Detailed PS Game Review – PHI 36, IND 10
Posted: August 21st, 2015 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 141 Comments »And so it begins. The Eagles played in a game, even if it was just the preseason opener. I went back and re-watched every snap multiple times to get a feel for what happened and why it happened. Preseason games are very different than regular season games. The focus is on the individual. Winning and losing has its place, but takes a back seat to the performance of young and new players.
The Eagles blew the doors off the Colts. As much as you should feel good about that, I have to say that the Colts looked bad. That doesn’t mean the Colts aren’t going to be a good team. Andrew Luck is a terrific QB and they have some really good skill players. They just don’t have good depth. Also, playing on the road in the preseason can bring out the worst in teams.
With all that in mind, let’s get to the game. I didn’t cover every player. There was no use in writing about Jason Peters, Darren Sproles, Fletcher Cox, etc. Guys like that are established starters. I wanted to focus on new and/or young guys. Or returning players that really stood out.
* * * * *
OFFENSE
Players
QB
BRADFORD – Great game. Didn’t get hurt. To be fair, I should also point out that he didn’t play.
SANCHEZ– Not his best showing. Had Burton wide open for a long play and possible TD on the first play of the game. Held the ball a fraction of a second too long and that allowed the DB to recover and make the play. A quicker throw or a better throw leads to a huge play. Tried to hit Sproles on crossing route on 3rd/1. Ball was out in front of him. Not a good throw, but it did look catchable. Forced the ball to Matthews over the middle to start the 2nd drive and the ball fell incomplete. Made a smart decision to scramble on 3rd/5 and was able to get 10 yards. High throw to Matthews over the middle, but Jordan went up and got this one for gain of 18. Had Matthews wide open for a TD, but put the ball too far out in front and it was incomplete. Next play was a pass to Agholor. The ball was high, but he got it and then raced into the end zone for a TD. Poor pass, great result.
BARKLEY – Good showing. Came in late in the 1st Qtr. First pass hit Matthews on a crosser. Great throw. Accurate and showed touch. Coverage was good but the throw was better. Underthrew Austin on the next play, but Austin made a terrific adjustment and caught the ball for a gain of 39. Barkley lofted the ball. Had he driven it in there better, could have been a TD. Hit Burton down the seam for a gain of 21. Ball was a bit high, but had good touch and pace on it. Had a pass picked off in the early 2nd Qtr. Chip said the TE didn’t line up correctly, causing him to miss a block. The DE was in Barkley’s face and tipped the pass, which was picked off. Made a good throw on 3rd/12, but it went right through Agholor’s hands and fell incomplete. Tried to hit Agholor down the field on the next series. Drew a PI call because the ball was underthrown. A good throw might have led to a TD. Off-target on throw to Burton over the middle. Hit Maehl on a crossing route on 3rd down. Not quite a 1st down. Threw behind Maehl in traffic over the middle. Incomplete and lucky it wasn’t picked off. One of his best throws of the day went to Agholor on the right side. Short throw with good velocity. Agholor got 15 yds on that play. Tried to hit Ajirotutu for a TD late in the half. Ball was too far out front by about 6 inches. Promising start to the 2015 preseason, but Barkley still has arm limitations.
TEBOW – Was at his best when he first came into the game. Made quick reads and got the ball out. Best throw was to TE Tomlinson over the middle on 3rd/12. Good velocity on the pass and it moved the chains. Botched zone read play between he and Mostert led to fumble, but the Eagles got on the ball. Hard to tell who was at fault. Made another good throw when he hit Tomlinson over the middle for 12 yards on 2nd/long. Nice zip. Accurate. Executed a delay TE screen to Tomlinson perfectly. That gained 12 yds, and there was a roughing penalty added on as well. Forced a pass to Bailey, who was covered. Bailey went up high and made a great catch. Safe risk because there was space and Tebow put the ball in the right spot. Martino dropped a good throw from Tebow in the mid-4th. Would have moved the chains and kept a drive alive. Didn’t have great blocking and looked a bit rusty at times. Still, threw the ball better than in past years. Needs to build off this game.
RB
MURRAY – DNP
MATHEWS – 2-18. Did a good job of running hard up the middle. Shook off the rust and looked good on 2 carries.
BARNER – 6-29-1. Ran for 9-yd TD in the late 1st Qtr. Good blocking and bad defense gave Barner a clear path to the end zone. Solid game, but didn’t stand out as a runner. Made an impressive catch. Had to go down to the ground to secure the ball.
MOSTERT – Good showing. Had an 8-yd run up the middle in the mid-2nd. Didn’t hesitate. Moved upfield quickly and worked his way through traffic. Moved the chains on the next play by running hard inside for 4 yds. Highlight play came on first snap of 2nd half. Caught pass in the left flat. Made a LB miss and then flew upfield for a gain of 40. Looked like he might go all the way for a minute, but got caught in some downfield traffic. Really impressive burst on that play. Used his speed to get wide for a gain of 7 in the mid-3rd. I thought Mostert might struggle on some standard runs or plays in traffic, but he was tougher and more physical than I expected.
MONANGAI – Didn’t stand out. Had 6 carries for 11 yds. Best run went for 8 yds.
TE
ERTZ – DNP.
BURTON – 1-21. Nice catch in the early 2nd on seam route. Ball was a bit high. Per Chip, made a mistake in the 2nd Qtr that led to INT. Failed to line up wide enough and get block on DE. That guy was able to tip a pass, which was then picked off. Did go make the tackle on that play. Lacks strength/power as a run blocker, but effort is okay.
TOMLINSON – Good game. Caught short pass on the right side, made a guy miss and turned upfield for 19 yds. Looked natural catching the ball. Did not look good lining up out wide in early 3rd and running crossing route. Too stiff, deliberate. Also didn’t catch pass. Might have been a bit high, but looked very catchable. Got open over the middle on 3rd/12. Caught the ball and turned upfield to get 15 yds on the play. Finished 5-61. Showed promise as a blocker and receiver. Limited athlete.
TUKES – Didn’t see him on the field much. Needs to come off the ball faster when blocking.
GLEICHERT – Mainly a blocker. Good effort.
WR
MATTHEWS– 2-44. First catch came over the middle on high ball from Sanchez. Took a big shot, but held on for 18. Should have had a long TD, but Sanchez missed him. Looked good.
COOPER – Caught a lateral from Sanchez and got upfield for 9 yds. Should have stayed on his feet and gotten the 1st down. Seemed to slip. Didn’t play much.
AGHOLOR – 3-57-1. Up and down game. Dropped the first pass to come his way. The next one was high, but Agholor went up and snatched it. Came down and then went upfield for a 34-yd TD. Good burst on that play. You could see just how dangerous he is with the ball in his hands. Had bad drop on 3rd/12. Ball went right through his hands. Good job on underthrown deep ball. Had enough speed to get behind the CB. Turned back and located the ball. Adjusted to it and the DB didn’t. That contact drew the flag. That’s sort of a veteran move. Caught 2 more short passes. Turned one into a gain of 15 with his RAC skills. Far from a finished product, but you can see that he has special talent.
