Misc Thoughts: Eagles

In his first full-time duty in two years, ISJ dropped a ball. Diggs has dropped balls. So has Thielen. This is not Christian Watson here. ISJ does not have a reputation for drops. Btw, if he catches that ball, his numbers are 6 for 99 and 2 TDs. He was getting open. A lot. 
No, he can’t be dropping sure TDs like that, but nobody seems to be talking about the fact that on that play, he was split wide, matched up against Darius Slay, and beat him. But the narrative is that he can’t beat a linebacker? Why? Because that’s what Troy Aikman said on the telly? Aikman’s a boob. 6 times out of 10 that’s DPI anyway. 
The rest of your points are solid IMO. But benching Irv is ridiculous. He's going to have an enormous year. 

1/1 after playing GB/Eagles - some of the best teams in NFC. 

I dont like the way we lost in Philly but its not time to panic. The next 3 games are very winnable imo. 

Det
Saints (London)
Bears

This is also a really important year for K Cousins too..Does the new regime see him here for any longer than a bridge? An expensive bridge?

It is hard to walk from a good qb on the small odds of hitting on a franchise one - maybe the new guys will have better karma with it. 

Another couple of thoughts:

• I would want to look at the game again, but I am guessing one of the problems with the pass defense was the linebackers were not taking the same drops as they did in the Packer game because they were so concerned with Hurts running.
• I have been posting for a couple of years that I think putting Cousins into a hurry up mode would help because it would get Cousins out of his own head and I like that KOC has done that.  However, I can't recall Cousins rolling out this year which I think helps the oline and Cousins does well.  Do any of you recall a planned roll out?

@"VikingOracle" said: Another couple of thoughts:

• I would want to look at the game again, but I am guessing one of the problems with the pass defense was the linebackers were not taking the same drops as they did in the Packer game because they were so concerned with Hurts running.
• I have been posting for a couple of years that I think putting Cousins into a hurry up mode would help because it would get Cousins out of his own head and I like that KOC has done that.  However, I can't recall Cousins rolling out this year which I think helps the oline and Cousins does well.  Do any of you recall a planned roll out?

I think you're right on both points. And, no, can't recall Cousins rolling out yet this year. It was such a big part of his game in the previous offense.

Guessing KOC wants him to throw more from the pocket. But against a blitz-crazy team like Philly, it could've helped him I think. 

@"MaroonBells" said:  But the narrative is that he can’t beat a linebacker? Why? Because that’s what Troy Aikman said on the telly? Aikman’s a boob. 6 times out of 10 that’s DPI anyway. 

The rest of your points are solid IMO. But benching Irv is ridiculous. He's going to have an enormous year. 

I would argue that there are two ways of getting open -- one is personal ability (running great routes, shiftiness, quickness, etc.) and the other is play design.  On the drop, I thought it was play design.  On the couple times he was against the linebacker, it was simply a one on one match-up and Irv could not create separation.  For the season, he has 10 targets and 5 receptions.  In this offense, surrounds by the receiving talents on the team, he should be doing better.  If the opposing team puts a linebacker on him, that team should be punished.

@"VikingOracle" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:  But the narrative is that he can’t beat a linebacker? Why? Because that’s what Troy Aikman said on the telly? Aikman’s a boob. 6 times out of 10 that’s DPI anyway. 

The rest of your points are solid IMO. But benching Irv is ridiculous. He's going to have an enormous year. 

I would argue that there are two ways of getting open -- one is personal ability (running great routes, shiftiness, quickness, etc.) and the other is play design.  On the drop, I thought it was play design.  On the couple times he was against the linebacker, it was simply a one on one match-up and Irv could not create separation.  For the season, he has 10 targets and 5 receptions.  In this offense, surrounds by the receiving talents on the team, he should be doing better.  If the opposing team puts a linebacker on him, that team should be punished.

@"MaroonBells" said: In his first full-time duty in two years, ISJ dropped a ball. Diggs has dropped balls. So has Thielen. This is not Christian Watson here. ISJ does not have a reputation for drops. Btw, if he catches that ball, his numbers are 6 for 99 and 2 TDs. He was getting open. A lot.  No, he can’t be dropping sure TDs like that, but nobody seems to be talking about the fact that on that play, he was split wide, matched up against Darius Slay, and beat him. But the narrative is that he can’t beat a linebacker? Why? Because that’s what Troy Aikman said on the telly? Aikman’s a boob. 6 times out of 10 that’s DPI anyway.  The rest of your points are solid IMO. But benching Irv is ridiculous. He's going to have an enormous year. 

Seems the refs were letting Slay play very physical.  Was that the script for this game?

