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Dallas Denouement makes New Orleans Matter

 


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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