MAEHL– Caught 1 pass for 10 yards.
HUFF – Didn’t have a pass come his way. Don’t read anything into that. Huff didn’t play much and passes just went elsewhere.
AUSTIN – 2-41. Highlight was a 39-yd catch on an underthrown pass from Barkley. Made a terrific adjustment and slowed down to catch the ball. Used his size well on that play.
BAILEY – Made a pair of terrific leaping catches. Showed good hands and some athletic ability. I had my doubts about him as a viable NFL prospect, but he more than held his own. The downside of his performance is that he wasn’t getting much separation and was going against 3rd/4th string DBs.
AJIROTUTU – Caught WR screen in the mid-3rd and got upfield for a 1st down. Blocked well in the game.
KINNE – No catches. Had one pass come his way, but errant pass was over his head.
OL
BARBRE – LG. Good job in pass pro. Good seal block on cutback run that came to his side. Good combo-block with JP on Mathews 13-yd run.
GARDNER – RG. Knocked back in pass pro to start the 2nd drive. Was able to re-set and then anchor. Overall, did a solid job in limited snaps. Got good push on a couple of run blocks. Need to see him go against quick DT to judge if his pass pro skills have gotten better.
TOBIN – LT2. Solid day in pass pro. Doesn’t have great feet, but did a good job with his pass sets. Moved back quickly to get into good position. Took away rush angles. Got his hands on rushers and steered them wide. Good pass block to open the 2nd half. Came off the ball aggressively and engaged the DE. Good OL mix up their blocks. Can’t always give ground. Worked hard on run blocks, but didn’t stand out. Effort is never a question.
VANDY – LG2. Showed good athleticism in the run game. Was able to get to the 2nd level quickly. Got pushed aside by DT on 2nd Qtr run. Moved to C in the 3rd Qtr. Lack of size and strength is an issue at times.
MOLK – C2. Quick from snap to block. Active. Very good double team with Moffitt opened hole up middle for Mostert in the 2nd Qtr. Washed a LB to the right on the next play, giving Mostert another hole and the 1st down. Pulled on the next play and led an outside run. Called for tripping. Not sure if that was intentional or accidental. Moved to LG in the 3rd Qtr. Looked good in getting to the 2nd level. Got moved back on 3rd/long, but was able to re-set and anchor. Good game.
MOFFITT – RG2. Sloppy at times in pass pro. Got driven back on a 1st Qtr play and got off balance. Whiffed when he tried to get his hands on a rusher in the early 2nd. Got off balance and fell to the ground on a run to his side. Did have some good moments where he locked on to defenders and looked like a veteran OG. Had no one to block on 2nd Qtr pass so hit the guy Molk was blocking in the side and put him on the ground. That was good to see. Badly beaten on 3rd Qtr run play, led to TFL. Not much push on run plays. Got better as the game went on so you have to think most of his issues were due to being rusty.
KELLY – RT2. Blocked backside LB on Barner’s TD run. That was the only pursuit. Looked athletic on that play. Called for holding on 2nd Qtr run to his side. Credit the DE on that. Still doesn’t do a good enough job with his hands/arms in pass pro. Good on 2nd level on run play. Fell down while trying to block edge rusher on 3rd down. Did force the guy to go wide. Got to play some LT in the 4th.
BOYKO – LT3. Good pad level. Showed some pop. Feet were okay.
COCCIA – LG3.
WHEELER – LG3. Played on final drive of game. Good drive block on run play.
ANDREWS– C3. Opened a good hole for Monangai up the middle for gain of 8 late in the game.
BUNCHE – RG3. Had some good moments as a run blocker. Got push on a couple of plays. Needs technique work. Used size/strength to win.
GRAF – RT3. Took over in the early 4th. Really struggled in pass pro.
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DEFENSE
* Eagles opened in 3-3-5. Cox-Logan-Graham on the DL. LBs were Barwin, Acho and Jones.
* Colts tried to run vs Eagles Nickel look of 3-3-5 on 2nd series and got 2 yds.
PLAYERS
DL
LOGAN – Great game. Played 9 snaps, had 3 tackles. First came when C tried to seal him and Bennie went around him, just missing TFL. Exploded off the ball on the next series and blew up a run play. Fired into the backfield and got a TFL on play where the Colts tried to run away from him. Shoved the C backward on inside run, helping to limit the play to short gain. Shed block, moved down LOS and just engulfed RB when he tried to go upfield.
CURRY – Drove Herremans back toward Luck to generate some pressure on initial 3rd down.
BAIR – Played both RDE and LDE. Did a good job in the early 2nd Qtr of fighting off block of RT and getting in on stop of RB going away from him. On very next play, split double team and stuffed runner right at LOS. Blew up 3rd Qtr run with penetration. Got out of his rush lane in the early 3rd and the QB scrambled for a big gain.
ALLEN – NT. Got off block and helped stuff early 2nd Qtr run play. Hit the QB late in the half when he beat the LG on 3rd/long. Helped blow up 3rd Qtr run by moving down the LOS and getting to the RB. Overall, was inconsistent. Got moved off the ball a few times.
HART – Quiet game. Played some RDE on the 2nd drive. Battled vs the run. Just failed to stand out.
KELIIKIPI – Came in at RDE initially. Can really 2-gap. Just bench presses the OL. Beat LG and got pressure on QB late in the half. Also played some NT.
MIHALIK – Played some RDE in the early 3rd. Got moved back by the LT on a run play, but shed the block and made the tackle. His athleticism stood out. Can really move for big guy. Got moved off the ball on the TD run. Showed good hustle, speed in getting out wide on quick screen to WR. Needs to do a better job of staying square to the LOS. Got a 3rd Qtr sack while rushing from LDE. Came upfield and got some pressure. QB moved up in pocket and Mihalik then got him from behind. Used his length, strength to make that play. Not ready to be a regular player in the NFL, but size and movement skills will make him tough to cut.
RACITI – Played some LDE in the 3rd. Did good job of 2-gapping on run play to his side. Wouldn’t let blockers seal him and kept runner from getting wide. Short gain. Had shot for TFL, but whiffed on the runner and he scored TD. Played some NT as well. Did a good job of shedding blocks. Active player who tried to get to the ball every play. Disrupted a screen pass when he got his arm around the RB. QB had to throw the ball away.
OLB
GRAHAM – Dropped into coverage on third play and tackled RB for short gain after pass. Drove on the ball nicely. Amazing how much better he is at that now.
