1 hour ago, Cliftoma said:

Why do think they are using this front?  Part of reason I suppose is that they didn't trust their LBs at the time to go sideline to sideline vs the run.  This front does stretch out the DL against outside runs but then you don't have LBs to fill gaps behind. They also probably wanted to generate more pass rush but teams are quick passing us to death.

In addition, dropping a DL into coverage does not seem to working out.  Maybe Smith with his speed could help.  

I'm with you on the 4 DL.  Their biggest problem all year has been defending shorts passes and the middle of the field.  That 5 DL makes no sense considering that weakness as it take a defender out of the middle of the field and replaces them with DL who is either too slow to cover a RB (or TE).  Opposing offenses are just the ball out quick to the middle of the field or the flat before the 5 DL can get home.

 I think they were best (a relative term obviously with this D 😅) is when they either had 3 LBs on the field or Brown playing that 3rd LB or big nickel. 

 

I suppose because they think it's a good way to generate pressure while also being gap sound against the run. Like you said, the weakness exposed is in coverage on the back end, obviously. Which is part of the reason why we have had some success (earlier in the season, at least) in defending the run using this front, but not as much in defending the pass. It's similar in philosophy to a 3-4 where both your OLBs are rushing the QB. But if you rely on that too much as a crutch, then offensive coordinators and QBs will start to spot the tendency and exploit it at will. 

5 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

Desai is bearing the brunt of the criticism and he should but this points to poor fundamentals.  I think they need to clean house at the assistant level.  

Why Nick let one of the best go to Baltimore is another dumb ass choice from him. I'm starting to get major Chip stupidity vibes from him.

1 hour ago, EricAllenPick6 said:

Pisses me off.  We figured there would be some regression in the offense and defense when Steichen and all our D players got poached, but the reluctance to make changes is a frustrating.  What would hurt in hiring Frank Reich as an offensive consultant to help BJ to call plays a bit better?  Maybe bring in a guy like Jack Del Rio to help Desai figure out how to call defense on 3rd down?

We have Patricia.  What is he doing?  

1 minute ago, Diehardfan said:

We all want hope but Nick right there is showing why nothing will change . He is cocky and stubborn and will be gone after nex year at this rate. How Jeff and Howie can watch this and not get involved is beyond me.

Howie has his analytics people and I am sure they are breaking down the decisionmaking after every game.  We know they meet with Nick and the coaches and Lurie.  I can't imagine they are not critical of poor decisions. My guess is that some of his stubborness with the media is because he's getting pressured in these meetings.  He's probably had to defend every decision he made for hours before meeting the press.  

You may be right that he will persist and nothing will change but I then you're also right that he will be gone.  Lurie does not care about a Super Bowl appearance.  

6 minutes ago, Diehardfan said:

Why Nick let one of the best go to Baltimore is another dumb ass choice from him. I'm starting to get major Chip stupidity vibes from him.

I think he was mad that he wasn't given a shot as a defensive coordinator. I also think Desai wanted to bring in his own guy but yeah it was complete stupidity.  

Just now, Iggles_Phan said:

We have Patricia.  What is he doing?  

Setting the offensive gameplan 

30 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

Pencil holder for Nick

I thought that was the visor's job.   

Just now, LeanMeanGM said:

Setting the offensive gameplan 

Perfect.  

Just now, Iggles_Phan said:

I thought that was the visor's job.   

He holds the extras during the game 

5 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

We have Patricia.  What is he doing?  

His best to get the DC fired so he can step in?

5 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

I think he was mad that he wasn't given a shot as a defensive coordinator. I also think Desai wanted to bring in his own guy but yeah it was complete stupidity.  

Honestly, why wasn't he considered? The staff seemed to love him and they were picking from the bottom of the barrel.

2 minutes ago, Diehardfan said:

Honestly, why wasn't he considered? The staff seemed to love him and they were picking from the bottom of the barrel.

He was. He was a finalist with Desai.

10 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

Howie has his analytics people and I am sure they are breaking down the decisionmaking after every game.  We know they meet with Nick and the coaches and Lurie.  I can't imagine they are not critical of poor decisions. My guess is that some of his stubborness with the media is because he's getting pressured in these meetings.  He's probably had to defend every decision he made for hours before meeting the press.  

You may be right that he will persist and nothing will change but I then you're also right that he will be gone.  Lurie does not care about a Super Bowl appearance.  

I hope you are right that he's getting pressure. I'm not a fan of a coach who isn't open (at least publicly) to improving or changing where there are obvious needs.Especially, when they take it a step further and act arrogant/cocky. His record doesn't mean crap when the two teams they'd have to get past just abused them on both sides.

1 hour ago, EricAllenPick6 said:

Pisses me off.  We figured there would be some regression in the offense and defense when Steichen and all our D players got poached, but the reluctance to make changes is a frustrating.  What would hurt in hiring Frank Reich as an offensive consultant to help BJ to call plays a bit better?  Maybe bring in a guy like Jack Del Rio to help Desai figure out how to call defense on 3rd down?

What stumps me is you have Matt Patricia already.  Beginning to wonder if they allow him to have any input.

 

Not saying he is the answer but maybe there is a scheme adjustment that could be made 

1 minute ago, tuffstuff07 said:

What stumps me is you have Matt Patricia already.  Beginning to wonder if they allow him to have any input.

