Good LB Play
Posted: October 5th, 2014 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 118 Comments »The 3-4 defense needs good LB play for the scheme to work. The LB play last year was all over the place and one of the reasons the defense was so erratic. This year the LBs have played pretty well, which makes it so surprising that the defense has continued to struggle.
Connor Barwin is a natural LB and has played well since signing with the Eagles. He had 2 sacks and a PD today. Trent Cole got off to a slow start last year, not getting a sack until the 9th game. This season he’s got 2.5 sacks and 3 FFs. Cole isn’t a dominant pass rusher anymore, but he has his moments and remains a great effort player. Cole’s strip sack led to a Cedric Thornton TD today.
Brandon Graham has taken a major step forward. I thought the Eagles had to trade him this summer, but they didn’t. And that looks pretty smart. He only has 1 sack, but has played better than that. He’s been an effective pass rusher. He also has 3 TFLs and 2 FFs. Graham is a more well-rounded player than in the past.
The ILBs are also playing well. DeMeco Ryans is playing to his usual level. Mychal Kendricks was having a breakout year before he got hurt. Hopefully he’ll be back for Sunday night. Casey Matthews had the best game of his NFL career today. I know that isn’t saying much, but give the guy credit for having solid game. He was second on the team in total tackles (6) and solo tackles (5). Emmanuel Acho had 3 solo tackles today and has played okay in helping to fill in for Kendricks.
Ryans did get banged up and miss some time today. I’m curious to see if the Rams successful drives late in the game came with Ryans missing.
The Eagles really could have used Kendricks in today’s game. St. Louis threw a bunch of short passes and had players running around the middle of the field. Kendricks speed could have helped on some of those plays. While Matthews and Acho were solid, they aren’t athletic or playmakers. You need that speed when playing a lot of Nickel and Dime, which is what happened when the game got to 34-7.
The Eagles still need more speed in the middle and back of the defense. It will take time to fix that.
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Need a good laugh? Enjoy this.
Im still laughing RT @Ninosssssssss: Seriously, what is #55 doing? https://t.co/3Ebj11AxRj
— Justin Higdon (@afc2nfc) October 6, 2014
Classic.
Indeed, and for a while I thought our D was doing really well… But then Rams remembered who we’ve got at CB and went into ‘Fletcher Offence’
I have to watch the game again to be 100% certain, but I think 90% of their comeback rests on Bill Davis’s “prevent” defense. They were playing 12 yards off on 1st/2nd down.
No, the bulk of the fault for the comeback was the ineptitude of the offense.
Dude, DONT put that on billy… Every secondary takes their foot off the gas up 4TDs in the second half… It’s not some crazy play call billy made, pretty common approach
Cary Williams also gave up several long completions. Fletcher and Williams would be a ton better if they could get their heads around
LMAOO @ that video. That’s just terrible. I’m sure a lot of us thought Casey would play like that at some point, really pleasing to see Matthews mature as a LB and looks much more instinctive and under control out there. Cutting his hair made him a better LB apparently.
Reverse Samson Effect?
Its funny how a guy like Matthews do not look total terrible once he play in a real scheme, behind a great DL and have good coaching. Matthews will never be a starting ILB, but as an ST guy+depth we could have much worse
Tommy,
Not disagreeing with your assessments of the LBs themselves. but re: your 1st paragraph, I feel the situation is more clear across the board:
-the DL is terrific, and far improved on last year. Ced is still a dominant 2gap DE, and stuffs the run with the best of them. Cox is growing into his role every week, and should continue to improve for years to come. Logan and Allen both playing well this year; fantastic to get anything out of that 7th rd spot, let alone a rotational NT. Some snaps with both on the field this week.
-LBs are nothing more than mediocre as a group. Kendricks did show flashes of greatness, and I truly love/value what Barwin brings to the table. I’m not sold on the Cole/Graham rotation after this season. and no real depth at the moment (Smith and Long possibilities)
-DBs are awful. Jenkins is the saving grace in that group. Absolutely no reason Cary and Fletch are starting over a 5’8″ boykin, 5’6″ boykin, or even an NFL muggsy bogues. He can’t be worse. Jaylen Watkins can’t be worse.
