Shining Stars
Posted: October 13th, 2022 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 3 Comments »We can talk about a lot of thing that go into why a team wins. One of the most obvious is having star players play like stars. That’s happening for the Eagles this year. You don’t get to 5-0 with intangibles, role players and luck. You need your stars to shine.
Haason Reddick is the most underrated legit star edge-rusher in the NFL since 2020.
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 13, 2022
Week 5 update to the TSR is here!
-Parsons/Reddick tied for the league lead in sack score
-GRADY
-Chubb’s impact as a power rusher
-Titans/Commanders tier 1 duos at DT
-Pressures & snaps/pressure now included
-Every pass-rusher w/at least 2 sacks rankedhttps://t.co/R6kF79TG58— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 13, 2022
Brandon focuses on OL/DL and writes about them extensively. He really studies the tape and he’s seeing great play from Reddick. This is a huge upgrade from last year. Genard Avery had that role and flashed occasionally, but simply couldn’t play well on a consistent basis. In 35 games with the Eagles, he had 3 sacks, 6 TFLs and no FF or FR. Reddick has played 5 games and has 4.5 sacks, 3 TFLs, 3 FFs and 2 FRs.
The Eagles paid big money to Reddick in the offseason and had big expectations for him. He’s been a terrific fit and is living up to the hype.
I watched part of the Cowboys-Rams game. The Rams OL was awful. Matt Stafford was under constant pressure. Give Dallas a lot of credit for that, but the Rams have struggled in pass protection all year. They would kill to have an OL like Lane Johnson.
Lane Johnson has played in 620 pass-blocking snaps since the start of last season.
During that stretch, he has allowed 0 sacks and 1 QB hit, resulting in a league-leading 0.2% knockdown percentage.
He also happens to be @PFF's highest-graded pass blocker (87.8) in 2022. pic.twitter.com/cHO3pJ3IqP
— John Gonoude (@john_gonoude) October 12, 2022
Jalen Hurts is playing at a high level right now. He’s worked hard to make that happen, but we also have to give credit to the guys around him. Think about the value in Lane Johnson being at RT. Hurts can drop back and feel confident that he doesn’t have to worry about that rusher coming free.
Having a QB who is such a good runner like Jalen Hurts lets you get creative. Like the Eagles with this QB C-T Counter out of Empty. Just devastating against a light box. pic.twitter.com/0mYmwTkKoT
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) October 13, 2022
When you have an athletic stud at RT, you can open up your playbook and do all kinds of creative things. Jeff Stoutland and the offensive staff can come up with different ideas on how to get Hurts on the move.
Lane Johnson is a freak. And it's these subtleties that highlight it…
Watch how quickly he goes from 'horrible position, high pads, wide hands, no leverage' to 'Perfection' in 3 steps.
Recovering is a MAJOR aspect of playing OL. @BrandonThornNFL @BigDuke50 @LaneJohnson65 pic.twitter.com/Ry6Nh8HbLm
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) October 10, 2022
In the clip above you see the rusher getting push, but Johnson then re-sets and controls him, giving Hurts time to throw. Knowing you’ll have time in the pocket is huge for a QB. If you play behind the Rams mess of an OL, you’re going to be worried on every drop-back. Hurts can focus on getting the ball to his playmakers.
One of those playmakers is Dallas Goedert, who is off to an incredible start. He is 24-335-1 so far. That puts him at 14.0 yards per reception, which is incredibly impressive for a starting TE. Defenses are trying to limit Goedert and he just keeps making big plays.
Most 20+ Yard Receptions
(#NFL Players In 2022)8 . . . Tyreek Hill (Mia.)
8 . . . Justin Jefferson (Min.)
7 . . . Dallas Goedert (#Eagles)#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/B4960krXEw— John Gonoude (@john_gonoude) October 12, 2022
Most Receiving Yards
(#NFL TEs In 2022)349 . . . Mark Andrews (Bal.)
347 . . . Travis Kelce (KC)
335 . . . Dallas Goedert (#Eagles)Most Yards After The Catch
(#NFL Players In 2022)279 . . . Austin Ekeler (LAC)
272 . . . Dallas Goedert (#Eagles)
267 . . . Cooper Kupp (LAR) pic.twitter.com/j9CBjVHTEf— John Gonoude (@john_gonoude) October 12, 2022
I started thinking about this after reading a piece earlier today on disappointing veterans.
