Other Sports: Philadelphia Eagles (NFL): THIS IS BRAZIL (Start Of 2024 Regular Season)

[JojoTheWhale]

You get fantasy PM’s?

1-2 a year during draft season. I’m not being difficult. I don’t know shit. I have no problem whatsoever helping anyone. Well, except the people who never say thank you.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

1-2 a year during draft season. I’m not being difficult. I don’t know shit. I have no problem whatsoever helping anyone. Well, except the people who never say thank you.

Feel free to use my ringing non-endorsement when every you need.

Another Merry Christmas gift to Jojo!

 

[ajgoal]

1-2 a year during draft season. I’m not being difficult. I don’t know shit. I have no problem whatsoever helping anyone. Well, except the people who never say thank you.

Thank you

 

[Kermit the Prog]

Funny thing is how I'm totally not sure whether you're talking about the Chiefs, Bills or Ravens, lol.

The Bills.

I have no fear of any of the NFC teams, no matter where the game is played. Of course, it is the playoffs and anything can happen, while injuries are the biggest wildcard of all. Believe it or not, it's teams like the Rams or Buccaneers who are more of a bugaboo to me than the Commanders or Packers. I'd prefer a home game against the Vikings or Lions, but I don't hold much concern for adjusting expectations if the Eagles had to play one of those two on the road.

The Ravens? Been there, done that - on the road, too. Yes, you can say Baltimore would make adjustments based on their loss to the Eagles, but the Eagles would make their adjustments, too. Want to call the offenses a wash based on skill position players? Fine. The Eagles have the superior OL and the better overall defense.

The Chiefs? To quote a familiar phrase, "To be the best, you have to beat the best," and their NFL-best record and SB-winning streak walk the walk, but I feel this Eagles team is better than the 2022 version which almost (should have?) beaten them in the Super Bowl two years ago, while the Chiefs have been pretty much at the same (albeit high) level. Perhaps expecting Hurts to play at the same level as he did in the Super Bowl that year is unrealistic, but Saquon was not on that team, either.

For me, the only team which gives me pause is the Bills. No, their defense is not one I want on the field in the last minutes of the fourth quarter protecting a slim lead, but Josh Allen is more like Josh Alien in how he has the knack to do something crazily dramatic to further etch his name in legendary status on the history of this game. You don't beat Josh Allen - you survive him.

When it comes to the Eagles, I drive with the brake on, so no moon-eyed optimism is going on here. I've always been overly cautious with my expectations, so to say what I said above is with everything already weighed and considered. I expect the Eagles to at least reach the Super Bowl this year.

Or not.

 

[deadhead]

Meh. The only team that can beat the Eagles are the Eagles.

If Fangio pushes the right buttons, no one is going to beat this defense, Id have to think he's watched the Wash game until his eyes bleed, figuring out what went wrong and how to fix it.

This ain't last season, where disaster was inevitable.

Comes down to defense, in a close game, I think the OL wears down any opponent and they win in the 4Q.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

The problem with being a defense and run the ball team in 2024 is that sometimes you just run into the QB that decides he doesn't care that day and then you have to win a shootout. I don't trust this offense to do that.

It's going to vary from person to person how many QBs have that level of play in them, but I would argue it should be at least 3 for everyone (Allen, Lamar, Mahomes). Very happy to have those 3 in the other bracket. And then we can debate whether or not anyone else counts.

Burrow, Herbert, Stafford, and Love are above that bar for me. That doesn't mean they do it as consistently as the top 3. But they have those games. It's why I'd infinitely prefer Washington or Detroit or Minnesota to GB. I want to play "fair" games. That's where this team wins.

*Edit* See, for example:



That's Danielle Hunter, an athletic freakshow even on the NFL EDGE scale. Simply doesn't matter what you do. No one can cover forever. You're screwed.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

This gotta be the worst class since Pickett’s year.

If I was a fan of a team that needed a QB, I don’t think I could convince myself taking one of these guys in the first half of the first round is a good idea.

 

[deadhead]

The problem with being a defense and run the ball team in 2024 is that sometimes you just run into the QB that decides he doesn't care that day and then you have to win a shootout. I don't trust this offense to do that.