 

Not saying he is the answer but maybe there is a scheme adjustment that could be made 

OR... if he knows anything.  He was Belichik's DC.  Does he do anything?    And then he went to Detroit... and was bad.  

37 minutes ago, Diehardfan said:

We all want hope but Nick right there is showing why nothing will change . He is cocky and stubborn and will be gone after nex year at this rate. How Jeff and Howie can watch this and not get involved is beyond me.

I think saying he'll be gone after next year is a bit premature. I realize things can change quickly and I think if nothing at all changes, yes he might be, but the problem is more the expectations Sirianni has than Sirianni himself. He's won early after another coach that's won early (Doug Pederson), but hasn't won the big game. This means that the expectations for his teams have been sky high, especially because of his winning percentage.

Or put differently, if his record was mediocre, he'd be facing a lot less criticism than he is right now.

In the NFL, for better or for worse, no one besides maybe the Browns and teams owned by Tepper want to be known as destinations where people aren't given chances. This sometimes means growing pains. It means double growing pains in situations where people are new to this as well. It took time for Sirianni to admit he was simply the problem and give up play-calling. 

One thing in the NFL I imagine they're looking at is, how much change can they reasonably install to fix something during the season. During the season they have a lot of gameplan work and team specific work but they say a lot of the important stuff is ultimately installed during the offseason. So they probably think about it like firing someone alone doesn't guarantee getting better, there has to be a plan to replace that person that can feasibly be executed during the season while ALSO dealing with opponents properly (otherwise you might sacrifice a game to an opponent because your focus was split).

So it's a lot more complicated than simply throwing guys out, unfortunately. Unless guys like Fangio himself are sitting around. Thanks a bunch, Gannon.

 

6 hours ago, GoEagles5921 said:

Yeah man Vansumeran at slot WR is the answer 

Pick from a long list of players the Eagles could be using,  or burn out the star WRs before the playoffs,  using the star WRs so much that everyone else hasn't even been prepared to play in real games.

I'll mention this again.

No team in the NFL uses their top WRs more than the Eagles do.  Most snaps for the top pair of WRs. Those WRs got them to the best record in the NFL.  Now they're tired, and the Eagles have lost the last 2 games.

Doesn't really matter if it's Covey or VanSumeren or Albert Ok or whoever who is preserving the star WRs for the playoffs.

Maybe the plan is to completely burn out Brown and Smith in the regular season,  but the Eagles have so much confidence in the backups who almost never play and almost never get targeted?   Maybe, it's possible. 

I read the list of complaints about the Eagles here,  and what I find is that they're often very vague and non specific.   As if,  at one point,  someone somewhere had a specific solution,  but, after passing it on from one person to the next,  any specific solution is gone, replaced by generic statements like "better route concepts".    Well,  no one is against "better" anything, but no one is specifically typing out what exactly those better route concepts are.

Yeah, my thinking is to put the best players on the field, the best athletes, best measurables, best combine and pro day numbers, have them practice,  play,  become better.  That's what I want to see on the field,  the best athletes, the big and fast ones who can win races. 

20 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

OR... if he knows anything.  He was Belichik's DC.  Does he do anything?    And then he went to Detroit... and was bad.  

People definitely learn defensive things under Belichick. Consider this. Why are position coaches able to become Defensive Coordinators? The answer naturally is that they learn things over time. But in the same vein, does that mean position coach input is useless? Of course not, right?

Similar situation here. Belichick DCs probably don't learn enough to be full-time defensive coordinators in other systems, but they probably learn more enough to help with things like scheme adjustments.

43 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Setting the offensive gameplan 

Clearing BJ's browser history on the tablet? 

36 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

He was. He was a finalist with Desai.

I guess he wasn't ok with trash at LB.  

44 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

Howie has his analytics people and I am sure they are breaking down the decisionmaking after every game.  We know they meet with Nick and the coaches and Lurie.  I can't imagine they are not critical of poor decisions. My guess is that some of his stubborness with the media is because he's getting pressured in these meetings.  He's probably had to defend every decision he made for hours before meeting the press.  

You may be right that he will persist and nothing will change but I then you're also right that he will be gone.  Lurie does not care about a Super Bowl appearance.  

I don't think Lurie is going to fire another coach here if he doesn't have to, especially the one with the best winning percentage in the NFL. I think he knows better. Firing Doug did not get him any favors among coaches, and that's part of why we had to look a while for Sirianni. Firing Sirianni is a situation which would basically scream to NFL coaches 'you get no leeway here despite this being a stable organization'.

5 hours ago, Freshmilk said:

I am likely wrong, but from the couch perspective, we seem like a team that leans on really good players making one on one plays.

I think you're right.

an analogy from another sport.   In college lacrosse,  some teams on offense lilke to pass the ball around a lot,  eventually someone gets a pass close to the goal and shoots and scores. 

But other teams have stars, and they get the star the ball,   isolation,  and the star makes a run at the goal from a distance.  

The Eagles are more like the 2nd lax team, who gets the ball to the star and asks the star to do star things. 

3 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

I guess he wasn't ok with trash at LB.  

Mr Lurie found his philosophy of don't bend or break to be offensive 

26 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

OR... if he knows anything.  He was Belichik's DC.  Does he do anything?    And then he went to Detroit... and was bad.  

Yep. Doug and co basically pansted him on the biggest stage in front of the whole wold. He was lucky to get the one turnover they did get thanks to AJ batting up a ball right into Gilmore's hands.