On To The Cards
Posted: November 10th, 2011 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 54 Comments »For SB Nation Philly, I wrote about the upcoming game vs the Cardinals. We are the more talented team, but this bunch of Eagles doesn’t always play up to their talent. Sunday is a game we should and better win.
* * * * *
Why King Dunlap at LG over Jamaal Jackson? Why is Julian Vandervelde getting snaps there and not JamJax?
I guess we’re finding out that Howard Mudd really doesn’t think Jamaal fits his system at all. That’s fine. I can live with that. But why keep Jackson around then? I really wish we’d cut or dealt him so that Jamaal could go seek playing time somewhere else. His career doesn’t have a ton of time left. Every year is precious to him.
Dunlap is going to be interesting at LG. He’s so tall that I never took the thought of him playing OG very seriously. Someone (probably Reuben Frank) said he’ll be the tallest OG in the history of the NFL. Wild. Dunlap has come a long way since this summer when he struggled so mightily with playing in Mudd’s new blocking system.
* * * * *
People wanted a bit more talk about LBs and drafting them. One factor to consider is that Jim Johnson switched up his system a couple of times. I think that made it tough on scouts to figure out exactly what we were looking for. JJ also had better luck with mid-to-late round guys and I’m sure that affected the thinking of Reid and the GMs, even if on a subconscious level.
We had good size LBs early in his tenure. In 2004 when the NFL changed/tweaked some passing rules, JJ went smaller. He had 6’1 Dhani Jones replace 6’5 Carlos Emmons at SAM. JJ stuck with Mark Simoneau in the middle instead of putting Trotter back in as the starter. Keith Adams became the starter at WLB. Adams was maybe 230 pounds, but probably just under that.
At some point JJ decided he wanted the bigger guys back. He drafted 260-pound Chris Gocong to be his SAM. He drafted 255-pound Stewart Bradley to push for time at SAM or MLB. He signed 245-pound Takeo Spikes to be the WLB in 2007.
The 2008 LBs were Gocong, Stew, and Gaither/Jordan, both in the 240 range. That was a big trio of LBs. All were young and we looked set for years. Then JJ passed away and Sean McDermott took over, with some different ideas at LB. Stew tore his ACL and things fell apart. LB play was a major problem in 2009 and 2010. It remains an issue in 2011, but there are some signs of hope. Brian Rolle is making progress. Jamar Chaney has good moments. The group needs high end talent to be sure, but these are young guys learning on the fly. At the least, Rolle and Chaney could be very good backups. Fokou really is meant for a different system.
There was no need to draft a MLB high in 2005 or 2006 since the Eagles liked Trotter back then. There was no need to do that in 2008-2010 because the team liked Disco Stew so much.
The Eagles were very happy with Gocong in 2008 and 2009 so they didn’t see SAM as a position to address early.
WLB has been an issue for a while. There’s no doubt about that. The Eagles did think Akeem Jordan was the answer with the way he played down the stretch in 2008. Obviously, that turned out to be a mirage.
In order for the Eagles to address LB early in the draft, there needed to be players who had the right combination of size, skill, athleticism, and draft value, as well as fitting the team’s scheme. Those players haven’t been there in recent years.
This year there finally is a good looking LB class, if the right Juniors come out. The Eagles have a clear need at LB and will have no excuses. I don’t think the team must take a LB in the 1st round, but I think they need a couple of them early. Take one with the Cards pick and another in the 3rd round. Heck, spend both 2nds on LBs. I’ll be fine if they do spend the 1st on a LB, but you can’t draw a line in the sand and say the team must do it. Too many variables for that.
The biggest variable is that the team could address LB with a trade and/or FA signing. I have no idea who the FAs will be so let’s hold off on that speculation.
For those that think I’m nuts and Andy will never take a LB early…fair enough, but did you think the man leading the NFL in rushing at the halfway point of the season would be LeSean McCoy? Did you think the team leading the league in rushing would be the Eagles?
