The Best of Carson

Posted: October 10th, 2017 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 175 Comments »

Carson Wentz is going to be a hot button topic in the football world for a while. Those who didn’t like him before the draft continue to find ways to nitpick his game, seemingly changing the arguments against him on a weekly basis. Eagles fans don’t help matters, telling his critics about every TD throw or big play as soon as they happen.

Those in the middle who are trying to honestly evaluate the young QB can’t decide what to say. There is no question that Wentz is very talented and he has some great moments, but he still has moments where he reminds you that he’s a young QB and has a long way to go. It is too soon to say that’s he has definitely taken the next step and is now a consistently good QB. You need 10 or so games to make a call like that.

I do know that Wentz is playing the best football of his young career and I wrote about that for PE.com. His stats are all trending upward, which is a good sign. At the same time, we do know numbers can lie. Just look at Nick Foles 2013 season of 27 TDs and 2 INTs.

Wentz is passing the eye test as well as posting good numbers.

Foles had a couple of big plays where WRs were covered, tipped the ball, caught it and ran past the DBs for TDs. Those clearly are fluke plays and they were made by the receivers. Compare that to Wentz’s amazing play from the opener.

Wentz made that play. Agholor certainly helped, but it was Wentz who did the heavy lifting.

He’s making big time throws, avoiding pressure in the pocket, running for 1st downs and protecting the ball better. I also love that he’s playing smarter. Remember when Ertz couldn’t make the catch in the end zone? Carson had the coaches run the play again, from a slightly different formation. Ertz got open again and this time he and Wentz connected for the TD.

It would be nice to jump 10 years into the future so we could see what happened. Did Wentz become a truly great QB? Did he lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win? But that would also spoil the fun of the journey. We have a lot to learn about Wentz and the Eagles.

Right now we know he is talented, looks like Opie on steroids and loves North Dakota about as much as I love PBR and chocolate pudding. His future hasn’t been written yet.

Remember that Daunte Culpepper once looked like a major star, but he faded quickly. Alex Smith looked like a bust until he met Jim Harbaugh and Andy Reid. At this point in his career, Aaron Rodgers was still more than a year away from becoming the starter. Brett Favre and Tom Brady had barely become starters. Wentz already has a career record of 11-10 and looks like a player on the rise.

Enjoy the ride.

Enjoy the tests.

We’ll see a good one on Thursday night when the Eagles play the Panthers and their #3 defense. A strong performance there will be another piece of evidence to put in the Wentz is Really Good file.

*****

Just for fun…

One thing we absolutely do know…dude has big time talent. He is a gifted QB.

_

175 Comments on “The Best of Carson”

  1. 1 Howie Littlefinger said at 12:14 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Good write up as usual.

    Most of us can agree on one thing about Wentz: He is the best shot we have had at a Superbowl in a long time.

  2. 2 RC5000 said at 12:29 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Love the article TL. Very well written. I think the last two weeks have been a joy to watch in terms of his development in addition to the games and wins. Wentz can hurt you in a few ways…scrambling, with a strong arm , with smarts, maybe even running once in a while…that’s what excites me. Meanwhile he will inspire teammates to rise to the occasion he says hopefully .

  3. 3 Mr. Magee said at 12:34 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Tommy is right that we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves… Carson is going to have bad games and even bad stretches, and predicting Super Bowls at this point is silly.

    BUT, there’s nothing wrong with fans calling ’em like they see ’em, and IMHO, young Carson Wentz is THE difference on this team. Everything about the Eagles – including even the defense – is different with Wentz as QB. He is the engine that makes the whole thing go. They are probably below average without him… just another struggling organization trying to define themselves and figure out what to build around. With him, they have a chance in almost any game they play; he is the X factor that makes everyone around him better. And he is only going to get better.

    Other than that, he’s just another guy…

  4. 4 laeagle said at 1:49 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Ugh, I just tried imagining this team with Bradford at the helm. And I liked Bradford. Ugh.

  5. 5 ColorSgt said at 4:16 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Boooo! Lol 1-4.

  6. 6 SteveH said at 12:40 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    I have no idea where my expectations will be if we down Carolina.

  7. 7 tball_man said at 8:35 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Yep, yep, yep. Injured DBs coming back. A bunch of rookies gaining valuable experience in meantime. There aren’t many sharp edges that stand out and make feel like there’s a fatal flaw in the squad (safety depth maybe). If the D can keep it tight, my money’s on our offense to outperform Cam.

  8. 8 Guy Media said at 7:19 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’m tempering my enthusiasm until they win a game (like this one) that I don’t expect to win without having any choke mode games mixed in. If they win this game and get on roll going into the bye, I’ll start to get hype.

  9. 9 izzylangfan said at 1:07 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Foles had that amazing run, so did Vick. But after that you just were wracked with fear that they were going to throw some dumb ass interception, and they did. I don’t think Wentz is going to be that guy.

  10. 10 CrackSammich said at 2:59 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    He’s definitely improved in the stupid INT department. This time last year, he was good for one every time the game was on the line. I don’t have that fear of him doing it anymore, though I’m sure one’s coming eventually.

