Eagles Win Against A Depleted Saints Team

The Philadelphia Eagles for the first time in 5 games this season looked like they constructed and then executed a fundamental gameplan against a NFL team. Chip Kelly made some changes to his kinetic tempo offense and put together a plan of attack that looked like he spent a week studying tendencies, weaknesses, and players of the team he was facing that week. This is called improvement my NFL friends and humbling oneself rather than saying EXECUTION was the issue which to all who heard these words sounded like a code word for it's not my gameplans, it's the players.  Ok I got that off my chest and now let's talk about the game.  Sam Bradford still is rusty and it showed in the game as he missed two redzone throws that would have put the Eagles up 14-0 in the first quarter but instead they were interceptions that sucked the air out of the stadium. The good news was before those throws he was leading the team and moving the ball down the field which speaks to having a game plan as mentioned before. 

The Saints had problems though because of a strong defensive effort led by Fletcher Cox didn't present much offense beyond their early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.  The defense allowed Bradford and the offense to finally start cashing in on the movement and they led 10-7 going into halftime with Bradford throwing a 41 yard touchdown to Josh Huff and a field goal by Caleb Sturgis.  The third quarter showed the grit of Bradford as he began, through a balanced attack featuring DeMarco Murray, to pull the team ahead while Drew Brees had to deal with constant pressure from the Eagles defensive front and was sacked 5 times with one resulting in a fumble. Bradford and the defense buoyed the team and they exploded with touchdowns from Ryan Mathews, Brent Celek, and DeMarco Murray ending up with a 39-17 win.

It was a strong second half and that's been the usual case for the Eagles as they seem to still be getting used to playing with each other.  The star of the game was Fletcher Cox who finished with six tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery which is the stat line which he said after the game is the first of his career.  Next up for the Eagles are the New York Giants on Monday Night Football next week.

Eagles Beat The Jets And Secure Their First Win

The Philadelphia Eagles used stellar special teams and defense to beat the New York Jets 24-17 in week 3 action. Darren Sproles scored on a punt return to get the Eagles started and pushed the lead to 10-0 and the Eagles used that energy with Ryan Mathews hard running jumped out to a 24-7 lead at halftime.

 

The Eagles defense mobbed Ryan Fitzpatrick and caused 4 turnovers with an outstanding performance from Linebacker Jonathan Hicks who recovered a fumble and caught an interception. The rookie who filled in for a depleted linebacker corp really showed up and showed out in his first start totalling 10 tackles, 1 pass defense, and the aforementioned interception and fumble recovery. The Eagles needed every bit of their defense's contribution as the offense was stymied in the second half.

 

Sam Bradford continued to look uncomfortable in Chip Kelly's offense and failed to get the ball to receiver not named Jordan Matthews. The win nevertheless was the most important outcome and winning while not performing the best gives hope. The hope of course is that the offense can match the defense and string together a strong performance and start winning multiple games.

MetLife Stadium could be the start of something good but only time will tell.

Eagles Lose And It Looks Like A Lost Season

The Dallas Cowboys rolled into Lincoln Financial field and for the fourth time in a row defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on their home turf 20-10. The 20-10 score is not indicative of the kind of football played by both teams as Troy Aikman best said it, "This is bad football by two teams expected to contend for the NFC East title". The first half, which was marred by inept offense and penalties, concluded with the Cowboys leading 6-0 on two field goals.

 

The developing story of the season, though for Philadelphia, is how terrible the Eagles offensive line is as DeMarco Murray at one point had 8 carries for -15 yards. Sam Bradford when he had time watched his receivers drop passes which could have helped them develop a rhythm but that never happened. Jason Kelce, an emerging player, looked very average as the Dallas defensive line just physically whopped up on the line and caused confusion, mayhem, and chaos. Chip Kelly in the post game presser said rather clearly, "We couldn't block anybody and you're not going to win any games if you cant run the ball".

 

The defense played 40 minutes because of the offense's inability to run an offense and while they played heroically they wore down in the end as Terrance Williams late game touchdown sealed Dallas' victory. Byron Maxwell surrendered that touchdown but he and his teammates caused turnovers and generally kept the Eagles in the game. The Eagles now are 0-2 and a victory looks far away for this team. Their immediate concern should be sticking together and working harder because it quite frankly looked like they didn't practice on offense. The noise in the press and on talk radio will be loud and angry next week so the message has to be "Stick Together".

The season is fragile now and Chip Kelly is on the hot seat while everyone waits and watches for a response to these two bad games.

Eagles Credentialed For Big College Football Games

Per A College Football 24-7 Report, Eagle scouts were credentialed for several national college football games. Lets take a look at the games and maybe who they are interested in:

Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame:

Notre Dame has a blue chipper at Linebacker named Jaylon Smith who could be of interest as a rush linebacker.

Florida vs Kentucky:

Offensive lineman David Sharpe and Linebacker Antonio Morrison could be interesting esp since depth at these positions is low.

South Carolina vs Georgia

Several blue chippers in this game including Wr Pharoah Cooper, Linebacker Jordan Jenkins and OT Brandon Shell.

BYU vs UCLA

Myles Jack is a superior athlete and can play safety in the Eagles defense and instantly upgrade the backend.

H/t Chase Goodbread of College Football 24/7.

The Sad History of Bill Davis As A Defensive Coordinator

Bill Davis has become a buzz word around the Delaware Valley because to be frank his defenses leave a lot to be desired especially from a coverage standpoint.  The results last year really frustrated Eagle fans as the defense surrendered 90 plays of 20 yards or more. Simply math gives us five and half plays of 20 yards or more a game.  This will not win many games in the NFL and but for Chip Kelly's offense and tempo the team could have easily been 8-8 last season because a couple of games saw some lucky bounces.  Well let's dig a little bit into Bill Davis and look at his defensive philosophy.  

