I'm certainly not qualified to draw up a game plan for any NFL team, but the way I see it the Eagles chances for playoff success rest on:

Offense -- protect the defense.  Long, sustained drives that finish with points.  Control the ball, take what's there.  Chunk plays will come if they are patient and force the opponent into mistakes.  

Defense -- force turnovers.  The Eagles defense is not sound enough to play the two-high safety shell method.  That only works when you tighten up in the red zone and limit the opponent to FGs.  The Eagles have been a terrible red zone defense all year.  Gamble more, jump some routes, punch the ball out on every play.  You need luck.

1 minute ago, Alphagrand said:

I'm certainly not qualified to draw up a game plan for any NFL team, but the way I see it the Eagles chances for playoff success rest on:

Offense -- protect the defense.  Long, sustained drives that finish with points.  Control the ball, take what's there.  Chunk plays will come if they are patient and force the opponent into mistakes.  

Defense -- force turnovers.  The Eagles defense is not sound enough to play the two-high safety shell method.  That only works when you tighten up in the red zone and limit the opponent to FGs.  The Eagles have been a terrible red zone defense all year.  Gamble more, jump some routes, punch the ball out on every play.  You need luck.

I’d agree with this. Funnily enough I think Arizona showed how the eagles need to approach things. They need to keep hold of the ball on offense and keep their defense on the sidelines. If they can limit the number of drives their opponents have they give themselves a chance.

10 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Side note: I’ve always respected teams that have an identity and can easily identify players who fit. The Niners and Ravens are prime examples. Defensively, what is the identity we want to have? We aren’t fast. We aren’t physical. We aren’t aggressive. I don’t think limiting big plays and stopping the run with six in the box is an identity. 

This defense absolutely has an identity, its just not one you ever want.    

 

It's called SOFT.

3 minutes ago, Alphagrand said:

I'm certainly not qualified to draw up a game plan for any NFL team, but the way I see it the Eagles chances for playoff success rest on:

Offense -- protect the defense.  Long, sustained drives that finish with points.  Control the ball, take what's there.  Chunk plays will come if they are patient and force the opponent into mistakes.  

Defense -- force turnovers.  The Eagles defense is not sound enough to play the two-high safety shell method.  That only works when you tighten up in the red zone and limit the opponent to FGs.  The Eagles have been a terrible red zone defense all year.  Gamble more, jump some routes, punch the ball out on every play.  You need luck.

The offensive game plan has to look exactly like you have described IMO. That might just give them a fighters chance, if successful.

 

Also agree that the defense has to take more chances, even if it means giving up the big play. They have given up TDs at will anyways, so you might as well give it up taking risks and you will not be on the field for 6 to 8 minutes per drive. Draw up more blitzes, play more press… just do something to change up your way of playing soft. They need to be more aggressive and not so passive. You at least have a chance of causing a turnover by forcing the issue…

I don't mind the defence getting points scored if they're genuinely beaten by good play. but they have to do SOMETHING. playing 10 yards off the recievers and half arsed tackling is not acceptable. Getting beat whilst your blitzing or playing agressively will be 100% better.

27 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

A month ago it looked like a few HCs would get fired who would be big upgrades at DC, but now it looks like Saleh, Eberflus and Allen are safe. Obviously the next one isn’t on our staff. I can’t imagine we’d go with Staley or anyone else in the Fangio tree. Who else is out there?

Jeff Wade Ulbrich.  Jets defensive coordinator.  
 

Could be enticed to come here since he would get 100% control of the defense here.  Doubt he has 100% control in NY. 

13 hours ago, judunno said:

Why do people keep saying this? If it were so easy every QB would be doing it. He makes that play special with a 90%+ success rate.

Not sure where you're going with this or even why you brought it up

14 hours ago, devpool said:

You think the cowboys lose to the commanders? Off your rocker

Sam "HOF" Howell is starting.....

14 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

Not sure where you're going with this or even why you brought it up

You: "How many of his TDs are from the goal line with the sneak?"

14 hours ago, Know Life said:

Nice city, decent aquarium.

While going through the adoption process we had to fly to Tampa to meet Ellie's birth parents before she was born.

 

There were strip clubs EVERYWHERE. 

12 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

Not sure where you're going with this or even why you brought it up

There's a value in being able to convert 3rd and 4th and 1 at a 90+% rate, but that value tends to be overstated.  Raheem Mostert has 21 TDs this season; does that make him a great player?  He had a total of 19 TDs in 8 years before this one.  It's more a function of how he's being used in the offense.  Last year Jamaal Williams had 17 TDs for the Lions.  They didn't even keep him on the team, and this year in New Orleans he has zero TDs.

