Night and Day
Posted: November 24th, 2016 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 367 Comments »The Eagles are 4-0 at home, but only 1-5 on the road. How can a team be so different at home and on the road?
Your first thought is about opponents. Did the Eagles just beat a bunch of cupcakes at home, while losing to good teams on the road? That’s not the case. The Eagles have only played one true cupcake, the Browns. The Bears weren’t great to be sure, but they were better early on this season. The other 7 games have been against teams that are all .500 or better.
The only real difference has been slow starts. The Eagles fell behind 14-0 at Detroit, Washington and New York. They were down 10-3 in Dallas. The Eagles were only down 6-0 in Seattle so that showed some progress. You aren’t going to go on the road, fall in a hole and then win that game on a regular basis. Road games are hard enough. You can’t fall behind, especially two scores, and expect to win.
Why the slow starts? Each one is different. Detroit had been embarrassed the week before and came out with laser focus. They also made some changes on offense and caught the Eagles off-guard a bit. In Washington the big issue was Big V at RT. He got overwhelmed early in the game and the offense struggled. The Giants game was all about bad INTs by Carson Wentz.
One common denominator in those games was defensive issues. The Eagles had chances to get the Lions, Skins and Giants off the field, but there were key mistakes on 3rd downs that kept drives alive. Those drives ended in TDs. The Eagles either don’t make those mistakes at home or seem to overcome them. I know the home crowd helps them to play with better energy. Is that really that big of a difference?
Jim Schwartz’s defense is built around the D-line. If they don’t play at a high level, the defense is going to be vulnerable. Playing at home does give them an advantage with the crowd noise. Opposing QBs can’t do as much with hard counts and things like that. That allows the Eagles to get off the ball quicker and make more of an impact.
You can also note that 3 of the road losses came against teams where the OL is playing well. Dallas might have the best line in the league. The Skins OL is playing better than anyone would have guessed. The Lions have gotten better with rookie LT Taylor Decker helping to stabilize the line.
This is a sloppy Eagles team, whether at home or on the road. They just seem to get away with the mistakes when they happen at The Linc.
One note about the road record, let’s not act like this team is a disaster on the road. They are playing well for long stretches of those games. They start slowly and then haven’t been able to seal the deal late when they did have a lead. Still, they outplayed the Lions after falling behind early. They outscored the Skins after the initial deficit. The Eagles were the better team for much of the Dallas game. They really controlled a lot of that and just fell apart late. The Eagles felt like the better team in the Giants game. There is no question that Seattle was the better team on Sunday, but the Eagles did their best to make it interesting late in the game.
As I wrote for PE.com, there is a fine line between winning and losing. While the Seahawks are clearly better than the Eagles, there were a few moments in that game that really made the difference. Seattle made plays. The Eagles made mistakes. Change just a few plays and you have a different game.
But how do you change those them? How do you get a team to start making key plays?
There is no magic formula. Seattle does it with competition as much as anything. You can go on about how talented they are, but remember that Russell Wilson was a 3rd round pick. Richard Sherman a 5th. Doug Baldwin a UDFA. That team has missed on 1st round picks and free agents. Jimmy Graham is a freakishly good TE and he’s been disappointing up there. It isn’t just about raw talent.
Seattle has extremely competitive practices. They make players win their jobs, over and over. Tarvaris Jackson was the QB in 2011. Seattle went 7-9 and decided to upgrade on him. They signed Matt Flynn to a 3-year, $20.5M deal. Then they drafted Russell Wilson in the 3rd round. Flynn was supposed to be the QB of the present and Wilson of the future. Sounds like a good plan.
Keep in mind that in the 2010 offseason the Seahawks traded for Charlie Whitehurst and then gave him a 2-year deal to be their starting QB. They saw him as an up and coming player. When he didn’t pan out, the team signed Jackson in 2011 to be their starter. He didn’t pan out as expected so they went for Flynn and Wilson. Seattle kept looking for the answer. Unlike some teams, that worked for them. Wilson is clearly a franchise QB. Wilson was their fourth target in just over 2 years. He won the job and will keep it for a long time.
RB Marshawn Lynch had a great 2012 season. He was one of the best RBs in the league. His backup was Robert Turbin, who the team liked. So more than a few people were surprised when Seattle used its first pick in 2013 on RB Christine Michael. They added RB Spencer Ware in the 6th round. There were obviously holes on the roster, but Seattle was built on the running game and felt those players were too good to pass up. Michael proved to be talented, but highly erratic and he has been on and off the team. Ware is now a good player for KC.
You could say those moves failed. But Seattle kept pressure on Lynch to continue to play at a high level, which he did. Turbin remained an effective backup RB. Seattle wanted good RB play. They got that. Competition helped to make sure of that.
You can’t invest heavy resources at every spot on your team. That’s impossible. You have to identify the spots that are most important to you or need the most help. The Eagles invested a lot at QB this offseason. Based on Doug Pederson’s background, that is no surprise. He spent a couple of picks and lots of UDFA money on the OL. Again, no surprise.
Now that Pederson and Howie Roseman have seen the team in action for a season, it will be interesting to see what they do. WR will clearly be addressed. But we know there will be some surprises. They will “ignore” an area that catches everyone off guard. I say ignore like that because it won’t be from a belief that spot is fine, but rather that the resources were better spent elsewhere. Sometimes you have a need area and there just aren’t good options available. Rather than waste precious picks or dollars, go add good players to another area of the team.
It will be interesting to see if the Eagles follow the Seattle blueprint in terms of competition at critical areas. Pederson is obviously impressed with how Pete Carroll and John Schneider built that team and how they consistently play at a high level. Pederson is an Andy Reid disciple so that influence will always be a key factor in how he wants things, but Pederson also learned from Don Shula and Mike Holmgren so he won’t be a Reid clone.
No matter what moves he makes, the Eagles need to make the transition to a team that makes key plays if they want to get back to being a Super Bowl contender.
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[…] Tommy Lawlor The Eagles are 4-0 at home, but only 1-5 on the road. How can a team be so different at home and on […]
Regardless of his OL…Dakota definitely has the clutch gene. No doubt if the game is on the line in the 4th….he’s getting you the win and he ain’t making any mistakes. As painful as it is to.admit he’s going to torment us iggles fans for the next decade. Garrette and Marinelli are also coaching their asses off. Our record is what it is and we’really clearly the bottom dwellers of the division. I guess this team is still learning how to win.
The Cowboys have 6 players on their roster that are top 3, if not the best at their respective positions- Tyronn Smith, Traveris Frederick, Zach Martin, Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliot, and Sean Lee. All of them are under 30.
On top of that they have Dak Prescott, Byron Jones, Jason Witten, Cole Beasley, Damien Wilson, Doug Free, and La’el Collins.
They also have Jaylon Smith and Randy Gregory who have a ton of potential.
It’s not just them being super bowl bound, but they have the ability to control the division for the next 5-7 years like Green Bay, New England, and Baltimore have done. Also them winning their 6th super bowl before the Eagles get their 1st would be extremely deflating. I can’t imagine getting excited for the Eagles after that.
Scary stuff.
Who is dakota?
Seattle would have benched Agholor by now, not coddle him.
That was my first thought reading this. Seattle emphasizes competition, the Eagles emphasize saving face with their draft pick.
With Agholor’s production, they would have tried these other guys even with their physical deficiences. We’re getting nothing out of Agholor now, why not try something different.
Simply poor.
Agholor will be benched this week. We can agree that Dougie waited too long, but in order to emphasize competition, you have to get players pushing behind and have depth at the position. That’s the whole point of Tommy.
Agholor is clearly the best route runner of the group and hat’s how he survived up to now…
He’s survived up until now because he was a first round draft pick.
He survived because he has a huge potential and is a great route runner. And these reasons were why he was a first round pick.
Look at the videos in this previous article: http://igglesblitz.com/2016/11/agholor-turner-receivers/
Let me be clear, I don’t want to give any excuse to Agholor and I don’t want him on the field for a snap anymore. The first thing you need as a receiver is hands… But there are reasons why he wasn’t benched before. Man I loved Avant because of his hands.
Agholor was not a Roseman pick and not a Pederson pick. If they want to bench him, they’ll do. The issue is that there is no talent in the WR corps…
Huge potential based on what, his career at USC? That was 2 years ago.
He has never shown any potential in actual ball gamea in his 2 seasons in Philly. Route running is overrated if he can’t get open on a consistent basis. Josh Huff showed more in game potential than Ags ever did.
He has flashed a few times. There is talent there. At this point though you try benching him and see if that changes the outlook. As someone here said, sometimes you play in fear of losing your job. And sometimes losing it can clear the air.
The talent was there in high school, which made him a 5-star recruit. The talent was there at USC against inferior defensive backs. The talent was there at the combine wearing shorts doing drills. He has played 22 games against NFL-calibur defensive backs and has not shown any talent comparable to his days in high school, at USC or the NFL combine.
Ags should be treated more like Bryce Brown at this point. Limit his opportunities and only increase them if/when he shows he deserves more. Clearly, coddling him has not worked. From the sound of Reich’s press conference today, the coddling will continue due to his extremely shaky emotional state of mind.
It’s not as if they had a great alternative. We fans may like Turner but Pederson seems hardly impressed. I just hope he’s one of those guys that just has that sixth sense of how to get open.
Don’t be misled by a few moves in a highlight real – the guy just does not get open very often. And besides not being able to catch (at least for now), he doesn’t possess the ability to make a play on the ball at the expense of the defender. So yeah, all in all he’s been given way too much rope.
moveon.org/petition/bench_ags
Seattle is in a much different phase of their development than the Eagles. They were in the Super Bowl last year. The Eagles are in year 1.