With the DL and single Safety playmaker we have, we need at least 2 others (2 LBs, or 1LB + 1CB). Kendricks is a maybe. Need at least 1 more
Yes, thank god for Jenkins! Has Watkins even played a defensive snap yet? Don’t forget we have Carroll too. Maybe we should have signed Sean Smith along with Nolan Carroll because we REALLY need help back there boyz.
Carroll showed up today.
Gave up a bad completion that he was covering well all because he wouldn’t turn his head to see where the ball was…same problemthatplagues Bradley
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Guys are in position make plays…..need to work on our corners turning around and seeing the damn ball
That’s something that should’ve been worked on long before the NFL.
Back shoulder fade and the corner route are the two reasons Boykin is not playing on the outside. There is physiologically nothing he can do to stop those two plays, and every QB knows it.
Boykin has the agility to defend those passes and also the vertical. Boykin is one of the most athletic cbs in the nfl
Agility isn’t going to stop him getting boxed out by all but the smallest receivers though.
100% true, but back shoulder fade is more about agility than size. Its about been able to turn around, if the CB has that ability its often a pick.
There’s definitely an element of that, but I still think he’d have almost zero chance of defending a well thrown fade that allows the receiver to get between him and the ball.
That said, I don’t see any reason he has to play in the same place on every snap – put him outside against teams that have small WRs or in situations where his size won’t be as much of a disadvantage.
Well unless you are Revis or Sherman, every CB has problems with that.
I would love if the Eagles matched their CBs more. Have Boykin come in when a smaller shifty WR enters the game and have Carroll against more physical WRs and just bench Fletcher outright.
This is going to sound like I’m defending the CBs not named Boykin, but I’m not: It seems like there might be a bit of a technique difference at play. Seriously, they are soooo slow at getting their heads around on passes that I started to wonder. Then, watching yesterday, I saw how they spotted the ball as soon as it hits the receiver’s hands, and then they attack it very aggressively. In fact, I was impressed at how they levered the ball out of the receiver’s hands several times. I don’t know if it’s by initial design, or by “well, they can’t play it the right way, so let’s try something different” design, but it does seem like their priority on the outside is not necessarily making a play on the ball in the air, but when it comes in contact with the receiver’s hands.
That not just yesterday… Our corners aways play like that… They typically do a great job breaking the pass up at them sat second when the WR thinks it has made the catch…. They been playing that way since last year…this didn’t just start ysterday
a LB group of Barwin, Kendricks, Long and Smith wouldnt be bad, we would just need to get sacks through blitzes.
I normally do not root for injuries, but atm Im rooting for enough injuries so they are forced to play Boykin on the outside.
Right now we just need 2 average CBs (the Williams and Fletcher from last season was good enough), Kendricks back and one great OLB and this defense should be much better at forcing 3 and out.
A) half our secondary has to be injured to see boykin on the outside, since Nolan will fill in on the outsider before Boykin
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b) This is the one week to put the silly boykin outside talk to rest.. We play the Giants, who play their #1 WR Victor Cruz, in the slot…. This is week Boykin shows how important he is in the slot…
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Face so many 3 WRs sets in today’s game, that I don’t see the point in losing the best slot corner in the NFL to make him a good outside CB… But whatever, I’m not doing this silly debate again….talk about it TIL we are blue in the face but I think our coaches have been very clear about this
Also I just said I wanted Davis to match his CBs, so that 100% means matching Boykin against Cruz, but against another like the Steelers (who we do not play this year), you put Boykin on Antonie Brown etc.
Back in when we had Brown, Hood and Lito, Brown went between outside and slot, so why cant Boykin?
Also Davis seems to prefer base defense even against 3 WR sets, so that seems to reduce Boykins snaps.
U do realize that the few times Boykin has played outside it was no where as good as when he played inside right?
