The Eagles run defense had better show up on Sunday and get started fast. The Cardinals don’t have a dominating running game, but it’s good enough to keep a defense honest and it buys more time for quarterback Carson Palmer to look up a very good wide receiver duo in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.
The Cardinals running backs Rashard Mendenhall and Andre Ellington got things going early and it kept the Indianapolis Colts defense off balance. They had to honor the run fakes and that allowed Palmer, Fitzgerald and Floyd to get in a rhythm early.
Mendenhall and Ellington aren’t great backs, but they do run hard. They’re capable of breaking tackles and do make people miss every now and then. The Birds front seven must eliminate the run threat. They need to get Palmer isolated in must-passing situations, so they can get after him with their pass rush and blitzes.
Billy Davis’ defense must get pressure up the middle on Palmer to get him off of his spot. He’s a much better quarterback when he’s able to plant his feet. If he has to move, he’s not the same guy. Palmer doesn’t have quick feet, so making him move really bothers him.
I want to see those defensive tackles turned loose to get pressure in Palmer’s face, but the only way you can do that is by eliminating the run threat. Davis should blitz the inside linebackers every now and then to keep the offensive line and Palmer guessing.
Fitzgerald and Floyd both have great size and are capable of going up catching the football over defenders. Tackling after the catch and hustling to the football by everybody else will be needed because both of these guys break tackles.
Palmer will throw the football to Fitzgerald regardless of how many guys are covering him, so the defensive backs responsible for him had better be expecting the football to come his way. Floyd is a big, physical receiver, who is starting to come into his own and Palmer has confidence in him.
They’ve got a good passing game because Palmer is a veteran signal caller, who can read the coverages and make all the throws. He has the confidence to throw the ball early on anticipation throws and he’s got two big, athletic targets to work with. He has thrown an interception in every game except this past Sunday’s win over the Colts, so he does throw the ball up for grabs.
The Eagles defensive backs are going to get some interception opportunities. They must catch the football if it hits their hands. The DB’s and linebackers must expect the ball to hit their hands on each play. Get ready to catch the football this week.
They’re going to be some situations where the defensive backs is covering a receiver as he makes a cut. When the defensive back makes the cut to stay with him, then turns to look the for the ball, it’s going to be right there. They must catch it.
I could see this game being won or lost on an interception opportunity. We all know how important turnovers are in the NFL Hopefully, it’s the team in the midnight green that takes advantage of the opportunities.
Let’s talk more about the Honey Badger Tyrann Mathieu who I repeatedly said on here over and over that the Eagles needed to draft him. I said this weeks and months before the draft. I said this while he was at LSU. Guys like fraudman and others said “hes too small” and “he cant play safety in the nfl” and “he cant play corner in the nfl” among much more buffoonery. This kid is playing some great football. They line him up all over the field in the slot on the outside at all corner spots and at all safety spots and hes making plays. They blitz him alot as well. He looks the same as he looked at LSU. It was foolish for the Eagles not to draft him. Imagine Tyrann Mathieu and Brandon Boykin on thia defense together. What could’ve been…
Smh!! Damm…we would be really good with the Honey Badger! good point Jon!
It would have been amazing koolbreeze. Two young ballhawks in the secondary. That’s what we need. And we’ve been weak at safety, though our group has improved. Wolff will be out again this week..
I wasn’t the one who dissed Mathieu JH,
It was GMCliff who stated he was “Nothing Special” and a “Bust”..
I simply Stated that the Eagles do not or would not Draft or Pursue Players that have his kind of baggage and background with their past
I stated he would make a nice Nickel Back and Returner, but that it would not be for the Philadelphia Eagles..
Matthieu, just as in V Burfict, Josh Gordon, and CB Browner are simply Players that the Eagles won’t Pursue as an Organizational Decision
I am not saying any of these Players are no good, for obviously, they are very good, but as far as finding a home in Philly, It’s never going to happen for the Eagles stay clear away from PLayers with legal/drug issues in their backgrounds, as simple as that which is why there is little wishful thinking about discussing Players like this, for it won’t happen with the Eagles..
just another jon hart factless post. lmfao
Read it and weep MHitler
Time to expose Fraudman again. Check out what he had to say about Tyrann Mathieu:
paulman December 28, 2012 – 3:50 pm
He’s 5 8″ and 165-170lbs. He’s a Return Man and a 4th/5th DB in Nickel Packages at Best …
Oh theirs more:
paulman December 29, 2012 – 3:19 pm
The bottom line to me here is that Eagles already have a player who fits this need and mold. His name is Brandon Boynkin. You can’t have a Secondary full of “small, but tough DB’s” who player “bigger than they are” So the Eagles, bottom line just don’t have the need for Matthieu Plain and simple which is why he’s not even in my evaluation of Prospects that the Eagles need to seriously look at and I mean no disrespect in my opinion about Matthieu, he simply is not a fir for what the Eagles need to do with their Secondary at this time
Fraudman, you criticize gmcliff about his evaluations and predictions but your way worse than he is. What a clown, now your trying to back track on everything as if people forget about what you say. Your the ultimate flip flopper/bandwagoner. This is just one of the reasons why I call you Fraudman. Read it and weep, you we’re wrong again Wrongman.. #exposed #yikes
I probably posted about 15-20 Times about Matthieu JH
If you are bored and have some time on your hands, go check out some of my posts about him in Febuary/March/Appril as it was closer to Draft Time.. You guys crack me up.. I probably have 10,000l comments about every Player in the NFL over the last 5 Yars so i am sure you can find some positive things and some negative things That I have posted about each adn every one of them….
