Big D
Posted: November 17th, 2017 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 124 Comments »
D can stand for defense. It certainly has in Philadelphia over the years.
D can stand for Dallas.
On Sunday night, D will stand for desperate.
Dallas is 5-4. Should they lose to the Eagles, they would drop to 5-5 and trail the Eagles by four games. Really it would be five since the Eagles would hold the tiebreaker if they win on Sunday. There are only six games left after Sunday so trailing by four or five doesn’t make a huge difference. Either way, Dallas would be…DESPERATE.
The Cowboys aren’t assured of a wild card berth. They have a 4-3 record in NFC games. A loss on Sunday would drop them to .500 in those and that makes tiebreakers tough down the line. Carolina and Atlanta could be WC teams from the South. Seattle could be one from the West. Detroit and Green Bay are still alive in the North. Those teams will be competing for two spots.
Dallas knows the predicament they’re in. They will plan and play accordingly.
You saw them trying some different things last week. They forced the ball to Dez Bryant early in the game to try to get him going. They threw the ball to backup RB Rod Smith. Dak Prescott ran the ball nine times (only 23 the rest of the season). Dallas ran a fake punt.
It was almost as if Jason Garrett knew the team had to take chances and mix things up last week. They were going up against a 4-4 Falcons team that had given up 20 or more points for seven straight weeks.
It will be interesting to see what Dallas does this week. You could imagine Garrett coming up with some edgy gameplan and throwing the ball 40 times and doing something completely different. Or he could play very conservative and use six O-linemen on a regular basis.
Dallas might be wounded, but they are still dangerous. The pressure is going to be on Dak Prescott to carry this team. He couldn’t do that against Atlanta, but the coaches did a poor job of helping him. They didn’t use creative blocking to aid the LT. They left Chaz Green all on his own, as if this was just another game. That didn’t make any sense to me, especially coming from Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan, a couple of quality offensive minds.
Garrett and Linehan won’t repeat that mistake. They will use TEs and RBs to double-team or chip block on the RDE. They will use extra linemen in some sets. They will do a better job of protecting Prescott. They certainly can’t do much worse.
It will be fun to see the chess match between the Dallas staff and Jim Schwartz. He has talked about wanting to blitz mobile QBs in the past. He could come out and be very aggressive, but you also run the risk of letting Dallas beat you for a big play. Are they good enough to methodically march the ball down the field without Tyron Smith and Ezekiell Elliott? They weren’t last week.
Dallas will pull out all the stops to try and win this game. They know just how much this means. A win keeps their season very much alive. A loss is the first nail in their playoff coffin (or should I say the 5th?).
The fun aspect of this for the Eagles is that they don’t have to do anything special. They will win this game if they play good football and avoid major mistakes. Dallas is the team that has to come up with creative ways to get big plays on offense and defense. The Eagles have been that team in the past and it isn’t a whole lot of fun.
Life is a lot better when your team is playing well. I would say the Eagles are healthy, but that would be misleading. They’ll be missing some key guys, but have enough talent behind them to keep playing at a high level.
*****
Carson Wentz has a serious shot at NFL MVP. The last Eagle to do that was Derek Landri in 2011. I’m going off memory there, but I’m pretty sure that’s right.
Carson Wentz leads the NFL with 23 passing touchdowns this season
Each of the last 8 players to lead the NFL passing TD on the team with the best record won the MVP award@Eagles @cj_wentz pic.twitter.com/boAnMsnRY0
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) November 16, 2017
_
“D” also stands for DAK.
And that rhymes with SACK.
And if you’re flat on your Back
With a pain in your Rack
Then you’re DAK!
Hahaha. Go Eagles!
Run through him like a Mack…truck!
Graham, Cox, and Long will be delivering hits
With Curry and the Kid bringing the quicks
Your offensive plan’s getting shredded to bits
’cause our pass rush is top notch, our coverage don’t quit
Y’all call an audible since the D’s been giving you fits
But you picked play-action pass, and we just dialed up the blitz
This is the ultimate manhood check game for the Eagles. Take care of business or be called every name in the book; choose wisely!
Landri? Haha, love it.
(first time post ever, reading your stuff since ages)
I loved that guy!
I just hope this game doesn’t get sloppy with cheap shots and penaties.