Cooking a 25 pound bird.. i made a 17 out of carrots for each side. .. cutting it at 4:00 … yep i am cutting that bird.
,
Happy Bird Day Tommy and all here.
We got a 25 lb Butterball too. All told, 25 people RSVPed, but not all for dinner. Hope we have enough…
Sounds fanrastic!!
Make more mashed potatoes
Happy Thanksgiving Tommy and everyone hanging out on IgglesBlitz!
Re: Some Eagles Thanksgiving History
When thinking about the Eagles playing on Thanksgiving, many fans will remember the 1989 Bounty Bowl game in Dallas.
Good times, indeed.
Long forgotten, I suspect, is the Eagles’ visit to Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day tilt in 1968 — during tremulous times for the Birds . . . and the USA.
1968.
Nixon had just won the presidential election with what with an enduring “Southern Strategy.”
A federal grand jury was investigating “The Chicago 7” for inciting violence across state lines. (Read: peace protests.)
In the Vietnam War, President Johnson pressed for a peace accord with the North Vietnamese before his term expired — fruitlessly, as it turned out, in no small part because of back-channel communications during the ’68 campaign from Nixon’s people to the North Vietnamese telling them to wait.
On the gridiron, USC’s O.J. Simpson was making his case as the greatest college running back in history . . . the certain 1st-overall pick for the 1969 draft.
Yes, O.J. Simpson would be the consolation prize for the team with the worst record in 1968.
_________________
Which takes us to Thanksgiving Day 1968 at Detroit’s Tiger Staduim.
The Eagles — under soon-to-be-fired HC-GM Joe Kuharich — came into the game 0-11.
The Birds had just lost to Cleveland 47-13 — and had 5 other losses by 32, 28, 20, 17, and 13 points.
At 0-11, with just 3 games left on the schedule, the Birds were the clear favorite in the Simpson sweepstakes.
The competition were the expansion Atlanta Falcons, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the AFL’s Buffalo Bills
The Falcons already had 2 wins against 10 losses (under former Eagles great, their new HC Norm Van Brocklin, hired after Atlanta started 0-3).
Pittsburgh stood at 2-9-1, but remained in the hunt.
And the AFL Bills were 1-9-1.
The Eagles — universally hailed as the worst team in football — had 1.5 games ahead in the Simpson sweepstakes.
All they had to do was lose 2 of their last 3 games — something even the most devout Eagles fans favored . . . along with firing Joe Kuharich.
Philadelphia had never been so unified.
_________________
Across the field that Thanksgiving day were the 3-6-2 Detroit Lions. During their last 6 games, the Lions had 4 straight losses sandwiched between a pair of ties.
Two bad teams were taking the field that day.
And the weather was a mess.
The temperature was 40 degrees, gusting winds at 15 mph . . . and rain. Lots of rain. In fact, 36 straight hours of rain had turned the grass field into a muddy mess, a genuine quagmire.
(See photo below.)
The Eagles were led on offense by future HOF OT Bob “Boomer” Brown and a bunch of guys who’ve faded into obscurity:
– QB Norm Snead
– FB Tom Woodeshick (appears in the movie M.A.S.H. smoking a joint)
– HBs Cyril Pinder, Izzy Lang
– WRs Ben Hawkins, Gary Ballman
On defense, the Birds had no one of note besides rookie DE Tim Rossevich from USC . . . perhaps better remembered as the Eagles MLB who ate glass and lit his hair on fire. http://www.si.com/vault/1971/09/20/612423/hes-burning-to-be-a-success
(In ’72, the Birds traded Rossevich to SD for a 1973 1st Rd pick that became All Pro TE Charlie Young, whom Vermeil traded in 1977 for future Super Bowl QB Ron Jaworski.)
The Lions? Well, they had a roster far better than their 3-6-2 record . . . including 4 future HOFers.
– HOF TE Charlie Sanders
– HOF DT Alex Karras
– HOF CB Lem Barney
– HOF S Dick LeBeau (likely a HOFer as a coach, but still great w/ 62 INTs)
– All Pro FB Mel Farr
– Pro Bowl Center Ed Flanaghan
– 3 Pro Bowl LBs in Paul Naumoff, Mike Lucci, and Wayne Walker
– QB Bill Munson (who led the NFL in fewest INTs)
– Speedy WR Earl McCullough
On paper, the Eagles were overmatched — as they’d been all season.
_________________
Then a funny thing happened on that muddy Tiger Stadium field.
Lions QB Bill Munson threw 3 INTs. Snead – 0.
Eagles FB Tom Woodeshick rushed for 79 yards. Mel Farr – DNP/injury.
Birds WR Ben Hawkins 1 rec. 24 yrds. Lions McCullough 1 for 6.
And the hero?
The Eagles’ hard drinking PK Sam Baker went 4-4 in FGs in absolutely atrocious kicking conditions . . . hitting from 36, 18, 32, and 35.
The Lions? No TDs. No FGs. No points.
Eagles win 12-0.
________________
In the meantime, 3 days later, the Falcons, Steelers, and Bills all lost.
So the Eagles lead for the 1st overall pick was down to .5 games.
The following Sunday at Franklin Field, the Eagles played their best game of the season against the 3-8-1 New Orleans Saints, winning 29-17.
QB Norm Snead went 10-18, 181 yds, 3 TDs.
FB Tom Woodeshick had 18 carries, 122 yds, 1 TD.
WR Ben Hawkins had 2 rec, 44 yards . . . and 2 TDs.
The Birds dominated at home . . . while Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo all lost.
The Eagles had now fallen from 1st overall to 3rd in the draft (based on tie breakers).
On the last weekend of the season against the Vikings at home– in the notorious Santa Claus gets snowballed game — the Eagles needed both Atlanta and Buffalo to win, while losing themselves.
The Eagles did their part, falling 24-17 — not clinching the loss until late in the 4th Q.
The Falcons at home, however, lost 14-12 to the 49ers.
And the Bills? They lost their 8th straight in style . . . 35-6 to the Oilers, clinching the 1st overall pick.
____________________
So what happened in the 1969 draft?
1. Buffalo selects future HOF RB OJ Simpson from USC.
2. Atlanta takes Notre Dame OT George Kunz, who become a 7x All Pro.
3. Eagles select Purdue RB Leroy Keyes — who ruptures his achilles in 1970, switches to S in ’71 and is out of football by 1974.
4. Pittsburgh? They selected a DT from North Texas State named Joe Greene . . . . and rest, as they say, is history.
http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/lancasteronline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/5e/d5ed22f4-a418-11e4-8086-33142d916c6f/54c41e0611331.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C808
Joe must go!
thanks for the memories! 1968 was when I first started following the Eagles as a kid. I thought the team was great and the refs and other teams cheated.
other notable Eagles on that team:
Mel Tom – one of the first NFL players from Hawaii
Mike Ditka – nuff said
King Hill – he drove a Caddy with cattle horns on the front
Don Hultz – kick blocking specialist
the league was so much different back then
Great stuff.
Mel Tom . . . Nos. 54 and 99.
Forearm to Staubach’s head — best hit in his career.
68 for me also I think… i remeber the stamps book that one of the gas stations offered … the leroy keyes photo was one if the best
Awesome narrative to supplement names and stats. Are you one of Ed Sabol’s bastard children? Happy TD.
Almost like that 1983 1st round. Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, Darrell Green, Chris Hinton, Curt Warner, Eric Dickerson. And we took Michael F’n Haddix. However, we did end up with Mike Pitts, the Falcons 1st rounder that year, a few years later.
Gary Ballman my great uncle RIP… So nice To see his acknowled. AC. He spent his post career working with the players union for increased benefits for retired players before he passed a bunchnof moons go. AC You are the crown jewel of this site. Front and center. Much gratutude towards your contributions… And really everyone here. Feels like home base to me for so many years…. As always checking in on the comments section pretty much daily. OJ….what could have been…Being an eagles fan is a a badge of honor. May this site continue on in perpetuity… As goeagles99 wishes.
Many thanks to everyone’s contributions here. Wentzorbust
tball-man . . .
hope you see this.
thanks for the info on your great uncle, Gary Ballman.
sounds like a good man who did great work to help the players behind him.
most players have no idea the NFL even existed before they were in high school.
great stuff.
Damn thats a mandatory read, a post unto itself !! and i almost missed it !!
I think the Eagles should go all defense just so we can shut down Dallas twice a year and wipe those smug smiles from their faces.
Need to get Wentz at least 2 WRs(FA/draft) and an every down back
I’d rather have another blocker than another RB. If there’s one thing that Smallwood has shown it’s that he can hit a hole and get upfield. I’d take a chance on him as an every down back.
I can see that argument.
If Smallwood can hit a hole it means our line are making them for him, which means they are doing their job. I’m more than fine with Peters/Johnson, Seumalo/Barber/Replacement, Kelce/Seumalo/Replacement, Brooks, Johnson/Vaitai
Agholor has also been hurt by the release of Josh Huff which concentrated the awfulness of this receiving corps on fewer players. If we bench Agholor all the drops are going to go to Beckham and Matthews and make those guys look even worse.
agholor is a joke, he wasnt hurt by that release either, he stinks as a football player and thats before huff was released
Go Lions!!
OT: Damn!
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18125127/kevin-love-cleveland-cavaliers-scores-34-points-first-quarter-vs-portland-trail-blazers
Well this day is starting off well…Lions knock off the Vikings to get us a little closer to securing a better 1st rd draft pick
hopefully the cowboys beat Washington..best case scenario would be a meteor hitting the field but that’s unlikely
and then that will allow me to enjoy the steelers (and my fantasy team) lighting it up tonight after I get home from work.
