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DeVonta Smith understandably lets frustration fly after loss


time2rock
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DeVonta Smith understandably lets frustration fly after loss

 

As he walked back to the sideline on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, DeVonta Smith demonstratively stomped his foot.

When he got to the bench, he tossed his helmet.

The Eagles’ No. 1 receiver was frustrated. And that frustration boiled over in the wake of the Eagles’ 13-7 loss to the Giants on Sunday afternoon.

"I’m sure he was upset. I was upset too,” quarterback Jalen Hurts said. "People express themselves differently, but we came up short in the game, you know what I mean? And that hurts.”

Smith didn’t speak to reporters on Sunday evening, so he didn’t get to explain his frustration for himself. But if he was upset he didn’t see the ball on the final play of the game, he’s got a case.

Because on that fourth down play, when Jalen Reagor eventually dropped his second pass in the span of a few plays, Smith was open.

Hurts didn’t throw him the ball.

Of course, Hurts did feel some pressure on the play. But there’s clearly a moment when he could have let it fly. By the time Smith puts his hands up to call for the ball, Hurts is moving up in the pocket and might not have had time to re-set and get it to Smith.

This other angle shows that a little more clearly.

Eventually, Hurts does deliver a ball on the money to Reagor, who simply drops it. So it’s tough to kill Hurts for this play; eventually he made a throw that should have been caught.

Just before that final play, Smith was on the sideline talking to head coach Nick Sirianni.

"Yeah, he wants the ball in a critical situation like that,” Sirianni said. "They were playing two-man in that scenario and they had played it three snaps in a row, and it was two-man on that one as well. The type of the play that he wanted in that scenario wasn’t going to be good. But I love the fact that he wants the ball in crunch time and wants it on his shoulders when the game is on the line. That’s what he was telling me, and I respect that. We had to do what we thought was best for that one with the coverages they were playing. We didn’t execute.”

But it’s easy to understand why Smith got frustrated. With the game on the line, he didn’t see a single target on the final drive of the game, while Reagor saw three. And from Smith’s vantage point, he was open on that last play.

While Sirianni explained on 94WIP on Monday morning that neither of the balls dropped by Reagor came on plays designed to go to him, that’s still three targets for Reagor and zero for Smith on that drive. No matter what the defense is presenting, that can’t happen.

Smith’s final target on the day came the play before the Boston Scott fumble on the penultimate drive. He caught an 8-yard pass to move the sticks.

Against the Giants, Smith was targeted 4 times and had 2 catches for 22 yards. He had James Bradberry on him for most of the game, but he still needs to be a bigger part of the offense.

And after the Eagles lost the way they did, his frustration is warranted.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-devonta-smith-understandably-lets-frustration-fly-after-loss

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Smith was understandably angry because with the game on the line they went to Reagor 3 out of 4 times and didn't target him once. If I was Smith Id have been doing a lot more than a stomp of the feet and throwing my helmet. 

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Just another example of Hurts not seeing the field.  If both are open and the game is on the line, who do you go to ... you most sure-handed receiver or the one who, up to this point, has looked the part of a bust?  

I still want to see them give Hurts more time though.  No doubt he still has a lot to work on but I don't want that to be the reason they reach out of need and pull the trigger on an underwhelming prospect in April.

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1 hour ago, time2rock said:

Just another example of Hurts not seeing the field.  If both are open and the game is on the line, who do you go to ... you most sure-handed receiver or the one who, up to this point, has looked the part of a bust?  

I still want to see them give Hurts more time though.  No doubt he still has a lot to work on but I don't want that to be the reason they reach out of need and pull the trigger on an underwhelming prospect in April.

You must have a strong arm to be a starting QB in today's NFL.  Have to be able to make that 20 yard down and out.  I would find those QBs with pro arms in the 12-15 draftable college QBs and pick one of them to develop.  Hopefully the right one.  

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People defending Hurts for throwing to Reagor are saying there was safety help over the top to prevent a TD

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