10 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

Maybe Justin Evans comes back too.  He was actually decent

I completely forgot he existed. 

11 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

Maybe Justin Evans comes back too.  He was actually decent

Based off his career not sure we should just assume he stays healthy 

9 minutes ago, we_gotta_believe said:

Depends on the offensive personnel, if they come out with 11 personnel, I'd rather have at least one true LB on the field even in 3rd and 10 situations.

Yes. One LB. Not two. Cunningham should never be on the field in an obvious passing down. Morrow needs to be the guy with a safe next to him as the other "nickel backer,” if Desai wants to play nickel. 

Hmmm…

Valdez-Scantling vs JB

Skyy Moore vs Roby

Rashee Rice vs Slay

Traylor vs Committee

Odd because Dak historically torches the blitz. 

8 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

Eagles pass defense rankings:

Yards: 32nd
Pass TDS: 31st
Passing 1st downs: 32nd
Int: 31st

This is right there with the Bears as the NFL’s worst pass defense.  And considering the front 4 and ball control offense we have, they very well may be the nfl’s worst secondary.

So as much as our secondary has sucked--it has--I think there is still a little 2022 flavor to this number where teams are flatout dumb to try and run the ball so they're just going to air it out.

Just now, ManuManu said:

Odd because Dak historically torches the blitz. 

Lolled him to sleep with the dearth of blitzes - but he seemed to do fine otherwise.

15 minutes ago, FranklinFldEBUpper said:

Curious what people thought of Steen. My sense was that it was positive.

Haven't had a chance to look at him specifically closer.   For the most part, he was invisible, which is great news for an OG.  He took a bad false start on a PAT.  He also recovered the final fumble.  That's great awareness.   He did get beat, iirc on a delayed blitz by Parsons.  Of course, lots of guys have over the years no shame in that, but I don't recall it being a massive theme.   Overall, he did pretty well... but it would require further scrutiny.  Hopefully @just relax shares his thoughts on him later.

30 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

I brought this up last night, but it really wasn’t a bad play by Bradberry. The PI call on an underthrown ball is one of the worst calls in the game. The defender can’t do anything about it when the receiver comes back into him. It shouldn’t be a penalty and you shouldn’t reward the offense on a poor, underthrown ball. Quarterbacks know they can get that call and purposefully throw balls like that to take advantage of the rule. 

Get your head around and look like you're going for the ball and 50/50 you get offensive pass interference if the WR goes through you.

Got to be able to read the receiver.

34 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

I brought this up last night, but it really wasn’t a bad play by Bradberry. The PI call on an underthrown ball is one of the worst calls in the game. The defender can’t do anything about it when the receiver comes back into him. It shouldn’t be a penalty and you shouldn’t reward the offense on a poor, underthrown ball. Quarterbacks know they can get that call and purposefully throw balls like that to take advantage of the rule. 

Actually lucky it wasn’t a better throw cause bradberry was beat by Gallup and didn’t appear like there was safety help very close by 

1 hour ago, judunno said:

I'm trying to figure out what everyone is looking for these days in a LB since the Eagles are 'so bad at LB'. Eagles are tops in the league in run defense... what else are you looking for in LB play?

People are moaning about our LBs in pass coverage. Why can't our guys do it? The answer is pretty simple. Our LBs can't cover WRs or quality TEs. That's what a slot corner is for and we lost that months ago to injury. I know, lets get an LB who can do that, only...there aren't any. No team has one, much less two. We put Roby there and he looked pretty good until he got hurt. We've tried Sidney Brown there but he's a safety and he can't do it either, nor can pretty much any other safety, not only here but throughout the league. It's a mismatch, which is why we play a lot of zone, as do most teams. In the red zone man is a little less of a mismatch because space is limited but it's still a problem.

Our general approach is to pull one LB and add a CB, making one less mismatch particularly egregious. Or two. 

Regardless, you cannot expect an LB to cover a receiver on a two-way go.

5 minutes ago, austinfan said:

Get your head around and look like you're going for the ball and 50/50 you get offensive pass interference if the WR goes through you.

Got to be able to read the receiver.

One of the toughest plays in football for a CB IMO especially if you have a vet receiver giving late hands.

21 minutes ago, judunno said:

Again... not many LBs in the league covering TEs well. Tough ask. That's the scheme.

If that's the case, then every team would be lighting up every other team with their mediocre TEs week in and week out... and yet we don't see that.  