Big Red is stubborn as a mule, but occasionally he will change his mind and throw us some curveballs. Let’s hope he does that in April and adds a couple of LBs early on.
* * * * *
Back to the subject of me being nuts…
I woke up about 4am, coming out of a bizarre dream. I can’t begin to full describe the insanity of the dream (I only remember bits and pieces), but I’ll tell you 4 things that were in it:
* a sausage and egg biscuit
* an old roommate’s dog
* a scorpion
* Les Bowen
So, any psychologists read this blog and want to tell me what this means? I hope I’m not in love with my mom or on the verge of becoming a serial killer.
Say, where’d I put that darn hockey mask? Oh, it’s in the van with the ax. Nevermind.
“In order for the Eagles to address LB early in the draft, there needed to be players who had the right combination of size, skill, athleticism, and draft value, as well as fitting the team’s scheme. Those players haven’t been there in recent years.”
This is a ridiculous statement; are you going to tell me that Clay Matthews, Curtis Lofton, James Laurinitis, Sean Lee, Navarro Bowman, Rey Mauluga etc etc (+ all of the other LBers I listed in my previous reply) didn’t have the “right combination” of size, skill, athleticism, and draft value? What exactly were the Eagles expecting? To be able to draft Superman himself in the 3rd round?
Any one of those LBers I listed in my previuos post had the requisite size, skill, athleticism to play 4-3 OLB in any 4-3 scheme, including the Eagles’. Clearly, if they have outperformed the players the Eagles actually did select (Laws, Graham, Maclin, Watkins, Jarrett, Allen) when they instead could have selected one of those LBers, their draft value was perfectly acceptable as well, that is, unless a team has an unnatural aversion to selecting LBers in the 1st and 2nd rounds, as the Eagles seem to have.
“This year there finally is a good looking LB class, if the right Juniors come out. The Eagles have a clear need at LB and will have no excuses. ”
This year’s class is not dramatically better than any of the previous years’ LB classes. Every draft class has competent 4-3 LBers. I don[‘t see anything in Vontaze Burfict, Zach Brown, Luke Kuechly, or Manti Teo in the games I have watched this year that suggests that they are dramatically better than, say, Sean Lee, Navarro Bowman, Curtis Lofton, James Laurinitis, or Rey Maulugua when I watched them in college.
“Big Red is stubborn as a mule, but occasionally he will change his mind and throw us some curveballs. Let’s hope he does that in April and adds a couple of LBs early on.”
Or we can hope that “Big Red” and his accountant sidekick Howie are gone by April and we actually have someone competent selecting players in the draft?
It’s more likely that you will get in a car wreck today than it is that “Big Red” will be replaced this off-season.
It’s more likely that you will get in a car wreck today than it is that “Big Red” will be replaced this off-season.
Morton,
I hate to see you put such time and effort into your posts if you’re hoping for a lengthy response from me. You want a shouting match and that’s of no interest to me.
I wrote in the piece that there was no need to draft a MLB in 2009 because Stewart Bradley was in place and looked great. You rant about us going for Rey Maualuga. That is precisely the kind of point that you overlook, whether intentional or not.
You can’t cherry pick some players the Eagles missed and then backtrack to say we should have gotten them. That’s not realistic.
Feel free to rant, but just don’t expect me to respond unless you read my words carefully and offer truly relevant counterpoints. The Eagles aren’t perfect. I’m sure not perfect. There’s plenty of material for an intelligent discussion if that’s what you want. Ranting just doesn’t interest me.
Then please quit posting erroneous statements such as:
“In order for the Eagles to address LB early in the draft, there needed to be players who had the right combination of size, skill, athleticism, and draft value, as well as fitting the team’s scheme. Those players haven’t been there in recent years”
and
“There has to be players worth taking. The draft has not been filled with great 4-3 LBs in recent years. You see lots of mid-round guys that are interesting, but very few top notch 4-3 LBs.”
