• March 19, 2024

Ryan Mathews Continues To Outshine DeMarco Murray

DeMarcoMurrayNO1It’s always important that a head coach has the trust of his players from the standpoint that they believe he will always put the players on the field that BEST help the team to win.  Chip Kelly said he didn’t have enough data to decide which running back should be carrying the ball more often, DeMarco Murray or Ryan Mathews.  It’s going to be harder and harder to say that as we go deeper into the season.   So far when both backs have been healthy, Murray has been the running back he has chosen to give the football to, but that could change in the near future.

Anyone who has seen the Eagles play this season has noticed a difference in the effectiveness of the running backs and the difference is getting more and more glaring.  When Mathews is in the game, he explodes into and through the holes.  He runs aggressively and attacks the wannabe tacklers.  On Sunday, Mathews ran the ball like his hair was on fire.  He threw a couple of tacklers to the side with his hands and fought a few of them for more yardage.  There’s a violence to the way this young man runs with the football.

Murray on the other hand hasn’t been nearly as effective.  He looks slow getting to the line of scrimmage and his feet look heavy.  Surprisingly, he has been tackled by one defender too many times to mention this season.  Murray rarely makes a tackler miss and at times he has stumbled and fallen without being tackled.  Murray doesn’t appear to be the athlete that Mathews is.

The combination of Mathews’ size, speed and aggressiveness is definitely an eye-catcher.   He’s running the ball at a much faster speed than Murray.

It’s not a coincidence that Mathews is having much more success running with the football than DeMarco Murray.  Mathews has carried the ball 41 times for 205 yards for a five-yards per carry average.  Murray has carried the football 49 times for 130 yards a paltry 2.7 yards per carry

They have been running behind the same offensive line this season and running the same plays.  Mathews makes things happen when he gets his hands on the football.  The blocking wasn’t great in the Jets game, but Mathews just ran through the tacklers’ arms despite the poor blocking.  Murray always seems to be a step late to the hole, if there is a hole to be found.

If ever there was a running back, who was a misfit for a line, it’s Murray with this Eagles line. If they give up penetration, he always seems to get tackled by that guy.  Despite the giving the ball to Murray 20 times on Sunday, it didn’t solve the problem because all it did was give Murray the chance to show everybody that he is struggling.

If things continue at this pace, I think Chip is going to have no choice but to put the ball in Mathews’ hands more than Murray.  They could try and mask it by saying that they’re just giving everybody a chance to carry the football.   Remember the teammates of both players have been seeing what we’ve all been seeing.

GCOBB

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eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
October 14, 2015 9:24 am

Timmo returns to be honored in Philly tonight –
Cole Hamels takes the mound in elimination game 4:00 pm est in Toronto for Texas

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
October 14, 2015 9:29 am

Demarco Murray runs backward a lot for negative plays

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
October 14, 2015 10:20 am

I said 2 things when the Eagles made the RB changes this summer.

1 – I applauded the Matthews signing. When he plays he is a very productive and exciting back.

I knew Eagle fan would love Matthews. Matthews, when healthy, is an awesome back to watch. Not only is he fast and powerful, but he plays very aggressively. His running style is fun to watch. Unfortunately, this aggressive style has led to a rash of injuries over the years.

That is why the Eagles had to be cautious and not sign him to a large contract. They didn’t. I also knew that they would have to “insulate” Matthews due to his injury history. I figured they would do this at the draft…..but they didn’t do that iinstead they…..

2 – ….signed Murray. This was a mistake. I said so then, and I am standing to it. Firstly, it made no sense to back up an injury-prone back in Matthews with another injury prone back! Secondly, the price was insane. $40 million for a RB??? They really can’t cut the guy till after the 2017 season. Using up salary cap space like this on RBs is a waste of resources.

And on top of that, history tells us this signing would fail.

400 carries is the RB doomsday #.

Murray had 436. On top of that, Murray caught the ball 61x.

498 touches last year. Insane.

Do you know why he spent the entire offseason on the sideline and now can’t average 2.7 yrds/carry? His legs are jello.

The Cowboys knew they weren’t going to be able to re-sign the guy (Demarco, Romo) and ran his ass into the ground last year. 400 carry backs fall off cliffs, and we’re seeing the same thing here.

I would suggest the Eagles make Matthews the primary back and get Murray onto the massage table for a couple months hoping he gets some spring back in those legs over the 2nd half….

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
October 14, 2015 10:22 am

Sorry – Dez…not Demarco/Romo

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
October 14, 2015 10:49 am

While I like Matthews a lot and he seems to make much more sense in Chip’s offense, I think that you are vastly downplaying the ineffectiveness of the offensive line in order to prove your point. Murray has been dodging defenders in the backfield most of the season.

