Hi Friends!
The weather was sloppy and miserable for last Sunday's game with the San Francisco 49ers, and that is a perfect description of the way the Eagles played the game. It wasn't pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but as the old saying goes, a win is a win! The Eagles offense once again started out in a funk and it looked like the 49ers might actually make a game of it, for a little while anyway. It was the first full game without starting left tackle Jason Peters and without him, the O line was less than stellar. In fact, as of this writing, I hear that the Eagles are looking to swing a trade for an offensive starting tackle before the trade deadline by 4pm on Halloween. It could be that Howie Roseman sees this as a golden opportunity as the Eagles are sitting at 7 & 1 with the best record in the NFL and have their sights on the big prize. If anyone can work some magic to add a difference maker by trade, it's general manager Howie Roseman, so stay tuned.
While the Eagles offense wasn't impressive for most of Sunday, the defense was a completely different story as Fletcher Cox and company absolutely shut down the 49ers. They held the 49ers QB Beathard to a paltry 167 yards passing and intercepted him twice while holding them to only 238 total net yards. The Eagles cornerbacks have been scrutinized over and over this season, but they have played way above expectations; imagine what the secondary will be like when Ronald Darby and Sidney Jones come back, which should be for the Cowboys game.
So we're here at the halfway mark of the season, and while there still are some question marks to be answered, you have to love the team’s chances moving forward. One thing that is very impressive about this year’s team is the fact that even though they beat the 49ers, the team was not one bit satisfied with the way they played. That is a very good sign and a mark of a team that is definitely focused and is not buying into all the hype surrounding them as the best team in the NFL. They know they have half of a season left to play and have their eyes on getting to the playoffs and beyond.
What To Look For In This Week’s Game...
1. Who will be the Broncos QB?
This week’s opponent, the Denver Broncos, have lost three games in a row and will be making their third road trip in a row on a short week after Monday night's loss to the Chiefs. The Broncos offense has had its problems so far this year, and head coach Vance Joseph might be looking to make a switch at the quarterback position. Trevor Siemian threw three interceptions against the Chiefs, making that six picks he's thrown during this three-game losing streak. They have Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch as back-ups, and as of this writing, they have not announced who it will be vs. the Eagles. I have a feeling that the Broncos just might hand the ball to Lynch since he's the guy they are planning on for the future as Osweiler has not been very impressive when given the chance. If it's Lynch, who's a second-year man, the defensive front four of the Eagles will be salivating and very eager to give the kid a close-up look and a personal welcome to Philadelphia! At running back, Denver has CJ Anderson and former Chief Jamaal Charles who, when healthy, is a beast of a runner. The Broncos wideouts have the very talented Demaryius Thomas (35 receptions); only the Steelers Antonio Brown has more receptions since 2012 than him. He's a threat that the Eagles will have to try to contain and make a non-factor -- easier said than done! Emmanuel Sanders (25 receptions) is another receiver that's very talented, and someone the Birds must pay attention to. Bernie Fowler, the other wideout, is a third-year player out of Michigan State who has yet to have much of an impact, but that's probably because of the two other very talented options. At tight end, the Broncos have AJ Derby from Arkansas who at 6'5” and 255 lbs. is a big target and the Eagles linebackers will have their hands full with him. It will be a tough task as the Broncos, although losers of three in a row, are a good team and eager to break the losing streak. I have a very good feeling though that the Eagles, playing in front of their home fans, will be up for the challenge and will be working hard to go into their bye week 8 & 1.
2. An Offense Firing on All Cylinders?
Carson Wentz and the offense struggled mightily against the lowly 49ers for a good part of the game and looked lost, and they know it. We have yet to see the Eagles really put an explosive performance together in a game, so is it this game that it finally happens? It will be difficult as the Broncos are a very good defense with the great Von Miller as their leader. Miller was feeling a little testy after losing to the Chiefs Monday night and all but guaranteed a win against the Eagles. I'm sure it's posted all over the Eagles locker room, but as focused as this Eagle team is, I really don't think they need any motivation. The Broncos are tough on defense, but have a very hard time with covering good tight ends and Zach Ertz could put up some big numbers against them. Ertz, a Reading native, is having himself a Pro Bowl kind of year being at or near the top in all categories and I, for one, am very happy for him. It was great to see Wentz and new wideout Alshon Jeffery connect on that long bomb this past Sunday for a touchdown. Jeffery came back for the ball and absolutely out leaped the defenders while wrestling the ball away to sprint in for the score. That's what us Eagles fans have been waiting to see as that's what Jeffery was known for when he was with the Chicago Bears. I look for Jeffery as well as Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholar, along with rookie standout Mack Hollins, to be very busy this game. As I'm writing this, I have just been told that the Eagles have made a trade before today's deadline just a while ago with the Miami Dolphins. The Eagles offense has just gotten much better with the acquisition of running back Jay Ajayi from the Dolphins for a fourth round pick. Ajayi is a big, powerful back who's also a very good blocker, and this move has to make the Eagles the team to beat not only in their division, but in the entire NFC. I tip my hat to general manager Howie Roseman for being aggressive with this move, as I think he sees the golden opportunity that the team finds themselves staring at. How does that old saying go about opportunity knocks? Way to go Mr. Roseman; you can never have enough weapons! I really don't know if Ajayi will get into this week’s game due to getting familiar with a new offense, but I'm sure he'll be ready after the bye week when we travel to Dallas to face the stinkin’ Dallas Cowboys! Last Sunday, standout rookie Corey Clement got 10 carries for 50+ yards and I look for him to get more touches this week. Even though the Eagles traded for Ajayi, I think they will retain Kenjon Barner as he's been doing a great job in the return game.
3. A Kicking Competition.
The Broncos kicking and punting units are outstanding as Brandon McManus is one of the league’s best kickers; he's a Temple University graduate and familiar with the Linc. The punter Riley Dixon was a rookie last season and his 41.3 yard net average was the best for a rookie in NFL history. I look for Eagles kicker rookie Jake Elliott to bounce back after a rough game against the 49ers, missing on two point-after attempts. The rainy soggy weather had to have an effect Elliott's kicking, and I look for him to come back with a clutch game. Donnie "Long Ball" Jones continues with some great punts and the Eagles special teams are very impressive and sound. You can't replace a player the caliber of Darren Sproles, but since Sproles went on IR, Kenjon Barner has been very impressive in the return game. He has that elusiveness about him and he's a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. Lincoln Financial Field will be rocking once again this week friends and the Eagles are going to be eager to tame the Broncos and head into their Bye week atop of the NFL with an 8 & 1 league leading record.
Well that will do it for me this week, and I invite you to please check back in with me in two weeks when I take a look at our next game against the team that I absolutely love to hate: those stinkin’ Dallas Cowboys! As always until then I wish you...
Love, Luck, Lollipops and Linguini,
Barry "The Hatchet" Vagnoni
Fly Eagles, Fly!