Veteran acquisitions who aren't living up to expectations during the early part of the NFL season via @CBSSports.https://t.co/BbTZUU8Oar
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) October 13, 2022
One of my friends is a Broncos fan. He was excited for the past six months. When you add a star QB like Russell Wilson, you have high expectations. To say Denver has been disappointing this year would be a massive understatement. They are 2-3 and 31st in the league in scoring. How is that even possible?
The Rams signed Allen Robinson to give them a threat opposite of Cooper Kupp. That move has not worked out well so far. Robinson is 12-107-1. Zach Pascal plays about half as many snaps and he’s 6-39. Yikes. The Eagles looked into signing Robinson, but it didn’t work out and he’s in Cali. Robinson might have been a better fit in Philly, but I’m glad they had to settle for that AJ Brown guy. He’s been kinda decent.
When teams invest resources in big time players, they need those guys to play at a high level. They need stars to shine. It isn’t shocking to see the Broncos and Rams struggling when their key additions are also struggling.
The Eagles have been burned in the past. Eric Wilson was supposed to be a good LB for the team last year. He only lasted seven games before being cut. DeMarco Murray was a major disappointment in 2015. If you’re an old timer, you might remember disastrous moves like the signings of Erik McMillan, Tim Harris or Steve Wallace. My apologies if that list of names causes any PTSD moments for you.
If you need to cleanse your palate, watch this Dawk clip and you’ll feel good again.
https://twitter.com/NFLLegacy/status/1580604280259706880
Thankfully, the Eagles acquisitions have played well and the holdovers have also played as expected.
*****
Some good news ahead of Sunday night.
LT Jordan Mailata tracking to play Sunday is huge for the #Eagles as they prepare for the #Cowboys' defensive front. https://t.co/feXH798akD
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 13, 2022
The Eagles OL is banged up, but it would be great to have the starting five on the field for the Dallas game. There is a bye after this so they’ll have time to rest and recuperate.
_
[…] Shining Stars – Iggles BlitzBrandon specializes in OL/DL and writes about them widely. He truly research the tape and he’s seeing nice play from Reddick. This is a big improve from closing yr. Genard Avery had that position and flashed on occasion, however merely couldn’t play smartly on a constant foundation. In 35 video games with the Eagles, he had 3 sacks, 6 TFLs and no FF or FR. Reddick has performed 5 video games and has 4.5 sacks, 3 TFLs, 3 FFs and a pair of FRs. The Eagles paid giant cash to Reddick in the offseason and had giant expectancies for him. He’s been an excellent have compatibility and resides as much as the hype. I watched a part of the Cowboys-Rams recreation. The Rams OL was once terrible. Matt Stafford was once below consistent force. Give Dallas numerous credit score for that, however the Rams have struggled in go coverage all yr. They would kill to have an OL like Lane Johnson. […]
[…] Shining Stars – Iggles BlitzBrandon specializes in OL/DL and writes about them broadly. He truly research the tape and he’s seeing nice play from Reddick. This can be a large improve from closing yr. Genard Avery had that function and flashed once in a while, however merely couldn’t play smartly on a constant foundation. In 35 video games with the Eagles, he had 3 sacks, 6 TFLs and no FF or FR. Reddick has performed 5 video games and has 4.5 sacks, 3 TFLs, 3 FFs and a couple of FRs. The Eagles paid large cash to Reddick within the offseason and had large expectancies for him. He’s been a fantastic have compatibility and resides as much as the hype. I watched a part of the Cowboys-Rams recreation. The Rams OL used to be terrible. Matt Stafford used to be beneath consistent drive. Give Dallas numerous credit score for that, however the Rams have struggled in go coverage all yr. They’d kill to have an OL like Lane Johnson. […]
[…] Shining Stars – Iggles BlitzBrandon makes a speciality of OL/DL and writes about them broadly. He actually research the tape and he’s seeing nice play from Reddick. It is a massive improve from closing 12 months. Genard Avery had that position and flashed every now and then, however merely couldn’t play neatly on a constant foundation. In 35 video games with the Eagles, he had 3 sacks, 6 TFLs and no FF or FR. Reddick has performed 5 video games and has 4.5 sacks, 3 TFLs, 3 FFs and a couple of FRs. The Eagles paid large cash to Reddick within the offseason and had large expectancies for him. He’s been an excellent have compatibility and resides as much as the hype. I watched a part of the Cowboys-Rams sport. The Rams OL used to be terrible. Matt Stafford used to be below consistent drive. Give Dallas numerous credit score for that, however the Rams have struggled in cross coverage all 12 months. They’d kill to have an OL like Lane Johnson. […]