That being said, in hindsight, I would have preferred that they took his money and applied it towards bringing Maclin back. I don’t like Maclin at his price, but they are certainly missing him this year.

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
October 14, 2015 12:34 pm
Reply to  bugsyhawk

Agreed, Bugs! .the line hasn’t been solid in the run game, way too inconsistent.

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
October 14, 2015 12:49 pm
Reply to  RealTalk777

They have been….but the reality is there has been 1 oline (I recognize the change at guard). 3 different backs have carried the ball behind the same line.

One averages 8.4 yrds/carry, one averages 5.4, and one averages 2.7.

I recognize that obviously game situations and such have been different. I also recognize that the Dallas linemen were amped to foil Murray’s Eagle debut.

But you cannot hide from history.

History said that Murray would suck this year after what he did last, and its coming true.

This isnt just about his production….where was he all pre-season? What was going on? Why wasn’t he practicing? I thi9nk its because he is still recovering from last year.

Eddie George says he never had an offseason after his 400 carry year…spent the entire offseason in pain and undergoing treatment because it took so much out of him.

Jamal Anderson fell off a cliff after 400 carries.
Eddie George did nothing the year after 400 carries. He was able to have one more (sort of) productive season 2 season later and then faded away.
James Wilder disappeared after 400
Larry Johnson fell off a cliff after 400
Eric Dickerson had an injury filled year after 400. Was able to come back the following season with a decent year and then……

None of them carried the ball 436 times.

And none of them piled on another 61 catches to boot.

Can’t hide from history.

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 1:20 pm

Chip Kelly says he has “Smoothies” to Keep Murray Running Strong thru his 30’s.. and Darren Sproles until he’s 40..

deserteagle
deserteagle
October 14, 2015 11:25 am

I think that measuring the defensive side of the ball is a calculus we overlook when discussing Murray.I am not using the Aints as a calculus ,but Murray was exhibiting some of the toughness he brings in softening the underbelly of opposing defenses ..There also is the sensibility we all discussed in a win win by removing him from Romos attack.In a season where Dez went down ,who knows had Murray been there that. Romo might not have been asked to do as much,and opened himself up for the kill shots he took.Nobodys discounting that this guy had a lot of tread off his tires ,but let’s analyze his productivity in the winter months ,before we consider him a bust ..I also don’t discount his friendship from college with Sam I am ,and that calculus in motivating his roomie..

koolbreeze
koolbreeze
October 14, 2015 3:29 pm
Reply to  deserteagle

“I am not using the Aints as a calculus”- here again is the inconsistency…The Aints according to you deserteagle were good enough to beat the Eagles you predicted that they would win…but now after the Eagles dismantle them and blow them out…suddenly-presto-our good play against them doesn’t count!
Flip-Flop!

deserteagle
deserteagle
October 14, 2015 6:36 pm
Reply to  koolbreeze

Kool. Read what I wrote …get your facts straight..”hope the saints are the soft underbelly the eagles need to get back on track” how in hell is that picking the Aints? And btw I also felt they be distracted looking ahead towards a short week foe in there division..stop using your own facts to support your narrative …

koolbreeze
koolbreeze
October 14, 2015 7:43 pm
Reply to  deserteagle

deserteagle…do we have to go to the archives to show that you picked the Saints to beat the Eagles 23-20? Do we have to embarrass you like that…simply man up and take your licks…eat your crow…you predicted the Saints to beat the Eagles and after seeing the Eagles destroy the Saints…you flip-flopped like a dead fish to tell us that the Saints were no good anyway…
stop it…stop it….

deserteagle
deserteagle
October 14, 2015 9:08 pm
Reply to  koolbreeze

I never did pick the saints. See my posts under saints eagle previews ..so stop making shit up..I never pick scores either ..that’s fool hearty ..I expect a retraction ..

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 11:52 am

D Murray was a Bad Signing as some of us indicated..
I like Ryan Matthews and thought he a was a great Pick-up to go along with D Sproles and then Draft a Good Young RB in the 4th/5th Round is what I would have done..
Besides, behind that Big Cowboys OL with constant Double Teams on WR Dez Bryant on the outside that Defenses have to Honor, Even Vinnie could get a 1,000 Yards running for the Cowboys..
In Chip Kelly’s Offense, what RB’s have done well the last 3 Years
Its those quick, explosive backs like McCoy, Sproles, Tucker, Mostert and
even the kid from Villanova was getting 4-5 Yards a Carry…
Murray is too slow and has lost explosion in his legs and now the Eagles are stuck with him..

koolbreeze
koolbreeze
October 14, 2015 12:57 pm

Lets look at the facts, our initial push was towards Frank Gore. Kelly wanted punishing, physical style runners that would impose their will on defenses tiring out the fast pace of the Eagles style. Gore changed his mind, Maclin wanted much more money than he deserved and made an excellent business decision. When Demarco Murray came available most objective observers thought that it was an excellent move. We weakened the Cowboys rushing attack and strengthen our own!
Murray showed from his time in Dallas that he is a physically punishing runner who excelled and fit right into what Kelly was looking for..no one predicted that the Offensive line would struggle like it has early in the season. So stop with the Monday morning Quarterbacking that Vinniedaloser wants to present like he predicted it from the start…Bull

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
October 14, 2015 1:20 pm
Reply to  koolbreeze

“So stop with the Monday morning Quarterbacking that Vinniedaloser wants to present like he predicted it from the start…Bull”

Bull eh?