Happy thanksgiving to all my American Igglesblitz family… hope you guys are enjoying it
Go Meteors!!!
So with that classy sleeves game loosing interception the Vikings pick watch is getting interesting. Doubt Sammy can check down the Vikings to victory over the Cowboys next week either, probably leaving the Vikings 6-6 with 4 games against @Jags, Colts, @Packers and Bears.
Unfortunately there is no way they loose to the Bears being QB’d by Matt Barkley, so losing out is not possible but i think 9-7 or 8-8 is very possible from here, which should give us a pick in the mid to late teens.
Crazy stat i just saw on twitter – every one of our 5 losses this year have been on the road to a team 3 games over .500 currently.
Yup. This team’s mettle has been tested over and over again vs. the hardest schedule in the NFL. I really like our chances down the stretch with 4 games at home and road games vs. teams who have consistently lost games vs. garbage overrated teams I hate.
Crazier to think that the Packers have the third worst record out of teams we play up to week 12.
Elliott has the face of an ewok. Easily the ugliest person in the league right now.
If only the NFL were a beauty contest…
I just hate looking at his stupid face.
Reminds me of part Drake and Ice Cube
And ewok
You realize Vlad Ducasse is still in the NFL right now?
Happy today. What’s the thought on this game. Hard to watch BC I have these teams so much. But the alternative is talking to in laws so…..
unless Dallas starts turning it over, its gonna be a cake walk, Wash with alot of yds but not enough points
I just put a huge chew of stokers apple tobacco in, and Im watching this game and Dallas is just plain good, and I hate to admit that, their D is good, their skill players on Offense are outstanding, and their O line is the best, I gotta spit
Their D is average at best, but it doesn’t matter because they’re barely ever on the field.
they’re ranked pretty good in all categories, but yeah you’re right, their O line is dominant, I loathe them, I gotta spit
Their secondary has made a huge step forward this year, their front 7 is pretty meh, but they are decent in coverage and stop the run.
Its sad that Brees/Rogers dont have better supporting casts this year since they would slice this defence up… something we may have to wait to see Brady do in the superbowl /vomit.
Genuinely want to play them in the playoffs since i think Eagles have one of the few squads that can match up decently with them and can challenge them in a game.
playoffs?
Seattle will, if Dallas can get that far, destroy Dallas in the NFC title game.
Djax11 :
Flash forward:
Eagles sign DeSean Jackson to a 3 year, $33m contract with $17m gtd..
I’m sure Howie is drawing it up as we speak
Nice long TD grab but what a clueless dick for the taunting. He is a dumbass
As much as I’d like to be able to pull a jersey out of my closet of a guy that is still on the team, I don’t want to see Jackson back in an Eagles uniform. I think people quickly forget how frustrating he was when he disappeared in the redzone, how he dogged it on plays, and other dumb stuff he did. He is 3? years older now… and could lose his quickness as time goes on. The Eagles need a long term answer that Wentz can have around long term… Not a bandaid.
Nailed it.
Sort of sad .. but when
Mimi & i got back together it never really worked
More frustrating than Matthews dropping passes that hit him in the hands while jumping in the air for no reason with no one on him or Agholor fumbling passes, running wrong routes while pulling a Matthews with drops and lining up illegally?
Since it was against the Cowboys i was fine with it.
He was only worth $8 mil / year as a free agent 3 year ago; and he’s missed time each season since then. I’d love him back here, but at “prove it” type numbers.
YES but as you said that was three years ago.
According to Joe Banner a solid No. 2 WR is earning 11+, so it would be far fetched to argue DeSean doesn’t fall in that category.
11 WRs make 11mil or more. Don’t know what Banner is on about.
I was just referring to one of his Tweet. Without doing any research. Normally you could trust Joe.
Remember when people said Elliot wasn’t worth a top pick? Lies
I remember some select few Zeke lovers fearing that the Cowgirls would get him..
I was one of them, speculating that if they picked him up they’d be as good or better than the 2014 team.
Yeah me too only solace was that Tony Romo couldn’t make a full season, now I wish he was playing.
Still might not be considering what his salary is based on that position. And who can say if multiple other RBs couldn’t perform as well behind that line? Murray in 2014 for example.
I think there is a lot more to it than simply looking at the results. RB is a position very dependent on the OL. You could put him on another team and he wouldn’t be putting up the numbers he is with the cowboys. On the flip side you could argue that the cowboys could take an average RB in the 4th round and he would look good. The cowboys went for it with Elliot, if you get a later round RB and miss, you are kinda wasting the talent of the OL. By taking Elliot they are almost guaranteed a good running game. Whether Romo or Dak is at QB, the strong running game will help them out. For other teams, drafting OL might have been more important this year, and waiting for the loaded RB draft for next year might be the smarter play. Hopefully the Eagles can pick up a good RB and not have to spend a high pick this upcoming off-season.
“RB is a position very dependent on the OL.”
Elliot isn’t doing anything more than Murray did there in 2014.
That was my point they could run a lesser RB and get similar results. However, they knew they were getting a top RB and could expect those results. Another position is possibly suffering because they made that choice, but as someone else noted… dallas’ offense is protecting the weaker defense so the formula is working for them right now.
I don’t think thats remotely true. Also, have you actually seen Elliot’s stats, they are insane. Everyone just needs to admit he is killing it, we can still hate the Cowboys and him though. Just be happy we got Wentz, cause if we didn’t get Wentz and got Stanley or Treadwell how much more pissed would we be that Cowboys got Elliot and to a lesser extent Prescott. Also, Elliot is an elite player, he is what makes Prescott good without Elliot Prescott would be mediocre at best.
Nah they tried. McFadden wasn’t putting up those numbers for them last year. Demarco Murray is actually a pretty good RB and is putting up numbers too. Although, the Titans OL might be very underrated at this point.
Dallas is so good, and so young.
Chip really set us back years…
They are a great team so far this year… but they have a fair few flaws. Washington have moved the ball on them at will, and poor kicking has given them a lead. If you can put the OL under pressure (like we did) then they look like a much weaker team and suddenly Prescott is not an all-pro.
The Eagles had the Cowboys beat and threw the game away. Dallas was shut down on first downs and put into situations that had their QB throwing under 50% for the game. I walked away from the game 110% unimpressed with Dallas.
I have similar sentiments however I was unimpressed with Prescott moreso than the rest of the team. Have have a great running game for sure.
If chip was here Zeke would be on our team
How?
Zeke is a nice running back (who has domestic violence issues that may well come out some time soon), but he is not worth what it would have cost to trade in front of the Cowboys to get him.
Chip wouldn’t want him with his past. I hope he isn’t guilty of domestic violence, but if he is I hope he goes to jail and the cowboys lose him for good.
Running side to side looking like he hates football. But yes I think he would be here.
Unless theres a really good pass catching target that has intangibles but lacks hand eye coordination. Then that guy would be here!
Haha Stupid Chip.
Anyone watching the Vikings game notice the illegal formation penalty right before the Bradford pick? Happens to everyone.
Patterson is one of the dumbest human beings alive.
Good writing, Tommy. Thanks. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Dallas sucks.
If we could trade Ags for Steelers’ Antonio Brown should we do it ?
No.
We should trade Ags if they offer us an Antonio Brown jersey.
Not sure. How does their blocking compare?
He is alwsys open..no one near him to block …defenders run away ftom him.
The Cowboys hit the draft lottery this year. Prescott and Elliott are HOF bound purely going by the numbers up to this point. Blah, blah, etc…I truly don’t believe that, but I do remember Tommy writing about great competition within the division prepares the D winner to succeed in the playoffs. Going from the NFL least to the NFL beasts might bring out the best in this Eagles team hopefully in the near future! It’s all about competition going back to Mr Tommy Lawlor Fox’s point!
Pretty sure that’s nonsense considering the year the Eagles went to the Superbowl, they had the division won by late November.
Dunno i think having a good division can really help a team when it comes to the playoffs. Think the NFC West has been hugely helped by 49ers/Seahawks/Cards being really good teams (and even the Rams played tough in their division). I have always felt that the AFC North Ravens/Steelers/Bengals rivalry has helped keep those teams battle tested and competitive in big games, and i always felt the Manning era Colts suffered with having no competition in their division at all.
Having said all that the Pats walk to the playoffs every year and it has not stopped them much.
I do think playing tough games is good for a young teams development, and while some people think we are miles away i think a good draft/FA and continued development from Wentz and we could be a formidible team in 2017.
I agree. I think the tough competition in the division also forces the front office to be more agressive in order to keep up. I’m very optimistic for the Eagles if Howie has another good off-season.
Division games are generally tough regardless of the respective team’s records. We don’t need the cowboys to be 10-1 to “push” the Eagles to do better.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Better late than never.
So to be honest; I’d like us to finish the season in the following manner
Run the table 6-0 especially with 3 humblings of our division opponents by our D in our building.
Win a wild card that bumps out the Giants rather than Washington because it would demoralize more pieces of human excrement that way. NYG fan base is significantly worse than anybody associated with Washington.
Defeat either Atlanta or Detroit on the road in the wild card round
Walk into Dallas in the division round and crush their hopes and dreams by replicating our effort in that game up to the point where we threw it away.
Give Seattle a scare prior to losing in the NFC title game.
This is probably WAY more fan fiction than reality, but I’m clinging to it.
If were going to do that we might as well go all the way
That’s a tad cheeky. I’m just trying to get Wentz getting the appropriate acknowledgement over Dak for the season and getting him on the conference title game appearance level for a rookie with Big Ben.