  11. 11 ChoTime said at 12:23 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    IMO Pederson has really helped him out with the game plan the last few games. Starting with the run is huge. Alleviating the pressure on Wentz to not be Superman every possession seems to have helped slow the game down for him.

    But we have played some pretty flawed teams, too. This Thursday will be interesting.

  12. 12 daveH said at 7:24 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Person had played to these flaws as well. .love that.
    We are lucky to have flawed teams early and build momentum

  13. 13 iceberg584 said at 1:42 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Well, he sort of had one this past Sunday. He tried to force a high-difficulty, high-risk throw to Ertz in the end zone before the half. It cost us three points that we thankfully never needed.

  14. 14 TXEaglesFan said at 1:17 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    He also seemed to learn to give up that extra yard and get down or out of bounds. I recall him taking some unnecessary hits last year on scrambles.

  15. 15 ColorSgt said at 4:12 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    It probably would have been worse of he didn’t get popped in preseason last year. It’s good to see he’s learning. Vick couldn’t figure out that standing on the sidelines because he refused to slide wasn’t helping the team.

  16. 16 CrackSammich said at 1:50 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    I really hope he keeps the scrambling to a minimum this week with Keuchly out there.

  17. 17 Charlie Kelly said at 2:51 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    good times!! #FlyEaglesFly

  18. 18 Anders said at 5:31 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    The best thing is, Wentz is not peaking yet. Look at most great QBs, they first peak around age 30 in terms of passing.

  19. 19 eagleyankfan said at 7:21 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Two things we’re learning….QB’s do not have to sit for 2-3 years after being drafted. Nobody can predict how Rogers or Brady would have done if they started right away. Second – waiting on rb’s in a draft because ‘they are rb’s’ is silly. Some amazing play going on last two years with young rb’s.

    ….

    this I find funny(and great) at the same time — Carson had the coaches run the play again, from a slightly different formation.

  20. 20 Howie Littlefinger said at 11:37 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Yeah but the best RB was a 3rd rounder. The drop off for RBs is not steep from round to round. I think Clement has been decent and he was a f/a

  21. 21 eagleyankfan said at 2:10 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I wasn’t clear … I meant in general…not Eagles related…

  22. 22 A_T_G said at 11:44 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    I think what we are learning may be more accurately characterized as SOME QBs don’t need to sit for 2-3 years. And that sitting or not sitting likely has no correlation to success. We don’t know about Rogers or Brady, but I wonder if Brady would have been strong enough.

    Look at Steve Young, for example. He was a failure with TB after playing in the USFL. He sat behind Montana and became historically good. Had he not had the chance to sit, maybe he never succeeds.

    I think trying to generalize the “right way” to develop all QBs is impossible.

  23. 23 ChoTime said at 12:26 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Well, Montana might have failed in TB. I think the lesson is that bad teams wreck QBs, and good teams allow them to develop to their fullest. Young, who apparently has a photographic memory, might have been good out of the box in SF.

  24. 24 eagleyankfan said at 2:17 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Agreed…I think A. Rogers would still be the same person even if he started game 1. I’m not saying he didn’t learn anything from Farvara/Fervehera/Farfreah/Favre( 🙂 ) — I’m saying he wasn’t drafted with zero skills and sitting and learning from Favre transformed Rogers to who he is today…

  25. 25 ChoTime said at 2:39 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    If only we could run A/B experiments, so we’ll never know.

  26. 26 eagleyankfan said at 7:42 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    Problem is, the same qb would have to be used in both experiments. I guess the world will never know…(just like how many licks it takes to get to the center of…..)

  27. 27 eagleyankfan said at 2:09 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Why do you wonder about Brady?

  28. 28 A_T_G said at 7:06 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Just looking at the trend line to how much stronger and better he got over the 5 years after he was the starter and projecting backwards past the point where he started playing, I think it is possible the rookie did not have what it would take.

  29. 29 mark2741 said at 7:00 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Also let’s not forget the fact that the organization, starting with Lurie, prioritized not only getting a QB but putting in place the support and mentorship in the form of Chase Daniel, Doug Pedersen, Frank Reich, and the QB coach. In particular, Chase Daniel was vital to giving Wentz a day by day (really minute by minute) weekly routine for prep, etc. The opposite of that structure? Just ask Hue Jackson.

  30. 30 ChoTime said at 12:25 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I don’t agree about the RBs. We have gotten good production out of no names this year, and I think most decent offenses do. We need CBs far more than RBs.

  31. 31 Mac said at 12:47 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    (same can be said for a certain division opponent who passed on a 1st round CB to draft an RB)

  32. 32 eagleyankfan said at 2:04 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    We have 2 extremely good cb’s…injured. I didn’t mean to imply Eagles need rb’s…it was more an ‘in general’. With that said – I’d trade any rb on the team for the rb’s taken in the 1st round…

  33. 33 ChoTime said at 9:44 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I don’t think they’re proven to be good CBs. We’ll see next year…

  34. 34 eagleyankfan said at 7:28 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    The are shut down corners – best in the nfl! Until they hit the field :). No crushing my dreams so soon….

