Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 12/30/23.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
Why Josh Sweat isn’t stressing about low sack number – NBCSP
Josh Sweat hasn’t sacked a quarterback in six games. He has just one sack in his last eight games. And he has just 6 1/2 sacks all season. But he’s not worried about it. “It’s like the holy grail number,” Sweat said about sacks. “If you want to question it, you can just turn on the film and see how close I am. We’ve been battling with pass defense all year, whether that’s D-line, whether that’s secondary, whatever. The ball’s been out fast as s—. I’m winning. I got more pressures this year than I had probably combined in my career, more hits and I’m winning (rushes). It’s just not showing up how I want it to. I’m affecting the quarterback. That’s all I can say. I am affecting the quarterback more than I ever have in my career, at a higher level than I ever have in my career, won more rushes. The sacks just haven’t been hitting but I’ve been rushing better than I have in my career. I’m even way better than I was last year with my rushes in terms of how much I’m around the quarterback, how much I’m hitting and how much I’m pressuring. That’s what keeps me going. Whether it (the sacks) comes or not, I’m going to keep affecting the quarterback.”
Eagles vs. Cardinals stats preview – BGN
Jonathan Gannon, yikes. This defense isn’t very good. Even when you consider the lack of talent the Cardinals have, the numbers aren’t great for a defensive head coach. The most shocking statistic of all is that the Cardinals rank 32nd in zone coverage, which is really surprising because I thought Gannon’s zone match was a huge strength of his when he was with Philly. The rest of the numbers are not too surprising, although Gannon does play a lot more one-high shells than people seem to think considering he comes from the Fangio tree. This was the same in Philly. The Cardinals have one of the lowest blitz rates in the league, which is probably a good thing for the Eagles.
Eagles-Giants closing thoughts + Cardinals preview – BGN Radio
Brandon Lee Gowton and Jimmy Kempski close the book on the Philadelphia Eagles’ win over the New York Giants and preview the Week 17 matchup against the Jonathan Gannon’s Arizona Cardinals. The guys also make their picks against the spread for relevant playoff picture games! Interact with us on social media: @BrandonGowton, @JimmyKempski, @BGN_Radio, @BleedingGreen. Check out Wrong Crowd Beer Company: wrongcrowdbeer.com! (21 or older, please enjoy responsibly). Use discount code BGN15 at RighteousFelon.com for 15% off your order! Same promotion applies at WildRangerPet.com. Buying, selling, or renting a house? Contact Kristin Roach at RoachRealtors.com.
The 14 predictions that came true in 2023 — and the 7 that didn’t – Vox
The Philadelphia Eagles will win the 2023 Super Bowl (25 percent) — WRONG. Okay, so, I see it says here that the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII in what was apparently the third most watched television program of all time. Weird — despite being a lifelong Eagles fan, I have no memory of this. But if I had watched the game, I would probably point out: The field was suspiciously slippery in a way that neutralized the Eagles all-world pass rush against Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who is apparently exempt from the laws of physics — and all the NFL could do was blame Rihanna’s halftime show.
NFL Week 17 picks, schedule, odds, injuries, fantasy tips – ESPN
Stat to know: The Eagles are 12-1 when A.J. Brown has a receiving touchdown and 13-6 when he doesn’t. Brown is seeking to avoid a fifth straight game without catching a TD pass.
Fantasy Football WR Report: Man, zone coverage performance ahead of NFL Week 17 – PFF
Arizona’s zone coverage unit has allowed 7.11 yards per coverage snap, the fourth-worst mark in the league. The Cardinals have surrendered a first down or a touchdown on 42.2% of zone coverage snaps — the worst mark in the NFL. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have similarly produced against zone coverage this season, with Brown accounting for 0.43 fantasy points per route run (18th) and Smith for 0.38 (tied for 31st).
Brian Johnson with a Couple of Choice Route and RPO Press Conference Nuggets – Crossing Broad
The RPO and zone read components of the offense make it really hard to accurately log and categorize what the Eagles are doing offensively. For instance, if you call 100 run/pass options, and the defensive end crashes every time, then Jalen Hurts pulls and throws the ball 100 times. Does that mean they need to run the ball more? And if you call 100 zone reads, and the defensive end crashes every time, then Jalen Hurts runs the ball 100 times. Does that mean D’Andre Swift isn’t getting enough touches? Is Hurts himself doing too much running? That’s why it can never be as simple as “the Eagles ran the ball X times and threw the ball Y times.” A lot of plays have multiple outcomes and the directive is predicated on what the defense is showing you. So whenever we have a discussion about run/pass ratio, we always have to consider that nuance and context.
