The 700 Level - Home of the Ginger Jesus.

[nick87]

Got around to watching the all 22 film today, mostly because i saw PFF graded Mailata as one of the highest graded OT performances in recent memory and i wanted to understand why

And well, i understand why. During the game it felt like he was having a lot of trouble protecting but on rewatch there was a lot of overloaded pressures on his side, and dudes coming off the edge free but the defender he was responsible for in protection, he handle and he was a monster in the run game... like absolutely demonlishing dudes

So i take my criticism of him back on this game. Sometimes you dont get it right based on vibes of the game

The other thing i notice... Brian Flores was doing WILD shit, coming into BB with 4 months of prep and then Brian Flores who is sending 6-7 guys on 1st and 10, and dropping 8 in coverage on 3rd and 1... just choas... feel like there is a lot about this passing game that feels off right now and i wonder if it says more about these defences than it does Hurts.

 

[Valheru]

That was a bit of a beat down, very solid win there.

Run game was rampant again and the passing game still isn't quite there but getting better.

Defence balled all night and was utterly dominant especially up front culminating in 2 turn overs and a safety. The decision to draft Jalen Carter on the first round id being vindicated every week, the man is an absolute beast. I was also very impressed with Blankenship who made some real good plays on the back field.

At home in our first division game against Washington next.

I think everyone knows the highlight of my week was the cowboys capitulation. I know this is the NFL and it's only week 3 but it is very difficult for me to see anything other than us v 9ers in the NFCCG at this stage. Lions and Seahawks are wild cards and I can't see anyone in the south competing.

 

[nick87]

That was eagles football
Hurts is still not at his best self, feels like he and the passing game is still working through some shit, but this was a huge improvement on the first two games
The INTs werent really a big deal imo, one was a miscommuication and the other was a great play by the DB on a 50/50 ball that mostly eagles wrs have paid off. But the ball for the OZ td was special man... not a lot of qbs can make that throw.

The running game is rolling man. And its just so nice for the team to be able to lean on that as they work through some shit in the passing game and just sort of cruise through games.

Defensively... it's coming together very nicely. Im worried at LB still but Marrow and Cunningham are doing JUUUUUST enough. Reed Blankenship is a player though. But he's not just A player, he's a real play maker. But this defence goes as the front 4 goes and let me tell you... Jalen Carter is actually unreal. What he's doing on limited snaps is super impressive. Such an impactful player. And Jordan Davis... dude is the man. A one man, running game destroyer. We dominated on both sides of the ball.

I am very impresed with what is happening on the defensive side, there is some stuff still to clean up but this Desai defence is way more interesting than the Gannon D. It's got different looks, it's aggressive and it's got change up pitches. Think it will look worse on the stat sheet but if he was the DC last year, we're SB champs imo.

To me this was a statement game in a lot of ways. We're working on shit, we havent played an above a C+ game and we're 3-0 and really havent had to sweat it out THAT much. This team, health permitted, if they can figure out the passing game, with how we run the ball and the dominance on the DL, this team is ready to go on another run

 

[Valheru]

That was eagles football
Hurts is still not at his best self, feels like he and the passing game is still working through some shit, but this was a huge improvement on the first two games
The INTs werent really a big deal imo, one was a miscommuication and the other was a great play by the DB on a 50/50 ball that mostly eagles wrs have paid off. But the ball for the OZ td was special man... not a lot of qbs can make that throw.

The running game is rolling man. And its just so nice for the team to be able to lean on that as they work through some shit in the passing game and just sort of cruise through games.

Defensively... it's coming together very nicely. Im worried at LB still but Marrow and Cunningham are doing JUUUUUST enough. Reed Blankenship is a player though. But he's not just A player, he's a real play maker. But this defence goes as the front 4 goes and let me tell you... Jalen Carter is actually unreal. What he's doing on limited snaps is super impressive. Such an impactful player. And Jordan Davis... dude is the man. A one man, running game destroyer. We dominated on both sides of the ball.

I am very impresed with what is happening on the defensive side, there is some stuff still to clean up but this Desai defence is way more interesting than the Gannon D. It's got different looks, it's aggressive and it's got change up pitches. Think it will look worse on the stat sheet but if he was the DC last year, we're SB champs imo.