  35. 35 stephenstempo said at 1:20 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    That’s a vague generalization. Let me try this with something else. “I think what we are learning with Guitarists is that they don’t “have” to take lessons.” Now see that looks silly doesn’t it? Just because Jimmy Hendrix was self taught doesn’t mean that all guitarists could or should be self taught. Some do some don’t. Just like Qb’s some should probably sit some shouldn’t.

    Also the argument about waiting on RB’s isn’t that “they are Rb’s!” It’s: well, the drop off in production from RB drafted in 2nd and 3rd rounds is much less sever than at nearly every other position so focusing on those positions that have much more success coming in the 1st round is a far more efficient use of resources. Especially if you have a glaring need at one of those positions. You get more return on value. The argument was never “Don’t draft running backs in the first round.” That’s the argument people use to strawman the first argument away. If a running back looks like a dramatic talent and you have a need at RB and that RB will improve your team at that position more than another player will at another position you have to make that move.Which is just about basic game theory and valuation.

    Also I think it was a problem that we had a few really bad drafts for RB talent for a while until the last few years.

  36. 36 eagleyankfan said at 2:06 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    guessing you weren’t on the boards the last 2 drafts…people, politely of course, have said – no rb is worth drafting round 1 because rb talent can be found at any round….

  37. 37 Howie Littlefinger said at 2:50 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Look all I’m saying is:

    Jordan Howard, David Johnson, Kareem Hunt, Leveon bell, Shady, Devonta Freeman, Jay Ajayi, are all damn good running backs not taken in the first.

  38. 38 eagleyankfan said at 3:01 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    you’re missing my point. I never said you can’t find great value later. My argument if for those that state there is never enough talent at rb to draft round 1. My argument is talent coming out of college is never a guarantee – at any position – so if there is a ‘college’ talented rb and your team has a need – why not take them?
    …..
    Fournette/Christian/Zeke — are pretty darn good too…

  39. 39 mark2741 said at 7:03 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Context matters too – most of these teams that draft RBs high don’t have a good enough team around them. It’s like signing a top-notch FA closer in baseball when you don’t even have a quality starting rotation set.

  40. 40 eagleyankfan said at 7:28 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    thinking Dallas and Jag’s had a pretty teams going into the last 2 drafts. I think it’s the opposite of what you’re saying…These teams were only needing rb’s…but it is mostly context…agreed.

  41. 41 mark2741 said at 9:05 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    Jags didn’t (and don’t) have a pretty good team – they don’t have a franchise QB so they are out of the running. Dallas didn’t either given Romo’s health but got lucky picking up Dak in the 4th. Even Jerry Jones has stated that had he been given the chance to take Wentz instead of Zeke he would have.

  42. 42 Dan in Philly said at 7:42 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Wentz is an excellent combination of game manager and playmaker. A lot of game managers can make plays and vice versa. McNabb was a great playmaker who was an ok game manager but not a great one for example. Vick usually trusted his play making ability to the detriment of running the offense consistently. Wentz runs the offense like an old vet and has the ability to make something happen if the play doesn’t work. It’s both impressive and fun to watch.

  43. 43 Masked Man said at 11:17 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    Game Manager plus Play Maker…

    Plus that Coach on the Field quality.
    Carson’s got a rare combination of qualities.

  44. 44 Howie Littlefinger said at 11:36 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    I don’t think he is the best young passer but I do think he is the best young QB.

    Too often people confuse the two as if they are the same.

  45. 45 Masked Man said at 11:55 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    P. Manning won his last Super Bowl with a noodle arm, running the offense down the field with run pass option calls at the line of scrimmage and relying on a solid defense. Made great decisions and got another ring in the process with his arm totally worn out during the season. Decision making.

  46. 46 KillaKadafi said at 6:29 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    That dwfense cannot be described as solid.
    That D won the SB

  47. 47 Masked Man said at 9:17 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    No doubt the defense won the Lombardi.
    But your QB has to bring something to the table.
    Sam Bradford didn’t win the Lombardi last year.
    In 2015 Peyton game managed enough points to win.
    And he did it with no throwing arm after about game 6.
    And no dominant RB.
    Haven’t seen anything like it since Trent Dilfer.
    All he had to do was hand the ball off to the RB.
    Peyton had no historic RB like Jamal Lewis.

  48. 48 KillaKadafi said at 12:40 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    I understand what your saying, however I think I don’t think that is a truely accurate picture of the Broncos SB run. QB was the weakness for Denver until Osweiler came in for a struggling Manning just after the halfway mark of the season and played pretty well, in 7 starts he had 1967 yards. Keep in mind D Thomas had over 1300 yards receiving by the end of the regular season and Sanders over 1100 yards.
    Denvers’ RB duo combined for over 1500 yards rushing Hillman 863 yards @ 4.2 ypc and CJ Anderson 720 yards @ 4.7 ypc.
    The team performed well as a whole, iirc continuing with a struggling Manning became the issue.

  49. 49 Masked Man said at 12:59 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    Maybe I am romanticizing that Denver season.
    Good answer, Kadafi.
    Anyway, Go Eagles!

  50. 50 FairOaks said at 4:34 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Does seem like he is very good making on the field changes, but Peyton was so far off on another planet in that regard I’m not sure any player should be compared to him. The Colts went from a perennial 12-14 win team while he was there to 2-14 when he got hurt. QBs matter a ton, but that much discrepancy is ridiculous. They relied on him almost completely. The Eagles would probably win a certain number of games with Foles as currently constructed.

