The Eagles lost a close game to
the Cowboys last Sunday. The loss was
painful… an incomplete pass at the 20 as the game ended was the difference between
victory and defeat. A poor game by the back
7 whilst the D-Line was excellent with both their run defense and pass rush
suggests some Eagle defenders may have peaked against the Giants a couple weeks
back. But there is time to turn that around.
Finally though, injuries to Jordan Davis (concussion), Avonte Maddox
(toe) and Lane Johnson (abdominal tear) were most problematic.
The Eagles went toe-to-toe with
the Cowboys for 4 quarters starting their backup quarterback. While the offense generated 27 points (an additional
7 Eagle points were garnered on a great pick 6 by Josh Sweat vs. Dak Prescott),
4 miscues were effectively the difference in the game. While Boston Scott and Miles Sanders both
fumbled, the QB to RB exchange appeared ascue.
This has been overlooked in relation to the RB fumbles, but should not
be. Yes, the RB’s need to return to
basics regarding ball protection, but the seamless nature of handoffs needs to
be addressed this week… Otherwise the Saints will pounce on exchanges that are
astray.
Minshew has double duty when it
comes to ball protection this week… In addition to his care on handing off to
his backs, his 2 picks, both passes to Quez Watkins, need to be lessons learned
for him, the coaching staff and Quez. For
the remainder of the year Philly needs Quez to do ONLY what he does well… Run
fly patterns and stretch the defense. He
not only loses consistently in contested catch situations, his poor (“Soft” /
rounded) route running enables DB’s to jump routes and make plays on the ball
(where Quez has failed to show “the “that ball’s mine” mentality). Although quite fast, Watkins is neither small
nor slim. But he can work on becoming a
poor mans AJ Brown this off season. Till
then, the Eagles have too many other options on contested balls and to run
favorable routes… Namely, Brown, Dallas Goedert and Avonte Smith (who although
tiny is a meticulous, mercurial route runner and a mini beast going after the
ball). Goedert was under-targeted in
this game. He averaged over 20 yards PER
TARGET in his 3 targets, consuming contested catches as naturally as drinking
water.
Miles Sanders did not have his
best game. This was more about good
Dallas defensive coaching with a priority to stop the run (ergo, even with the
miscues, Minshew threw for 355 yards). Still, the Eagles need to impose their will on
opponents by leveraging the left side of their offensive line. When Mialata, Dickerson and a pulling Jason
Kelce are focused, few defenses in the NFL can stop any RB behind them, and
Miles is the best of the 3, at worst an above average runner.
With the running game, get back to basics! Especially with the return of a motioning
Dallas Goedert able to assist with his strength and athletic talent in the
blocking schemes.
The secondary has felt the loss
of both CJ Gardner Johnson and Avonte Maddox.
Maddox’s return was short lived, as a toe injury that includes ligament damage
could keep him out till the Super Bowl, if the Eagles make it that far. Reed Blankenship has played well in their
absence, although his game vs. Dallas exposed what it means to have a Rookie
Free Agent’s lack of experience. Still, he is a smart player who will learn from
mistakes rather than repeat them. He
also brings a physicality to the Safety position that even Gardner-Johnson, as
feisty as he is, cannot match. Kavon
Wallace showed something vs. the Bears 2 weeks ago, playing his best NFL
game. He is strong vs. the run and weak
vs. the pass, but can be deployed in short bursts to effect. Josiah Scott has been the biggest weak
link. Cee Dee Lamb is a top 20 NFL
wideout, and Scott was overmatched when deployed vs. Lamb in the slot. Scott is still deciphering the zone
combination responsibilities Jonathan Gannon deploys. Gannon needs to realize when it is safer to
just play more man-to-man till his injured back end players return.
Jordan Davis should be back this
week or next. His initial injury was not as devastating
since Howie Roseman acquired Linval Joseph.
Joseph comes as advertised, a mountain in the center of the D-Line
yielding nothing. Davis, while equally
strong and much more athletic, is hampered recovering from a high ankle sprain
that will not fully heal for another 6 months.
He is therefore used spartanly (8-14 snaps per game) to minimize the
wear and tear on that ankle and maximize his explosion during the few snaps he now plays before feeling the effects of that injury. Now in concussion protocol due to “friendly
fire” in a collision with a team mate vs. Dallas, Davis’s use will be more predominantly impacted
by his prior high ankle sprain during any playoff run. Thus the acquisition of Joseph has been critical
to stop opposing run games, which was aptly on display last week vs. Dallas…
The Cowboy run game was sup-par at best.
When looking at the Eagles record
with and without Lane Johnson, both records have about 20 losses. The difference is the number of wins… About 50
with Lane, 12 without him. Johnson is
not only the best Right Tackle in football, he is also the NFL’s premier pass
protector, having not given up a sack for 2 seasons. Playing 1 on 1 vs. some of the best pass
rushers in the game, Johnson not only doesn’t yield sacks but also almost never
yields even a “hurry.” This has a
dramatic impact on the pass game, both in terms of how the Eagles can slide protections,
and how the QB can relax in the pocket.
While either Jack Driscoll or Andre Dillard will be adequate
replacements at worst, the Eagles over-all offensive standard will drop without
the Pro-Bowlers calming, resolute influence.
Johnson insists he’ll play come the playoffs. This guy is not only being called one of the
toughest Eagles, he’s being called one of the toughest players in the NFL. We’ll see how much his performance is
impacted, and how long he can last "in game" with the abdominal tear once returning to
the field. We know he will be having off
season surgery, scheduled the week after the Super Bowl.
Jalen Hurts will not play vs.
the Saints as his shoulder “sprain” heals (a sprain is actually a tear in this
case). It’s very simple though. Either Minshew and the Eagles beat the
Saints, or Jalen will start vs. the Giants. The Eagles need this Saints win so
they can rest the starters that need the break, play the returning wounded that
need to brush off the rust, and prepare for the solid NFC playoff competition
to come. That will be a challenging NFL mini-gauntlet (most likely the Cowboys and 49ers, followed by, if the Birds can survive that long, 1 of 3
terrific potential Super Bowl opponents: The Bengals, the Chiefs or the Bills. It
won’t be easy. Maximizing rest and health
will optimize their chances. Returning
the recent injured players (Davis, Maddox, Johnson) near 100% appears
impossible. Getting the versions that
return for the playoffs will hopefully be enough. But hope is not a method. So other returning injured that have a better
chance at being truly 100% (Jalen Hurts, Robert Quinn) is most imperative.
Lesson Learned: At one
time just a couple weeks ago, I thought the silver lining of a Saints game that mattered was having a
motivated Eagles squad impose a Saints loss to improve Philadelphia’s draft
position (The Eagles own the Saints 1st round 2023 pick). Now it’s more about getting people the 3
weeks desired rest between this game and the divisional playoff series, rather
than being forced to field mostly starters vs. the Giants in week 18.
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