StarOfGlory
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So, the first Dallas vs. Philthy game is upon us. Living in South Jersey, I see many Eagle games as well as our games. Here is my take and comparisons on the game.
Wentz vs. our Defense. Stop the nonsense. Dak vs. Wentz is poised to be the next great rivalry. I suspect both will be top tier QB's for the next ten years. These boards are crazy. Wentz isn't NFL Jesus but he doesn't suck either like a few posters believe. I've seen posts practically claiming both. Get a grip. We know about Dak, so let's talk Wentz. Our D-line must not lose contain if Wentz starts his shifty running around on broken plays. No, Wentz is not accurate all the time. Yes, he can break tackles and throw the ball 60+ yards downfield on the run in either direction--I've seen him do both. Wentz does get locked into a single read a bit too often, but he is also very adept at identifying what a defense is going to do and call out of any play that he thinks won't succeed. The kid will try to make throws a la Brett Favre because he thinks his arm can get him out of situations. This leads to INT's, but he has cut down on INT's and is getting better recognition. This kid is athletic as hell and faster than he looks. He's not afraid to take hits and has taken some big hits from LB's on some runs. But, at 6' 5", 245, he just gets up and keeps playing. He is the new Big Ben. Hopefully, our defensive genius of a coach can throw Wentz a few wrinkles and get our DBs into position for a few turnovers. If our D-line cannot get pressure, we will not win this game.
Eagles O-line vs. our D-line: The loss of Jason Peters has not yet hurt the Eagles....could this be the week it does??? Center Jason Kelce and RT Lane Johnson are playing at all-pro level. Lane Johnson stoned both San Diego DE's with virtually no help--they didn't lay a hand on Wentz when matched up against Johnson, who I think is the best RT in the NFL. Kelce is excellent is space and hitting the next level, but weak against solid one-tech linemen....too bad we don't have any. Their guards, Warmack, Brooks, and Wisniewski, are unspectacular but solid hard nosed blockers. Their weakness is at LT, with Halapatouti Vaitai (however you spell his name, I'll call him Big V) taking over for Peters. Big V filled in for Johnson last year and was destroyed his first game. But then he got better each week and was playing fine by his 4th week. This year, he had a below average first game but has slowly gotten better, just like last year. I see opportunity here: crash Kelce with both DT's and send a LB over them to pull their LG away from the left side, isolating D Law against Big V. This should be the mismatch the coaches should be aiming for all game. We can get sacks, I'm certain. Also, Johnson was fighting a sore lower back two weeks ago in the game--maybe he won't be at 100%. This O-line made Denver's D look very ordinary.
Zack Ertz vs. our LB's: I won't waste much time here. This could get ugly. Our defensive coaches will figure this out, right? Celek is still reliable and Trey Burton has shown he can catch and run with the ball.
Eagle WR's vs. our Secondary: Their burner, Torrey Smith, has been underwhelming, to say the least, and doesn't see much playing time anymore. He is officially a free agent bust. Jeffries, who didn't do much early in the season, has become more involved and productive the past few games, getting comfortable with Wentz. The surprise has been Agalor, who has found his home in the slot. He also seems to remember how to catch the ball now. Mack Hollins and Marcus Johnson are capable rookie receivers. I'd put them at about average as far as receiving corps goes in the NFL.
Eagle's Run Game: 250 lb Blount, 223 lb Ajayi, and 220 lb Corey Clement give the Eagles size and depth at RB. Smallwood and Barner are smaller cutback backs that can be inserter as a change of pace if needed. The Eagle's run game is solid--they can move the chains and eat up clock most of the time when called upon. All of their RB's are dangerous past the LoS.
Eagle D-line vs. our O-line: Cox, Jernigan, Allen, Graham, Long, Curry, Barnett, Qualls, Means...the Eagles rotate 8 D linemen out of 9 throughout the game. They have pass rushers, one-tech specialists, all-arounders...they have the deepest D-line in the NFL. Surprisingly, they don't have huge sack numbers, as Schwartz doesn't blitz as much as people think, but they do hit and knockdown the QB a lot. They don't make it comfortable, that's for sure. And, of course, they are #1 at stopping the run. Our O-line will have it's hands full without Smith playing. Good Lord, Chaz better get help or Dak will be in the ICU Monday morning. This line will simply wear down the opposing o-line--it truly is a war of attrition with the Eagles front four. Our interior, led by Fredrick, will have to not allow Cox, Jernigan, and Allen to get that big initial push. I have faith that they will make the Eagle front four pay for every foot of turf. But this will be one hell of a test for us.