Those two statements are blatantly false. You make it sound as if in the past 4 drafts there simply hasn’t been good enough LB talent to be taken in the first two rounds. That is just patently wrong.
I can understand if the Eagles wanted to pass on a LB because they believed they had their MLB of the future in Bradley, but to claim that the 4-3 LB talent *simply wasn’t there* to be drafted, and suddenly this year it is… that is my issue with what you are posting.
You listed a bunch of MLBs: Lofton, Maualuga, Laurinaitis.
Clay Matthews is a 3-4 LB.
Sean Lee had knee issues. Navarro Bowman had serious character concerns. Both guys were risky picks that have panned out very well so far. I loved Bowman coming out of college, but there is a reason he fell as far as he did. Wasn’t close to being on all 32 draft boards.
Again, you’re playing with words. I study draft prospects every year. There absolutely has been a lack of good 4-3 LB prospects. This isn’t just for the Eagles. The NFL needs 4-3 LBs. College football has changed a lot and LB prospects are not what they used to be.
Feel free to disagree, but that’s reality.
This year is different. Zach Brown looks like an ideal WLB. Luke Kuechly is a pure MLB. Vontaze Burfict is an athletic weapon. Manti Te’o is a mixture of the two. Sean Spence is a good WLB. Danny Trevathan is a good WLB. Audie Cole is a good SAM. And on and on.
Best year for 4-3 LBs in a long time.
Clay Matthews played 4-3 OLB in college. Just because he was drafted to play 3-4 OLB and plays it well, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t just as easily, with his athleticism and size, have played 4-3 SLB as well.
Bowman had character issues? Because he smoked some pot in college? Who doesn’t?
Lee had knee issues? So did Stewart Bradley. He tore his ACL in college but that didn’t stop the Eagles from drafting him.
There is nothing better about this crop of 4-3 LBs this year than in years past. There really isn’t. Zach Brown and Sean Spence are no better 4-3 OLB prospects than any number of 4-3 OLB prospects that have come along in the past four years such as Sean Weatherspoon, Navarro Bowman, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, Daryl Washington, Bruce Carter, Geno Hayes, etc.
Similarly, the MLB prospects are solid this year, but not overwhelmingly special. I’ve closely followed Burfict, Teo and Kuechly in multiple games this year and each has some strengths but several weaknesses as well. Burfict doesn’t play hard on every snap and avoids blocks too often. Teo misses tackles and is not enough of an athlete to play against both the run and the pass in the NFL. Kuechly is relatively undersized for the position and will be only average in pass coverage. None of the MLB prospects this year compare to some of the elite ones of the past four years: Dan Connor, Jerod Mayo, Curtis Lofton, Rey Mauluga, James Laurinitis, Rolando McClain, Sean Lee… I’d take any one of those players over Burfict, or Teo in a heartbeat, and maybe even over Kuechly, although Kuechly is probably closer to that level of prospect than the other two.
Clay was a pass rusher at USC. From my pre-draft writeup:
“Ideally suited for 3-4 OLB. Clay is a pass rusher. I’m not sure he has the build for DE, though. Either use him as a 34 ‘backer or a situational rusher. ”
Stew did have an ACL tear in his past. And that is part of what drove him to the 3rd round. This argument started about taking 4-3 LBs early. If Sean Lee was in the 3rd, Eagles might have grabbed him. Teams don’t like to take chances in the 1st or 2nd round if they can help it.
Bowman was a major pothead. Again, lots of teams removed him from their draft boards. Don’t know if the Eagles were one, but they obviously didn’t pick him.
That’s it for me. Feel free to continue going in circles. I’ve written far more than I ever intended.
– Von Miller was a pass rusher in college. He was projected as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL. The Broncos took him to play OLB in their 4-3 and he is on pace to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Talented players with elite athleticism and size/speed will succeed REGARDLESS of scheme. Clay Matthews would have been a beast in a 4-3 or a 3-4.