To me this was a statement game in a lot of ways. We're working on shit, we havent played an above a C+ game and we're 3-0 and really havent had to sweat it out THAT much. This team, health permitted, if they can figure out the passing game, with how we run the ball and the dominance on the DL, this team is ready to go on another run

It's early I know but how do you see the 2 conferences at the moment? As I said it's very difficult for me to see anything other than us v 9ers in the championship game again. I think it would take another team to get real hot at the right time to prevent that. I do think we will have to win the championship game in SF this time though as they have a significantly easier schedule than us. We got MIA, SF, BUF, DAL x 2, KC. In comparable match ups they have us, DAL, CIN, BAL and CLE.

The AFC is real interesting with MIA, BUF, BAL, CIN and KC obvious candidates. Chargers and browns are capable of joining that group too.

 

[nick87]

Im not getting over my skiis on that Dallas-Cards game
to me the NFC is still a big 3... Eagles, Niners and Cowboys. I think honestly we're still the best team of those 3, and i think the Niners are 2nd, but Dallas can absolutely win the NFC

Home ground advantage, injuries and honestly luck/execution on the day will determine who gets out of the NFC. We're going to have to execute at an extremely high level in an NFCCG to beat those teams. The hope is again it works out like it did last year, where the Eagles can get into a situation where they're playing one of the other teams in divisional round and have Dallas and SF go against each other.

Right now, i think the eagles will again be back in the super bowl. I think we've got a Niners-Eagles rematch in the NFCCG and i think the Eagles win it again. But a lot of football to be played between now and then.

The AFC is taking a little while to take shape, i think there is some funky things going on there right now with the Browns D and the Jags luck in big moments, Joe Burrow injury, Josh Allen going nuclear after that week 1 fiasco... but honestly, it's all to do about nothing, as long as Pat Mahomes is healthy, in my mind it's their conference.

If we make the super bowl again, im expecting that we'll need to conquer Pat Mahomes. Good news is i think this DC gives us a better chance than last year

 

[nick87]

Pretty ugly 4-0 all things considered, but it's 4-0 none the less
That game today was extremely frustrating on a number of fronts
The eagles front 4 had Howell running for his life, something like 35+ pressures. They had 5 sacks and could have easily been 10
The zebras constantly bailed out the WFT with some pretty absurd calls. Eagles got called for offensive offside on a play in which DaRon Payne (i think) had his hands literally touching the damn football on the snap

Reminded me a lot of the game last year that we lost to them, so in that respect it was a take the W and keep it moving game.

Offence is getting there, particularly the passing game looked good today after a slow start, but today it was the back 7's turn on defence to be trash. Still a ways off their best. But teams who arent at their best dont usually go into week 5 unbeaten so at this early start to the year, as they round into shape, its good to get the wins

 

[Valheru]

We haven't put in top tier performance on both sides of the ball yet in the same game but we will eventually. These divisional games are always tough and for some reason we seem to struggle against WFT so yeah I'll take the win and move on.

Hurts hasn't fully hit his straps ye but is still making quality plays when needed.

I really didn't like the play call for the last TD. Yeah I get scoring a TD is always good and our D should be able to prevent a TD for 90 seconds but we could have walked it off there and then with a Jake Elliot chip shot. Heck we may have even got a TD anyways with our run game, just with less time on the clock and no time outs for Washington

@Rams next - I remember in 2017 we took over the joint so hoping for similar this week.

 

[nick87]

I really didn't like the play call for the last TD. Yeah I get scoring a TD is always good and our D should be able to prevent a TD for 90 seconds but we could have walked it off there and then with a Jake Elliot chip shot. Heck we may have even got a TD anyways with our run game, just with less time on the clock and no time outs for Washington

FULLY agree. Heard Sirianni defend it post game but i think he was covering. I think in that situation next time it will not play out that way
If the Commies touched the football again, it should have been in OT because we missed a chip shot.

The only way they get a chance to win the game is giving them the ball, and granted 3rd and 17, we should get off the feild but its situational awareness. And Sirianni has been really good in these spots mostly so ill give it a pass.

I think looking at the play that Hurts might have audibled into the pass, but the 100% correct play is put it in the backs belly, run the ball, force them to use time outs, and either kick a game winning FG with 4 seconds left, or at WORST kick it and give them 20ish seconds to drive for a tying FG.

Poor game management by a coach who has nailed that shit since arriving.

 

[nick87]

Perhaps the only saving grace of the play was it legit had Manny Forbes from the Commies crying on the sidelines
He talked some trash to AJ and my goodness, AJ took him to task

Shattering a young CB's confidence early in a career is a nice move long term

 

[Valheru]

Another good win

Both sides conceded TD's a little too easily on their respective first drives but from there things tightened up and we played a game that the Rams did not have an answer for. We kept the ball away from them with top tier OL play and then when they did have the ball we terrorized Stafford, especially in the 2nd half.