Davis started off with Pittsburgh Steelers under Bill Cowher as defensive statistical analysis coach and that means he studied games and looked for trends in formations, play-calling "tells", and helping with Linebackers.  He then went to the Carolina Panthers as a OLB coach for Dom Capers.  He studied under 2 pretty good defensive coaches and formed his defensive philosophy for attacking offenses and one would have thought that it would have translated as he became a defensive coordinator 13 years later with the San Francisco 49ers.  Bill Davis' defenses at San Francisco in 2005 and 2006 look like this though:

Year    |  Points Per Game         | Yards Per Game             | League Rank

2005               26.8                           391.2                               29th

2006               25.8                           344.2                               32nd

These numbers led to him getting fired but since the NFL is a good ole boys club he was hired as a Linebackers coach the very next year with the Arizona Cardinals in 2007.  Arizona was not the contending team it is today but they were a young team with emerging talent that they collected from drafting high due to losing.  The losing eventually gave Davis his chance again as a defensive coordinator with Arizona Cardinals. Here's his numbers with Arizona:

Year      |  Points Per Game      |  Yards Per Game            | League Rank

2009                20.3                        346.4                               14th

2010                27.1                        373.6                               30th

What about these numbers excite you about Bill Davis?  Three of the four years he was a defensive coordinator his teams finished 29th or lower in the league and one year his defense finished dead last! Lets now take a look at his Eagle numbers as a defensive coordinator:

Year    |  Points Per Game   | Yards Per Game                | League Rank

2013                                                                                         29th

2014                  25.0                     375.6                                28th

I didn't add the 2013 year's numbers because according to Davis it was an install year and everyone was still learning the defense but do you see a trend?  Of course you see the trend and it's all of these defenses rank 28th or lower in the league (except for the one outlier in 2009) . IT'S 32 TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE! The passing defense ranked 31st in the league last year and that is salt in the wound at this point but it magnifies my point.  THIS MUST CHANGE if this team is going to contend and ultimately this will be on Chip Kelly because the information is out there about how to attack and defeat Bill Davis and his defense.

Chip Kelly the failure of this defense will be on you not Bill Davis because you chose this.

Eagles Look To Rebound vs A Dangerous Dallas Team

Chip Kelly in his Tuesday and Wednesday pressers stressed penalties and technique as two areas that need to be cleaned up as they approach their game against the Cowboys. Kelly appeared calm as the Philly beat writers asked question after question about the team's preparation, fire, and readiness and he stood in as the questions came about his approach on the field goal attempt that Cody Parkey missed. Kelly backed his Pro Bowl placekicker and said the team must move on to the Dallas game. Oooooh yes it's Dallas week and a rival game, a division game, and the possibility of going 0-2 should be enough to get this team ready!

 

Speaking of readiness, everyone saw the lack of passrush and Marcus Smith is needed as a passrusher. Is he ready to rush the passer and help this team? Everyone is waiting to see because Vinny Curry is needed back on Dline duties.

 

Brian Baldinger, Herman Edwards, and Ron Jaworski all weighed in on Sports Talk radio and gave their insight and by their accounts the Dallas game is a must win and will go a long way in this season.

Eagles Lose To The Falcons 26 - 24....Over Reaction Tuesday

The Philadelphia Eagles game against the Atlanta Falcons was a great game for fans of the NFL as Chip Kelly's blitz style on offense and loose covering defense makes for an exciting brand of football, almost has an Arena League feel to it at times.  I have some observations of the game from the Eagles point of view with some interesting facts.  The Eagles are 1-4 in their last five regular season games and I see a blue print that defenses are using with Kelly's offense.  They are attacking the offensive line in the middle and this is where it seems to be weak. Jason Kelce, a fan favorite in Philly, made two bonehead mistakes by unnecessarily blocking men that had no chance of making the play and it negated two huge plays that could have shifted the game.  When he wasn't doing that he was getting run over in the run game and it's an identified weakness now. Andrew Gardener didn't do too well either as the Eagles decided to pass the ball 52 times and run it 16 times. There's some work to do on offense and defense as x plays (plays of 20 yds. or more) hurt the team and one 3rd down and 15 was especially painful as the team was clawing back into the game.  Julio Jones had his way with Byron Maxwell and lit the lamp for 9 catches, 141 yds. and 2 Tds.  It was an evening very similar to what was routinely seen last year.  Here's some other observations about the game again from the Eagles perspective

Chip Kelly Has To Decide what this team's identity is. If you bring Murray and Mathews here then use them in the run game which zaps the defensive lineman and  it gives Sam Bradford a chance to lather up and the receivers too. He looked like a rookie coach in the 1st half and he left his team looking confused on offense and defense.  Every play someone looked lost and that my friends is coaching.

The team will get better but now I'm looking at Kelly's calls and Bill Davis' defense with my magnifying glass because again they are 1-4 in it's last 5 games.

Ok, that's what's called Over reaction Tuesday after a Monday night loss.

DSPN Fantasy Football Primer Week 1

I have been playing Fantasy Football since '96 so I figured I can talk a little about Fantasy football because Ive been doing it for 18 years. Ok enough about me lets get to week 1. Here's two players who I think will surprise this week and this season and I have them stashed on all my teams:

Wr Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

His route running and playmaking ability just mesh with Russell Wilson and Russell will look for him as he consistently makes plays for him during the season.

Rb Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins

He is excelling Bill Lazor's offense, which uses elements of Chip Kelly's offense, and looks like he will only get better. I have him as my #2 Rb and will ride or die with him.

Other players Im high on this year are Qb Sam Bradford,  and Wrs DeSean Jackson and Brandin Cooks.  I just so happen to be high on these guys in week 1 too as all have considerable upside and are great plays. Bradford will explode IMO against a weak Atlanta D, Jackson has played well with Cousins and is the number #1 long ball threat in pro football and averaged 20.6 ypc last year with a revolving door at quarterback. Cooks has Jackson like ability and Drew Brees as a quarterback and in a half season looked especially explosive. I look for him to continue what he started with Brees last season.

Those are my guys for week 1 in Fantasy, I will be back next Thursday for my plays in week 2.

On Your Mark, Chip Set, Eagles Go

The season starts with the Philadelphia Eagles at the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night. The powers that be have decided to see what Chip's makeover is all about and put the Eagles on national Tv so everyone can see what that makeover looks like! Everyone is excited in Philly and high expectations have taken over the city with some touting dare I say it....SUPER BOWL WINNING expectations. Im expecting to see improvement but will take a wait and see approach starting with this Atlanta game. Lets take a look at the Atlanta game.

 

Here's some keys that I think will say alot about the season starting with this game.

 

• Sam Bradford's movement - I expect the Falcons to come after Sam as Dan Quinn, Atlanta's new coach, has an aggressive defensive philosophy. If Sam shows any mobility it dispels this myth that he lacks mobility and is a statue.

 

• Bill Davis' defense - This defense gave up 90 plays of 20 yards or more and at times in the secondary it looked like an episode of the Keystone cops and Davis took a lot of heat for it from the fans. The Eagles come into this game with wholesale changes in the secondary where only one starter returns from last year. They will be tested by the Falcons who have a good quarterback in Matt Ryan and a superstar receiver in Julio Jones.

 

• Complimentary football - Everyone will be looking at how Chip Kelly calls a football game with a lead in the second half if in fact, of course, they are leading in this game. The team looked tired at the end of last season and many blamed the pace of Kelly's offense and the defense wearing out.