Wow, that’s an amazing stat for Wentz.
Dallas will be fighting with desperation, true. But the Eagles are a better team, so they have that going for them. Any given Sunday and all but I anticipate a solid win.
We can wrap up the season this week? Yeah, I’m conditioned to see this as a loss already. You know Andy would.
These are not Reid’s Eagles.
Reid’s record coming off a bye was pretty darn good.
18-2
Whenever Howie’s time is up, I’d like whoever is responsible for scouting receivers in Pittsburgh as our next GM.
Looks like Howie finally got one in Hollins. Let’s see if he can keep it rolling.
No joke, the talent they’ve drafted up there is pretty amazing.
So Tommy’s latest rock reference is (The Cowboys are now) Desperado by the Eagles?
I’m thinking of a Queen song for Feb
Ah yes. Fat Bottomed Girls. Great song.
I love the juxatoposition of last week hearing prognostications that the Cowboys were the best team in the division and next week, after falling to 5-5, hearing them used as another example of the Eagles beating a team without a winning record. It will be marvelous.
Don’t forget the “wait till Zeke gets back!” comments.
I loved seeing graphic after graphic last weekend showing that such and such team was first in this and that defensive stat. Hmm, Fox/CBS TV personality, would you happen to have a guess as to why that team is #1 now instead of the Broncos? HMMMM?
MVP talk b4 Turkey day. Nice.
Mike Tanier argues that the fumble through the end zone is a touchback rule must go. This nugget was am favorite part: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a9c9341d031d1c45c8bf7a736945d999f9219c0603c8e86e9cb3934691bf2b78.png
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2744391-the-worst-rule-in-the-nfl-must-change-before-it-ruins-games-that-really-matter
That’s awesome!
Sounds like we need fan defenders in the end zones. You know, to protect the original purity of the game.
worked in the AFL in Boston
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPRCAb56JSo
I’m all in.
Tanier doesn’t know the rules as well as he thinks he does. For one, he uses the abolishing of touchbacks on incomplete passes in the end zone as support while ignoring the fact that ALL incomplete passes were once treated like penalties. Also, he gives his own (stupid) solution to avoid players purposely pitching the ball toward the pylon, when there’s already a rule on the books forbidding purposeful forward fumbles that was added to stop the “fumblerooski” play. And he mostly talks about the pylon, while ignoring the situation of a ball that rolls out of bounds in the end zone without touching the pylon. Do we really think a guy who fumbles the ball on the 2, allowing it to roll into the end zone and out of bounds, should then get the ball back at the 15? Talk about esoteric rules ruining the game!
I didn’t particularly like his suggestion either, but it is a valid complaint that that rule provides an absurdly disproportionate punishment. Even when we benefitted, punching the ball free and preventing a garbage-time touchdown that meant nothing, it felt unfair.
I like the rule the way it is with the disproportionate punishment. Its those big swings in fortune that make this sport so entertaining to watch.
If there were a big rule I’d like to see modified its defensive pass interference, where a WR can draw a 40 or 50 yard penalty for minimal contact. I’m not sure I have a solution, but I find that punishment to be over the top at times.
esp compared to OPI. The incentive is way out of whack, if they don’t have a clean play the WR should absolutely make contact and push off etc.
Agree. I like the rule.
I don’t have a problem with PI either but you could have a standard 15 yard penalty there. I wouldn’t mind that as much as I’d mind changing the fumble rule
“Tanier doesn’t know the rules as well as he thinks he does.”
He, along with Farrar and especially Freeman, also don’t know shit about quarterbacking.
I’m kinda torn with it. Say you have a first and goal on the 3. You run outside and fumble it, and the ball bounces toward the sideline. If it crosses the sideline at the 1ft mark, then you get the ball back at the spot of the fumble for second down. But if the ball hits the pylon, it’s the other team’s ball. Seems to me like the offensive team should still get it back at the spot of the fumble because they never lost posession.
There was a team in Dallas,
That lost its running back phallus.
Then their Oline had a crack,
That left their QB on his back.
They said they’d beat us with a stick,
If only they still had their dick,
But they lost the game in shame,
And never knew from Wentz it came.
Forthebirds, Iggles Blitz poet laureate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ7WWf-NmDk
Just watching this game, my heart skipped a beat again.
