1 hour ago, BigEFly said:

FTX went bankrupt, their CEO resigned. I wonder about the athletes that decided to take salary in crypto.  Do you suppose that their agents put in provisions so they could opt back to dollars?  Aaron Rodgers took part of his new contract in crypto.  Trevor Lawrence took his entire signing bonus in crypto.  Saquon Barkley took all of his endorsements in crypto.  OBJ took part of his contract in crypto.  At one point, Brady was pushing crypto but I think that was just an endorsement deal.  Can you imagine having a disgruntled player fretting pay because half of their bonus money disappeared with the crypto collapse?  As far as I can recall, I am not aware that any Eagles took part of their contract in crypto.  But I almost wonder if the under performance this year of some of the athletes that went crypto is being impacted by their concern over their losses.  (Look how an amiable divorce impacted Brady.). Do those of you that parlay consider outside impacts to athletes?

I can't see how they get to convert back to a cash position.  If it had gains, do they give the gains back?  Certainly not.  But perhaps they had some form of stop loss provision like it will remain at or above x for y period or you can convert.  I would be surprised though. 

7 minutes ago, BigEFly said:

For years we have moaned about Howie collecting nickel corners, yet with the injuries to Maddox and Scott, there is concern about who covers Samuel on Monday. Wallace played some nickel at Clemson, Chachere has played some nickel.  I recall that when McPhearson was drafted, many saw him as a nickel back.  I think those will all see time on Monday.  But if McPhearson is playing, who are the back up corners if Scott, Maddox, and Jobe are out.  We have Guidry, who still doesn’t have a number on PE.com, as a nickel, Goodrich and McCain.  Pretty confident that one is active this week and the money is probably on McCain.  Scott is limited in practice, so he may be active. Note Jobe DNP but he has been injured for weeks and did play 9 ST snaps last Thursday.  They may be acting cautious with Maddox and Jobe to let the hammies rest a bit. 

Well, to be fair, the issue was that he was collecting nickels like Cabbage patch dolls, but didn't have outside CBs that could play.  Now we have outside CBs who can play, so nickel becomes a bigger concern.

 

That's how it goes in the:

N   F    L
o   o    o
t     r    n
            g

3 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

 

N   F    L
o   o    o
t     r    n
            g

I win!

16 minutes ago, aptosbird said:

Feel free to use the ignore feature. 

Perhaps you should take your own advice 

1 minute ago, TorontoEagle said:

Perhaps you should take your own advice 

I don't put people on ignore. People are entitled to their opinions, even your diatribes about the mods.

2 hours ago, paco said:

 

 

 

 

 

Commanders/Skins lead the Eagles 88-83-6 all time.

Eagles 27  Commanders 16

Slim Reaper with 2TDs

 

@LeanMeanGM

10 minutes ago, aptosbird said:

I don't put people on ignore. People are entitled to their opinions, even your diatribes about the mods.

Hesitant to post for 2 years because of a toxic environment, and then gets on here just mad at the world. Lot of yall are just mad at yourselves lol. Wonder if you can report your own posts.

Just now, UndyTaker said:

Hesitant to post for 2 years because of a toxic environment, and then gets on here just mad at the world. Lot of yall are just mad at yourselves lol. Wonder if you can report your own posts.

this will be my last post to you since I make it a habit of not responding to trolls...I am laughing at you...not mad at all. you want to troll have at it...it is none of my business...

Just now, aptosbird said:

this will be my last post to you since I make it a habit of not responding to trolls...I am laughing at you...not mad at all. you want to troll have at it...it is none of my business...

Hot take lol. Just glad to know I could make you smile and laugh. Enjoy your day!

3 minutes ago, aptosbird said:

this will be my last post to you since I make it a habit of not responding to trolls...I am laughing at you...not mad at all. you want to troll have at it...it is none of my business...