Eagle LB's: With Hicks gone, the Eagles have had to throw special teamer Joe Walker and Najee Goode into the fire of MLB. Both have responded like NFL players, holding the line in solid if unspectacular fashion. Nigel Bradham and Mychael Kendrick are a speedy pair of missiles who like to hit anything holding a football. Kendrick in particular seems to have learned how not to overrun plays--he is playing the best he has ever played. TE's can still find seams short--Witten has been a thorn in the side of the Eagles forever. I hope no one forget this. Eagle LB's are generally good blitzes and very good in run support.
Eagle DB's vs our WR's: Patrick Robinson has been a NFL JAG, but suddenly looks good playing in the Eagle's scheme. Early on, the unit as a whole seemed weak, but this is one unit whose sum is greater than its parts. Jenkins is one of the best safeties in the NFL. Darby may not be ready yet, but Jaylen Mills has adequately filled in this year. I definitely believe we can move the ball through the air IF we give Dak time to throw the ball. This is not a great individual unit, but one cannot deny that they get the job done when needed.
Special teams: Eagles have always seem to have very good special teams (ask the Giants, lol, they always get burned by Eagle ST's). Their rookie kicker has already set Eagle team records. Donnie Jones is a reliable, veteran punter who rarely makes a mistake. Losing Sproles hurt, but so far Barner has filled the returner role without screwing up. Losing Marigos, their special teams cover monster, hasn't hurt much either, as ST coach Dave Fipp is one of the best in the NFL.
Coaches: Eagle coaches somehow get JAG's and low round draft picks to perform like real NFL players. They also know who to keep for quality depth. When I look at the Eagle roster, few names stand out, yet they perform so much better than they seem they should. I hate to say it, but their coaching staff is damn good. How else are they 8-1? It's not all luck. I believe that the Eagles would be a 4-5 team with our coaching staff.
Intangibles: We NEEEEED this game!!
Conclusions: The Eagles are a well-coached team across the board. They key around a few excellent players, coaches know how to cover deficiencies, and they play like this is their time to make a Super Bowl run. Certainly a Cowboy win is possible, but I think the Eagles are on the train to the playoffs, and they ain't stopping now. Eagles 30--Good Guys 20. I hope I'm wrong.
Wentz vs. our Defense. Stop the nonsense. Dak vs. Wentz is poised to be the next great rivalry. I suspect both will be top tier QB's for the next ten years. These boards are crazy. Wentz isn't NFL Jesus but he doesn't suck either like a few posters believe. I've seen posts practically claiming both. Get a grip. We know about Dak, so let's talk Wentz. Our D-line must not lose contain if Wentz starts his shifty running around on broken plays. No, Wentz is not accurate all the time. Yes, he can break tackles and throw the ball 60+ yards downfield on the run in either direction--I've seen him do both. Wentz does get locked into a single read a bit too often, but he is also very adept at identifying what a defense is going to do and call out of any play that he thinks won't succeed. The kid will try to make throws a la Brett Favre because he thinks his arm can get him out of situations. This leads to INT's, but he has cut down on INT's and is getting better recognition. This kid is athletic as hell and faster than he looks. He's not afraid to take hits and has taken some big hits from LB's on some runs. But, at 6' 5", 245, he just gets up and keeps playing. He is the new Big Ben. Hopefully, our defensive genius of a coach can throw Wentz a few wrinkles and get our DBs into position for a few turnovers. If our D-line cannot get pressure, we will not win this game.
Eagles O-line vs. our D-line: The loss of Jason Peters has not yet hurt the Eagles....could this be the week it does??? Center Jason Kelce and RT Lane Johnson are playing at all-pro level. Lane Johnson stoned both San Diego DE's with virtually no help--they didn't lay a hand on Wentz when matched up against Johnson, who I think is the best RT in the NFL. Kelce is excellent is space and hitting the next level, but weak against solid one-tech linemen....too bad we don't have any. Their guards, Warmack, Brooks, and Wisniewski, are unspectacular but solid hard nosed blockers. Their weakness is at LT, with Halapatouti Vaitai (however you spell his name, I'll call him Big V) taking over for Peters. Big V filled in for Johnson last year and was destroyed his first game. But then he got better each week and was playing fine by his 4th week. This year, he had a below average first game but has slowly gotten better, just like last year. I see opportunity here: crash Kelce with both DT's and send a LB over them to pull their LG away from the left side, isolating D Law against Big V. This should be the mismatch the coaches should be aiming for all game. We can get sacks, I'm certain. Also, Johnson was fighting a sore lower back two weeks ago in the game--maybe he won't be at 100%. This O-line made Denver's D look very ordinary.
