Shaq Attack

Linebacker was a big issue for the Eagles on Sunday. They got some good news on Monday that could help with that.

We've agreed to terms on a one-year deal with LB Shaquille Leonard. pic.twitter.com/WjCsPDHRVQ

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 4, 2023

We definitely need some context here. Leonard is a decorated player with an outstanding track record. But the 2023 version is a different guy. After all, there is a reason the Colts were willing to release him. Do not expect Leonard to be a magic elixir.

That said, Leonard can help. The Eagles will have him compete with Nick Morrow and Christian Elliss for playing time. The trio might split reps until Zach Cunningham comes back. Cunningham has been the team’s best LB this year. Leonard has to learn the Eagles system before he can play. They might figure out a couple of packages for him. The Eagles definitely want him on the field, but also want to keep expectations realistic. I think that’s why Nick Sirianni referred to this as a “depth move”.

As bad as things were on Sunday, that was a worst case scenario. Let’s keep that in mind. The Niners are deadly because they have dynamic skill players and the best scheme in football.

If you get Cunningham back and can mix in Leonard, the LBs can get back to being an effective unit. They aren’t going to be Seth Joyner, Byron Evans and Willie T, but they don’t have to be. You don’t need an elite defense to win a Super Bowl these days. You need a group that can be middle of the pack and make plays. Against SF, the Eagles were awful and barely made any plays.

One of the biggest problems was tackling. That’s as fundamental as it gets. Bradley Roby made a terrible attempt at an open field tackle. Nick Morrow tried to arm tackle Deebo Samuel. Kevin Byard didn’t seem to understand George Kittle is a monster after the catch. Sirianni said the coaches would go over the tape and correct the problems. They’ll offer specific fixes and not broad statements like “Tackle better!”.

Of the 49ers’ 314 passing yards vs. the #Eagles, 213 yards came after the catch.

LB Nicholas Morrow, alone, accounted for 151 YAC yards, per PFF. Other Eagles could have helped minimize the damage on those plays, of course.

But Morrow, overall, allowed 6 catches for 175 yards…

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 4, 2023

Yikes.

If you think about how the Eagles limited the Dolphins, tackling was a big part of that. Sirianni says the team is Top 10 in percentage of fewest tackles missed. He would have you believe Sunday was an anomaly. And he might be right. Or maybe it is a defense with several older players and they are getting worn down. The next few weeks will give us an answer as to what’s really going on.

*****

No update on Zach Ertz. I would think the Eagles would want to get something done on Tuesday if they want him for this week.

It is possible the Eagles aren’t interested. They might prefer Jack Stoll, who is an effective blocker and is showing progress as a receiver. I would think the team would have interest in Ertz, but nothing is certain.

*****

One positive that can come from Sunday’s beatdown is that the Eagles got humbled. Sometimes a team needs a beatdown like that to get re-focused.

The Eagles might have started believing that they could be sloppy and still win because they were clutch. They made just enough plays to win. Well, that was true to a certain extent, but you aren’t going to beat teams like that in January. SF was at a playoff level on Sunday. The Eagles were a lot closer to preseason mode.

I am curious to see how the team responds to the loss. The last time Hurts lost a game like this was when Dallas won in Week 3 of 2021, 41-21. Usually the Eagles win or lose late in the game. The Niners game was a very different experience. Hopefully a very humbling experience.

History tells you that a bad loss can be overcome. The Eagles dominated the Niners back in 1994, beating them 40-8. SF went on to win the Super Bowl. The Eagles got physically manhandled by the Steelers in 2004. The score was 27-3, but the game wasn’t nearly that close. Those Eagles made the Super Bowl. In 2008 the Eagles dominated the Cardinals at midseason, winning 48-20. Unfortunately the Cardinals beat the Eagles in the NFC title game, 32-25.

Sunday’s loss only counts for a single loss in the standings. The Eagles control what happens after that. Go beat Dallas and you’re right back to feeling good about things. Lose that game and you’re in a major battle just to win the division.

_