If you will have watched one sport from the 2022 Eagles, it kind of feels you will have watched all of them.
On Sunday evening the NFL’s closing undefeated staff used to be explosive within the first 1/2, woeful within the 3rd quarter, and good sufficient to salt away the win within the fourth.
Beating the Cowboys isn’t a given, particularly once they boast a protection this gifted, however the win may just’ve felt higher… despite the fact that it nonetheless felt lovely darn good.
Let’s overreact to the Birds’ 6th instantly win to start out this season:
1. Seriously, the second one 1/2 must get mounted
It’s going to really feel like deja vu, however we are as soon as once more speaking about a in large part dead moment 1/2 from the Eagles… and it kind of feels like this downside is not going away.
Which is unhealthy information.
The Eagles have simply 4 second-half touchdowns this season thru six video games, two of which got here within the first sport of the season in opposition to a sieve-like Detroit Lions protection.
Sure, the Lane Johnson damage did not lend a hand. And sure, a part of that is that they construct large leads within the first 1/2 after which coast.
But I are not looking for them to coast. I would like the similar foot-on-the-gas aggression they display within the first and moment quarters to hold over to the second one 1/2.
The downside, on the other hand, is aggression does not all the time wish to be passing the ball. The Eagles had two drives and simply 9 performs within the 3rd quarter. For some reason why, regardless of lacking Lane Johnson popping out of the locker room, seven of the ones performs had been passes.
It’s the similar factor I used to be pissed off about closing week: why do Shane Steichen and Nick Sirianni inexplicably fail to remember that they are great at working the ball? And that this staff is uniquely constructed to effectively run the ball as a result of the man who performs quarterback?
Instead of simply shedding Hurts again and looking to assault with straight-ahead passes, how about you display the similar creativity that you simply confirmed in this play design, which wound up in any case zone:
That’s aggression. That’s getting essentially the most from your staff. That’s attacking soccer.
This Dallas staff is good. There’s no disgrace within the sport being shut. But there’s disgrace in staring at a sport totally flit away and from your keep watch over while you’d constructed a large lead, particularly when you are the simpler staff. The Eagles are some of the league’s very best groups. Can’t occur.
Luckily Sirianni and Steichen aroused from sleep and remembered that working is if truth be told good, stringing in combination a game-clinching fourth-quarter sequence with runs aplenty identical to closing week. What took them see you later? Great query.
There’s such a lot to love about what Nick Sirianni is doing with this staff, however the second-half struggles are a actual fear and I would like them to determine it out all the way through the week off.
2. James Bradberry is one among Howie’s very best offers ever
Brandon Brooks. Malcolm Jenkins. Evan Mathis. Alshon Jeffery.
Howie Roseman has made a collection of improbable unfastened company strikes that experience formed the Eagles all the way through his time as normal supervisor, and if James Bradberry helps to keep enjoying at this stage it is transparent the one-year deal he inked Bradberry to again in May will sign up for the ones ranks.
Because at this time the Eagles mainly have two CB1s. They may just finish up with a pair of corners within the Pro Bowl. It appears like a throwback to the times of Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, and it is superb.
Bradberry completely balled out Sunday evening in opposition to Cooper Rush and the Cowboys, taking a look each and every bit as spry, athletic, and anticipatory as he has all season lengthy.
The 29-year-old nook used to be the most important in developing the primary of Rush’s interceptions Sunday evening, deflecting a ball supposed for Michael Gallup into C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s looking forward to palms:
Then in the second one quarter Bradberry flashed on a the most important fourth-down prevent, hovering to get a divorce a move geared toward Peyton Hendershot:
He used to be most often all over the place the sector, making giant performs and preserving the Cowboys beneath wraps.
It no doubt helped that the Eagles had been dealing with Cooper Rush as an alternative of Dak Prescott, and the Birds admittedly have not confronted a assassin’s row of quarterback ability this season.
But you’ll be able to handiest play the fellows you line up in opposition to, and to this point Bradberry has been the precise piece the Eagles wanted at nook throughout from Slay to actually unencumber this protection’s attainable.
3. Michael Clay must be long gone all the way through the bye week
Michael Clay has been the Eagles’ particular groups coordinator for a mere 23 common season video games, however I’ve noticed masses. It’s time to show the web page to a new face on the place.
Jake Elliott remains to be a monster from distance, however Arryn Siposs is actively hurting this staff, punt and kickoff protection may just stand to be stepped forward, and on a staff with only a few weaknesses particular groups no doubt really feel like one at this time.
Last 12 months Eagles particular groups completed a woeful twenty first in Rick Gosselin’s relied on end-of-year particular groups ratings closing season, and this 12 months issues do not really feel any higher.
On Sunday evening, a miserably-timed KaVontae Turpin kick go back proper sooner than halftime allowed the Cowboys to get issues and get their first sniff of momentum which then ballooned in the second one 1/2.
Inexplicably, the Eagles nonetheless kicked to Turpin once more in the second one 1/2 and he just about broke every other one off for a giant chew had been it not for a Dallas penalty.
Special groups had been a true energy all the way through the Chip Kelly years, and had been completely high-quality all the way through Doug Pederson’s tenure, however Clay’s time because the ST coordinator beneath Sirianni has been a crisis and sooner or later this unit’s deficient efficiency goes to chunk them.