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Adjusting on the Fly


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Adjusting on the Fly

Posted: November 16th, 2022 | Author: Tommy Lawlor 

One of the reasons the Eagles got off to an 8-0 start is that they stayed pretty healthy. You can mix in a backup here or there and keep on playing good football. The Eagles now find themselves dealing with bigger challenges.

DT Jordan Davis is on IR and will miss at least two more games. Now he’s got some company.

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Goedert and Tui will each miss at least the next four games. Tyree Jackson now gives the Eagles three healthy TEs, along with Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra. DT is thin with Jordan and Tui out.

So…

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I’ve wanted Joseph for the Eagles for years. Adding him as a midseason replacement due to injuries wasn’t what I had in mind, but he might be just what the defense needs. Joseph lists at 6-4, 329 and is at home as a NT. When he was younger, he could rush the passer effectively. Now he’ll be more of a run-stuffer type. Joseph turned 34 last month so we don’t know how much he’s got left in the tank. On the flip side, he hasn’t played at all this year so that means he’s well rested.

Nick Sirianni said Joseph could play this week. He made it sound like that’s what they hope for. Joseph played in Brandon Staley’s defense last year with the Chargers and was with Jonathan Gannon in Minnesota. Staley’s scheme is similar to what the Eagles do so he might be able to fit right in. Gannon will already have a relationship with Joseph so that will help him to feel comfortable more quickly.

It will be interesting to see how effective Joseph is. Last year the Rams signed Eric Weddle during the playoffs and he helped them win the Super Bowl. He hadn’t played a down since the previous season. Back in 1993 the Eagles run defense was really struggling. They gave up 724 yards in three games. The team signed William "The Refrigerator” Perry to add bulk at DT and the run defense improved immediately. He was 31 at the time and looked to be washed up, but turned out to be a good fit for the Eagles.

The run defense wasn’t as bad as many thought on Monday night.

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The bigger problem was the lack of third down stops in the first half.

1st half – 9 for 12

2nd half – 3 for 9

Washington scored 20 points in the first half and only 6 in the second. The improved third down defense made a huge difference. We’ll see if the changes carry over to this week.

As to TE, Sirianni pointed out that one person won’t replace Goedert. He’s too talented for that. Some of his receptions will go to be the backups. Others could go to WR or RB. Sirianni is "super bummed” about the injury, but he is excited to see what the backup TEs do with the opportunity. He said that during the game he commented to other coaches that Jalen Hurts does trust Jack Stoll. That will be important going forward.

Tyree Jackson is the most interesting of the backups. He has real potential.

Jackson was the Player of the Game at the 2019 Senior Bowl…as a QB. He moved to TE in the NFL and has shown flashes of real talent. It would be very cool if he was able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Remember that the 2017 team had to fight through adversity. They lost key starters:

LT Jason Peters
LB Jordan Hicks
ST Chris Maragos
RB Darren Sproles
PK Caleb Sturgis
QB Carson Wentz

The backup players stepped up their game. Also, the guys around them stepped up as well. That group really played together as a team.

We’ll see how this team responds. Losing players and losing a game should give the Eagles a nasty wakeup call.

http://igglesblitz.com/2022/11/adjusting-on-the-fly/

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