Detailed Game Review – PHI 34 , STL 28
Posted: October 10th, 2014 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 153 Comments »Never a doubt. Even when the Rams cut the lead down to 6 points, I never lost faith in the Eagles. The rumors about me ruining 2 pairs of underwear are totally false, as far as you know. Just another quiet Sunday in the Lawlor house.
Okay, I can’t live that lie anymore. The 4th quarter was pure torture. The blowout we’d all been waiting for was right there in front of us. And then Austin Davis started destroying it. What a selfish jerk…right? He has the gall to blow a lead to Dallas and then try to pull off a miracle comeback on us? Not cool at all.
Joking aside, the evaporation of the lead was scary stuff. Like Bill Davis, I felt better when I went back and re-watched the game. The results were the same, but you saw the Eagles in better position than I had realized. And I was incredibly impressed with Austin Davis. He just might be the QB the Rams have been looking for since Kurt Warner (apologies to Marc Bulger and Sam Bradford). Davis looks like the real deal.
The Eagles were tantalizingly close on a lot of plays that could have blown the game wide open. It is incredible that the team could be off just a hair so many times and still held a 34-7 lead at one point.
I came away from the tape study feeling more good than bad. I was still frustrated by the errors and close calls, but there were plenty of positives in the game. The crucial moment really was Foles fumble. If he holds onto that ball, the Eagles are likely to kick a FG, score a TD, or at least burn some more time off the clock before handing the ball to the Rams. Any of those would have been better than the fumble.
The Rams got the ball at the 38-yard line with 12:03 left, trailing 34-14. If the Eagles just run the ball 3 times and then kick a long FG, the Rams get the ball at the 20 ( or so) with closer to 9:30 left and trailing 37-14. That would have been a tremendous difference.
Foles got lucky that his critical mistake didn’t cost the team the game. Let’s hope that got his attention and he’ll play smarter in the coming weeks.
COACHING
I liked the offensive gameplan, which was to play smallball. They had Foles throw lots of short, quick passes. Foles didn’t take as many hits as in some other games and it helped the OL. I was hoping the receivers would deliver more RAC yards, but that didn’t happen.
Bill Davis had a good gameplan for the first 43 minutes and his players did a good job of shutting down the Rams (276 yards, 7 points). There was lots of blitzing and it was effective. Davis went more conservative after that and the Rams piled up 192 yards and 21 points in 17 minutes. Yikes.
I don’t blame Davis for what he did. I do wish he had the CBs press more. You can press and still play zone. Instead he gave receivers a free release for most of the end of the game and they made play after play. It will be interesting to see what happens when the Eagles build another big lead. Will Davis continue to blitz or will he play it safe and hope for better execution?
OFFENSE
MISC
* Eagles were 8 for 15 on 3rd downs.
* 1 for 3 in the Red Zone. The struggles continue.
* Only 3 plays of 20 or more yards. 6 seems to be the magic number. To be fair, the Eagles did have 3 other plays that went for 19 yards. It isn’t as if they couldn’t get some chunk plays.
* The run game showed signs of life in the 2nd half. I’m very encouraged. The OL got into a groove and Shady quit dancing on every play. Even the skill players provided better blocking.
Players
QB
FOLES – Up and down game. 24-37-207. Had 2 TDs, 1 INT. Ran twice for 13 yards. Another highly inconsistent performance. Had some really good moments, but turned the ball over twice and made some questionable decisions. At least he got over his recent habit of throwing the deep ball over and over. If he just eliminates that fumble, Foles game might be judged very differently. Critical mistake and even worse…it was self-inflicted.
-Misc-
Made a gutsy or dumb pass early on. Had pressure up the middle. Defender was on his feet. Foles kept looking upfield and saw Ertz. Foles was off balance, but made a terrific throw that Ertz caught. That moved the chains. Question is how smart that was vs the risk/reward ratio. It was a terrific throw. Right on the money. But was that worth the risk? Forced a pass to Mac over middle and in traffic. That was a terrible decision. You don’t take chances there early in a game. Threw a lob to Ertz that drew PI call. The TV guys ripped on Foles for the throw, but the throw wasn’t as risky as they made it seem. Looked like he had a shot at Mac in the end zone, but hesitated, then got pressure and had to scramble. It is possible Foles never saw him. Mac was frustrated because he felt he was open for the TD. Foles threw a bad INT to Mac. Poor decision, worse throw. Mac wasn’t behind the CB and was outside. Little room to work with. Foles put the ball to the inside, where only the CB could play it. Wild play late in the half. Got pressure and moved back, then up in the pocket. Found Matthews along the sideline for a gain of 9. Matthews was able to step out and stop the clock. Fade pass to Coop for TD was a good throw.
Nick only threw 11 passes in the 2nd half, and only completed 5. The biggest moment was the scramble in the early 4th. Great decision to run. Really good run. Was able to get upfield and secure the 1st down. Instead of sliding he dove and the ball came out when he hit the ground. Ugh. Great scramble, terrible fumble. Another odd moment came on a drive in the middle of the 4th Qtr. Threw short pass to Matthews on 3rd/5. Incomplete. Had no chance for the 1st down. Foles would have been better off taking a short sack and keeping the clock running. Poor situational awareness on that play.
RB
SHADY – Up and down game. Posted his best numbers of the year, 24-81, and just looked more like the Shady we know. Still had some plays where he danced too much and passed up yards that were right in front of him. So desperate for big plays that he’s passing up sure yards for big open spaces that just aren’t there. Worst play was a screen pass. Had nowhere to go after catching the ball and tried to make something out of nothing. Held the ball away from his body more carelessly than I’ve ever seen him do before. And that’s saying something. Fumbled on the play, but amazingly it didn’t happen until he was almost down and had at least started to tuck the ball away. Chip Kelly was not happy with the play and openly criticized Shady about it.
The stat sheet only shows 4 catches for 5 yards, but lost several yds on the bad screen. Had a couple of good catches. Caught a 7-yd pass in the right flat on 3rd/5 to move the chains. Simple play, but good to see him involved. Caught a short pass over the middle in the Red Zone. I’m all for getting him touches in that area and letting him have some space to work with.
SPROLES – 7-51 on the ground. 25 yards came on a run late in the game. If he could have made one more defender miss, had a chance for a real big play there. Did not catch a pass. Ran the ball well throughout the game. Good burst. Had trouble getting Rams defenders to buy his fakes.
TE
CELEK – Had his best blocking game of the year. Wasn’t killing guys, but did a solid job in the run game. 3-15 as a pass catcher. Highlight came when he caught a short dump pass and got upfield for a gain of 9. Brent didn’t make big plays, but it was encouraging to see him more involved in the offense.
ERTZ – 3-39 in the game. Dropped an easy pass from Foles inside the 10. Wasn’t going to be a 1st down or TD, but would have moved the offense much closer. Drew PI call on LB in the late 1st. Legit call, but also did a good job of selling it to make sure the ref threw the flag. Had a good pass block in the early 2nd Qtr. Ran play-action and Ertz went across the formation to help with DE. Made smooth hands catch on 3rd down in the mid-3rd to move the chains. Plucked the ball very cleanly.
CASEY – Got used a fair amount in the 2nd half and did a good job as a blocker. No passes came his way.