– So it’s OK to take a guy with an ACL tear in the 3rd round, but not in the late 2nd round, especially if you have the benefit of multiple 2nd round picks? I am fully in agreement about passing on ACL guys in the 1st round, or even in the upper 2nd round, but if you have multiple 2nd round picks as the Eagles did, and a talented high-upside guy is sitting there in the bottom of the 2nd round, I think you can take a flier on him.
– Again, since when is smoking pot a major character concern. EVERYONE smokes pot in college. I smoked pot when I was 16-22. My cousins smoked pot when they were that age. My friends smoked pot at that age. Nobody I know had any problems establishing a successful career for themselves after they matured. And again, I can fully understand if you are afraid to pick a pothead with your 1st round pick. But if he’s sitting there in the *3rd* round, I think you can afford to take a flier on him, especially if he has 1st round physical ability and upside.
You’re simply wrong on every count, Tommy.
You know, I always suspected that Morton was just a character Derek wrote to stir up discussion, and that Tommy adopted him when Igglesblog closed up shop. I’m not sure if this convinces me more of that, or less…
But it does fit the profile of someone who dreamt of sausage, a dog, a sports writer and a scorpion…
First of all, that dry humor is the reason i keep coming back for my Eagles inside info.
I agree with you with the LBs, i even made kind of a adjacent point in the comments of a resent post. Why draft J-Lau, Rey Maualuga, Lofton etc. when we had Bradley playing at such a high level. Now we need talent in players that fit the system we want to run. Even if Castillo is gone, i don’t think well abandon the wide 9. I read the SB nation article about LBs. So many would fit in our new system. Even Burfict, who Tommy(and me) might not like, can thrive in the system. We have the Cards pick, and might have a high one ourselves. Lets get some talent! Personally I’m hoping for Kuechly and Te’o/Zach Brown.
It means lay off the chocolate pudding and PBR before bedtime. Or double down.
No PBR or pudding last night. Did stay up late re-watching the game. That’s probably what did it. Cutler inspired nightmares.
This is clearly not a good sign. A scorpion before we play Arizona… our corners who dog it, a toasted item, and an Eagles writer.
Either that, or something delicious and something familiar in our encounter with the desert dwellers, and a Eagles tie-in.
Hmm, it could go either way. The only way to tell is to drink an entire 12 pack, throw the cans in the front yard, and see if they look more like an eagle or a cardinal. You might need the help of an ornithologist, in which case you should make it a 24 pack.
So much wisdom that it frightens me.
Seems pretty clear that while Tommy was tossing and turning with visions of scorpions dancing in his head, ATG was comfortably slumbering snuggled up in his amazing technicolor dream coat.
Seems pretty clear that while Tommy was tossing and turning with visions of scorpions dancing in his head, ATG was comfortably slumbering snuggled up in his amazing technicolor dream coat.
It means lay off the chocolate pudding and PBR before bedtime. Or double down.
Tommy – I am adding the comment on DRC here rather than in the other post hoping it gets read and answered here…it is apparent that DRC is not comfortable playing in the slot…been apparent for sometime now and its been also apparent he does not give 100%…I am sure the coaches see the tape..and the tape never lies – so my question is WHY THE HECK is Castillo either no benching this jerk or removing him from the slot?? this is on Reid too – just cant for the life of me understand this stupid way of coaching…its like taking a square peg and using a hammer to smash it into a round hole…again the same was apparent with Casey Matthews in the pre season games that he was not gonna cut it at MLB at least this season…I dunno why the coaches and FO fail to react on this and by the time they do react its too late.. extremely frustrating!
I don’t know the inner-workings of this situation. I’m sure part of it is Castillo’s desire to get all 3 CBs on the field. He should play Hanson in the slot and then use DRC outside when he can. Mix in DRC in the slot at times, but having him vs Earl Bennett, Cutler’s favorite receiver, was a bad decision.