  51. 51 ChoTime said at 1:57 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The most startling thing for me is the many changes he makes at the line of scrimmage.

  52. 52 Howie Littlefinger said at 2:42 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’m a fan of the hard count for free downs

    I feel like we never had that here before

  53. 53 P_P_K said at 2:51 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Especially for such a young qb. Props to Doug for giving him that freedom.

  54. 54 Seth S. Scott said at 10:27 AM on October 11th, 2017:

    such a gifted QB!! it is really exciting to see the eagles making the right steps and looking like they definitely have improved in almost every way over the off season. feels good regardless of their record…..although 5-1 would be TOPS

  55. 55 GermanEagle said at 12:03 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Cox is a game-time decision. As already pointed out, keep your expectations low.

    Thank me later.

  56. 56 Sean E said at 1:08 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I think he goes. Beau and Vaeao are banged up.

  57. 57 GermanEagle said at 1:35 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    That could play a role. Have they been ruled out yet?!

  58. 58 Sean E said at 1:45 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Final injury report is out. Beau, Vaeao, Cox, and Long are all questionable. I list Long because I think Curry, especially can play DT if needed.

  59. 59 SteveH said at 5:43 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I think Curry might be a better DT than DE at this point.

  60. 60 GermanEagle said at 5:46 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I think you may be right.

  61. 61 GermanEagle said at 12:26 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I hope the Eagles sign Nolan Carroll…

  62. 62 A_T_G said at 12:46 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Blocked!

  63. 63 GermanEagle said at 1:35 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    booooooo

  64. 64 A_T_G said at 2:00 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The only break ups Nolan gets is between himself and team rosters.

  65. 65 Dave said at 1:19 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I was shocked when the Cowboys gave him a $3M signing bonus. Did they not watch any of his tape?

  66. 66 FairOaks said at 4:42 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    They ended up paying him $4 million for 5 games. Wow. Bit surprised they would drop him before the season was over, unless he was a locker room issue. He was a sunk cost and there could always be injuries. I suppose there could be a player on the practice squad they prefer, and want the roster spot.

  67. 67 RC5000 said at 1:50 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I think I’d rather they sign Nolan Patrick.

  68. 68 Ryan Rambo said at 3:20 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’d rather they sign Nolan Ryan that that sorry sack of scum.

  69. 69 sonofdman said at 4:06 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Are you out of your mind? It’s a day early to be drinking for the game.

  70. 70 GermanEagle said at 4:23 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Lol. *sarcasm is not your friend. 😉

  71. 71 sonofdman said at 10:57 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    LOL. You got me 🙂

  72. 72 daveH said at 7:10 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Michael Bradley is my most hated athlete in the country.
    Poor scientist of his game.

  73. 73 A_T_G said at 12:45 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Westy and Mike are going to fight.
    https://twitter.com/36westbrook/status/918107345812709381

  74. 74 or____ said at 1:07 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’m siding with Westy…

  75. 75 Guy Media said at 7:14 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The time to rock that discussion again is going into next offseason

  76. 76 or____ said at 11:21 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Perhaps…

  77. 77 SteveH said at 5:42 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The greatest thing in the world would be Mike tweeting him that he’s wrong.

  78. 78 Guy Media said at 7:14 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    If they’re going going to use Barner as a PR temp until they upgrade next season, I can’t get worked up over the guy. It isn’t like they’re keeping him on the roster over superior talent at this point.

  79. 79 Guy Media said at 7:12 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Ha. Might want to get a CTE study going on Westy!

  80. 80 D3FB said at 2:39 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    He’s a solid return guy but he’s pretty fungible as an RB.

  81. 81 Kevin K said at 1:00 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Just out of curiosity… I’ve always wondered, Tommy, if you drink PBR *while* eating chocolate pudding, looking at Megan Fox pictures, and listening to Maiden? I hope not.

  82. 82 Tumtum said at 1:18 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    You just described Tommy’s Sundays when football isn’t on TV.

  83. 83 RC5000 said at 1:52 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Beer and chocolate pudding at the same time …I think you’d have to be stoned out of your gourd.

  84. 84 ChoTime said at 2:39 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    the only problem is the beer and the pudding at the same time, the rest fits quite nicely.

  85. 85 P_P_K said at 2:53 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Just use your imagination, there’s a way to make it all work.

  86. 86 ChoTime said at 1:56 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Football Outsider’s rankings came out. Some very interesting results: the Eagles shot up to #5 from #12, mostly on the back of the offense #6 and special teams #1. This is a *huge* turnaround, since last year their offense was in the mid-twenties and the defense top 5. The defense is only ranked #14 this year.

    Kansas City is at #1 by a large margin. What’s more interesting are the odd results (this is where you can beat the conventional wisdom).

    WAS is #2! (they were #4 last week) Jacksonville is #3. The top 2-6 teams are clustered together tightly.

