A Way To In Depth Look Into The Eagles Season Thus Far (Bye Week Special)
We are in the middle of an ESPN 30 for 30 and we don’t even know it yet. My phone calls with my father have improved, There are people actually not hating the Eagles on social media, and Carson Wentz might be the lord and savior.
I have some takeaways from the past three weeks.
Carson Wentz is the real fucking deal
Did you honestly expect me to start anywhere else? Everyone kind of thought about what the hell was going to happen when we traded away a boat load of picks for the second pick. Then there were the what ifs when Howie Roseman traded Sam Bradford, pushing ahead the Eagles’ one to two year process to.. about a week. But boy oh boy has that ginger silenced everyone.
I am 20 years old, so as far as I can remember back I have not seen a QB wearing the midnight green sling it like Carson Wentz. For years I have watched football games that involved the Pats, the Broncos, the Packers and watched the likes of Brady, Manning, and Rodgers throw balls that were truly amazing and think “Wow, when will ever get someone like that?” and with his first touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews in week one, that question was answered.
The little things impress me the most about Wentz. It’s what he is doing before the snap- calling audibles, reading defenses, that really wow me. It is the fact that when he may fumble a snap he is able to recover, pick the ball up and make something out of instead of just falling on it or turning the ball over. For God’s sake, the kid hasn’t even thrown an interception yet. point is,this kid can play QB in this league and play it well. We all should all be really excited for the next 10-15 years.
The running back situation
I know, I know, I am just as surprised as you are that Ryan Mathews is injured just three weeks into the season. The good news? The Eagles have 3 running backs that are currently playing better than him on the roster. I love what Doug Pederson has done with Sproles so far in the offense as I think Sproles’ days of running the football are over, but he continues to show every weekend how good of a weapon he truly is in the passing game.
5th round draft pick Wendell Smallwood made his name known this weekend with a really impressive showing along with Kenjon Barner.
For me, I think there is absolutely no reason why Barner and Smallwood cant find themselves with the same amount of carries after the game than Mathews does. We know how good Mathews can be as power runner, but Barner and Smallwood are going to provide fresh legs that are going to be needed off the bench.
PS: Beau Allen at fullback is one of the cutest things I have ever seen.
The Trey Burton breakout year is officially upon us
While Zach Ertz has spent the past two weeks on the sideline with a rib somewhere in his shoulder, Trey Burton has stepped up in a big way. He has only came down with seven balls so far this season but every single one seems to be in big situations. The word for years has been was that when given the chance, Burton was going to make a lot of heads turn in the NFL and he seems to be doing just that this season in Doug’s west coast offense. With Celek years numbered, the Eagles shouldn’t have to worry at all who will replace him once he decides to retire.
Doug Pederson knows how to call an offense
We almsot miss Chip right? first down swing pass, second down draw play, and then a 7 yard curl on 3rd and 11. Doug Pederson has washed any bad taste that may have been left in our mouths from the Chip Kelly era with the way he has called the offense in the past three games. The plays seem fresh every week and the execution has been stellar (a tip of the cap to Wentz as well). Pederson’s ability to mix the pass with the run and his ability to go deep on some drives and slow it down on others are things that can really make an Eagles fan happy.
The greatest thing about Doug is his ability to go for the kill shot. We have seen in the first three weeks that when the Eagles offense get the ball back after a big turnover, Douggy P turns the gun sideways and goes for the kill shot, putting the Eagles ahead and solidifying a victory. That is something that should get everyone a little perky in the pants. You love a coach that understands momentum and a coach that can see the opportunity to put away an opposing team.
The Eagles defense is no joke and Jim Schwartz is a goddamn wizard
The Eagles seem to be in the top three for almost every defensive statistic that is possible right now and that is downright impressive.
We knew the defensive line would have its way and the safeties were going to be good (I will get to both of them soon), but the way Schwartz has been able to make the likes of Nolan Carroll, Jalen Mills, and Leodis McKelvin look like buyable options at corner is no small feat. The Eagles seem to get pressure every time the ball is snapped with the very rich Fletcher Cox delivering pressure and Brandon Graham(!!!!!) coming alive finally after three years. When they allow the opposing QB to get the pass off it seems as if the wideout is met almost immediately by a linebacker or someone in the secondary. Also, I do not buy the idea that Schwartz will find a head coaching job after this year. The guy can game plan the hell out of a defense , but he is still a bonafide head case. He is just our bonafide head case.
The Eagles safety tandem is the best in the league.
These are just facts. Howie Roseman made some downright fierce and gutsy moves in free agency, headlined in large part to the addition to Rodney McLeod and boy has it payed off.
It seems like both McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins are constantly flying to the ball. McLeod seems to be able to come up and make a great hit and find the ball in the air which allows Malcolm Jenkins to play his exact style as well. McLeod has already two interceptions, including a truly dazzling one on Sunday off of Big Ben. Things should only get better for these two as the year progresses.
Give Bennie Logan all the money he wants
Bennie Logan will never get the love that Brandon Graham will get or the god-sent Fletcher Cox, but boy has Bennie Logan been the peanut butter to Cox’s jelly the past few years and especially this year. The big man seems to be forcing pressure up the middle with every snap, causing havoc, protecting his gap responsibility and causing nightmares for opposing offense lines. The Eagles should look to resign him sooner rather than later as his contract is up this season.
Nigel Bradham is my biggest surprise so far
On the defense side of the ball, no one has looked stronger in Schwartz’s defense in my opinion then the former Buffalo Bill. Bradham has 10 tackles, nine of them being solo tackles, and an interception. The most impressive part? We have a linebacker who can cover the tight end or a wide receiver. It has been years since the Eagles have gotten a linebacker that can cover and boy oh boy, is it nice to have.
Overall Thoughts
What the hell have we stumbled upon here? Let’s be honest, most of you were in the comment sections saying that I was crazy when I said the Birds would go 7-9, but who is crazy now?
The Eagles have quickly turned into a legit contender not only in the NFC East, but in the NFC in general. I think 9-10 wins is not too crazy to expect out of this team.
Now, yes, there will be hiccups along the way. Wentz will have to look like a rookie at some point and Lane Johnson being suspended for 8-10 games is not going to make things easy, but holy shit. This season is going to be fun and that is all we can ask for. For the past two years we have been miserable watching football and those days are long gone.
God bless Carson Wentz, and god bless the Philadelphia Eagles.