I do think you have to try players in different positions. And not just for one game. You need to see them a couple of times to genuinely know what they can/can’t do. The first game gives them an idea of what’s going on. The next game is their chance to correct mistakes. When that doesn’t happen, you need to adjust things or make lineup changes.
Hanson said it took him a year to learn the slot. Think how different Shady McCoy looks now than he did as a rookie. Derek at Iggles Blog had doubts about Shady as recently as July 2010 (and they were reasonable doubts).
Coaches need time to work with new/young players, but I hope DRC’s time in the slot goes down a lot since we’ve got a good slot corner already in place.
Tommy,
“Knowing” what Castillo is looking for in a LB (you had Casey pegged for us in months), which one of the top 10 LBs do you see as likely targets? Or is it too early to tell?
The discussion about drafts, and what could have been surely can be fun, but can only be seen as that – fun. It is just impossible to look back, and say we should have done this or that… I would like ‘haters’ of the FO to make a shortlist of a few players at every position. Then we can look back on this list in 3 years and see if Morton and others should replace our current decision-makers!
Wasn’t everyone high on Akeem Ayers last april? How has he done??? Or what about A.J. Edds?? Not exactly star players… Of course we all would love to have Ngata instead of Bunkley, but hey… we’ve picked Shady in the 2nd, while Moreno, Brown, Wells went in the 1st… (just an example on how difficult it is to project players)
I am not in the business of using hindsight to assail the team’s draft choices. I am simply upset that Tommy is making it sound as if LB talent simply wasn’t available in the past four years.
If the Eagles wanted to draft a competent MLB or OLB from 2008-2011, there were plenty of prospects who *at the time* were considered top-notch talent, and no hindsight was needed to pick them in the 1st or 2nd round and expect them to produce at a high level.
The first thing for Juan to figure out is what he wants. Does he want to keep any of the current LBs in place? Would he like to move Chaney back to SAM and then bring in a new MLB and WLB? Does he want vets or rookies?
My guess is that Juan would like to move Chaney back to SAM. He would like Casey Matthews and Brian Rolle to compete for jobs.
The emphasis will be on MLB. Get one early so that he can be the center of the LB corps. WLB then is added later so the player can compete with Rolle and/or Casey for the job.
Rolle is off to a solid start, but hasn’t been so good that he deserves to keep the job without competition.
MLB is the spot where there is no strong answer. Chaney could stay there. Casey could get the job. Who knows? I think Castillo will see that a true MLB is needed to take the job. Chaney and Casey are fine backup plans, but not ideal starters.
That said, I think Luke Kuechly is the best option because he is a true MLB. He isn’t a project at all. Manti Te’o has good potential if he’s coachable. He’s got the size and athleticism to be MLB, but looks raw.
What do you do about the interior of the defensive line? Cullen Jenkins is older and makes little impact in the running game. Trevor Laws is more of a rotational pass rushing DT. Mike Patterson is just an average player at this point. Antonio Dixon is coming back from an injury.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to solidify the interior of the defensive line with a big DT in the first round? A big presence at DT who is big enough to command double teams in the running game and who is agile enough to rush the passer would help the defense far more than a MLB who will be forced to play behind the sieve-like interior of Jenkins, Laws, and Patterson.
And then, if a MLB or OLB is still waiting in the second round, you can take him.
I think Laws is gone in FA. Cedric Thornton could take his spot. The Eagles really like him.
I’m all for adding a DT. There are some interesting guys. I do like Still quite a bit. I’d love Quinton Coples, who UNC moved out to DE this year. Very good DT last year. Also some good mid-round targets if the Eagles prefer to go that way.
I feel like first-round DTs are really hard to come by. Everyone knew Ngata and Suh were going to be awesome and they are, but other than them it just seems like a crap shoot drafting DTs in the first round. You’re more likely to find an MLB who’s not a reach than a DT.