 

Those are some things to look at as the Eagles and Falcons face off on Monday night. Here's my prediction.

 

Eagles 50 - 21!

Storylines Aplenty For The Eagles As They Face Off With The Ravens Saturday Night



Marcus Smith, last years disappointing 1st round draft pick, has suddenly been thrust in the spotlight due to him tweaking his hamstring in yesterday's joint practice. In fact yesterday he was trending on Twitter which I'm sure was news to him because of how little he has contributed to the Philadelphia Eagles' football team.  Nevertheless it does put the team in a spot because the depth at outside linebacker is extremely thin due to Travis Long's ACL tear earlier in camp. Vinny Curry is going to play in Smith's spot, although he's used to rushing the passer exclusively and the position is new to him.  The good news is it will only keep Smith out of 3 preseason games and he should be back for the start of the regular season.

Sam Bradford is slated to start but according to him "you never know what coach is going to do" but he's hopeful as the second preseason game approaches.  His health is of major concern to everyone as the season honestly hinges on his ability to stay healthy and it's why Head Coach Chip Kelly is thinking long and hard about whether getting Bradford some reps in a meaningless game matters. Most people and that includes me believe that he should at the very minimum get a quarter's worth of action to get over the jitters of playing in a live contest after a two year layoff.

DeMarco Murray has been coasting ,honestly,  in camp and Kelly is managing his reps with a keen eye especially after coming off a 400+ touches season last year with the Dallas Cowboys.  The media in Philly thinks DeMarco is hurt and Kelly isn't spilling the beans but as told to MMQB's Peter King, Kelly is very aware of the downward slope of backs after handling the ball 400+ times the season before and said "it matters how he was managed coming into the next season". 

These are the storylines coming into preseason game number 2 for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Eagles vs Colts PreSeason Game Observations

I know it's very early and it was the first Preseason Game but I'm take this opportunity to knock off the rust and start writing again.  Here's what I saw after watching the game a total of three times and noted some things.

1. Marcus Smith Is A Project - He needs a coach to keep their foot in his ass and to emphasize when you go out there you need to play like every play is a resume builder! Encouraging signs still looking for violence (in my Coach Azz voice)

2. Jalen Watkins May Be Chopped - He cant tackle and he looks queasy as a outside corner. Nickel job is going to Biggers if he continues to play well.

3. Najee Goode Looked Bad - I Liked Goode till I saw him Sunday, he didn't shoot through the gaps when he had to and waited for contact from a lineman instead of going for the ball carrier. He battling for a spot, better play better next game.

4. Taylor Hart Didn't Impress - He didn't get off blocks or stun his blocker and I always saw him going sideways or backwards, he has to improve to get in the rotation.

5. Bryan Braman May Be The Third OLB - I was impressed with his violence and will to be a game-changer. Need more angry players on Defense which was lacking last year.

6. John Moffitt Will Win RG Battle - He needs to knock the rust off after his 2 yr. layoff and will not start until game 3. Tobin and Gardener are backup types who offer depth, Moffitt was a starting player and looks like he fits he just needs to get back and comfortable.

7. Nelson Agholor And Miles Austin Will Play More Than Riley Cooper and Josh Huff - Huff needs to get the ball more in the pre-season and show something  or they will go with Austin who's at the very least reliable and I'm a Huff fan.

8. See you Earl Wolff, Get Comfortable Ed Reynolds - Wolff is injury prone and you cant make the club on the sidelines. Ed is ball hawking like he did at Stanford but what happens when the safety is asked to cover which we ask them to do in this Davis defense.

9. Raheem Mosert Is A Practice Squad Stash - I like what I saw with him, he's in a battle with Kenjon Barner but will lose because Barner offers a little more in Special teams.

10. Sam Bradford Watch - I'm waiting to see how he performs with these open receivers that Chip Kelly's offense seems to always produce.  Mark Sanchez is a backup period and we saw that. Matt Barkley played well but against 2nd and 3rd teams. Tim Tebow is a gadget dude and stays as a third stringer. Wonder how many games he's active though.

 

NFL Team Sites Review - Denver Broncos

Photo courtesy of Flickr

 

I must admit right up front that I'm a football junkie who cruises NFL team websites top to bottom to get as much information about them as I can to win all my sports bar arguments.  I also learn their blog site information to get a pulse from not just their websites but the people in their area who are a little more objective about the team even as fans of that team. The 49ers started out the cruise and now we travel to Denver to look at the mighty Broncos who are really popular in the west and because of their Super Bowls they have a national following.  We'll start the off the Broncos cruise by going to their NFL Home site to see how their represented.

The Broncos NFL Home site is a mess and doesn't load entirely when you enter.  That as a first impression is terrible because you're left to wonder what is trying to load instead of enjoying what else the page has to offer. They have some videos, some galleries, and the ticket center which is smack dab in the middle centered in the page.  It looks like a rookie setup and I'
m amazed this organization is represented like this.

Denver NFL Home page scores a 60 on a rating scale of 100 ------------------->NFL.com Denver Page

The SB Nation Page Mile High Report is pretty well done with loads of multimedia content. SB Nation does a real good job of mixing reporter content with fan posts and fan shots which gives a voice to the fan who of course pays all the bills.

Denver Mile High Report blog scores a 90 on a rating scale of 100 ------------------>Mile High Report

Fansided offers the Predominantly Orange blog as a voice of the fan with editorials, team news, rumors, and opinion. The Fansided Network, which is a subsidiary of Sports Illustrated, does a really good job of putting links together to form a view of a team from various sources in addition to the aforementioned editorials, news, and opinions. 

The Predominantly Orange blog scores a 90 on a rating scale of 100 ------------Predominantly Orange

We'll close out this review and cruise with the juggernaut media leader ESPN who offers a team page through their NFL Nation link.  Jeff Legwold is the Broncos' reporter who covers the team and he does a pretty good job of reporting what's happening with the team.  ESPN has done a great job of hiring a beat reporter that has already established a base and supporting them with their resources.

Denver ESPN NFL Nation scores a 93 on a rating scale of 100-----------------------Denver NFL Nation

HBO Ballers Review

Photo courtesy of Flickr

 

The anticipated HBO pilot Ballers aired Sunday night starring Dwayne Johnson used the glitz and glamour of  Miami and of course, the cache of the NFL.  The concept is the life NFL Ballers lead off the field and how hectic it is with balancing financials and lifestyles with athletics. The opening scene jumps you in with a star athlete speeding in his Bentley with his love crazed "girlfriend" who tells him she loves him so much she would kill herself and shortly afterward kills the both of them when she loses her mind over his infidelity right there in the car and starts to fight him making him crash at high speed. The next scene is the funeral and the news from the grieving wife that the star athlete left his family unsecured and penniless. This is where Dwayne Johnson's character, who is a newly retired former NFL player but connected, comes in and gets the brainchild through some prodding to "broker" and handle his connected baller friend's financials.