    CAR is ranked #17.

    http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2017/week-5-dvoa-ratings

  87. 87 SteveH said at 2:03 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    You know, it’s nice to be so highly regarded by the league right now, but at the same time I have to wonder if everyone isn’t getting ahead of themselves. I still think this team has some really exploitable flaws that could cost us this year… I would still put us in the 8-10 range if I was making a power ranking list.

  88. 88 ChoTime said at 2:38 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The stats are objectively based (FO charts _every single play_ and the #s are the result of that), so it doesn’t have anything to do with conventional wisdom. But I know what you mean, this past week we flipped from under the radar to a front-runner, Carson went from unknown to the new Peyton Manning, and there’s a very good chance we’re not quite that good. Still, FO’s stats are encouraging.

  89. 89 SteveH said at 3:29 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    FO stats are nice yes, but I still feel like we, or people, might be getting ahead of themselves with this team… I don’t think we’re realistically a conference championship type team yet.

    Though it doesn’t hurt to dream big I suppose, at least until those dreams are smashed.

  90. 90 Bert's Bells said at 3:42 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Consensus seems to be the Eagles are in position to win the NFCE and hopefully a playoff game while grooming a QB who can keep them contending for the several years. Is that too much?

  91. 91 SteveH said at 4:10 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    It’s the Eagles… I never want to get ahead of myself lol.

  92. 92 Bert's Bells said at 4:33 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Excellent point!

  93. 93 wee2424 said at 6:42 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    That is a very accurate assessment in which holds true, however Wentz is more then the average young QB. Some take that to the extreme and that is why some out there are saying we are a top 4 team in which I do not think is accurate.

    With that said if Wentz has a good game on Thursday and we win then I do think it’s valid to think that we are a top 4 team.

  94. 94 Sean E said at 6:51 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    If PHI isn’t, then who is at this point in our conference? There isn’t a single NFC team that is clearly better than the Eagles.

  95. 95 iceberg584 said at 6:58 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The 2014 Panthers went 7-8-1, then won the conference the next season.

    The 2015 Falcons went 8-8, then won the conferences the next season.

    I don’t see why we can’t make a deep playoff run. Because a sober projection suggests it *should* take longer? There’s no juggernaut in this conference.

  96. 96 D3FB said at 2:38 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    Anyone that gets in has a punchers chance.I think we’re still a tier below the top teams though. We would be dogs against Atlanta or Green Bay though. I’d put us behind KC, DEN, GB, ATL at least.

    This is still probably more of a 9 or 10 win team for me that will probably need a result on the final day of the season.

    Let’s see how they do at the Panthers, Seahawks, and Rams. Let’s see them beat the Broncos.

    I would still consider this to be more of a team that’s going to have to prove themselves the opening weekend of the playoffs against a dangerous Lions, Panthers or Rams.

  97. 97 ChoTime said at 9:42 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The teams that have proved it over and over again will probably rise, others will turn out to be flashes in the pan. My guess is we’re not quite as good as we think we are now, but that we’re pretty good. Teams at this phase of their development can make Superbowls, though.

  98. 98 Julescat said at 3:49 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    the Redskins won the division a few years ago playing a last place schedule and not beating any teams with a winning record. Stats can be misleading in the NFL.

  99. 99 Bert's Bells said at 4:34 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    FO attempts to adjust their formula for strength of opponent.

  100. 100 FairOaks said at 4:43 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Not until six games are played, I believe. (Though they may use last year’s rankings for strength of opponent for now.)

  101. 101 FairOaks said at 4:19 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Sure, but Washington has exploitable flaws too. Kansas City seems like the best team to this point — things can change in a hurry in the NFL — and yet the Eagles were more than even with them for a lot of the game, until the turnovers. So yes, we absolutely have exploitable flaws, which the other team having the right matchups can expose. We could be facing one this week, which may dramatically change both ours and Carolina’s rankings if things go wrong (for us). It can be hard to know ahead of time which opponent has your kryptonite on their roster. But, most other teams also have flaws just as big.

    FO’s rankings do not take into account strength of opponent yet. I think they wait for at least six games for that — at which point the Eagles will probably get better, given KC and Washington being above them.

  102. 102 ChoTime said at 9:39 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    On the adjustments, I’m not sure because some of our wins are to bottom feeders and they might not be getting better.

  103. 103 FairOaks said at 9:52 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I think they stated last week that if they added strength-of-schedule stuff, the Eagles and Redskins would sort of help each other climb higher.

    Eagles have played the #1 team very close, and beaten the #2 team. Chargers, despite the poor record, have played all the teams pretty close and are not ranked at the bottom. We beat one poor team badly, so that is fine too. Barely beating the Giants could weigh us down a bit, but just about everything else is (currently) in our favor.

    But 5 games is a small sample size — one bad loss can overwhelm everything else in their rankings. Carolina is 4-1 but ranked 17th — that is because three of their wins have been by slim margins, and the fourth was to a bad team — all positive, but not hugely positive — and the sum of all four of those were counterbalanced by getting blasted by a poor team (the Saints), which wiped out the accumulated positives from all their other games, statistics-wise. One bad game for us and we’d plummet way back down ourselves.

  104. 104 Dave said at 7:36 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Good stuff

  105. 105 Nailed It! said at 2:56 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Holy shit DRC was just suspended for the team after walking out on the Giants. Oh DRC such a familiar feeling with you and the 2012 team.

