Total Football
Posted: January 31st, 2018 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 211 Comments »The Eagles have given up 17 points in two playoff games. They have the #4 defense in the league. That group is playing lights out and should be able to shutdown or seriously limit the Patriots, right?
Maybe.
The Eagles are at their best when all three phases work together. That’s what has happened so far in the postseason.
Go back to the Atlanta game. How do you win when turning the ball over twice and going just 1 for 3 in the Red Zone? You control the ball. The Eagles won TOP by keeping the ball 32:06. They only punted three times, and Donnie Jones pinned Atlanta inside their 20 on two of those punts. The Eagles only had one 3 & out in the entire game. They sustained drives, going 6 for 13 on 3rd downs. That kept Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense on the sidelines for longer periods.
The NFC title game shows you what happens when the Eagles play total football and win the turnover battle and get big plays. 38-7. Donnie Jones punted three times against Minnesota. All of them were downed inside the 20. The Vikings only had one drive start outside their 29-yard line (and it was just at their 40). The Eagles offense was 10 for 14 on 3rd downs. Beyond that, they got explosive plays on offense that put TDs on the board. That helped to blow the game wide open.
Jim Schwartz has built an outstanding defense. You aren’t going to drive down the field against this unit on a consistent basis. When the Eagles offense is able to move the ball, it helps the defense to rest and re-group. Even if the Eagles don’t get points, they can pin the opponent deep. That puts the defense in a favorable position.
The Patriots trailed the Jags 20-17 last week with 5:53 to play. The Jags went 3 & out, losing a yard on the series. They punted from their 9-yard line. NE got a good return and started the ensuing drive at the JAX 30. That drive led to the go-ahead TD. The offense couldn’t move the ball. STs couldn’t cover a punt. The defense couldn’t come up with a stop. That sequence was a complete and total failure.
The Eagles have been the opposite of that so far.
When one group does make a mistake, the other units make plays. Jake Elliott had a kickoff go out of bounds vs Atlanta. That put the Falcons at the 40. Rodney McLeod blitzed and sacked Ryan for a 10-yard loss and that essentially killed that drive. The defense rescued Elliott.
The offense, defense and special teams work together. There are some hiccups to be sure, but when the three groups really start to feed off each other, it feels like the Eagles are in control of the game.
New England is going to be a huge challenge because they are an outstanding team. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles can play total football against them and take control of the game.
Jacksonville did this for much of the AFC title game. They didn’t have any 3 & outs in the 1st half. NE started every drive at or inside their own 25-yard line. T0m Brady and his buddies put up 10 points, but the Jags had control of the game and led 14-10.
The Jags won the 3rd quarter, 3-0. NE crossed midfield twice, but couldn’t generate points.
The 4th quarter was a completely different story. The Jags managed a field goal, while the Pats scored 14 points and moved the ball up and down the field.
It really is important to remember that the Patriots trailed 20-10 in the 4th quarter last week and were down 28-3 in the Super Bowl last year. You can put them in a tough position. Amazingly, the Pats won both games. The opponents suddenly couldn’t make a play on offense or defense. The Eagles have done a great job of closing out games this year, but again…the Patriots will be a huge challenge. The game isn’t over until it is truly over.
*****
You may have heard that the NFC East got a new face last night.
Washington traded for Chiefs QB Alex Smith. They gave up a 3rd round pick and CB Kendall Fuller. And then…
On the agreement in principle. Alex Smith will average $23.5 million per year in new money on the extension and $70 million in guarantees. Nobody will be able to review that contract for awhile because officially there is no contract. https://t.co/kY9DTZH2RT
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 31, 2018
Yikes.
None of this is official because deals can’t be completed until the new league year begins in March. But the teams have agreed to the trade and Smith has agreed to the extension.
At best, this is a weird move. Smith is a good QB. He’s coming off a terrific season. But he will turn 34 in May. The Skins had a good QB in Kirk Cousins. For some reason, the organization just couldn’t commit to him long term so now they’ll trade his rights or lose him in free agency.
The Chiefs are moving on from Smith to Patrick Mahomes, the rookie who started in the season finale and showed enough for the team to feel he’s ready.
Andy Reid just traded the Redskins a veteran QB. pic.twitter.com/v1s3YoDn9E
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) January 31, 2018
Smith just had the best season of his career. He also had explosive, talented, versatile weapons in Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Smith executed the Chiefs creative offense at a high level and looked great at times.
He’s coming to a team that has some talent, but not the same level of offensive weapons. I think it will be hard for Smith to play at the same level.
I can somewhat understand WAS wanting to move on from Cousins if they didn’t believe in him, but trading for Smith doesn’t make sense to me. He feels like a similar player to Cousins. You need to find The Guy. The Eagles have that in Carson Wentz. Is Alex Smith really a long term answer? Why commit to him for multiple years? I could see if they traded a late round pick and wanted Smith for a year or two while a young QB was groomed. That doesn’t seem to be the case here.
Washington looked like a real organization a few years back. Now they seem to be back to chasing the flavor of the month. That’s a good sign for the Eagles.
_
Alex Smith isn’t much of an upgrade over Cousins. LOLSkins!
You forgot to say “First”.