BURTON – Didn’t see him on offense.
WR
MACLIN – Solid showing. 5-76-1. Eagles ran play-action pass when backed up to start the 2nd Qtr, and Mac was wide open over the middle for a gain of 23. Good block on Shady run to his side late in the half that got 19 yds. Caught screen a couple of plays later and got upfield for his own gain of 19. Got good blocking from WRs on that play. Wide open for TD in the late 3rd.
MATTHEWS – 4-35. Caught a quick screen on the first play and got upfield for 11 yards. Caught short pass on 3rd/3. Was crossing route. Used stiff arm to keep the DB off his body, but did get ridden out of bounds. Gained 12 yards on that play. Ran a beautiful route and was wide open for a TD in the late 3rd, but Foles made a terrible throw that bounced to him.
COOPER – Lots of short catches, 4-33, but did finally get his first TD of the year. Weird play in the early 2nd Qtr. Got a ball out to the left. Had a blocker, but not much room. Best bet was to cut to the middle and hope he could break a tackle. Instead, Coop went outside and looked awkward. Might have gotten off balance or something, but ended up out of bounds. He’s not afraid of contact so we know Coop wasn’t hiding from getting hit. Looked really weird. Great job on fade TD late in the half. Went up over Jenkins and just snatched the ball. More, please. Came in motion toward the formation on many run plays in the 2nd half. Didn’t do much run blocking, though. Hit Celek on one play. That was odd, but kinda funny.
SMITH – Didn’t see him on offense.
HUFF – Made first NFL catch late in the half on a quick screen. Had limited room and got 4 yds. Had a pass come his way in the 4th, but was held on the play.
OL
* Watching live, I thought the Rams got away with a lot of holding. Turns out both teams got away with holding.
PETERS – You would probably say Peters won the battle with Quinn, but Peters didn’t dominate him. Got beat a few times. Jason did win his share of battles. Moved to the right side for an unbalanced look late in the 1st half. Helped to seal a LB that gave Shady plenty of cutback room on the 2nd level. Got out wide and blew up a LB on screen to Huff. Very nice block late in the half. Downblocked initially on play fake and then looked back outside. Hit LB and knocked the guy to the ground, giving Foles time to throw the ball cleanly. Good downblock of DE in the early 3rd helped Shady move the chains on 3rd/2 run. Good block of Quinn on run play when the Eagles were backed up deep. Let Shady get some breathing room. Quinn used hard inside move to beat JP and get TFL in the mid-3rd.
TOBIN – 2nd NFL start. Up and down. Failed to sustain block of Quinn on early pass play. Quinn came to the inside and Tobin blocked him, then let the guy go. Can’t do that. Pulled left and had a good kick-out block of LB on 1st Qtr run by Sproles. Showed good awareness on some plays where he had no one to block. Totally whiffed on DT on 1st Qtr pass. Blocked 3 different guys on run play in early 4th. Hit DT off the ball, then hit DB up in the box and finished by putting LB on the ground. Really good sequence. Terrific combo block on inside run. Molk engaged the NT and Tobin hit him from the side, sending the NT down the LOS. Then Tobin got on LB and Shady ran right into that alley. In 2 starts, Tobin has looked raw, but has also shown promise. Had some very good moments in the run game in the 4th Qtr.
MOLK – Showed some progress, but also his limitations. Gets little push in the run game. Comes off the ball quickly and engages, but doesn’t move his man. Looked more effective on reach blocks. Able to pull and get out wide on some plays, but just isn’t anywhere close to being as effective as Kelce out in space. Highlight might have been when he pulled left and had a good seal block of ILB on 1st Qtr run by Sproles.
HERREMANS – I paid the least attention to him of any OL. Didn’t stand out for the most part. Terrible block on first run play. Basically whiffed on DL and the guy got Shady right at the line. Much better in the 3rd/4th. Got into a groove. Had one great seal block of LB that gave Shady room up the middle. Great seal block of DL on Sproles big run late in the game.
JOHNSON – First start of the year. Looked a bit rusty. Tried to fire off the ball and attack a pass rusher in the mid-1st Qtr. Got off balance and had to grab the guy since he got free to the inside. Luckily, no call. Got driven back in pass pro late in the half and that forced Foles to throw the ball away. Had some good run blocks in the late 3rd/early 4th Qtr. Got movement off the ball. Pass protection was very up and down. With different officials, could have been called for at least a couple of holds. It was good to see him knock off the rust. Should be better this week and hopefully somewhere close to normal after the bye.
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DEFENSE
* Allowed Rams to be 7-14 on 3rd downs. Not good
* Rams were 3-4 in the Red Zone. Ugh, not good
* Eagles had 4 sacks, 3 FF and scored a TD. Good.
* Looked god for 3 quarts and then couldn’t make a play in the 4th.
PLAYERS
DL
COX – Had more of a quiet game than I anticipated. Credited with 1 tackle and just didn’t stand out. Recovered a fumble in the 2nd Qtr when Curry had a strip-sack. Used a beautiful inside move to beat the LG and pressure Davis on 2nd Qtr pass play.
LOGAN – Best game of the year for Bennie. Was in on 3 tackles and beat the Rams Center over and over. Disruptive. Blew up a 2nd Qtr run by driving the C backward and forcing the RB to move in the backfield. Blew up another run by stoning the RG and giving the RB nowhere to go. Played some DE in the Dime in the 4th Qtr. Lost contain on 3rd/long pass play that became TD to Quick. If he keeps Davis in the pocket, I doubt he’s able to make that throw.
THORNTON – Scored his first NFL TD in the early 3rd. Cole had knocked the ball loose from Davis. Thornton tried to get on it, but the ball went away and he then got on it in the end zone for the score. Got another fumble later on. Scooped up a fumble in the late 3rd and had a shot for a TD. Jenkins just needed to make one block. Instead Jenkins wasn’t paying attention and the pursuing player made the tackle. Thornton was in on a couple of tackles. Solid vs the run. Quiet as a pass rusher.
CURRY – Regularly disruptive as a pass rusher. Got a strip-sack in the early 2nd. Rams went to empty set and the Eagles adjusted to a blitz. Curry was unblocked off the edge and the ball came loose when he hit Davis. Cox recovered it.
BAIR – Got some pressure on a 3rd Qtr pass play and forced Davis to throw the ball away. Got some pressure on a 4th Qtr pass play and batted down the ball. Credited with 1 tackle.
B. ALLEN – Just missed a sack in the 2nd Qtr. Got by the C and got a good shot on Davis.
OLB
COLE – Okay game. Had a strip sack that led to a TD, but was somewhat quiet aside from that. Disrupted a 1st Qtr pass play with a hard inside move. Flushed Davis and created a sack for Barwin. Biggest play came in the early 3rd. Used hard inside move to beat the LT and hit Davis before he could get the ball out. Cole hit him hard enough that the ball came loose and was recovered for a TD.
BARWIN – Good game. Got a couple of sacks. The first came in the 1st Qtr. Cole got free inside and forced Davis to move. Barwin was there to take him down easily. Batted down pass in the early 2nd Qtr. Came free off the edge and got up to knock the ball down. Did a good job vs end around in 2nd Qtr. Kept contain on the backside and then took on pulling OL. Funneled the WR back to the inside. Got 2nd sack of the game in the 4th Qtr. Came upfield, then used spin move and Davis had moved right to that spot. Gift from the sack gods. Was in on 4 total tackles.