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You do realize that playing in them lot and playing outside with then indelible are two completely different positions…. I’m fine with my opinion coinciding with the coaching staff and have “Anders” disagree with me lol…
Im in the mold who think Boykin shouldnt cover the likes of Brandon Marshall, but why cant he cover the smaller more quick outside WRs in the NFL, where his height is not a problem? Its not like playing outside is something he has never done
Cuz in two years there will be no Smalls WRs on the outside… Our coach sees the trend and he is trying to get ahead of it, and fools are giving him shit about it…
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BOYKIN WILL NOT GET MOVED TO THE OUTSIDE! We have been told this a millions times… It’s not up to me, it’s not up to you…what’s the point in doing this dance every single week for nothing? How many times do you need to be told by our HC and DC that this won’t happen? What are we going to stomp our feet and throw a temper tantrum until they do?
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Pretty sure guys like Maclin, Antonie Brown, Desean Jackson, Terrance Williams, Pierre Garcon, Golden Tate, TY Hilton etc. will still be playing.
Also just because Kelly and Davis says it wont happen, does not mean I cant wish for it right? I bet you never disagreed with Andy Reid right?
How many “small WRs” are we going to face in the playoffs? Maybe Randall Colbb? Percy Harvin? What other small outside WR are we going to have to shut down to make a Super Bowl run?
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Big Outside WR’s:
Carfinals
Niners
Bears
Lions
cowboys
Panthers
Falcons
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How many times is boykin going to line up outside in an NFC playoff game and not be dwarfed in size?
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Btw, for those that have never played football… Outside CB ISNT the same position..if you want to move boykin outside, you do it in the offseason…mNO, you don’t move Boykin outside in October and give him 5 days to get ready for playing outside and getting use to playing with the out of bounds marker in the middle of a season
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Lol this isn’t madden where you take a player who is rated at 99 CB playing in the slot, and you just stick him outside and he immediately contines to play at the 99 level he was playing when he was in the slot
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People are fucking nuts…. Hey Earl, you got 5 days to gets used to playing outside CB before Sunday,,,good luck kid SMH lol…
How many times is Williams going to give up a long TD or several long completions to those WRs despite his 2 inches. All of those WRs are taller than Williams by a good margin, so are you telling me 2 inches is the whole difference between defending a jump ball against a 6-4 WR?
look at the receivers / TE we faced yesterday. The bodied our 6’0 corners on those TDs boykin doesn’t have a chance i don’t think.
Take this up with Fhip and Billy…. Not my call
OK, I’ll bite. Even if in two years every receiver is Momah sized, I would still take Boykin over Sconces-whether we are talking fade, slant or comeback. Sconces height is the only thing he has going. At least Boykin would be in position to do something in coverage, even if his height and ridiculous leaping ability fail him. One thing is for sure: Sconces would not even be in position to battle.
Ok I’ll bite. What IS #55 doing?
I’d’ve surprised if #55 even knows…
He reacted to the ball carrier, then got spooked and thought it was play action and that Kaep had the ball. That’s why he went the opposite way, anyway… What he did after that, I don’t even know.
I was impressed with the LB’s today as well. I ALMOST had the call of Smith’s first sack. He came unblocked off the right side but the qb got it off just in time. Otherwise I didn’t notice Smith II today.
Smith looked good blitzing up the middle.
He ran that delayed blitz perfectly… It definitely effected the throw and forced the incompletion… Not a sack, but still effective defense
I’m gonna pull the trigger on a #55 GRAHAM jersey.
I’ve been pounding this drum for so long, and yet AGAIN does he show up. Bye-bye $150.
Can’t believe all the people, especially GEAGLE (callin you out son) that said he was gonna get traded or cut.
Just needs to shore up his coverage a little bit and you can color me ecstatic! He looks like a freight train or a wrecking ball when he’s running around in the backfield.
I get what you’re saying, but there’s a point at which you can’t expect a 265lb player to keep up with a 200lb RB/WR.
He’s been solid in his zone drops and (for the most part) setting the edge.
I’m just talking about a play today, for example, where his coverage was great but he didn’t turn his head and allowed the completion. Perfect coverage though.
Seems graham is just learning from Williams and Fletcher
lol, he learns from the best!