SMITH – Good showing. Had tight coverage on TE on throw over the middle in the Red Zone. Lined up at LDE in 3rd/long and looped inside. Was blocked but got his hand in the QB’s face. Affected the throw, which ended up incomplete. Lined up at LDE on 3rd/3. Used power to get the RT off balance and move him back toward the QB. Got sealed on 1st Qtr run, giving up edge and letting RB cutback for a nice gain. Set the edge well on opening play of 2nd Qtr. Gave the RB nowhere to go and backside LB made the play. Got to the inside of RT on draw play and blew up run for no gain. Used spin move to rush in the early 3rd. Not fast enough. Used power rush to move the LT back on 3rd Qtr rush. Covered well in the 2nd half on multiple plays. Was used as a spy in the late 3rd on 3rd/long. Mirrored the QB and kept him from taking off. DE got the sack. If he were a rookie playing this way, it would be very encouraging. As a 2nd year player, it is good to see progress, but I’m not sure he’s someone you want on the field right now.
DeWALT-ONDIJO – Got hurt and that’s too bad. Good showing. Chased RB down from the backside. Got pressure when rushing the passer on one play. Flashed speed and athletic ability.
BRAMAN – Instant impact. Hit the QB on a bootleg play on his first snap. Did a terrific job of setting the edge on run play and then getting in on the tackle for minimal gain. Did a good job of covering TE on 3rd/long. Had a great pass rush in the early 4th. Used good slap move to fly by the LT and hit the QB just after the ball was out. Pass was off target and picked off. QB might have felt Braman’s presence. Almost had a safety. Was on the QB in the end zone, but couldn’t get him down. Had a FF when he suplexed the QB on a run play and the ball came loose. Keep in mind Braman was playing against 3rd/4th stringers, but he played very well. Disruptive.
D. WATKINS – Played ROLB in the early 2nd Qtr. Showed good hustle when he chased down WR after catch/run for 9 yds. Got out of position on run that started away and came back his way. Still managed to make the play and only gave up a yard or so. Excellent effort. Will battle blockers on run plays. Moved down the LOS and stuffed an inside run in the early 3rd.
ILB
KENDRICKS – DNP
RYANS – DNP
ALONSO – DNP
B JONES – Started at ILB. Got pressure when he blitzed up the middle in the late 1st Qtr. Had to fight past blocker to get near the QB. Helped Bair stuff a run in the early 3rd. Blitzed into the backfield and got the RB down right at the LOS in the late 3rd. Got TFL in the early 4th when he played the zone read perfectly.
ACHO – Started at ILB. Very good coverage on 3rd/long late in the 1st Qtr. Got on slot receiver and was all over him. Ball was incomplete. Acho read the play and was in perfect position. Came up quickly to tackle TE after a short catch. Stuffed an inside run. Wasn’t blocked, but did his job of stepping up into the hole and making the stop for minimal gain. Seemed to know where to be whether in man coverage or when playing the passing lanes. This is his 3rd year in the scheme and it shows.
GOODE – Came in on the 2nd series. Got past Herremans to help stuff a run play. Active vs the run. Was badly burned on 3rd/short by RB who easily got by him and was wide open. Missed tackle of RB on late 1st Qtr run. Read the play well, just failed to get him down. Missed tackle of RB after short catch over the middle. Penetrated on some run plays, but wasn’t getting to the RB. Disappointing performance.
HICKS – Missed tackle on RB on the TD play. Lost RB on bootleg play. Gave up catch, but did make the tackle. Showed good athleticism and coverage ability. Tackled RB on draw play. Started slow. Looked like a lost rookie. Got better the more he played. Settled down and was more comfortable.
S
THURMOND – Good showing vs run on 2nd series. Thurmond was up on the LOS. Engaged the TE and tried to set the edge on run play to his side. Did a solid job vs the TE.
MARAGOS – Made strong tackle of TE after catch for 12 in the mid-2nd. Had a FF late in the 1st half. Saw Rowe holding a RB up. Maragos then lowered his shoulder and hit the ball, knocking it out. Colts did recover. Broke up a short pass by hitting the WR as he was trying to make the grab. Took out a WR and Watkins with a big hit on a pass over the middle. Played fast and physical.
REYNOLDS – Best game of his young Eagles career. Got on the field in the late 1st Qtr. Looks much better when things are in front of him and he can go forward rather than moving sideways or backward. Had good coverage of TE on underneath route on 3rd/3. Got into the passing lane on 2nd/10 in the early 2nd Qtr. Initially was with TE, then fell back toward the sideline and took away that area. Ball went there, but was off target. Made an awkward attempt to pick off a deflected pass in the early 3rd. Didn’t come close, though. Picked off errant deep ball in the mid-4th. Bobbled it at first, but held on and then had a good return. Jumped a route late in the game and picked off another pass. It was very encouraging to see him make plays, but there are still issues. I’ll address them in a post.
PROSINSKI – Good open-field tackle of RB in the late 1st Qtr. Grabbed his ankle and spun him down. Showed good awareness and hustle when he recovered a fumble in the early 2nd Qtr. Good tackler and run defender.
CB
MAXWELL – Gave up 18-yd completion on play where Barwin jumped offside.
CARROLL – Played off on 3rd down, then tried to drive on the receiver and break up the play. Got there a fraction of a second late.
WATKINS – Started at NB. Did a good job on the first play of passing off his receiver to a LB and then getting into a passing lane to take away throw to WR being covered by Carroll. Lined up outside with the 2nd defense. Had tight coverage of WR on 3rd/3. Whiffed on WR after catch right at the LOS. One of my concerns with Watkins is his tackling. Something to watch. Had a beautiful PBU on deep ball in the early 3rd. Pressed receiver, then turn and ran with him. Got a hand up and deflected the ball as it came down. Got beaten on 3rd/8 when WR went to inside. Watkins stayed close, but QB had good throwing lane. Missed tackle of RB on TD play. Grabbed at him and that wasn’t close to being good enough. Improved player, but still needs to get better.
ROWE – Played in the slot with the 2’s. Struggled at times with quick moves. Played outside with the 2’s as well. Got beaten on inside route, but didn’t give up and knocked the ball out. Eagles recovered. Wasn’t luck. Closed to the receiver and punched the ball out, as he’s been coached to try and do. Got away with illegal contact when he bumped a receiver about 8 yds downfield. Has to be careful about that when playing off. Got in on stop of RB after catch over the middle. Held him up and then DB hit the guy, knocking the ball loose. Deflected a pass in the early 3rd. Was playing the slot and WR ran short crossing route. The ball was high and Rowe got a hand on it. Good effort vs the run in the 2nd half. Fought through block and tackled WR on quick screen. Only gave up a yard or so. Has NFL skill and talent. Just needs experience.
BIGGERS – Good game. Outside with the 2’s. Terrific coverage at LCB on 3rd/3. Rode the WR out of bounds, giving the QB nowhere to put the ball. Legal. Smart positioning on the play. That and going up against a rookie WR. Made tackle of RB on screen pass on 3rd/long. Only gave up 4 to 5 yds. Broke up pass to his WR on 3rd down late in the half. WR dropped a short pass as Biggers hit him in the early 4th.