 

Spencer is that dude who's there for his ballers and we see already that John David Washington, who's the hothead baller, needs him to work his magic and get him out of a mess and back into the NFL on a team.  The plot lines are already formed as Spencer is "kinged" using his connections and it makes him a trusted information man and connector and from the looks of his circle they will need him to look out for them. 

 

It's a good start for the show and I'm looking forward to watching if HBO picks up the season.  I'd give it two thumbs up!

NFL Team Sites Review - San Francisco 49ers

Photo courtesy of Flickr

I must admit right up front that I'm a football junkie who cruises NFL team websites top to bottom to get as much information about them as I can to win all my sports bar arguments.  I also learn their blog site information to get a pulse from not just their websites but the people in their area who are a little more objective about the team even as fans of that team.  We'll start off this 32 team review and cruise with the 49ers and as you enter the team site on NFL.COM the first thing you notice is the mixing of noir and red on the photos which brings out that 49er red really nice. The site has a good mix of video and photos which are fan favorites and will curb some of the fanatics appetites until Training Camp starts back up.  The site also has a great mix of headlines, articles, and galleries to click into which makes this almost more than a team site and makes it into a 49ers content meeting space.  The producers of this site are doing a fantastic job and I leave out of the site impressed every time I visit.

49ers nfl.com site grades out as 95 on a 100 scale --------------------------------> 49ERS NFL Team site

The next stop on the 49er review is SB Nation and I was introduced to these blogs two years ago and I have been going back ever since. The 49ers site on SB Nation is called Niners Nation and they do a pretty good job of keeping fans up to date with stories, videos, and fanposts surrounding the 49ers that give it a unique flavor.

Niners Nation blog site grades out as 90 on a 100 scale ------------------------------------> Niners Nation

Bleacher Report is a good follow as well as they have 23,084 following them on Facebook which indicates a few things to me and it's they have work to do and how competitive it is to get views because the 49ers are a national team with 5 Super Bowls in their cabinet.  They have a lot of content on their page but it's not well organized and it's a lot of white space on the page. This is not a knock on the writers and contributors as they have plenty of updated features and content but the site looks disorganized when compared to their competitors.

Bleacher Report media site grades out as a 80 on a 100 scale --------------> 49ers Bleacher Report Site

Fansided, which is a Sports Illustrated subsidiary, keeps 49ers fans updated with their Niner Noise page which is a mix of editorials, news, and web links to information about the 49ers.  It's a well put together page with great information about the team.

FanSided media site grades out as a 90 on a 100 scale ----------------------------------------->Niner Noise

We'll close out this review and cruise with the juggernaut media leader ESPN who offers a team page through their NFL Nation link.  Paul Gutierrez is the 49er reporter who covers the team and through the sheer size of their network and the resources they just cover the team from top to bottom and add content through writing and reporting that dominates the others on this page.

ESPN NFL Nation 49er team site grades out as a 96 on a 100 scale ------------> 49er NFL Nation Site

Mini Camp Is Over, Training Camp Awaits

Players, prospects, coaches and scouts have all just finished mini camp which honestly is the start of the new football year for 2015. The scouts and coaches worked hard adding prospects to the roster and mini camp was the time to add them in with the players and see how they process instructions and perform. What amazed me was the business of football during this time with writers clamoring for stories and Philly's media is renowned for chomping for stories. Here's some of the storylines we've seen so far at the start of the 2015:

• Can Sam Bradford stay healthy and flourish in Chip Kelly's offense.
• Is this year's version of the Eagles a rebuild (5 new starters of offense, 5 new starters on defense) or a reload?
• Can Nelson Agholor and Eric Rowe contribute as 2015 high round draft picks?
• Will Marcus Smith erase last year's unremarkable year as the team's 1st round draft pick?
• Is Chip Kelly a genius or a clown? 

The last question is really why everyone is captivated by Kelly as they are intrigued with his unique methods of football management. It's the only way you can explain the 101 reporters showing up for Kelly's opening Organized Training Activities press conference. The national media can't get enough of Kelly and while he appears disinterested, something tells me his ego loves it. As an Eagle fan I'm kind of in the middle because I appreciate that the team is getting coverage but honestly I just want to win and if Kelly wants to flip the roster and he's confident that the team can jell then I'm onboard. Time will tell but training camp is next up and I want to see how this rebuild or reload comes together!

What storylines do you expect or are hopeful of coming out of training camp?

Physical, Tough, Blue Collar Football

I saw this coaching clinic excerpt from Chip Kelly, provided here by Matt Lombardo, where he talked about his running back getting into the line and getting yards because we play blue collar football and we dont want the back tinkle footing it to try for a homerun. I like that approach for Philadelphia which is as blue collar as it gets. I must admit that at first I was "shook" with all the changes as Kelly literally replaced proven players like DeSean, Mike Vick, LeSean, and Maclin and not all the players brought in were proven replacements. The players he brought in all had common traits though and that's they are hard nosed physical players. Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff, Ryan Mathews, and the hardest of them all DeMarco Murray all play a physical brand of football and that's a style of football that's radically different from past years in Philadelphia. 

 

DeMarco Murray, who I didn't start looking at until Michael Irvin said on 97.5 the Fan that the Eagles were favorites because of DeMarco, is downright physical and nasty as a running back. I watched Dallas' games from the 2014 season and just wanted to view DeMarco (in my head from Chip's viewpoint) and I honestly came away saying Chip is going for a hard nosed team starting in the run game.  I wont call out players but I can see where Chip said I have to deconstruct this thing if we're going to really compete for a Super Bowl while I'm here because we're not going to compete with the top teams with this finesse brand of players that Andy Reid built in his time here.

Andy Reid, who liked to outsmart you with a 1000 page playbook, built a small fast team that was a reflection of his philosophy and those teams could not compete with the physical teams in the tournament. There was still a faction of those types of players still on the team and the result was the same. The old saying is "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" and that's what the Front office was doing. It was the lets "hope" we get hot in the tournament and let's see what happens, problem is what's happened for this team is it cant get off the field defensively or get that clutch play offensively when everything is on the line. Are we insane or is it time for a new way?

We are bound to find out in 2015 and Im not insane!