In fairness, That was a numbers game situation with Long playing well and BGs contract expiring…. Trust me, nothing would make me happier than to be wrong and see BG sign an extension with us and keep improving as an OLB…he has been fantastic these past few weeks…
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With that said, you are playing a very risky game talking about buying his jersey a few months before his contract expires… I wouldn’t at all mind keeping “B dot Grizzle” for a few more years, he is making some serious plays out there..
I thought you were trading him for Dion and the Dolphins 2015 2nd rounder at the end of this year
How do you trade a player who won’t be under contract?
I guess that was a mid year hypothetical trade. Well, to take Anders view above for BG, his rushing the passer >>> >>>>>>set the edge>>cover how doesn’t a 4-3 team pay him a lot more than us? If we do, we’d have to commit that he’s our answer. I think he’s walking.
No, I wanted to trade Curry for Dion, NEXT Offseason… I don’t view them giving up on Dion before next offseason as realistic
oh, Curry I got it now. Thought it was BG.
I was very pleased with the defense in the first half. I think part of their late game trouble has to do with the amount of time they are out on the pitch. Not only does the offense play fast, but now both the defense and the special teams and making scoring plays and keeping the defense on the field.
The D-line is playing fantastically well, the LBs will be better off with Kendricks back, but the DBs are dreadful! Particularly the CBs. I am now firmly entrenched in the ‘Start Boykin on the outside!’ camp. He can still move inside on nickle and dime situations… and while you’re at it, give Carroll a shot outside too.
That dude in the video was THE ONLY one who thought Kaep still had the ball. He must have had a huge brain fart LOL.
#55 looked like a Madden glitch!!
Im so glad Maclin keep producing and I really hope we can keep him long term. He might not ever be the most physical WR, but guy keeps getting open all the time and has good hands when making sideline catches.
True. I still believe that this Offense is missing DeSean more than Chippah would ever admit though.
I don’t agree with that all. 1st 2 games there no issues with the offense. Now they miss him? Not at all.
How? Its not like Desean made the Mathis and Kelce healthy with magic power last year or made Foles not throw of his back foot all the time
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24739657/tony-romo-calls-out-fans-cowboys-texans-felt-like-we-played-on-the-road
Lol Cowboys fans are pathetic, how do one allow ones home stadium to be overtaken by opposing fans like that?
Their fans must be reselling the tickets on StubHub or similar service where they don’t know who they’re actually selling the tickets to.
Haha. Just goes to show what it means to be a true Cowboys fan. They have a few die-hards like any other team, but I bet a good majority of them are fake fans who hopeed on the bandwaggon in the 90s.
Dee Ford… most recent of a series of Andy Reid’s “fastballs”
Why n the world anyone would draft him in round 1, I still don’t unerstand
While the great Jim Johnson’s Defense was labelled as ‘bend but don’t break’, Bill Davis’ Defense gives it a little twist. Welcome to Philadelphia, where we bend and break, but score.
Here’s still hoping that Rex Ryan will be fired at the end of this season…
yeah it’s over for him — if i was him i wouldn’t even want to be there anymore. Idzik is fucking him by being a crappy GM.
Interesting that Mayock or cossel(can’t remember which one) is comparing Marcus Smith to Lawrence Timmons, another first round pick who was drafted to play OLB, but ended up growing into a fantastic ILB for the steelers…
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I don’t know how I feel about this, because I find it kind of silly to be talking about abandoning a raw OLBs position in The beginning of Ocober of this rookie season…. Marcus has all the tools, is a smart, hard working kid… Next year, I expect to really see what the kid can do, but I won’t be surprised to see it click for Marcus in November/December of this year
It was Mayock.
Because Marcus skill set is much better at ILB than OLB? An OLB should be able to do 3 things. Pass rush, set the edge and cover. In terms of what Smith does well
it goes cover >>>> set the edge >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pass rush (not blitzing).