As usual, everything you say is wrong…..

Vinnietheevictor March 12:

“I dunno. 430+ carries last year. That’s insane. Cowboys ran him into the ground.”

“He’ll never see the end of his contract.”

“Murray had an insane 436 AND 57 catches. 493 touches!!
Its unheard of really, and frankly gives me great pause about this deal.”

(was actually a little off there….was actually 61 catches)

March 13

“No. There isn’t. In fact the exact opposite is true. Backs over 370 carries, for the most part, fall off a cliff very shortly after.
Murray didn’t have 350 carries, nor 370. He had 436 carries last year AND 57 receptions. That’s 2 seasons worth of work.”

“I am very cautious that we just picked up a guy with a ridiculous 436 carries and almost 500 total touches. That’s 2 seasons crammed into 1 and history has not been kind to guys who have done that.”

The response from posters:

zilents4
goddamn vinnie why do you find the negative in every damn move…

Aint no Monday QBing here at all. Didn’t like the Murray signing from the start. I don’t flip flop on players, now do I drop the “I never said…..” garbage like youu do.

Of course, on the same day I was questioning this signing, you were harping about how the running game was improved!

You still stand by that????….or you going to backtrack like you have from your “Sanchez is great”claims…and “Bradford is 10x better” claims you ahve also made……

And without a response to these questions….Cue Kooltwit announcing how I am not a fan in 3….2…..1…..

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 12:58 pm

The Salaries of the Eagles Backfield Grows over the next 2 Seasons while their Ages and Productivity probably Drops…

2015 – A Combined $11 Million Spent for all 3 RB’s
2016 – A Combined $17.8 Million Spent for all 3 RB’s
2017 – A Combined $14 Million (For Murray & Matthews as Sproles current Contract is over)

RB Murray has a 5 Year $40 Million Deal with $21 In Guaranteed $$$
2015 – $5 Million
2016 – $8 Million
2017 – $9 Million
2018 – $9 Million
2019 – $9 Million (at Age 31)
(Chances are that Murray won’t see the final 2 Years of his Deal once the Guaranteed $$$ are spent)

RB Ryan Matthews has a 3 Year $11 Million Deal with $5 Million in Guaranteed $$$$$
2015 – $2 Million
2016 – $4 Million
2017 – $5 Million (At Age 30)

RB Sproles is under a 3 Year $10.5 Million Deal with 2015 & 2016 Remaining
2015 – $4.1 Million
2016 – $4.5 Million (At Age 33)

haveacigar
haveacigar
October 14, 2015 1:22 pm
Reply to  paulman

If sproles keeps producing they will restructure 16 with a guarantee for 17 maybe the same with matthews.

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 1:30 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

Its hard to say .. I don’t think they have to re-structure either back at this time
They Both will be earning a Good Salary for RB in 2016 and then see how things play out .. Sproles will be 33 but can probably still be effective if used in a limited Role but if the hope that Barner or Huff can Replace Sproles in the Return Game and then the Eagles will eventually have to get Younger at the RB Position.. Can Barner/Huff develop as a Poor Man’s Sproles?

haveacigar
haveacigar
October 14, 2015 2:05 pm
Reply to  paulman

right- they have shown a propensity to resign aging leaders to cap friendly deals-

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 2:43 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

Which having Chip Kelly oversee, participate or at least approve Player Contract’s brings yet another Dynamic to how the Eagles Front Office will handle their Veterans moving forward.. It should be interesting to see as time goes on.. I really don’t see many changes after this Season in terms of cutting dead weight as they did most of that last off-season..
Depending on the Health of DeMeco Ryans, he’s about the only Veteran I see who could be flat out released after this Year and especially with the play of Jordan Hicks…

On Defense the Eagles have Nolan Carroll, Walter Thurmond, Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, EJ Biggers and Najee Goode as Pending Free-Agents

On Offense – Sam Bradford, Miles Austin, Seji Aijorutu, Matt Tobin, David Molk, Thad Lewis & K Caleb Sturgis will also be pending FA..

