Eagles 2017-2018 Season - Super Bowl Champions

[allentown]

Foles had ups and long periods of downs. He had just about a whole season of down after his good season. Good last week, awful this week. Perhaps it was the weather. With his mediocre arm strength and lack of effective mobility and fast reads, he's going to be more subject to adverse weather, O-line problems than your typical QB. It's not so much that he is just poor, he is terribly erratic from game to game. Maybe his slow ball is more susceptible to cross winds, but his accuracy last night was way below what he did last week. It was like his brain also froze. He is not a guy who should expect to escape a rush by running backwards and trying to loop around. The big loss he got on that play is what he should have expected. Perhaps the coach told him he is the only QB left and he shouldn't run, but not only did he miss easy run opportunities, but he took unnecessary hits by holding the ball too long.

[Lawman]

It's the lack of fast reads that bothers me the most. That's why I wondered, not realistically I know, whether Sudfeld is any sort of upgrade from Foles?

[zambonir]

It can't be easy to not play regularly for several years and just step in and be sharp with your timing and your reads. Ironically, a few more games would probably be good practice. But instead, we just gotta hope that actual practice (and presumably, two quarters on Sunday) helps. I also think he just had a bad game.

Again, my expectations are nil. The offense played well enough to beat the Giants and the defense played well enough to beat the Raiders but can they both play well enough at the same time against an NFC contender (let alone two)? Arguably the defense hasn't been the difference in a game against a playoff-caliber opponent in two months (but also hasn't had to be, except against Seattle). They're all gonna be toss-ups, even at home.

[nycphils]

The good news is we only need to stumble into three wins, two of which would be home games.

With the rotations being shortened presumably in the playoffs, maybe Cox, Jernigan, Darby et al can rise up and keep us in the games and we can steal one even if not playing the great, and hopefully have one or two really good ones and luck out. With low expectations, it should be fine no matter what happens.

[Squire]

Who would you guys deactivate this week against the Cowboys?

I'm thinking on defense you deactivate Cox, Jernigan, Graham and Jenkins (activate Qualls, Vaeao, Means and Watkins)
On offense, I'd activate Smallwood and deactivate Ajayi. I don't think you can rest anyone on the OL. I'd like to deactivate Ertz too I think.

[bkeich]

Who would you guys deactivate this week against the Cowboys?

I'm thinking on defense you deactivate Cox, Jernigan, Graham and Jenkins (activate Qualls, Vaeao, Means and Watkins)
On offense, I'd activate Smallwood and deactivate Ajayi. I don't think you can rest anyone on the OL. I'd like to deactivate Ertz too I think.

You can of course have more players than that not play. I think we have enough OL to not play any of the starters and I would have Smallwood and Clemons handle all of the RB duties. Honestly, i might not even play a TE, if so I would play Celek, but only rarely. WR's, I think we have enough.

There is no reason to play any starter. I couldnt care less if we get crushed, we have enough backups and bodies to keep 11 guys on the field. it doesnt matter even one bit.

There is NO WAY I would send Foles out there. None. You think we would like to take out the Cowboys QB in a similar situation, they would love it. I wouldnt even have Foles in the Stadium.

[zambonir]

I'll be shocked if it's not the full first-team offense for a half.

Intrigued about the Sidney Jones situation but probably can't expect much there either (if they even figure out how to get him on the roster).

[Squire]

On offense, I think you start the first Team OL because you have to protect Foles at all costs. I'd start the first team WRs because they need the in game work with Foles after the Oakland performance. Ajayi doesn't need to play at all. Foles has targeted Ertz 23 times with 15 completions in 2 games. They don't need any more work together and Ertz has already been injured this season. Let him rest. Just my take.

[allentown]

Good plan.

[xogfog]

You can only have 7 inactives.

Wisniewski, Graham and Mills are nicked up and should be inactive.

I'm with Squire on the offense, sit Ertz play the other starters for the 1st half.

On D, I'd sit Cox, Jernigan, and Kendricks. I'd play the rest of the core sparingly and give Qualls, Means, Vaeao, Goode, Watkins a lot of time and only play Jenkins, Curry, Long, etc... for about a quarter.

[Lawman]

I think you have to start Foles. He needs more game reps to get his timing down with his WRs. Which means you have to play them and the starting OL. I think you start to sub them out in the second half - Sudfeld and backup OL/WR.

[xogfog]

The Eagles have placed LB Joe Walker on IR, which opens up a roster spot. Sidney Jones?

[EastFallowfield]

The new Giants GM says Eli Manning will start next year based on his performance against the Eagles. Sounds good!

[bkeich]

I am going to go on record and say it is absolutely foolish to play Nick Roles and the starting skill players (and others) today. Roles is not going to get chemistry with Alshon Jeffries by targeting him 5 times today and very vanilla plays.

Only thing that can really happen us an injury we can not tolerate.

[phillychuck]

Kempski wrote an article showing teams that played their regulars in week 17 did much better in the playoffs than teams that didn't. So I disagree with you, based on the results he showed.

[zambonir]

Well, it doesn't look like he played for very long (or very well).

Whatever, I think it's easy to defend either choice. It's correct to say it would have been diastrous if Foles got hurt in a meaningless game and it's correct to say he needed the work.

Ultimately, if and when they lose on the first weekend it's probably not gonna be because of that decision either way.

[Lawman]

At this point, safe to say that Eagles probably had a very good season, and whatever happens in the playoffs.....happens. Hopefully they make it to the NFC Championship game, but it's been a nice run either way. No accounting for injuries to the QB.

Foles is probably as good a backup in the NFL as there is, but he's a backup for a reason.

[zambonir]

On paper it looked like a weak year in the NFC but now that the playoffs are here, you're still looking at the last two Super Bowl teams and Drew Brees at the bottom of the bracket.

[allentown]

Foles is probably as good a backup in the NFL as there is, but he's a backup for a reason.

That's Philly propaganda. He's not played at all well and he's got a very good team around him. Certainly Case Keenum has outplayed him.

[phillychuck]

Foles played well finishing the Rams' game and versus the Giants. He was bad against the Raiders, but yesterday he was fine given the crappy protection and critical dropped passes. He's an above-average NFL backup, but all backup QBs have flaws. We have to hope that Foles' flaw is just inconsistency, not an inability to play in cold weather. At this point there really are no other options beyond Sudfeld...