RICE – Played a lot but didn’t have many balls come his way. Had a pass go to his WR on 2nd/30. Rice was playing off and closed quickly, but the WR dropped the ball. Would have been a short catch.
ANTHONY – Beaten deep in the 4th, but ball was picked off by Reynolds. Least effective CB, but also the newest one to the team.
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ST’s
JONES -Averaged 48 yards on 2 punts, then sat.
K SMITH – Boomed a punt 52 yards. Other 2 punts totaled 81 yards.
PARKEY – Up and down game. Missed an extra point in the last 1st Qtr. Missed a FG in the late 3rd. Made 2 FGs from 40 yards out and one from 48. Solid depth on his kickoffs.
– MISC –
KOR – No returns. All 3 were touchbacks.
PR – Cooper was back on the first punt. Ball went into the endzone. Then Barner took over. He had a terrific game as a PR. Had room to work with and took advantage. Late in the half he ran back a punt 92 yards for a score. Danced a bit at the beginning and that worked vs backups, but wouldn’t be as successful vs starters. Broke one tackle with strength and then took off up the field. Averaged 22 yards per PR.
_
Off topic.
I’m in the Sea Hawks broadcast region, so saw part of the game on local Fox station. After the game, the analysts said a couple of things. Cary Williams was “brutal” on at least one play and Evan Mathis will be arriving in Seattle tomorrow.
Get used to it, Seattle.
There was one play where the OL pulled to serve as a lead blocker for the RB and instead of even attempting to get in the way or at least force the runner to the sideline, Cary essentially lays down on the ground. I can’t cut and paste the vine video, but John Barchard has it on his timeline.
I think he was laying an ambush. He was hoping the OL didn’t see him and he could spring up just in time to jump on the pile after the tackle was made, then jaw about how tough he is.
I don’t know why people thought CW was any good. Least favorite player on the team last year. Mathis may be a solid OL, but he’s not the brightest bulb on the christmas tree.
I liked the infusion of “stones” he gave the team coming here in 2013; especially after the Reid era petered out with car lunching gutless pukes like Nnamdi, but Williams play seemed to drop off a bit last year.
Actually Mathis is a very smart guy. He just thought he was so much better then he was. Plus Rosenhaus did a horrendous job of handling Mathis’s situation. Total miscalucation by both of them. Mathis let his ego and highly overrated PFF believe he was tremendous. He will be good and then drop off in 2 years. Lost millions…
Hence, not so bright…
Or the sharpest tool in the shed
This review was pretty kind to Tebow, as he did not look good on several drives. In his defense, though, Kevin Graf was by far the worst OL for the Eagles, and he came in as Tebow’s blind-side tackle after TT’s early success. Also, it’s just a guess, but I’m thinking the fumble was on Mostert. The option handoff/mesh is a bit tricky – Tebow did it for years, while Mostert is just learning it. On the other hand, Tebow should not have taken those sacks; that was inexcusable.
I’ll be happy to keep up the efforts in being unkind to Tebow.
Having played OL (as well as DL), I was appalled at the Eagles’ 3rd/4th OL play. Shameful showing by incompetent players. These guys should be replaced immediately.
Played at Oregon?
Unfortunately no, just an alumnus. See a ton of games during Brooks up the middle years to now. What ride it has been. This team was so bad. I even witnessed the “Toilet Bowl” which will live in infamy. God Bless Chip Kelly for saving this team. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Oregon_State_vs._Oregon_football_game#Statistics
Luckily most of them won’t make the team, ideally we don’t pick any of them up on our practice squad, then scour the waivers and load up our practice squad with some fresh faces that might have some upside in our system. Give them a season in our practice squad to get accustomed to what we do here and see what they have next camp, hopefully with some newly drafted players to compete with as well.
Super bummed there will be no more practice notes coming. Just gotta pay extra attention to the preseason games I guess.
Preseason performance matters much more in terms of who makes the roster anyway… Doubt practice performance matters too much In our roster selection
The thing is that isn’t really true, not to the extent you’re speaking of anyway, every year we see a guy flash in preseason and it almost never buys a spot on the roster or if they were already on the roster, a move up the depth chart. Curry year 1, Henry Josey, Acho the first time and the list goes on. Great preseason performance means less to Chip than most coaches. He’s notorious for filling in the bottom of his roster with guys who don’t impress, the Jeff Maehl’s of the world. Partly because the roster is so heavily determined in practice, remember that Chip is a data and analytics guy. A spike in performance that doesn’t match what he sees in practice is often feared to be an outlier performance. And the other part is his depth plays special teams first and foremost. Backups ligthing up other backups in the preseason just doesn’t impress Chip as much as busting your butt to get better every day, demonstrating the culture, and playing special teams.
You hit that nail on the head. It is very frustrating to see all kinds of clandestine nonsense used over game tape in making roster decisions.
Yes Ark87, I believe what you said is true. Chip is data driven with input from position coach.
Yes, I think practice matters a lot. But there are some things they can’t evaluate (or evaluate as well) in practice, so they will look to games for that. Kelly basically said something to that effect, which is what I think GEAGLE is referring to.
However, players who *look* like they are playing well in games to outsiders may still not be doing what the coaches asked, or doing it well enough. If they use bad technique and happen to get away with it, or perhaps look like a good runner but in reality are ignoring the play design or cannot perform other parts of their job (picking up a blitz), then they may not make it either. It’s not the statistics or results in the games that matter; it is how do they perform relative to what the coaches want to see.
For example, a player at the bottom of the roster might make it based on how well they play their special teams role. We may see them make a highlight play on a regular down (against backups), but we may not see them blow several blocks on return plays, or something like that.
Really? Apparently you forgot about the fact that we kept more offensive lineman then we planned on last year because the second unit stepped up and was dominant in the preseason… Obviously what you do in practice mattes, but our practice style doesnt even allow you ton valuabe some positions like OL and DL in practice, so you can bet your ass 90% of the OL evaluation comes down to the preseason. You are talking about a position THATS fundamentally based on how youre re able to MOVE your opponent.,. Doubt Chip uses what he sees in practice to decide which lineman he keeps. How could he when OL and DL are forced to “cooperate ” in practice, and ARENT allowed to go full force against each other? Obviously practice habits, growth rate, it’s all part of the overall evaluation.. But what haooens in the PS game matters so much more then practice because of how Chip wants to Run practoce, some positions more then others of course…
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Doubt there is ANYTHING a kid like Ed Reynolds can show in practice to get him on the team if he doesn’t show up in games..
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I get that fans were butt hurt because they over rated Josey, who played well in games and the Eagles didn’t keep him..lol.. Obviously not all players are treated the same, or evaluated the same… jason Peters can play like crap in the next two preseason games and he is still going to make the roster… But when it comes to the bottom of the roster. I doubt guys can make the team without playing well in games at their position AND ST..
