2 TE and no huddle.
Will teams really want to go no huddle against us? Most of the time they usually try to control the clock and keep our offense off the field… If you hurry up against Chip all day, aren’t you kind of playing into his hands? If our opponents hurry up all game, our offense might get to run 110 plays lol
I’d no-huddle the Eagles all day if I:
– already do it often (the Colts do)
and
– want to keep the Eagles in base (I would if I were Indy and wanted to pass more than run)
Guess they can use the Phillip rivers no huddle where he doesn’t let us sub, but kills the entire play clock at the Line of scrimmage before snapping the ball
Luck is capable of doing that.
Teams wanna run the hurry-up-and-wait against us a la SD last year.
See my comment below
Indy’s HC have said he wants to use every second on the clock and run it on us (yea lol, Trent Richardson meant Eagles DL)
I’ll need to write that dope a thank you note if they actually try to pound us with slow Richardson rather than spreading us out with Bradshaw.
Talk about a Wide-9 . . . if Graham was any wider, he’d be a CB.
Or Jerry Ball. My boy Graham was reported as looking a little plump by a few writers.
He swole.
I hope they find a way to keep him here because he’s one of my favorite guys, but reality says he’ll leave for a 4-3 team.
Or he winds up in Seattle on a league minimum deal and puts up 13 sacks in a hybridized role.
One thing we have going for us is the players love it here and all seem to Genuinly believe Chip will take us to the promised land… If there isn’t a MAJOR. Discrepancy In Dollars, we could see some players sacrafice snaps and a few dollars to stay in philly…
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When you put so much emphasis into character, probably a Better chance of seeing players make sacrafices to stay a part of this promising future Chip has brought us…
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Greg Hardy was just deactivated … If they just deactivate him for one game, it’s bullshit
About time, but Jerry Richardson is garbage. He was one of the owners driving the lockout into oblivion before adults like Bob Kraft got things moving.
I will be pissed if this is just a scam and he plays next week. Either take a stand against Hardy or just play him… I don’t want to be played for a fool where you deactivate him for a game and think your civic duty is over and you play the scumbag next week
Amazing how TMZ. Managed to flip the entire NFL upside down… If they didn’t release the Rice film this week, Hardy, Adrian Peterson would be playing today
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TMZ managed to shake up the entire makeup of the NFL…
Help… Cecil short is inactive, Marquis Lee I think is playing but is banged up..
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Should I start the WR Hurns that scored the two TDs against us, against Washingtons putrid Secondary?
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Or should I start Kelvin Benjamin?
Benjamin. Hurns won’t go unnoticed again after that. Everyone knows Benjamin is getting the ball, but they can’t stop him. Future pro-bowler.
So many quality rookies are inactive this week. Kids that will go on to be quality players, and we go crazy over Marcus..
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Is Deonne Buchanon already starting at safety for Arizona?
Interesting that they saying Peterson beating his son will fall under the new domestic abuse policy aka the bullshit 6game first offense, lifetime ban for the second offense that the league recently implemented to save face for the Ray rice 2 game suspension ruling…
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So basically the Vikings are in danger of losing AP for 6 games…
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In other RB new, Bryce brown won’t dress for the second week in a row. Thankfully, what Bryce does has no bearing on the compensation we receive.
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One thing we didn’t discuss, was Fred Jackson’s stiff arming bears safety Conte for I like 30 yards into the ENDZONE one of the 10 best NFL stif arms ever? That bears safety should be ashamed to be stiff armed so badly…even when Nate was horrible, he didn’t get stiff armed THAT bad..