Eagles Round up: What to take from 3-0 start

Wow wow wow and wow. Can this season get anymore exciting, controversial, nerve racking? I don't
think so. Battling injuries, defensive struggles, and slow starts the Philadelphia Eagles have managed
to get to an undefeated 3-0 record to start of what has been a incredible start to the season. After what
was just a hard fought battle against the Indianapolis Colts, the media was all over how this team was
winning and if it could last. Well the winning continued Sunday after noon with a incredible 37-34
victory over the NFC East rival Washington Redskins who featured a returning Philadelphia Eagle by
the name of Desean Jackson. The winning however continued the way it has throughout the 3 weeks
of the season which has been close, gritty, and a come from behind type win. What stuck out in week
3 from both the offense and defense, and of course the special teams.

As for the offense I thought that Nick Foles was the MVP of this game. Plain and simple. After Jason Kelce went down with what is now being called a sports hernia, Foles had to stick in the pocket and deliver some tough throws while taking a couple big licks from the Washington defense. Foles finished the game for the third time with over 300 yards and recorded 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. He looked a lot more comfortable with his feet and how he was delivering throws. Foles said in his press conference "I'm going to get up not out of pride but to show the guys that I am fighting for them so they will do the same". As for Desean Jackson he finished the game with 117 yards and a touchdown but was restricted for most of the game besides one 81 yard touchdown grab. He got into a scuffle with Jenkins and Nate Allen early but was not flagged. It really got the crowd going. But then when it was time for a brawl, Desean didn't seem interested as Emmanuel Acho called #11 out on twitter today.

If you doubted Foles as a leader and as the Eagles quarterback, I believe you have been proven wrong or will be soon with the way Foles is leading this offense without most of his starting offensive line. A late play that seemed to be a turnover spurred up some heat at the end of the game when Nick Foles overthrew his target and appeared to be intercepted. While returning the play, Foles seemed to have thought the play was over and slowed down when out of nowhere he was blind sided by defensive tackle Sam Baker. Jason Peters immediately went after Baker repeatedly punching Baker in the helmet which began an all out brawl on Washington's sideline. Jason Peters was thrown out of the game which then left Todd Herremans as the last starting offensive lineman while David Molk, Andrew Gardener, Dennis Kelly, and newly signed Wade Smith tried to give Foles enough time to lead the Eagles back to victory.  

Jeremy Maclin and Jordan Matthews also had big games as #18 finished with 154 yards and a touchdown and #81 finished with 59 yards and 2 touchdowns on the day. It was a change from where the offense was getting points from the last two games where Foles was relying heavily on the tight ends and running backs, week 3 was a different scenario. The Redskins took out both McCoy and Sproles who had 20 yards rushing a piece. Zach Ertz only had one catch for 14 yards so the Eagles took what they could get and attacked that weak Washington secondary.

Defensively the Eagles gave up 427 passing yards in Kirk Cousins first start this season, and really seemed to struggle on the power runs from Alfred Morris. Yet with those struggles comes resiliency as when the game was on the line in a 4th and 10 situation for Washington who was trailing by 3 with under 2 minutes left, the secondary made a play when they had to as the puss rush couldn't get to Kirk Cousins who threw up a pass to a what seemed to be open Pierre Garcon but threw it behind him. So yes maybe the defense caught a break and yes they need to improve, but the interception from Malcolm Jenkins late in the game shows the true character of this team and that when it is time to make a stop. This defense is fully capable of doing it.

A big week 3 victory puts the Eagles at an undefeated 3-0 as they fly out to San Francisco next week to take on the surprising 1-2 49ers team at the new Levi Stadium. It will be a tough battle of two teams who are suffering through a lot of injuries and controversy. A quick note is that I am getting tired of seeing the white on white jerseys. Who is ready to see some midnight green? Get to it Nike!

 

Eagle Eye Focus Podcast: Eagles vs Jaguars Recap

Eagles Secondary A Major Concern

     Friday night told us a lot about the Eagles. Offensively they look as strong if not stronger than last season. Zach Ertz seems to have taken his game to another level this year. Showing off his strong hands in the end zone where Foles hit Ertz on a comeback route for a touchdown. Although the offense seems to be progressing, the defense still seems to be struggling to defend the pass game. Carry Williams had the highlight of the game intercepting Tom Brady and taking it all the way for a 77 yard touchdown. Williams had been in the headlines the entire week because of his comments about the Patriots being "Cheaters". The first team defense had its ups and downs, a lot of yards given up like last year, but when opportunities struck to turn the tide of the game, the defense always seems to be able to grab that. When the opposing offense gets things going though, the defense looks catastrophic. Curtis Marsh and Roc Carmichael got a lot of reps with the first team due to injuries to Brandon Boykin and Nolan Carroll. They did little to comfort the Eagles that there is depth in the secondary. Marsh struggled to stay with the receivers after press coverage, he was way to grabby and had very sloppy technique. Carmichael has been a disappointment  this preseason after having a strong few games starting last year when Bradley Fletcher was injured. He just seems to lack the athleticism to say with some of the receivers. The Eagles need Nolan Carroll more than we know. If there is more than one injury to the corners, the Eagles will most likely have to go to a player that isn't on the team now, that is of course if rookie Jaylen Watkins doesn't continue to progress and surprise some people this season. 