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if Ed Reynolds plays like Crap the next 3 games, I doubt anytning he did in practice will be enough to win him a spot… Yet Chip sid that if kids Like Barmer or Reynolds keep showing up in these games, we will have to make room to keep them…. big Difference between NFL practice and a game….
Does it? I might ask you to revisit last year’s order of players cut at RB.
I really wish MS didn’t get injured. It seems like he’s been improving but could have still used the preseason time to get better.
It could be a lot worse. When they said he was being carted off I thought his 2nd season would go to even more waste than his first. I agree though he could have used that in game playing time to really work on his pass rush.
Injuries are such a huge part of this game, hard for me to complain about a 2-3week injury… If only all our injuries were of the 3 week variety…
I wish Travis Long were coming back in 2 weeks. So disappointing him being out another year.
Feel so bad for that kid, but he is a warrior who is going to try and come back after his 3rd ACL tear….
yeah emphasis on “…”. poor guy
Of course, I’m thankful its not a serious injury, i just think that the extra PT would help his pass rush
2-3 week time table is very good news when it comes to hamstrings…if it was serious we would be seeing 6-8 week timeline
We’ll see about that… hope it’s true
Can almost hear GEAGLE punching out his monitor reading that.
Hate him!! The one thing I don’t know if he added any strength and bulk since last year….. I assume it’s Molk vs Vandervelde for a roster spot, both are Meh as far as in concerned… Hopefully Moffit shakes rust off and gets back to what he used to be and can eventually be our backup C/RG
I was at the game and I think a bunch of Molk’s snaps were just really off. A bunch too low a couple too high. Looked like it was making it hard on Tebow.
Reports of erratic snaps from Molk all throughout camp from what I saw
Had a mini panic attack reading “D. Watkins”.
I take Tommy’s point about the Colts’ depth but it was impressive how much the Eagles dominated a playoff team in all phases of the game, and surely made them look worse than they are. Kelly has these opening games, like his debut v. Washington, when everything he does comes out of nowhere and then the other teams react after watching film. His emphasis on run D is leading to potential dominance in that phase, and the pass D wasn’t bad. Jaylen Watkins may be a below average tackler but on that drive they let a group of young roster bubble players roast in the sun and they were cooked.
Barkley turned around his mental approach to NFL competition, going through his progressions quickly and effectively and getting the ball out. If they need to use him, it will be a run focused offense (unless he comes in behind by a lot) and he has developed the ability to take what’s there on passing downs. He compares favorably to other mid-round QBs and they ought to keep him around. If a team game plans around his film and they throw 40 times it may not work out well, but Barkley is in a good frame of mind to be a game manager.
Stoutland was talking up Vandervelde but Molk comes through again. Molk and Tobin make a good pair of active backups, with Moffitt waiting in the wings. After that ??? pick out Bunche, Boyko, or the waiver wire maybe.
This is the perfect storm for Diaheem Watkins to play in the NFL but there’s still a numbers problem.. but I’ve been impressed by him and he could be PSed or fill in for an injury. I also liked DeWalt-Ondijo and he could be PSed when he comes back from the injury.
In the secondary, there’s still the question that Malcolm Jenkins asked of ‘who’s the fifth guy?’ The four starters can all play nickel so they can use the fifth guy in his area of strength once they identify the who and where.
I think it is ironic that, had Barkley played like this in any of the past summers he likely would be the entrenched #2 instead of fighting to be #3.
Yeah but that would also mean he might have progressed even further by this point and actually be… good?
I forgot exactly how awesome these DGRs actually are. Thank you for sharing these with us. I wish I took such detailed notes in college.
During our free, live commentary during the game (tell your friends), I commented that Tebow did what he was taught during the first drive, and then reverted to what he knows during the rest.
Chip seems much less disappointed by Tebow holding the ball, running around, and passing up on open receivers to look for the homerun. Do you think this is just Chip being supportive publicly, or were Tebow’s struggle a function of the other 10 guys on the field with him?
A mixture of both, however when the play would occasionally go bad due to other players he at times made it worse.
Great job. We could discuss how Diaheem Watkins and Kevin Graf looked, but it must be hard to concentrate considering the breaking news:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/08/showbiz/gallery/shocking-celebrity-splits/index.html
Megan is back on the market! Get ready, Lawlor.
If MSII gets a sack in that game, does it change our whole perception? I thought he did ok and I liked the fact he was at least comfortable trying different rushing moves. In glad we have him for 5 years though because I think he’s gonna need at least 2 to become starter material. Isn’t that what we want though? Someone who can replace Barwin, IN THE FUTURE?
I thought he was solid early, but they played him a ton in 102 degree heat..he seemed to wear down late in the game, he played better early in the game when he was fresh playing against better competition… Seemed to wear down late when he played against the 3rd string… Really liked what I saw early on
That’s encouraging. I payed more attention the second half.
Depends. For the average fan it would greatly change their perception. Since I am not an average fan and I pretty much solely concentrated on him when our D was on the field it would slightly change my perspective.
He had some good moments but a few really ugly moments. He surprisingly looked best when using power moves. The ugly moments came when he would use his spin move. It just seemed very slow and the T just pushed him to the ground with ease. If he could have just stayed on his feet and not make it look so easy for the T to put him on the ground my perspective would have swung even more in the positive direction.
His technique and speed on those spin moves was pretty bad. Also on a run play or two his technique was a little sloppy and he let the OL get him in the side.
To his credit I do think alot of it had to do with exhaustion. It was ungodly hot on the field and I believe he was asked to do more then any other player on D. Rushed the passer, run defense, but also covering a TE 20 some yards down field.
Either way you look at it though you can see a huge improvement from last year. That’s as much as you can really ask for.
I think he will have less then 40 tackles, but I think he may have around 4 sacks.
Rushing the passer in a way is like pitching and the T is the batter. BG will be hammering the T with power moves and then a fresh Smith will come in to beat him with some speed. They compliment each other very well.
I think where Smith may be very effective will be doing stunts.
It is funny how “needs time to develop” as a draft prospect is all well and good, but then not contributing on the field the beginning the morning after the draft makes him a bust. Everything changes when he goes from being a player to being our player.
Or when he’s (in spite of the reach for him not being his “fault” per se) taken in the first round rather than the 2nd.
A bust is a player who vastly underperforms according to his draft position. Danny Watkins is considered a bust despite starting and contributing in two seasons. Dion Jordan is considered a bust despite actually playing and getting a couple sacks and tackles. Talented linebackers typically produce in their first year. Smith is on the bust track and has flashed about as much as the typical flavor-of-the-week undrafted free agent that never makes the team. The odds are against him ever being a good player.
To be honest, 6 sacks is the floor from what contribution I’d like from Smith this year.