Sean E: 1
Xeynon: 1
Everybody Else: 0
CrackSammich: -1 (Penalty for calling attention to it).
RobNE: -1
Noooo please dont bring that counting crap here too man. Leave it at Spuds place sheesh.
I’m just happy to be included, guys.
I enjoy your humor. Keep it up and I’ll make sure I say first if it ever happens.
At least you didnt say First!
Sean E: 1
Xeynon: 1
Everybody Else: 0
CrackSammich: -1 (Penalty for calling attention to it).
RobNE: -1
GENETiC-FREAK: -2 (Penalty for calling attention to it. Second penalty for whining).
I love this trade if it comes to fruition.
He isn’t any upgrade. Cousins is definitely better and Smith will fall on his face without the weapons he had on KC. Skins have little YAC potential and nothing like Hill, Kelce and Hunt.
Take away the mystique and the 2017 Pats are a good, but not outstanding football team. This is a winnable game.
a good team with a legendary QB is scarier than a great team with an ok QB (like you know, those down in Minnesota) but yeah they are the less scary pats team of their dynasty.
Only from a screen writing perspective. TheRinger had a post up basically saying as much–that we will miss the Patriots when they are gone. No, *writers* will miss them when they’re gone, because it makes their job too easy. Can you imagine having to come up with a new narrative every year? The Horror!
like the Jags.
No doubt. The qb is a hall of famer and the Coach is brilliant. Their D, though, is porous against the run. They were something like 20th against the run, and it would have been worse except their opponents were often passing a lot in an attempt to overcome a deficit. They are vulnerable to a run-oriented, methodical O that can control the clock. Mix in some Ertz, Ags and Jeffrey, and the Eagles should be able to control the clock and put points on the board.
Plus, Brady can be rattled under pressure. He can’t scramble, though he is good at stepping up in the pocket. This won’t work against the Eagles, however, because our D line is so powerful in the middle. There’s no stats on this, but the games I’ve seen where Brady gets hit results in his screaming at his O-line, and it’s downhill from there.
With Doug at the helm, this Eagles team will not succumb to timidity (like the Jags). With an aggressive gameplan on both sides of the ball, this time next week we’ll be nursing hangovers after the parade down Broad St.
brady is the goat, end of discussion, he is the only one that can win the game for the pats, the eagles are better everywhere else, except qb, he cant be rattled either, blitz him and he’ll kill you, gotta get after hm with the front four
Whenever you have a chance to commit 14% of your salary cap to a 34 year old QB who’s not good enough to seriously contend with, you have to do it.
God, I love the LOLSkins.
Snyder’s ignorance is my bliss.
Alex Smith has as many playoff wins in his career as Nicky Foles has in the last two weeks. LOLskins.
The Skins need to stay relevant for a while. They are trying to get a new stadium either in DC or VA. A few years with Colt McCoy or a young QB could be disastrous.
Bruce Allen has not been good with talent evaluation, but he’s a great politician. He’ll get the stadium deal done soon.
Without bringing up the whole political can of worms… The Obama administration was not amenable to them building within DC. I have to imagine that the Trump administration will be far easier to work with on that front, and RFK is scheduled for demolition. It’s definitely possible. And Fairfax and Loudoun Counties in VA will do anything for cash.
The approval of land is the minor issue.
How much taxpayer cash will each jurisdiction pony up? That’s where the relevancy comes into play. The team must create demand.
I imagine RFK is the preferred site, but they might be able to get a sweeter deal in Fairfax or Loudon.
They will get a sweet deal from the Trump administration. In return, they will play their home games at Trump stadium. Trump will also require them to find a way to make their nicknames/logo more offensive and to have a dress someone up as Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren to be their new mascot.
The Buttskins some how manage to exceed the heights of their suckery with each season. As long as Dan Snyder owns that team, they’ll always be a mess.
Trading all of that for Alex Smith at this stage? AND extending him? He’s really going to miss Andy.
T-Law still refusing to type REDSKINS. Wonder if it pains him to put that tweet up using the word?
The great thing about Tommy is that he’s a redneck with decency. He gives us hope.
He’s the man! I’m just having fun.
He’s always written it to my knowledge, maybe he recently stopped?
I favor the Washington Redhawks right now. Although Easterbrook’s Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons is a good one, too.
I’m with team #potatologo.
Cho, Fletch is giving you a good reason to update your avatar.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DU4ljTMUQAA0eJ9.jpg
https://twitter.com/shalisemyoung/status/958745786048794626
Anyone remember the conference call interview all the town’s reporters did with Fletch right after he was drafted? Never, ever, ever thought *that* guy would be *this* guy.
Luchador would be a great second career for Fletch once he retires from football.
If you don’t, I might!
That is sweet.
My daughter and I LMAO’ed big time at the end of Nacho Libre. Maybe Cox will do a slo-mo dive at Brady to sack him, seal the win, and end the dynasty.
Ever since the whole “the name offends me” people of last year – he doesn’t write “Redskins” anymore. It’s WASH or SKINS.
Hm, okay. Right on, Tommy!
https://streamable.com/qcdur
Haagan-Dazs is the new smoothies.
Holy FFFFF. That’s hilarious!
Who would have guessed that Doug’s paunch is 100% Haagen-Dazs?
Why have a six-pack when you can have a whole keg?