     Jaylen Watkins did not play against the Patriots due to a injury he suffered at practice. His first game against the Bears Watkins recorded his first interception after getting beat by a 72 yard touchdown. He showed great poise and confidence after what was just a beat down of a play for Watkins. He has shown improvement within each practice and has gained the respect of veterans such as Carry Williams and Brandon Boykin. 

Point is I have all the confidence in this defense which has a lot of upside, but all realistic fans know there is still a long way to go and it starts in the secondary. Watkins and Boykin are the building blocks to the future starters where Carry Williams and Fletcher may just be stops in the road. 

    

Eagles Roundup: Bears Recap/Patriots Joint Practices

The Eagles started their first live action of football last Friday night when they took on the Chicago Bears at Solider Field and suffered a loss 34-28. Now their were some really good things from the starting defense.....as for the offense it was a little bit different to start it off. Nick Foles struggled early, throwing two interceptions after forcing passes to Ifeanyi Momah and Brent Celek. Momah looked good catching a pass for 12 yards with the first team, Brent Celek also was involved heavily in the offense. If there is any recollection of the type of formations Chip Kelly is going to run, you didn't get any idea. Mostly the first team offense was running triple receivers and a single tight end. Sproles and McCoy did not go out on the field at the same time. The offense has already seemed to start its rebound today when they had a great practice against the Patriots. Nick Foles was sharp on 7 on 7's including a spectacular throw to Maclin who beat Revis over top for the touchdown. Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com said on twitter how well the defense looked compared to last year when the Eagles joined up with New England for practice  #Eagles defense far better vs Pats this summer. No comparison to 2013 summer.

Back to the Bears game, the defense came out flying against Jay Cutler and the first team. After a big stop on third down, Bears kicker Robbie Gould attempted a kick that was blocked by Damion Square! So turnovers to start it off for the defense was something I loved to see. Now I don't need to recap exactly what happened all game but the defense looked better than the offense. Which isn't what you may have expected. Mark Sanchez looked sharp also leading two drives to touchdowns courtesy of Matthew Tucker in the red zone. Sanchez looked comfortable in the pocket and had precision on his throws including a impressive deep pass to tight end Zach Ertz. Some of the standouts against the Bears were rookies Marcus Smith and Jaylen Watkins. Smith played the JACK linebacker role and excelled in it getting to the quarterback twice and almost intercepting a pass he batted down from Jordan Palmer. He looked very comfortable in the scheme and signs point to the Eagles having a really deep linebacker core.  Jaylen Watkins is a guy I am very intrigued with. Drafted in the fourth round this year out of Flordia playing both safety and corner in college, the Eagles were excited about getting him, well his first NFL game is what you can call a bit of a roller coaster. After getting beat badly on a 70 yard touchdown pass where Watkins failed to wrap up the receiver on press coverage. Watkins instead of getting discouraged got right back to it and intercepted a pass that really showed how great of an athlete he is. This is very early for me to say something like this, but I truly believe Watkins is going to turn out to be a very good defensive player and Billy Davis is going to use him a lot in nickel packages. The rookie receivers had what it seemed to be unexpected performances for both Josh Huff and Jordan Matthews, only it wasn't the way you thought it would have been.

Josh Huff comes out of the end zone, breaks a couple tackles, quickly hits a whole, stiff arms Robbie Gould.....gone touchdown! First time the Eagles had a return touchdown in what feels like an eternity. Huff showed a explosive next step and did what recent return men of the Eagles couldn't do, and that is finish. Jordan Matthews was a disappointment in his first every NFL action. Dropping passes isn't something that is familiar with Matthews. Well he dropped two against Chicago and could have caught another. He did have 4 receptions which shows that the Eagles are getting him involved in the offense. Its just that total, he racked up a measly 14 yards. The great thing about this is that it is just the preseason. So nothing needs to be blown out of proportion, but we know it will. The only thing I am a little concerned about is what I saw from how Nick Foles through those interceptions. Although Foles only had two interceptions last year, he was sacked a lot due to not throwing the football away or to a player. Well that was something Chip Kelly said he wanted to correct. Well if you look at it here in this picture,  he is clearly throwing the football, forcing a pass as he is hit. This is something Foles said he can correct and is why he is optimistic for this weeks match up. 