I believe Chip Kelly will use these next 3 Games (Giants, Panthers & Dallas) to probably determine whether Sam Bradford is the QB for the Future
If he continues to improve and protects the ball better, then Kelly will probably push hard to Re-Sign Him, If Bradford remains inconsistent with a lot of Turnovers and Missed Passes & Bad Reads, etc,etc then addressing QB for 2016 will again be his #1 Goal in the Off-Season..

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
October 14, 2015 3:35 pm
Reply to  paulman

Cox and Logan are important even though they are under contract for 2016, the cap must be planned to keep them as first priority when signing contracts this off season.
As for your list PMan, I think Carroll and Thurmond rise to the top in importance.

haveacigar
haveacigar
October 14, 2015 3:41 pm

the eagles are going to be getting to a tipping point the next year or two… ESPECIALLY if this year ends up with bradford having success and getting top 5-9 money…. if you need an example of what it can do to a team check out the Aints.

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 3:59 pm

Have the Eagles exercised the Option Year for Fletcher Cox Yet sine he was a 1st Round Pick..?

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
October 14, 2015 3:13 pm

LOL, the cowboys are benching players in the bye week. What is the advantage to tell people they are benching people now. Weeden, Randle, O’Leary for Cassel, Michaels, and Collins.
3 starters on the offense –
—————
the one win four loss head coach in KC is going to put his players in a better position to make plays

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 4:02 pm

Patriots Lose Pro Bowler LT Nate Solder to a Torn Right Bicep Injury and is out for the Season.. The Pats will be using GMCliff’s old Draft favorite Marcus Cannon in his Place.. Cannon has played RT, Guard and Now LT and has played well since having a Medical Scare during his Rookie Season with Blood Clotting..

deserteagle
deserteagle
October 14, 2015 6:42 pm
Reply to  paulman

Yes Pman the Eagles exercised the 5th year option on cox through 2016

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 10:48 pm
Reply to  deserteagle

I thought they did so they really have another year before signing him to a long term deal, thought it would be great to get him & Logan under long term deals sooner than later..

Everz11
Everz11
October 14, 2015 4:40 pm

A couple ironic twists I am noticing about this season. Kelly seizes GM power to get “his guys” to run “his offense” in the offseason. Yet “his guys” were so ineffective in “his offense” that he had to change to a more conventional attack to win, QB under center, double TE etc. That’s ironic in itself that the guys he ousted were more effective than those he hand selected to run “his offense”. The second irony is that by going to a more conventional offense, I as a fan have more hope for the team moving forward, because I believe football is about beating the man in front of you, always has been, always will be. Tempo, jet sweeps and bubble screens are great in college with novice, one read QB’s and only a handful of future professional athletes on D, but not in the pro’s where everyone on the opposing D was the best player on their college team. Lets hope Chip continues to adapt to pro football and sticks with the basics going forward.

paulman
paulman
October 14, 2015 10:47 pm
Reply to  Everz11

Excellent Points Everz11..

skayne
skayne
October 15, 2015 6:44 am
Reply to  Everz11

Kelly’s normal offense is about beating the man in front of you. The problem happens when you start trading, losing to free agency, and outright releasing those players for bullshit “culture” reasons.

The problem isn’t his offense. It’s his Napoleon complex that can’t deal with players who don’t worship his every move.

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
October 15, 2015 11:24 am
Reply to  skayne

Michal Neuvirth back to back shut outs including the Champs –

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
October 15, 2015 11:47 am

I’m sitting this Monday out gave our tickets away today. Getting some Knishes, pastrami, cole slaw and pickles for the game from the Deli and I’ll chime in here. Feeling good about the outcome. I think the birds get back into the NFC East Division race.
Eagles about to play back to back night games Monday night home against the Giants then Sunday Night away in Charlotte.

paulman
paulman
October 15, 2015 12:05 pm

Then a Bye Week after Carolina followed by another Sunday Night Game versus the Cowboys.. These 3 Games all against NFC Playoff Contenders
will tell us how good or not Chip Kelly and the Eagles really are…
If they go 3-0, they will be a Hot Team heading into the 2nd Half of the Season with a 5-3 Overall Record and a 4-3 NFC Conference Record and a 2-2 NFC East Record ..
If they go 2-1 to even their Record at 4-4, then still have a good chance due to the weakness of the NFC East, but a 1-2 Stretch or Worse, and its probably over for them as they will have too poor of a NFC Division & Conference Record at that point..

deserteagle
deserteagle
October 15, 2015 12:05 pm

Sounds more like a barmitzvah..enjoy ..I agree. The Giants are limping into a hornets nest ..make sure you get some honey cake for dessert…and dr. Browns.. ..

paulman
paulman
October 15, 2015 12:09 pm

I think the Eagles Win Big Monday Night in a high-scoring Game.. 36-20
TE’s Ertz/Celek to have Big Games over the Giants Inexperienced Safety’s and LB’s…
I also expect Sproles to have a monster game out of the Backfield vs the Giants LB’s as well as a Big Special Teams Return or two….