The passing game is getting there with Hurts showing some of the form of last season and Goedert getting involved. AJ Brown has been great since the infamous sideline conversation with Hurts. Red Zone efficiency is the last piece of the puzzle on offence.

As Jeff Saturday keeps saying, both OL and DL play are reliable and travel well and we have both at the highest level. That is why we will always be in games because we can play keep away with the ball even if we aren't scoring and our DL will get to the QB. Our back 7 on D is clearly our biggest issue but will make their fair share of plays given the pressure we put on opponents. It's going to take a QB who can score points very quickly to beat us which does exist in the form of the Chiefs, Bills and Dolphins (and possible Bengals) in the AFC.

On the NFC side, the 9ers also have very good play in the trenches so I see our inevitable playoff match-up against them being won 13-10 either way or something like that. Of course injuries can change everything but here's hoping for a relatively smooth run. I'm still not sold ont he cowboys and the ongoing game against the 9ers has done nothing to change my mind. The Lions are the interesting one and could upset either us or 9ers on their day.

Rodgersless Jets next on the road. Hopefully a no fuss win there before a very tough 8 game period per below

MIA
@WAS
DAL
BYE
@KC
BUF
SF
@DAL
@SEA

That is as tough as it gets and we will cop some losses there so going 6-0 to start is going to be key if we want that 1 seed. That would allow us to split those games and be 10-4 going in to NYG twice either side of the Cardinals to finish.

 

[nick87]

Thought similarly
Thought we adjusted well after the first quarter and then sat on the ball and controlled the game. DL got after it and finished a couple of drives, Roby looked solid. Still some issues in the back 7 but it's holding up OK for now. Biggest tests to come.

Good to see more progress in the passing game and Dallas Goedert getting involved. I think the red zone efficiency is a problem that could be fixed by getting Keneth Gainwell out of that package and getting Swift in. No idea why he disappears in the red zone but we've got to keep feeding him. Smithy had an unusually quiet game too.

All in all a solid, relatively easy win over a team we should handle. Job done

Gotta beat the Jets and get to 6-0
And yeah that 8 week run is brutal
I think Miami is going to be our first loss... thats just a really tough team to game plan for on a week when you're unfamiliar

Beat WAS, split with Dallas, Beat SEA and SF. Split Bills/KC
5-3 over that period would then get is 11-3, and finish with Giantsx2 and Cards... 14-3
Should be good enough for the #1 seed again

big ask to go 5-3 in that period though

 

[Valheru]

Yeah we really need to beat SF if we want the 1 seed and even then it might not be enough as I don't see us finishing with more wins than them this season

Their schedule is as follows

@CLE
@MIN
CIN
@Jax
TB
@SEA
@PHI
SEA
@ari
BAL
@WAS
LAR

It's pretty difficult to find 4 losses for them TBH. Let's say we do beat them and then they split Seattle in division games and drop one against the AFC North in unfamiliar opponents. Would still need another loss against an opponent they are comfortably favoured against to find a 4th loss.

 

[Valheru]

Well that was a bit embarrassing.

The team did not play well on offence with 4 turnovers but still we should have won. I have to place this squarely on whoever decided to go with a pass play out of the 2 minute warning with the Jets having 0 timeouts remaining..... WTF....

Just run the damn ball and see what happens. We were unlikely to get the 1st down but at worst we take a delay of game and punt with approx 70 seconds on the clock. Pin them in their own 20 at worst with a punt and let the defence who has been balling all day take care of the rest by protecting the sideline and keeping everything in front of the secondary. If Zach Wilson marches 50 yards in 70 seconds with no timeouts and they kick a walk off FG then so be it but I highly doubt that happens. It was the 2nd call lacking situational awareness in 2 weeks, the last one nearly cost us the game and this one did cost us the game.

Yeah hurts could still have not thrown that pass and shouldn't have but you make silly decisions and you will get silly prizes in the NFL.

Anyways, shit happens I guess and hopefully this is a re-focus moment. Miami next who will put up some points but their defence is average at best so I reckon we will put up some points to.

Positive is that the 9ers had a shock loss too so really nothing changes int he hunt for the 1 seed.

 

[nick87]

Very silly game to give away, cant survive that many turn overs. And really only the last one was on Hurts, the others were extremely unlucky but that's the nature of fumbles/ints... there is a luck element involved.

but it's the injuries that worry me, we're right now very banged up in the 2ndary and we've got the dolphins up next... YIKES.