GRAHAM – Watching live, I had no idea Graham played so well. Good game. Rams tried to block him with a RB in the mid-1st on a passing play. Brandon drove the RB right back to Davis. Almost made a coverage play on intermediate pass to the TE. Jammed him at the snap, then dropped back. Got lucky that the TE stayed to the outside, where BG was. Had he cut inside, BG would have been lost. Was smart enough to put his hand up and try to hit he ball. Made a good coverage play in the late 1st. Dropped back and saw the ball was going to the RB in the flat. BG hustled that way and put him down for a short loss. Much more effective when the ball is in front of him. Blitzed up the A-gap to open the 2nd Qtr. RB tried to block him, but BG got pressure right in Davis face. Got good pressure in the late 3rd and forced Davis to throw the ball away. Came up big on 3rd Qtr run. Engaged the LT to contain the play. RB came that way. BG was able to hit him and then poke the ball away. Beat the LT and just missed a sack in the early 4th. Forced Davis to throw quickly. Drove RT right back into Davis face with good power rush in the mid-4th.
SMITH – Played ILB in Nickel packages. Had a free run at the QB in the early 2nd Qtr, but tripped on Ryans’ foot and fell forward into the QB’s legs. Could have been a sack or big hit. Lined up outside and blitzed up the middle in the 2nd Qtr. Got knocked down when he collided with Graham, who was also blitzing up the middle. Came off the edge in the mid-3rd. Perfect execution. Pulled up just before hitting Davis since the ball had been released. Didn’t want to risk a penalty.
ILB
KENDRICKS – DNP
RYANS – Not his best showing. Led the team with 7 solo tackles and had some good moments, but was sloppier than usual. Had a bad play vs the run in the 1st Qtr. Mis-read a play and got out of position. Stacy was able to get upfield for a few yards. Ryans then tried to make the tackle, but did so without wrapping up and Stacy fought through that contact. Gave up 14 yds on the play. Blew up WR screen in the late 2nd Qtr and limited that to just a yard. Got out of position and was sealed by OL on Cunningham’s TD run late in the 3rd. Left him wide running lane.
MATTHEWS – Got the start. Good game. Was in on 6 total tackles. Made a nice play vs the run early in the game. Came up, moved around the LG and stuffed the RB right at the LOS. On the next play, lined up at OLB and blitzed off the edge. Threw off the timing of a short pass and caused a quick throw and incompletion. Made a good read on 2nd Qtr run play and was right there to tackle the RB for minimal gain. Good job vs run in mid-2nd. Flowed to his right and used his hands to stay off blocks. Got free out wide and tackled the RB. Only gave up 1 yd on that play. Burned by Tavon Austin on 3rd/10 play in the 4th Qtr. Gave up 12 yds. Did make a clean tackle. Just a mis-match speed wise. Looped around on a blitz late in the game and should have gotten a sack, but was tentative about hitting Davis and that let him get the ball out. A lot of blitzers are scared to really try to hit the QB for fear of drawing a flag.
ACHO – Hurt himself while trying to tackle a WR on end around in the 2nd qtr. Missed easy tackle of RB in the mid-4th and gave up 5 extra RAC yds. Had 3 solo tackles and some positive plays.
S
N. ALLEN – Up and down game. 5 solo stops. Had good initial coverage of Quick on pass play in the late 2nd, but lost him when Quick pivoted back the other way. That yard or so of separation left Quick open for a TD pass. Got a solid shot on Tavon Austin after catch and run. Had very tight coverage of TE on 3rd down pass play on late scoring drive. Nate reached for the ball, but just missed it.
JENKINS – Quiet game. Made some mistakes. The biggest happened in the 4th Qtr. Came upfield on 3rd/long when Davis started to scramble. Looked like he was jumping a receiver right by the sticks. Some speculated he was going after Davis, who looked like he might run. Either way, left Fletcher and Quick alone in the end zone. TD. If Jenkins is back there, Davis might not throw or might not complete the pass. Jenkins has to know that you don’t play the sticks when protecting a lead late in the game and in that part of the field. Dumb mistake. Also screwed up after that. Had good position on the final deep throw to Quick, but didn’t make a play on the ball. The deep Safety must be able to see the ball and make a play on it.
WOLFF – Did not play on D.
CB
FLETCHER – Bad showing down the stretch. Gave up a TD and was beaten a couple of times. Credited with 2 tackles, 1 PD. Broke up a sideline throw to Quick in the mid-1st. Did a great job of knocking the ball out. Had a chance for an INT in the early 3rd on a crossing route, but wasn’t able to make the grab. Had good coverage on the long TD to Britt. Fletcher was right there. Got his hand in there to try and break up the catch, but couldn’t do it. TD. Called for PI in the mid-4th. Just grabbed WR. Dumb. Bit on fake when he should have been focused on keeping the guy in front of him. Beaten for a gain of 43 in the 4th. Had help from Jenkins, but neither guy played the ball.
WILLIAMS – Credited with 5 tackles and 1 PD. Erratic performance. Did a good job on opening 3rd down of the game. Had Britt on crossing route. Trailed, then accelerated when the ball went to Britt. Hit him and knocked the ball out. Looked close to being a fumble to me. Beaten for TD by great fade pass in the mid-4th. Just perfect execution. Nothing Cary could have done. Had good coverage on some other throws, but didn’t play the ball well or never located the ball.
BOYKIN – Quiet game. Broke up a pass on the final drive. Blitzed on the final play and forced a hurried throw which ended up incomplete.
CARROLL – Has found a home playing Dime LB spot. Almost picked off a 4th Qtr pass over the middle. Read it and went for the ball, but it was just inches away. Missed tackle of RB on cutback run and gave up additional 10 or so yds.
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ST’s
JONES – Not his best game. Only averaged 40.8 per punt and only had 1 downed inside the 20.
PARKEY – 2 short FGs. 2 touchbacks.
KOR – Sproles had one KOR. Other kicks were all touchbacks.
PR – With a better block from James Casey, Sproles had a chance to really break a long PR. Had to settle for 23 yards.That was the only return of the game.
– MISC –
* Another game, another huge play by the STs unit. This week it was another blocked punt. Dave Fipp had a good design on the play and the players executed it perfectly. James Casey came free up the middle. Trey Burton came off the edge. The up-back decided to block Burton and that left Casey a free run at the punter. Casey got there and made a clean block of the kick. Chris Maragos was able to scoop up the ball and score the touchdown.
* There are residual effects to the blocked punt. The next punt was very short. On a later punt play Sproles got a good return.
* Brandon Graham is showing up on KO coverage. Missed one 1st Qtr tackle, but made tackle on the next KOR. Got in on tackle in the early 3rd.
* Maragos got very good pressure on 3rd Qtr punt. Just missed blocking it.
_
If BG keeps playing like he is…. Look out. That would be the greatest thing since sliced bread. Also, it sounds like Marcus played pretty well and was close to making several plays. I did notice the one where he pulled up early.