Plus, at this point, it’s likely to be a higher 1st round pick than we’ve had in a long time.
It seems like the Eagles like taking “hybrid” or atypical defensive players – i.e., a smaller DE, a converted DE to LB, guys who could play WILL and MIKE or MIKE and SAM. Ignoring the Brandon Graham pick (on which I think we can all agree the jury is still out), have any of these instincts played out? Maybe if we take the MLB who’s a true MLB, we’ll have some good luck.
I feel like that hybrid fascination is exactly tied to Reid’s love for gadget plays and outside-the-box playcalling. Sometimes it works (fingers crossed on Graham); sometimes it doesn’t. I’d just rather have the stability and guys who can out hit and out play. As mental a game as football is, as Chas Henry’s NFL passer rating tells us, even with mental edges going into a play, execution triumphs even the most unconventional and witty playcalls.
I posted a question a couple weeks ago about a trade scenario with the Texans that involved our LB issue. It is a matter of scheme with the Eagles and the Texans. Since Wade Phillips took over as DC in Houston and switched them to a 3-4, MLB DeMeco Ryans has been fading in production. He is a very special MLB in a 4-3, but seems to be getting fazed out in the new 3-4. They have Conner Barwin, Sharpton, Cushing, Brooks Reed (who is looking very good in Mario Williams absense), and will get Mario back next year, and it seemed like he was thriving in the new system also. So, Demeco has become somewhat expendable. He is a great player. The players, coaches, and fans think very highly of him, but if they are going to try and get some value for him, a trade looks very possible this offseason.
They are still having problems at LCB with 2nd year player Kareem Jackson. They solved their problem a RCB by aquiring Jonathan Joseph this past offseason, but really can’t get what they want out of LCB. LCB has been a revolving door for them this season. They keep saying they want a ballhawking LCB because they haven’t been getting INTs this year from that spot.
What do you think of an offseason trade between the Texans and the Eagles? Asante for DeMeco? Both seem comparable as far as salary (that is both will probably need to restructure), both seem to fit a need, and both seem to be a bad fit for their current defensive scheme. Has it been a while since two teams traded a player straight up for another (without involving draft picks, etc.)?
I’m an Eagles fan living in Houston, so I hear a lot of Texans talk on the radio.
If Ryans is healthy, I’d love to add him. Outstanding 4-3 MLB. And I’m definitely on board with dealing Asante.
It will be interesting to see if Eagles make a veteran move or go with the draft to help at LB.
Ryans is coming back from Achilles issue. Only played 6 games last year. Sounds like he’s a role player this year.
Common Tommy, if he has a prior leg/knee injury you know the Eagles are ALL OVER HIM!! Deal is probably already in the works!!
Take it for what it is worth but according to this article Reid is pretty much gone unless the Eagles make it to the playoffs: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/16047450/tenpoint-stance-nightmare-in-philly-can-cost-reid-gig
I’d take it with a grain of salt but still is interesting.
I saw the article. Mike Freeman is out west. Not locked into the Eagles at all. Solid writer / reporter, but not for Eagles info. He was blatantly wrong on something this spring that was also edgy.
One can only hope.
You summed it up perfect: The Eagles are the more talented team but don’t always play to their talent. Funny thing is, except for maybe a handful of teams, none of which are on the remaining schedule, that’s pretty much the pre-game speech for every game left.
And as much as I want to poo-poo your talking about Reid taking an LB early, you make a good point that most of that time was with JJ. It might be different with Castillo. However, if I was Reid I’d think about getting a high round d-coord before getting a high round LB. Castillo still has 8 weeks left, but the first 8 weeks have been very underwhelming (and I say that remembering full well that even the great Jim Johnson had the occasional bad stretch of games).
Castillo is far from a lock to return and that could have a major impact on offseason plans.
Does a new DC mean a new defensive system?
