5 minutes ago, Ipiggles said:

 

 

That being said, I am picking them to lose a heartbreaker by one score or less. Not because I think San Fran is that good, but because San Fran had extra time, while the Birds just played an OT game on SUnday, and have some injuries which are concerning... (Lane,Cox etc...) 

 

 

I don't think the Eagles will lose a close game.  That's where they are clearly stronger.  I think if they keep it close they win.  That said the 90+plays on D, coupled with the lack of LBs and SF having longer rest all worry me.

4 minutes ago, Waiting4Someday said:

Doesn't seem to be a particularly strong DT or DE class, but intriguing at OT and WR.  CB kind of a crapshoot.

I'd love to add an OT this year in the draft.  If he can play OG as well, so much the better.  A 3rd OT would be a massive upgrade with this team and relieve a lot of the consternation when Johnson misses a game.   AND... can become the starter when Johnson retires... which won't be long now.

39 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

Its typical.  The Dallas hype machine is always well oiled until the wheels finally fall all the way off.  

I'm not going to try and build up the Cowboys because they haven't really beat anyone, however since the bye week, the Cowboys are averaging 0.243 EPA/play. For the full season, the 49ers lead the league at 0.157 EPA/play. That’s how outrageously good this offense has been in the last 5 games. Even their biggest weakness - red zone offense - has been extremely improved. Since the bye, the Cowboys are scoring a touchdown on 69.6% of their red zone trips.

Again, I say that KNOWING FULL WELL the last five games they have only played one quality team, that being the Eagles, and they struggled in the red zone in that game. 

As far as the Dallas hype machine goes, the media loves the hot player or team, or whatever the hot story of the week is, and will produce clicks/views, it's how they generate revenue. They only reason they hype the Cowboys is because it is advantageous to their ratings/bottom line.

I wish the media hype surrounding the Cowboys would go away honestly, If you're a fan of a team that hasn't been successful in the postseason in a very, very long time they do not deserve the hype, and it's frustrating to see, for me anyway. As much as I dislike Stepeh A's style of delivery he is dead on when assessing the Cowboys. Theyve been OK Sept - Dec for quite a while, but come January they will break your heart.

Until Dak wins in January he is just another better than average QB for the Cowboys in the last 25 years.

1 minute ago, Iggles_Phan said:

I'd love to add an OT this year in the draft.  If he can play OG as well, so much the better.  A 3rd OT would be a massive upgrade with this team and relieve a lot of the consternation when Johnson misses a game.   AND... can become the starter when Johnson retires... which won't be long now.

Agreed - we won't be in a position to draft a OT who has the polish to play right away (maybe not for awhile really), but with a year or two until Lane hangs it up Stout can develop a freak that can serve as quality depth in the short-term. 

42 minutes ago, RememberTheKoy said:

 

 

Most people qcting all offseason like Blankenship was going to be the 3rd or 4th safety.  He's been our best as I said he would. 

He is one of my favorite players in the league right now.

3 minutes ago, Joe Ball said:

I'm not going to try and build up the Cowboys because they haven't really beat anyone, however since the bye week, the Cowboys are averaging 0.243 EPA/play. For the full season, the 49ers lead the league at 0.157 EPA/play. That’s how outrageously good this offense has been in the last 5 games. Even their biggest weakness - red zone offense - has been extremely improved. Since the bye, the Cowboys are scoring a touchdown on 69.6% of their red zone trips.

Again, I say that KNOWING FULL WELL the last five games they have only played one quality team, that being the Eagles, and they struggled in the red zone in that game. 

As far as the Dallas hype machine goes, the media loves the hot player or team, or whatever the hot story of the week is, and will produce clicks/views, it's how they generate revenue. They only reason they hype the Cowboys is because it is advantageous to their ratings/bottom line.

I wish the media hype surrounding the Cowboys would go away honestly, If you're a fan of a team that hasn't been successful in the postseason in a very, very long time they do not deserve the hype, and it's frustrating to see, for me anyway. As much as I dislike Stepeh A's style of delivery he is dead on when assessing the Cowboys. Theyve been OK Sept - Dec for quite a while, but come January they will break your heart.

Until Dak wins in January he is just another better than average QB for the Cowboys in the last 25 years.