Its very nice Graham is looking better and better and keep proving why he needs more playing time.
Nice to hear chip say that with how he is playing they have to continue to find more ways to get him on the field..
If BG keeps playing this well, I’m willing to slice my own bread.
Lol. Reminds me of Chip saying something like (I’m going into Seinfeld mode here): “What’s it with the definition of the Red Zone? So you’re inside the 20 and you should score, but if you’re at the 21 you shouldn’t score?”
Of course you have to draw the line somewhere, Chip knows that, too. But in the marginal cases like that, it’s pretty funny and really misleading. Uninformed people will say: see, they didn’t get their magic 6 plays for 20 yards, they are no big play offense anymore. Well, technically yes, practically no.
Another thing: do you have access to the All-22, Tommy? If not, it’s even more impressive how you analyze the games. But if not, it could be time for this community to donate you this access. Can’t be too expensive, can it?
The problem with all-22 is that its first out Wednesday, so he wouldnt really have the time
Good info. Bad timing. Is there a specific reason for that? The coaches and the players have it in-game on their tablets, don’t they?
Why give it to a paying customer on Wednesday? What does the NFL gain in holding something back that is already produced? Makes no sense to me, but maybe I’m not seeing the whole picture there.
I mean, we aren’t really getting DGRs earlier than Friday, so it’s probably doable… Tho I find TOM to have done quality DGR work without the all 22 for the longest, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it….. By the time weekend gets here, I have no interest in talking about last weeks game anyway,, and waiting for Wednesday all 22 makes it so we will never get DGRs before Friday.. I do my own DGR, so please don’t take this as me complaining…
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Now a site like PFF a, it’s absurd that they pretend like they can grade every player without the all 22… Half the plays we see on TV, we have no idea what half the secondary is doing..yet PFF pretends that they can accurately grade every player overnight off of TV film….fraud
A while back I remember Chip saying he considers the Red Zone to be synonymous with make-able-FG range.
Think our redzone just got 10yards bigger.
Colts almost blew a monster lead…doubt they are complaining about the win in Indy… We are the only fans who judge our wins with BCS goggles…
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Its hard to hold a big lead when it comes so early in the game,,,, human nature kicks in, and you go from playing attack style that got you the big lead to prevent style trying to get your opponent to help you kill the clock
come on man…. 24 point lead in quarter 1 is a lot different than a huge lead late in the 3rd quarter….the on side kick from the colts was a thing of beauty though….
why aren’t we doing that? no one is allowed to be on the cutting edge more than us
Ok… You don’t like that example? There are like 10 more examples these past two Weeks of teams letting soundly beaten opponents back in the game… Pick one
no — you pick one. you find one with a lead as large as the Eagles — late in the 3rd quarter. Not the examples given yesterday as I’ve already proved them to be in-accurate as a comparison to the Eagles score…
Lol
the human nature side of things would be like Luck feeling good and feeling this is going to an easy win and he stops paying attention to detail and throws picks and fumbles snaps — oh wait, that did happen. LOL.
Fell asleep… No clue what really happened.. Just know that I went to bed and it was 24-7
JJ Watt scored on a FF. Luck tossed another pick. Colts when up big basically on the back of TY Hilton. Once the Texans started playing better defense AND Colts went away from the pass (more running) Texans were able to get stops.
Opposing Ds adjust too. TY is a Djax type and just ran all through Texans zone and man coverages.
If Wolff did not play on D at all, he is really in the doghouse
Yup.. Looks that way…mESPECIALLY since I can’t think of any glaring mistakes in the game before the Rams that would get him benched like that, other than not being able to stop Gore on that blown play… But ATleast wolff covered half the field to get their in time to have a shot at tackling gore… I guess I just don’t feel like that play warranted a one game benching, and I can’t think of any other glaring mistakes he made in the Niners game…. Definitely dog house.
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Can anyone think of when was the last time Wolff dressed but didn’t get a single snap on defense?
I’d bench him for a game. Like chip said best players play.
it must be mental or attitude right? physically, it’s not so lopsided that he gets zero snaps on defense.
Chip really doesn’t seem to like bad attitudes (however he defines that), whether it’s making Jackson run the backups, etc.
pick one pair for knockout pool
Seattle home v. Dallas now then Denver at Oakland week 10 (Dallas scares me a little) or
Denver at Jets now and then Seattle home against Giants in week 10
thoughts?
Save denver and Seattle @ home if you can….
…
If you are asking, which is the bigger lock,… I don’t see how Oakland could beat Denver. Peyton doesn’t give away easy wins. He beats the teams he is supposed to beat.
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I’d take Eagles but I assume you already used them
I am asking which pair of choices do you prefer the first or the second. Not sure which you are advising. I can’t just save both for home, I need to pick someone.
I don’t want the Titans this week just to save Denver for a home game.
Peyton wins the games he is supposed to win,,,
He won’t lose to Oakland
I took Seattle over Dallas this week.. pretty safe id say..
ok thanks I’m going to do that too
I’m staying away from that game. It’s no “gimme”…
obviously…there are no “gimmes” in the nfl.. but look at the track record at home with Russ Wilson… confident in the QB to lead them to a win over that weak D…
I can’t imagine imagining Romo outplaying Wilson.
me either — but Dallas is on a roll right now. Since week 2, Dallas has been a very good team. I want nothing more than total domination against Dallas. Seattle is different at home. I fully expect a win but I won’t be surprised if an upset happens….
And to attack Seattle you have to run the ball effectively, which Dallas has been doing with Murray.
I have to admit it, yea, Dallas is playing good ball. Seattle, however, is simply a superior team. My hatred of the Cowboys might skew my vision, but the objective fellows over in Las Vegas make the Seahawks an 8-9 point favorite.
If they were playing in Dallas, i think it’d be a much closer game, but they are playing in SEA.
never look ahead to next week to plan for this week…gets you in trouble…
I hear you but they are both big favorites. Anyway, I picked Seattle. We’ll see. It worries me, but every week my knockout team gives me a heart attack (NO last week) so what’s new.
You’re good on either of those Denver games obviously. I’d be more comfy with Seattle vs Giants.
I hear you. I took Seattle already, but I’m kind of regretting not going with the other option. Oh well.
I’d take Denver vs the Jets, then Seattle at home vs Giants. The record of teams the week after playing the Eagles is something like 5-33. Seattle is clutch at home. The Jets and their problems this week with Geno Smith and the lousy head coach – I really think this is the better bet.
I’d take,denver.. Defense playing good, jets offense playing bad.. Don’t see the jets defense holding Peyton to a point total that the jets offense could out score
Exactly. Rex Ryan is not a good coach and that team is a mess in the locker room and on the field. Warning: The game you are about to watch may get ugly.
I think rex is a good coach — I don’t think the team is a mess. I think players love playing for him. I think the Idzik and Marty/Shotty have killed that team offensively. If jets could get a guy like Norv and a GM that knew what he was doing i think Rex could lead them to the promised land. But your team ill never look good if you don’t have a QB.