I like it. Possible? yeah. Probable? No. But I think that’s a good goal at this point.
Individually; each of those games “should” be a win. In total; that’s really hard.
Exactly. At least it keeps the rest of the season interesting.
No, they ‘should’ not. We have no WRs, no lead back and holes on the O-line. We are not supposed to be winning against good teams.
If this happens, I’m voting you for Eagles Fan of the Year.
ha ha ha ha ha, I’d enjoy the vote. Thank you.
MM, I knda share your antipathy for NY fans, but I also think that they are closest in temperament and fan-smarts to Eagle fans. Tons of working stiffs whose lives are mundane and in need of a hometown win. Dallas fans, on the other hand are without a doubt the dumbest fans I have ever met – not all of them but a lot of them resemble Frankie Avalon (a native Philadelphian) in Beach Party. A clueless 28 year-old teenager. Washington fans, are a decidedly white-collar crowd that I probably resent the most. They’re too important to suffer with a team, but very obnoxious when their team dominates. Basically, all three of our division rivals’ fans suck, and the world is atilt when I am focused on them and not on my team.
You forgot to mention Barner being late season MVP push.
I think you spelled “Smallwood” incorrectly, but I’m sure the stat line from Monday night will help you out.
F**** it. Let’s do this!
I think the key is Seattle (and other good teams) have a clearly defined identity, they understand what type of team they need to be to win. They understand how they need to play to win and thus the positions that get the resources are obvious.
Are the Eagles a run-first ball control offense? Then the OL and RB positions need to be prioritized over WR and get more resources. Furthermore, they need to find OL and RB whose primary skill sets are to play ball control: i.e. run block very well and the ability to run inside along with on the edges.
Are the Eagles a pass first big play offense? Opposite type of calculus: WR would need to be given highest priority and the OL would need to be enhanced with an emphasis on pass protection skills.
Same approach for the defensive side of the ball. What is our defensive identity and how does it reinforce our offense and vice versa. Seattle has a relentless attacking style on defense because they want to get the ball back into their ball control offense’s hands as quickly as possible. The two units work together in an integrated way.
What is the Eagles identity as a team? Do we have one? If so, does that style win consistently in the NFL? If not, how do we create one? Make sure these questions are clearly answered and then the steps needed to improve the team should be evident. My concern is I doubt the Eagles have answers for these questions – I do not see a clear identity being established or implemented by Roseman et al.
As the future beckons, I don’t think Eagles are sitting in the basement too long. The improvement of Washington has been painstaking, and the rise of Dallas has been startling, but these developments will push our FO, I think. Both Dallas and Washington have improved measurably by focusing on their OL’s (both) and DL (Washington). They are pretty even on the field of play (witness yesterday’s score) because Washington has a defense that can limit the Dallas running juggernaut. Their pass defense was not up to it. If we can improve both of our lines with athleticism and heft on DL and heft and grit on the OL, we should be closer to both of those teams in terms of toughness and power. A baller to play next to Hicks, perhaps and a corner in the mold of Vincent or Taylor, and our D could be top five. We aren’t far from that. Offensively, our run game must be tougher. We will not have a passing game that scares DC’s anytime soon, so to me, gambling a high pick on WR who is not BPA is risky. On the other hand finding a guard that is dominant at POA is not risky at all – even if he is not athletic or a strong pass defender. Ideally he’d be great all around, which means you take him first-round. But that is months away. Right now, I think we aren’t going to see lack of effort, but we will see more mistakes and more losses.
If we take care of business monday night, we’ll be a half game out of playoff position, including a game against the team just ahead of us. All that talk last week about our playoff chances going on life support were definitely premature.
Re: Roster Sources
I don’t know if it’s good luck or good scouting . . .
But one thing that sets the Cowboys apart from the Eagles (and probably most of the NFL) is their recent success at finding — and then developing — players straight out of college.
The Eagles’ roster, including IR and suspensions, has 30 players out of 57 — about 53 percent.
Dallas has 47 out 63 — about 75 percent.
(Seattle has 44 out of 64 — abt 68 percent.)
______________
Looking at both teams’ homegrown starters, including PK and P, the difference becomes even more stark.
The Eagles have 6 on offense, 5 on defense, 0 specialists.
Dallas has 11 on offense, 8 on defense, 2 specialists.
(Seattle: 10 on offense, 7 on defense, 0 specialists.)
______________
The comparisons may not mean much — not without looking at Washington, Detroit, New York, Atlanta in the NFC and the AFC’s leaders.
Even then, it may not mean anything.
But — during free agency and at draft time — T-Law always says how important it is, culture-wise, for teams to hit on their picks and to develop their own guys.
Doesn’t hurt to draft/develop great players, either.
FWIW.
Dallas’s defense is not good. The offense has three young first round draft picks/pro-bowl players. Whiten has been on the team for over a decade. Dez is a former first round pick and absolute stud. Couple that with a high first round pick in Zeke and a solid 4th round QB, they are set for a while. More luck with Dak than anything, similar to Russell Wilson if it works out long-term.
I would argue Chip Kelly alone is to blame for our situation. If Chip wouldn’t have jettisoned DeSean, McCoy and Maclin and used those draft picks for oline. Assuming Chip was still fired and Pedersoon was hired and Howie drafted Dak in the third or 4th round (making the assumption we couldn’t have drafted Wentz), our offense would be much better too and set up for the long-term.
The thing that impressed me a lot was the Cowboys moving down to take a guy in the 1st round that was labeled as 2nd or 3rd round talent. Center Travis Frederick out of Wisconsin was a known player, ranked as the best C in that draft by many, but I don’t recall any expert praising the Cowboys for their prescience. He has been a big reason for the superior running game that Dallas possesses. Zach Martin next to him helps make their interior run-blocking the best in the league. The Cowboys then made him the highest paid center in the NFL, so credit to them for recognizing talent and acquiring it. Dez #1 in 2010, Tyron Smith #1 in 2011, Frederick #1 in 2013, Zach Martin #1 in 2014. Have the Eagles ever come close to that success in round one? And you want to blame Chip Kelly “alone”? Puhleaze!
If you don’t blame the guy that ran talent out out town and had piss poor offensive drafts for the past 3 years, then who’s fault is it for the lack of talent on offense? I can only assume you think Andy is at fault because there is nobody else. The same Andy that drafted DeSean, LeSean, Maclin, and Celek.
You assume wrong, Dave. No one guy can be blamed for every bad draft or credited for every good one. I recently wrote that I thought the expressed hatred for Kelly was over the top, but I am not defending him here. The success of the Cowboys recent first-round drafts is remarkable, and you want to blame Kelly alone for not having that degree of success? If you want to blame Kelly then blame Andy and Howie and Lurie and why not the Philly weather and the Philly media? Blame Joe Banner. Hell, it might be my fault, because I still think losing McCoy’s salary hit and childish temperament was reasonable. If Kelly ran the talent out of town, get word to HR because Sproles, Trey Burton, Matthews (both), Johnson, Ertz, Logan, Jenkins, Hicks, Smith, Maragos and Braman all play important roles on the current team. Are they the reason we aren’t leading our division?
You read my post wrong, unhinged. I wad referring to the lack of talent on offense. That was directly Chip Kelly’s fault. But hey, if you want to take some of the blame for it too, that’s fine by me.
But there is talent there. Ryan Matthews is a hell of a talented runner, and if you think McCoy would do better, well how much better? Enough to turn 5-5 into 8-2? Jackson could definitely help out Wentz regarding his field-stretching, but speed cannot substitute for contact-aversion, blocking ineptitude and red-zone invisibility. I think getting nothing for him was inexcusable, but he is barely missed when he sits out for his current team, and he does miss quite a few plays every season. And Jeremy Maclin, who was one of my favorite Eagles is definitely, sorely missed. But Kelly expressed his desire to keep him, and JM wanted to go back home. Again, if you want to focus all of the attention on Kelly, try taking Darren Sproles and Zach Ertz and Lane Johnson off the offense and put back your guys and argue the record would be better if you want. I don’t buy it. But one thing I will concede with great enthusiasm: Kelly NEVER should have let Mathis walk. He was under contract and lobbying for more money, but he was a pro, and he would have been better than anybody we had between JP and Kelce. But you know if we had a string of 1st round hits like Dallas, this argument would never have come up.
Talent talent talent. Potential potential potential. Blah blah blah culture is better than talent. All that garbage is worthless, if it can’t be brought out of them. You can be the hulk but if you suck on the field then why does it matter? Chip Kelly is not a motivator. Chip Kelly is not a good NFL coach. Chip Kelly is not good at talent evaluation.
The man left us 2 players from the draft he is solely responsible for and only one of them can play. You want to blame someone other than Chip? Yea lets blame Lurie for hiring that donkey in the first place.
Just look at the job Kelly is doing in SF and some of the rumors leaking out he is once again sniffing around at college jobs to see what shakes loose.
Kelly has been denying it for almost a month. Speaks volumes to me about Kelly and the kind of guy he is especially if he convinces York to fire/release him.
The thing your missing with DeSean and Maclin is that Chip spent a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick trying to replace them, which obviously he didnt do effectively.
This is a really interesting perspective. I’d like to know is there are stats for this across the League and what correlation it might have on success. Instinctively, it seems like developing guys you draft would create a more cohesive culture, make it easier to focus on positions that need help via trades or FA, as well as not having wasted drafted picks.