CT
CT
October 15, 2015 2:49 pm

35-17 Philly.. Eli and Limping Giant WR corp struggle to put up points, and throws up a score in garbage time. Eli is under pressure the majority of the game and the running game is again held in check with the defense picking off Eli twice and recovering a fumble.

Next weeks games is probably the same story against a weak Carolina team. Going into the bye week 4-3 (2 plays away from being 6-1) is a great change in the teams mood, chemistry and things get rolling even more when we come off our bye versus dallas, tampa, detroit and miami.

I have us at 7-3 through the first 10 games of the season, 6-4 at worst. Bradford continues to knock off the rust after being away from 2 years and shows why he was the number 1 overall pick in this offense. We make the playoffs beating ATL in a rematch in the DOME. Philly resigns Sammy at the end of the season making him a top 10 paid QB..

paulman
paulman
October 15, 2015 4:19 pm
Reply to  CT

Panthers are not a Weak Team… Cam Newton is probably having his Best Season as a NFL QB in Terms of protecting the Ball and Himself..
Their Defense is legitimate and Rated 3rd in the NFL in Yards Allowed
and are Allowing a shade under 18 Pts Per Game..

I also don’t see where the Eagles were “2 Plays Away” from having 2 more Victories ?

pheags88
pheags88
October 15, 2015 8:41 pm
Reply to  paulman

We could easily go 5-1 in our next six games (I would take 4-2 if that meant wins against giants/cowboys). Panthers are probably the weakest 4-0 team in a long time. They played maybe the worst 4 teams in the league so far haven’t beaten anyone. IMO they’re frauds, although Newton is playing very well considering he doesn’t have any real weapons or Oline. Last year they didn’t even deserve to be on the field with us in primetime. I don’t think we blow them out that bad but I think we get the win there going into the bye. Just beat the damn Giants at home please

CT
CT
October 16, 2015 4:27 pm

Thank you Pheags..The Panthers are the biggest pretenders in the league.

And Paulman I can name your about 6-7 different plays where philly’s record would have 2 extra victories, but the fact of the matter is all you have to do is choose 2. If you look at the Atlanta game when we Sacked Matt Ryan right before the half, and the refs called the worst holding call of the season on Kiko Alonso which was virtually non existent. The Falcons ended up getting the ball back and scoring on the next play to Julio Jones. You can also bring up the 2 dropped picked 6s by Malcolm Jenkins and the missed Field goal to put us ahead. The 3rd and 18 draw handoff that went for a 1st down and resulted in points later for the falcons also didnt help, along with Jordan Matthews dropping the ball into the defenders hands at the end..

Look at he Skins game, where Darren Sproles dropped a crucial 3rd down pass wide open, and the missed field goals and extra points.. The defense didnt make plays on any of those.. Those were what chip kelly likes to call SIW (Self inflicted wounds).

Sammy has had 4 touchdown passes taken off the board as well by bone headed moves. 2 dropped touchdown passes in the jets game by sproles and matthews, a touchdown pass to Ertz called back cause of a penalaty on Nelson, and a touchdown pass to Jordan which Chip never challenged. Dont forget out of the 6 ints thrown by Sammy, that 2 of them have been on the WR and not him cause they were dropped/batted in the air by the WR.

You can choose any of the 2 plays I listed above that you want, and more than likely we are sitting with a better record, but… this is the NFL and the only thing that matters is wins and losses… Ask Seattle who is lucky to not be at 1-4. All the woulda coulda shoulda stuff will go out the window this monday night when philly gets back to .500.

Not bad for a team with a revamped secondary and 9 new starters on offense..

koolbreeze
koolbreeze
October 17, 2015 1:25 am
Reply to  CT

Excellent points CT! Sam Bradford play has not been that bad when one gives reasonable consideration to the extenuating circumstances! He hasn’t played in two years, he doesn’t have an established No#1 wide receiver at all, the receivers are among the league leaders in drop passes which has caused 2 of his 6 interceptions.
However, what we are seeing despite these difficulties is a QB who is getting better!
The improvement of the QB and the team with 9 new players on offense as well as an improving defense gives cause for optimism! We dont have to listen to naysayers like Paulman who sees the smallest of problems for the Eagles as insurmountable and the other team is always a juggernaut that cant possibly lose to the Eagles.
CT keep the faith brother…it will pay off!