You should get in touch with your own feelings. Your posts are nothing but condescending and angry

Speaking of Jerry Tillery. I watched him a lot at Notre Dame and definitely liked him as a prospect. Very athletic though not that powerful. The thing is, he was very inconsistent. It seemed as though he only played well when he was motivated. What I also remember about him was that he was (reportedly) an unusual kind of guy. I forget the specifics now, but I sort of remember him being all into culture and the arts and travel. Things like that. Maybe opera too? The concern was just how invested into football is he? It doesn’t surprise me at all that the Chargers are moving on from him because of off field stuff. My guess is that they finally determined that he just doesn’t like football all that much and has varied outside interests that he’d rather invest in. That is obviously pure speculation on my part. I don’t think he fits in with us at all, though we’d probably never have the chance in the waiver order.

On 11/10/2022 at 10:03 AM, Cliftoma said:

MLB free agency begins today.  What moves are you wanting the Phillies to make?

Any rumors?  I'm still guessing we end up with Boegarts.  The top Japanese hitter apparently wants to play for us but have no idea where he would play

https://www.si.com/mlb/phillies/news/report-bryce-harper-obsessed-japanese-baseball-star-wants-play-philadelphia-phillies

5 hours ago, Iggles_Phan said:

You do a good job.  But, the complaints come with the territory.  I've done message board modding without  anonymity and you are correct... you get people reaching out to you as an individual constantly, rather than using the proper channels.   And then there's the folks that make accusations that you believe your opinion on a given subject is somehow more valuable than someone else because you are a mod.  

It is a sucky job, it doesn't pay, and you are always wrong, as you point out in the end of the third paragraph.  Just know that your efforts are appreciated by a silent majority.  Sadly, they are silent and all you hear are the bellyachers who want you to do more on one side or think you overstep on the opposite side.  

Amen!

@Moderator6 I strongly second Iggles_Phan's words.  Thank you for what you do!

@LeanMeanGM :

Eagles 24      Commodes 17

Paschal & Watkins TD's in a second half comeback.

Steelers vs Saints is a pretty big game for us on Sunday. Need a Steelers win. They're coming off a bye and maybe TJ Watt could be available. Steelers didn't look terrible against the Eagles a couple weeks back, maybe they build on that and win at home.

As for the Phils, I want Correa/Bogaerts and Rodon. Asking a lot, but they need a lot, they don't have a loaded farm system of ML ready guys.

And while they highly likely will never do this, I think Marsh stinks honestly. He's good defensively, but his bat is awful and if you could land a good hitting CF in a trade somewhere and trade off Marsh, you really could have a loaded lineup.

Bryan Reynolds

Bogaerts

Harper

Schwarber

Realmuto

Bohm

Hoskins

Castellanos

Stott

How Fing loaded is that lineup?

41 minutes ago, aptosbird said:

this will be my last post to you since I make it a habit of not responding to trolls...I am laughing at you...not mad at all. you want to troll have at it...it is none of my business...

Take another two years off

then quit

3 hours ago, BigEFly said:

I hope you are right.  Mod6 seems frustrated by all the reporting in here yet many profess to not use the reporting tool so it seems that the reporting and conflict is likely limited to a select group.  Maybe that’s the real issue.  I agree that the reporting tool should be reconsidered. 

I don't use it actively, but I have definitely found value in the reporting function of the board. I firmly believe that the "I had sex with your mother" comments (and their ilk) have no place in a respectful community, and my most recent reporting event was of @olsilverhair for his (at that time) latest example of his consistent use of that form of mindless, useless posting.  I doubt anything came of my reporting effort, but it definitely made sense to me at the time, and still makes sense to me now.

Maybe one day I’ll grow up to be an upstanding and respected member of the EMB like mattwill and igglesphan 

1 hour ago, B3 said:

Can someone message me when y’all start talking about football again? 

lol yea right. this has turned into a comedy show more than anything. I mean we do have a 8-0 football team

6 minutes ago, EaglePhan1986 said:

Maybe one day I’ll grow up to be an upstanding and respected member of the EMB like mattwill and igglesphan 

Seems doubtful

@LeanMeanGM.

Birds 27.

WFT 17

Smitty scores a TD 

 

Interesting article on FootbalOutsiders.com

Is Jalen Hurts an RPO Mirage?

