Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Eagles Notebook – KC Week

Posted November 16th, 2023 | 3 Comments »

Staying healthy is a huge part of success in the NFL. The Eagles had great health last year and it helped them get to the Super Bowl. They have had a lot more injuries to deal with this year, but they’ve still carved out an 8-1 record. That’s impressive.

The good news is that help is on the way.

The return of Roby and Evans should help the secondary a lot. They have talent and experience. The secondary has been lacking in both areas at times this year.

Jurgens could give a big boost to the OL. Sua Opeta and Tyler Steen have had good moments, but have also struggled at other times. Jurgens was playing at a high level before his injury. Getting him back will help in pass pro and the run game. He’s got the ability to get out in space and take out LBs or DBs. That help help a RB to break long runs.

Calcaterra hasn’t done much to this point in his career. He’s played in 23 career games and has a total of 5 catches. This would be an ideal time for him to come alive. The injury to Dallas Goedert means Jack Stoll will become the primary TE. Unfortunately he’s a limited receiver. Calcaterra is a good athlete and has good hands. He needs to show the team he can be a playmaker. This is a huge opportunity for him.

We’ll see if Albert O gets any playing time.

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One other good bit of injury news is that Jalen Hurts is well-rested and says he’s feeling better. That shot to his knee late in the first half against Dallas was scary. I think we all were reaching for the panic button. Hurts somehow never missed a snap.

He hasn’t been the same guy physically for much of the year. He doesn’t have the same speed and burst as last year. We’ll see if the extra rest can help that out.

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Not all the news is good.

I hate to say it, but that news doesn’t bother me much. Zach Cunningham has been the team’s best LB. Nick Morrow has made plays and done some good things. I’m fine with them being the key LBs down the stretch.

As for Dean, his future is up in the air. He’s had injury issues this year and didn’t exactly play at a high level. He will have to earn a job next year. You can bet the Eagles will have more competition for him.

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This is a mind-blowing stat.

QB wins are overrated by some, but 25-2 is a pretty special record. Donovan McNabb had a 25-3 stretch from 2003-2004, but he was 27 years old and was the QB of a veteran team that had been on quite a run. It still feels like Hurts is young and the Eagles are an ascending team.

Daniel Jones is in his fifth year and has 22 career wins.

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Jimmy Bama wrote a fun piece the other day. Here are his 10 reasons the Eagles are set up for a Super Bowl run. I thought #5 was interesting.

5) Opposing offenses aren’t even trying to run the ball.

The Eagles are allowing 66.3 rushing yards per game in 2023, which (a) leads the NFL, and (b) is down from 121.3 rushing yards allowed per game in 2022. They are allowing 3.7 rushing yards per attempt (T-4th), and have only allowed three rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for the fewest in the NFL. They are also allowing a league-low 18.3% of rushing attempts resulting in a first down.

The Eagles’ stout run defense has caused opponents to stop trying to run it against them. They are facing a league-low 17.8 rushing attempts per game, and just 29% of opposing offenses’ plays are runs, also the lowest in the NFL.

You might remember that KC ran for 182 yards in the Super Bowl. It sounds nuts to say this, but would be the best thing be to take away their run and force Patrick Mahomes to throw the ball? This is an odd NFL season.

I’m curious to see what both sides do strategically.

I’m especially curious to see if the Eagles can have any success in coverage. Making a few plays in coverage might be what you need to win this game.

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3 Comments on “Eagles Notebook – KC Week”

  1. 1 The Linc - Howie Roseman “no es lo suficientemente elogiado” - Iglesia en Directo said at 11:30 AM on November 17th, 2023:

    […] Cuaderno Eagles – Semana KC – Iggles BlitzOdio decirlo, pero esa noticia no me molesta mucho. Zach Cunningham ha sido el mejor LB del equipo. Nick Morrow ha hecho jugadas y ha hecho algunas cosas buenas. Estoy bien con que sean los LB claves en la recta final. En cuanto a Dean, su futuro está en el aire. Ha tenido problemas de lesiones este año y no jugĂł precisamente a un alto nivel. Tendrá que conseguir un trabajo el prĂłximo año. Puedes apostar que los Eagles tendrán más competencia para Ă©l. […]

  2. 2 Eagles News: Howie Roseman “isn’t praised enough” – Consolidated Financial said at 12:24 PM on November 17th, 2023:

    […] Eagles Notebook – KC Week – Iggles BlitzI hate to say it, but that news doesn’t bother me much. Zach Cunningham has been the team’s best LB. Nick Morrow has made plays and done some good things. I’m fine with them being the key LBs down the stretch. As for Dean, his future is up in the air. He’s had injury issues this year and didn’t exactly play at a high level. He will have to earn a job next year. You can bet the Eagles will have more competition for him. […]

  3. 3 The Linc – Howie Roseman “isn’t praised enough” - Balance Sportscast said at 1:05 PM on November 17th, 2023:

    […] Eagles Notebook – KC Week – Iggles BlitzI hate to say it, but that news doesn’t bother me much. Zach Cunningham has been the team’s best LB. Nick Morrow has made plays and done some good things. I’m fine with them being the key LBs down the stretch. As for Dean, his future is up in the air. He’s had injury issues this year and didn’t exactly play at a high level. He will have to earn a job next year. You can bet the Eagles will have more competition for him. […]