It’s been a long Bye week and today is the toughest day of all for Eagles fans; the dreaded Sunday without Philadelphia Football. To combat the bye week blues, I took to Twitter to answer some of your Birds’ related questions!
Will the Eagles go on a run and win the nfc east and if so why???
— x.tremly o.fficial (@DanielZ00895673) November 4, 2018
Great question, Daniel. It’s possible. The win against Jacksonville could well have been the perfect catalyst to spark that underdog fire. The team were clearly amped up after beating the league’s top ranked defense in London and with a Bye to help cool off some of the injury fires, we may even see some playmakers return.
The thing to note here is that the Birds have five games against NFC East opponents coming up and they are all MUST wins. The only team that could throw a spanner in the works realistically is the Redskins and there is every chance that the week 17 clash between the two could decide the NFC East.
A win over the Texans has to be a priority and proving they can go toe-to-toe with the Saints and Rams will be a great challenge for Carson Wentz. This is an eight game slate that is going to test this current team more than any run of games in the Doug Pederson era.
It’s hard to imagine a ‘run’ as such because the tricky games (Saints, Redskins, Rams) are fluttered throughout the backend of the season, but I do think they’ll win the NFC East if they’re able to take care of business in four of five NFC East games.
@YoPhilly500 @LiamJenkins21 you think the eagles could make a play for Bruce Irvin? You think It would make sense because Barnett is out?
— Sam Lees (@SamLees13) November 3, 2018
There’s a possibility, but the Raiders shaved $8.25M in dead cap space and Irvin is a player who although highly productive, isn’t a piece the team would build around. If you look at the future of the position, with Barnett, Sweat and a somewhat likely new contract for Brandon Graham thanks to a slightly quieter season, it doesn’t make sense to splash the cash just yet. If the team were going to bring in some DE help, someone such as Chris Long, who is costing the team just $3.1M in comparison, would be the route they go down.
Do you think Alshon will make Tate’s life easier or will Tate make Alshon’s life easier? Teamed up with Ertz/Alshon, I think Tate running around out there will open up things for everyone
— Rufio-Rufio-RU-FI-OOOOOOO (@azwethinkweiz85) November 3, 2018
That’s an interesting question. It will ultimately be a symbiotic relationship. If you look at how the numbers of Marvin Jones jumped up when he landed in Detroit (I know there were other factors like the Jim Bob Cooter effect), you can see the impact a player like Tate can have in opening the offense and elevating a top receiving threat.
It ultimately comes down to optionality. The Eagles now have three receivers (Agholor, Matthews and Tate) who while labelled as ‘slot’ guys, can flex out to the ‘Z’ spot as Matthews did against Jacksonville. The Eagles run a lot of bunch and stack formations which plays perfectly into the screen game and getting the most out of this YAC monster.
What we’ll probably see is a scenario like last year where the wideouts don’t really amass those dominant 120+ yard games with a touchdown, but instead see all players contribute and touch the ball several times a game. Statistically, Jeffery’s numbers may dip a little, but the actual efficiency of the offense should rise dramatically once Tate is settled in.
Which receiver's playing time will the acquisition of Golden Tate impact the most
— Jake Starr (@jstarr1999) November 3, 2018
This is a really interesting one. Personally, I think it will be a combination of just about everyone, but largely Jordan Matthews. A lot of people were confused when I mentioned this a few days ago, but the Eagles will likely want to keep Agholor on the field and until recently, it was a WR2 effort by committee. Matthews has taken on that role more prominently but I think Tate’s presence will see a few pieces move around to see what works and what doesn’t, so we may even see a formation with a bunch formation of all three slot wideouts and a tight end. The possibilities are endless, but there won’t be a direct ‘fall guy’ so to speak.
With Tate, could the Eagles offense go toe to toe with the Saints or Rams in a shootout?
I’m not sure if the Eagles defense can stop those two offenses
— Matt Kiehl (@MJKiehl680) November 3, 2018
Thanks for the question, Matt. It’s a step in the right direction, but it all comes down to defense. In a worst case scenario, let’s say the Rams and Saints are able (both are capable) to drop 30 points on the Birds. Can Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense top that against two strong defenses amidst offensive line struggles? That’s the real question and honestly, I’m not sure.
Tate will open up paths that were previously blocked off for this Eagles offense, but whether or not it’s enough to keep up all comes down to third down efficiency, an area where the Eagles have dropped 20% on their conversions from last year and their execution in the red zone. Golden Tate should aid both of those areas, but whether or not that will send the offense to the next level will remain to be seen.
https://twitter.com/YouKnow_1993/status/1058767861114724354
It’s still unknown at this point. However, the fact that the Eagles haven’t taken the plunge in trading for an extra defensive tackle or signing a notable free agent is promising. Ngata’s durability has been a concern and Fletcher Cox has been forced to play almost every snap this season with little in the way of a supporting cast outside of practice squad promotees and undrafted free agents. That has to point to a return on the horizon…
https://twitter.com/phillystrong91/status/1059089740199329793
Sproles will take some of the weight off in the return game but what we’re going to see now is a lot of screens and swings. The running backs on the roster seem to lack lateral agility and Corey Clement does look a little ‘off’ in comparison to last year. The unexpected Josh Adams breakout was a pleasant surprise, but is that sustainable? I’m not sure.
Even against the Panthers, the Eagles knew their running game wasn’t great, so decided to throw short passes instead in an attempt to drain the clock. Wendell Smallwood has more receptions in eight games than he did in 16 last year and with Agholor and Tate being able to help on sweeps, that’s only going to continue.
It just becomes a case of working with what you have and the Eagles will have to get creative in how they use a backfield that defines inconsistency.
Thank you all so much for your questions. It’s really cool to be able to run a series like this and your support means everything to us here at Philly Sports Network. Make sure you’re following us on Twitter to get your questions in for next week’s mailbag!
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