Dallas is just a bad matchup for the Eagles. It doesn’t really matter what they do against other teams with winning records. San Fran dog-walked them earlier and they have a bad loss against AZ. But they always play the Eagles well regardless and more times than not, Dak has his way with this defense and they don’t have an answer for Lamb when he goes into the slot. Maybe it’s just a divisional thing the same way with Washington.  But it’s a bad matchup, specifically for the Eagles defense. They don’t have an answer for Dak and haven’t for a while. 

13 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

I don't think the Eagles will lose a close game.  That's where they are clearly stronger.  I think if they keep it close they win.  That said the 90+plays on D, coupled with the lack of LBs and SF having longer rest all worry me.

As long as it's close within 7 points at half I  think they have a great shot to win.

Seems that way during the season.  Last 2 games they've been down by 10 at half and won.  Feels like they play better after halftime.

15 minutes ago, FranklinFldEBUpper said:

I agree that offensive tackle is a need for this team. It's important that they find a quality successor to Lane Johnson at right tackle. However, that being said, is it *really* a 2024 draft need, something that has to be done immediately?

I honestly don't think the wheels would fall off if the team runs back the same core eight offensive lineman next year without adding anything significant. Going status quo for one more year while addressing the even more important DE (has anyone even noticed how barren this group actually is?) and CB needs might be the better strategy.

Speaking of the draft, what's the consensus on this Lions-Saints game? Who are we rooting for? Playoff positioning advantages (hope the Lions lose) or better second round pick (hope the Saints lose)? I think I'm going to root against the Saints and just hope the Eagles will take care of their own business and not have to worry about the Lions.

The Eagles draft 2 years out, so any player drafted in 2024 will be expected to start in 2025. By that point, Lane might be retired and Mailata will be in the last year of his contract. We can trade/sign players to fill holes like RBs, LB, S, etc.

I'm rooting for the Lions on Sunday. The Saints not making the playoffs is worth 10+ spots in draft position. Also, we have the tie-breaker over the Lions if we win one of the Dallas/Seahawks games or we don't and they lose one of 3 games vs. Vikings/Cowboys/Vikings. That Packers' loss was brutal for them in trying to get the #1 seed.

18 minutes ago, FranklinFldEBUpper said:

I agree that offensive tackle is a need for this team. It's important that they find a quality successor to Lane Johnson at right tackle. However, that being said, is it *really* a 2024 draft need, something that has to be done immediately?

I honestly don't think the wheels would fall off if the team runs back the same core eight offensive lineman next year without adding anything significant. Going status quo for one more year while addressing the even more important DE (has anyone even noticed how barren this group actually is?) and CB needs might be the better strategy.

Speaking of the draft, what's the consensus on this Lions-Saints game? Who are we rooting for? Playoff positioning advantages (hope the Lions lose) or better second round pick (hope the Saints lose)? I think I'm going to root against the Saints and just hope the Eagles will take care of their own business and not have to worry about the Lions.

Think I agree with that last part. Minnesota can beat them at least once. I think Dallas smokes them in Dallas anyway. And who knows how they’ll do when they go to Chicago? They almost got them once in Detroit. 

Eagles are breaking ratings records week after week.   All these thrilling wins are bringing in viewers.   

 

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/11/bills-eagles-ratings-highest-season-cbs-nfl-viewership-roundup/

1 hour ago, Iggles_Phan said:

Its typical.  The Dallas hype machine is always well oiled until the wheels finally fall all the way off.  

One other thing. We are going to find out in the next 5 weeks if the Cowboys are pretenders or contenders...if if they are contenders, they face an uphill battle in the playoffs playing on the road the entire postseason @NFCS champion (WC), @ SF or @ Eagles (Div), @ SF or @ Eagles (NFCCG) if they can win and advance. There is no grand illusion that Cowboy fans I know have regarding the possibility of a deep playoff run. I have seen this movie too many times, always hope for a different outcome, but I am a realist. It is what it is.

3 minutes ago, KINGnabb said:

Eagles are breaking ratings records week after week.   All these thrilling wins are bringing in viewers.   

We may never get a 1pm game again.