Doug Haagen-Dazs have IPA flavor?
The football version of Cherry Garcia.
All that pointing is very Bubbles like
https://im-01.gifer.com/P5O.gif
This move is to save Gruden job. They know that a 4-12, 3-13 season will be the end of his (and other guys also) ternure. So they will be mediocre again and only delay their restructuration.
I predict Jay Gruden will be fired after this coming year.
I doubt that the Skins are a playoff team with Smith at QB.
They will struggle again like with Cousins without more moves.
So this big trade illuminated the fact that I have no idea when you can and cannot trade players.
We’re well past the trade deadline, but apparently trades can happen now, at what point could trades start again? Can we trade, or only the 30 teams whose season is over (that would be messed up). Or is it that we could make trades but only coming into effect for the 2018 season. Anybody got a solid handle on that?
My understanding is that this trade cannot actually become official until the new league year starts in March.
which means the Redskins can’t extend Smith officially, which…tampering or something??
ACViking, can we make Wasteam lose picks?
That was my initial thought, but technically he’s not a free agent, and I believe the tampering only applies to free agents??
yeah I assume it’s somehow all fine to give a contract to someone who is technically on the Chief’s roster, but I’d just love to see them suffer.
They can’t officially sign him to a contract or agree on terms to do so, but I think it’s fine to negotiate with him with the Chiefs’ permission (which they obviously have).
It’s only tampering if the Chiefs file a grievance, he was clearly given permission to negotiate.
As unusual as trades are in the NFL, trades at this time of the season are rarer still. They probably happen but aren’t known until after the new league year (when they’re officially allowed).
We’re probably hearing about this because WAS is a dysfunctional mess.
Too funny!
https://twitter.com/ChaseDaniel/status/958729138612862976
Let the QB Carousel begin!
QB needy teams:
NY Jets
Jacksonville
Cleveland
Denver
Arizona
Teams with QB’s hitting FA:
Washington
New Orleans
San Francisco
Minnesota
Teams with questions:
Buffalo
Miami
Cincinnati
Baltimore
Young unknowns:
Kansas City
Chicago
Teams with Older QB’s:
NY Giants
Pittsburgh
New England
LA Chargers
Teams that are satisfied/good to go
Tennessee
Houston
Indianapolis
Oakland
Philadelphia
Dallas
Atlanta
Carolina
Tampa Bay
Green Bay
Detroit
Seattle
LA Rams
I can just see some weird movements this year. And it started with KC trading Alex Smith…
I won’t be surprised to see Kirk Cousins or Eli Manning wearing Jacksonville black/gold next year.
not going to happen, they took Bortles option so he can’t be cut now. You can’t pay Bortles $18 million and Cousins [$25 million].
Unless you swap Bortles with Eli!
Eli and a 2nd for Blake Bortles??
You can if you structure the contracts correctly. And I know they paid Bortles… just like we paid Sam Bradford.
I’m just saying I won’t be surprised if one of the better QBs at the end of his career ends up in Jacksonville.
Something like trading with the Giants (Eli for Bortles and a few picks), to let Bortles run the show while the newly drafted QB gets his head ready.
But It’s ALL speculation at this point.
And I don’t think 5th year options are guaranteed money, except for injury. I could be wrong. I’ll look it up later. I don’t want to right now. #lazy
EDIT: They aren’t guaranteed until the first day of the league year (March 14th). Then they are fully guaranteed.
he is injured! he just had surgery. It becomes guaranteed in like a month, he won’t pass thru (be healthy) before then.
He just has to pass a physical sometime during the offseason. He can pass, the same way Ryan Mathews passed… if they want to find a way to trash him.
They have 0 questions about Bortles. In their heads they are Superbowl contenders and are focused on minor tweaks to put themselves over the top.
I personally think they were extremely lucky this year, and they are wrong, but they don’t think that.
I would move Buffalo into the “QB needy teams” list and move Jacksonville into the “teams with questions” list.
Tyrod Taylor has played well. I think the team wants to trash him and the players want him there. I think its highly questionable situation.
But I can see that with Jacksonville. I just don’t think Bortles is a question. He’s a hole in the lineup.
I am assuming that Taylor will not be back in Buffalo. I could be wrong, but I think the writing is on the wall there. I agree with you about Bortles, but I think Jacksonville will roll with him for another year.
If you think Jacksonville has questions after losing their best WR in the first game, and having their best season in abillionty years, you are cray.
They have exactly one question, and it is Blake Bortles.
I’m sure they don’t agree right now. Not ssying I do.
The post was referring to QBs. I think they will bring Bortles back for the final year of his contract but they have (or should have) questions about whether he is going to be their long term franchise QB.
I was also referring to Bortles.
Of your “Teams that are satisfied/good to go” there are 13 teams. Nine of the 13 are NFC teams.
The AFC has Brady and Rothlisberger too. So the NFC has the younger better starting QBs for the near future.
I would put Green Bay in the “older QBs” category (Rodgers is sneaky old at 35), and I’m not sold on either Prescott or Winston just yet, but I think that’s basically right. The AFC is pretty stinky right now, and will get stinkier when Brady and Roethlisberger are gone.