Let’s go Eagles, I want that Jerry Jones reaction, that Jason Garett face and those Dez Bryant tears!
The Trifuckta
This is the first game in YEARS where I have felt 100% confident in the Eagles winning. It’ s a weird feeling. I always think the Eagles can win, but that little doubt voice in the back of my head usually says, “Yeah, but…”
Haven’t been this confident since the 2004 season.
Me too, lol should I be scared.
I’m with you. I’m even glad we’re playing in Dallas so the beatdown will be even sweeter.
So I went into the barbershop yesterday for my weekly cut. I usually don’t say much. Both barbers know I’m an Eagle. One asked me if I was ready for this Sunday. I jokingly replied-“Who do we play? I thought we had another bye”. Whole room of Cowboy fans erupted and IMMEDIATELY went into defense mode, talking about their RUSTY RINGS. I cannot stand these morons. They are convinced they are going to win Sunday, and I can only chalk it up to ignorance. I hope the Eagles tear them a new @$$hole and drag them up and down that field like some b*tches! Oh yeah! Good morning BIRDGANG!!!
Hey, you chose to live there.
That reply was brilliant! “Thought we had another bye.” Love it.
Fuck Dallas
1987 was the year that John Elway outrageously won the MVP over Montana and Rice (who had 22 TD receptions in 12 games!). I suspect that the two 49ers took votes away from each other, opening the door for Elway.
Wasn’t that the year of “The Drive”, where Elway drove the entire field to tie the game v Cleveland in the playoffs? That was a career game for Elway.
1986 AFCCG was “The Drive.” Shouldn’t have mattered for the MVP vote.
I think the Cowboys are going to try and go with extra linemen at times, and at others go for more gimmicky plays, lots of read option, end around, screen pass type stuff.
If I was the birds I would be putting in a lot of work defensively on prepping for things like that, especially the option plays.
If they go extra linemen it won’t matter though they’re not going to be able to overpower us.
I don’t think it’s going to matter what tricks Dallas attempts. Without a running game, they are doomed. I’ll bet they know it, too.
Don’t care about MVP.
Eagles play their game, don’t worry about tricks.
Just win!
I mean, the main priority is winning the Super Bowl and if you’re making me choose thats the one I want, but it would still be cool as shit for the 2017 Eagles to be the best team during the regular season, winning the Super Bowl and Carson Wentz being the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP.
Call me greedy, I want it all.
Everyone’s going all poetic during Dallas week.
Let me give it a shot:
Dallas sucks.
Haha. Speaking of what rhymes with Dak…
This would be a great week to see Mack do the Back Pack Dance again!
Eagles open practice to the sounds of “We Dem Boys.” There is zero chance that they go into this game unprepared to match the desperate motivation of Dallas.
Thats great. there is no way this is a trap game. i mean the fans were chanting “we want dallas” at the last game. I’m sure everyone heard it and gets that this W matters more to us fans then any other game so far this season.
I would want to crush them even if they had the Giants record
The only thing I want to say about Wentz and the MVP race is that everything he has done this season is sustainable. Not a lot of “Fluke” TDs. In that aspect I am enjoying him leading the league in touchdown passes.
Compare/contrast with Nick Foles 2013
My thoughts exactly. Was nice to do well but regression was to be expected.
I am, however, waiting to see if Wentz can keep up his surprisingly low # of errors. Before, he’d been noticeably prone to high balls and fumbles.
The consensus on this Sunday’s game is setting off alarms in my cooked brain. I remember my dad telling me about his grumpy old neighbor who drunkenly bet hundreds of dollars on the Colts in Superbowl 3. Lombardi’s Packers easily won SB’s 1 and 2, and Joe Namath was famous for antagonizing the elder statesman of the upstart NFL. Anyway grumpy neighbor hated Namath and was completely sure that the Jets were going to be pulverized by Baltimore. He lost like $700.00, and disappeared without a trace.
Here’s another way of looking at it:
Talk is talk. The game hasn’t been played yet.
Well, this team has taken on all comers, add that to homerism, and all of sudden, Sunday’s a sure thing, right?
However, we’re clearly the better team. We should win. Might not.
I’m an Eagles fan….so I am conditioned not to take yes for an answer. If the game is “normal” – that is, not stolen by bogus calls, not marred by dirty attempts to injure opponents, not delayed for an hour by an act of god…the Eagles will win.