CT
CT
October 16, 2015 4:32 pm

Sammy very well could have 13 tds to 4 ints for his first action in 2 years. Us as fans want to look at training camp, and preseason, and look at the talent this team has on paper and shout SUPERBOWL right off the bat. But this game requires chemistry probably more than any sport on the planet. This team is coming together and will continue to do so as the season progresses. Playing dallas off our bye only helps us, and playing New England after 10 days rest after thanksgiving is in our favor. Buffalo might end up being all bark and no bite at the point in the season we play them, and arizona doesnt fighten me. Chip Kelly has put up 500 yards on Bruce Arians twice in his nfl career, and the Arizona cardinals got LUCKY last season and walked away with a W in there home stadium against us. Lets see how the fair in philly this year in the cold!

paulman
paulman
October 17, 2015 12:10 am
Reply to  CT

I have also seen at least 4-5 Int’s that were dropped that Bradford got away with…

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
October 16, 2015 7:57 pm

Sixers are brutal. They don’t do anything entertaining.

zilents44
zilents44
October 16, 2015 10:43 pm

Ct beautiful my man I see the same thing you do our schedule is not hard just gotta execute and we will prevail

paulman
paulman
October 17, 2015 12:07 am

CT , I like your optimistic look at things but do note that You can look at Plays the other Teams didn’t make either ..
Falcons Matt Ryan had a wide openRoddy White and under-threw himinwhich Kiko Alonso made agreT play, but Ryan short armed that pass or that game was over by Half-time
Versus the NY Jets with 4-5-6 Defenders missing Tackles on Darren Sproles on the Punt Return or WR B Marshall for some inexplicable reason trying to lateral the ball after already making a big catch , etc, etc…

Picking out the coulda, woulda,shoulda can be excuses for all Teams
The Eagles are 2-3 and gave to only worry about beating the NY Giants or this Season will be difficult to salvage..

Meanwhile the Panthers are 9-2 over their last 11 NFL Games including a Playoff Win.. How they do it, or who their W’s are against makes no difference
Panthers are At Seattle, Host Philly & Indy, thenPlaty at the Packers over their next 4 Games so we’ll see if they are for real or not but the taking care of business and starting 4-0 gives them confidence and a little cushion that the Eagles do not have …

CT
CT
October 17, 2015 12:16 pm

Yessir Koolbreeze. As a fan, Chip Kelly has given us what we all wish for before a season, hope and faith. Which is all a fan can ask for..

I have been coming to this site for more than 4 years now, I don’ comment as much as a I should, but I have been following what you guys say now for sometime learning quite a bit from Older generation fans and new ones. Everybody likes to jump on Paulman, the fans who will nit pick and “Flip flop”, but its informative, educated fans like Paulman and others, that just really want to see us win at the end of the week, and when we dont it hurts him and he will come on here and overreact at some points.

And your right Paulman, everyteam has there woulda coulda shouldas. But look at the way Atlanta played that game in the first half. Everything went there way, from the refs, how poorly philly was playing and among other things. Did that one handed amazing Kiko int even go for any points? The bottom line is that way more things went on Atlantas side then ours, and it wasnt even close. Especially in the first half. Then what happpened? Philly came out and hit 3 straight touchdowns, holding Atlanta to 6 points and Julio to one catch. Atlanta was very fortunate to walk away with a 2 point win at home versus a team in there first regular season game together ever.

And you cannot dispute what Darren Sproles did on that kickoff return/ punt return versus the Jets. The man is the most special player in the NFL, and whatever team he has ever left in his career has struggled. Look at the Chargers and Saints. He has been doing that for years, and it’s his size and quickness that make him so hard to tackle. The blocking wasnt so bad on that return either.

Lets say, the Jets do come up with the tackle on the return and Darren Sproles doesnt get the TD. That still doesnt change the fact that Sproles and Matthews literally dropped 2 touchdown passes which were beautifully thrown from Bradford (especially the one to Sproles). Lets say we execute those plays. Eeven without the punt return we still win
Tthat third down drop by Darren in the Skins game killed us even more.

In 2 of Philly’s losses, we had given the opposing teams in Atl and Washington the chance to blow us out. This can generally happen by not being able to sustain a drive, and go three and out consistently with turning the ball over here and there. We were down against Atl at the half by a big margin, and came back and fought our asses off. So what happens, we go out and miss a late fg to put us ahead. Then in the Washington game, we were down 13-0 at half, and came back once again to go out there and miss a extra point of all things and another field goal. All of these are simple boneheaded things.. How many times is Darren Sproles going to drop a wide open pass out of 100 times? How many times are we going to miss an extrapoint that comes back to haunt us?.

Everyteam has there woulda coulda shouldas, your 100 percent correct. But Philly has some MAJOR ones. More than anybody in league. That is not a biased remark, because I watch everybody and pay attention to peoples miscues compared to philly. No one comes close in the first month of the season. The difference between us and most teams is that I truely believe we have a top 6 defense. It has kept us in our losing games and allowed us to make those comebacks. This is what good teams do. They play as a TEAM, and help each other out.. Philly is a good team for not allowing those blowouts to take place. We proved we could do that last year by coming back several times through big margins.