We might even return to the days of my youth when the the Super Bowl was typically something like a 45-10 NFC romp and the joke was that “AFC” stood for “Almost Football Conference”.
I’m not sold on Prescott or Winston yet, but their respective teams are definitely sold on them at least for the time being.
Wilson is 100% a franchise QB. I assume you mean Winston?
Yeah, I caught my mistake right after I posted that and edited it to correct it to Winston.
Man if Winston doesn’t work out something is really wrong in that town.
Yeah, the Tallahassee Police really need to get their shit together. Oh, you mean Tampa?
I agree. I’m personally not sold on Winston, Luck staying healthy, and Prescott. But I believe that these teams are NOT looking for a QB in the next two-three years.
And Rodgers is on that fence. I personally put the line between Roethlisberger (35) and Rodgers (34). Just a decision I made.
Just happy that we have a good outlook for the QB position.
I’m just seeing a free-for-all looking for QB’s the next 3 years.
Isn’t Luck still a question mark to come back at all? Indianapolis belongs in the questionable pile. Probably more so than Baltimore, Miami, or Cincinnati.
Who can even tell. No one agrees about anything when it comes to that guy.
I think Indy is satisfied with Luck. I don’t see them looking for another QB to replace Luck.
My thought process on the matter. I think they should be looking personally, but I don’t see Indy looking.
Holy moly, this makes me glad to have Carson.
And Foles still under contract next year.
So apparently, the Skins gave up a top-5 CB, a 3rd round pick, and $75 million guaranteed to get basically the same QB they already had. You just gotta love Danny-boy! Thanks once again for making the NFC East that much easier for the Eagles!
They didn’t already have him, Cousins was gone. I get that we are long-term thinkers but I understand why some owners (b/c of ego, wanting a stadium etc.) want to remain semi competitive rather than have the team struggle.
Let’s not forget to mention that Cousins and Smith are nothing alike. Same tier, debatable, alike, not even close.
Completely different styles of “game manager”.
I don’t even know that I call Kirk a game manager. He is kind of like a Trent Green to me. Was Green a game manager? I dunno maybe he was.
Trent Green sucked on NFL2K.
I’m interested to see how Schwartz plans on defending the rub passes and double moves
Make sure Mills has a belly full of ice cream so he won’t be hungry enough to bite.
From what I’ve heard, eagles DBs play too far off the line for run routes to be effective. Obviously playing so far off has other disadvantages.
That’s the dilemma. If you play zone, Brady will pick you apart. If you play tight man, Patriots love those short rub routes
Happy Birthday Douggie P, I hope you get a really special present for your 50th, and I hope it’s one you can share. 🙂
My guys at NovaCare are telling me that Belichick views FOles as Brady’s successor and wants to make a deal happen in the offseason, regardless of who wins the SB.
Would be fall down funny if it were true.
My guys at NovaCare are telling me that Belichick views Donnie Jones as the Messiah and is sacrificing 10 goats an hour until the rapture takes place, regardless of who wins the SB.
My guys at the NovaCare are telling me, “Fuck you. We don’t know you. Leave us alone.”
Coach Dougie got Brett Favre to speak to the Eagles on Saturday night before the game.
Interestingly, Favre beat Bill Parcells and the Patriots 35-21 in Supe 31 back in Feb ’97.
Ran across this on Facebook. Interesting to say the least.
https://youtu.be/jc1_Gt0bOX4
Options > Speed > 2x
That should make that a bit more bearable.
Can I get a TLDR?
NFL allegedly decides to have Patriots win to boost ratings after the protests based on large assessed penalty disparities, close TD calls only going in favor or Patriots (4x), and smiling referees.
I don’t really believe in conspiracy theories or anything like that, but I was already assuming it was going to be the Eagles vs. The Patriots AND Refs for the Super Bowl. Tom “Golden
DoucheBoy” Brady gets a lot of calls in his favor.Conspiracy theories always assume that thoroughly incompetent organizations are somehow able to pull off feats of enormous complication for little to no gain. Oh, and the fact that Pats fans see conspiracies AGAINST the Pats just adds fuel to the fire.
Yeah I don’t believe it. Just found it interesting enough to share during this monumental wait til Sunday! BIRDGANG!!
I love how this ignores the ratings sink that’s been associated with dynastic champions for pretty much ever. There’s no benefit to the NFL in putting up the Pats.
“I’ve never seen that EVAH” RE: penalties is a super convincing. It’s not like a well-coached team would minimize penalties or anything…
Exactly. If you know the Super Bowl is rigged, bet the ranch on the Eagles. There’s nothing for the league in a sixth Pats victory lap… Kraft & Goodell’s friendship be damned.
I would love for WASTEAM to pick up a fine for tampering because of this.
Wouldn’t that only apply to a potential free agent signing?
That is my understanding.. or at least if they were to attempt to negotiate with a player behind his team’s back. Seems like they negotiated with the team first in this case.
I feel like the Skins are less chasing the flavor of the month, and more thinking only with a check book. Guess that is what happens when you have Joe Banner light and no personnel guy.
Everyone lay 20 dollars or so on the Patriots moneyline. It will be worth it either way. Eagles win even better, Patriots win you win monetarily.
I may actually do that to pay for the Eagles organization to get a ring. Good luck Birds and enjoy this fun season regardless of the Superbowl outcome.
