4 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

OK, I'll settle for not being a MASSIVE liability.

Even if the starters play week 18 (I would sit them), Jurgens should sit and rest.

I agree with almost everything you post, but I think that's the worst case scenario. I would sit everyone...but if they don't, I think they have to play to win the game (to quote Herm Edwards). If they half ass it and sit everyone who is banged up, they are going to get an ugly performance that leaves everyone inside and outside of that lockerroom feeling worse, not better, about this team heading into the playoffs. Going 2/5 starters on the OL puts Hurts in harm's way, gives Barkley another week of frustration and wasted mileage...and will leave the defense out on the field for far too long (with a potentially short-handed defense if you rest select starters). And then maybe they rest people at halftime en route to an ugly loss and they all feel like idiots. Then they'll be propelled into the playoffs fresh off a stinker in which mostly starters looked flat and still took a physical toll.

I think it would be insane not to sit everyone. But if they don't, then I think they have to rest no one. Otherwise, it's a guarantee to blow up in their face.

Was waiting for this -- so we had Latu on the field for 6 snaps, and Pryor as the extra O Lineman for 1 snap. We know the 6 Latu snaps were all successful plays. Maybe I'm selling false hope, but getting Lane back and bumping Fred back to his 6th OL role could massively help the run game. Also, give Latu all of Calcaterra's snaps already...

1 minute ago, Penn7980 said:

The second half offense is really a concern going into playoff and beyond. Defense keeps us in the game, but the non-performing offense would win many games against the playoff teams. Clearly they won't change the OC at this point. Very little outside helps can be done this late in the season now. Siri and Stoutland (run game coordinator) have to take control of the game plans and even the play calling.

Plans are fine. It's a lack of adjustments combined with going full turtle and Nick has watched it happen 5 times this year and been like cool. Let's completely gas the defense and see what happens.

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

I view it this way, Toth might have a higher floor right now. but in the playoffs against playoff caliber opponents i think Toth is a liability and you probably getting about what you are getting with Jurgens. I think there’s this he did well against the giants so he’d be an upgrade. He also began regressing after that. I really don’t think there’s improvement if any with him to Jurgens. The floor may be lower with Kendall as he’s a rookie but at the moment but I’d argue his potential ceiling is higher if he’s picked up things over training camps and 18 weeks of learning the offense and working with stoutland. He may very well be an upgrade over Toth at this point in time as compared to 8-12 weeks ago.

IMO if we are sitting Jurgens in week 18 and a bunch of starters, I much rather see what Kendall looks like against the commanders. Not that the commanders are telling me much. But if he looks good against the commanders, at least I have the trust that he could do what Toth did against a bad Giants team.

If they do the smart thing and sit the starters, I want Kendall at center and Toth at LG.

14 minutes ago, Eriv20 said:

It would be epic if all the nfc west teams are 1 and done like the nfc north last year. They are very similar with their cream puff schedules

I’d argue the rams actually had a pretty legit schedule outside of the division. Faced Texans, jags, colts (when the colts were rolling with Daniel jones, not the Phillip rivers version), at eagles, faced the winner of nfc south (Tampa/carolina) and potentially faced the afc north champion. Doesn’t include the lions. Their schedule is going to wind up having them play 4 games out of 17 with their opponent having less than 7 wins (saints or Atlanta wins week 17 they have 7 wins). Comparatively the eagles have potentially 6

4 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I agree with almost everything you post, but I think that's the worst case scenario. I would sit everyone...but if they don't, I think they have to play to win the game (to quote Herm Edwards). If they half ass it and sit everyone who is banged up, they are going to get an ugly performance that leaves everyone inside and outside of that lockerroom feeling worse, not better, about this team heading into the playoffs. Going 2/5 starters on the OL puts Hurts in harm's way, gives Barkley another week of frustration and wasted mileage...and will leave the defense out on the field for far too long (with a potentially short-handed defense if you rest select starters). And then maybe they rest people at halftime en route to an ugly loss and they all feel like idiots. Then they'll be propelled into the playoffs fresh off a stinker in which mostly starters looked flat and still took a physical toll.

