Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

PS Game Review – PHI 14, NE 13

Posted August 19th, 2024 | Comments Off on PS Game Review – PHI 14, NE 13

I was traveling over the weekend and didn’t get a chance to study the game. Here are some quick notes on what I saw, good and bad. Mostly good, though.

QB

I was not impressed with Kenny Pickett when I watched live. I wasn’t impressed on the rewatch either, but I do think we need to point out Pickett was mostly playing behind the #3 OL against the starting DL for the Pats. They got pressure on him over and over. He did not handle it well. You could see that he was focusing on the rush too much. Tanner McKee came in and had to deal with pressure as well. He handled it a lot better. The best things I can say about Pickett are that he’s got good mobility and that he is accurate with his short throws, allowing receivers to have the chance for RAC yards.

McKee just looks different. He’s confident and in command. He’s aggressive. He makes accurate throws and will give his guys chances to make catches down the field.

Will Grier did a nice job. Think of him as a poor man’s Gardner Minshew.

RB

Will Shipley had a screen pass that went for 19 yards. That was impressive. He moved through traffic and got upfield. He was 5-15 as a runner. Tyrion Davis-Price impressed me once again. He was 4-28, with a long run of 13 yards. His vision and footwork separate him from the other backups. I don’t think he’ll make the roster, but he is the #4 RB for me.

WR

Joe Ngata was 5-88, including a 28-yd catch. I liked his ability to play through contact and make tough catches. He doesn’t get separation (he didn’t get separation at Clemson either), but he is able to overcome that through his physicality and strong hands. He did get called for OPI on one play.

None of the other receivers really stood out. John Ross had one good catch over the middle for 9 yds. Austin Watkins went 3-28.

TE

EJ Jenkins played his best game as an Eagle. He was 5-47, with a long of 19. And that was a highlight catch.

Jenkins was solid as a blocker. Good effort. He had an impressive chip block where he got a good shot on the DE. His run blocking still needs work. Sloppy technique. He can be too upright at times. Jenkins is still a project, but you can see his agility and athleticism. I think he’s the kind of #3 TE you take a chance on.

OL

Dylan McMahon played most of the game at center and had a good showing. He is agile. Good snaps. He did a good job on combo blocks. He needs to anchor better at times in pass pro. He had a good block on Shipley’s screen. I think he is a better backup center than Brett Toth.

Trevor Keegan had a solid showing. He was overwhelmed on a few plays. Keion White slid inside on some passes and Keegan couldn’t handle his quickness. Keegan played the whole game at LG. This is a compliment from the coaching staff. They trust him enough to leave him out there and want to see what he can do. The additional reps help him to get ready in case he’s needed this season.

Max Scharping was overwhelmed by White and other starting DL.

Darian Kinnard played 56 snaps. He had another solid showing. He pulled to the left and had a good block on the move. He was mostly good in pass pro, but still needs to get better at using his arms to engage and control rushers.

DL

Moro Ojomo had a really good game. He wasn’t credited with any tackles, but he was disruptive over and over. Ojomo was able to get pressure on the QB. He held his ground on runs that came at him. He got off blocks and was disruptive in the backfield. He might be the #4 DL for the Eagles right now. Marlon Tuipulotu has more experience and was solid in the game, but Ojomo was more impressive.

PJ Mustipher had 3 tackles and a TFL. He played the run well. He’s able to take on blocks and hold his ground. Mustipher doesn’t do much as a pass rusher, but he can use his power to push the pocket at times. He has a shot at the roster, but might be more of a practice squad guy right now.

Thomas Booker had a strong showing. He had 3 tackles, a sack and a QB hit. Booker is quick off the ball and has good feet. He is able to get around blockers and into the backfield. I thought he also did a good job against the run. I think he’s shown enough that he has a good chance to make the team. Vic Fangio needs 5 DL and I think he wants more than that for depth.

Rookie Gabe Hall played well. He took on a double-team and held his ground on a run play. Drake Maye got flushed on a pass play and Hall chased him out wide. He showed good athleticism on that play. Hall showed some pass rush ability. I don’t think he’s good enough for the roster, but that was an encouraging performance. Hall looks worth developing.

Edge

Bryce Huff only played 10 snaps, but he had 3 tackles. He was active and disruptive. He hustled and made pursuit plays. I thought he was solid against the run. Fangio should be happy with the progress Huff is showing as a complete player.

Jalyx Hunt had a good game. He had 3 tackles and a QB hit. He got pressure on Maddox’s INT. I’m impressed with Hunt’s discipline. He’s not just chasing the QB. He is reading plays and attacking under control. He’s not as raw as I expected.

Nolan Smith had a sack. He got chip-blocked and that shook him free from the OT. He then had an open path to the QB. There was a pass play where Smith ignored the run fake and went for the QB as he should have. Unfortunately Smith hit the QB head-to-head and drew a flag. Smith has flashed, but he’s not stood out as much as expected for a Year 2 guy.

LB

Devin White played 12 snaps and had 1 tackle. He looked good. Zack Baun played 15 snaps. He played better than last week. He had 2 tackles. He got to the ball and tackled well. He was smart and aggressive. That’s the Baun that Fangio expected to see.

Nakobe Dean had a terrific game. He led the team with 5 tackles. I was most impressed with his vision. Dean found the ball quickly and then got to it. He was good in space and in traffic. He made an impressive tackle out wide on a quick screen. He also had the play of the game. Dean blitzed and had to fight past the RB to pressure the passer. The ball got thrown and Dean turned and chased the play. He ended up making the tackle downfield. That is maximum effort. That is great defense.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr only had 1 tackle, but he played well. He’s confident and aggressive. Some rookies look overwhelmed. Trotter looks ready to roll. He did have one bad play. There was a screen where he got caught looking at the QB and that turned into a gain of 23.