Yes, we Eagles fans have seen too many gut-punch losses to ever really feel confident we’ll win.
Excuses abound.
They seize them, we overcome.
So fly Eagles, fly.
The Tyron Smith Situation is really weird, there is only one report about him being out. My bet is on Dallas pushing him to play.
I disagree, I’ve seen several reports confirming that one report. That’s how all reports work – 1 original, and then anything else subsequent is a secondary report. Nothing weird. He’s too injured to play and will be out unless we get word otherwise.
Thanks for the insight 🙂
Well, now that you mention it…
https://twitter.com/toddarcher/status/931576579850780672
Tough call:
1. Have your backup LT get owned.
2. Have your injured starting LT get owned.
Decisions decisions…
Exactly. Either way, we better make them pay.
Coffee is for Closers:
This is a nice set of points on the huge improvement in the red zone this year. This offense moved the ball pretty effectively last year too but really stalled out in the red zone including Wentz how stunk there last year. Not this year.
Ditto Ertz finally have that breakthrough year including giving them prime time production in the red zone.
“The Eagles have converted 11 of 12 red-zone opportunities into touchdowns in their last four games, and are ranked first in the league in red-zone offense heading into Week 11.
They have a 72.4 touchdown percentage in the red zone (21 for 29). That’s a dramatic improvement over last season, when they finished 24th (49.1%).
The Eagles are one of just two teams in the league – Tennessee is the other – that haven’t turned the ball over or given up a sack in the red zone. The last time the Eagles went through an entire season without a red-zone turnover was 2003.
Wentz has completed 24 of 36 passes (66.7%) in the red zone. Last year, he had a 49.4 red-zone completion percentage which was among the lowest in the league.
Fifteen of his NFL-high 23 touchdown passes have come in the red zone. Six receivers have red-zone touchdown catches. Four have at least two, headed by tight end Zach Ertz’s career-high six.”
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/darren-sproles-jason-peters-jordan-hicks-chris-maragos-providing-input-philadelphia-eagles-20171116.html
Great stuff.
Domowitch’s article this week is full of all kind of wonderful and insight nuggets and have been this season.
This week he gives you a breakdown on Eagles’ success with long balls, QB rushing stats on Wentz, passing production out of different sets, team blitz numbers, etc.
Generally worth a read.
Thanks Paul
“–The Eagles and Cowboys are tied for the most runs of 10 yards or more. Both have 40.”
Who saw that one coming?
Eagles cheerleaders prettier than cow leaders
“Carson Wentz and Tom Brady lead all quarterbacks in conversion rate and DVOA. Wentz was just 27th in ALEX last year (0.0), but has climbed to fifth this year (+2.5) with a far more aggressive approach that is paying dividends so far.”
ALEX= Air Less than EXpected, named after Alex Smith, of course. It’s a type of air yard stat.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/alex/2017/2017-alex-midseason-report
I feel extremely confident this week. You guys should be nervous.
No, i belive you are catching up. .. CW and team skills are bigger and have more king fu than your, mine and our ‘skills’
When one brings up the topic of Multiple D’s it only natural to reiterate D’s Eagles Nuts on the cow chins. ..
Sorry but i think that while this might be obvious, is important to note.
Simple point but a legit one:
– Can the Boys outscore the Eagles this week? Incredibly simple but poignant question.
Maybe the Boys can put 20-21 points on the board but the Eagles have scored 20 points or more every week (20 pts was against the Chiefs).
Even if the Eagles struggle a bit and commit a few turnovers/get stopped in the red zone, it is really hard to see them not putting 23-24 pts this week.
Analysis can always be a lot more complicated & nuanced but this week I don’t think it is.
THIS SHITTY USELESS SITE BEGS FOR MONEY? YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME.
Tegkmology glitch.
If I had to game plan for dallas… sorry, threw up in my mouth a little there. Anyway, I’d move dak out of the pocket all game long. If he can run he will run. Punt fakes and trick plays will occur. Have to pull out all the stops. Encourage antagonistic, chippy, physical, after the whistle play. This game is a must win losing battle. Conservative approach = loss.
You forgot the onside kick to start the game.
I don’t know if he can pull it off, but to me the short passing game, attacking our CBs, is the way to go.
