September 17, 2015
All offseason, we figured that the Eagles would be at their best this season when they are running the hell out of the ball. That is why they picked up not only DeMarco Murray to replace LeSean McCoy, but also Ryan Mathews. We saw glimpses of what this offense could be in the preseason, like when they were running the ball down Baltimore’s throat in the red zone.
Fast forward to opening night: 52 passes to 16 runs. What in the name of Big Red was that? Chris Brown has a theory:
Philly's guards were bad last night. On Philly's second series if RG Gardner doesn't whiff/fall down might be an 80-yd TD. Instead -12 yards
— Chris B. Brown (@smartfootball) September 15, 2015
This was precisely the major fear heading into the season, right? The two tackles and Jason Kelce (when he’s not getting called for holding in the most impressive fashion possible) are pretty darn good, but the guys in between them are huge question marks. Over at The Chip Wagon, Ryan Sasaki (who is excellent at film breakdowns) has the visual evidence. The big shame if that lot of times, the plays looked as if it was blocked pretty well… except for either Allen Barbre or Andrew Gardner.
Kelly’s playbook isn’t quite as skinny as Herman Boone’s in Remember The Titans, but it’s not very complex. For the Daily News, Derek Sarley writes that simplicity might not be the answer when the talent isn’t there:
The core tenets of Kelly's run game are starting to look a little more limited, at least with the offensive line they actually have and not the one fans wish they had drafted. A little more complexity in blocking assignments might give those struggling guards some better angles every once in a while.
It’s tough when there is only a sample size of one game. This was the reworked offensive line’s first real action, and they could prove to be an above average unit in time. Unfortunately, they have to correct all of their mistakes in a hurry. Dallas is coming to The Linc on Sunday for what will be a critical game.
1. Malcolm Jenkins, stone hands: Jimmy fired up the GIF machine to show how the Eagles’ best safety is really good at anticipating throws and jumping routes… and terrible at catching the ball once he’s in position. I like the comparison to Ed Reed without hands, which as we all know, is not Ed Reed.
2. Shuffling the deck: The Eagles made a bunch of minor roster moves over the last few days, including the return of preseason standout and former Villanova Wildcat Kevin Monangai.
3. A familiar face: DeMarco Murray had a ton of praise for his former team’s offensive personnel. Well, except for their terrible running backs.
4. Chip <3’s Romo: Speaking of praise for the Cowboys, Chip Kelly thinks Tony Romo is pretty good. I completely agree. Romo might be the biggest source of disagreement between my family and I when we watch football, because they think he stinks. Now Eli Manning on the other hand, we’re all on the same page there.
5. Jimmy’s chat: Best question of the week (and maybe the year) is in here: What does S/8 mean?
6. Stick figure reactions: An excellent usage of Maxwell House Coffee, in my completely biased opinion.
PHI-ATL Grades: Pro Football Focus
PFF was not at all impressed by Kiko Alonso’s debut:
ILB Kiko Alonso (-3.6) did produce a highlight-reel play, but that didn’t overshadow his rough return to action. He had some trouble meeting Falcons FB Patrick DiMarco (+1.4) in the hole, and was far from on point with his tackling. It may take awhile for him to get back to his best, though the 49 snaps suggest he’ll be a big part of the Eagles plans this year (RILB DeMeco Ryans, -2.0, managed 28).
Football is back and every team in the NFC East stinks: Dave Mangels, Bleeding Green Nation
Good news, everybody! Here is the section on the Giants:
Gave away a game to Cowboys when Eli Manning suddenly remember how to play football. Had he remembered to do literally anything other than throw the ball away the Giants win despite having no pass rush, no running game, and no receiving threat besides Odell Beckham Jr., who looks like a mop.
Current and former Philadelphia Eagles that Cowboys fans love to hate: Dallas Morning News
My recap of this paragraph: Legitimate point, legitimate point, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The fans: They cheered when Michael Irvin got hurt, threw snowballs at Jimmy Johnson and countless others and just are annoying all around. Cowboys fans hate them and they hate Cowboys fans. That's how it should be. And lest we forget, they booed Santa Claus.
Falcons' William Moore fined $23K: Vaughn McClure, ESPN
Atlanta Falcons starting strong safety William Moore told ESPN.com he was fined "more than $23,000'' for his hit on Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews during the Falcons' 26-24 win Monday night. Moore, who was not flagged on the third-quarter play, plans to appeal the fine.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
