I’m writing this before the MNF game because A) they will probably play poorly and make me angry and B) I’m trying not to write angry.
Change starts at the top
This week there have been multiple reports regarding what’s happening on and off the field with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Doug Pederson wouldn’t be totally unhappy if he was fired:
Jason Peters moving to RG:
Jalen Hurts to get expanded playing time:
https://www.nfl.com/news/eagles-plan-to-give-jalen-hurts-his-most-snaps-this-season-on-monday
It was reported earlier in the year that both Carson Wentz and Jason Peters had some kind of direct line to ownership which presumably allowed them to bitch and moan about the coach if they didn’t like the way things were going. The owner, presumably, would then overrule the coach and allow these particular players to do whatever it was they wanted to do (ie Peters going to LT and getting paid more, Wentz…sucking?) Based on these reports, perhaps that situation is starting to change, to which I say: about time.
The whole point of a head coach is that he (or she) is allowed to make the calls about who plays where and how on the field. If the owner is over-riding those decisions for any reason, it undermines the authority of the coach and makes all the players look at them like “Why do I have to listen to this guy? Even the owner thinks he’s stupid.” Not a healthy relationship.
If I’m reading these reports correctly, something in this dynamic has changed, and that’s for the better. Whether or not Pederson is able to right the ship, or at least get it floating again, is immaterial. Owners and GM’s need to stand out of the way and allow him to do his job. If he fails, then they can fire him and find someone else. If he doesn’t, then maybe they need to look elsewhere for what the problems truly are.
Howie Roseman should probably be fired.
I don’t dislike Howie Roseman. After all, he helped build a team that won a championship for the first time since 19-freaking-60 (spoiler: I wasn’t alive then). He even did it by beating the New England Patriots which, for someone who has lived in New England for the entirety of the Belichek-Brady reign, was very enjoyable. That said, he’s kind of sucking at his job.
Notably missing from the above reports is what Roseman has been doing with his time. Mr. Lurie is frustrated and apparently skipping games (or just doesn’t like Cleveland, which, really, who can blame him?). Doug is frustrated with the inner workings of the team. Lurie is frustrated with the product on the field. Roseman is….hiding under a blanket somewhere?
Howie’s draft record is not great.
As my daughter will tell you, it’s not entirely his fault that JJAW ended up not being very good. However, it’s still his responsibility to get the draft picks right, or at least some of them. Free agent signings and trades have also been hit or miss (mostly miss) since the Superbowl win. Injuries have certainly played a part, and that’s not entirely on him either. Unless he’s the one who made a deal with the Devil to get that Superbowl win, then it’s totally on him.
In any event, the roster isn’t good enough, and the buck stops with the GM. He needs to be held accountable. That probably means firing him, or at least banishing him back to his corner like he was when Chip Kelly was in town.
Jim Schwartz needs to be better
I think on a personal level, Jim Shorts is not a person I would want to be friends with. As a defensive coordinator, I think he’s pretty good. In fact, I think he’s one of top few handful of DC’s in the league. That said, he apparently has a lot of say on who to sign and how the defensive side of the roster is constructed.
This needs to change.
Jim, your job is to coach the defense, plan for the opponent, and call the defensive plays. Your job is not to handpick the roster. Even if it were, you’re doing a terrible job.
Darius Slay was a good acquisition which helped bring some base level of competence to the secondary. Unfortunately, the rest of the secondary is still suspect, and Schwartz’s reliance on favored players who repeatedly get beat on double moves (looking at you, Jalen Mills) is problematic. Likewise, there’s a ton of money being poured into the defensive line with not a lot of return on investment. They’ve been good, not great. They need to be great given the money there. Then there’s a complete lack of talent at LB. I don’t mind not putting all your investments into the position, but maybe make sure the guys who are there can at least be representative.
Take away his ability to hand pick players and instead give him players with actual talent he can use in his scheme. Maybe then he can just focus on scheming and not worry about playing favorites all the time. Who knows. Maybe they can even get a stop on defense after the offense scores. Just once? Please?