Many have tried. Many have failed. Bring it.
Yeah I think that’ll be part of it, but I agree that won’t be enough.
Dallas has no deep play receivers, sorry but Dez is no longer the same guy, They have a short pass offense, Eagles should be able to stop the run, Don’t see the Cowboys having any 12-15 play drives.
On offense, without their glue Sean Lee, we should be able to run on them. They do have a stout front 4 but are running should set up our play action passing, no reason the Eagles can’t score at will. Sorry for you negative fans, I am seeing a decisive victory.
Brice Butler is a good “deep play receiver” they just refuse to use him for some reason
Remember the last Monday night game against the Skins when for most of the first half was an ineptness show on offense? I kinda see that happening in this one until the two-week rust phlakes off and the Birds take phlight.
With Dallas at home, keyed up, and having some solid starters, I think they might be able to bite and claw to a stalemate through the first quarter. That will be their peak, though.
When we talked about winning the trenches, the visual in my mind was two teams pushing a boulder from opposite sides. With our depth and line play, we are pushing down hill. Dallas sees the massive rock looming above their heads and will hold it off as long as they can, but pushing it up and over is inconceivable.
Love the visual of your metaphor, ATG. With the defensive line rotation, in particular, I picture a phalanx of groundhogs plowing their way through the trenches.
Keyed up on snow white
Dallas Sucks beer by Weyerbacher
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pennsylvania-Brewery-Takes-Shot-at-Dallas-Cowboys_Philadelphia-458434373.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_PHBrand
It’s definitely a strange position to be in as an Eagles fan. Expecting a win on the road in dallas in the middle of the season? I’m so excited for this game. The cowboys still have good players and will make plays at times, but the holes in the roster will be their downfall over a 60 minute game.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports Seahawks SS Kam Chancellor (neck) will miss the rest of the season.
That’s back-to-back body blows to the Seattle secondary after Richard Sherman was lost for the season with a torn Achilles’ suffered in Week 10 against Arizona. Chancellor was injured late in that same game. 29-year-old Chancellor was having one of his best seasons, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 safety, receiving strong marks for both his run defense and pass coverage. FS Earl Thomas is expected back this week. Bradley McDougald will likely replace Chancellor.
I have to imagine that he’d have tried to play through that one if Sherman was still in. (Obviously I don’t know any of the details of the injury).
Season punt?
I don’t know, the neck is kinda important.
Tell that to Peyton and Derek Carr.
I imagine Kam’s neck is subjected to more stress than Carr’s in an average game, and those injuries still sidelined the QBs for extended time.
Earl > Kam
PFF has never been wrong, bro.
LOL
and??
I was implying that the return of Earl shall neutralise the loss of Kam, at the very least.
Possibly. They are still minus a great safety. We were hurting with Mcleod out despite Jenkins still being on the field. There’s a certain chemistry that two starting safeties have that can’t be taken for granted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE
The weak get weaker.
I’m feeling like Mack Hollins is gonna do some damage Sunday night. Heath is out so that means another rookie starting in his place. GET EM’ MACK #10
Name to watch: Conner Williams, LT for Texas just embarrassed a dude. He’s a Junior. Wouldn’t mind taking a look if he declares.
We probably won’t have a shot at him. I think he’ll be a top 15 pick.
Time to plant some weed on the kid.
That seems extreme. Can’t you girlfriend talk to the sister about having her brother mix in some “mental lapses” on unimportant plays? Maybe yell at a few coaches and teammates when scouts are watching?
Don’t know how well I’m gonna do at convincing him to give up a couple million dollars, but I’ll see what I can do.
Tell him he can make it up in endorsement deals.
Don’t forget the bong and gas mask.
In the second year of I’m-less-than-three-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon-away-from-a-top-draft-pick, apparently Williams is the brother of a girl my gf went to college with.
Vikings or Rams?! Whom to root for?!
Hmm, maybe the Rams because we don’t get to play the Vikings? LA gives MIN a loss and we give LA one.
That’s exactly the reasoning behind me thinking the other way around. If the Rams win and then beat us, we’d be behind the direct tie breaker. But what do I know…
True, true. I guess I have stopped considering the possibility of us losing…
One play at a time. One quarter at a time. One game at a time.