If the Patriots win that’ll be the dirtiest money I ever come into.
You are right, but is there a price tag for what it is worth to you to see the Eagles win a Superbowl?
I have a limited track record of success as a mush.
I saw this really late and you write some clever shmeg. Keep posting because I do enjoy your comments!
That’s a monkey’s paw type situation. That money would be cursed.
I’ll also donate a little for Tommy, case of PBR and a picture of Megan Fox if the Eagles win this Sunday.
I love that idea as a celebration!
another dumb move by an organization that can’t seem to get it right.
This is some fun stuff, comparing the rosters of the 2004 and this years Eagles teams.
https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/1/31/16955384/comparing-every-starter-eagles-2004-2017-super-bowl-teams-philadelphia-nfl-nick-foles-patriots-reid
Assuming that this is only for the biggest game, then the only guys that I would take from the 04 team would be Dawkins, Trotter, and TO. Foles on his A+ game is a better QB and fit than McNabb (we don’t need worm burners). You could make an argument for Lito but Mills has been pretty good so far in the playoffs. Sheldon Brown is one of my favorite Eagles but we need Darby’s speed if we’re sticking with Mills.
Lewis = McLeod? McLeod has been an opportunist with his better hands and maybe has more range than Lewis. However having Lewis would mean that we have a boogie man enforcing the middle so guys like Amendola/Edelman would think twice about going across the middle.
If you’ve got Dawk, you’ve already got the boogie man enforcing the middle.
Which that’s an interesting duo there….Malcolm Jenkins paired with Dawk of ’04. You’d have one hell of a safety combo with both capable of doing pretty much anything you can think to ask a Safety.
Dawk and Malcolm would be crazy together. Both can play in the box, both can cover. The only downside is that Dawk would be fined every game for illegal hits (like that Alge Crumpler hit).
Crumpler held onto that ball .. His hit on Duante Culpepper was legal and lethal. .i think it literally ended his career, at least made him think retirement about 8 years to early. . Id love to see video of it, I’ve never been able to find
Many of Dawk’s hits would be illegal today. The whole defenseless receiver rule changed how safeties play the game.
Yep. .if he was playing now he’d be crushing them all legally and every bit as bonecrushing
That hit would be legal since he led with his shoulder into his chest if I’m not mistaken
Of course. I’m just sticking to the given terms since one will replace the other. Although I’d say McLeod is our FS just to get the Dawk/Jenkins combo since the safety spot is kind of interchangeable these days.
Trotter would be an absolute liability in this day and age with the passing game. I don’t see how he could stay on the field in nickel. He was at his best crashing the line and crushing the center (and that was an awesome site to see).
McNabb in 2004 would be a huge upgrade over Nick in this type of offense. If Pederson can design an offense around Nick’s strengths, he could surely do miracles for McNabb, who was merely running a WCO and had little run support from Andy’s plays calls.
Lito > Sheldon > Darby > Mills. Lito was an All-Pro in 2004 with 5 Ints, 2 TDs (with one TD being 101 yards), and 15 PDs.
I would take McNabb, Tra, Westbrook, Lito, Sheldon, and Dawk in a heartbeat to play in this year’s game.
Trotter > Ellerbe. If this was an argument of Trotter vs Hicks then hands down Trotter wouldn’t be an upgrade.
McNabb was never accurate, I’ll take Foles’s accuracy on a good day over McNabb the worm burner for this one game.
The only reason I went with Ajayi over Westbrook is style and who his complementary guys are. I like Blount but he hasn’t moved the chains as well as Ajayi. Clement might not be as dynamic but he gets the job done.
I completely forgot about Tra since in my head it would have been Tra vs JP. JP > Tra.
Given how Mills has played so far, I would take Lito over Darby but that’s for the CB1 spot. That’s high praise for Mills since I also gave him no benefit of the doubt and he made me eat crow.
I’m making the assumption that this is just for the Superbowl and just swapping this year’s players for the 2004 players based on that year alone.
There was such a different philosophy between JJ with his blitzes and Schwartz with his wide 9. Trot just doesn’t seem like a good fit. I think Schwartz will have them in nickel/dime the entire game. If not, Trot would come into play.
Going by Donny’s 2004 Superbowl year, he was at 64% completion rate and played at an extremely high level with 31 TDs and only 8 Ints.
I choose Westy due to the presence of Blount and Clement. West would Garner most of the carries. The added benefit is that he would be the punt returner.
I see Mills as a product of the scheme and pass rush. Given that this is for just the Superbowl and that Cooks is such a burner, Darby, Lito or Sheldon were all fast corners who could hold their own with speedy wideouts.
I would take JP over Tra, but was going by the current roster. If it were based on the injured guys too, I would probably keep Ajayi and Sproles and not have the need for Westy. Obviously, I would have chosen Wentz in a heartbeat.
Yea but I think Trotter would be a nice addition to have. Ellerbe is more of a downhill guy at this point and we know the Axeman is a beast attacking downhill. Might as well upgrade that and add another tool to the toolbox.
Ehh I just think that if Foles can keep the momentum up then he can carve up an offense better. 5 is good but I think peak Foles is more of a scoring machine.