Here’s what some Eagles got each other for Christmas gifts – Inquirer
Britain Covey received an orange Goyard tote bag from wide receiver A.J. Brown. The gift meant a lot to Covey, who appreciated Brown’s thoughtfulness and hadn’t owned a luxury bag previously. He wore the tote to Monday’s game against the New York Giants. “Figuring out how to wear it with an outfit took me and my wife about two hours,” Covey said.
Spadaro: Jason Kelce leads the chorus – Eagles close to taking next step – PE.com
The offense continues to move forward, with the win over New York the latest example. Philadelphia marched up and down the field on offense, stymied in the red zone with 2 touchdowns in 5 trips, but otherwise in command of whatever it wanted to do. Center Jason Kelce takes that as a positive. “The turnovers as a team and the penalties we commit hurt us at times, but we did some very good things and Jalen (Hurts, quarterback) played very, very well,” Kelce said. “The reality is that we have to keep cleaning up the things that are very correctable. We’re going to keep doing that and we’re going to put ourselves in a good position moving forward.” Improvement. Kelce feels it. And he has the pulse of what’s happening, no doubt about it. “You just keep pushing and paying attention to the little details and you find out that you’re playing good ball. We’re in our routine. That doesn’t change, no matter the time of the season. I think we know what we have here and we just have to keep working to improve on the things we’re doing. We’re 11-4 and that’s a positive. We have to keep winning and that’s what we’re here doing.”
Cardinals Reacts Results: Confidence in the direction of the Arizona Cardinals falls even further after latest loss – Revenge Of The Birds
Coming out of the loss, it has dropped down to 69% confident in the direction of the franchise. While not quite the lowest mark of the season, it is getting there, and with a likely loss coming on Sunday against the NFC East leading Philadelphia Eagles, you have to assume that it will fall even more.
Confidence in the Cowboys continues to trend in the wrong direction, including playoff fate – Blogging The Boys
Coming off of the blowout win over the Philadelphia Eagles we asked the question of being confident the team is headed in the right direction. 95% of the fanbase was confident after beating our arch-enemy. Then the Buffalo Bills game happened and that number plummeted to 50%. Now, after another loss to the Dolphins, that number is all the way down to 29%.
Giants-Rams injury report: Giants, amazingly, fairly healthy heading into Sunday – Big Blue View
Every player on the New York Giants’ 53-man roster participated in practice on Friday, the second straight day that has happened. The Giants are listing tight end Lawrence Cager as doubtful with a groin injury, making him the player most likely to miss Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. Cornerback Deonte Banks (shoulder) and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (quad) are listed as questionable. Both, though, have been limited practice participants the last two days and seem on track to play.
Commanders vs 49ers Friday Injury Report: Jacoby Brissett is questionable for Sunday’s game – Hogs Haven
The Washington Commanders are hosting the San Francisco 49ers this week, and will be missing several starters. Ron Rivera named Jacoby Brissett the starting QB, benching Sam Howell on Wednesday. Eric Bieniemy talked about the decision yesterday, and the “spark” that Brissett brought to the offense and the team when he replaced Howell in the lineup the last two games. That spark might not play now, with Brissett reporting hamstring tightness yesterday, and being listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. He received treatment, and “took some reps today and looked pretty good moving around.”. If he can’t play, the team will turn back to Howell as the starter. They have Jake Fromm on the practice squad, and he could be elevated as the 3rd QB, or the backup if Brissett is ruled out.
2024 NFL Draft: Ranking the top 15 Senior Bowl prospects to watch in the College Football Playoff – NFL.com
4) Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington (6-4, 317)*. Opinions on Fautanu’s NFL position vary, with some likening him to Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and others believing he can stay at left tackle like the Bills’ Dion Dawkins. Either way, the third-team AP All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 lineman is a major key to Penix and the Huskies’ smashing success this season. Fautanu’s flexibility and foot quickness keep him on balance and able to anchor in pass protection despite his average size and length. Teams looking for larger tackles will project him inside, where he can use his mobility to reach block interior defenders and hit second-level targets.
These are the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists, and 1 big snub – SB Nation
The NFL announced the finalists for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame, and it’s a list with a lot of familiar names. There are only two first-ballot entries for Canton this year, while a lot of players try once again to get enshrined.
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