Practice vs Games

Posted: August 6th, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 1 Comment »

We love to follow all the practice notes from Training Camp and to figure out who is doing well and who is struggling. We do have to remember that practice and games are very different things.

I just went back to re-read some notes from last year. Rookie Dallas Goedert was struggling with his blocking in camp. One player who wasn’t struggling, fellow rookie Matt Pryor. He was dominant in the 1-on-1 drills in camp.

Once games started, Goedert came alive and played well. Pryor struggled.

Jordan Mailata was a real mess in camp last year. He started slow in the games, but then got going and played really well, showing serious potential.

Jeff McLane did a piece on players trending up and down to this point. It will be interesting to see if that list looks any different on Friday morning. Games bring out the best in some players. Others guys freeze in the moment and just don’t play well.

Part of it is the speed of the game. Practice can move at a brisk tempo, but it is nothing like a real game, even a preseason one. Some guys panic and lose their confidence.

Josh Sweat will be interesting to watch. He has the size/athleticism to be a star pass rusher in the NFL. He flashed at times last year in camp. He struggled in games, looking painfully slow off the ball. He played in a 2-gap system in college and I think he sort of reverted back to that in the preseason games.

Sweat is having a good camp. Can he carry this over to the games? Watch how he comes off the ball. If he is decisive and explosive, Sweat will be a much better player this year. If he comes off under control and appears to be reading plays…uh oh.

WR Greg Ward has stood out in all three of his TCs. That all changed when the games started. Over the past two preseasons, Ward has 13 catches for a whopping 92 yards. And one catch went for 29 yards. His other 12 receptions covered 63 yards. Not. Good.

Ward is having another strong summer. This year it sounds like he has elevated his game. The real test will start on Thursday. Ward doesn’t have to post gaudy numbers, but averaging seven yards a catch in the preseason isn’t getting the job done. He’s got to be more of a playmaker to really push for a roster spot.

I mentioned Matt Pryor earlier. He’s having another good camp and the coaches are moving him around. Here is a good note from Ben Fennell.

2018 sixth-round pick Matt Pryor is getting reps with the second team at left tackle, and as I think about it, he’s the only player being cross-trained right now at both guard and tackle. Not only that, but he’s the only player being cross-trained as a right-side and left-side player (most of his reps this summer have come at right guard). That versatility is hard to find. – Ben

Jeff Stoutland is a big fan of Pryor’s but this isn’t just coach love. Everyone at practice raves about Pryor. Can he get the job done in the games? The Eagles have a lot of depth on the OL so Pryor is fighting for a job.

Jimmy Bama had a good note on Isaac Seumalo, who we haven’t heard much about this summer.

Today was a day in which a number of vets got the day off. Jason Kelce for example, was one. With him out, Isaac Seumalo got reps on the first team at center. Seumulo hasn’t been mentioned much, because well, it’s hard to evaluate guard play from the sideline at field level during practices. However, I’m told that there are people in the building who think he has had a very good camp, and could be another guy who makes a jump this season.

A year ago, Seumalo was struggling with bad snaps. Now he’s coming off his best season and is playing at a high level. Seumalo will be your starting LG and could slide in to center if Kelce got hurt. It took Seumalo a while to get his head right and his confidence where it needed to be, but he did that and played well in 2018.

You can certainly argue the Eagles have the best OL in the league.

It definitely is the deepest. Heck, I’m not even sure who would be second.

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One Comment on “Practice vs Games”

  1. 1 Eagles News: Dallas Goedert says he could be a number one tight end for 29 NFL teams – SportsHeadlines.News said at 9:33 AM on August 6th, 2019:

    […] Practice vs Games – Iggles BlitzJosh Sweat will be interesting to watch. He has the size/athleticism to be a star pass rusher in the NFL. He flashed at times last year in camp. He struggled in games, looking painfully slow off the ball. He played in a 2-gap system in college and I think he sort of reverted back to that in the preseason games. Sweat is having a good camp. Can he carry this over to the games? Watch how he comes off the ball. If he is decisive and explosive, Sweat will be a much better player this year. If he comes off under control and appears to be reading plays…uh oh. […]