If Mills keeps this up then he can be a system guy all he wants. I wouldn’t mess with what works even though he’s the least talented of the four.
I just completely forgot about the LT spot. Kudos to Big V for that. Thanks Big V, I got a mountain of crow to eat damn it..
If you’re not really playing either Ellerbe or Trotter that much because you’re in big nickel most of the game, then Trotter is definitely an upgrade. Trotter over Bradham or Kendricks is a different story.
Just so long as Levon Kirkland isn’t in there in any capacity, I’m happy.
Foles over McNabb? I’d take McNabb.
I’d take Sheppard/Brown over Mills/Darby too even though Brown struggled in the SB when he was matched up against Branch.
This team’s biggest advantage is at nickel corner where Robinson is a big advantage over R. Hood.
Ditto Walker over Jernigan (who has been way too quiet after his contract extension), Pinkston over Smith (more speed/height/athleticism), and Burgess (at least the 2004 Super Bowl version who was a bigger pass rushing threat) than Curry.
Jernigan hasn’t been bad, he fell off because of injuries but you still see him making an impact on the field.
Foles on his A+ game is a better QB and fit than McNabb (we don’t need worm burners).
Come on man, that’s crazy talk. I’ve always been pro-Foles, but McNabb was a perennial Pro Bowler and an MVP candidate at his best. It’s not like every pass he threw was a worm burner.
yea but he lost 🙁
If we win on Sunday, I’m hoping a lot of hurt goes away and everybody can officially forgive (and even celebrate!) Reid and McNabb. That might be harsh, I think most of us already have/do.
As long as he doesn’t make it about himself then I will.
Kelce vs Hank Fraley. And Wiz vs Artis Hicks.
If McNabb had the time that this OL has given Foles, probably a different game. Those two OLmen got wrecked if I remember. Would have been really nice to have Shawn Andrews, but he tore an ACL the first game that year. Also, Chad Lewis was a very underrated injury loss I think, as he was a very good blocker and was a safety valve for McNabb. LJ Smith was neither.
We’ve seen what happens when even just Wiz goes out; Foles started running backwards. I shudder to think of him with Fraley as the center. McNabb was a far superior QB.
I can understand the Skins trading for Smith for a few reasons:
– More mobile than Cousins
– Their are ridiculous numbers being thrown around for Cousins including a possible $30M annual price tag
– Smith’s track record of staying healthy
– Smith’s locker room and good teammate rep with mixed reports on how his teammates view Cousins
I actually see there being a lot more risk for the Chiefs. Redskins settled for an above average QB who can win & take a team to the playoffs albeit not very deep into the playoffs.
Reid is banking on Mahomes being ready to start next year and produce right away. It will be interesting to see if Mahomes has a lot of growing pains, they finish below .500, and miss the playoffs. I bet you hear a fair number of calls for Reid to be fired in KC if that happens.
Chiefs’ fans seem to be reaching the same level of frustration that Eagles’ fans had in his later years (say 2009 & 2010) but Reid has 3 years left on his deal including next year.
Not bad. That logic seems sound.
Still, they gave 70MM to a 34 year old QB and gave up significant resources for the honor of doing so. Hell, for that price they might have had a shot at SB MVP Nick Foles.
And then there’s this:
https://twitter.com/ByMikeJones/status/958689491434295296
Please never sell the team, Dan Snyder.
Yeah Skins put themselves in this situation and blew it.
Water under the bridge at this point. I just don’t see this deal being as bad as people think.
Just limits what the Skins can do for the forseeable future.
It really looks like the Eagles are set to go on a run like they did in the early ’00s in the NFC East as long as the ‘Boys don’t have a solid offseason.
“Just limits what the Skins can do for the forseeable future.”
Isn’t that bad?
It’s like they were waiting for him to fail. What’s worse, the Browns not thinking Wentz would be a top 20 QB, or the Skins having no plan with Cousins?
Their likely get a 3rd round compensation pick when another teams signs Cousins.
It was really trading Fuller for Smith with the pics being a wash.
Skins’ fans actually seem much more livid about losing Fuller in the deal because of his PFF rating this year.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2018/01/31/some-people-are-going-crazy-over-the-redskins-losing-kendall-fuller-heres-why/?utm_term=.09380048957c
You only get a comp pick when you don’t sign any big names in free agency.
Agreed those picks aren’t equal, talking potentially between 20 to 30 picks later. Also, 2018 vs 2019, which current year picks always have a premium.
If they get a comp pick. Not sure who else they are losing, and they have to sign fewer guys than they lose. Even one mid-level FA signing can cancel out the Cousins loss, comp-pick-wise.
For me the main hangup with the deal is the guaranteed money, which sounds insanely crazy. But that ALWAYS gets updated when more info is released.
I’m sure the first two years are guaranteed, which will be close to 50 million. But yeah, the 3rd year being guaranteed is interesting. Sometimes the “guaranteed” is just roster bonuses down the line though, and is not “fully guaranteed”.
I REALLY don’t want Duece to go to NY OC
That the word floating around? Thought be Flip or Reich as OC options.
Why would Reich do a lateral move? But I have seen word of Flip and Deuce being looked at for OC positions by league “sources” on the twitter machine.
https://nypost.com/2018/01/31/eagles-coach-heats-up-giants-offensive-coordinator-rumors/
I’d hate to lose him and I’d hate to root against him, but I do hope he gets to advance his career.