The Eagles will be tested Friday night when they take on the Patriots and Tom Brady. Hopefully Nick Foles will rebound as well as some of the receivers that didn't play to their best last week. 

Who To Watch vs Bears

Finally it has arrived! Eagles football is among us in the form of the first week of the preseason. Lets talk about some of the players to keep a close eye on not only in the starting lineup, but for those second half players battling for a spot not only on the Eagles, but in the entire NFL.

5 Players to watch on O:

1. Allen Barbre RT: With Lane Johnson suspended for the first four weeks of the NFL season, Barbre will have to fill in at right tackle and play some tough pass rushing teams. In a few starts last year at left tackle Allen Barbre really impressed. With all the athleticism at the O-line that made the offense so dynamic last year, will it be the same without Johnson?

2. Jordan Matthews WR: The second round pick has more pressure than any other rookie. With Cooper and possibly Maclin not playing tonight, expect to see Matthews get a lot of reps with Nick Foles and the first team. Lets see how Foles and Matthews chemistry is coming along from camp. If he can excel on the outside, maybe the Eagles can be more flexible putting Maclin, Ertz, Sproles, and others in the slot if they have more options on the outside.


3. Ifeanyi Momah WR: The 6'7 phenom has come along way from last year at camp. His routes are much more crisp, and hes finally using that size to his advantage. With probably only 5 receivers being kept, and we can assume Maclin, Cooper, Matthews, and Huff are all locks, there is one spot for Momah, Benn, Smith, and a few others. Can Momah earn a spot through the preseason? We will find out tonight.

4. Darren Sproles RB: Of course we have to see how Chip Kelly uses Sproles. Will he be on the field with McCoy? Is he going to be used more in the slot or at RB? Honestly probably both and more. Kelly is going to use Sproles and McCoy a lot of different ways because he can! McCoy can line up at receiver too if Sproles runs a better route at RB. One play to keep an eye out for is a double screen to both backs.....this is going to be fun.

5. Mark Sanchez QB: Sanchez has not played since Week 3 of last year's preseason. In the heat of a QB competition, can Sanchez hold off second year Matt Barkley? So far at camp Sanchez has been impressive and has really made a connection with rookie Jordan Matthews. Lets see how Sanchez runs this no huddle offense. Limit the turnovers and he should win this backup job and the Eagles should be comfortable with him at the #2 gig.

5 Players to Watch on D:

1. Marcus Smith III: The first round pick has everyone talking. A complete 3-4 outside linebacker with incredible speed and athleticism. What has the Eagles even more excited is he has been only playing defense for a few years. Billy Davis has told the media that Smith has been lining up at the JACK position on defense which is where Connor Barwin starts. Does that mean Barwin will come off on pass rushing situations to let Cole and Smith hunt? I doubt it, expect to see a rotation entirely between the 3. Most of the time though you will see Cole and Barwin. During pass rushing situations you will probably see all three on the field.

2. Nolan Carroll II: Carroll has looked solid in camp so far. He has shown that he can do many things that Bradley Fletcher can't do with his athleticism. If Carroll locks down his assignments tonight including getting some looks against Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, you may just see Carroll knock out Fletcher for the other outside corner job.

3. Earl Wolff: The secondary is the only spot on defense that is in a competition for starting spots. Other than Malcom Jenkins at safety, and Brandon Boykin in the slot, nobodies spot is safe. Earl Wolff is coming into his second year and looked good when in last year. He will be in a full out battle with Nate Allen for the other safety job. If Wolff can show some signs of improvement and being able to make plays on the ball that Nate Allen really didn't do last year, Wolff may have a chance to beat out the solid veteran in #29.

4. Beau Allen: The rookie nose tackle has made some noise at training camp so far. Allen is a strong, low centered player that can help out a lot in run stopping. Bennie Logan is the starter now at NT, but if Allen impresses during the preseason, the Eagles may go to the more traditional NT.

5. Jaylen Watkins: This pick of a player to watch is mostly because of how interested I am in Watkins. A athletic specimen that has shown that he can play both corner and safety is something Chip Kelly will love on defense. The more Watkins has played during camp, the more comfortable he has been according to fellow corner Brandon Boykin. Watkins makes this secondary one of the deepest spots on the roster.