It's going to vary from person to person how many QBs have that level of play in them, but I would argue it should be at least 3 for everyone (Allen, Lamar, Mahomes). Very happy to have those 3 in the other bracket. And then we can debate whether or not anyone else counts.

Burrow, Herbert, Stafford, and Love are above that bar for me. That doesn't mean they do it as consistently as the top 3. But they have those games. It's why I'd infinitely prefer Washington or Detroit or Minnesota to GB. I want to play "fair" games. That's where this team wins.

*Edit* See, for example:



That's Danielle Hunter, an athletic freakshow even on the NFL EDGE scale. Simply doesn't matter what you do. No one can cover forever. You're screwed.

Frankly I have more confidence in Hurts than Moore.

Maybe I'm spoiled by AR, but there's got to be more to a passing offense than getting Brown or Smith one one one. Is Dotson that bad? How come Calcaterra is used to block (never should be lined up against a DE) but not used like Ertz? How do you not use a weapon like Barkley in the passing game?

I thought Moore would bring a lot more creativity to the passing game.

 

[Cody Webster]

Really would have been awesome if Chicago took Daniels and then Washington ended up taking Williams. Would have set that franchise even further back

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Frankly I have more confidence in Hurts than Moore.

Maybe I'm spoiled by AR, but there's got to be more to a passing offense than getting Brown or Smith one one one. Is Dotson that bad? How come Calcaterra is used to block (never should be lined up against a DE) but not used like Ertz? How do you not use a weapon like Barkley in the passing game?

I thought Moore would bring a lot more creativity to the passing game.

I think Moore is fine. Not great. Not terrible. But perfectly mediocre.

The Eagles throw the ball less than every other team in the league and have 2 functional #1 WRs plus Goedert. The Ravens, who are 31st in Attempts, clear the Eagles by 40. There just aren't many Targets to go around. While we're here, Grant Calcaterra is a thoroughly mediocre TE2. Why on earth are we comping him to one of the best underneath targets of his generation? The other TE on the roster is an abomination of Biblical proportions when he tries to block. That leaves one guy.

I'm running out of ways to try to explain to you that NFL teams don't use RBs in the passing game like that anymore. I know Bill Walsh did it and it was truly revolutionary. Andy pieced together an offense from nothing with them. That's a long time ago now. Those checkdowns were the first thing replaced when QBs started running more. The guys that still catch balls play with non-running QBs like Tua, Cousins, Carr, etc. Plus Saquon is already leading the league in Carries/Game. The last thing I want to do is put more wear on those tires. They do use him on the occasional Wheel and such, which feels perfectly fine to me. I do agree that it's important to keep showing that on tape as an occasional shot though. You want it to be a constant threat.

We're on Offensive Coordinator #3 of an extremely simple passing attack. Either that's what everyone thinks the QB can run or someone way up high isn't interested in more. The QB has been vocal about wanting more. And then it looks terrible whenever they put him in a pure dropback offense. I like putting players in situations that play to their strengths, so I find it hard to disagree.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Are we talking Zach Ertz in current form? That might make more sense.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Are we talking Zach Ertz in current form? That might make more sense.

I think so, but he's still very good at it. He just can't get downfield anymore because he's a fossil. So I would trust Calcaterra to run some of these clear out routes up the Seams more than Ertz on time for example. But they do that!

 

[Flybynite]

 

[trostol]

wtf is there a fish on its head

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

They're so fun.

 

[Cody Webster]

Detroit's defense is cheeks with all their injuries

 

[Cody Webster]

That video of Bates sure was a choice

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

That game was a masterpiece.

 

[ChaosLord]

Next week's Minnesota game is pretty much the biggest game in Lions franchise history.

 

[Jack Straw]

Next week's Minnesota game is pretty much the biggest game in Lions franchise history.

They’ve been around for a while…

Also last season’s NFCCG was pretty big.

 

[ponder719]

This gotta be the worst class since Pickett’s year.

If I was a fan of a team that needed a QB, I don’t think I could convince myself taking one of these guys in the first half of the first round is a good idea.

I continue to believe that if my team needed a QB, odds are very good that what I really need, if I think about it hard enough, is a better OL, and in a bad QB draft class, I would 100% try to find a tackle of the future instead of throwing a lottery ticket at someone who probably tops out at Alex Smith if he survives that long.