Agreed
Wish Deuce could stay here but it couldn’t last forever, he’s too talented not to move up the ladder.
He’s due at least interviews at this point. He’s stayed, survived, learned, and thrived with three different HCs all of whom were offensive-minded.
Will wish him the best if he leaves and boo the crap out of him if he returns in Giants’ colors.
Really down the depth chart:
– Who is going to be the dime CB? Is it S. Jones or Douglas?
I think we move Jenkins to corner and put Corey Graham on the field for dime…I think. Could be wrong.
Isn’t Graham already on the field in “big nickle”, so he can’t be added in dime because he’s already added?
Is that why I see Graham on the field so much? I haven’t noticed Douglas since Darby came back.
Yes. Very underated in my opinion.
“Big Nickle” = 2LB’s, 2CB’s and 3 Safeties.
(Kendricks, Bradham, Darby, Mills, Jenkins, McLeod and Graham)
Nickle=2LB’s 3CB’s and 2 Safeties
(Kendricks, Bradham, Darby, Mills, Robinson, Jenkins, McLeod)
“Big Dime”= 1LB, 3CB’s and 3 Safties
(Bradham, Darby, Mills, Robinson, Jenkins, McLeod, Graham)
Dime = 1LB’s ,4CB’s and 2 Safeties
(Bradham, Darby, Mills, Robinson, Douglas?, Jenkins, McLeod)
I doubt the Eagles will play much base at all this game, Goode/Ellerbe are too exploitable in pass coverage and the Patriots neither commit or run the ball well enough to force us into our 4-3 Base much. For much of the playoffs the “Big Nickle” look has effectively been the base defense for the Eagles, since they are comfortable defending the run even against double TE’s from that look much of the time.
I imagine we will play all 4 different sub packages at some point depending on match ups. Only wrinkle they may try is bringing Douglas in to cover Gronk because of his extra length compared to the rest of our DB’s.
I think the answer is Douglas, or Watkins
I think it would be a mistake to play Jones with so little game experience. Mistakes, from lack of reps, is more of a concern than Jones talent.
Calling Brety Farve a “Super Bowl Winning QB’ is exactly equal to calling out Eagle Fans for chuck snowballs at Santa .
..
I. HATE that Brett farve will be anywhere associated with an Eagles victory. . He is the epitome of turnover machine.. he did be reminded that Reggie got him his ring. .. holmgren bad guy also
Yes, Favre took risks, but more of them paid off than didn’t. Reggie and the defense played their part in the Super Bowl win, but Favre wasn’t exactly Trent Dilfer.
If Folesy plays like farve tended to. ..we will all hate his guys
Great thought prevoking statement.
How many people want Foles to play like Brett Favre?
I want Foles to play like the guy who followed Farve.
I can hardly imagine how that would look. I can sort of imagine Wentz playing like Favre.
Not me. . Play like Jim Kelly
Guts
He was not a turnover machine at his peak, when he won the Super Bowl. Holmgren beat enough ball security into him that he played at top level for a while. 33 TD / 14 INT in 1994, 38/13 INT in 1995; 39/13 in 1996 (won Super Bowl), 35/16 in 1997 (lost Super Bowl).
He started slipping in 1998 (31/23), then Holmgren left and so did his cautiousness. Played 12 more years and could make astounding plays, but was too careless with the ball. He only had one really good ratio the rest of his career, his second to last (and first in Minnesota) — 2009 when he was 33/7.
So he legitimately built his reputation under Holmgren, and really was an amazing QB, but after that he was unbenchable but not nearly the same QB. Somehow that reputation did not suffer, though it should have.
He was a fun player to watch and your underselling how good he was.
Also went out there every Sunday and was in the lineup. Durability counts an awful lot in the NFL even though I have really had to reconsider the effects it has on the players long-term beyond just the body wear & tear.
Oh he made lots of astounding plays, and never got injured. Way fun to watch, especially when not a fan of the team and could just ignore the INTs. He was a legit HoF QB based on that run with Holmgren. But man, those INTs the rest of his career, ugh. Could still make all the plays, but believed in his arm way too much.
Other than 2009 he never had fewer than 15 INTs in a season after 1998. He still had good years in there, when he was throwing 30ish TDs with mid-teens INTs and making the playoffs, but had the over-aggressive tendency after that which cost him at times. Enough that he never got to the Super Bowl again.
After 1998, he was 4-6 in the playoffs. In those six losses, he had 9 TDs and 17 INTs. The only one of those losses where he had more TDs than INTs (2/1) was the 4th-and-26 game against the Eagles. He just couldn’t stop throwing into coverage even when the defenses got better in the playoffs.
In 1995, he went 8/2 in the playoffs, including 3/2 in the loss to Dallas. The Super Bowl run, 5/1 over three games. 1997, 5/3, and was 3/1 in the Super Bowl loss. 2/2 when losing the first playoff game to the 49ers in 1998.
He was just about the same player the rest of his career other than the INTs — but that tells you how important ball security is.
Okay, but was his team favored in the losses? That’s a rather important factor. For example, for all the media liked to pile on Kevin Garnett for never getting out of the 1st round (until he did), he never had a team that should have gotten out.