We’d stay 4-3. I assume we’d keep the Wide-9. Don’t know anything for sure. Lots of season left. Gotta see how Juan does.
How about Spags? From the JJ school and did some special things as a d-coord (notably, obviously, the Pats/Giants Super Bowl).
I know someone who uses a classical method of dream interpretation: reading associated animal entrails.
Too bad everything we’ve seen so far indicates that eagles are gutless.
How dare you sir! Insulting the Eagles isn’t welcome here. I demand you go watch some Moise Fokou highlights and think about how you betrayed the team.
That would be a short viewing
Do those highlights include/not include the use of imaginary weaponry?
Some might argue the highlights would be imaginary.
Frankly Tommy I’m shocked that Megan Fox and chocolate pudding didn’t make a cameo in your dream.
So I’ve been thinking, if everyone on the team was as consistently good at their job as Colt Anderson is at kickoff coverage, would we ever lose a game? I’m thinking no.
Megan fox AND chocolate pudding…yum! Tommy, any chance we get rid of Asante and DRC in the offseason. Seems no use to keep either player as they don’t give much of an effort and you don’t want guys like that making impressions on younger players we may draft for the Dfense. Also, think we could go all defense in this draft or will Andy surely grab a few big nasties for his O line?
Here’s to hoping we don’t make John Skelton look like Joe Montana Sunday….
1st Round DT….best one on the board. Need a bigger body. 2nd round Cardinals pick…best MLB on the board. Eagles 2nd, best OLB on the board. Three biggest holes….or, make an offer to Lions and try to steal Tulluch for MLB…send Asante to them. I’d still prefer for them to aggresively pursue Tulluch for MLB, instead of 2 rookie LB’s…he could be the veteran leader for those LB’s and he is a tackling machine in the wide 9.
If that scenario played out then, 1st DT, 2nd best OLB, 2nd best CB.
Might have 2 high second rounders. If the Cardinals beat us Sunday, we have the same record as them.
Tommy,
I find it tough to care about this up coming game. I feel the season is dead. We’re 0-5 against teams over .500.
This isn’t the NBA – you can’t make the playoffs just beating cupcakes.
And expecting a 7 or 8 game win streak from this team seems outrageous.
I’m going to watch, and be disappointed, that I’m likely missing a far better match up in a far more important game – like Pitt-Cincy, or ATL-NO.
I didn’t think there was any chance I’d be numb to the losses at this point, but Modnay night was about the only time I was upset they lost to the Bears, because since they blew 4th quarter leads and fell to 1-3, I just never fully bought back in…and I guess that’s my saving grace.
Rough year, no doubt. Hasn’t been a whole lot of fun. At least try to enjoy watching the greatness of Shady. He’s doing things we haven’t seen an Eagles RB do.
That’s kind of what I have my mind on. Trying to enjoy the remaining Eagles games for the football not the win, but there isn’t a whole lot to like about our squad right now. I’m watching because I love the team, been a while since I have had such disdain for so many in our uniform though.
I know maybe I’m spoiled from the Reid era, but while your DGR’s often say it’s not lack of effort, that’s what I’d like to say I feel our players are missing. Maybe I’ll call it leadership, we have none. No one to stop the bleeding. No one to make the stop, no one to make the play. I don’t trust anyone on this team outside of Shady with the game on the line.
By all rights Dunlap should be a terrible guard, but if he isn’t,it’s going to look like Shaddy’s running behind Godzliia. … but it’s also going to look like Vick is trying to throw around him.
It looks like LB quality is directly tied to DC quality. that makes sense when you think about the way they fit into a defense.
If I read one more article or quote about how the defense was suprised, by how often the Bears max-protected Cutler, I will OD!
If you think about it, this was supposedly Juan’s strength. Remember he discussed protection schemes with JJ and this is what qualified him to lead a NFL defense.
I’m sorry but Juan, just like MacD before him, is a very simple managment mistake. Never, ever, give your team an excuse to lose.