Lol.. Ok
I know the defense let up and had issues in the second half, but I don’t see the point in over reacting,,, whether we like it or not, human nature dictates that when you are Up by 4 TDs in the second half, you aren’t going to play the same aggressive defense you played in the second half.. Even if you don’t go into “prevent”, some elements of the prevent come into play….human nature makes its so guys like Cary and Brad are no longer tryiing to force incompletions like they were in the first half when it was a close game..human nature says they are going to switch the way the play and focus on not giving up the big play, so they are going to give up more completions in front of them,mwhere in the first half they would challenge those throws and try to force incompletions…
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So while we witnessed a defense start to break down and let the Rams back in it, it really wasn’t our style defense that let up…we were no longer playing our real defense at that point, elements of prevent defense had already crept in by that point…so while we witnessed shitty defense in the second half, it’s probably not a true indications of our corners ability, since they were going to give up underneath completions every time we have a big lead like that in the second half…
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Corners played solid in the first half when it was a real fight… They gave up some catches, but did great jobs of forcing them to drop the passes at the last minute… Our outside corners ARENT shutdown corners by ANYONEs definition..but they are good at fighting a WRs hands at the last second after he thinks he made the catch, and force drops…….they did that well in the first half, and they also were physical, helping a lot in the run game and screen game..
You first point makes zero sense regarding Williams and Fletcher consider both gave up several long plays after we went up big. Why cant you just realize both blows right now?
I 100% agree that it was more the soft cover 2 shell than anything, that allowed the comeback attempt and that I hope Davis/Kelly learns not to stop been aggressive.
Lol ok kid
Ah the mature GEAGLE who gets pissed and act imature if you disagree with him, but gets pissed if others do the same…..
Pissed? I’m literally laughing at the stupidity.. Getting a kick out of it… Dance monkey dance..
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Correct me again about how Bradley is our best corner and Nate is so much better than big bad GEAGLE gives him credit for… Awwwwe sweetie, not feeling the love today? Come here Pookie.. Let’s hug it out
Just proving my point
Also never said Fletcher is your best CB, that is Boykin. All I said was that Fletcher was better than Williams last year
Muah… Come here sweetie… Coombaya
BUT — while I agree to some point with you and his comments — wasn’t there an issue or 2 last year about late leads and holding them? Shouldn’t have learned from those?
This has happened for decades..l get a big lead too early, eventually defense gives up and offense gets some late “back door” TDs… This exact DYNAMIC is why it’s a joke to bet football against the spread… Your team covers, it gets too big of a lead early in the game… It lets Up, the other team gets garbage TDs makes it a closer game than it was, and you end up losing your bet..
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This isn’t a new problem, and it’s not exclusive to Philly…a Multi million dollar betting industry is based off of this prevent style, let up in the second half element, screwing up the point total and causing people to lose bets…. I don’t bet football because of this exact dynamic
When you are up by 4 TD, human nature dictates corners start playing more prevent style, instead of playing how they played in the first half… Come the second half we were no longer challenging and trying to force incompletions..we were happy to give up catches as long as we didn’t let anyone behind us…. So while the secondary didn’t look good, they weren’t playing the real way they do when we are in a dogfight…
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Human nature for secondaries to let up when they are up by a ton
I understand that 100% but if you do it too early you get in trouble. It’s hard to turn on/off that switch. Almost cost them yesterday. Some teams aren’t good enough to go into a prevent defense. NE was dominating last night vs. a lot better offense than the Rams and went into prevent D without any issues. Maybe the Eagles are not at that level yet where they can go into prevent D and be successful at it. Some more seasoning for this D and in the future they’ll be there.
I don’t disagree with you… That’s just how it is tho, and that’s how it typically has been with every team that gets a big lead so early in the game
it’s not human nature. That’s a play call and then we just got with bombs, so what are you preventing? Billy D should have changed the play calling after the first TD. Why ever let up on a team especially when the defense as a unit is giving up 30pts a game?
Be great to have a statement win at 34-7 or 34-14 and have a game the D can be proud of instead of them being like “we almost gave that away”
Human nature….. Incompletions no longer become the #1’goal… The goal switches to not let a big play behind you… That’s a totally different approach to how you are playing defense..
Did they let the big play happen? LOL. Not so prevent. So a 90 yard pass play didn’t happen — but a lot of points certainly happened….