  106. 106 Dave said at 3:50 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Here is how their secondary and WRs look now:

    https://dazedprod.blob.core.windows.net/dazed-prod/1190/4/1194100.gif

  107. 107 A_T_G said at 6:52 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    That’s not accurate. Three out of the four feet on that dumpster should be broken.

  108. 108 Insomniac said at 8:41 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Co52y85XYAAWs_O.jpg

  109. 109 FairOaks said at 4:43 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Maybe he thought he was on the 2012 Eagles again, and acted accordingly…

  110. 110 FairOaks said at 4:46 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I was sort of hoping McAdoo would survive and hobble the Giants for another couple of seasons, but … getting the feeling he could be bad enough to be fired during the season, which the Maras are normally loathe to do.

  111. 111 Dave said at 7:30 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Crazy how McAdoo could have been the Eagles coach if the Giants hadn’t stepped to the plate to retain him.

  112. 112 Guy Media said at 7:06 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Overrated turd of a human

  113. 113 Dave said at 7:35 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    That dude is crazy dumb. It wasn’t that long ago that he won a Super Bowl with Denver and was offered a $54M deal. He turned it down and the Broncos signed Aquib Talib instead. DRC settled for $35M from the Giants.

    Fun fact, he is part of the unit known as NYPD the New York Pass Defense…lol

  114. 114 Nailed It! said at 7:56 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Well, yes. But it’s just incredible where we are 5 games into the season and the level of dysfunction in the Giants locker room is amazing. I am just loving it.

  115. 115 Ryan Rambo said at 3:18 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Haha!!!

    Cowboys DT Stephen Paea informed the team he is retiring after seven seasons.
    Paea played 145 largely ineffective snaps Weeks 1-4, but didn’t see the field Week 5 against the Packers. That likely had a lot to do with DT David Irving coming back from suspension. It’s still a blow to Dallas’ depth. A former second-rounder of the Bears, Paea also played for the Redskins and Browns.

  116. 116 SteveH said at 5:45 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Kalil is out for the game, so the Panthers will be down Olsen and Kalil. Kind of evens out Johnson, Darby, and possibly Cox being out for us.

    I always like it when the injury reports feel even.

  117. 117 GermanEagle said at 5:55 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    You forgot Coleman, their starting S.

  118. 118 SteveH said at 6:02 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I didn’t forget him. He just wasn’t worth mentioning.

  119. 119 CrackSammich said at 6:08 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Coleman is an inspiration to us all. The Little Safety that Could. The try hard, take his lunch pail to work, everyman, Pro Bowler. You watch your damn mouth.

  120. 120 Guy Media said at 7:05 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2aB0aGLKJo

  121. 121 GermanEagle said at 7:16 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The video is blocked but i assume it’s the tackle when Coleman loses his helmet. So how on earth was Richardson making a fool of Kurt???

  122. 122 Guy Media said at 7:19 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Because Coleman got steamrolled by a notorious draft bust.

  123. 123 CrackSammich said at 7:31 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    You mean the play where Coleman got off his block, and then took a big hit from a guy with a weight advantage running full speed while he was flat footed, yet still made the tackle and prevented a first down?

    Yeah, you showed him.

  124. 124 Guy Media said at 7:35 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The one where he got mocked endlessly on every highlight broadcast?

  125. 125 CrackSammich said at 7:51 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Oh, are we suddenly jumping on the Media-Is-Smart wagon?

  126. 126 Guy Media said at 7:54 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Not a bandwagon. Coleman has sucked for a long time.

  127. 127 GermanEagle said at 9:21 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Not as much as Mostert.

  128. 128 SteveH said at 8:02 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Ok fine… It matters a little bit that he’s out and I’m sure he’s a lovely person.

  129. 129 Guy Media said at 8:03 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    If he was that lovely, he’d apologize for how he played here.

  130. 130 GermanEagle said at 6:14 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    He’s still a starter for them and if you like it or not he carved out a pretty nice career for himself. I am happy for him.

  131. 131 Chris said at 6:28 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I agree on the Eagles fans dont help matters
    specifically Cian Fahey, I bet he gets 100 mentions every time Wentz does something good..its like chill guys your giving him ammo lol
    I want him to bring up Wentz on his own if he balls out

  132. 132 Guy Media said at 7:06 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Cian Fahey needs to be harassed endlessly until he apologizes or quits Twitter.

  133. 133 Dave said at 7:28 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I unfollowed him within a few days of of coming across his feed and following him. He fell the way of ESP, Lombardo, BGN and countless other scribes who offer no meaningful insight or analysis.

  134. 134 Guy Media said at 7:30 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    He goes out of his way to slam Wentz, so I put him a step below dopes like ESP and Lombaro. He’s even worse than douche boy Chris Albright. He is the fake analytics version of Merril Hoge and needs to be punished.

  135. 135 Dave said at 7:39 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’m very selective with my Eagles Twitter feed.

  136. 136 ChoTime said at 9:38 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    These guys everyone is hating on, I don’t even know who they are. People need some credibility to be debated.