NFL Week 10 - Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles offense are enjoying success thanks to the run-pass option (RPO).

The Eagles use the tactic more than any other team in the NFL. They get more production from it, both in their passing and running games, than any other team. They integrate the RPO with the read-option to strain opposing defenses in innovative ways. Opponents have not come close to figuring out how to stop them. Yet.

You probably have strong feelings about the long-range viability of the RPO as an NFL strategy. Walkthrough does too. The Eagles may be over-relying on a tactic that's often used as a set of training wheels for an inexperienced or limited quarterback.

The results so far, however, suggest that the Eagles have reinvigorated the strategy that enjoyed a brief vogue after it helped them win Super Bowl LII.

A Very Brief History of the Eagles and the RPO

The run-pass option is precisely what it claims to be on the label. The quarterback and running back mesh for a handoff. The quarterback makes a relatively simple post-snap read: typically the number of defenders in the box and/or the behavior of a slot defender in coverage. If the box is light, the quarterback hands off. If it's stacked, or if the slot defender is blitzing, crashing the run, or 15 yards off the line of scrimmage, the quarterback keeps the ball and delivers a quick slant or flat pass.

There's more to it than that, but that's the gist of it. Here's Steven Ruiz writing for USA Today in September of 2018, the height of the RPO fad, with an easy-to-understand breakdown.

The modern iteration of the RPO was introduced to the NFL in 2013 by Chip Kelly's Eagles; Kelly and other coaches cribbed it from college innovator Rich Rodriguez at the turn of the 21st century. Nick Foles enjoyed success with the RPO under Kelly and asked Doug Pederson and Frank Reich to re-introduce and re-emphasize it when he was thrust into the Eagles lineup in 2017. The Eagles won the Super Bowl, of course, and zillions of words were written about the exciting new concept.

The RPO is not designed to generate explosive plays. Defenses can minimize its impact just by executing properly: runs are runs, and short play-action passes will net minimal gains if defenders mind their assignments and tackle well. Offensive coaches were well aware of the RPO's limitations; it was always more of a media meme than a strategy destined to take the NFL by storm. Most of the teams that adopted it used it five or six times per game, usually on early downs to stay ahead of the sticks.

Over the last few years, over-reliance on the RPO has begun to look like a possible symptom of an unhealthy offense. The Dolphins and Steelers led the NFL in RPO passes last season, and both teams were clearly trying to hide the limitations of their quarterbacks. The Chiefs and Packers also used the tactic frequently, however, so there's clearly more to the RPO than just scheming up easy reads and short throws for shaky or creaky quarterbacks.

Now we just need to figure out whether the 2022 Eagles are more like the 2021 Dolphins or the 2021 Chiefs.

The Eagles and the RPO: Passing

Here are the Eagles RPO passing numbers and rankings, per Sports Info Solutions:

Here are the Eagles RPO passing numbers and rankings, per Sports Info Solutions:

• Dropbacks: 44, 1st
• Attempts: 42, T-1st
• Completions: 35, 1st
• Yards: 293, 1st
• Touchdowns: 3, 2nd
• Interceptions: 0
• Sacks: 2
• Comp%: 83.3%
• Y/A: 7.0
• Yards Per Game: 37.1, 1st

The Packers are tied with the Eagles with 42 attempts, second with 32 completions, and third with 220 yards. The Dolphins have gained 229 yards and scored an NFL-high four touchdowns on 19-of-26 RPO passing.

The Eagles have the second-highest completion rate among teams that have attempted 20-plus RPO passes; the Ravens are precisely 17-of-20 on RPOs. The Dolphins, Ravens, and Bills all average more yards per attempt than the Eagles on RPOs, but they use them less frequently.

The Dolphins may represent the RPO ideal: they use it sparingly but effectively as a way to get the ball to their playmakers quickly. The Packers represent the RPO parody: tons of grimy little short passes that make Aaron Rodgers' completion rate look spiffy but produce just 5.2 yards per attempt.