I think it would be insane not to sit everyone. But if they don't, then I think they have to rest no one. Otherwise, it's a guarantee to blow up in their face.

I would sit everyone or no one other than Cam. My comment was that I'd sit Jurgens for Toth because that seems like an actual upgrade if you're playing to win.

2 minutes ago, pisceschica said:

The eagles won’t be this lucky in playoffs.

That was an ugly miss. But I sincerely believe the Bills went for it because of the regular season situation. Neither HC wanted to play another 10:00 of physical, snippy football with both playoff spots guaranteed and only non-bye week seeding in the balance. I guarantee Mcdermott figured win it or lose it now and avoid further wear/tear on his team...with Josh Allen's mobility and typical heroics, he liked his chances. That's an XP and OT in the playoffs.

Every single playoff HC will gladly take that scenario to OT knowing our offense won't sniff another point.

6 minutes ago, pisceschica said:

The eagles won’t be this lucky in playoffs.

Josh makes that throw "100 out of 100 times," other than the play that just happened.

Orlovsky's need to slurp his favorites is really tiresome. Allen, Burrow, Mahomes, Stafford, etc. are never to blame. Maybe he was frantic because our defensive line beat the hell out of him?

2 hours ago, eagle45 said:

I lean more towards blaming Hurts than Patullo, but this begs a few more question.

The 8 yard pass to AJ on 3rd and 10...need to see the rest of the field a bit better. Was that a decoy route and Hurts was supposed to go somewhere else? If so, shame on Hurts. Or are these the same routes they've been running for 2-3 years trying to get underneath a defense so they can get into 4th down tush push situations? I really don't think any coach at any level would be dumb enough to keep targeting those routes when the tush push is no longer on the table in those situations. Or maybe Patullo is that dumb. But Hurts is still pulling the trigger on a come back route by the sidelines short of the sticks that wouldn't get first down yardage against AIR. There's no point in even running the play. A draw has a better chance of getting a first down than that route and pass. The ball is literally leading him OOB 2 yards short of the sticks. It's a bad route (maybe Patullo, maybe AJ) but Hurts shouldn't be throwing the ball there either.

Hurts is not calling the personnel schemes and packages and he is getting the plays to him late. to make the needed adjustments. There is a fundamental breakdown with their offensive counters to what the defense is showing. Hurts would need to audible to a completely different formation for different blocking schemes and pass routes because that OC is so clueless.

I have already spoken to the stupidity of countering a stacked 8-9 man defensive front with a stacked condensed offensive formation and then running directly into it. Heck the enormous congestion of offensive players is just as big an obstacle to Barkley as the defenders are. Spread them out, run misdirection, quick pitches to the edge...it is mindless.

It is a similar concept for when I coached basketball. I know the NBA does pick and roll as a staple for mismatches but the skill level is so much higher. At the level I coached, I never used used on ball screens because it always brings a second defender to the ball. It is much better to run off ball screens, screen aways, staggered and double screens off ball, spread offense with backdoor cuts etc I know different sport but same concept.

Again, the Eagles offense looks good for the first 15 scripted plays or so, but completely fall apart and don't adapt for the rest of the game. They were running with Natu as FB early on successfully starting with the first play from scrimmage and that completely disappeared...why? There is a psychological term called " functional fixedness" which defines when a person gets trapped and stuck seeing the problem from the same perspective and then using the same thinking to find a solution over and over again. It is what I see with our OC...he needs other people communicating with him between plays to break him free from it...I have been suggesting for the last half of the season to move to the press box. He is not getting to see what he needs to see from the sideline. He needs to be in the press box with some wise advisors to support him...

8 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

Was waiting for this -- so we had Latu on the field for 6 snaps, and Pryor as the extra O Lineman for 1 snap. We know the 6 Latu snaps were all successful plays. Maybe I'm selling false hope, but getting Lane back and bumping Fred back to his 6th OL role could massively help the run game. Also, give Latu all of Calcaterra's snaps already...