I think part of being a good head coach is knowing the right guys to pick as your assistants. I would never hire Marty as an OC. He chose to go with Smith despite his bad habits. I think he’s brilliant as a DC, but I think sometimes IMO his decision-making as a HC is suspect at times. I agree with you that with a better OC he’d have more success. I think the one’s he had wrecked Sanchez. I think he could be starter in this league with better coaching and being put in a better position. And yes, if your QB stinks you will go nowhere.
You think Rex is picking players or coordinators? You think he chose smith? Rex has no power. He lost it after Marky Marky — which i guess is a similar problem as Smith. But i think we’re making the same points.
BJoern Werner still sucks… Curious to see who becomes the better pro, him or trent Murphdog
Didn’t see the game, but Werner at least had a FF at the end in crunch time.
game ending ff.
Love how you continuously attempt to reinforce that you can’t judge a pass rusher without at least 3 years of NFL experience in the case of Marcus Smith, but Werner, 1 year into his NFL career is already a bust.
And Werner, who sucks, would be tied for sacks leader on the Eagles defense right now.
#GEAGLElogic
Blow me… I reserve the right to hate any non eagle. Werner not athletic enough to be picked in round 1, Marcus will have a much better career and they will both be in healthy situations..
…I’m not sure Werner will be better than trent mUrphy, you are highs If you think he be better than marcus..
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I’d be willing to bet that our coaches can harness Marcus athleticism and turn him into a beast worthy of a round 1 pick..Werner can never move backwards like Smith, and you don’t have to watch a day of Werners NFL career to accurately make that statement
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#Groupielogic
in defense of marcus smith II http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article2637068.html
He only needs defending from the Morons… This kid isn’t behind schedule yet
yeah, I’ll never understand this mentality. LJ had a tough first game back. He’s in his second year. I want him to do well, but I don’t theink he’ll be an elite OL’man for a couple more years. How can I give LJ a few years to mature and expect a 20something pick to not only contribute, but contribute at a high level? If Marcus was a top 5 pick, maybe I’d expect more from him. Maybe.
LJ was a day one contributor. Took him a couple of games to get it figured out but he was good after that. Without injuries Smith wouldn’t be dressing.
A rotational starting job was there for the taking. He’s not a bust, but to me he’s not a first round talent. He’s not a physical freak. He doesn’t have any pass rushing “moves”, he barely made plays against 3rd string guys. I sort of feel like he’s a 3rd round guy or a guy you’d draft if you had a ton of depth at OLB (we ended up having more than we thought).
You can’t call him a bust but I don’t think anyone would say he’s living up to expectations. Also, no snaps on ST?
Considering how badly we needed pass rushing in the offseason and that we over drafted for need you can’t be happy with Smith on those terms. That’s not to say he’s a bad player or won’t amount to anything-there was a need. Fans aren’t morons for being disappointed at where he’s at.
you sound like a guy that watches 2 minutes of a 2 hour film and walks out, complaining how the plot hasn`t developed… Film wins Oscars for best screenplay, best
director and best actor.
To be clear, i don’t think the book is written on Smith II.
But those are your expectations. We don’t know Chips plan or “grade” for him – or even what Chip sees in him. I would imagine, Chip(et al) had a list of players going into the draft. The didn’t say “ok, we pick now, throw names at me”. So clearly Chip wanted him. My expectations are stated, I can’t expect any contribution from any player — outside of the first 15 drafted really. LJ is an example. Yes he plays, yes he contributes, but he’s no where to his full capabilities yet and he’s in year 2. In year 4, he’ll be a stud tackle. Why can’t I expect Marcus to reach potential in a couple of years. I think that’s fair to expect.
Marcus wasn’t drafted to start. LJ was. Marcus was drafted for the future and not today. My expectations haven’t changed. If he’s still getting 3 snaps a game next year at this time, then yes, we should be complaining.
That isn’t to say I DO understand this pick — or the Huff one. That pick bothers me more than anything….
I understand what you’re saying. What about Huff do you dislike? if you’re ok with Smith how can you dislike any pick? What are your criteria for picks?
To my eye pass rushing was the most important offseason need. I think Kelly/Davis said as much. Considering we didn’t but anyone (understanding limited availability) we had to draft someone. I don’t think they thought Smith would be as much of a developmental guy as he’s turned out to be. In year 2-3 maybe he’s a the perfect hybrid ILB/OLB guy.
Billy D has called him a “finesse” guy — I don’t know many dominant finesse pass rushers. But he could be great inside. Hopefully he picks that role up.
oh my. Finesse is not a good word to describe any defensive player—besides Nate Allen….Pass rush is indeed an issue, but there was so little talent with such a late pick. Maybe the measurements of his wrists were important?(wasn’t that something Chip does? lol). I think safety, even with Jenkins was a huge need besides pass rush….
IF the Eagles wanted so dearly for WR’s, than maybe their 1st and 2nd pick should have been WR’s. Marcus make sense that we do need a pass rusher. JM makes sense because we needed wr’s. What does Huff imply? A chance? We already had Sproles. Huff at 5’11 doesn’t fit the “big people beat on little people”. Huff isn’t going to play wr1 or 2 or 3 unless Chip is saying Maclin won’t be here next year. At least Marcus we can say he could be a future player… I don’t see a future in where Huff will play — outside of a few packages. I really want to say Huff is here because of Oregon. Maybe he’s a future return guy? I just don’t get the plan for him…
Secretly I think they wanted Jarvis Landry and after MIA took him they settled on Huff. Hopefully he can be a mix of steve smith and darren sproles.
Amen. Sound like he’s our punt returner for now.
yep Huff is hard to understand. I think the plan is to move Matthews outside and Huff is in the slot (at some point like next year). Otherwise, how worth a 3rd rounder?
I think so too. That’s saying though, that Cooper becomes a number 4 WR if that plan comes to fruition?
yeah 5 years for Coop, i’m just like what? That’s what i didn’t understand. Could have moved into round 2 taken Matthews and Lattimer and been way better off. Spent that 3rd rounder on something else.
Even if you have a top 10 pick, ANYTHING you get from a rookie is just a bonus,
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Anyone who thinks Marcus is behind schedule, or if the coaches are dissapointed in him… SMH.. Let’s leave it at that
I don’t think bust talk is fair, but I do think it’s fair to say he’s behind schedule, if that is even a thing.
Behind who’s schedule? Not the coaches?
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If you remember pre draft, I was one of the few people who loved Marcus… I can’t express how happy I was to hear his name….I spent everyday of the pre draft offseason talking about the kid…as Bad as I wanted him, I knew that best case scenario he would maybe be able to play a 3rd down role by Midseason..
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I was so high on the kid yet I knew he wouldn’t provide much instant gratifction if any at all….Now If I Knew that, you can bet your ass that Chip and the Eagles knew that drafting MArvus would require patience and wouldn’t be paying off as a rookie…
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This very moment I Vow not to spend another moment discussing Marvus rookie year dissapointment,.. It’s too fucking absurd to spend time on…now we aren’t even giving these kids half of a rookie season to make the transition.. Now we are talking about rookies bust in September.. Sorry, but that’s just too d
man stupid to spend time on.
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When Marcus starts showing some serious game next year, I reserve the right to remind everyone of this absurdity
Behind MY schedule, lol.
