Eagles Blog

Amazing stat: #Eagles ran 57 plays and scored 49 points … time of possession -> 22:06

— Derek Boyko (@derek_boyko) November 4, 2013

Wow.

I hope the Oakland Raiders don’t resort to cheating like they did in the 2009 game vs the Eagles.

Using pigeons on STs…I’d call that a fowl move.

Bill Barnwell took an updated look at how the read-option is working this year. We were told it would be shutdown by some coaches, but that’s not exactly been the case.

So, where does the read-option stand? Somewhere between where it was and where its detractors think it will end up. It’s very obviously not dead. It’s also not the mind-blowing force of nature that it was for San Francisco in the playoffs last year, nor could it ever really be that consistently good. It’s an ever-evolving part of about half the offenses around the league, some much more than others, but just like an NFL team would never run play-action or line up in the shotgun on every single snap, it’s also unlikely to use the zone-read as a base offensive concept. It’s not a gimmick and it’s not an offensive panacea. And if you want to have a discussion about it that extends the argument beyond those two poles, you’re going to have to wait a lot longer than eight weeks to truly figure out how it has changed the game. Until then, all we can do is keep taking its temperature and see how the league is adapting on both sides of the ball.

Like all football schemes, it is evolving.

Mark Saltveit wrote a piece for FishDuck.com, taking an updated look at Chip Kelly and his recent struggles.

Now, to be fair, there is a lot of evidence that Chip’s offense is still creating good opportunities, and his quarterbacks just aren’t taking advantage of them.  Here’s where it gets tricky to figure out what to do.  A coach can’t make a bad quarterback great, but it’s also his job to make the most of decent but flawed players, and Chip has three to run his offense.

Chip isn’t the problem, despite what some of his critics think. Chip does need to do a better job. Sunday will be a big test. Can he fix whatever caused Nick Foles to struggle vs Dallas?

Kinda cool.

The greatest coach in Raiders history is John Madden. He played for the Eagles in his short NFL career. Madden hurt his knee and learned most of his football knowledge while watching game film with Norm Van Brocklin, the Eagles star QB.

The last coach who built the Raiders into a powerhouse was Jon Gruden. He got the Raiders job after doing great work as the Eagles offensive coordinator.

The coach who actually got the Raiders to the Super Bowl, Bill Callahan, had worked under Gruden in Philly.

Another Raiders coach, John Rauch, was a QB for the Eagles.

The Eagles and Raiders played each other in Super Bowl XV. For some odd reason, I can’t seem to remember who won that game.

There are quite a few guys who have played well for both teams.

LB William Thomas
CB Eric Allen
LB Bill Romanowski
DE Derrick Burgess
OT Bob Brown
FB Jon Ritchie

I’m sure there are some other players I’m leaving out.

The one thing you notice…the Raiders have benefited from the Eagles quite a bit. Several good players and coaches came out of Philly and helped the Raiders win quite a few games. Even a Super Bowl.

In return, the Raiders let the Eagles have Nnamdi Asomugha.

Gee, thanks.

Clifton Geathers has already played for 6 NFL teams. Think about that. 6 teams would make up 1.5 divisions. Geathers is playing his best football, as covered in this article.

This season, Geathers has already matched his career high of eight games played and has set new highs with 14 total tackles (eight solo and six assisted). In addition to increased opportunities with the Eagles, many say his size and long arms can be credited for his increased production.

Geathers would love to find a long term home. He just played his best game last Sunday. I think he needs to build on that in order to stick around long term. Potential gets your foot in the door. You must produce to stay.

Jeff McLane put out Pt. 2 of his column with scouts takes on the young Eagles.

Nick Foles, QB. “A really good backup that can step in and start. Has enough moxie to win games. Not the guy that you want starting 16 games, but you’ll consider yourself lucky to have him if your starter went down. One of the better backups in the NFL. Above-average arm strength with solid anticipation, which allows the ball to get there a little quicker. Shuffles feet well in pocket despite size. Limited runner.”

Fletcher Cox, DE. “A better fit in their previous scheme, which allowed him to attack as a gap penetrator. Having to play more square negates his ability to get off, which was already an issue because he’s late off the ball at times. All in all, he’s still a good player.”

Matt Barkley, QB. “Ball comes out quick but poorly at times, though it usually reaches target. Pre-snap reads aid decision-making in short passing game. Lacks ideal size and doesn’t have plus arm for position. When he can’t step into throws, particularly across field, defensive backs are brought back into plays. Could thrive in a movement-based NFL offense like the West Coast. Does a good job of changing the speed on his throws to ensure accuracy.”

Vinny Curry, DE. “A good rotational backup. Try-hard, effort player that is most effective rushing from the interior. A classic Jim Washburn guy. Will remind you a lot of William Hayes with the Rams.”

Earl Wolff, S. “A good fourth safety that can get you by as a starter, but ultimately you will be looking for more. Better near the box than as a single high defender. Like most young defensive backs, he plays with his eyes in the backfield and is late getting over the top in coverage.”

I don’t agree with all that, but it is great to get the opinion of actual NFL scouts so you can see how they do see things.

Be sure to read the whole column. McLane has some good info on the free agents the Eagles signed and offers his thoughts on how the players have done. There are some other good nuggets of interest. I love these columns. Great info.

I'm hearing Eagles will add a cornerback to fill Sopoaga's roster spot. Likely someone currently on a practice squad. Working on a name.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 30, 2013

The Eagles could use another CB. Recently let go of Shaun Prater and Jordan Poyer.

Over the last 4 games, #Eagles D leads #NFL in punts forced (26) and ranks 5th in opp. QB rat (71.8) and INTs (6)

— Ryan Nissan (@nissaneagles) October 28, 2013

I’m digging this.

A baby dressed up as Andy Reid? Sound ridiculous.

But this pic will blow your mind.