The Eagles? They're somewhere in between, but leaning toward the Dolphins.

A quick rundown on the Eagles RPO receivers before we continue: Dallas Goedert: 8-of-8 for 91 yards and five first downs. AJ Brown: 6-of-11 for 56 yards, three first downs and two drops. All of the other Eagles RPO targets have stat lines in the four-catch, 26-yard range.

Watch an Eagles game and you will invariably see Goedert catch a quick play-action pass in the slot and rumble for meaningful yardage. Here's a fine example of a Goedert RPO which was imported all the way from Brazil, where they love the RPO:

The Eagles and the RPO: Rushing

If the Eagles' RPO success consisted exclusively of flat passes to Dallas Goedert, the message would be: small sample size, easy adjustment for defense, low sustainability. But the "R" in RPO stands for "run," and the Eagles are running exceptionally well using the tactic.

A quick note: there is some obvious guesswork involved with classifying RPOs based on film study, especially when dealing with handoffs. Some of the plays listed as RPO runs in the Sports Info Solutions Datahub could just be outside zone runs where Jalen Hurts pretends to stare down a receiver after the handoff! But there are other RPO tells, such as receivers running short routes and the offensive line's reluctance to work downfield. And like it or not, the S.S. Subjectivity in Analytics set sail many years ago.

So here are the Eagles' RPO rushing stats and rankings:

• Attempts: 74, 3rd
• Yards: 391, 1st
• YPA: 5.3
• Touchdowns: 7, 1st
• Yards After Contact/Attempt: 2.1, 20th

The Chiefs and Packers have attempted more RPO rushes than the Eagles, averaging 4.1 and 4.8 yards per carry. (The Packers, remember, have played one more game.)

The Ravens average a whopping 8.3 yards per carry on RPO runs, the Bills 5.9 yards per carry on 48, and the Cardinals 5.6 yards per carry on 52. The Eagles are therefore fourth in yards per attempt among teams that use the tactic regularly. The Ravens' RPO success comes mostly from a few long Kenyan Drake runs; we must remain mindful of sample sizes when handling this data.

The Eagles' low YAC/attempt rate above illustrates that Miles Sanders and the others aren't breaking tons of tackles to generate yardage. They're often running through huge gaps. Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and company have a lot to do with that. But so does a scheme that makes sure they don't face many stacked boxes.

Here are the Eagles' rushing numbers against boxes of six defenders or less, RPO or non-RPO:

• Attempts: 116, T-2nd
• Yards: 634, 3rd
• YPA: 5.5, 14th
• Touchdowns: 5, T-1st

The Cardinals lead the NFL with 136 rushes against light boxes. The Cardinals and Bears have rushed for more yards than the Eagles against light boxes. All three teams benefit from some scrambles in the data: 323 yards (!) for the Bears, 182 for the Cardinals, 106 yards for the Eagles. The Eagles are in roughly the same range as the Chiefs, Bills, and Seahawks when it comes to scramble yardage against light boxes. The Eagles' YPA rate is middle-of-the-pack, but averaging 5.5 yards per carry on a frequently used running play is a good thing.

Setting the Bears aside as a Justin Fields-caused anomaly, the Cardinals are probably the best team in the NFL at manipulating boxes for the running game, but a) they cannot do anything else; and b) their offensive line is substandard. The Eagles are second-best in that category.

It's worth noting that the Eagles have led in the fourth quarter all season and should therefore face many heavy boxes. Opponents want to stop their running game. So why all the light boxes? You guessed it, the RPO. The Eagles have executed RPO rushes 46 times for 252 yards against light boxes. They are using the tactic precisely the way it is supposed to be used: not as a cheesy completion-rate booster but a way of making sure any choice the defense makes is wrong.

The Eagles and the Read-Option

The read-option and run-pass option are two different play concepts, but they share some DNA. Both give the quarterback a quick post-snap read. Both begin with a handoff mesh in the backfield. In the RPO, the quarterback can hand off or throw. In the read-option, he can hand off or run. It's all slightly more complicated than that, but the two concepts are actually meant to work in harmony. They rarely do at the NFL level, however, for complicated reasons. (They arrived in the NFL at different times; the RPO became associated with Nick Foles types; Aaron Rodgers ain't running any read-options; etc.)