Evan Mathis Is Out As An Eagle

Chipoleon, as some have dubbed Chip Kelly, has decided to waive Evan Mathis thus ending the standoff about Mathis and his contract demands. Mathis was scheduled to make 5.5 million dollars this season and had three years remaining on his contract but was unhappy about being underpaid. Chip Kelly to his credit had acquiesced to Mathis and his agent and allowed them to shop for a trade but nothing materialized from those efforts. Mathis did not attend any of the offseason workouts or organized team activities (OTAs) and had been largely absent since the end of the 2014 season as him and his agent continued to shop for a deal. Chipoleon had made it clear how he felt about Mathis non-attendance in OTA press conferences and one got the feeling it was a matter of time. That time came as the team decided to move on from their 2 Time Pro-Bowler after they completed their last OTA practice and waived him so he could seek the contract he wants. How does this affect the team?

 

The team has to replace two starters on the offensive line with Mathis and also Todd Herremans who is no longer on the team after being waived earlier this offseason. Allen Barbe and Matt Tobin are the two players in line but there is a bit of inexperience with these players with only 11 starts between them going into this season.  The team is younger with Allen Barbe and Matt Tobin as Mathis and Herremans were 33 and 32, respectively.

 

I could fill in this whole paragraph with superlatives about Mathis and say things like this is a risk for the Eagles but I want to run with the Chipoleon theme.  Mathis missed the offseason team workouts and the OTAs and hasn't been seen or heard from since the end of the 2014 season.  Out of sight, out of mind is what all professionals are subject to any job and Chipoleon has made it clear you earn your job and compete every chance you get or you're gone.  Mathis tested Chipoleon and he's now on the street.

Chip Kelly Draft Philosophy - Scheme, Fit, and Talent In That Order

Chip Kelly has shown us his draft philosophy through his movements of the last three years.  Chip Kelly and his personnel men starting with Ed Marynowitz employ a draft philosophy of position specifics for each position on the field.  Position specifics aren't new to the NFL as Bill Parcells and Nick Saban employ very similar position specifics for their teams and it's why they always fielded big teams. Chip goes a little further though and is interested in what kind of person he's going to bring into his locker room. The NFL allows 30 draft visits to your facility to "interview" draft prospects and per Beau Allen, Kelly is very interested in your off-field pursuits. College graduates as you've read (you do read the links I hope) are most likely to be successful in their chosen profession and why should it be different in football.  The interview at the Eagles' facility gives the Eagles coaches a viewpoint into what kind of person the prospect is and how hard the prospect will work if they are selected to be a member of the Eagles. Kelly mentioned that Nelson Agholor, who was drafted in the first round of 2015, had a growth mindset and not a fixed mindset and it's exactly the type of players he wants on the Eagles. 

Kelly as we've seen is all about bringing the right people on his team and I've discussed position specifics, college graduates, and growth mindsets but there is one last topic that brings the philosophy home is he involves the whole team of scouts and coaches in the pursuit of adding prospects to the team. This philosophy is not new as Pittsburgh has employed this system with Bill Cowher, Kevin Colbert and the Rooney's. It's a winning philosophy as the prospect when drafted will have by that time met the scouts, Czar (Kelly), position coaches, and executives. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this dive into Chip Kelly and his draft philosophy, hopefully there is more of an understanding of the process and less blind faith.

"Educated fans are the best fans and destroy blind faith fans!"

Eagles Have Completely Overhauled Under Chip Kelly

Jeff Lurie wanted a coach who was a program builder and innovator who would not only give him a chance to win the Super Bowl but would help keep the team at the top of the league in cache. Chip Kelly has done that and more if we are to review his popularity and the national prime time games that feature the Philadelphia Eagles. So what is Chip Kelly doing in reconstructing the Philadelphia Eagles?

 

The first thing that everyone noticed when Chip Kelly was hired was the creation of a Sports Science Coordinator and this indicated that conditioning and training was going to be different and we have found out that it's certainly different and intriguing. The second thing is the out of box mindset Kelly brings to training and developing his team. Kelly is innovative and has motivated the old-timers in the league to try new approaches like getting mental reps using Axon Sports technology. This approach is exactly what Jeff Lurie wanted when he lured Kelly to Philly and is also why he gave Kelly Czar status of the Football Operations. The third thing was Lurie crowning Kelly the Czar of Football Operations which gives him complete control to add and subtract players from the team which makes sense since he has the blueprint. The blueprint, by the way, after 3 years is becoming clearer with Kelly's complete overhaul of the team which was small and fast on offense and defense in Andy Reid's final years and now is becoming a power football team. 

 

The next step for Kelly is getting the correct Quarterback to run his offense and he has gambled that Sam Bradford is that guy as he traded Nick Foles and a second round draft pick for him.  It's a risk that shocked the football world because it was bold and a gamble on greatness but if it works it can be on par with New Orleans' move for Drew Brees who has won a Super Bowl for the Saints.  Everyone is watching and waiting to see how this turns out and in the NFL he's become must see TV as his every move is analyzed and dissected. 

 

 

 

Statistical Analysis Coordinators

Statistical Analysis Coordinators....yeah that's a new term that I just ran across but after looking at it and then laughing a little what teams have them titled as are Defensive and Offensive Quality Control coaches. This job is starting to get some shine as future coaches have used this position to spring board their careers and some of them are now famous. 

The actual origin of Stat Analysis Coordinators is traced back to Tom Landry who along with Gil Brandt of the Dallas Cowboys were the first organization to use analysis in the fashion they did for game analysis and the draft.  Mike Holmgren was the first to actually assign a person to a Quality Control coaching position and in the link above we saw that it was John Gruden, who went on to fame as a Super Bowl winning coach and now is the game analyst of Monday Night Football on ESPN.

The position is really akin to an apprenticeship for coaching at the NFL level as most of these coaches are hired after performing as graduate assistants at college and have been recognized as talented young "football guys". It's an intern position and we all know what happens in that position, you do all the work and get none of the credit. It's not as bad as it sounds though because if you're a football guy you know you have a chance to break in if you bust your tail.  Busting tail is exactly what they do with studying game film to uncover tendencies, scout players, and help coaches develop game plans for Sundays.  An example of this was on display last year in the Green Bay vs. Seattle NFC Championship game when Seattle went for the fake field goal.  The coach (I'll bet 1000 dollars it was a Quality Control coach) discovered that the end rusher on field goal tries always cut inside to try to block the field goal. Seattle waited for an opportunity to present itself and sure enough, it came so Quality control coaches can make a difference.

I do like the name of Statistical Analysis Coordinator as it gives it more depth although I wonder if a coach would want to remain in this position full time especially considering the hours put in breaking down film.