  137. 137 or____ said at 11:35 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Whoa, BGN ain’t esp, nor is Lombardo. You’re at equating a slap on the wrist to steel toe in the nuts with a running start now…

  138. 138 Dave said at 8:39 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    I disagree.

  139. 139 laeagle said at 7:56 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Anyone who can’t take the simple step of admitting then they’re wrong should stay away from other humans. It’s as simple as that. What’s the harm in saying you were wrong in an evaluation? You lose nothing. Guys like Mike Mayock do it all the time. Fran Duffy, Greg Cosell, etc. Teams are wrong all the time, why wouldn’t analysts be wrong?

    This idea that you have to dig your heels in on absolutely everything has got to go. It’s terrible for sports, it’s worse in politics, and it has no place in a civilized society. People are so preoccupied with losing “face” or whatever bullshit justification they come up with for wanting to seem omnipotent that common sense is just lost. You lose nothing by admitting you were wrong. You can further the discussion by reviewing what was wrong. it’s great. Conversely, all rational discourse is lost if you can’t admit you’re wrong. You never get to talk about real things because you’re spending so much time justifying whatever bullshit it was you said in the past. And you end up looking like a giant asshole.

    As a counter example, I offer you Guy (neé Media) Mike. He (you) had no problem giving Kenjon Barner his props after last week’s effort. I take my hat off to you, fellow civilized human.

  140. 140 Guy Media said at 8:01 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Ha. It isn’t hard on Barner. He played well and didn’t displace a guy who I think is a better player.

  141. 141 Nailed It! said at 8:12 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    You know people learn the most when they make a mistake and try to understand why they made the mistake, instead of doubling down on what lead them to the mistake.

  142. 142 Guy Media said at 8:13 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Giants and adding more WRs when they needed O line?

  143. 143 or____ said at 11:32 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    You’re saying a team loses wr 1-4 and shouldn’t add WR?

  144. 144 or____ said at 11:31 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Bravo

  145. 145 A_T_G said at 6:53 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    We do not all agree politically, but we can all agree this is a great outcome from the recent debate…
    https://twitter.com/rapsheet/status/918115848983900160

  146. 146 CrackSammich said at 7:28 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’m all for work forces of all types organizing. Even the NFLPA is getting off their asses to make statements today, the fucking hacks.

  147. 147 A_T_G said at 7:49 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Well, me too, but I wasn’t even going that contentious.

    I just meant we can all support internal conflict on the Cowboys.

  148. 148 Ark87 said at 10:08 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    But have to live with passionately being on either the Cowboy’s players’ side or Jerruh’s side. Yuck.

  149. 149 Tumtum said at 9:19 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Not to start a whole big thing, but could you parse Jerry’s comments for me? He wants the players to stand now, but I imagine there is some sort of qualifying “if” “and” or something.

  150. 150 Ark87 said at 9:36 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’ll take a stab at it.

    The quote for reference: “If there is anything disrespecting the flag, then we will not play. Period. We’re going to respect the flag and I’m going to create the perception of it. We cannot in anyway give the implication that we tolerate disrespecting the flag. We know that there is a serious debate in this country about those issues, but there is no question in my mind, that the [NFL] and the Dallas Cowboys are going to stand up for the flag.”

    Lots of lawyery stuff going on in his use of language. Anyone disrespecting the flag either will not play for the Cowboys or may cause Jerruh and the boys to do a Pence-esque counter protest (ballsy power play and a nasty threat to the league), but is not immediately specific on what is respect and what is not. He then acknowledges his players strong feelings about “issues”, but insists they will sell the “perception” of respecting the flag as their company brand if you will. Or perhaps even selling the idea that whatever gestures are made will bend over backwards to broadcast whatever “respect for the flag” looks like. The last bit isn’t necessarily finishing the first sentence, “stand or you don’t play”, just that southern bullshit where publicly they politely hope for a certain outcome. While privately being mean as a rattlesnake with pointed demands.

  151. 151 ChoTime said at 9:45 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    It’s a mealymouthed statement for sure.

  152. 152 FairOaks said at 9:44 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Wow. I had figured he had met with the team beforehand and worked out something where he could say this publicly (like letting the players kneel before the anthem, like they did before, or something like that).

    But if he didn’t, he just created a big wedge between himself and the players. I’ll take self-created distractions for $200, Alex.

    If that gets to the point where a huge part of the team takes a stand and kneels…. popcorn.

    On the other hand, the standing-and-raising-the-first bit seems to conform to CBA rules. Or “game operations manual” rules, which I’m not sure is part of the CBA or not.

  153. 153 Guy Media said at 7:26 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’m really struggling with this week’s game. Being on the road for a Thursday game isn’t a recipe for success and Carolina has a good record as well……………………..but I really want to see our D hand out some punishment and really beat down Cam for a big statement win in conference.

  154. 154 Dave said at 7:43 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    If I’m being honest, I am at the point with Wentz that I see us keeping up with any team in the league scoring-wise. My concerns are the CBs getting roasted with big plays.

  155. 155 Guy Media said at 7:53 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I’m not worried about Funchess and Benjamin as much vs. our CBs because they’re not fast WRs.

  156. 156 ChoTime said at 9:36 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    I think as long as Pederson doesn’t s__t the bed, we should be in it and maybe even slightly favored.