Tommy, these DGRs are are so masterfully written. Excitement, emotion, and they have a profound impact on the world around us. Look at the result of this PS game DGR:
http://www.people.com/article/megan-fox-brian-austin-green-divorce
Spending too much time reading Iggles Blitz while at home source say.
forgot about these, great read. i definitely trust Tommy’s opinion, but the cool part about it coming a week late is here and 24-7 were chatting these guys up, and it’s pretty much inline with TL’s opinion. one thing i’ve always liked about being an Eagles fan, we may have our fair share of homers/haters, but have more average knowledgeable fans, that give accurate assessment.
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But Tommy, i’m going to need you to be extra focused on 1st quarter this week. not sure i’ll be able to pay attention to anything but Bradford on offense, and when D is on field, refilling bourbon to calm my nerves and toweling off the cold sweats as he hopefully sits on bench healthy.
It’s always extremely hard for me to focus on more than 1 player and I bet have time to go back an watch the game again so I just watch 1 guy. Last week was MSII on D. May focus on hicks this week since Smith is injured.
especially preseason. regular season i can keep 1 eye on ball, and 1 eye everyone else. i know who everyone is, so if something good or bad happens away from ball, i can register who and why much easier. preseason, i was exactly like you, followed MS2.
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offense i just wanted that Mostert kid to get touches. something about him i really like.
any one have predictions for tonights game? i have a feeling it’ll be Pope’s national coming out party. most fantasy drafts are right around the corner, and ESPN and others will be leading with Bradford/Eagles. thinking something like 5 cathes 80 yds and TD, and he’ll fly up the WR charts. someone is getting the Kelly bump at WR.
I predict I’ll have a laser focus on any and all mistakes made by players I don’t like and blinders on for any mistakes by player I like.
So you’re going to ignore Tebow’s TDs, but dis his incompletions? 🙂
What TDs? He didn’t pass for any.
I was referring to next few preseason games.
What TD’s, he won’t pass for any!
You’re very dependable that way. So are most of the rest of us – you’re just honest about it. Props for that.
Hoping the first team Ravens lineup in some 3 WR sets.. I’d like to see what Rowe can do in the nickel against Ravens first team.. Amazing that he started playing nickel like two weeks ago
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Chip made excuses for Tebow since he played with the 3’s, I’d like to see Tebow play ahead of Barkley so we can see what Tebow looks like with better talent.
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Like to see both Couplin and Reynolds play well, if Reynolds can build on last weeks game he puts himself in a good position..
Has anyone seen Reynolds or Couplin in the slot? Any guesses who had some ability there?
Reynolds is more of the centerfielder or cover 2 type S, similar to Nate Allen.
Couplin is simply too big. Hard to see him playing nickelback.
How about ILB if more injuries force us to move Kiko outside at times?
Curry, Brad Jones, even possibly acho will move outside before we take Kiko out of the middle.. We don’t need Kiko to move outside, Kiko and kendricks will get plenty of blitz opportunity at ILB
Couplin at ILB? Maybe in a nickel capacity similar to how we used Caroll last year but even then you would probably like to get Hicks snaps in that role.
Doubt it… Next week Billy Davis said we will cross train safeties like Jenkins and Thurmond in the slot.. Doubt we see the two young safeties in the slot.. During Reynolds best season at Stanford he was a playmaking ball hawk center fielder which is where he shined last week
Aren’t they mostly a 21 team?
They showed us a lot of two back sets which was good work this week because our defense doesn’t see a lot of 2 RB sets practicing against our Defense… Steve smith had a heated battle with Rowe all week, hoping smith asks harbaugh to let him attack the room, succeed or fail it’s great experience for the youngin
Steve smith had a heated battle with Rowe all week — I don’t think SS would see it that way.
He sure couldnt shut up about it all week… Plus our media asked him about it a million times and made it a big deal..
I hope Rowe looks great, hope all the 2nd, 3rd and 4th string guys impress, always happy when they get $$ here or elseewhere. I just want Bradford to be surgical for 2 series and watch sanchez finish the half
Hasn’t Biggers been having an excellent training camp playing mostly the nickel? Wouldn’t mind seeing him continue to impress.
He’s been playing in the nickel package, but it’s been as an outside receiver a lot. The regular starting corners didn’t get much playing time at all last week, so they had to have someone fill in outside.
as least he got sort of paid, i think he’s going to have a rough go of it. hopefully he can at least stay healthy.
sounds like he keeps making plays in practice. He also showed up in the colts game. Has experience all over the sexondary… If he really wants to make the roster he needs To keep up his DB play while also flashing on Special teams.
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Ed Reynolds put on a show against the Colts, looking like the ball hawk playmaker he was in his second to last season at stanford.. But what was REALLY BIG for Reynolds was also making a big ST tackle during a game where he was playing so good on Defense…
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Need to start keeping track of all the ST plays, because that’s what will usually tell us who will win the roster tie breakers between two players we like…. before he became an eagle I thought BIGS was garbage. I did not understand the signing, but the Eagles saw something in him And it sounds like he has been rewarding them with better then expected play…,
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Sure we Will see a lot of Bigs, J-Wat and Death ROWE tonight in the No Fly Zone!
Steve Smith was talking trash on Maxwell and that Eagles spent a lot of money to sign a slower DB.
Smith gets a lot of hate but he contributes a lot of charity events off the field (strong rep of showing up at every Ravens’ event) and has a strong rep as a family guy & dad.
Another season of Igglesblitz (unofficial) FF is coming. 7 spots left in our 14 team league. This is the first post. Click here to join: https://yho.com/nfl?l=134474&k=5b768a95c959e003&ikey=9be03aa1e94acd9b
Last year was great. Draft is tenatively scheduled for this Tuesday night.
Good luck to you all.
I’m in that thang! Thanks!
I joined the league. I’m also located in dc if you wanna get a drink and watch a game at somepoint this season
[…] Lawlor offers his detailed game review from last week’s win over […]
So much of this depends on Bradford, guard play, new DBacks, and pass rush
and
I will not read too much into pre-season
I will not read too much into pre-season
I will not read too much into pre-season
I will not read too much into pre-season
but I’m starting to get an odd vibe about Seattle.
Gun to my head, I’m still picking them to be the Super Bowl L (F U Goodell, Roman Numerals 4 Life!) Champioins………………..but I’m getting an odd vibe in a few spots.
Their O-line has gotten a tag ragged, the pass rush by people not named Avril is high suspect, Chancellor is still holding out, they employ Cary Williams……………there appear to be some weaker spots developing.
Russell Wilson is still a top QB with a one of a kind (F U fans of Cam, Kaep, etc) Steve Young type skill set, Lynch is dominating, some of the younger receivers are improving, they added Graham, and there is still a ton of talent on that D……………………………..
but do I need to reexamine my time table as to when the Eagles pass Seattle on our rightful ascension to winning 3 Super Bowls in a row and 7 overall?
I still think Seattle will have a good pass-rush. They’ve been showing a nickel alignment of Avril-Bennett-Frank Clark-Irvin. Avril-Bennett playing line games will give OL fits.
As far as OL goes, they may sign Mathis and sometimes it just takes time for a line to gel.