Eagles Begin Organized Team Activities On Tuesday May 26

The Philadelphia Eagles begin their Phase 3 Organized Team Activities (OTA) tomorrow and this portion of training is different as the coaches now can be on the field with the players as they go through non contact drills. I must emphasize that during Phase 3 there is no contact (hitting) allowed during the live drills. So what happens since there is no hitting allowed?

Teams conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or "OTAs" over the course of 4 weeks during Phase 3. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permissible.

 

This is basically a combination of a passing camp and drills but no 1 on 1 drills are permitted between the OL and DL or WRs and DBS so the emphasis during this period are drills you've seen at the NFL combine and formation walkthroughs. The coaches are allowed on the field in Phase 3 and a lot of teaching takes place since Phase 1 and 2 mostly focus on conditioning. The rookies are expected to know the playbook by this time and this is where Kelly and the coaches get to see the team's athleticism and fitness. They film all of the activities and each "room" goes back to review the day's activities and discuss future expectations. The Eagles typically open up 3-4 OTAs to the media and we'll get "their" observations.  I wouldn't take their observations to be gospel because we don't know what's being discussed in the rooms or by the coaching staff.

 

We are getting closer and closer to football Birdgang!

 

NOTE: Room in football parlance means each position coach has a room in the Novacare facility where they review film and go over improvements and areas that need improvement with their position groups players.

Tebow Has A Role For The Eagles

Tim Tebow has a role with the Philadelphia Eagles since the league passed the new Point after Touchdown (PAT) rules. The new rules which take effect this season now set the line of scrimmage at the 15yd line for extra point (1pt) kicks but keep the ball on the 2yd line for 2pt tries. The defense also can return fumbles and interceptions for 2 pts on these plays which add excitement to the game and take out the auto feel of the extra point plays. Where does Tebow come in on these plays? I think he's a tremendous asset in this area of the game.

Tebow for all his detractors (I am not a super fan but I respect his college accomplishments) is a 6-3 240 QB thumper who was utilized as that in college. Chip Kelly for all the people who say he's crazy, he doesnt know what he's doing sure saw this coming and made the move to get him. He made the proposal for 2 pt tries from the 1yd line and that wasnt voted in but the fact is he saw this coming and positioned for it. I'm liking Kelly more and more for his vision and great leaders must have that characteristic.

Are you ready for Tebow Time?!

Eagles Really Wanted Agholor

Gil Brandt, legendary draft expert, tweeted out that the Eagles turned down a swap with Denver of 1st round picks that would have added picks to their stable. They stayed the course though and drafted WR Nelson Agholor, who not only fills a need he also passed with flying colors the Chip Kelly culture requirement. This is a break from the past as Howie Roseman, GM and draft lead man of the past, was a wheeler and dealer of sorts and most likely would have taken that offer.

I would not have made that move either as Denver was at least seven spots below the Eagles and at that spot the pool for impact players would have lessened tremendously. It shows a change of philosophy in the Front Office that shows "targeting" not "collecting" players. 

This is the Chip Kelly and Ed Marynowitz show now and this is the truest indication along with drafting only 6 players.

Can Sports Science Catapult The Philadelphia Eagles To The Top?!

Chip Kelly is at the forefront of the movement of bringing Sports Science to the NFL and he has brought one of the leading players in Sports Science to the Eagles and his name is James Hanisch.  James Hanisch bio is very impressive and he has risen from Sports Performance Analyst in 2006 in Australia for Australia Rules Football to Sports Science Coordinator for Oregon's Football Program in 2012.  You can guess who brought him in and, of course, it was Chip Kelly and Kelly recently has been able to woo him to the Philadelphia Eagles where he is listed in the front office as a High Performance Analyst.  Let's stop and think about this for a minute, Hanisch has 9 years of experience in this discipline and is one the earliest adopters of Sports Science.  In man's man language he is the man in this industry and along with Shaun Huls, who serves as the Director of Sports Science and Reconditioning, serve as the leaders of Sports Science and Performance Department.  All of this talk about Sports Science leaves you wondering just what the heck do these guys do, right?  Ok I'm give it a few sentences and I hope I do it justice though I don't think I can.  Let's go though!

Sports Science is the discipline of tracking players risk, readiness, and return to play data using a monitoring system developed by Catapult Sports.  Catapult on their website says "You know exactly how hard your guys work in the weight room, but how do you know how hard they worked on the field? How do you measure performance? Develop normative data for each position on your team - a valuable tool to objectively measure a new recruit."  This means wearing body sensors and buying in to Sports Science as Hanisch mentions in a Grantland article in 2013.  The athletes have to believe that this helps them perform better as a professional athlete and wear the sensors even sleep monitors which is a data point that Kelly wants to track as well.  It's this sophistication and dedication to Sports Science that allows an executive like Kelly to take chances on athletes like Sam Bradford, Kiko Alonzo, DeMarco Murray, DeMeco Ryans, and Ryan Mathews and in the past Jeremy Maclin.  These athletes all are high risk injury players but they all have major NFL talent that if healthy can catapult (pun intended) the Eagles to the top.  It's a risk that was well thought out as Chip recently said "the only way we get a Sam Bradford is because of his injury history" but as I tried to lay out, he really believes in his investment in Sports Science and is banking that this department gets these players  through reconditioning to perform at their max capacity.

Buy in is very important as stated earlier and it's probably along with some other factors the reason why DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy aren't members of the Eagles now.  We are all waiting to see if this faith in Sports Science will pay off and lead the team to the top.

It's definitely a gamble but I'm all in on the gamble, are you?

Talent, Character, and Intangibles - NFL Draft

Thursday will be the culmination of a dream for 500 players as 250 will be drafted and 250 will be added to teams as Priority Free Agents (PFA). Getting drafted or signed as a PFA by a NFL Franchise is no gurantee though but what it does is make you a prospect and talent, character, and intangibles are what's going to bind them to their organization and teammates. Those 3 things are going to carry them up the ladder or down on the bench as making a professional team is as much mental as it is physical. What does a typical prospect encounter as they try to integrate into their new organization?

Integrating into an organization can be an overwhelming experience or an expected foray into what that prospect always expected. The first level of the experience are the media requirements like interviews and appearances. That's the first judgement, presence and communication. The second level comes during the organized training activities when athletic and physical gifts are judged by the teammates. The third level is the organization's expectation of the prospect and how they fit into the team. Imagine a team cutting a respected veteran to make way for the prospect. That's a tell in poker parlance and everyone picks up on it including the prospect.

Talent, Character, and Intangibles again are what the organization, team, and fans will be looking at as these prospects try to live out their life long dream. Heavy stuff right?!

