Yesterday at the Eagles practice they spent a great deal of time on the running game, but they were unable to run the ball effectively against their defense. The Birds were also unable to run the ball well on Thursday night against the Packers. Some of the problem with their running game was all the blitzing by Green Bay, but the other reason was the lack of movement in the interior of the offensive line. Unfortunately, I think the problem inside is undersized center Jason Kelce.
I think the Eagles should have moved on from Kelce, by putting the bigger and stronger Isaac Seumalo in there at center. The big nose tackles in the league are going to eat Kelce alive. He can’t get any movement in the middle of the offensive line and it’s going to limit the running game. The running back can’t cut back if the center is getting pushed into the backfield.
The inability to run the football is going to put more pressure on quarterback Carson Wentz and that’s the last thing you want to do. If they can’t run the football, they will become one-dimensional. Once they starting passing too much, it’s going to allow defensive linemen to pin their ears back and get hits on Wentz. A good running game is the best friend of a young quarterback.
If they would move to Seumalo now, it will mean the Birds will have a big, physical and seasoned offensive line next year and the following year. It makes no sense to go out and acquire a big physical running back like LaGarrette Blount, then put a small line in front of him. You can’t run the ball inside with Blount, if you have an undersized center getting pushed back into the backfield all the time. As I said earlier, it eliminates the cutback, which greatly injures the running game.
I feel good about the blocking in the running game throughout the rest of the offensive line. Jason Peters still has the power to crush people at his left tackle position. Seumalo is lined up next to Peters and still getting comfortable there, but he’s a big physical and powerful blocker.
I like the right side of the line with big Brandon Brooks at right guard and the athletic and strong Lane Johnson at right tackle. They’re getting more and more comfortable playing side by side and hopefully Johnson will be there consistently without any suspensions.
Another issue in the running game is the blocking of tight end Zach Ertz. He’s one of the best pass receiving tight ends in the league, but his blocking continues to be a work in process. He’s got to keep working at it. If he will go out and just battle each linebacker or defensive end, it will allow the running back to get yardage. He’s never going to be a great blocker, but he can be a decent blocker by just staying with it. They may have to get Brent Celek back on the field for the running game.
I’m also concerned about the health of running back Wendell Smallwood, who is nursing a hamstring injury. He didn’t play in the game against the Packers and wasn’t in uniform yesterday at practice. These are valuable snaps that Smallwood could use.
Rookie Donnel Pumphrey is going to end his career before it starts if he continues to fumble. Humphrey muffed a punt in the game against the Packers and he fumbled while carrying the ball in the game as well. Yesterday during the live period, Pumphrey fumbled. I have seen young running back destroy their careers quickly by fumbling. Right now, his career is in jeopardy because of all of these fumbles.
Mr G. Cobb and his Eagles comments , Garry, you have played the game , and I have only played on broken beer bottle fields in Gerrnantown phila. So I am no match for your football skills And observations, However I think you might consider moving far, far, away from the philly fan base , You sounded very much like a typical negadelphia fan with this column . I reckon I can.t blame you though , You have been in and near philly way, way too long, Seems as if you are becoming one of the 700 club fellas,and their negadelphia attitude , It is very, very ,very early . Not time to condemn nor panic ,. Time to enjoy the spring like weather .Enjoy the weather with your family!I enjoyed your straight shooting for a while , PLease ,don’t become a negadelphian . Peace out to You!
I think G.cobb is suffering from august dull drums,beatsqq@qing incestantly,a dead horse..The only cogent point hqe makes is kelcws abilities on roller skates..thats where im in agreement. .however the qb of the O line cant be minimized.hes a real good east west lineman,with blount a north south back..so i will be intercepted in seeing if deuce as head of the backs ,infuses his mentality or adapts to h8s personnel..im truly amazed at how many checkmarks weve hit this off season .its year one and starting on a 3 year plan ,and perhaps depth at center still remains ..we have an option on the roster,if need be ..thats pretty good in my estimation. Deuce influence on pederson slas AR style of attack ,will be worth keeping an eye on. Dont doscount kelce tradeability still..id say deuce would advocate such a move
Your point to saying Blount and K have different styles is only a smudge true. Your premis rests on bount only running in the 0-2 whole (depending on terminology)…. I’d say he is good all the way to the tackles hip meaning K could be of help in the second level.