You asked what more people would like to see from the LBs... that's my answer.  Our LBs have been good in run support, and poor in pass coverage.  

2 minutes ago, just relax said:

People are moaning about our LBs in pass coverage. Why can't our guys do it? The answer is pretty simple. Our LBs can't cover WRs or quality TEs. That's what a slot corner is for and we lost that months ago to injury. I know, lets get an LB who can do that, only...there aren't any. No team has one, much less two. We put Roby there and he looked pretty good until he got hurt. We've tried Sidney Brown there but he's a safety and he can't do it either, nor can pretty much any other safety, not only here but throughout the league. It's a mismatch, which is why we play a lot of zone, as do most teams. In the red zone man is a little less of a mismatch because space is limited but it's still a problem.

Our general approach is to pull one LB and add a CB, making one less mismatch particularly egregious. Or two. 

Regardless, you cannot expect an LB to cover a receiver on a two-way go.

Yup... that's exactly why I asked that somewhat rhetorical question. I wanted to see people throw out the whole coverage thing when this isn't really the way of the league anymore when it comes to the LBs.

30 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

It’ll be fascinating to see how the secondary looks with Roby playing full-time nickel snaps and maybe with Dean not rotating in. We’re playing Brown out of position and rotating Ricks in on passing downs. Maybe that is great in the long run for their development, but it’s a mess. The linebacker rotation is a little weird, but I hope eventually we can get to the point where Brown is playing as a nickel LB on clear passing downs rather than Cunningham. 

We just need to let things settle for a few weeks and have some damn continuity. 

There's too much change from game to game, and then even throughout the game there's 10 different groupings. I get they are trying to get match ups, but it seems nobody has a clue where they are supposed to be.

So much for Mayo being untouchable to be hired elsewhere because he is the "heir apparent." Patriots want to get Vrabel if Belichick is canned.

Just now, Sack that QB said:

So much for Mayo being untouchable to be hired elsewhere because he is the "heir apparent." Patriots want to get Vrabel if Belichick is canned.

What’s funny about this is they gave Belichick a contract extension this off-season.

I feel that if the Eagles had a merely average secondary…maybe even slightly below average…they would be runaway favorites to win the SB.

Im sorry that I see this as so black and white with one extreme problem, but I do.  All the other concerns…BJ play calling, inconsistent pass rush, inconsistencies with Hurts, offense fumbling, inconsistent running game, no name LBs…I think it’s all acceptable magnified noise that wouldn’t even be noticed on a juggernaut freight train if we did not have an absolutely horrific secondary.  
 

This secondary is so bad that no lead is ever safe.  We are never coasting.  Every game comes down to the last couple drives.  Every drive with 4 downs in critical situations is effortless scoring range.  
 

The rest of the team is strapped with this handicap every week.

8 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

If that's the case, then every team would be lighting up every other team with their mediocre TEs week in and week out... and yet we don't see that.  

You asked what more people would like to see from the LBs... that's my answer.  Our LBs have been good in run support, and poor in pass coverage.  

You pick your battle week by week. This week it was stop Cooks and the other guys from feasting cause Lamb was going to get his. Fergueson wasn't high priority and they got torched there. You're acting like the Eagles have gotten lit up every week by TEs.  That's simply not the case.
Further, I knew that your answer would be many of the responses 

2 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

I feel that if the Eagles had a merely average secondary…maybe even slightly below average…they would be runaway favorites to win the SB.

Im sorry that I see this as so black and white with one extreme problem, but I do.  All the other concerns…BJ play calling, inconsistent pass rush, inconsistencies with Hurts, offense fumbling, inconsistent running game, no name LBs…I think it’s all acceptable magnified noise that wouldn’t even be noticed on a juggernaut freight train if we did not have an absolutely horrific secondary.  
 

This secondary is so bad that no lead is ever safe.  We are never coasting.  Every game comes down to the last couple drives.  Every drive with 4 downs in critical situations is effortless scoring range.  
 

The rest of the team is strapped with this handicap every week.

AND STILLL..

8-1  Does it make you mad?

12 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

Haven't had a chance to look at him specifically closer.   For the most part, he was invisible, which is great news for an OG.  He took a bad false start on a PAT.  He also recovered the final fumble.  That's great awareness.   He did get beat, iirc on a delayed blitz by Parsons.  Of course, lots of guys have over the years no shame in that, but I don't recall it being a massive theme.   Overall, he did pretty well... but it would require further scrutiny.  Hopefully @just relax shares his thoughts on him later.