 

 

 

  

Eagles Schedule Release Party

I watched the schedule show like the darn superfan that I am and came away looking at the schedule and said "We have a shot to blow up the league!" How you're asking? This is how:

 

1. Win the 1st 4 games which are winnable even with 3 of them being on the road.

2. Dominate at home which all championship caliber teams do.

3. Win both games vs the Redskins and Giants.

 

This formula right here equals a 12-4 record and, of course, we need good quarterback play to go with the running game which everyone is expecting to be stout. I do have two concerns and its about our wide receivers and cornerbacks. We need someone other than Matthews to show up as a pass catcher and we need the corner opposite Maxwell to defend at least adequately his side of the field. If the Eagles answer my concerns we can win 12 games and blow it up! What do you think?!

Tim Tebow Signs With The Philadephia Eagles

Big news came via Jay Glazer who scooped that Tim Tebow would be signing a contract and participating in the Philadelphia Eagles offseason workouts starting April 20th. That is big news everyone, a big ticket item in a news cycle that is about to spin out of control with the Draft starting in 10 days! Is Chip Kelly the most arrogant pompous coach in the League (without a playoff win) or is too much being made over a potential 3rd string Qb? Lets break it down and see!

 

Tim Tebow deserves another chance and lets be clear its just an opportunity that Chip Kelly is extending to one of college's winningest quarterbacks. The hope is that the organization will handle the hoopla a whole lot better than the New York Jets did and set the tone for normalcy for the team. The signing also allows them to either trade or release Matt Barkley who has not faired well since being drafted two years ago. The signing, however, does has its detractors who are saying this type of move signals a lack of a quarterback on the team especially coming on the heals of trading quarterback Nick Foles for a talented but perenially hurt quarterback Sam Bradford. I don't honestly know what to think but I'm patient and willing to let things play themselves out.

 

Chip Kelly is ballsy enough to make this move and throw conventional wisdom by the wayside which can be construed as arrogant or brilliant. People are taking sides and it makes the Philadelphia Eagles must see TV as people either want to see Kelly succeed or fail. I fall on the succeed side as I'm that diehard who's open to anything that pushes us towards winning the Super Bowl. What do you think and what side do you fall on?!

Two Weeks Out From The Draft

The draft is getting close and the books and pdfs have become perfect reading material for your home "library". The Path to the Drafts, Draft Academies, and Game Changers have been watched 2x on the DVR and now you're ready since you know all the prospects and have a good feel for all the prospects at all the positions. The draft season has quite a cast of professionals who live for this season and as I've become aware this is a profitable season for them. Football as I've written has 4 Seasons: Draft Season, Training Season, Regular Season, and Post Season. These 4 distinct seasons have made football a 12 month sport with fans of each season and some who love all of em. What's a fan like me to do with this passion because I'm that 4 season fan?

Eagles 7 Round Mock

I enjoy the draftnik games that superfans like us play especially in the mock believe world that every superfan lives in. We all know what we need to fix the team and fight strongly for our mock picks. Check out my latest mock and Im be the first to say this is my make believe world and I think if it falls like this I believe a Super Bowl is but 2 years away. I could give you a breakdown on each pick but I wont because if youre reading this you know the 1st three picks make the draft! Did I say the 1st three picks make the team better immediately?!

Enjoy this mock like I did and stay tuned for one more next week.

Playoffs Or Bust - Will The Philly Fanbase Let Kelly Work?

Chip Kelly has won twenty games in two seasons and has by all accounts brought a fresh perspective to Philly and the NFL but is that enough for a rabid fan base who are desperate for a Super Bowl.  There doesn't seem to be a middle ground for the expectations of the fan base who watch every move like they are sips of air from a dying breathing apparatus. Is Kelly a victim of his early success? We're going to take a look at Kelly and his early success and how it may have hurt him in the long run.

 

In season one there was a point when the Eagles were 3-5 and looked like the team that was coming off a 4-12 season and in need of rebuilding. Somehow and in amazing fashion they won seven of the last eight games with the biggest win coming in Dallas to clinch a playoff berth. Sounds like a fairy tale right? It turned out to be just that though as New Orleans beat them at home in the playoffs. What's wrong with this picture you're probably wondering? The talent level of the team was that of a 4-12 team and it still needed more young talent coming in the form of high draft picks. In one season the team went from 4-12 to 10-6 which means a significant drop to the bottom of the draft board in each round. This doesn't seem to be a big deal you say, you draft talent wherever you draft at says a champion. Lets see what happened in season two.

 

Season two started out rather unchampion like because Kelly shocked the world by releasing without comment one of their major players, DeSean Jackson. It was a move that shocked the entire NFL community and added a new need to the team that was already drafting at the backend of round one.  This move foreshadowed a theme for Kelly that essentially said "this is my team". Kelly and GM Roseman next turned their attention to the draft and to be honest they both struck out in their second collaboration with adding talent to the team through the draft. A solid contribution only came from two of the team's eight picks with first round pick Marcus Smith offering a very tiny contribution on special teams. Kelly to his credit coached a banged up team to a 10-6 record but they sputtered down the stretch losing three of their last four games which eliminated them from the playoffs. What's next and will the fans be patient?

 

Remember Kelly essentially saying "this is my team" from earlier, well in year three he has turned the table over trading Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy and choosing not to resign Jeremy Maclin. Sam Bradford is now the Qb and DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Jordan Matthews and Miles Austin makeup the offense. This is a huge make over and represents some risk as owner Jeff Lurie stated at the NFL Annual Meeting. The question is will the fanbase stay with Kelly and his rebuild or will they abandon his unorthodox blueprint for building a team. Season three will write itself and it's going to be a tale of the ages or a coach on the brink of getting tossed out of the big leagues.

A Philadephia Story of Stars and Losses - Chip Has Every Right To Purge Stars Off His Team!

LeSean McCoy on the very first day of Buffalo's off-season program has taken to the airwaves to say Chip Kelly doesnt want or likes star players on his team. This statement by McCoy comes on the heel of two consecutive years of Kelly moving on from big-time Eagle performers DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy. I have a different take on why these players are not on the Kelly's Eagles anymore and this may anger some people. Bottom-line these players are not winners and are more interested in the star life. That's my analysis and I support it with the last two years of Andy Reid's reign and the actions of these players after they left the Eagles. Lets first look at the last two years of the Andy Reid.

The 2011 Season was a roller coaster ride that at one point featured a four game losing streak, a two game losing streak and a four game winning streak that brought the team's record to 8-8. It was a very average to poor showing and LeSean was a part of that team as well as the other stars (Mike Vick, DeSean and Jeremy).