By this time I expected him to at least play a single snap at OLB!
i’m sure 4years down the road he could be great. but what makes him a first round pick vs a third round pick? if he’s that raw, he doesn’t need to be robert quinn but lots of these guy earn their stripes on the field — most make a lot of mistakes, that’s ok.
if not for injuries he’s in street clothes.
This is soooo wrong!
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I don’t wamt to bee disrespectful, so I’ll just leave it at that…. You couldn’t possibly be more wrong!
i’m happy to hear any replies — they are just opinions — i’d be happy to be wrong. but i think i can make a case that Smith’s been disappointing so far.
To be clear there’s a difference between not living up to expectations so far and being a bust, i hope you can recognize that.
ANYTHING you get from a rookie is a bonus..having any expectations of rookie production in September is absurd… At the very least you should be looking for a rookie to start playing a role come November of his rookie year, but even that is a bonus..
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There is NO situation where a rookie hasnt produced enough in September for your liking…that’s ridiculous..
….
THE ONLY Time, I repeat the ONLy time a rookie can be a bust in his first year is… Let’s say for example: if a team is a legit SB contender with a major hole to fill, and they pass on a player with a much higher ceiling, for a lessor playe who is more NFL ready..
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For Example, if the Denver Broncos, Super Bowl or bust mode, had a major hole at DE and everyone knows Denver’s windown to win won’t be open for much longer… If to win a Super Bowl, Denver passes on a superior talemt like ANTHONY Barr, because he needs time to develop, for a more NFL ready player like trent MUrphy whp dpesmt have as high of a ceiling as barr…
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If Denver didmy have time to wait for Barr t reach his ceiling, and they went with a lessor player like trent mUrphy who is more NFL ready… If that NFL ready player they passed on better talents for, can’t produce as a rookie, then that rookie is a bust,..
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But kids liked ANTHONY Barr, or Marcus Smith…even if they don’t play a single defensive snap all year, they wouldn’t at all be considered a bust…they were not drafted for who they are NOW, the ONLY reason they were drafted is because of what they can become with a a year or two of coaching.,
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There is literally nothing marcus can do this year to be a bust… Now if he isn’t ready to handle a nice role, next September, then he starts to be behind schedule and we can start being dissapointed..
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The kid isn’t at all behind schedule yet…
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What are we getting dumber by the year? Everyone used to know that you can’t judge draft picks til year 3…then we started to expect rookies to start making an impact after a teams mid season bye week…and now we have reached the level where we are disapointed by rookies in September?.
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Do you really not understand how fucked up that is? How wrong that is?
Do you really think Smith was drafted with the expectation that he wouldn’t produce at all year 1?
Yes.. I honestly did.
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I know you remember me writing about Maaaaaarcus Daaaaaaarling every day during the predraft process, as much as I wanted the Eagles to draft him, I knew he wouldn’t be ready to do much as a rookie.,.if I KNEW that, you can bet your ass the coaches knew it..I am not smarter than chip, Azzinaro, billy davis, Tom gamble.. If fans like me an DF knew this pre draft, you can bet our coaches knew it
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Heck we were going to spend the 4th pick on Dion Jordan who WOULDNT have provided much as a rookie..chip knew that, but he wanted him anyway because what he can grow dion into
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Dude, quality edge rushers cost a minimum of 20millipn in Guaranteed dollars..40million total contract..
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Most edge rushers at the most can play a small 3rd down role as rookies…edge rusher is one of the hardest positions to fill and one of the most expensive…most edge rushers are drafted with the expectation that they need a year or two to be ready to play… Most of them aren’t even strong enough to play as rookies.
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I promise you chip didn’t expect much more than we are getting right now from Marcus when we draft him..I guarantee it, there isn’t a doubt in my mind,,
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He was a prospect people loved because of his upside.l dude started playing defense for the first time two friggn years ago…I can assure you we didn’t expect much from him as a rookie… I know this like I know my birthday
I blame Randy Moss and Andrew Luck.
So many ups. So many freaking ups.
Greg Robinson was the second pick in the draft, and is going to be a fantastic Left Tackle, and any team would be lucky to get their hands on that kid…super talented, #2 pick overall, has played a combined total of 10 snaps in 5 games…Marcus has more snaps in one game than the #2 pick has all season…mwe are a playoff teams isth 3 OLBs who are playing some good ball in front of Macus… The Rams aren’t making the playoffs,and their second pick overall is averaging two snaps per game… And their is NOTHING wrong with that… Greg Robinson is still going to be fantastic..
,,,
I’m sorry, but anyone who thinks Marcus is a bust in the beginning of October is just stupid… That’s just the reality of the situation…
it’s almost as if rookies shouldn’t be expected to produce amazing numbers . . .
This helps too
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2014-nfl-draft-jadeveon-clowney-teddy-bridgewater-johnny-manziel/
Wowwwwww. JPP is talking to the media like he thinks it will be a blow out this week. I love it! Amps me up that much more for the game.
Shady we are gonna need you buddy. Foles, you too!
I really like that all the Giamts are talking shit this week…our reporters keep asking our players about it, d none of our players are taking the bait..all the Eagles just respond, we will see on Sunday….that’s a good sign IMO..
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Just like I find it a great sign that a team like the skins lost 4 close games, falls to a horrible 1-4 record and their players are laughing and joking in the lower locker room… Yet our players are so hungry and humble, that we get out to a 4-1 lead and players aren’t even happy in the locker room, you see a bunch of players pissed off and eager to fix the mistakes they made in a winning effort..
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These are good signs..
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Division games are always close dog fights…and I think having to learn to overcome adversity and win ugly at the beginning of this season is what will have us ready to win a dogfight division game like this..
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I have seen our players be mentally strong, perservere thru all types of adversity, stick together, continue to play selfless ball for the man next to them… No matter how ugly the game, or what went wrong, we are learning to find ways to win…. All these ugly wins are going to come in handy this week… I don’t believe that a bunch of free agent giant mercenaries have the heart and toughness to beat this Eagles team…
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Last few weeks we faced some good teams in the trenches… This week JPP and Damontre Moore ARENT Hard enough men to take this from Jason Peters… Justin Pugh ISNT Hard enough of a man to take this from Fletcher Cox… We are going to win the majority of individual battles in the trenches, which means we win this game!
Sans Kelce. He put a nice zinger out there in response. I love the trash talk….
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/10/jason-kelce-thinks-jpp-and-the-giants-are-dumb/
lol.. Well Kelce doesn’t get a chance to punch a bitch ass giant in the mouth this week so you can’t blame the man for wanting to GET SOME 😉
I need some help with the terminology. If Carrol was playing Dime LB, does that mean we were running a formation with 7 DBs on the field (I’m assuming the 4 CBs and 3 safeties) with Carrol playing some kind of linebacker role, or is it just the name of the role no matter what?
I think he was the 6th DB, but played in more of a LB role.
Bradley Cooper is my new favorite actor.
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/10/bradley-cooper-giants-eagles
Tommy / Geagle — reviewing All-22 has anyone noticed a difference in the depth of the free safety between this year and last year?
what would be the plan to replace Brad Smith?
Huff replaces Polk as the returnman
huff replaces Brad probably on coverage teams
Huff replaces Brad at WR
James Casey replaces Brad as our emergency QB
I keep thinking we’re carrying 5 wr’s but it’s 6. ok, no concerns.