7 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

Dallas is just a bad matchup for the Eagles. It doesn’t really matter what they do against other teams with winning records. San Fran dog-walked them earlier and they have a bad loss against AZ. But they always play the Eagles well regardless and more times than not, Dak has his way with this defense and they don’t have an answer for Lamb when he goes into the slot. Maybe it’s just a divisional thing the same way with Washington.  But it’s a bad matchup, specifically for the Eagles defense. They don’t have an answer for Dak and haven’t for a while. 

I'm with you, divisional games for the most part are just ultra competitive. I have a buddy of mine who always wants my picks on games so he can place bets, I tell him stay away from divisional games...It tried to tell him to stay away from the Lions/Packers this past week in his survivor league, he picked the Lions...

11 minutes ago, KINGnabb said:

Eagles are breaking ratings records week after week.   All these thrilling wins are bringing in viewers.   

It feels like they're carrying the league this year from a ratings perspective. There have been a lot of bad games, specifically in the primetime slot. They will have a ton of primetime games next season. 

9 minutes ago, Joe Ball said:

Until Dak wins in January he is just another better than average QB for the Cowboys in the last 25 years.

Dak is really not much different from Tony Romo.   Stats players, especially early in the season, but when the weather turns colder, and the games matter more... both disappeared.   Both sort of follow the Kirk Cousins trajectory, with the exception that they could win night games whereas Cousins couldn't, whether it was TNF, SNF or MNF didn't really matter much.  

But, the networks love to push the Cowboys down everyone's throats.  I said it before, over the last 25+ years they are basically the Detroit Lions.  Both play on Thanksgiving every year, both wear that blue and silver... and both will be watching come playoff time.   Dallas sits near the bottom of the league with 4 playoff wins since 2000.  That ties them with the Jags, the Texans and the Bills for playoff futility (23rd in the NFL).  And in general, you don't want to be mentioned in the same breath as those teams when it comes to the post-season.  They trail the Vikings and the lowly Cardinals in playoff wins since 2000.   And, Dallas hasn't won consecutive playoff games at all since their last Super Bowl.  In other words, they don't get a playoff 'run'.   One and done most years... but if they manage a favorable matchup, they might sneak out one win.  

Only Detroit (0 wins), Washingteam, Browns and Dolphins (1 each) and Bears (3) are behind Dallas.   Time will tell if the Lions, Dolphins or Dallas can improve these numbers this year.  (I doubt the Browns will make the postseason now with their QB down.)

5 minutes ago, RLC said:

We may never get a 1pm game again.

Outside of Washington and soon Arizona, The Eagles have basically been in late afternoon or Primetime for Weeks now:

 

Week 9 Sunday Night Football Dolphins

Week 10: Game of the Week Fox Dallas

Week 12 Monday Night Football Chiefs

Week 13: Game of the week CBS Bills

Week 14: Game of the Week Fox 49ers

Week 15: Sunday Night Football Dallas

Week 16: Probably flexed to Monday Night Football Seattle

Week 17: Christmas Day Game Giants

32 minutes ago, FranklinFldEBUpper said:

I agree that offensive tackle is a need for this team. It's important that they find a quality successor to Lane Johnson at right tackle. However, that being said, is it *really* a 2024 draft need, something that has to be done immediately?

I honestly don't think the wheels would fall off if the team runs back the same core eight offensive lineman next year without adding anything significant. Going status quo for one more year while addressing the even more important DE (has anyone even noticed how barren this group actually is?) and CB needs might be the better strategy.

Speaking of the draft, what's the consensus on this Lions-Saints game? Who are we rooting for? Playoff positioning advantages (hope the Lions lose) or better second round pick (hope the Saints lose)? I think I'm going to root against the Saints and just hope the Eagles will take care of their own business and not have to worry about the Lions.

Round 1?  Probably not.  But they absolutely should be looking long and hard at Round 2 and 3 targets for a developmental player that can learn while a depth player, but be ready to step in when the time comes.  

In Round 1, DE & CB would be much higher priorities, BUT... the key is always to stick to the talent of what is there and not convince yourself that a player at position X is better than he really is, just because of the position he plays.  That's how you end up with the Jon Harris, Danny Watkins, even Jalen Reagor (because they needed a "speed" WR) type picks.  