Interesting. Favre didn’t have Dougie in his ear after 1998 either.
Speaks very highly of Doug as a stabilizing influence for him.
Cool. Complete. You win.
don’t mind the player, but isn’t the dude a creep? Yeah keep him away please.
Doug coaches the way Brett Favre played. Balls out. Favre was not, IMO, as good as most other hall of fam QBs, but he is worthy of HoF. He was up and down largely because he took risks. When they paid off, he was amazing and made some incredible plays. But don’t downplay his overall talent and leadership. He made teams competitive.
Bah hum bug .. long on charisma and 1 super bowl in 20 years and 100M speaks to his charisma more than his QB eliteness.. and i also got plain sick of Madden drooling over him
When it comes to that Packers team, I am the biggest curmudgeon imaginable. I disliked how Farve got such a free pass from the press with all that b.s. “ol’ gunslinger” crap. He threw a ton of interceptions played too long, and then came back and played for his team’s #1 enemy.
And I always take sh*t for saying this anywhere near my Eagles buddies, but I lost a ton of respect for Reggie when he left to go to GB. Not because he left, but because he used his religious faith as an excuse. Tell me you want to play for a winner, tell me you want more money, tell me anything, just don’t tell me that God came down from on high and issued an 11th commandment that thou shalt play for the Packers.
Pure poetry
Reggie got andy, farve and holmgren their 1 ring(s) .. 500Million dollars of treadmill runners .. can you imagine that the greatest football player ever quit his team over holmgren and his money sucking
..well ill stop but man i AM NOT a fan of those big names
Preach!
“Bring it home for Jerome.” The “Jerome” here is of course Jerome Brown, the Eagles legend whose personality was infectious, whose life was lost too early, whose name became a rallying cry for an Eagles team with Super Bowl aspirations. If he were alive today, he’d be 52 (LII) years old. If he were alive today, he’d celebrate his birthday this Super Bowl Sunday (February 4th)…
#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/uRvUstVeYm
cheeseburgers
I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone so inclined to refer to that team as the Washington Redhawks if for no other reason than it will annoy the absolute crap out of their ownership and fans.
in case you missed why:
https://deadspin.com/amazing-online-hoax-welcomes-washington-redhawks-to-t-1821260116
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/886d770a119e7bc4c673190a99893f196b2a4562934ba69a3daf4f83f2b6f161.png
Epic, Redhawks is way too cool of a mascot for them and having the coolest mascot in the NFC East is about the only thing we get to lord over them in perpetuity.
They don’t deserve it. Make them The Washington Snyders or some such. We all get to recognize them for their idiocy, and it’s still a slur in our hearts (just not racial anymore), and the owner could be obliviously proud. Win-win.
The Washington Snyder’s Pretzels… Sponsored by Snyder’s Pretzels. That would be their full name.
https://youtu.be/rZ274ngweTw
Best title ever
Should be “We ain’t done bombing on they ass, either” to be exact.
Great video! Here’s what I noticed:
I never caught that dance Lane Johnson did. I think it was during the 3rd quarter. That was smooth, man. Looked like Victory!
That Flea Flicker was a back breaking play, wasn’t it? Made the score 31-7 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Game over at that point.
But also, how can the team give Dougie a Gatorade Shower and not get a single hair wet?
Doug’s hair was perfect afterwards all the way to the press conferences. Those guys need more practice with the Gatorade Shower.
Maybe Sunday, huh? Go Eagles!
My take away is the one noted, but also a slightly melancholy thought. One way or another, this beautiful beautiful game will be completely overshadowed by whatever goes down this Sunday. God I hope it’s for great reasons.
Hey Ark!
It’s been a great ride. These guys are way ahead of the game. Playing with house money. I’m not mad if they lose the next game. They weren’t supposed to be even close to a Super Bowl bid.
But these guys have a lot of stuff working in their favor. They seem like they refuse to be denied. A very confident bunch that’s deep in the talent department.
They don’t need Nick to be Carson, just the best QB Nick can be. I think that if Nick’s game is good, the Eagles team can do the rest. We’ll see. Been a great ride, either way!
But I’m more confident than I’ve ever been. We’ll see on Sunday!
FEF
It’s true, really want them to get that monkey off our back though. Putting a fork in the Patriots dynasty would make it all worth the wait. What an opportunity! If the Jags were our opponent, we’d never hear the end of it either way. But a chance to end the Pats? The legitimacy that brings? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
It’s crazy, but Lane Johnson is becoming a star before our eyes. Like we all knew he was one of the best Tackles in the game. But this spotlight he’s getting in this video, and the coverage for his larger than life, not giving a hot damn personality in interviews.
Dead serious, it’s ludicrously early, but this is the kind of points in the F category you need to get in the HoF.
http://www.profootballwriters.org/2018/01/31/eagles-pfwa-super-bowl-lii-pool-report-january-31-2018/
Unfortunately I don’t see Favre as an encouraging person to give a pep talk to the team. When I think of him I think of backbreaking interceptions in crunch time and sexting a massage therapist a dick pick.
I disagree 1000%
Brett Favre one of my all time most hated athletes.
Under Holmgren one of the all time worst