Is Casey a better fit at QB than Burton?
Man I would be a real blowhard if I pretended I could answer that question… You know as well as I do, what the hell James Casey looks like as a QB lol… For all I know JAmes casey could have troy Aikmen ability, or he is worse than Jamarcus Russell lol.. And I know even Less about Burton lol…
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Now my best guess is that Burton would be a better option, he played QB more recently then Casey, but Chilp Prob ISNT putting emergency QB duty on a UDFA rookies plate… Tho in the future, probably a good shot that Burton takes over that responsibility later when he becomes a Veteran and Brad smith n Casey are no longer Eagles..
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My vote goes to Running read options with Lane Johnson at emergency QB lol
OMG the best Rb in the nation suspended for taking money for autographs and letting people use his likeness? When will the NCAA just Fuck off?
school suspended him — didn’t even have his back.
So tired of this crap… I want to see the kid play, instead he has to sit out due to some ridiculous reason that no one gives a shit about… Yet THAT Donkey Jameis Winston can be a scumbag member of society and he plays every week…
..so tired of screwing with young players lives and futures over nonsense..
,..
If someone wants to give you money, as a man, who the fuck is anyone to tell you that you can’t use your earning power if you have it…. If someone wants to give me money for my signature, who the fuck has any write to tell me, I can’t earn that money..
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I’m this world, you are WORTH whatever someone wants to pay you.. If a college kid can make money without breaking United state laws…what kind of communist shit is it to tell these kids they can’t make money off themselves.
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All the problems in this country and people wasting time and money investigating whether a kid took money to sign a piece of paper or a football? Fuck off
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It’s disgustng enough how much money grown ass men are making off these kids who are putting their bodies on the line.. Not only are you making money off kids, not paying them, but you wamt to tell them they can’t earn money?
Preach.
He should just leave school.. Tell the NCAA to kiss his ass, not let them make another penny off me, tell Georgia to fuckoff for not supporting me, and just go get ready for the combine…especially since he always getting banged up… No point in staying in Georgia.. He is the best RB in college… No where to go but down
I agree with you 100%. It’s entirely possible his hiatus may make him an even more attractive draft pick. He can work out the rest of the year and avoid any injuries.
There’s not a GM or coach in the NFL that’s going to thing, “My God, we can’t have a guy like this in our lockeroom. He…sold…autographs.”
Lol what a heathen!
The parallels of the NCAA system to slaveowning plantations are staggering.
i don’t think it’s that bad. While the system is certainly set up to make you captive, you get a free education and great alumni network, that’s not worth nothing.
there’s an argument that certain athletes aren’t prepared to take advantage of the only benefit that college scholarships really convey. then maybe it’s a little closer to your point above.
But many of them don’t graduate. Imagine you’re a good college running back, and you’ve showed you’re NFL worthy after your second year. Do you accept another year of wear and tear on your body (and on your clock) before declaring for the draft? You have to. The NFL is in cahoots with the NCAA and you can’t declare even if you wanted to. This was like Clowney last year. It’s an artificial system that is put in place to make the NFL farm league basically free. These are athletes who are on TV and yet are not being compensated fairly.
Also consider that the vast majority of competitive colleges are utter garbage academically. No one is impressed with a degree from Alabama, LSU, or Georgia. These aren’t good schools academically. Yes, you have your exceptions like Stanford, USC, UCLA, but overall it’s not good.
A true farm league, or at least compensating student athletes fairly would cost a lot more money than a system that churns out disposable talent for the cost of a degree (or usually just 3 years tuition) at a college that won’t shop up in the US News Top College rankings.
I do feel like you should have the opportunity to finish your degree free – i don’t think that’s the case but it should be.
Agree with your points about kids not being the brightest but disagree with degrees from those institutions being trash — especially if those kids stay local. I think post career most of those kids are probably mature enough to handle the mental part of school.
educations are ALWAYS FREE. Degrees are fairly expensive.
Oh boy, don’t get me started on how evil credentialism is and how it’s the source of so many problems…
Education frequently costs something:
When a poor educated man meets a wealthy uneducated man… the poor man gains wealth and the uneducated man learns a lesson.
I understand it’s bad, but this analogy is as bad as the Hitler analogies used against Bush/Obama.
Depends on the point of the analogy. The analogy of slavery works because it gets across the severity of the problem. The biggest problem is the the NFL and NCAA with the help of the US government conspire to prevent any kind of competition for the NCAA. Literally the only WAY to the NFL is through the NCAA. The question is if the market were allowed to bare it would the NCAA even exist? No it wouldn’t. This is why I couldn’t care less about college football.
It also goes to the biggest problem that no one talks about and that is the joke that is College. I’m not saying a college education is bad. I am saying that essentially forcing people to pay exorbitant amount of money for things you can READ in a book for the most part on your own is absurd. Also the fact that student loan debt is crippling the economy because student loan companies are jokingly protected by the government (thanks obushma) and are some of the only debt that you can NEVER escape which makes these companies give them out like candy.
So yes it is bad. As much distaste as I can have for unions College football athletes just need a union to put these colleges in their place. The NFL could also stand up and stop supporting the NCAA by getting rid of the STUPID rule that you have to have a certain age or college experience to play in the NFL. Let colleges and the NFL compete for these players and see how well the NCAA does. NCAA football is a mirage propped up by peoples silly sense of school pride and this countries love of the word “education.”
college is a lot more than just the books you read – if you don’t understand that then you wasted your time / money.
Even if there was a farm team you think players there would make any real money? No.
The problem is that there’s a requirement that you be out of HS for 3 years. So kids are sort of held captive. But you can’t put HS kids in the NFL they’d get killed.
If college kids really thought the NCAA was so bad they’d strike and get a better deal. But compared to the alternative for 99% of these kids it’s not a bad deal.
yes it is. And you’re right in a lot of cases college is a lot more than the books you read. In a lot of other cases it’s really not and a lot of kids are wrongfully and stupidly strung along into it when they don’t need it or aren’t ready for it. You could ignore the whole debt part as much as you want if you don’t like cost/benefit analysis, which it seems you did.
It’s also not worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I’d be in favor of any league that would pay these kids (which they 100% deserve).
and 99% really, wow, just throwing out numbers now aren’t we? Because you know, all athletes come from poor families.
Also what’s the alternative? (GASP) get a job? OMG what a shocking alternative. They could also just sell drugs there’s a lof of money in that but also a pretty good chance a cop will shoot you for it (well a slightly better chance than a cop shooting you for anything these days).
99% referred to the vast majority of kids (across all sports) who don’t make it professional. For those guys they get a free ride and all the fringe perks of being an athlete especially at a big program.
For kids not from poor families I think it’s fine. For kids from poor families it’s rougher b/c they don’t have any way to support themselves and enjoy the stuff they see everyone else doing.
I didn’t deal with cost-benefit of college because it’s a lot to unpack on a football blog. There’s structural problems with everything NFL, NCAA, college generally.
I also never said it was a bad deal it’s just a repugnant one that I will Never support. I do wish college kids would throw more games for bookies though.