Just watched the first drive. Ugh! On a trap play he blocked...nobody. On a simple inside zone he whiffed completely. He also whiffed in pass pro against Parsons - not a delayed blitz; Parsons lined up in a three-point stance and blew past his inside shoulder. Hurts got the throw off and completed it but no thanks to Steen. When I get a chance I'll look at more, though I'll probably wait for the all-22.

1 minute ago, judunno said:

AND STILLL..

8-1  Does it make you mad?

I’ll be mad if they don’t win the SB over the bye week.

Week Nine Prediction results

Last week everybody's predictions were far from the actual score.  This week was the opposite.  @Uscg-green with a prediction of 27-23 was the closest ... only one point from the actual score, so he gets the Chicken Dinner.  Honorable Mentions go to @pgcd3 whose 28-21 prediction was only 2 points off, and also at 2 points was @Westbrook#36 with his 27-24. At 3 points off were @Parrot Head (30-24)  @garingovt2000 (29-25) @Talkingbirds (27-21) and @RememberTheKoy (26-24)

So, for the first nine games the chicken dinner has gone to:
@Alphagrand in Week One where the 66 recorded predictions were 65 for an Eagles win and 1 for a Patriots win
@Iggles25 and @bbabraham in Week Two where the 71 recorded predictions were 56 for an Eagles win and 15 for a Vikings win
@Cliftoma in Week Three where the 77 recorded predictions were 73 for an Eagles win and 4 for a Buccaneers win
@Casey @ Bat in Week Four where the 75 recorded predictions were 72 for an Eagles win and 3 for a Commanders win
@Mike030270 and @Texas Eagle in Week Five where the 78 recorded predictions were 63 for an Eagles win and 15 for a Rams win
@GoEagles5921 in Week Six where the 82 recorded predictions were 79 for an Eagles win and 3 for a Jets win
@jwill2420 and @mattwill in Week Seven where the 76 recorded predictions were 46 for an Eagles win and 30 for a Dolphins win
@Mortimer in Week Eight where the 70 recorded predictions were 66 for an Eagles win and 4 for a Commanders win, and
@Uscg-green in Week Nine where the 77 recorded predictions were 64 for an Eagles win and 13 for a Cowboys win.

The Bonus pick results this week had the following winners:

@Godfather with "Dak eats Carters D on a sack"
@hputenis with "Cowboys have at least 1 TD called back because they commit a stupid penalty"
@TEW with "Zero Eagles turnovers"
@BigEFly with "Sweat with a sack"
@aptosbird with "Whoever scores first wins"
@devpool with "Defense gets 3 sacks"
@Captain F with "AJ Brown streak of 125+ ends"
@FranklinFldEBUpper with "Cowboys convert on a 3rd (or 4th) and 12 or longer" (3rd and 14 in the 2nd Quarter)

Honorable Mention goes to @kiwieagle who got the first half of his prediction right "AJ Brown's streak of 125 yards/gm is broken as Devonte' out gains AJ "
And an "in the right spirit" award to @jamiller for "Kenny G with a 20+ yard screen for a TD baby"

The 77 predictions were as follows:

15 hours ago, Mike030270 said:

Refs really picked and choose what to flag. So many times Dallas was offsides. We did get away with a few things as well

I noticed that when looking back at the replay. On the Eagles very last possession with a minute to go, on the second and eight run that Swift took outside for a yard or two, the Cowboys defensive tackle had his hand in the neutral zone. Instead of almost butt-fumbling the ball away on third and seven, we could have been Hurts sneaking on second and third and short. We're probably converting and we don't all have panic attacks on a subsequent Cowboys drive.

1 minute ago, just relax said:

Just watched the first drive. Ugh! On a trap play he blocked...nobody. On a simple inside zone he whiffed completely. He also whiffed in pass pro against Parsons - not a delayed blitz; Parsons lined up in a three-point stance and blew past his inside shoulder. Hurts got the throw off and completed it but no thanks to Steen. When I get a chance I'll look at more, though I'll probably wait for the all-22.

In the first half on the 3 and out on i believe 3rd down, steen whiffed and blocked no one and the eagles had a great play set up against the cowboys if he did.