Count me in the group that thinks "total TDs" for a QB is not a particularly relevant stat -- unless they're scoring from 3+ yards out.

5 minutes ago, judunno said:

You: "How many of his TDs are from the goal line with the sneak?"

Yes and then you went on a tirade about it me somehow calling it easy and it's a special play. That's the part I'm confused on

53 minutes ago, judunno said:

Don't the fans weigh in heavily on the Pro Bowl selections? Never really read much into it. There's not much of a difference from Hurts performance thus far vs Stafford. Hurts has arguably even out played him if you actually consider his rushing. I don't see it as a measurement of much of anything.

Agree.  Hurts had a down year compared to last season, but if someone is judging a player’s season based on whether he made the pro bowl or not, then he is doing it wrong.  
 

From a pure overall production standpoint, Hurts should be a pro bowler.

1 hour ago, judunno said:

Don't the fans weigh in heavily on the Pro Bowl selections? Never really read much into it. There's not much of a difference from Hurts performance thus far vs Stafford. Hurts has arguably even out played him if you actually consider his rushing. I don't see it as a measurement of much of anything.

I was referring more to the DL investment. I still have very high hopes for Carter and Davis. I was against bringing Hargrave walk so I don't have a leg to stand on there but boy he's played a great year. I don't think the Eagles were giving him $80 million but how many years are the going to give Cox $14 for 1 year at a time? Might even out in the long run.

 

The penny situation is a joke. Waste of talent and roster spot.

Have any of the media asked nick about this or are they too bothered about trying to catch out AJ brown?

2 minutes ago, rrfierce said:

The penny situation is a joke. Waste of talent and roster spot.

Have any of the media asked nick about this or are they too bothered about trying to catch out AJ brown?

They have asked him multiple times all year. 

Same answer every time: "He's RB4"

1 minute ago, LeanMeanGM said:

They have asked him multiple times all year. 

Same answer every time: "He's RB4"

He might as well be RB44

1 minute ago, rrfierce said:

The penny situation is a joke. Waste of talent and roster spot.

Have any of the media asked nick about this or are they too bothered about trying to catch out AJ brown?

The issue is this economy.  You can't buy anything with a penny any more.  Lurie is clearly on the side of eliminating the penny from the mint and making the nickel the smallest coin in US circulation.  Howie clearly thought a penny was worth something in this economy, but Lurie disagreed.   Tough break.

17 hours ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Really? Jordan Davis was a well known target. Jalen Carter was a well known target, even with the "he's not sliding past #10" report which was literally the Eagles pick. Cam Jurgens was another one that Tony Pauline said Eagles love him and will take him if he's there. That's just the last 2 years and I'm sure there's other stuff I'm missing. 

 

I think Devonta was also clearly the choice in 2021.  

18 minutes ago, McMVP said:

Agree.  Hurts had a down year compared to last season, but if someone is judging a player’s season based on whether he made the pro bowl or not, then he is doing it wrong.

 
Correct!

From a pure overall production standpoint, Hurts should be a pro bowler.

Incorrect.

 

Jesse Minter for DC. Clear cut. Heck, take Harbaugh and Sherron Moore while you’re at it. 

1 hour ago, greendestiny27 said:

Kyle Hamilton and Joey Porter jr in this secondary and we'd be looking so good for now and the future... Howie needs to have an A+ offseason. 

Coaching is the bigger problem than talent this year.  I think Hamilton and Porter would look crappy under this staff.  The number one issue in fixing the defense is to hire a competent coordinator that gets competent coaches.  I want them to add talent in the secondary but the bigger problems are scheme, coaching and preparation.  

There's a disconnect with the coaching staff and personnel.

Teams that are heavily veteran tend to rely on complex schemes to hide physical limitations, since a veteran defense should be able to execute those schemes, teams with lots of young, athletic players tend to go KISS until the kids grow into the job and their heads stop spinning.

Eagles do not run complex schemes on either side of the ball, yet they haven't chosen to go "young and fast" either.

26 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

I think Devonta was also clearly the choice in 2021.  

Yea but that was more an easy educated guess than a leak, imo. 

8 minutes ago, austinfan said:

There's a disconnect with the coaching staff and personnel.

Teams that are heavily veteran tend to rely on complex schemes to hide physical limitations, since a veteran defense should be able to execute those schemes, teams with lots of young, athletic players tend to go KISS until the kids grow into the job and their heads stop spinning.

Eagles do not run complex schemes on either side of the ball, yet they haven't chosen to go "young and fast" either.

At this stage of the season, I don’t think there is anything anyone can do to solve the problems the defense has. It’s having a snowball effect, which has turned into an avalanche of mediocrity. Bad to worse to historically awful.