Joe Douglas hasn’t been here long enough to get any credit or blame for our past drafts, but I thought that our most recent draft showed some ability. Wentz is still an open book, but he looks like a keeper to most of us. Seumalo and Big V show promise in positions that demand time to develop, and Smallwood is decent, if not a feature back. Douglas was instrumental in drafting two very talented and tough guards in Ben Grubbs, taken in the 1st round out of Auburn, and Marshall Yanda, taken in the 3rd out of Iowa. Baltimore got both of those guys in 2007. Douglas also touted LB C.J. Mosley, who the Ravens took in 2014. The word to describe all those guys is “tough”, and if Joe can bring that quality to both our OL, our LB’s or to ANY position, we may see marked improvement rather quickly. One thing that has sold Wentz to the Philly fan base, I think, is his toughness. He will stand in and take a hit, and he hasn’t yet looked like he’s watching the DL instead of the field of play, but his grit is not rubbing off on his OL or his WR’s. My hope is that Minnesota continues to lose, and Howie, Joe and Co. go into 2017 draft with a feasible plan to make our personna a little angrier, a little more truculent, a little more scrappy. He has had great mentoring at finding such players, so I don’t think it’s unrealistic.
U –
Great stuff. Great thesis.
Good stuff. And while the draft will take a few years to evaluate, I think we can say the scouting and talent evaluation was solid. Coaching and development certainly have enough raw talent with which to work.
I wonder if the money taken from both them and the Redskins didn’t actually force them to show some patience and develop some talent?
Really interesting question.
Thought this was the thinking when all those home grown guys got resigned in the off season.
Nice post
Another thing to keep in mind is look at all the teams leading their respective divisions and think about how long the coaching staffs have been in place. For those two teams you have listed, both of them have had the same head coaches/systems in place since 2010.
I’d just like to take this opportunity to say: Fuck the Cowboys.
That is all.
Lol thanks.
I continue seeing comments that Chip set us back. Set us back from what? Andy post Donovan? It’s not like this crummy franchise had had a bunch of good drafts pre Chip. I love Danny Watkins.
Well he didn’t draft an dlineman in three years besides lane, he jettisoned the only productive members of our offense over the last 8 years and replaced them with scrubs. He did improve our secondary by getting Jenkins and his drafting of Bennie are Hicks was nice but they certainly arnt players that make a whole draft. I’d say talent wise he definitely set us back as a team
I’m pretty sure Chip Kelly was only in charge of the 2015 draft. Howie still ran the draft in Chip’s first two years here. Guess who’s still here from last years draft?
Last name rhymes with Flag-you-more?
Yes
Maybe Flag-on-score fits better.
No Bob youre right Chip moved us forward
I didn’t say he moved us forward. My point is the franchise wasn’t going anywhere from where he took it over.
Troll.
Going to piggyback off of ACViking’s post here. I think it’s fair to judge some players already since the day they were drafted. These are guys that were on the team this year since the start of the Kelly era.
2013
Lane Johnson – Extremely talented but you know..those suspensions.
Zach Ertz – Borderline 1st rounder where we picked him at.
Bennie Logan – Good DT and a leader for the team. May or may not be with us next year.
2014
Marcus Smith –
Jordan Matthews – Decent slot WR
Josh Huff – Could have had Taylor Hart here instead if Chip had his way!!
Jaylen Watkins – Good ST and depth guy. IMO, should have another look at as CB.
Taylor Hart – Remember that guy? Yea he was a 3rd rounder in Kelly’s eyes.
Beau Allen – Probably the best find in Kelly’s regime if you weigh in value but still a depth guy.
2015 (Chip’s full control draft)
Nelson Agholor – yeaaaaa
Jordan Hicks – Arguably the only guy that I can safely say that will be with us for a long time.
So some of these guys were supposed to fill in the giant holes that Chip made in less than 2 years. Lol.
Yeah Chip’s drafts certainly weren’t good. And I’m gonna risk sounding like I’m defending him which I’m not, but drafts can be a bit of a crapshoot. Also, I remember everyone talking about what a solid pick Ags was right after the draft. So Kelly wasn’t the only one high on him. I’d like to think he still has ability, but his lack of confidence is getting in his way. While he hasn’t shown much at all in his time in the nfl, I believe he could turn it around if he could figure out how to be more confident. That’s a lot easier said than done. Not many have been tougher on him than I have recently, and he is clearly a basketcase, but I think he still has much more potential than he has shown so far. Regardless, Marcus Smith is the real draft headscratcher. While I’m not happy about Chip’s drafts, I have much more issues with him as a coach.
Yea the draft is a crapshoot but what Chip Kelly really valued in players (character, size, and whatever) made it even harder to hit on picks. The man couldn’t handle anything but choir boys, which is also part of why he got canned by Lurie.
Agreed. Skill was left on the board in favor of high character guys. Definitely didn’t help matters. Part of being a coach in the NFL is dealing with baggage of skilled players unfortunately. Kelly proved himself not only unwilling but unable to do this. Talent is thin at this level, and the cap makes acquiring talent difficult. Getting and holding into talent is extremely critical to success. Chip not only passed on talent in the draft but gave it away in the form of DJax and McCoy.
The DeSean and Shady things are really what leads to questioning whether Kelly knew what he was doing when it comes to roster building. Huge stars and amazing players leaving for literally zero value, when in reality what you want is stars staying at almost any cost.
I still think Kelly the coach could end up working out in the NFL, specifically his offensive scheme, but thats not looking good either. I’d actually be interested in seeing Chip as a OC, under a defensive HC and a long term NFL GM, not that that would ever happen with ego and college teams willing to pay him a crapload to be the guy.
However, I doubt anyone will ever have confidence in Chip as a HC with the amount of power that some have.
I seriously think Kelly will never work in the nfl, and have posted why at length other places. Basically his unwillingness to adjust to personel and failure to manage skilled players with some baggage are his limiting factors on top of a system that puts too much strain on the defense. He will be back in college after his gig in SF, the only question is how long he will stay there. However, I think his offense works. He would be a great OC under a traditional HC. Problem is can he do anything someone else’s way? Slow down practice to explain things. Slow down the offense in the game when you have the lead and want to work the clock. Those things he needs to let the HC control. But I still keep coming back to how he had Murray a N/S runner start out running sideways on every play. He’s an uncompromising fool, so it will never work.
Your argument ends like a Trump campaign speech. What giant holes are you referring to? WR? Did anybody predict Nellie’s collapse in the NFL or was it only Kelly? You miss Maclin? I do, but he wanted out. You and a few others make out like Kelly raided the cupboard and skipped off with the goods. The franchise melted after the embarrassed owner had to give in to the new coach’s ultimatum. Rough seas ensued, and Kelly took the hook. The team was 4-12 when he arrived, so what exactly did he do in three seasons that ruined the 4-12 team? This, by the way, is not a Kelly defense. It’s a response to a dumb-ass argument.
I don’t get how Maclin gets lumped in with DJax and McCoy all the time. He was in a different situation. Macklin was a free agent and no longer under control of the Eagles. He got to go back to playing for Andy and paid (in my opinion) more money than he was worth to do so. I can’t blame him or the Eagles for Macklin no longer being on the team.
(Also, don’t forget the tampering!)
Exactly. The Eagles reportedly made him a very competitive offer that was only slightly less than what the Chiefs offered. He took the deal with the most cash & a coach he knew well.
And it was his actual hometown
Reading all of your posts defending Chip Kelly is so redundant at this point. People bring up “OMG HE TURNED A 4-12 TEAM AROUND” like he was some savant or some shit. No, he was a breath of fresh air for a team that gave up on Reid. You think a true 4-12 team can turn it around in a year? You’re delusional if you think so.
What backup plans did Chip have for any of his roster changes? None. What did he do about it later? Pretty much nothing. Why does it matter? I guess watching his offense fail without actual players didn’t hurt his ego at all. The only dumbass here is you to be honest.
Chip Kelly’s sure turned around the 49ers this year, hasn’t he?
It is not only that but look at all of the ‘character’ guys that Kelly supposedly brought in who quit/were issues on last year’s team. Supposedly the exact opposite of what he wanted to supposedly achieve with team chemistry.
Franchise tag Maclin would have been smart
Kelly was bad for this franchise, yes he won some games but when we needed a game we lost. Every time.
I guess that win over Dallas to get into the playoffs that first year was a game we didn’t need.
Yea and then we promptly lost to the historically terrible Saints while at home so… what was your point again
My point was they needed the Dallas game to make the playoffs. By most people’s definition that was a game that we needed and the Eagles didn’t lose. Thus your point on losing every time when the Eagles needed a game under Chip is wrong.
Please find pertinent details to the game you are referring too Below
“The Eagles won 24–22 on an interception by Brandon Boykin with the Kyle Orton pass intended for Miles Austin. This sealed the victory with 1:43 remaining in the game. Tony Romo missed the game after being injured in a victory over the Redskins the previous week.”
I say this as a former believer : We never won an important game with Chip Kelly. The biggest way he impacted this franchise as far as legacy was by bringing in poor young offensive talent. Also trading,dropping, and purging star players. Not to mention
mis handling locker room: an accused racists. How many coaches get accused of that in the NFL?
I agree. Blaming him for our current flaws is pointless and mostly wrong. We were bad when he took over, and we are a little better now. Wallowing in past bad decisions and coaching failures and drawing a line to the current team gets us exactly where?
Maclin wanted out because of Chip. Desean Jackson was no more gangster than the average player. Shady got traded for basically nothing. Mathis got dropped for wanting to get paid.
That’s 4 key starters from consecutive 10win seasons, and Chip’s fingerprints were all over every one of them.
Imagine what this season looks like with them on the team. A handful of big catches when we needed them. A few big runs, or a few less fumbles while trying to close out games.
It’s a response to a dumb-ass response.