As for the return men, expect to see Darren Sproles and Brad Smith on punt return duties, I don't expect Sproles who is so talented at returning to not be used. On kickoffs Nolan Carroll has looked good at camp with his speed, he and either Brad Smith or Sproles will get kickoff duties as well. The Eagles have a lot of options on returns including Josh Huff and Brandon Boykin as well so we will see where the Eagles go in that aspect.

Vinny Curry Stat

According to Pro Football Focus, Beside JJ Watt, Vinny Curry was the second most efficient pass rusher in the NFL last season. Cedric Thornton gave little pass rushing ability, maybe a rotation is coming? We shall see but I have made it clear how big a fan I am of Curry.

 

Takeaways from the Eagles first practices

    The Eagles have completed three full practices including one open practice at the Lincoln Financial Field where United States Armed Forces were honored. Before I discuss how I feel some of the players are progressing I would like to give my props to the Eagles for what they are doing every year for the armed forces. Being in the armed services is something that takes extreme guts, guts that people like me writing this article would only dream of possessing. Chip Kelly has gained the respect of the entire NFL and the nation not only because of his stellar coaching, but because of the kind of leader and example he sets for younger coaches and just people growing up. He is a leader of men and knows how to run a team, he also knows when to put football below something more important like the army.

   Alright lets talk about the practices shall we. Some good things have come out of these early practices. We are learning the defense is on a mission this year to show they aren't one of the most profoundly inconsistent defenses that networks and analysts are proclaiming they are. Billy Davis has this defense playing with tenacity and attitude. They aren't taking any crap from the offense (Pardon my French). The secondary although not recording one interception yet, has been playing great coverage and are making plays on the ball. Nolan Caroll, Malcolm Jenkins, and of course Brandon Boykin have been the standouts with their man on man coverage in drills. Jenkins is finally going to bring some stability to the safety position. Nolan Caroll may start this year Eagles fans, he is a sneaky good signing for the Eagles and is going to push Bradley Fletcher. Caroll is a more athletic corner than Fletcher, and shined in limited plays last year with Miami. For now Fletcher is starting but during the preseason watch out for Caroll to make some really good plays. Fletcher though has also been solid, even getting into a fight with Jeremy Maclin. Showing some emotion and grit is good for Fletcher who I didn't really think was that type of player. Carry Williams likes it that is for sure. Fletcher was great on the ball last year but lacks the physical ability to match up with some of the leagues best receivers. Corner isn't the only player with a position battle, safety next to Jenkins is at full competition with Nate Allen and Earl Wolff. Although right now it seems Kelly is favoring Allen, Wolff is learning this defense and seems to be progressing great after last years injury that sidelined him for most of the second half of the season. I would personally like to see Wolff start, he has come a long way from last year and has shown flashes of greatness. As for the defensive line and line backing core, it is deeper than you expect. Cox-Logan-Thorton make a great potential starting line, but Vinny Curry, Beau Allen, and Taylor Hart make me even more excited. Curry in this third year should make the leap and last year I couldn't stress enough that Curry get more reps, because when he was on the field, he was dominant. At linebacker Demeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks have played great in coverage at practice so far, Demeco Ryans said after practice Monday "We expect big things, and we're pushing ourselves to reach those goals"-PhiladelphiaEagles.com". 

At outside linebacker, I can't really say how Marcus Smith is doing because quite frankly there is no tackling. What I can say is that Billy Davis is using him at the jack linebacker spot behind Barwin, what this says to me is that the Eagles would like to use Smith as a pass rusher on third downs with Trent Cole. Does this mean Barwin will be taken off the field though? Possibly. Barwin of course will be the outside linebacker the Eagles rely on but in specific situations Smith may rotate in. In the end though I still see Marcus Smith rotating with Trent Cole and not Barwin, Connor Barwin is just too good to take off the field. Unless maybe Cole and Smith are playing jack and Barwin switches over.....just thinking out loud here so stay with me. I will do a podcast this week so you can all listen to these thoughts. Now that we are deep into this article how does the offense look? Well a few that standout are for one Darren Sproles and the running backs, they will be catching a lot of passes this year as Kelly has featured the wheel route so far at camp. Ifeanyi Momah has come a long way but is a long shot to make the team. Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff have been solid so far, but what I am most excited about is the progression of Zach Ertz who Nick Foles has gone to a lot so far at Camp. Expect to see a lot of different formations this season with the offense, I've seen Kelly go with two tight ends out wide, two running backs on the field, Matthews in the slot in a basic three man wideout with one tight end. But my favorite formation I have seen is Maclin and Cooper out wide, and Sproles and McCoy in the slot with Ertz at TE. I can't even name all of the possibilities the offense has, and the Eagles are trying all those out at camp so far. Its gonna be exciting so lets get ready Eagles Nation, we are in for one heck of a start of the season.