 

[Kermit the Prog]

I continue to believe that if my team needed a QB, odds are very good that what I really need, if I think about it hard enough, is a better OL, and in a bad QB draft class, I would 100% try to find a tackle of the future instead of throwing a lottery ticket at someone who probably tops out at Alex Smith if he survives that long.

@JojoTheWhale

I have reduced my college football observance down to mere spectator over the past 20 years. How does this upcoming draft class stack up, specifically at the QB and/or high-impact level?

Is this a Flyers-level "Hey, we got a top-5 pick in an underwhelming draft class!"?

 

[JojoTheWhale]

@JojoTheWhale

I have reduced my college football observance down to mere spectator over the past 20 years. How does this upcoming draft class stack up, specifically at the QB and/or high-impact level?

Is this a Flyers-level "Hey, we got a top-5 pick in an underwhelming draft class!"?

It’s one of the weakest at the top you can possibly imagine. There are two typical top 5 talents and they both play Cornerback (Hunter also plays WR). The last time a DB went 1/1 was 1956. It’s almost always QB/DE/OT at the very top.

There are plenty of guys to like near the top, but they’re weaker than what you can usually get that high. Mason Graham (Michigan DT) would probably be 3rd on my board, but he’s nowhere near an Ndomakung Suh or Quinnen Williams type of guy that has historically just wrecked games. Think more like Corey Simon. Then you’ve got a RB, WRs who profile as WR2s rather than top guys, a very good Safety (but not a Sean Taylor type), an OL with arms so short that many people think he has to play Guard, and a couple of good but not great EDGEs.

The top 2 QBs (Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders) would be somewhere between a mid-late 1st and a Top 50 grade if not accounting for positional value.

 

[Kermit the Prog]

It’s one of the weakest at the top you can possibly imagine. There are two typical top 5 talents and they both play Cornerback (Hunter also plays WR). The last time a DB went 1/1 was 1956. It’s almost always QB/DE/OT at the very top.

There are plenty of guys to like near the top, but they’re weaker than what you can usually get that high. Mason Graham (Michigan DT) would probably be 3rd on my board, but he’s nowhere near an Ndomakung Suh or Quinnen Williams type of guy that has historically just wrecked games. Think more like Corey Simon. Then you’ve got a RB, WRs who profile as WR2s rather than top guys, a very good Safety (but not a Sean Taylor type), an OL with arms so short that many people think he has to play Guard, and a couple of good but not great EDGEs.

The top 2 QBs (Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders) would be somewhere between a mid-late 1st and a Top 50 grade if not accounting for positional value.

Thanks, JoJo -

The Giants have to be thinking, "Are you F'n kidding me?" With the Patriots already having Maye in the fold, they would seem to be in the catbird seat for a trade-down, especially to garner multiple first rounders this year and potential high-value picks for next year's class, which (seemingly by default) should be better than the 2025 class.

Do you feel Ward or Sanders have enough oomph to make a difference for the Giants or do you think they sit this one out on a future possible franchise QB until the following year and draft an OL/DL stud, especially since they have promising rookies this year at WR and RB? Or possibly Loveland at TE? Giants offenses always seem to function more highly when they have a quality tight end.

I can't believe I wrote that much about the stinkin' Giants.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Thanks, JoJo -

The Giants have to be thinking, "Are you F'n kidding me?" With the Patriots already having Maye in the fold, they would seem to be in the catbird seat for a trade-down, especially to garner multiple first rounders this year and potential high-value picks for next year's class, which (seemingly by default) should be better than the 2025 class.

Do you feel Ward or Sanders have enough oomph to make a difference for the Giants or do you think they sit this one out on a future possible franchise QB until the following year and draft an OL/DL stud, especially since they have promising rookies this year at WR and RB? Or possibly Loveland at TE? Giants offenses always seem to function more highly when they have a quality tight end.

I can't believe I wrote that much about the stinkin' Giants.

Anytime, my friend. On the good news front, there was a report today that the Giants want to keep their front office and coaching staff.

I don’t think there is a single QB in this class with high end reasonable outcomes. There isn’t even a mid-round flyer I would want to take. I don’t believe trying to hit a Double at QB is a recipe for sustained success unless you avoid giving that guy the 2nd contract. None of these teams will.