Patrick, he needs clicks and isn’t getting them. ‘Wentz needs a running game’ …. oh that’s insightful! What people don’t understand is that an effective run game isn’t necessarily tied to an arbitrary number of yards per game
O.K HAC . once again, your answer . sounds gooder than mines. Gracias.!
point is the eagles are NOT going to run a bell cow 20-25 times a game- they will throw it and use the run when strategically important- establishing the run game for them means use it enough to keep the D honest- use Blount enough that a playfake on 3rd and 1 is a legit option. remember the short pass in this offense is used as part of the run game- getting the ball to guys in space is how they like to attack–
last year amid the criticism of run/pass balance I believe the eagles were 10th in rush attempts and 11 or 12 in yards per game rushing– so the imbalance was a figment of confused fans imaginations.
Something to watch is Brandon Brooks bouts with Anxiety Attacks that have forced him to miss some Games over his Career, I would not be surprised to see Big V take some snaps at Guard this Summer and see how he does playing the Interior to gain some experience & versatility
The Eagles do need a more Productive Running Game.. there’s little doubt about this, Hopefully Blount helps fix the Short-Yardage/Red-Zone issues and to help close out Games in the 4th when nursing a lead
Last year the cheaters rushed for approximately 80 yards game in playoffs. Is that an effective run game
Obviously it was productive and effective enough for they
Won the Super Bowl.. Carson Wentz is no Tom Brady,
Coach Pederson is no Coach Belicheck so the Eagles will have to do a lot better than 80 Yards a Game if they want any success !!!
The time has come!! Rise up!!! We must impeach !!!!
I disagree completely. Trump is making America great again, I was at the rally in Charlottesville and the fake news media is making it something it wasn’t. Build the wall!!! MAGA
i can only assume that this is a fraudman troll post– I never took you for a nazi– fake media didn’t kill that lady nor did it shout those chants– no this was a bad scene- handled poorly (as is everything) by this kook elected last novemeber
And what do we have here? 3 blind mice all stuck on stupid!!!!
You have been brainwashed.
This is the biggest witchhunt in American history. U would think Donald Trump is Hitler the
Way the media portrays every little thing the man does Lol.
You are correct CT. DT has been a model president, very low key, very polite… yeah it’s the media..
You would think he’s the worst president in American history. And if you truly believe that he is then you really do not know your history.
We live in a era where people are in a rush to put out the story the FASTEST. Who can be the first to print it? No necessary the most accurate, but the fastest?
It’s all about money and click bate articles. People know drama and scandal sells. It makes it easier for the people to click on it when it retains to DT.
Now am I saying Donald Trump is going to be an all-time great president? No. is he going to waive his magic wand and make America great again? Probably not.
However he is not Hitler and he’s not going to go around slaughtering women Muslims and Jews and you would think he is based off what the media tells us.
The right candidate won. Period.
Gays, transgenders, and a lot of woman will say other wise considering they act off on motion more than they do logic
Gays transgender and women react off of emotions? Dude gave you read this assholes tweets? He’s all emotion and reacts impulsively and thin skinned
Stop it brainwashed boy!!
Trump is a rapist
He is a money launderer
He’s a con artist
He colluded with a foreign nation to cheat Americans of their right to vote
He is the fake news. Every ounce of fake news that comes out comes from him.
He’s a liar, he lies more a month than most do in a lifetime
He’s a thief of American money
He’s filth and scum
A horrible human
And he needs to be locked up
He has alienated our Allies and created a toxic and repulsive environment in our highest office
He facilitated what happened this last weekend.
The money launderer will be outta here soon enough but the damage is done.
Ps he’s being investigated for ties to human trafficking too
Witch hunt my ass. It’s already proven fact
For whatever its worth, someone else used my sign-on of “Paulman” that made the Trump Comment up above.. I am no Fan of Trump and have not liked him since the 1980’s when he helped ruin the USFL.. Anyways, I will no longer be Posting here on GCobb under “Paulman” so if you see or read comments made by “Paulman”, they would have been made by a Fake/Troll Poster like we’ve seen above ..