The Eagles are an effective read-option team as well as a prolific RPO team. Here are their read-option stats and rankings:

• Attempts: 78, 2nd
• Yards: 315, 2nd
• Touchdowns: 4, T-2nd
• First Downs: 21, 2nd
• Yards Per Attempt: 4.0

The NFL leader in all read-option categories is, of course, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. KIDDING. It's the Ravens, naturally. No other team but the Ravens and Eagles rushed more than 50 times using the read-option; the Bears are third with 47 carries.

The Eagles' 4.0 yards per read-option rush isn't all that impressive, but there are some distortions at play. The Eagles have run the read-option in the red zone a league-high 20 times for 60 yards. They have used it with less than 2 yards to go for a first down 15 times for 23 yards. The Eagles use read-options as part of their short-yardage package more often than most teams, and that naturally nerfs their YPA a bit. There's also a surprise in the data coming in two paragraphs.

Miles Sanders leads the NFL with 45 read-option rushes; Lamar Jackson is second with 41. Sanders is second to Jackson with 210 yards, 4.7 yards per carry; Jackson has rushed for 432 read-option yards, which is crazytown.

Hurts has just 17 carries for 36 yards on read-option runs! The Hurts keeper is the least effective play in the Eagles' RPO/read-option arsenal. Eight tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage are the primary reason why.

There is one final play to consider: the "read-option pass." That's where the quarterback fakes a handoff, starts to run, then floats a short pass. It's like a read-option/RPO surf-'n'-turf.

The Eagles have attempted the "read-option pass" nine times, according to Sports Info Solutions. The Bears have used such plays four times, the Dolphins and Ravens three times. Hurts is 8-of-8 for 75 yards and three touchdowns on such plays, with one sack. A.J. Brown is 3-for-3 for 28 yards on such plays, Zach Pascal 3-of-3 for 38 yards, DeVonta Smith and Goedert have the plays you see above.

So the Eagles have a play they can use about once per game that works 89% of the time and averages nearly 10 yards per pop that few other teams even dare to attempt. And that play flows naturally from an offense built around lots of play-action meshes by a dual-threat quarterback.

35 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Steelers vs Saints is a pretty big game for us on Sunday. Need a Steelers win. They're coming off a bye and maybe TJ Watt could be available. Steelers didn't look terrible against the Eagles a couple weeks back, maybe they build on that and win at home.

As for the Phils, I want Correa/Bogaerts and Rodon. Asking a lot, but they need a lot, they don't have a loaded farm system of ML ready guys.

And while they highly likely will never do this, I think Marsh stinks honestly. He's good defensively, but his bat is awful and if you could land a good hitting CF in a trade somewhere and trade off Marsh, you really could have a loaded lineup.

Bryan Reynolds

Bogaerts

Harper

Schwarber

Realmuto

Bohm

Hoskins

Castellanos

Stott

How Fing loaded is that lineup?

Interesting that you don't mention wanting Aaron Judge.

35 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Steelers vs Saints is a pretty big game for us on Sunday. Need a Steelers win. They're coming off a bye and maybe TJ Watt could be available. Steelers didn't look terrible against the Eagles a couple weeks back, maybe they build on that and win at home.

As for the Phils, I want Correa/Bogaerts and Rodon. Asking a lot, but they need a lot, they don't have a loaded farm system of ML ready guys.

And while they highly likely will never do this, I think Marsh stinks honestly. He's good defensively, but his bat is awful and if you could land a good hitting CF in a trade somewhere and trade off Marsh, you really could have a loaded lineup.

Bryan Reynolds

Bogaerts

Harper

Schwarber

Realmuto

Bohm

Hoskins

Castellanos

Stott

How Fing loaded is that lineup?

What about that Japanese player? I honestly know nothing about him, but he seems like a hot commodity.