Good teams help each other out when one side of the team is down and coming together And taht is exactly what the defense has been doing in Philly. 13-0 just ended up being slightly to big of a whole for us to come out of for this young team. We could not afford to have any bone headed plays, and we did.

Like I said though, its in the past and all will change when we get back to .500 and 3-3 at the Linc on Monday night.

deserteagle
deserteagle
October 17, 2015 12:22 pm
Reply to  CT

Kiko..kendricks..and Agholor. Ruled out ..damn

paulman
paulman
October 18, 2015 11:57 am
Reply to  deserteagle

I wonder if Kiko plays another game this Season…
I think he’ll be out for a while..

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
October 18, 2015 12:10 pm
Reply to  paulman

I would not push Kiko to return, the way Hicks is playing I would rest Kiko unless I have to play him due to injury.

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
October 17, 2015 3:25 pm

the Eagles wrapped the game up early Billy Davis gave some of his starters late game rest and used the 2nd teamers:
Rowe for Maxwell,
Braman & Smith for Barwin & Graham;
Najee Goode for Hicks and Ryans;
Cox sat down for Hart.

haveacigar
haveacigar
October 17, 2015 5:06 pm

Ct, ‘Sammy’ as you and only you call him is the only Qb to have penalties, the only QB to have drops… The would of and should of game can be played all day by wide eyed fans. You can also point to poor throws and poor decisions..that’s why it’s called a body of work.
As I’ve said I want him to play his way into the HOF here in philly but would haves should haves is BUSH

CT
CT
October 17, 2015 5:46 pm
Reply to  haveacigar

The Redskins didnt have any drops in that game in a crucial third down late in the game. They sure as hell didnt miss a bone headed extra point or field goal.. Its the little shit and self inflicted wounds.

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
October 17, 2015 5:21 pm

Myles Garrett..DE/OLB from Texas A&M has some nice pass rush skills and a quick first step. 6’5″ 240.

IrishEagle
IrishEagle
October 17, 2015 6:42 pm
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

That guy from Virginia Tech, Nicolas, can get after the passer. He was like lightning off the edge when I saw him play.

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
October 17, 2015 7:02 pm
Reply to  IrishEagle

Yes, Dadi Nicolas is good. Definitely a first round prospect.

paulman
paulman
October 17, 2015 7:58 pm

Did you check my QB Prospect Paxton Lynch of U of Memphis as they shocked and beat Ole Miss today in another good performance by Lynch.. This kid is moving up the Draft Boards..

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
October 18, 2015 9:01 am
Reply to  paulman

paul, I did watch the Memphis vs Ole Miss game. That kid reminds me of Roethlisberger, he has a strong arm and is pretty accurate, good athleticism. What I appreciated most was that he knew how to play with in himself. He looked well balanced and in control of his body, some QB’s that size do not look like they have full control of their bodies…they look awkward, but he looked fluid. I will watch a few more of his games. I still maintain the Eagles need to bring in a QB they can develop for the future..still don’t trust Bradford

paulman
paulman
October 18, 2015 9:48 am
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

I agree with your assessment EHL, he moves,slides and stays balanced like a smaller QB but has that Big-Ben to see over the line of scrimmage and look downfield.. Give this kid 2 Years with good NFL QB Coaching and he may be a real Player in the NFL .. I like him as his Football IQ, Leadership & being level headed, maturity come to mind after watching him for a few games..
Give me this Kid over Goff, Cook,Hackenburg, Kessler, Prescott, Cardele Jones, Jacoby Brissett…

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
October 18, 2015 2:26 pm
Reply to  paulman

Eagles could pick that guy up in the 2nd round and……oh wait…….

IrishEagle
IrishEagle
October 18, 2015 11:42 am
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

If the season ends today, do you let Bradford test the market and likely walk, or sign him to an extension?

paulman
paulman
October 18, 2015 11:55 am
Reply to  IrishEagle

I think you offer Bradforda fair 2 Year Deal, nothing crazy or long-term
He has improved, and appears to be gaining confidence and trust with his teammates and the “system” .. To be fair and honest, to expect any QB to walk I year 1 after missing 2 Seasons of Football and master the system and play lights out right out of the gate is unrealistic and just want going to happen..
I think Bradfordhas regained his legs so to speak and weathered his first real storm, he has a lot to improve on, but little by little he’s getting better and better and if he can eliminate that poor pass/decision or two and especially in the red-zone , then he should put up some good stats this 2nd half of the season..