Please elaborate. I was not there and can only go by what was reported. Since you were allegedly there what was the “fake media” doing to make it something it wasn’t. Was there no violence? did a woman not get killed by a Nazi sympathizer? were there no Nazi, KKK groups there as well as antifa. Since the “fake media” reported this I gues Heather Heyer is still alive, there was no violence, White nationalists did not march through the streets Friday night bearing tiki torches shouting anti jewish and anti black slogans.
Perhaps it wasn’t that bad since the “fake media” is making it something it wasn’t.
Please tell Ms. Bro…Heather Heyer’s mother that it wasn’t what the “fake media” reported.
Liberals tell themselves only the “facts” Facebook and instagram and CNN tell them. Oh and the New York Times.
EVERYONE IS OFFENDED!!!!! Hahahahahaha
Go eagles!!!!
Give a nation and country everything to the point where we live like no other generation has before in terms of quality of life, and yet Peope still find a reason to biTch moan and complain like the sheep they are.
I guess it’s just hUman nature.
#firstworldproblems
By the way Kool.
U described Clinton. She’s a con man. A racist. And a disgusting human being. But yet u would be happy if she won?
CT I’ve been a card carrying conservative republican longer than you’ve been alive.
As for complaining… it’s how trump was elected complained the whole time…. said US was not great (which you just contradicted)…
Then be happy that the right candidate won…it’s better him then her. And I’m not even the biggest trump fan!!
But I’m also not blind. The man can’t even ban transgender’s in the military without getting scrutiny for it. People don’t even realize that the military has never been an equal employer. They will not let you in the military if your color blind, flat footed or have asthma.i have Friends that Have been in the military for several years now saying they won’t even let some people and if they have certain tattoos on their body. It’s the military, NOT A social experiment. Do what’s best for the military by elminating distractions.
And yes woman act out of emotion. Not ALL women. But most do. Most liberals voted for her just out of hatRed for DT
The minority have a way of making the little things seem like they’re very very very big when they are not. It’s the way the media is nowadays.
It’s the same thing in sports but even bigger in politics.
Blah blah and more brainwashed blah!!
The better candidate won? huh? false. regardless of how you feel about the other candidate he was never the right one. He has and had zero background to make him qualified. His whole campaign was built on 5th grade school yard attacks. belittling jed, lying ted, crooked hillary. he never had a plan or agenda all he did was attack.
And he has done jack and shit since elected. He tried to strip 24 million of health insurance, tried to take away benefits from retirees which is a scum bag move.
Stop it with you dumb asthma, flat footed and color blind nonsense. First of all that is false. Second those conditions can impact your ability to do a job fool!!!!!!! Where you pee and who you like to sleep with does not.
Blame the media though brainwashed boy, just like you have been conditioned to believe is fake!!!!!! FOOLASSSS FALLLLLLLLLL BACK
Dude almost every vote HE got, including mine was because we hated HC! So it’s no big deal that his campaign at MINIMUM spoke to RUSSIA our enemy about working together? No big deal he said McCain wasn’t a hero? No big deal that in his phone calls to world leaders he is sooo awful. No big deal that he told us Mexico was paying for the wall yet told the Mexican prez don’t worry bout it? I could go on
Hac as one of ,or perhaps even the Man !!! on g cobb to be reckoned with as a leader. You know politics is War ., Most wars are started for nefarious and monetary reasons. The beat up warriors, many legless, armless. what do they win? when some blown to bits god forsaken country in a place 90%only pretend of us pretend to know whe,re it is.is destroyed ?/And now We have made warrior of Women, After one of our brutal afghanistan like wars .Only two warriors survived, One looked over the shithole that was left and said Well we won, the only other warrior that was left said well Maybe they will have a parade for us when we get back. If I have offended any of our Country’s true Warriors, please take my apology. And when is the first nfl game?
I believe u just referred to me as the tallest midget in the circus
Or as my wild, wild , old Man used say /// In the land of the blind , the one eyed man is King ! You seem to appear be a fair minded man ,Gotta like that is someone.