Those 4 players account for almost 40m of cap hit. Losing Mathis was probably worse there
I doubt we would have kept all 4 together. We had to resign Cox and most likely Mathis + Jackson would have been gone to make room for Cox. Although, we could have traded Barwin and not have signed Ertz to a big extension to keep Jackson.
It’s like you don’t even follow the Eagles. Why do you come here?
Are you too dumb to put two and two together? Where is the cap space going to come from to resign guys that needs to be locked up?
Chip’s drafts Were terrible.
Now go back and look at the drafts over the last 10 years. It’s not like Chip was that much worse than what we were doing.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?type=team&teamId=3700
Looking at Dallas and redskins drafting, thats why we sick this year our drafting has been terrible. Though we are great I’m fa. Watching Crowder on skins with djax is depressing considering what’s going on on our team.
My sense is the Jerry Jones just lucked out and hit the lottery this year more so than he is all of a sudden an astute draft picker.
If there is one front office that I do feel is clearly better right now in the NFC East than the Eagles, it is the Skins.
I agree with this. I think it was Brent at Eagles Rewind that showed how O-linemen are the most “safe” draft pick i then first round – becoming starters on their teams or something. But even with that, its fairly lucky that they have missed on every one of those picks. There is an element of coincidence and lottery to the draft no matter how well you evaluate, because its still a projection. And then of course they lucked into Collins, totally lucked into Dak and only got a chance for Zeke because they severely underperformed the year before. Jerry Jones has not suddenly become a brilliant talent evaluator. Which is what makes me even more furious about this whole double ROY-shitshow thats going on.
With Ryan Matthews being ruled out we will see a heavy dose of Smallwood on Monday night. Also Future MVP Barner might see some carries again.
With only 3 RBs active I am pretty sure we will see all 5 WRs on the field come Monday night.
It’s the Turner burner Show!!!
I hope Barner goes off so Media Mike has an aneurysm.
We love you Mike, but your Barner bashing is top tier entertainment.
I’m not overly concerned because the writers are all focusing on Smallwood picking up the slack.
So a little perspective, going into this season we couldn’t possibly have expected to be in the mix for the playoffs this late in the year, but here we are. Yes we’ve lost some incredibly frustrating games (Detroit, Dallas, NYG) but the fact is, we can play with those guys.
The only game that truly felt out of reach was Seattle, in Seattle, the hardest place to play in the league, against the best team in the NFC now that their quarterback is getting healthy.
All this with a massively under-performing wide receiver group, a rookie head coach, a secondary that sees Jalen Mills playing huge snaps, a defensive line that isn’t living up to it’s billing… The fact is, we’re better than we thought we would be. We love to hate on our roster, but it’s a roster that can play with anyone, and we’ve proved that.
There is a core of players who should be with us for the next 3-4 years playing at a high level.
Thanks to Howie’s maneuvering we got back a lot of what we gave up to get our franchise QB, which bodes well for this years draft (contingent on whether the picks work or not, obviously.)
I love to bash this frustrating ass team as much as anyone, lord knows, they drive me insane with the ways they manage to lose.
BUT, the future is bright for us. I don’t believe in Dak Prescott the way other people do, the guy is basically playing 7 on 7 back there, when he starts getting pressure he starts making big mistakes just like anyone else. The only way Dallas stays dominant is if that offensive line stays cohesive, and they’ve been incredibly fortunate on the injury front this year.
And we should have beat them. We had them on the ropes and we let them off the hook (insert Dennis Green video.)
In summary, we can play with anyone. The only teams in the league right now that I think would truly outclass us are Seattle, New England, Denver and possibly Oakland.
And all that with our shit wide receivers, our dumbass right tackle getting suspended, our running backs fumbling the ball like they have butter on their gloves, the endless drops (oh my god the drops… it’s almost traumatic at this point.)
So, lets be thankful for the situation we’re in, and root like hell for the home stretch, because we literally control our future right now. If we win out, we’re in no matter what anyone else does.
Go birds.
Preach brother, preach!
I see what you’re saying, but the whole “we’re exceeding expectations” argument is getting old. The NFL is a week-to-week league, being mediocre because we were expecting to be bad is not acceptable going forward. I’m not saying fire Doug or anything just yet even though I do not agree with a lot of his playcalling or in-game decisions because the team’s weapons and what he has to work with. Nobody in their right mind (not including Dallas fans) expected the Cowgirls to be 10-1. NOBODY. You think they are celebrating? No they are trying to win a championship–which makes me sick to my stomach. What exactly are we celebrating? That we MAY have a franchise QB? He hasn’t really looked good of late guys. Yeah, he is a rookie and the jury is out. But we’re acting like he is our ten year QB and the next-coming. Just like how we proclaimed Eric Rowe a starting CB this year.
It’s not about celebration, it’s about appreciation. Our future is bright. We might not bring home the hardware this year, but I think we’re on our way to being contenders year in and year out, which we haven’t had since the early 2000’s under Andy.
Let’s be thankful for what we’ve got. We could be Cleveland for christ sakes.
Ugh Cleveland… On of the few fanbases I have respect for. All the crap that team and city goes through, and they stay loyal, you have to respect that. Also a miserable city. I was there once to see the rock n roll hall of fame and I never plan to go back.
This is the first year in a while that our weaknesses going into the season still hold true, but our strengths have not let us down. For the most part, safety, lb and dline have been solid. CBs are an issues, but that was pretty well known before the season started.
Our WRs were a perceived weakness before the season and that holds true now. RBs are about what was expected, not great, but not a liability either. Oline has been up and down, but definitely not a liability.
As for QB, what can be said that hasn’t been already said ad nauseum, just about everyone agrees that Wentz is the real deal.
My only disappointments with this team are the penalties by the offensive line, the fumbles by the running backs, and the insistence by Doug to limit the TEs while babying Ags and making him a feature player in the offense.
Outside of Wentz being the real deal, I’m happy he’s not getting beat up like Bradford or any of the Cleveland QBs. Seeing how Luck’s future doesn’t look nearly as rosey as a few seasons ago, I want all resources placed into upgrading the oline before anything else in the off season. I’m an optimist by nature, but even so, I haven’t been this optimistic since Donny’s prime years as QB.
Its not celebrating, it’s acknowledging that this team is farther along than expected. I agree about the cowboys but they aren’t going through a huge system/coaching change. Yes the have a rookie qb, but they also have a top OL, beast RB and receivers who catch the ball. Put Wentz on that team and the offense would be even better.
People were hyping Blake Bortles during his rookie year, then used his impressive numbers from last year as evidence of greatness (though they benefited from a lot of garbage-time yards and dropped INT’s) . This year he’s completely mediocre and now their fans & media believe he’s clearly not the guy.
I’d be a lot more confident in Wentz if he was actually improving instead of looking more and more like one of our QB’s from the last couple years…
Dude.. Carson is a MF rookie… geez..
Sure. Except Wentz started off looking great under pressure (he was hit a lot during those first three games remember), standing tall in the pocket making clutch passes, escaping when the pocket collapsed to make plays down field, being very accurate and not throwing stupid interceptions.
This is not the QB we’ve been seeing lately. He’s skittish, tentative, makes dumb decisions (or wildly inaccurate throws) and if he escapes the pocket we’re lucky if he throws the ball away & avoids a sack or (long exasperated sigh) doesn’t run out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage without getting rid of the ball first.
And yes, “he’s just a rookie.” But we’ve seen other QB’s play just as bad who weren’t rookies. I’m not writing him off yet or anything (I swear!), but experience doesn’t guarantee improvement. We’ll just have to hope he actually stops regressing and starts looking like the guy we saw early in the year…
Schedule has gotten harder + more tape on him and the Eagles offense. Opponent skill level really does matter.
He was under duress constantly the first three games, yet he isn’t performing anywhere near as well now under pressure. Why? He’s definitely had receivers open that he’s missed (even factoring in drops). Looks like mechanical issues, but even when not pressured he’s been having problems.
I’ve heard the “more tape” excuse before. So what are other teams doing differently? Specifically, what have they seen that they are now taking away? I’d love actual analysis showing how things Wentz did early in the year are no longer possible because defenses have “adjusted.”
Dude. He’s. A. Rookie.
Dude. He’s. Regressing.
Ok.
Thank you. This was supposed to be a building/retooling year that would be the last year for sleeves, while Wentz got to learn on the sidelines, get used to the system and nfl in general. Now not only are they in position to compete, they are competing in the toughest division in the league while Wentz is getting a full season under his belt. They are another magic off-season by Howie away from being a top team.
I agree………………….100% in a vacuum, but significantly less than that in reality.
I’d be more content if we were at our current record, Washington was a game or two ahead, and Dallas and Giants were buried with the records they finished with last year.
Been too long since the last post from Tommy; so you all get a mock draft to admire!
I wasn’t trying to go RB/WR to start, but it just worked out that way
20: R1P20 RB DALVIN COOK FLORIDA STATE
47: R2P15 WR COREY DAVIS WESTERN MICHIGAN
79: R3P15 EDGE DEMARCUS WALKER FLORIDA STATE
118: R4P15 LB KENDELL BECKWITH LSU
137: R4P34 C KYLE FULLER BAYLOR
157: R5P15 S DAVID JONES RICHMOND
194: R6P15 CB JEREMY CUTRER MIDDLE TENNESSEE
233: R7P15 DL RALPH GREEN III INDIANA
I hope we dont wait that long for a CB.
I love Cook but i would be ok skipping him in round 1 to grab a stud at another position.
I just did BPA-ish based on the CBS board and our general needs.