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
October 18, 2015 11:57 am
Reply to  IrishEagle

Irish, in all honesty I can’t answer that question just yet. I need to see more of Bradford. I like second half Sam, I don’t like first half Sam. Like I stated last week, I need to see him be more consistent, I need to see him play well for 4 quarters and not throw picks in the end zone…no picks at all preferably, but all QB’s are going to get intercepted. I also need to see him get through a season healthy. It will boil down to where the Eagles are slated to draft at the end of the season. If they have a chance to upgrade, I would do it…but I am not sure what Bradford is yet. To me, so far he has been average…he has had some good moments, but some bad ones too. Even if he makes it through the season healthy, I would still be concerned about his knees going forward. With all that being said, just so I do not duck your question, I would let him test the market to see what his value is worth. I think Sam likes it here, so the Eagles would have a chance to match an offer if not flat out beat it. The fact is Sam wanted to test the market anyway, that is why he did not sign an extension, so I think in his mind he is headed in that direction anyway.

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
October 18, 2015 12:01 pm
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

First half Sam Bradford has cable tv, second half Sam Bradford has Direct tv. Don’t be first half Sam Bradford.

IrishEagle
IrishEagle
October 18, 2015 1:01 pm
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

With the ultimate goal being to win the super bowl, I suppose you have to ask yourself if Sam could ever close a season with three or four straight wins.

Believe it or not Sam has won three in a row only once in his career. It might sound stupid, but those experiences burn into a quarterback’s mind. Losing (like winning) becomes a habit.

It will take a serious winning streak to get Bradford over the hump… That’s my opinion. The Eagles better have a plan “B”, and I don’t mean Sanchez.

paulman
paulman
October 17, 2015 8:45 pm

For whatever its worth dept….
I believe the Stars have lined up for the Eagles this weekend …
Falcons already lost making them 5-1
Panthers are likely to lose to the Seahawks in Seattle to drop the to 4-1
Jets knock off the Redskins to make them 2-4
Steelers beat Arizona at home to make them 4-2
Lions knock off the Bears to drop them to 2-3

Then Eagles Beat the NY Giants to make them both 3-3 as the Cowboys remain at 2-3 during their Bye Week

I have the Packers & Vikings both Winning
.

zilents44
zilents44
October 18, 2015 10:24 am

Ill take that utah qb, the guy is so poised and just make plays

paulman
paulman
October 18, 2015 11:42 am
Reply to  zilents44

That’s 4 Year Starter Travis Wilson of Utah who goes 6-6″, 235 LB’s and has playe/started in 40 + College Games.. His Stats don’t woo you over, but your right, all he does is make Plays for hisTeamto Win and avoids dumb mistakes and turnovers… He’s at true Senior with High Football IQ,Leadership & Maturity who will impress and move up the Draft Boards come after the Senoir Bowl/Draft Combine & Workouts etc

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
October 18, 2015 11:47 am
Reply to  paulman

My only concern about Wilson is if this is his one year wonder year. He is playing well this year and has made a remarkable jump from last year and the year before that. Do not get me wrong, the progress is there and it is good, I just wonder about him. He was sharp last night…nice crisp passes and decisive decision making.

paulman
paulman
October 18, 2015 12:01 pm
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

Wilson Played well last year also.. 2200 Yards 18 TD’s with 5 Int’s and a 61% Completion Rate and a Passer Rating of 124, though he was Sacked 20 Time and was playing good athletes at the Pac-10 Level

Eaglehaslanded
Eaglehaslanded
October 18, 2015 12:08 pm
Reply to  paulman

Ok, I watched Utah a couple of times last year when I was checking out Eric Rowe, Wilson did not have good games when I was watching. Do you know the round he is projected to go as of right now?

paulman
paulman
October 18, 2015 12:54 pm
Reply to  Eaglehaslanded

I think he Projected as a 4th-5th the last time I checked which was a few weeks back..

paulman
paulman
October 18, 2015 12:59 pm
Reply to  paulman

Make that a 7th Rounder/UDFA by DraftScouts.com FYI…

paulman
paulman
October 18, 2015 3:31 pm

A couple of Inactives around the NFL

Texans – DE J Clowney – for a Ankle Injury – Did I say this guy was bad news and not worthy of the 1st Overall Pick a couple of years back.. He’s done absolutely zippo thus far for the Texans since being Drafted ..

Bengals – LB V Burfict — after missing 10 Games last Season for various ailments (Kee, Shoulder & Concussion) he’s missed the first 6 Games so far this Season and is hoping to return by Nov 1 …
He had a nice 2012 & 2013 Season for the Bengals but has been invisible since signing a nice Contract extension after his 2nd Season

If both these Players don’t turn things around in2015 and actually Practice, Play and Contribute, I see both Teams moving forward without them…