The 2012 season which was dubbed the "Dream Team" was a free agency spree that brought in even more stars. One could say it was star studded but it was poorly coached and ill-equipped to even compete. It was a complete wreck of a season that ended with the team losing 8 out the last 9 games. Andy Reid was fired and again the same cast and crew was on the offensive side of the ball. Why did I use the 2011 and 2012 seasons in this piece? My point is the team never lacked for stars and the result was losing and often in consecutive streaks. A lot of the losing can be laid at the feet of Andy Reid and his staff but where were the "stars" at and why didnt they shine?

Disciplined talent wins in the NFL not stars who call themselves stars. The culture must be more important than individual performances and fancy talk of league leading poppycock. Kelly tired of such talk and lack of fortitude on the field as again the team lost three straight critical games and guess who was a part of that dive again. You guessed right.

Champion's PreSeason Fantasy Season Checklist

NFL Fantasy Football is fast becoming a 12 month operation that requires planning, prep, and mock exercises in the offseason just as well! Let's take a look at some of the things a Fantasy GM has to review in the offseason:

 

 

 

 

 

1st - Stay abreast of Team's depth charts before and after Free Agency and the Draft. Most teams wipe their charts before training camp but if you follow at these times you will know who they are counting on to produce for them. I followed OBJ and the daily reporting on the Giants website and knew they were really counting on him so I jumped in week 3 of the season and added him to my roster before his debut in week 4. I knew he was going to be counted on to add excitement for the Giants and I hit big!

2nd - Fantasy GMs have to be fans in season and out. Chip Kelly has "erased" his QB, RB, and WR from the Eagles. You have to follow that story now thru the OTAs to Training Camp. He will tell you who he's counting on offensively from his WRs and how they will be deployed before the season starts.
 

3rd - Follow all the sites for all the information. There are free and pay sites that will help you GM and if want to compete you have at least 5 sites that you can rely on so you can make informed decisions.

Do these three things in the offseason and work like hell during the season doing the same things and you see that win graphic......That could be you with some luck added with your skillful preparation!

NFL Draft Season, Oh You Thought The Football Season Was Over?!

The NFL Silly season as some would call it or evidence that Football is a twelve month league, the NFL Draft season is in full swing! A quick look at my twitter feed favorites would show favorited tweets of Matt Miller, Charles Davis, Daniel Jeremiah, Jimmy Kempski, Tommy Lawlor, Bucky Brooks and Fran Duffy.  These guys are the go to analysts for prospect analysis, prospect visits, and things happening with teams during the NFL Draft Season and please know there are a lot of things happening!  My wife asked me the other day "is the season over because that looks like the football dudes you watch during the season", my reply was it's Draft Season and it's probably just as busy now as it is during the season.  She said you must really love football and I said YES I do and I follow the Silly season just as passionately. I need to know that Dan Quinn is planning to use referees in all of the Atlanta Falcons practices so they can cut down on infractions. I surely must know that Tony Romo re-did his contract in hopes of the Dallas Cowboys trying to trade for Adrian "All Day" Peterson.  I definitely have to know that Chip Kelly is hosting wide receivers in hopes of bringing in top wide receivers to the team to offset the loss of Jeremy Maclin.  YES this is the Silly season but guess who's silly? I will fall on the silly sword but I will bet large sums of money that I'm not alone!  It's ok to step out with me silly season lovers, we must get our own shirts and be proud of it!

 

The silly season will be over starting the weekend of April 30th ending May3rd and then everyone will be redoing all of their silly season work again but with knowledge of the new players on their teams. Something funny happens after silly season though and you can probably guess it's just as passionate as the silly season and that is the Offseason Training activities and Mini Camps.  It surely does appear that the NFL season is 12 months long!!

Miles Austin Reportedly Signs With The Eagles

I texted my brother yesterday and said "We signed a big-time receiver!!!!" He replied "WHO!!!" and I said Miles Austin and he replied back "Man why you playing with me, you're kidding right?" and I said no.  He wasn't happy that I wasn't kidding and said man what is Kelly doing?!  I thought I'd get you started with a funny exchange before we break Miles Austin down and folks it's not a bad signing to me.  Miles Austin in this offense can be productive, let me repeat Miles Austin in this offense can be productive.  Let's look at his profile, 6-2 220 with some speed and tackle breaking ability.  Miles played well with Dallas when he was on the field and if we want to be honest, his bubble screens (I'm come back to this) killed the Eagles because we had Asante Samuel who wanted nothing to do with tackling.  Let's look at 2 Chip Kelly bubble screens to see how Miles would be a threat in this offense, keep in mind we threw Riley Cooper this play and he stunk it up.
 

He can run after the catch and get yards and in this offense Kelly can get him the ball in space (like shown) with that ability.  Corners in today's game hate to see a 220lb wide receiver coming at them with linemen and in front on bubble screens so I can see how the plan and best way to maximize Miles in this offense. I have a gripe with our fan base who like my brother places too much emphasis on name players.  Our previous name players like DeSean, LeSean, and Jeremy haven't won a playoff game and we've had two playoff games at home with these players. It's time to stop falling in love with names and look at the blue-print for winning.  Yes Miles comes with a health concern but everyone that plays football is subject to health so I'm not as concerned as others are.  I want to see this new physical football team that Kelly is building and I want to see Miles deployed correctly because this offense has helped players have career years.

What do you think? Think Miles is washed up and risky or a good veteran who can fill a role on a team that currently has 3 signed receivers?  I'm going with good veteran who can fill a role and be a team player.

Battle of the All 22s

If you're like me when it comes to football, you enjoy the strategy and gamesmanship of football. I believe the reason that football is the number 1 sport in the United States is because it has a "battle" plan aspect similar to a general commanding his troops to get the mission completed.  The All 22 "tapes" that come before and after games are something that I really look forward to because it shows the tremendous strategy, preparation, and action of the NFL game and also who is doing the yeoman work for teams. The Philadelphia Eagles have 3 analysts that really do great work with their All 22 cutups and they are Fran Duffy of Philadelphiaeagles. com, Sheil Kapadia of Birds 24/7 of Phillymag.com and Chipwagon.com who withholds his name.

These analysts do a great job of drawing out the little things that take place of the football field that are keys to winning and losing a football game.  I'm lucky to consume their insights of what makes the team successful and I look forward to watching them breakdown games so I can sound smart. I especially like discussing football in the Sports bar against other fan bases because I can tell them arrogantly how and why my team will win!

Check out their pages and get the details you need to be smart about our team!  Who do you think does the best job by the way?  I like them all but you may prefer one over the other in the "Battle of the All 22's".