I do think Cook and Davis would change our Offense drastically
Added bonus; Cook would immediately become the best RB in the division……………..F Dallas and F Zeke.
True. But Zeke is often running through wide open holes and his first contact is 4 yards after he crosses the LOS.
Exactly! That’s why our guy would be better.
Depends a lot on if we are able to keep Schwartz. He likes scrappy competitive corners and his scheme generally protects them pretty well, so i think if he is still here we can take a risk on bringing back Carrol and maybe trying to draft a couple more CB’s later to try and develop.
Having said that if there is a no.1 CB they think could be special available when we draft in the 1st then i would grab him. An elite CB would take this defence from good to great.
Does not sound like there is any serious traction for Scwartz yet, which is perfectly fine for me
Agreed. I’d like to keep Schwartz here for a while.
I like Jabdril Peppers or Lewis from Michigan
The succes of Zeke will persuade RB needy teams to draft RBs high, if we draft late-ish, we might not get one of the top prospects and could wait for middle rounds, probably 3rd or early 4th.
I would personally prefer finding a WR in Free agency, regardless of the lack of good players, mostly because its hurtful to think about already having spent high picks on Matthews, Agholor and Huff, while still sucking ass at WR.
Personally, I’d go CB much, much sooner. Carroll is decent, but outside of him we suck. That could change if we manage to land a Stephon Gilmore, maybe an AJ Bouye or Trumaine Johnson, but I’d love to keep building on that nasty defense we have going.
I like the pick of Walker. I think we might go edgerusher pretty high, with Barwin and Curry being expensive and not performing that well.
Had there been a higher rated CB on the board in round 1 or 2 when I picked, I might have gone that route. I was really trying to stick to BPA as I was picking.
I 100% can’t knock your logic however with CB, RB, and WR. Generally speaking, the only positions I wouldn’t consider in round 1 would be QB and S considering the lack of full great talent across the board on this team.
I absolutely agree with Cook. Yes, our CB and WR are weaker, but theres no reason to draft a mediocre player cause of need over someone who could be a stud. On top of it, it would allow us to free up Mathews money and possibly Sproles money, with having Smallwood, Barber as depth with possibly a cheap veteran presence. Now, I also wouldn’t be upset if somehow Vikings season finishes in the crapper and we can make a move to get Mike Williams, third Mikes the charm!
The Vikings losing every game that isn’t vs. one of our fellow NFC East pals would be great.
We just need them to beat Wash.
We don’t need to worry about Washington; 11-5 > 10-5-1
You really think we will win out?
I’m conceding nothing at this point. F Green Bay. F Cincy. F Washington. F Baltimore. F NYG. F Dallas.
I dont see us dinkin and dunkin to 11-5
How about sacking and smackin our way there?
The Vikings losing every game this year is always good.
So I am guessing that Fuller in the 4th is not this draft’s #1 C. Who is?
I’d be out of my depth answering that for the time being. I’d defer to D3.
Pocic.
Robinson, Ramscyk, Feeney, Pocic only guys I would put first round grades on right now.
http://drafttek.com/2017-NFL-Draft-Prospect-Rankings/Top-College-Centers-2017-Draft.asp
https://walterfootball.com/draft2017C.php
It’s Pocic
Thanks for that. Have you seen enough of him to make that assessment compared to his class, or is that a consensus that you are confirming? At 6’6/6’7, I wonder how much lower body strength he’s got.
I haven’t watched anything but live this year, but I had a top 40 grade on him had he come out last year, and what I’ve seen live and where the industry has him I don’t think he’s done anything to make my grade lower. He can have balance issues at times but he’s athletic and powerful. I’ve heard he’s 6057 from a height perspective. He’ll probably weigh in around 305-310. He’s not a finished product but can start day 1 and has big upside. I like him more than Ryan Kelly.
He’s basically a healthy more powerful version of Max Tuerk from last year.
Thanks for sharing. I wouldn’t complain if HR went heavy on OL and got some depth for the interior line, if not this year, next. If you have any info on Fuller from Baylor, I’d be curious to know your take. I saw Baylor last season on TV, and they looked strong upfront, but apparently Fuller has not progressed a whole lot this season. He looks strong as an ox, but I have no book on him.
I tried not to comment on players, but rather positions, as you can’t hang a guy up on a mock drafts done before the season is even over. If it was value based, and corner just didn’t fit, then so be it. IMO, its just that we’re a CB away from being pretty much set at defense. Yeah, SAM is a weakness and Bennie leaving and the play of Curry/Barwin is an issue, but we have a great defense, just need that cover guy who isn’t gonna get toasted by a no. 1 WR, and let Carroll man the no. 2 WR.
We have until the time runs out for Jenkins/Graham age wise, with this current defense. Lets complete the puzzle and go compete, see if the D can carry our Young QB, even if his weapons and OL doesn’t mean we have the best offense in the league. We’re just too many pieces away from an offensive juggernaut IMO, especially considering Peters, Celek and Sproles’ age.
Utilize as many of those years, and i down see that happening without a true number one at corner, regardless of Schwartz protective scheme.
No doubt a true #1 CB solves a lot of issues on this team. Could have us 7-3 right now if you take away one toasted coverage mistake in each game.
And if one of his picks is a non-4th-qtr-fumbling RB, the world could be our oyster.
Running is deep. I think we can get good back in the 2nd or even 3rd.
There are some decent FA WRs. We should double dip. Go after Michael Floyd/Pryor and draft a guy.
I agree on CB. Having better CBs and another pass rusher changes the defense.
Floyd / Pryor for what they’d cost don’t excite me at all.
Grab 2 cheaper guys like Stills, Goodwin, Desean, Garcon and pair with a Dede Westbrook, Corey Davis or John Ross.
Would also do wonders for this team to have a WR like that. It may be worth it considering the amount of other holes on this team.
Pryor is very intriguing. I think he still has a lot to grow as a WR. You sign him in the off season and it’s possible he may start to outperform or perform on par with his contract.
I hear what you’re saying, but I can’t give Pryor that level of offer on spec. I’d rather let somebody else overpay him in a bad WR FA year.
Yeah, I’m curious as to what the market will dictate for him as far as cost.
I just feel as though he can be a truly dominate WR in this league. He has the tools and unlike DGB seems to have more of the mental aspect.
I just find his transformation very impressive, and leads me to believe we haven’t nearly seen his ceiling yet.
His physical stature reminds me a lot of Randy Moss.
Meh, we don’t need to spend a first round pick on RB, we have Barner;-)
Nice
Seriously though, I’m actually excited to see what Smallwood can do if Mathews is out for a few games.
Agreed. He’s earned the snaps.
Damn. This time of year already? You take like a month break!
I wasn’t planning on doing one again this soon, but the thread got stale.
7 too few OL.
I hear you there, I just kept not seeing good value where I was picking.
that’s what the old gma said
It’s not a great class. I’d probably only have 4 guys with first round grades right now. 6 went first round last year, 7 the year before that. Guys are going to get overdrafted.
There are just too few OL to go around.
Need OT.
you folks thinking the eagles will win out, how bizarre you are
There’s always hope. Innit?!
how bizarre, how bizarre
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Let that step be tomorrow evening.
Tommy – It isn’t only the defense that starts slow. This offense is averaging a lousy 2.6 pts/game this year in the 1st quarter (29th in the NFL).
2nd qtr – 8.1(t-8th)
3rd qtr – 7.7 (2nd)
4th qtr – 5.7 (21st)
It hasn’t been on the road either. You have to go back to the Steelers’ game to when this team came out playing well on both sides of the ball in the 1st quarter.
Every team is going to have some games where they get out to slow starts but it has been almost a constant all season with this team. That is likely it is a sign with how this coaching team gets the team prepared.
I remember the criticism of Reid differently. I remember an awesome scripted start, and then trying to hold on. The criticisms I remember hearing is a lack of in-game adjustments, something that appears to be a strength for the current regime.
That is my recollection, too. Great prep. Poor adjustments.
In case you were wondering how McNabb did in his rookie season compared to Carson MF Wentz I strongly sugggest to Google. Thanks and have a nice day.
That was not the best start to an otherwise strong career.
In a related matter; I purchased a knock off Starter brand McNabb jersey that spring for $7.99!
For what it is worth too, Wentz has played better at home this year:
Home – 86-132, 65.2%, 5 TDs, 2 INTs, 7.26 AY/A
Road – 139-224, 62.1%, 6 TDs, 5 INTs, 5.74 AY/A
Only making 33 attempts at home and nearly 37.5 on the road. Getting behind early so frequently on the road certainly hasn’t helped.
Good post, mate.
Completely irrelevant point to the MNF game –
If Munn attends does she gets booed if he appears on the big screen during the game? I say ‘Yes.’
Depends if she’s in Packer gear or Psylocke wear.
http://67.media.tumblr.com/248b62e6885ed1e335f1c018b7560cd9/tumblr_nrq44wtTHi1sjhzeoo1_1280.jpg
also OK if she is dressed as Miss America
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/866d768e6a0666eff350fef2868f1baf91e9a109f77e19b5f215ed9b8b5192b6.jpg
or French maid jumping into pie … it was reported that anyone and everyone who had ever worked on the set of this show or as a part time or guest attempted to be on the set this day… epic ffootage .. and later is the hot dog eating..wowie
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cbd1d8463a465f27497a4a1ec89b7ba90199ca9819788d7fbbaf92f2d29927b8.jpg
You mean Wonder Woman?
Ha yes.. imadope.
I think shes more likely to get booed in Green Bay than Philly
Even with the injuries and the drubbing they took, there is no reason the Eagles shouldn’t win this game.