Chancellor will return once he starts losing game checks.
Cary Williams – Yeah, that’s an issue.
jimmy graham makes that team almost unstoppable in the red zone, points plus defense, plus their division ha gotten super weak.
They haven’t faced the wrath of Nasty Nick yet though.
Like I said, they’re still my title pick…..but I’ve got an odd feeling about them not being as good as that for some reason.
That last point got me scratching my head. SF has booked a hospice, but Arizona is probably better offensively than last year, and that division is at least as likely to send 2 teams to the playoffs as any other in the NFC. That is my casual take.
A few words of caution on Arizona.
– Todd Bowles left
– Ellington is slow. David Johnson is slow. Can Chris Johnson do much to help?
– O-line is banged up / suspended in a few spots. Does that get Palmer killed?
Cardinals OL is a mess, they lost Dan WilliIams and Darnell Dockett from DL, and this week the player that was supposed to replace Dockett got hurt… Think,Arizona takes a big step backwards…curious if FOles, Gurley and the Rams DL can leapfrog the Niners and Cardinals?
I think the Rams are already ahead of SF, but I did not know about Arizona’s OL. A soft division is a threat to the leader. Seahawks can coast, get complacent, win the division and get upset at home against a WC…or not.
What soured me on their pass rush is how terrible it was in the Super Bowl (vs. a mediocre O-line) in the Superbowl after Avril got hurt.
And Frank Clark is a massive piece of shit.
As a person, yes. As a physical talent, no.
Evan Mathis in Seattle today. Also, the Sea Hawks sat out something like 11 DBs on Friday night. If they have that many DBs hanging around and CW made at least one play which the Seattle analysts called “brutal’, well…
MS2 claims he is trying to get back for the 4th preseason game which would be great
I can’t get enough. I’m sooooo excited to see Sammy B play tonight. Heading to my buddy’s house for the game (Ravens fan), so I’ll commiserate with you guys after the game!
https://twitter.com/Rand_Getlin/status/635103863209504768
I worry all this hype is jinxing him.
Right?
Sigh. You’re kinda right, and that makes me sad.
Philly really needs to ditch the Murphy’s law loser mentality… Its a new day, the past doesnt apply…
sammy b is a murphy’s law kind of guy
Hope there’s no commiserating here.
The Rams felt the same too but lets hope he works out here.
“After Ndamukong Suh and his defensive linemates destroyed practice, the Panthers asked them to turn things down a bit, the Dolphins claim, according to media reports. Carolina wanted more work on its no-huddle.” – embarassing
Cam Newton can only process things so quickly, you have to slow them up for him.
“Safety Kurt Coleman frequently worked with the 1st team defense in camp. Coleman was listed behind old man Roman Harper and Tre Boston on the Panthers first depth chart but he appears to have leapfrogged Tre Boston”..LOL
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A) lost Greg Hardy..
B) star Lotululei is injured
C) They lost Kelvin Benjamin leaving Rookie Funchess as Cams top weapon
D) Now they might start Kurt Coleman at safety?
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Not sure which of these is the worst thing to happen to them?
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That division is a mess. We better dominate that division. can’t wait to play againstJameis Winston
I need these 2 hours to hurry up and go by
I feel you man… im excited, yet I’m always a nervous wreck for preseason games.. Get out of this game healthy, and I will be happy no matter happens tonight
So much will needless ESPN coverage will be on a guy who is competing for a 3rd QB roster spot vs any multitude of other interesting stories on the Eagles or a team (Ravens) that has strong Super Bowl aspirations this year?
Just did a 12 team mock fantasy drafting 4th. If this was in-person I might have stabbed somebody in the neck with a bone from a wing. Scumbags took Lamar Miller and Doug Martin directly in front of me in each case when I was looking to take those guy’s with my next pick, so as a result I am weak at RB.
My team: Marshawn, Alson, DeAndre Hoplins, TJ Yeldon, Keenan Allen, Allen Robinson, Charles Johnson, John Brown, David Cobb, Chris Johnson, Reggie Bush, Sam Bradford, Kyle Rudolph, Joe Flacco, Eagles D, Nick Novak.
It seemed like I had 3 or 4 picks that I could have gotten a round later, but due to fuckheads stealing my guys one pick in front of me I had to chase it a bit in this one.
i’d go w/ big ben instead of a flacco, or romo. olson should be on there almost after allen if still available. no ameer abdullah? i’d have to do more work on the rookie RBs but i think there are some good options there. be interesting to see how cutler looks and if alson is worth a second round pick
I can’t just dictate who is on my roster. Big Ben was LONG gone before I was looking to do QB. Olson was LONG gone as well before I looked at TE.
understood, i haven’t done any mocks this year so don’t know what ADPs are — big ben went undreafted last year a lot so assumed he might be in the latter crop of QBs that get taken. I don’t usually take TEs until late but i might change that strategy this year and take Olsen early, sucks playing TE roulette, WRs are a dime a dozen
Yeah, Big Ben ain’t sitting around very long this year….at least on the mocks I’ve been doing on ESPN.
And with my WRs, I try to find guys who should lead their teams in targets. Alson, DeAndre, Keenan Allen, Allen Robinson, and Charles Johnson are all likely to do so, so they’d be high volume players I’d try to trade at some point to improve other spots if I could.
Abdullah went 5th round as well, so I wasn’t able to get him in a soft spot vs. his rank on there, but he’s 100% a guy who I have my eye on.
Won’t see much of a test of the Eagles’ defense. Ravens’ starters are only supposed to play the first 2 series.
Same with our 1’s on offense
Our Defense should get real nice work in during Game 3 “Dress Rehersal” against the Packers. GB hasn’t been afraid to play Rodgers in the preseason, and GB has one of the better OL in the league so it should be a good test for our Front 7, get a good half of work in against an offense most are expecting to get to the Super Bowl this year.,, Not Only is the Packers OL really good, but Rodgers makes them look even better… we had QBs like VICK that was difficult to block for because OL never knew where he was,,. We should have a really nice OL again this year, and it would be great If Bradfords play makes life easier for our OL the way Rodgers does… Get the ball out quick. If the defense gives you a wide open running lane, don’t be afraid to take it, assuming Bradford knows how to slide better then the crash landings of our last couple of QBs… hoping to see a decisive QB tonight that gets the ball out fast not even giving the pass rush a chance to get to him,,
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lilacy is scheduled to have a big year behind that OL… Good test for Kiko and our front 7 next week… I’m ok with sitting our ILBs tonight if they aren’t fully healthy, so that they can play the entire first half next week… Aaron Rodgers was too Freightened to even look Richard Sherman’s way last year, so by default, Byron Maxwell has done a lot of battle with Aaron Rodgers.. I’d like to see a glimpse of our ferocious pass rush and improved secondary against GB,. I’m sure we have defenders who still have a sour taste in their mouth from the last time we faced GB…
problem with AR is that he’s very mobile in the pocket and not afraid to dump balls of that’s why his pick rate is so low. be interesting to see how we handle scramble drills
If Bradford actually knows how to slide, I’d like to see him make defenses pay with his legs when they leave him a ton of room to run..