 

[Valheru]

Good win against a good team

We need to stop these turnovers though as it was kind of a beat down if not for the 2 turnovers. Defence only conceded 7 points on their own. The other 10 came off a pick 6 and a fumble resulting in short field which the defence did well to limit to a field goal.

Offence extended drives when it needed to playing keep away although we did get lucky on some penalties a few times.

@Washington next whom for some reason we always struggle against

 

[nick87]

Really good bounce back game and a performance i think the team kind of needed

Offensively the turn overs need to get sorted, but some of this is exactly what was spoken about pre season, we had stunningly good turnover luck last year, and now we're seeing some regression... two hurts INTs from the last 2 weeks are on deflects that you couldnt replicate in 100 throws if you tried. Those sorts of unlucky bounces just werent happening last year and the bill is coming due. But Hurts has got to do a better job of taking care of the ball, no doubt

otherwise the offence is starting to find it's rhythm and cadance. AJ Brown is a monster, Goedart is back as a focal point of the offence, Smitty made plays. The running game wasnt as explosive as it has been but it put in work.

They can win throwing the ball, they can win running the ball... they just find the thing that will work this week and pick at it until it breaks. Its really awesome that this team doesnt play with 10 yards but 8 and 5 because on 4th and less than 2, the Brotherly Shove is unstoppable. So often teams are playing us on 3rd down to be at the sticks and they get the stop a yard short but dont seem to realise that's a conversion for us. 4th and 1 is a automatic go and easy first down.


Defensively this was a stunningly good performance and the type i dont think Gannon was capable of. Very impressed with Desai. I was terrified the Dolphins would go up and down on us attacking the LBs and Safeties. But they played with good discipline in the back 7 (Hill touchdown aside where Edmunds blew it) and this front 4 ate the dolphins lunch. Sweat, Carter, Davis, Fletch, BG, Nolan Smith even got in on the act.... and Hassan Reddick is playing out of his freaking mind since getting the cast off. No sack for him today i think, but he was sooo disruptive off the edge and most particularly helping to blow up their motion run game early. Jordan Davis is a one man running game stopper in the middle and that took the dolphins out of sync

For this defence to give up only 7 points, 12 first downs and about 240 yards against a dolphins offence that through 6 weeks was historic in it's effeciency and ability to create explosive plays and score points... the most impressive defensive performance in the Eagles Sirianni era imo

 

[nick87]

Oh and one other interesting note... Lane Johnson gave up his first sack in 3 years today
He played last year through large parts of the season with an abductor injury that required surgury, he didnt get it because he thought they could win a SB, he didnt give up a sack during that time. Abductor for an OL and didnt give up a sack.

This week he's playing through what is almost certainly a high ankle sprain that would keep most players out for 4-6 weeks. Finally someone got him. But man, i dont think there is a tougher player in the NFL than Lane Johnson.

 

[Valheru]

Oh and one other interesting note... Lane Johnson gave up his first sack in 3 years today
He played last year through large parts of the season with an abductor injury that required surgury, he didnt get it because he thought they could win a SB, he didnt give up a sack during that time. Abductor for an OL and didnt give up a sack.

This week he's playing through what is almost certainly a high ankle sprain that would keep most players out for 4-6 weeks. Finally someone got him. But man, i dont think there is a tougher player in the NFL than Lane Johnson.

Whilst on the topic of the OL, what about Jason Kelce? Like a fine wine and the gift that keeps on giving.

I think it was Dan Orlovsky that called out Kelce as the non QB MVP in the league right now. Obviously others in more prominent positions will get the love but the bloke performs on every single play and just monsters his opposite numbers.

 

[nick87]

Yeah Geoff Schwartz has said similar things. The way the eagles weaponise him with things like the Brotherly Shove, and then on pulls and screens is incredible. Genuinely one of, if not the best Center i've ever seen.
Imagine being a Kelce parent... maybe two positional GOATS in the family.

Also Eagles made a big move today, trading for Titans Safety Kevin Byard
He's a good safety, very smart, still athletic... MASSIVE upgrade for this eagles secondary that desperately needed a safety to pair with Reed Blankenship.
Really happy with that

I had Justin Simmons, Jeremy Chinn, Budda Baker and Kevin Byard as the 4 safeties that i thought would be available and would be good eagles targets

 

[Valheru]

That was a handy loss for us by the 9ers, we now own the first 4 tiebreakers over them as well although we have them on the schedule so ultimately the tiebreaker will come down to that game unless it ends in a tie.

Really a perfect week results wise with 9ers and Lions both losing. Cowboys had the bye.