@"VikingOracle" said: Just a quick post as I am really busy with work:

• Dropped Passes:  I haven't seen the stats but I can't recall a game where the Vikings dropped more passes (or where the opposing team dropped more interceptions).

So since both teams were dropping passes thrown by Cousins, we should probably blame him, right?

One comment on the defense.  It looked to me like the game plan was to play exclusively zone coverage with minimal blitzing to take away Hurts' ability to gash the defense by running the ball.  The bet was that we could get pressure without blitzing and that Hurts would make some bad reads that would lead to turnovers and or missed 3rd down conversions.  What happened was the pressure rarely materialized and guys were wide open against a soft zone scheme.  Hurts was both accurate and unchallenged by the looks he was given.  Perhaps, too, the pass rush was slowed by the need to not abandon lanes and give Hurts a way to escape the pocket with his legs.  The other thing I saw were guys guessing wrong consistently on the RPO.  How many times did we see an edge guy crash flat on the running back, only to find that Hurts had not handed the ball off and had a gaping running lane to the outside?  

@"Purpleblooded" said: One comment on the defense.  It looked to me like the game plan was to play exclusively zone coverage with minimal blitzing to take away Hurts' ability to gash the defense by running the ball.  The bet was that we could get pressure without blitzing and that Hurts would make some bad reads that would lead to turnovers and or missed 3rd down conversions.  What happened was the pressure rarely materialized and guys were wide open against a soft zone scheme.  Hurts was both accurate and unchallenged by the looks he was given.  Perhaps, too, the pass rush was slowed by the need to not abandon lanes and give Hurts a way to escape the pocket with his legs.  The other thing I saw were guys guessing wrong consistently on the RPO.  How many times did we see an edge guy crash flat on the running back, only to find that Hurts had not handed the ball off and had a gaping running lane to the outside?  

In retrospect, a poor choice for a defensive game plan. That doesn't surprise or bother me. What does bother me is the seeming lack of in game adjustments. Where was plan B if plan A doesn't work?

Definitely perplexed at what the issue is with Dantzler. I thought he had a really strong game, with the penalty called on him very ticky tacky. KOC's reasoning that he just wanted to get Evans some playing time didn't seem convincing either. If you're going to use that excuse then you should have sat a vet like Pat Pete.

@"greediron" said:

@"VikingOracle" said: Just a quick post as I am really busy with work:

• Dropped Passes:  I haven't seen the stats but I can't recall a game where the Vikings dropped more passes (or where the opposing team dropped more interceptions).

So since both teams were dropping passes thrown by Cousins, we should probably blame him, right?

@"PurpleCrush" said: Definitely perplexed at what the issue is with Dantzler. I thought he had a really strong game, with the penalty called on him very ticky tacky. KOC's reasoning that he just wanted to get Evans some playing time didn't seem convincing either. If you're going to use that excuse then you should have sat a vet like Pat Pete.

To support your point, PFF grades through 2 games (though PFF is not definitive obviously):

@"PurpleCrush" said: Definitely perplexed at what the issue is with Dantzler. I thought he had a really strong game, with the penalty called on him very ticky tacky. KOC's reasoning that he just wanted to get Evans some playing time didn't seem convincing either. If you're going to use that excuse then you should have sat a vet like Pat Pete.

Agree. I think KOC is lying. I think Dantzler was benched because of the blown coverage on the long TD to Watkins. Outside of that, which PFF probably blamed on Bynum, he played pretty well I thought. 

I think I get it now. Wow. 

Dantzler (bottom of screen) was benched for Akayleb Evans one play after this one: pic.twitter.com/1328r0eyZx

— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) September 21, 2022

Yeesh. Left the best WR on the Eagles to double a blanketed Goedert and then half-a$$ed the pursuit on the tackle. Maybe not get-to-the-pine-and-stay-there-bad, but certainly not great.

@"pattersaur" said: Yeesh. Left the best WR on the Eagles to double a blanketed Goedert and then half-a$$ed the pursuit on the tackle. Maybe not get-to-the-pine-and-stay-there-bad, but certainly not great.

Yeah that was some half-hearted effort.

This was his issue last year, not knowing his assignments.  They say practice makes perfect, so half assing in practice is perfected right here.

@"pattersaur" said: Yeesh. Left the best WR on the Eagles to double a blanketed Goedert and then half-a$$ed the pursuit on the tackle. Maybe not get-to-the-pine-and-stay-there-bad, but certainly not great.

Yeah, the blown coverage was disappointing, but the way he aimlessly ran after the ball carrier "like a toddler who just stole their mom's phone" (credit: someone on twitter), pissed me off.