When did we give up some 40’yard TD in a 1 minute time conserving drive?
The 3 late scoring drives was 2:12, 3:01 and 2:07. That is 3 fast scoring drives
all I know is that last drive cost me a 6 pack as I had a bet with a Rams fan giving 7 points!
To continue off of my comments from last week. I keep reading about how good this defense is playing this year. After each bad performance(like yesterday), I get to read again oh good they looked(not to be confused with how well they are going to be in a year from now). They give up over 350 yards to who at QB? To repeat it — the Rams are terrible on offense. I get it, the Eagles made some plays. Yippee. The Eagles ARE suppose to make plays vs. another terrible offense. So why are surprised when they do? What are the Eagles going to do vs. an NFL caliber team next week? So, yes, vs. 2 terrible offensive teams the last 2 weeks, the Eagles made some very nice plays. Each week is a different excuse(read, different escape goat). So what is this week? CW? Prevent defense? There’s being optimistic and there’s denial. Again, this defense will be just fine later in the season. If not, they will be much improved by start of next season. For right now — as a whole — they are not good. Here’s to hoping there’s improvement by next Sunday night…..
lol yeah you are right
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Thornton sucked
Cox sucked
Logan isn’t playing like one of the top Nt in the NFL
Beau allen isn’t making plays
VINNY sucks
BG sucks
Barwin sucks
Meco suck
Jenkins sucks
Cole sucks
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What a terrible defense..cut them all
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Smh
you’re putting words in my mouth. I never said individuals suck. I never said none of them are going to be good. What I am saying is — right now, this defense is not good. You can rate them highly vs. bad talent. I refuse to. The jags, as a team, scored their most points vs. us. Wash, scored their most points vs. us. SF(aside from dallas game, week 1) has scored their most points vs. us. The Rams, using 2nd/3rd string offensive players put up a 28 spot vs. us. The excuse this week is prevent defense. Last week it was CW. Again, not many(Jags) teams are worse in offense than the Rams n 9’ers. I want you to go ahead say you were 100 % confident they were going to stop the Rams on that last drive.
You talking bad about them efense when in reality like 8-9 of the 11 players on the field had a fantastic game,.. I’m not the one shitting on the defense because of a few weak links..
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We play the Giants this week… Think they have am reflect defense that doesn’t have a few weak links to pick on?
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Defense kept us in these games these past two days, but the defense isn’t playing well right? Did I miss the special teams scoring 40 points these past two weeks when the offense was quiet?
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If you can’t appreciate the defense we are playing, I don’t know what to tell you… All I hear is how everyone on this team sucs, yt we keep winnng….as well as ST played, I can assure you a ST can’t overcome bad offense and defense to win games on its own
Of course they have a fantastic game. The Rams stink. Even Mathews looked good. It’s fair to say we can judge them vs. the Giants. The Giants are clicking right now. Scored 30 vs. a terrible D. I’m not confident the Eagles hold Giants to under 30. You think they can?
I don’t give a shit who we play… When we fly around and cause like 4 turnovers, score on defense..lthat a good friggin game..
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That was a QB Who came into the game completing over 70% of passes
The front 7 are playing great. Back 4 are playing terrible. No one can really argue that right now.
Cary, Nate, Brad need to play better… 100%
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That doesn’t mean our defense doesn’t deserve praise for yesterday….. And we are doing this without kendrick, probably one of our 3 best defenders
agree front 7 great, dbs need a new coach, but we haven’t had good dbs as a group in a while.
Sheldon n Lito..
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What’s really sad is we finally found a high quality safety after years of putrid safety woes… We struck GOLD with Malcolm, yet it’s depressing that we finally finally found our safety, yet unless the lightbulb goes on for Wolff Midseason, we still aren’t done looking for safeties….friggim demoralizing to strike GOLD with Jenkins, yet still have Saftey issues…
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Rather get a quality safety, and play with Cary and Brad… Then to get a CB and play with Nate again
I think we ca get by with average CBs if we get a more consistent pass rush and gets another good safety.