 

18 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

Dallas is just a bad matchup for the Eagles. It doesn’t really matter what they do against other teams with winning records. San Fran dog-walked them earlier and they have a bad loss against AZ. But they always play the Eagles well regardless and more times than not, Dak has his way with this defense and they don’t have an answer for Lamb when he goes into the slot. Maybe it’s just a divisional thing the same way with Washington.  But it’s a bad matchup, specifically for the Eagles defense. They don’t have an answer for Dak and haven’t for a while. 

Issue with lamb is that maddox is consistently hurt. After next week, we’ve played Dallas 8 times since they’ve gotten lamb. Maddox has missed 4 of the 8 games and the second game last year in Dallas maddox got hurt early in the game. So it’s really 3 games he started and finished since they’ve had lamb. Not that maddox would just shut lamb down but he’s our best slot corner and has a better shot then anyone else we try to put on him when lamb lines up majority inside. 

19 minutes ago, Waiting4Someday said:

Agreed - we won't be in a position to draft a OT who has the polish to play right away (maybe not for awhile really), but with a year or two until Lane hangs it up Stout can develop a freak that can serve as quality depth in the short-term. 

Need to fill the pipeline of OT.  The current starters are good, though Lane is near the end of his career.  The back-ups now can fill in for some games, but can't take over as starter yet.  We are likely to be drafting late and probably not in a position to get a top OT talent.  Howie could engineer trade to move up if the coming draft has blue-chip OT.  Failing that, our OL guru would need to pull some magic by coaching up mid- to late round players.  

7 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

It feels like they're carrying the league this year from a ratings perspective. There have been a lot of bad games, specifically in the primetime slot. They will have a ton of primetime games next season. 

Yeah some of these primetime matchups haven't been the best this season.  I expect the Eagles to have no less than 5 Prime games next season.  i could also see Thanksgiving against Dallas in the future.  (Which is great because the Eagles are 6-1 on Thanksgiving)

3 minutes ago, KINGnabb said:

Outside of Washington and soon Arizona, The Eagles have basically been in late afternoon or Primetime for Weeks now:

 

Week 9 Sunday Night Football Dolphins

Week 10: Game of the Week Fox Dallas

Week 12 Monday Night Football Chiefs

Week 13: Game of the week CBS Bills

Week 14: Game of the Week Fox 49ers

Week 15: Sunday Night Football Dallas

Week 16: Probably flexed to Monday Night Football Seattle

Week 17: Christmas Day Game Giants

Yeah and I personally like them when they are at 1pm.   😞  I loathe when the Eagles are playing on  SNF and MNF games.   

15 minutes ago, KINGnabb said:

Eagles are breaking ratings records week after week.   All these thrilling wins are bringing in viewers.   

I would be willing to place a large wager that an Eagles/Cowboys playoff game will easily be the most watched game of the year heading into to the SB.

31 minutes ago, Joe Ball said:

Until Dak wins in January he is just another better than average QB for the Cowboys in the last 25 years.

Outside Dak and Romo, who else would you consider better than average over the past 25 years?  I guess you could put twilight Troy in there as well.  But in between it wasn't pretty with Bledsoe being the highlight and he was average at best at that point.

Just now, Ipiggles said:

Yeah and I personally like them when they are at 1pm.   😞  I loathe when the Eagles are playing on  SNF and MNF games.   

I am a fan of the 3:25 (central time) starts and prefer SNF vs MNF or TNF. I just wish Manningcast was the SNF game, I can't stand listening to CC.

5 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Issue with lamb is that maddox is consistently hurt. After next week, we’ve played Dallas 8 times since they’ve gotten lamb. Maddox has missed 4 of the 8 games and the second game last year in Dallas maddox got hurt early in the game. So it’s really 3 games he started and finished since they’ve had lamb. Not that maddox would just shut lamb down but he’s our best slot corner and has a better shot then anyone else we try to put on him when lamb lines up majority inside. 

Two things they need to prioritize in the offseason are another slot corner and backup RT. Maddox and Lane are too injury prone to rely on and both sides of the ball are completely different without them in. Maybe it'll end up being Driscoll at backup RT. He has his issues, but Stoutland clearly values him and I don't think he's a guy you want to question given his track record.