  157. 157 Dragon_Eagle said at 8:44 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Carolina is going expose our weaknesses in a big way. We crash back to reality tomorrow night. Carolina 35 Eagles 16 and its not that close.

  158. 158 wee2424 said at 8:56 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Out of curiosity what weaknesses are you stating they will expose. Not saying the Birds don’t have any weaknesses, they do, but Carolina’s strengths on O somewhat play to our strengths on D.

  159. 159 Dragon_Eagle said at 9:11 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    1) CBs – Cam’s mobility buys extra time and he’ll hit his WRs deep as our CBs are vulnerable.
    2) Cam is mobile and against a rush of 4, will get 1st downs that Rivers, Manning, and Palmer could not.
    3) OL sans Lane Johnson. Just hope Wentz comes away in 1 piece.
    4) Our running has been great last few weeks against bad rushing Defense teams. That’s not Carolina. Our rushing game isn’t that good. They have the talent to shut it down and make us 1 dimensional.

    Time’s yours.

  160. 160 daveH said at 9:14 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    It’s either this week or a letdown back to reality game next week .. so it shall shall bum us out, but not break us

  161. 161 Tumtum said at 9:16 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Guess that is why they play the games! Should be exciting to see where we are at for all those reasons.

  162. 162 GermanEagle said at 9:17 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    The same can be said if you replace Eagles with Panthers. Which means it won’t surprise me if the final score is Eagles 35, Panthers 15.

    For me the game can go either way. No major injuries is my main goal though.

  163. 163 CrackSammich said at 9:27 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Kendricks spies Cam. Times Yours.

  164. 164 Dragon_Eagle said at 9:55 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    And are you taking Hicks or Bradham off the field in nickel?

    Times yours.

  165. 165 CrackSammich said at 2:03 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    Jenkins/Bradham/Hicks spies Cam. Times… this game isn’t even fun.

  166. 166 eagleyankfan said at 7:25 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    and when Eagles blitz? Every team in the nfl is vulnerable when a QB scrambles. You know..like how Wentz scrambled vs. AZ….

  167. 167 wee2424 said at 1:19 PM on October 12th, 2017:

    Those really aren’t weaknesses on the Eagles part as they are strengths on Carolina’s part.

    Argument can be made that it is better to rush 4 against Newton that way once he passes the line of scrimmage there will be someone to make tackle as opposed to a blitzer missing the blita and laying down in the backfield.

    I think we are more adept to handle Cams scrambling ability then most teams. All of our starting DEs are good at setting the edge therefore playing contain. Hicks and Kendricks are very athletic and have the ability to chase Cam down or spy versus the average LB.

    Our CBs big weakness is getting beat due to speed. Their starting WRs do not have speed.

  168. 168 FairOaks said at 9:24 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    He’s predicted blowout losses for the Eagles the last two weeks — you want him to stop now?

  169. 169 wee2424 said at 10:39 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Lol I hear ya. Despite the pessimistic view I’m not debating with his opinion (I don’t necessarily agree), I’m just more curious as to the perceived weaknesses.

    In my view this is a very well rounded team with only 1 glaring hole which is the speed of our active outside CBs. I don’t see that being a weakness to exploit in this game because their WRs are very much on the physical side which for once plays into the hands of BOTH our outside CBs. Both of our outside CBs are willing and active tacklers as far as CBs go. They will not play intimidated despite the size advantage.

    I guess I am curious regarding his Points before I debate his view.

  170. 170 Ark87 said at 9:54 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    You are way overestimating Carolina, who has major weaknesses as well. Here in North Carolina people are plenty concerned about them. Carolina’s defense has some strengths in it that can stall our offense out in a big way. Specifically we love the middle of the field and the shallow width of the field. And they have 2 rangy linebackers who tackle very well in the middle of the field and go sideline to sideline, that can really throw a wrench in our offensive identity. Our 3rd down conversion rate is really damn good and probably unsustainable as is, but Carolina should excel at giving us fits if we try to be overly methodical and face too many third downs.

    Flip side: Our D matches up well with their O. Huge advantage in the trenches. Their weapons aren’t so dynamic that they will melt our secondary the way Odell can. And our linebackers are strong enough to handle the odd Cam scramble and running back gadgetry.

    That being said, special teams and big plays will decide this game. Whoever escapes the pocket and inflicts more improvised devastation upon the other team, Cam or Wentz (and makes fewer mistakes), will decide the game.

  171. 171 or____ said at 11:22 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    False

  172. 172 RC5000 said at 3:18 PM on October 12th, 2017:

    You keep trying Debbie Downer. Your dream is bound to come true one of these weeks.

  173. 173 daveH said at 9:10 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    Johnny reference .. superior play mr L ..watched him for years and just diddy get it until my 5th or is this my 6th visit today. …

  174. 174 TO BLACKS said at 9:43 PM on October 11th, 2017:

    AT LEAST CARSON ISN’T A DUMBASS FUCKING NI GGER

  175. 175 Flyin said at 12:43 AM on October 12th, 2017:

    This is off topic, just wanted to ask if the racist troll that goes by “To Blacks” has been posting lately?