This Packers’ team is 8-12 in their last 20 games, Rodgers simply has been a 2nd tier QB since the 2nd half last year, Packers’ defense has been a sieve the past month, and Eagles have been a very good home team/Packers have been a lousy road team.
Only way I see the Packers winning is if they get several big passing plays (20+ yards) including at least one TD. This Eagles’ secondary is depleted, banged up, and been getting carved up like a turkey the past month.
I hope like hell the Eagles aren’t approaching this game thinking Rodgers is a second tier QB.
Rodgers is coming around. Last 4 games: 64.2%, 1265 yards, 12 TDs, 3 INT
Good point and they have been putting up a lot of points lately. Eagles can ill afford to get an aerial war with their 3-speed offense.
Let me guess–
First Gear
Second Gear
Reverse?
Let’s hope that amongst the changes next year is someone new calling plays on offense… Peds has shown he’s not up to it, and besides we need someone to manage the GAME, which is also not happening too well at the moment.
I think Dug has actually called some good games and besides a few questionable plays, he has done well for a rookie coach.
Which game management decisions are you particularly frustrated with? I think generally managed games well.
As for the offence – they had score 20+ points every game until last week, while playing a ball control system which helps our defence. This is with a rookie QB (who missed a lot of practice reps with our starting WR’s due to not being the planned starter) and one of the worst WR groups in the NFL.
Bad WR’s and rookie QB means you are going to have a limited offence… i think all things considered Doug has called good games that have protected Wentz and our OL while still being able to move the ball. Only area we need to desperately improve is redzone, where we are just not scoring enough points.
All the ones that didn’t work. I hated those.
Of course, when we ran the same play two drives earlier or later and it did work? I was okay with that.
When he ran the plays I thought he should and they worked, those were the good calls.
Same
I’d like to give Pederson more time to grow into that role. He 100% was NOT doing that job in KC and hasn’t had a chance to sit down and really self-scout since the bye week. I’m happy to revisit this conversation in February of 2018.
i think he’s called games pretty well. tough part is what happens never year one teams have an offeason to study tape.
Can’t agree less. He has called the games well. I want to see the growth there.
Off-level, but on-sport;
Bama and………….?????????????
Clemson?
Ohio State?
Washington?
Michigan?
Penn State / Wisconsin winner?
This year it does seem like Alabama and everyone else. I think Wisconsin and Ohio State should be in then Washington or Clemson. Wisconsin needs to win the Big Ten championship and I really dislike the idea of rewarding Ohio State for not having to play the championship game, but I don’t know if I can make a case for any other team. All the other 1 loss teams all have really bad losses on their record.
Yeah. This Bama team is heads and tail better than anyone even if they had some questions at the beginning of the season. Addressed many of them especially on defense.
Best 4 teams: Bama, Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson/Oklahoma
Who makes it?: Bama and Clemson. Beyond that I think Pac 12 winner Ohio State, Big 10 winner, Oklahoma probably all have legitimate arguments.
helfrich getting fired at oregon — maybe chip will go back where he belongs?
I had hoped he would have taken the USC job back when it was open
lol, what are the browns doing with these formations.
David Johnson is really good.
Watching this Bengals-Ravens game is watching two very mediocre teams that keep tripping over themselves.
Kind of like watching the Eagles too and if there is a team that I think is closest to the Eagles this year it is the Ravens.
Not any easier watching the Browns play.
Good God! So tired of seeing other team’s 3rd, 4th and 5th receivers making plays when our 1 and 2 can’t seem to do anything when they get the ball in their hands. Just watched Falcons Taylor Gabriel take a bubble screen 35 yards for a td. Anyone know what the Eagles yac stats are as a team?
It helps having a quick and shifty WR catching those screens instead of big 6’3″ guy
It’ll be interesting to see if Matthews gets more looks on the outside this week with Turner being possibly active. That, or we can use Sproles in the slot with SmallErection in the backfield.
They should just line him up outside and play Turner in the slot. DGB/Treggs on the other side
no, but I think ertz yac is in the neg
Im actually ok with him not being a YAC machine. Just throw it to him 10-15 times a game and let him get first downs.
They just scored again on this same damn play. Gabriel a 25 yd td. Maybe we should try that play with Treggs.
Carson Palmer is really not too good and seems terrified of contact. Matt Ryan should pay attention because that’s him in about 3 years.
Yeah, just saw Palmer completely waste a down because he didn’t want to get hit. That guy would get destroyed in Philly.
Carson Kolb?
Exactly. If you get close to him, he’ll waste a down no problem. He already has one intentional grounding call this game.
The Giants might be the most overrated 8-3 team in NFL history.
It sickens me to watch how people don’t even bother trying to cover ODB. He’s always wide open.
I think is problem is that they do try.
Its frustrating. They are living off splash plays
The Cardinals have really fallen off
They were never good, it was an illusion, being in a weak division
They owe me an apology for choking in the NFC Championship game last year.
No. they were good. The rest of league just caught on and Palmer turned back into a pumpkin
And who would even know considering Philly market is stuck watching Giants / Browns. Fox 29 is a bunch of dopes. Cards / Falcons is a much better game.
Cards are getting blown out
No Philadelphian should be subjected to a Giants game.
Dunno i love some quality Eli face. Brings me such joy.
Unfortunately the affiliate doesnt decide their game.
They need to consult with me.
Burn bruce arians is such a good coach. I fucking hate that guy
I didn’t care for his crying about the refs, but his repeated bashing of BS read-option makes him good for life in my eyes.
He just says that because Palmer is 50 and has 1 leg
Kiko Alonso just had a game-clinching tackle at the goal line. *vomits* But in all seriousness, good for him. I cannot believe the Dolphins are sitting at 7-4
Saw that also.. he made that tackle from pretty far away also
So I guess I’m rooting for the ‘Boys against Minnesota next week? The wildcard spots comes down to:
1. Giants (8-3) [PIT, DAL, DET, PHI, WAS]
2. Redskins (6-4) [ARI, PHI, CAR, CHI, NYG]
3. Minnesota (6-5) [DAL, JAX, IND, GB, CHI]
4. Philadelphia (5-5) [GB, CIN, WAS, BAL, NYG, DAL]
5. Buccaneers (5-5) [SEA, SD, NO, DAL, NO, CAR]
The #3 and #4 seeds are the Falcons and the Lions. I like the Eagles chances of winning a playoff game against one of them
Out of those 5 teams which one has the best shot at beating Dallas? I’d say probably Philly. I think the only team in the NFC that has a realistic chance of beating Dallas is Seattle.
We can all understand and appreciate the value of Dallas’ opponent losing. We can also do so without “rooting” for Dallas.
At very least, we can have the decency not to talk about what we are doing openly.
AMEN
The Giants are the only team to have beaten the Cowboys. When you watch them, they are unimpressive, but they are consistent and clearly capable of beating Dallas.
Look..i think we are a pretty solid team. Honestly probably better than any Chip team. Just not so worried about the post season.
Win out / get wild card.
Kalil mack is a great player. That pick against Cam was awesome.
https://twitter.com/EagleFanProbs/status/803005281055703042
Chip’s gone. its over
It’s not over until Chip goes back to college and gets dominated by Penn State in a bowl game.
So, never?
Oregon will be hiring in a month.
Do they ever play Penn?
Bowl game is only way.
So probably never going to happen
James Franklin was on the hottest and Penn State would be lucky to play .500 ball 2 months ago, so anything can happen in CFB.
https://i.imgflip.com/zbo1i.jpg
https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder534/400x/67589534.jpg
DeSean – Pryor – Matthews
Thanks.
Thats too much $$… or well it is if they are going to bring back Bennie Logan.
Pryor, Matthews, Draft Pick.
I wouldnt mind getting a guy like Kenny Stills or Goodwin in addition to grabbing Pryor or a Malcolm Floyd.
Those two alone would cost 20 mil a year, and would make retaining Bennie or adding any other pieces really hard, even after clearing some contracts.
I think you go after a Kenny Stills and then spend a top 100 pick on one in the draft. Much cheaper, and Stills plus rookie, plus Logan, plus a FA CB or G >>> Pryor and DJax
In every game you see at least 1 or 2 great catches where you just think ‘no way an Eagles WR makes that crab’. Sad.
Just 1 or 2?
and then you see a normal catch and still think ‘No way an Eagles WR makes that grab’!
Bucs making their case for a wild card spot
Derek Carr is pretty damn good.
Mack is such a difference maker. Would be nice if Cox was one too…
The fuck happened to Seattle today?
Trap game. They were focused on us from last week!
Maybe the home vs away is that big of a difference for them
I thinks that’s what happens when the DL contains Wilson instead of running up field like headless chickens.
Yeah think Jim was stupid for his defensive gameplan
https://i.makeagif.com/media/5-28-2015/TM9FSb.gif
They were not only away but it was 1pm on the east coast. Statistically a very hard game for any team to win from the west coast.
Why did they play ‘Round and Round’ by Ratt when showing a graphic comparing the records of Brady, Rodgers, and Smith since 2012?
The music is so random at times during the Sunday night broadcasts.
Love that song. . Good one. . Europe FINAL COUNTDOWN
Thats a TD
well………………….yeah
eagles wr could not have made that catch
They seem to drop the easy ones
I miss Andy man. One hell of a game.
Watt had more TDs in 2014 (5) than any eagles wr so far this season
Embiid keeps stuffing the stat sheet night in and night out. Guy is going to be such a monster if he stays healthy. I think the Sixers would be a plus .500 team this year if he could play his full minutes.
Okafor needs to go. He’s garbage. I’d trade Noel too since he doesn’t want to be here and wants a 5 year max