You can’t say — 1/2 our team(meaning secondary vs. front) needs to be better and want the praise the entire D. That’s how I’m grading the D — as a whole. As whole — they were ‘ok’. YES, there were some individual great plays….
Austin Davis a rookie UDFA had over 300 yards passing and 3 TDs to no ints, that means the overall defense didnt do its job good enough for long enough
I don’t give two shits about style points… I care that we win instead losing…mission accomplished, happy Monday!
and it wasn’t a tad over 300 either — closer to 400.
You have to care who we play. How else do you grade your performance? We held Colts to 27. That’s pretty awesome. Holding Rams to 28 — not so awesome, prevent D or not….
I respect all opponents.. I understand it’s hard as fuck to win in this league, and any week a blow out on paper can be a loss…so no, I really don’t care who we are playing.mESPECIALLY when we are still a young growing defense THATS just getting out of its infancy phase, that’s still learning how to win
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We are 4-1, if we haven’t noticed the defense is more responsible for that record then our popular offense
skins at 30? jags at 17?
so how are the Pats able to turn their offense around (if only for one week) despite their massive OL problems?
a) our OL play is so complicated that only all pro’s can do it (this would be a bug not a feature)
b) their backups are better than our backups
c) their QB even if declining is way better than ours
d) their RB’s run hard north-south
e) their WRs/TEs are better?
f) something else?
Don’t be a prisoner of the moment…what you see in one game doesn’t represent what you will see out of this team all year… When it comes to our OL, it actually too, a step in the right direction this week…much better than lasts eek…if we can make that same improvement this week, we should be that much better for it against the Giants… Pats fixed their OL in a week, maybe it takes us two or three weeks… Their is no blue print… Every roster is different…
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Considering how our OL was manhandled in San Fran… I would be foolish to rip the OL yesterday… It was what we need it to be or what we are used to…but it was a step in the right direction and so,I’d improvement for a week of work…solid game against a dangerous DL
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Keep in mind we are watching Molk and Tobin who don’t even have 5 games under their belt…they should be better with every game experience and extra week of practice they get…ATleast that’s the plan
a) we do Zone block it doesn’t require all pros but it does require a lot of coordination.
b) our guys are basically rookies — that might be a mistake but you do want to develop replacements in your backups our OL are old
c) true
d) true — we don’t have a guy like ridley that moves piles
e) no
f) they are a vet team that’s been together for a while
Coming off a bye week and NE looking terrible, I expected a blow out but in the other direction….lol.
Pretty easily C
I actually think all these shitty wins are great. Last year we were winning and we got complacent too much back slapping etc-offense was unstoppable. This year we still get Ws but we remain hungry, still points and yards we can get, D can still play better even though the defense is getting turnovers (and scores!). We’re just showing that it takes all 3 phases.
I agree.. This is good for a young team that keeps growing…bad for our hearts..
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Personally I expected to go 4-0, then lose a letdown game to the Rams before the season started because of the human nature dynamic you are alluding to….instead we lost last week so I didn’t have to worry about them overlooking Rams…
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I don’t at all mind, getting to enjoy a win yesterday, while our players come me off the field pissed off at their performance as a win,..don’t at all mind knowing our players are pissed this week instead of riding high off of a win
Ditto to what you guys say. So what’s the verdict on Shady? Lingering injury or offensive line issues? I saw a nice burst from him on a play. The rest of the game, he didn’t seem to have that burst.
It’s OL. They spy him when he moves, holes are closing really fast. I mean shady is what he is — he’s a player that’s dangerous in space. He’s got no space. I think he was close to breaking something in the Rams game but they closed him down.
If you’re expecting him to run like Blount it’s not going to happen.
one play seemed like a shoe string tackle. I thought that run was going for a huge gain and maybe a score. someone got a hand on him the last second…
Lane Johnson — anybody else notice Lane Johnson get knocked on his ass on a blitzing corner(or safety) who was easily half the weight and size of Johnson? It was hilarious.
PFT has a story about mccoy taking himself out right before sproles’ 25 yard run and he stayed there rest of the game, is this a problem?
McCoy had 24 carries at that point, Im happy he didnt get more carries