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GB has one of the better OLs. But Rodgers helps that OL so much.. FOles held the ball last year, VICK was impossible to block for since OL never knew where he was.. hoping bradford can actually help our OL, making it easier to block for him then our past QBs did for our line,,
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GB has a ton of weapons, and im sure we see a lot of 3 WR sets next week so it should provide a great test that helps us make our nickel evaluations… It doesn’t suck that we don’t have to play them in the regular season this year… To beat GB, you have to hit Rodgers the way the Bills did, problem is He is up there with the hardest QBs to hit
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I’d Rather run into the seahawks then the Packers in the playoffs.. Our DL would dominate Seattles OL this year… If we have a great year and make the playoffs, hopefully the seahawks eliminate GB for us..
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After GB and maybe Seattle, I don’t fear any other team in the NFC
agree, i think we had seattle’s number last year just couldn’t move the offense and had bad turnovers. Refs also bailed RW out a lot.
yeah i think starters got most of their work during the week, understandably this is about backoups
They’re scared
I don’t know if it’s the bias of low expectations or what, but I’m just not seeing this “good showing” from Barkley that you, tommy, as well as pretty much everyone else I’ve read, seems to see. Even your own review of his good showing involves two “under throws that could have otherwise been TDs if the throws were better”, three off target passes that failed to be completed to open WRs, one INT and a second pass that should have been picked off. And, that’s in a quarter and a half of play.
I think people are confusing the good results with good play. Barkley came out with most of Eagle nation having low expectations, and threw an absolute dime to Matthews on his first pass for a big gain. The next ball was clearly under-thrown, but was again completed for a big gain. Suddenly everyone’s perspective changes and it’s like, wow-lookin good. The team as a whole plays really well while he’s in there and moves the ball well. And, suddenly Barkley had a good showing. But, when I look just at his individual throws, I see terrible arm strength, inability to drive the ball, poor accuracy and bad decision making (yea the TE missed the block, but did he make you throw the ball right at the guy he was supposed to block?)
If Barkley had identical play, but his under throw to Austin didn’t involve a miraculous catch, he didn’t get the PI call on his under throw to Matthews that should have been a TD, and the other ball that should have been picked actually was, I wonder how much the narrative would change, even though nothing at all changed with his individual performance.
Plus people need to stop calling the dropped out pattern to Agholar on third down a good pass. It was an atrocious pass. Sure it was right on the money and hit Agholar in the hands, but watch that play again, the ball comes out like an end over end punt with no spiral whatsoever. It’s incredibly difficult to catch a ball that’s coming at you tumbling through the air with no clear center of gravity or place to aim your hands, especially when it’s a route where your turning your back to the QB, and breaking away from him, spinning your head around 270 degrees and trying to pick up on that center of gravity and aim your hands at that point in a split second.
yeah agree, good receivers make bad qbs look good.
That’s fine. I hope they make him look so irresitable to other teams they’d give us a 5th.
Maybe they were planned underthrows, heh 🙂
I’d be surprised if SAM plays more then two series tonight, which is fine. next week is the dress Rehersal where starters play the first half against GB which is awesome work for our team.. GB has a tôugh OL and Ed Lacy is supposed to have a big year, which provides great work for Kiko and our front 7.. because Aaron Rodgers was too Freightened to even look at Richard Sherman’s side, by default Byron Maxwell and Rodgers know each other well.. Curious to see our stud corner in action next week vs Jordy. We have defenders who im sure have a bad taste in the mouth from last game with GB so we should get some good work in during the first half of next weeks game..
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tonight im looking for Demarco getting 2 carries, Ryan Mathews 3-4 carries,,
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looking to see VINNY Curry get some reps against the Ravens firstth team, but Cury should also play a little OLB for the second team since he seems to be in the OLB plans this year…
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Hoping Prosinski doesn’t play tonight so we can promote Ed Reynolds and see what he can do against the two’s paired up with Maragos
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Trey Burton continues to get some good work in with Ertz being out..
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I’d like to see Bradford and Sanchez get Huff involved tonight, I’m sure Agholor will get plenty of looks with the 2nd team..
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I’d like to see RoWE get a few,first team snaps if we are lucky enough for the Ravens starters to go 3 WR against us..
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BRAMAN also deserves to get some snaps against the 2nd team after dominating the 3rd team last week
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maybe switch TEBOW and Barkley so TEBOW gets to show what he can do with the 2’s..
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Starters play a half next week, gotta do our experimenting this week..
sounds about right, i hope they literally roll out sam, murray, and mathews in bubble wrap tonight.
Moffit will play a lot again, hopefully he knocked some rust off with a game under his belt and we see him cut down on mistakes and play a cleaner game tonight… Be nice to see big strides from one game to the next for him
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I’d also like to see Cody Parkey get plenty of opportunities and have. Strong showing tonight to put the city at ease,,.
just saw we waived Wolff, was really hoping he’d work out
had another microfracture surgery on thursday
Oh it was announced that it was “microfracture”again? That’s terrible for the kid… Did his Knee EVER HEAlL? Does he remember reinjuring it on a certain play?
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What I heard was coaches question his toughness. everyone plays thru pain and injuries, but what really screwed up the relationship was last year, he came back he had practiced all week to the point the Eagles put him in the game plan for that weeks game, and the morning of the game he shows up, tells the coaches he can’t play, “Tapped out” was the way it was put, and he put them in a bad position, and after that he was shut down for the rest of the year… According to Didinger.. Chip never says “Earl Wolff can’t play….” Or “Doctor said he can’t play….”… You always hear “He says he can’t play”, “He,says he can’t run”.. I’d be surprised if he ever plays a game as an eagle.. need to see if they get rid of him with injury settlement or keep him on IR when no one claims him
No, the only thing is definitive is that he had another surgery on Thursday. I suspect it was microfracture, but there has been no official announcement about the nature of the surgery.
It doesn’t sound like the big 3 at ILB will play tonight. Sad face
If sitting out tonight means they will be ready to play the entire first half next week against GBs when the 1’s play the most, it will have been an acceptable Sacrafice… I’d like to see all our starters be ready to play in next weeks dress Rehersal…. Kiko only knows one speed, probably a good idea not to olay him too much in the preseason. that kid doesn’t concern me, he will show up ready to maul dudes in Atlanta
lots of injury prone players on the squad, no reason to have them tweak something in PS and then it’s nagging all season.
I DO NOT like Bradford in Sleeves. At least, the Seahawks were smart enough to put their QB in elastic sleeves that cannot be grabbed.
Guys we are putting Bradford at risk with a takedown that hurts him. This is very, very bad.
“Chris Johnson the newest Eagles running back”
shit when did we sign johnson?