Having a second TE who can't block well, particularly when our OL is beat up, is bordering on criminal. Calcaterra isn't an awful player but he makes zero sense out there given the team context. I have no idea why they're so attached.

Just now, vikas83 said:

Josh makes that throw "100 out of 100 times," other than the play that just happened.

Orlovsky's need to slurp his favorites is really tiresome. Allen, Burrow, Mahomes, Stafford, etc. are never to blame. Maybe he was frantic because our defensive line beat the hell out of him?

I got in an argument over this last night stating that vision, accuracy, and consistency are not Josh Allen's strengths. Thanks to my Buffalo in-laws, I have to sit through the Bills every week. I can tell you Allen has been missing those throws at a meaningful clip this year.

2 hours ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Yes just to hear people complaining about players playing the game they are getting paid to play

I agree so we can complain about people calling out refs for not doing a job they are also paid to do

Just now, eagle45 said:

I got in an argument over this last night stating that vision, accuracy, and consistency are not Josh Allen's strengths. Thanks to my Buffalo in-laws, I have to sit through the Bills every week. I can tell you Allen has been missing those throws at a meaningful clip this year.

Yeah. Allen's superpower is his ability to create and make off schedule plays with his legs and arm. He's never been a pinpoint passer that runs the scheme.

3 minutes ago, DEagle7 said:

Having a second TE who can't block well, particularly when our OL is beat up, is bordering on criminal. Calcaterra isn't an awful player but he makes zero sense out there given the team context. I have no idea why they're so attached.

I jokingly called to cut him earlier this year. If you want him as DG insurance, I'd rather deactivate him on gameday and have Uche up for more of a DE rotation.

Just now, vikas83 said:

Yeah. Allen's superpower is his ability to create and make off schedule plays with his legs and arm. He's never been a pinpoint passer that runs the scheme.

I'd add one thing to that...he and (pre-2025) Mahomes are the best I've ever seen at erasing long distances. 3rd and 8 or 3rd and 20. Doesn't really change the chances of converting. They may still fail because they take a sack, miss an open guy, bad read, etc....but the increased distance is immaterial. They can make the same throw off balance on a line from 20 yards out.

I was thinking Super Bowl at halftime yesterday.

17 minutes ago, pisceschica said:

The eagles won’t be this lucky in playoffs.

It wasn't exactly luck. DeJean was immediately in his backfield with another DL coming.

They flushed him out. Pressure resulted in a bad pass.

2 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

Yeah. Allen's superpower is his ability to create and make off schedule plays with his legs and arm. He's never been a pinpoint passer that runs the scheme.

I agree with this, but part of the reason Josh Allen and the bills have inconsistencies with that offense this year is because their wide receivers are just not good. Coleman never made a jump. Shakir is solid. But the rest are not very good. Cooks hasn’t been good in about two or three years and that’s being generous. When he is your 2nd best wide receiver and he’s on the downside of his career that’s a problem.

This isn’t you can’t be critical of Josh Allen. He has his flaws. However when I watch that team this year on offense, they remind me so much of the Donovan McNabb Eagles offense early in his career. Where they had a good tight end (Kincaid when healthy). Their running game is very good. Their offensive line is good. However, the difference between that offense going to another level and being way more consistent is the fact he’s playing with WRs that might be bottom 1/3 in the league. I have to go through the wide receiving corps in the NFL, but I would bet it’s close in the bottom 8

Just now, Connecticut Eagle said:

I was thinking Super Bowl at halftime yesterday.

I'm still thinking Super Bowl. While we all obsess on KP and the offense, this defense since the bye (and getting Phillips) has held GB to 7, Detroit to 9 and Buffalo to 12. Those are the 3rd (Detroit), 6th (Buffalo) and 13th (GB) highest scoring teams in the NFL. And Carter is finally healthier. This defense can drag KP to the Super Bowl.

2 hours ago, Ace Nova said:

100% without question all (HEALTHY) starters play next week.