I neve said Matthieu was not going to be a decent Player, I stated that the Eagles were not going to pursue him since they had Boynkin already and that they say away with Players with known Drug/Legal baggage issues and yes I was correct, Wasn’t I .. Thans for your Research
Read ur own posts man, don’t dance around it now. Read um and weep. U we’re wrong. And u proved my point once again with ur flip flopping. U ll never change. U dogged Tyrann Mathieu because of his height and weight. A playmaker is a playmaker. You said he’d be a special teamer/4-5 DB in Nickel packages at best, how disrespectful. What a fraudman wrongman oldman..
Pman- I stated several years ago that Jason Babbin was a bum and that we should not go after him. We did…. and he lit it up. I was WRONG. Its not hard to admit it… u just have to state what all of us see day in and day out…
Like u were about Djax….. you were wrong about this. Admit and move on.
Jason Babin was/is a bum. He “lit it up” by abandoning the scheme, not playing the run and padding his stats at the expense of the team.
Half his tackles were sacks.
Another individual who “checked down” to himself over doing what’s best for the team.
You seem to really like those kinds of guys.
Oh vinnie…try reading my post u stupid brick. I said i wanted nothing to do with him. Btw… whats it like to go against your word? Whats it lime to swear to do something… promise with all your might..and just ignore it? Whatz it like to slam me and my fam for saying you would go against your word.. cause i know your type?
I admitted that I was wrong about D-Jax many times this year Stevo.. I never doubted his abilities, it was his Artitude and lack of professionalism and selfishness that I didn’t like and stated so many times.. Remember, I never changed,
D-Jax changed and for the better so e Kelky came on board,
And for this I am happy he’s on my Team, and not the D-Jerx we saw in 2011 & 2012..
No Stevo you should have read the post about why its okay to go back on your word on a stupid sports blog. It was priceless.
Paulman aka the flip flopper. LOL
Fraudman, what about your remarks regarding Demeco Ryans for the past yr in a half? “Hes washed up” “the eagles should trade him” “the eagles should flat out release him” ” he just doesn’t have it anymore” “the eagles will release Ryans after the season and Mychal Kendricks will replace him” hahaha I can go on and on and on.. Fact is, you have no clue what your talking about. You have faulty/outright wrong evaluations of players. Demeco Ryans is the leader of this defense and has been playing lights out football and if healthy will be on the probowl team this year. And to top all of this, you still tried to discredit Ryans by saying that Conner Barwin was the leader of this defense and that all the young players are feeding off of his energy hahaha you just couldnt admit that DRyans was what you said he wasnt. Egg on your face again..Wtheck are you thinking when you make these comments about players. Just like you said Desean wasnt a #1 receiver and is nothing more than a 1 trick pony and doesnt need to be brought back and that they should trade the “thug” hahaha what a clown..
Jon Hart, you are an idiot —
When Gary or Denny write an article on Peterson and the defense are you going to comment on Fitzgerald?
giving up on Levi Brown might be an addition by subtraction.
Cedric Thornton was mid way point best Eagle Dlinemen but Fletcher Cox’s play recently has been outstanding and better- Hopefully they can tee off on Carson. The Cards have a no name OL, RT eric winston is the only player I know anything about and I know he is not a good pass blocker.
Cardinals Offense turned around their Season when RB?Scat Back Andre Ellington begane to play more and get more Touches.. A small,but cat like quickness with open field moves and can really catch the ball out of the backfield who is having a nice Rookie Season after a slow start..
Also very dangerous in the Return game s well as Peterson..
Solid Eagles Special Teams Play will be super important in this game
Watch out for other Cardinal Receivers
WR Andre Roberts and TE Housler who is more of pass-receiving threat and lines up all over the place and presents some match-ups problems versus LB’s..
Brandon Boykin scares me a little this week — Fitzgerald and Floyd are so big if the Cards can get a one on one matchup with him. I don’t see how he is going to stop them —
Good points about the honey badger JH. The kid would not only be the best player in our secondary, but probably on the D period.
Yea CB, dude would be up there with Cox and Boykin who have really grown leaps and bounds from last year.. The Badger is really having a good year.. We ll see him up close and personal this Sunday..