SAF

Avonte Maddox picked off a pass in the end zone. That was a savvy veteran play. He doesn’t have ideal range on downfield throws. Maddox makes pretty good reads, but doesn’t have the top speed to get to the ball early. James Bradberry was okay. He had a pair of tackles and played the run pretty well. He did get burned on the read-option that went for a TD. Bradberry got beaten by a TE for a catch down the field. Tristin McCollum remains inconsistent as a tackler. He must do a better job of wrapping up.

CB

Kelee Ringo got targeted a few times. He was up and down.

_

Questions and Answers

Posted August 18th, 2024 | Comments Off on Questions and Answers

The Eagles played on Thursday night and then practiced on Saturday and Sunday. Let’s talk about some players and situations to see where things currently stand.

What’s Going on at RG

Tyler Steen got hurt against the Pats. If the competition for RG wasn’t already over, it is now. Steen can’t win the battle if he can’t practice. The question now is how Mekhi Becton will do at RG. Here is a note from Jimmy Bama on Saturday.

Starting RG Mekhi Becton was up and down today. He faced Jalen Carter in 1-on-1’s on three straight reps, and in my opinion won them all. At a minimum, he didn’t lose those reps. However, he also got dusted by Milton Williams in team drills. Becton is obviously a physical specimen, but be prepared to see a volatile player with shining moments and shaky ones this season.

That’s pretty well said. Becton will have dominant flashes, but will also lose some battles he shouldn’t. At least he can practice and work on his blocking.

The good news is that his injury isn’t too serious. The bad news is that he will miss practices. Since Becton is new to OG, every rep is valuable to him. Brett Toth replaced Becton on Sunday. Maybe he’ll play better there than he has at center.

*****

What’s Going on at LB

A month ago the hope was that two players would emerge so that the Eagles could feel good about a pair of starting LBs. Devin White and Zack Baun have gotten most of the reps with the 1’s. They have been solid and will probably begin the season as starters.

Things have gotten complicated because Nakobe Dean and Jeremiah Trotter Jr have really come on and played well. Here is what Brandon Lee Gowton said about them after Sunday’s practice.

Dean looked so good that I started to wonder if I’ve ever seen a better practice by an Eagles linebacker. He was everywhere out there! Dean put a physical pop on Tyrion Davis-Price on a short run up the middle. He celebrated making a “tackle” on a Saquon Barkley run for little gain. He blew up another run between the tackles that went for no gain. He knocked Will Shipley to the ground immediately after the rookie made a catch in the flat. He got his hand on a Hurts throw to DeVonta Smith in the flat to break it up. Dean also got to Hurts on a blitz for a likely “sack.” There are still questions about Dean dropping back into coverage but there’s little question can make an impact when he’s moving downhill. Dean seemed to play with more swagger and energy than I’ve ever seen from him today. He was playing loose, in a good way.

It was also a good day for Jeremiah Trotter Jr. JTJ initially gave up a catch to Grant Calcaterra but immediately shoved him from behind to cause the tight end to drop the ball. JTJ also deflected a pass at the line and knocked down a short Pickett throw over the middle.

JTJ…I like that. Good job by BLG. And Dean’s performance got everyone’s attention. Here is Mr. Bama on Dean.

LB Nakobe Dean was the player of the day.

    1. He had a pass breakup on a short throw to DeVonta Smith.
    2. He made a difficult tackle on Will Shipley in open space on a play in which Shipley had all kinds of room to make a move. And by “tackle,” I mean he actually tackled Shipley to the ground. (Dean has been more physical than the team would probably prefer during practice, honestly.)
    3. He had a tackle for no gain on Shipley, and then a good dance thereafter.
    4. He had a sack of Jalen Hurts on a blitz.

Dean’s motor is always running hot, and he has looked faster this summer than he did in 2022 and 2023. He’s beginning to make plays in bulk every day, and he’s making a strong push to start

This is very encouraging and strange. The Eagles now have 4 LBs they want to play. Vic Fangio said he’s open to rotating them, but prefers to find a primary duo and stick with them. What a nice, and very strange, problem to have.

And Ben VanSumeren is making plays as well.

I wonder if some team would approach the Eagles about a trade for a LB. How insane is it to think they could have enough depth to be able to deal someone?

*****

What’s Up With Cooper DeJean? 

He’s finally back at practice, but Fangio said he’s limited to 2 to 3 reps per session. That means he is getting minimal work and will still need time to develop. The Eagles are using him at nickel for now. They will mix him in at corner as his reps increase and he can do more. The Eagles aren’t going to rush DeJean along. They have pretty good depth for now so they can let DeJean work his way back.

*****

What’s Up With DL Depth? 

Thomas Booker is starting to push for a roster spot. Fangio singled him out as a reserve DT who played well against the Patriots. That’s a great sign for Booker, who had a sack in the game. He also has been making more plays at practice and winning reps.

I haven’t finished re-watching the game so I can’t say much about PJ Mustipher. Watching it live, I thought he did okay.

*****

WR3?

Johnny Wilson is banged up so he’s missed multiple days. Parris Campbell is coming back, but we haven’t heard much about him.

This is still a major question mark. The Eagles have to be calling other teams to see who might be available.

_