We are still playing for the #2 seed. A win and Bears loss we are the #2 seed. #2 seed is huge, imo - we would likely get Green Bay at home in the 1st round - Green Bay has struggled on offense similar to the Eagles and their defense has not been as stout as our defense down the stretch.

Then we would also have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs until we faced the west division winner - IF we even face them - if not, we would have homefield advantage even in the NFCCG. That's huge and absolutely worth playing your starters for.

I have come to the conclusion that it is not worth playing the starters based on the schedule for next week's game that came out last night. I agree with your logic with the benefit of the #2 seed...if the Eagles only needed the win against the Commanders, I am totally in , but the #2 seed is contingent on a battered and beaten Lions team stepping up and beating the Bears... at this point in time, that is a low percentage.

The NFL really screwed the Eagles last night and set them up for an even bigger screwing over in the first round. The Eagles most likely will be playing the loser of the Niners and Seahawks. It is inexplicably being played on Saturday instead of the premier game on Sunday. That decision means the Eagles will play either of those teams with the extra day of rest and preparation for them. More importantly, I can almost guarantee that Eagles game will be played on Saturday which means they will be getting a short week....rest the starters now! Let the Niners-Seahawks beat the hell out of each other the week before and take their chances in a revenge game with Chicago...Fangio won't be caught off guard again.

1 hour ago, SkippyX said:

Can you imagine weird Bills fans screaming that the 15-1 is a team stat and that the defense carried him to 7 of those wins?

Not really since he is ten times the qb hurts is and their defense is weak

1 minute ago, HazletonEagle said:

It wasn't exactly luck. DeJean was immediately in his backfield with another DL coming.

They flushed him out. Pressure resulted in a bad pass.

I’m not just talking about that specific play I’m speaking of that game in general. Idk if you watched the clip they also showed the goal line stand where Allen had a player open with a lead blocker on the fourth and goal play. Also lucky that Allen, like a dummy, didn’t treat the loose ball as a fumble. Which led to the only td the eagles scored.

8 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

I jokingly called to cut him earlier this year. If you want him as DG insurance, I'd rather deactivate him on gameday and have Uche up for more of a DE rotation.

I joked about cutting Calcaterra so they couldn’t keep using him as a run blocker with two tight end sets. using Calcaterra as a run blocker is either you’re stupid (don’t think they are) or you’re so stubborn that you don’t wanna learn the lesson that he is not good enough to do it.

Not Understanding and accepting who your personnel is after multiple years in the system, not utilizing their strengths and not forcing them to do things they’ve shown not to be good at repeatedly is bad coaching. putting Calcaterra out there to continuously try to keep run blocking is misusing personnel. That is a coaching Problem (as well as roster construction issue)

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

I agree with this, but part of the reason Josh Allen and the bills have inconsistencies with that offense this year is because their wide receivers are just not good. Coleman never made a jump. Shakir is solid. But the rest are not very good. Cooks hasn’t been good in about two or three years and that’s being generous. When he is your 2nd best wide receiver and he’s on the downside of his career that’s a problem.

This isn’t you can’t be critical of Josh Allen. He has his flaws. However when I watch that team this year on offense, they remind me so much of the Donovan McNabb Eagles offense early in his career. Where they had a good tight end (Kincaid when healthy). Their running game is very good. Their offensive line is good. However, the difference between that offense going to another level and being way more consistent is the fact he’s playing with WRs that might be bottom 1/3 in the league. I have to go through the wide receiving corps in the NFL, but I would bet it’s close in the bottom 8

I agree their WRs are not great, but having the top running attack in the NFL is a huge boost (and something McNabb never had). Our secondary is too good to be threatened by those WRs -- most of Buffalo's big plays were 50/50 balls (one of which wasn't caught, another where PI was BS). The one matchup in the playoffs that is concerning is LA since they can get Puka or Adams on Adoree through formations -- we'll help with a safety, but then Q is all alone on the short side against an all pro. You need 2 top WRs to really attack this secondary.