The NFC East continues to be terrible
The NFC East is a terrible division, and the Eagles (currently 3-6-1) can reclaim the division lead with a win tonight. Meanwhile, the Giants may have just lost their QB and the Cowboys are dreadful. It seems like every time a team in the division looks like they might take over, something terrible happens to them. I expect Washington will have a rude awakening next week. Speaking of, let’s look at the remaining schedule for the division, shall we?
| Week | Eagles | Cowboys | Giants | Football Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | at Packers (7-3) | at Ravens (6-4) | at Seahawks (7-3) | at Steelers (10-0) |
| 14 | vs Saints (8-2 | at Bengals (2-8-1) | vs Cardinals (6-5) | vs 49ers (4-6) |
| 15 | at Cardinals (6-5) | vs 49ers (4-6) | vs Browns (7-3) | at Seahawks (7-3) |
| 16 | at Cowboys (3-8) | vs Eagles (3-6-1) | at Ravens (6-4) | vs Panthers (4-7) |
| 17 | vs Football Team (4-7) | at Giants (4-7) | vs Cowboys (3-8) | at Eagles (3-6-1) |
The Eagles (3-6-1) also have the Seahawks tonight. If we’re projecting wins and losses, it’s not unreasonable to think they will lose each of their next four games. They should then be able to beat the Cowboys which would bring their record to 4-10-1 going into week 17.
The Cowboys (3-8) are pretty bad. I’m not even sure they beat the Bengals, but let’s give them that one for fun. Assuming losses in the other games they will be 4-11 going into week 17.
The Giants (4-7) just lost their QB and barely escaped a win against a Bengals team without their own (much better) QB. Hard to envision them winning any of their next 4 games. That would place them at 4-11 going into week 17.
The Football Team (4-7) might be the best team in the division with a stalwart defense and a base level of competence at QB in Alex Smith. However, they are about to run into an undefeated team, a resurgent team, and a team vying for the top seed in the conference. I’ll give them the win against the Panthers though. That places them at 5-10 going into the final week of the year.
If things play out as above, the Eagles would have a chance to win the division by beating the Football Team in the final week of the season and getting to 5-10-1, as pathetic as that is. I had previously stated I thought they needed to win at least one game against the likes of Seattle, Green Bay, New Orleans, and Arizona, but that may not even be the case. This division is terrible, and whoever gets the 5 seed is going to be very happy.
The NFC remains wide open
Not for nothing, but I’m still resolutely against tanking. The Patriots dominated for 20 years without ever having a top 10 pick in the draft so let’s not pretend having such a pick is all that stands between the Eagles and domination. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the conference:
The New Orleans Saints are currently the one seed with a 9-2 record. However, Drew Brees is out of action with a major injury and probably won’t return before the playoffs. Will he be the same player when he does? Meanwhile, Taysom Hill is 2-0 in his starts, one against an inconsistent and generally bad Atlanta Falcons squad, and the other against a bad Denver team literally playing without a quarterback. Congrats? It’ll sure be interesting to see them play the Chiefs in a few weeks. Also worth noting their history of choking in the playoffs.
Green Bay and Seattle are nipping at their heels with just 3 losses each (pending tonight’s outcome). Green Bay scored a big win over the Bears last night, but we probably shouldn’t pretend that’s all that impressive. In fact, do they even have an impressive win? The Saints in week 3 maybe Meanwhile, the Seahawks have stumbled of late. Their defense is atrocious, and unless Russel Wilson is at peek performance they will continue to struggle. Like Green Bay, it’s hard to find a truly impressive win on their schedule. I won’t say the Eagles will actually win this game, but they might have a chance if the offense can look something close to competent.
The next few teams in the conference are a bit of a jumble. The Rams, Bucs, Cardinals, and 49ers are all inconsistent with a mix of great games and terrible games. The Rams have a limited ceiling with Goff. The Bucs have some inner turmoil. The Cardinals are young and showing it (Murray is legit, but is still making mistakes). The 49ers are currently out of the playoffs, but are getting healthier. They’ll have a chance to earn a playoff spot, but it will probably require winning two more games within the division. Also, they have Nick Mullens at QB.
What team is truly scary here? The Eagles probably won’t beat any of them, but it’s not like they have to face the Chiefs in the playoffs. If they can get their act together and win their terrible division, they might have a chance to at least knock off an opponent or two. That sure would be fun. Also, it would be really nice if Carson Wentz could get playoff experience and maybe even some success. Feels like he could really use that kind of confidence boost.