In most of the schools around the country, in most sports, kids who play on a varsity team are truly “student-athletes.” Their sport is something they participate in while gaining a college education. They are held to a certain academic standard by the institution they attend, and if they fail to meet the standard they are not permitted to continue as a student. It’s a great experience to be around a college team where the athletes play for the love of the game.
The exception and the problem arises in D1 big sports, especially football and basketball. The athletes are recruited by the athletic department and then approved by the admissions office. Basically, there you have it. The admissions office is instructed to accept these kids, regardless of admissions standards. The athletes don’t so much enroll in the university as they do in the athletic department.
I can’t agree with your analogy. I’ll certainly agree, though, the NCAA and the D1 schools exploit these young men for their own profit. Maybe this will be the case that will raise the issue to the forefront and the sporting world can have a conversation about how college athletes should be treated and compensated.
http://www.thrillcitync.com/shop/the-scam-shirt
I wear it every Saturday!
Seems to me the problems Foles is having are so related to the lack of a run threat. Last year McCoy would rip a 6-yard run, then a 3-yard run and then Foles had the defense guessing on 3rd and short and he had time and space to throw downfield to Ertz or Celek or Cooper or DJax. This season the defense has not been on its heels at all, it seems, and Foles is hurried and hit a lot, and many of his passes are in traffic. I don’t think the negative effects of a weak running game are the whole story, but neither can they be underestimated in assessing our QB play.
Yes and no… While FOles isn’t enjoying the effects of play action passes like last year, defenses are crowding the box, not letting shady beat them, daring FOles to beat them…
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FOles problems are not trusting his OL, which is the same problem THATS hurting shady right now..l OL took a step forward last week..hopefully another week of improvement by our line is enough to get our QB and RB going..
Same OL for two weeks in a row!
First time this season we can say that.
Yup…should make a difference
Opponents loading the box is the popular narrative to explain the offense’s struggles this year, but I’m not sure if it’s true. We saw a lot of loaded boxes last year.
Brian Solomon thinks the opposite – that teams are loading the box less this year, but we still aren’t getting the run going: http://mcnabborkolb.com/blog/2014/9/29/too-easy-how-the-49ers-crushed-the-eagles-run-game
It’s true dude
i agree, no run game is making things really hard as it will for just about any team. but our team really needs the run game to work, especially since we have the best back in the league. if we can’t run the ball not only is passing that much more difficult, but winning at the end is impossible if you can’t eat some time…
Hate waiting TIL night time for an Eagles game… But since we have to wait till Sunday night, it’s pretty awesome that we get to watch Dallas @’seattle at 4:15 on fox…..meaning we get to witness dallas get smacked around on the road, lose and make it so Eagles vs. Giants decides who sits alone at the top of NFC East…hype for Sunday, and I don’t even khow whats games are airing at 1pm
This week I’m okay with it. I’ve got some assignments due this week for my classes and it’s a liberating feeling to finish it and then settle in for the game. Plus, I can watch Dallas lose to Seattle before the game.
I love SNF. It starts at 5:30 for me, after I get an hour or so break from the previous two games I decided to watch.
I don’t even have cable, so I get to stream it live from NBCSports.com in HD.
I love Al Michaels, he is a HOF broadcaster in my book. The SNF camera crew is tops in the league. Best angles, best replays, best breakdowns. If only I could selectively mute Collinsworth. I get that he knows his shit, but at the end of the day, we’re forced to listen to his whiny ass voice.
“You just can’t make that throw in the National Football League and expect to win games. You just can’t do that.”
CC is the worst.
I love the SNF broadcast too, but I’m one of the few that likes CC. Obviously he’s no Madden, but he’s one of the few color analysts that I like.
While not the biggest fan of Collinsworth there are far FAR worse. Whoever was doing our opener against JAX for instance was just ear bleedingly
what rules is that Walking Dead replays at midnight and i have columbus day off
I’ll have to DVR boardwalk empire n homeland
OMG – When franchises start talking trash, it’s on!!!
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/videos/videos/Week-6-BlackSunday/dcb77d0a-08a1-4455-b6e3-c6859f7cdf13
I can’t believe how incredibly terrible this video is.
predictions for our game? Giants getting picked by both Sheil and Tim.
The fan in me says Eagles but the logical choice would be the Giants. I just don’t see us beating them without Foles regaining his 2013 form.
Watching offense can be really frustrating when the QB is playing poorly. I’m used to the defense giving up yards and points.
Should I start ODB Jr in fantasy?
if you want to be a traitor, sure
fair point.
It’s called emotional hedge my friend. That’s why I am picking against the Eagles most of the times.
Idk. High risk high reward. Eli seems to spread the ball around a bit
Good…mcManus is horrendous at predicting
Randle is a WR2/3 in a game where he projects to run most of his routes at whipping-boy RCB Williams…..getting outplayed by Darren Sproles (again), and getting benched by RBs coach Duce Staley on a crucial clock-killing drive at the end of the game…After a red-hot start to the season, Ertz’s production has plummeted, presumably due to blocking deficiencies limiting his playing time…….those are comments by Roto world. Interesting. I don’t know how accurate though…
i have a feeling this game will be tough to watch and stomach.
to many big key injuries…
not that i ever have a good feeling going into a game …..
As I said here a few weeks back I flew from Norway and attended Rams-Eagles. And it was a fantastic experience! At the tailgating I was invited into many different parties by just passing by. The game itself was a lot of fun even though the fourth quarter became more and more painful to watch. At least we won in the end.
After the game I attended a bit of the afterparty before I went to Prime Stache in the evening. Since I came all the way from Norway everyone kept buying me drinks and food. It was great! Turns out I just missed Celek when I came, but later Zach Ertz showed up, and he was so nice he signed some things, posed for some photos and talked a bit. I was in seventh heaven the entire day. It was just perfect! To me it really was the city of brotherly love the entire stay. Definitly coming back. Perhaps for the Cowgirls game and at Redskins in the middle of December.
Thanks for all info beforehand! It really helped. And btw I also tried the cheesesteak at Sonny’s, and I found it absolutely delicious! It’s the only cheesesteak I’ve had so I can’t compare, but I would recommend it from taste alone.
Very cool!
Glad it was a great experience for you. Philly isn’t as bad as the media makes it.
Glad you enjoyed it and caught an Eagles win
“Maragos got very good pressure on 3rd Qtr punt. Just missed blocking it.”
He’s a great st player.
Besides Brian Baldinger, I always catch the Sal Pal interview on Tue/Fri. He said today that the Eagles are mad going into this game. They are ticked off about how they are viewed and the disrespect they feel they are getting.
http://www.975thefanatic.com/teams/eagles/2014/10/10/sal-paolantonio-joins-mike-missanelli-101014
That’s why i talk about about them all week — to keep them hungry.
Eagles win. Fans are unhappy, eagles still slide down power rankings.
What happened to the most pre hyped Eagles player at training camp? Zach Ertz that is…
Lost some playing time because he’s struggling with his blocking.
I’m in the highly unenviable position of only getting to see my beloved Birds when they are nationally televised. But from my perspective it’s been mostly the trickle effect of our boy Foles playing like he’s got some intermittent palsy type of deal going on. I wasn’t expecting huge leaps in blocking, but I DEFINITELY saw bigger numbers coming too. Especially Td’s right?