Zack Ertz vs. our LB's: I won't waste much time here. This could get ugly. Our defensive coaches will figure this out, right? Celek is still reliable and Trey Burton has shown he can catch and run with the ball.
Eagle WR's vs. our Secondary: Their burner, Torrey Smith, has been underwhelming, to say the least, and doesn't see much playing time anymore. He is officially a free agent bust. Jeffries, who didn't do much early in the season, has become more involved and productive the past few games, getting comfortable with Wentz. The surprise has been Agalor, who has found his home in the slot. He also seems to remember how to catch the ball now. Mack Hollins and Marcus Johnson are capable rookie receivers. I'd put them at about average as far as receiving corps goes in the NFL.
Eagle's Run Game: 250 lb Blount, 223 lb Ajayi, and 220 lb Corey Clement give the Eagles size and depth at RB. Smallwood and Barner are smaller cutback backs that can be inserter as a change of pace if needed. The Eagle's run game is solid--they can move the chains and eat up clock most of the time when called upon. All of their RB's are dangerous past the LoS.
Eagle D-line vs. our O-line: Cox, Jernigan, Allen, Graham, Long, Curry, Barnett, Qualls, Means...the Eagles rotate 8 D linemen out of 9 throughout the game. They have pass rushers, one-tech specialists, all-arounders...they have the deepest D-line in the NFL. Surprisingly, they don't have huge sack numbers, as Schwartz doesn't blitz as much as people think, but they do hit and knockdown the QB a lot. They don't make it comfortable, that's for sure. And, of course, they are #1 at stopping the run. Our O-line will have it's hands full without Smith playing. Good Lord, Chaz better get help or Dak will be in the ICU Monday morning. This line will simply wear down the opposing o-line--it truly is a war of attrition with the Eagles front four. Our interior, led by Fredrick, will have to not allow Cox, Jernigan, and Allen to get that big initial push. I have faith that they will make the Eagle front four pay for every foot of turf. But this will be one hell of a test for us.
Eagle LB's: With Hicks gone, the Eagles have had to throw special teamer Joe Walker and Najee Goode into the fire of MLB. Both have responded like NFL players, holding the line in solid if unspectacular fashion. Nigel Bradham and Mychael Kendrick are a speedy pair of missiles who like to hit anything holding a football. Kendrick in particular seems to have learned how not to overrun plays--he is playing the best he has ever played. TE's can still find seams short--Witten has been a thorn in the side of the Eagles forever. I hope no one forget this. Eagle LB's are generally good blitzes and very good in run support.
Eagle DB's vs our WR's: Patrick Robinson has been a NFL JAG, but suddenly looks good playing in the Eagle's scheme. Early on, the unit as a whole seemed weak, but this is one unit whose sum is greater than its parts. Jenkins is one of the best safeties in the NFL. Darby may not be ready yet, but Jaylen Mills has adequately filled in this year. I definitely believe we can move the ball through the air IF we give Dak time to throw the ball. This is not a great individual unit, but one cannot deny that they get the job done when needed.
Special teams: Eagles have always seem to have very good special teams (ask the Giants, lol, they always get burned by Eagle ST's). Their rookie kicker has already set Eagle team records. Donnie Jones is a reliable, veteran punter who rarely makes a mistake. Losing Sproles hurt, but so far Barner has filled the returner role without screwing up. Losing Marigos, their special teams cover monster, hasn't hurt much either, as ST coach Dave Fipp is one of the best in the NFL.
Coaches: Eagle coaches somehow get JAG's and low round draft picks to perform like real NFL players. They also know who to keep for quality depth. When I look at the Eagle roster, few names stand out, yet they perform so much better than they seem they should. I hate to say it, but their coaching staff is damn good. How else are they 8-1? It's not all luck. I believe that the Eagles would be a 4-5 team with our coaching staff.
Intangibles: We NEEEEED this game!!
Conclusions: The Eagles are a well-coached team across the board. They key around a few excellent players, coaches know how to cover deficiencies, and they play like this is their time to make a Super Bowl run. Certainly a Cowboy win is possible, but I think the Eagles are on the train to the playoffs, and they ain't stopping now. Eagles 30--Good Guys 20. I hope I'm wrong.
