The Steelers did not beat us on Sunday. We beat ourselves. There are many moments that can be pointed to and say if that doesn’t happen we win the game. OZ had the yips returning punts. All the wide receiver drops. JD missing Luke on the deep ball. The Johnny Newton jump when everyone in America knew the ball was not getting snapped. Everything is very fixable but not affordable in this league. Getting the Steelers off their bye didn’t do us any favors either.
The Ertz 4th down play was the biggest dagger of them all. I wish I could argue it was because of a bad spot, but in all honestly it wasn’t. It was one of those plays where if it was called a first down on the field then it stands. There was no way it was ever getting overturned. Where he caught the ball, it seemed like a first down. But, the ball was definitely not over the mark when his knee touched down. It was the first time all year we didn’t convert on 4th down. It was bound to happen eventually and unfortunately, it came when a game was on the line.
The defense played like usual. Everybody knows BSJ is a total liability. I cannot overstate how happy I will be when he is finally off this team. We need Lattimore to get healthy asap. BSJ simply can’t cover teams number one receivers anymore but we have no one else till Marshon is healthy. The defense let Najee Harris play like the Walmart Derrick Henry we’ve come to know. Our defense had its moments, but at the end of the day it wasn’t enough. With our situation, our offense can’t afford to play sloppy if we expect to beat teams who will be joining us in the post season.
George Pickens needs to see a therapist and maybe get prescribed some chill pills. Yes, is he a talented football player. For every great play he made, he matched it with some absurd action that left you wondering what the hell is going on. His reaction to the Chinn interception was to body slam and start beating Mikey’s head in. Obviously, there was no flag thrown. He caught an out then started ripping at BSJ’s face mask. Once again, no flag. Are the refs afraid to throw flags for him or something? He caught one ball then hopped, skipped, and jumped his way to an extra 15 yards. He’s quite an interesting player to watch. It makes sense why Tomlin puts up with everything.
I can go over all of the 10 different times we shot ourselves in the foot. It’s better to look at the positives instead of dwelling on the outcome. The biggest positive was we put up 27 on arguably the best defense in the league and I am once again making the statement that we did not play well. We were handed some plays. Their player dropping the fake punt gave us our first touchdown. He could have very much gone onto to score that if he caught that ball. Instead, we got 7 points out off a questionable call to go for it. Our offense couldn’t do anything then we unexpectedly drove 95 yards with the help of some flags to score at the end of the half. Seeing how the game went, it was a miracle we were leading at half and at one point up 10.
Ekeler and Terry both put together good games. It’s clear Terry no longer has the 4.3 speed from when we drafted him. House calling the big one would’ve been a game changer. Regardless, he currently has the 3rd most receiving yards in the league and is en route to the best season of his career. Ekeler carried the load but it still would’ve been huge to have BRob. The offense did not look great by any means but we were still able to tie the most points scored on their defense all year. However, most offenses don’t look great when going up against that team. We did limit TJ Watt to zero sacks which was a win for the offensive line. Our replacement kicker was perfect on the day. Hopefully, he can keep that going tonight. If we clean up some of the self inflicted wounds, we no doubt walk out of Landover with a win.
To get into the game today, we are going up to the Linc for a primetime showdown in Philly. It cannot be understated that this is a very, very big game for both teams. Whoever wins this puts themselves in the driver’s seat to win the division. This isn’t our typical Eagles game where we go in with the mindset that we have nothing to lose. Because well, this year we actually do have something to lose. In my eyes, this game is being played for home field advantage in the first round.
We are going to need a strong showing from the entire defense. They can bend but can’t break. Their offense has been a problem in the past and now we have to deal with Saquon too. The best defense for us will be staying on offense. We need long drives that create points and take as much time off the clock as possible. Lattimore has been ruled out. We are once again forced to watch AJ Brown be BSJ’s daddy for another football game. I pray this is the last time I ever have to watch those two line up across from each other. For anyone willing, AJ Browns over is free money. I will also state Saquons over is free. We have struggled with mediocre running backs this year and now have to deal with one of the best in the league.
Hopefully, their other running back who throws the ball makes more than a few mistakes and we capitalize off the turnovers. I am not looking forward to them running the tush push. Our defensive line as a unit has picked it up through the last 6 games. In weeks 1-4, we were 27th in defensive pressure rate. From 5-10, we jumped all the way up to 3rd. We’re gonna need Dante Fowler getting after Hurts early and often. The unit will need to buckle down when it gets to 4th and 1. If we stop the push, then Sirianni will crumble. Also, I must mention if Jahan Dotson scores I will be very upset. His over being set at 7.5 yards is laughable.
We are going to need a big game from JD. Seeing videos from earlier this week, he seems excited for the challenge. It’s nice knowing he played in the SEC so NFL road environments do not phase him. We didn’t get to see him much after the Ravens loss, but I think it’s safe to assume he’ll be coming into this one with a chip on his shoulder. We will finally have BRob back. His services have been missed very much. Ideally, our wide receivers remembered how to catch the ball. Another bad game from that room cannot happen tonight.
To get into the bets, I will not be getting away from what I know. I like BRob anytime, Terry anytime, Terry’s over receptions, and the over. These games always produce points. Even with Sam Howell at QB, it was competitive ball game. It should be a little different with JD under center. Terry always shows up against the Eagles. In 10 career games against Philly, he has accrued 58 receptions for 847 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’ll be administering the Eagles rookie corner his welcome to the league moment. He could very well cash my over 900 bet with a good game tonight. BRob touchdown, especially at plus money, is always a must bet. If we get down to the 1 yard line, he’s getting the ball and nothing is stopping him from 6. The first touchdown scorer of the game pick is once again Luke McCaffrey. I am going to eventually speak this one into existence. Lastly, take our moneyline. No explanation necessary. If you like trends, the Eagles haven’t covered at home in their last 6 games. There’s some logic for you unbiased gamblers.
With the expectations I’ve come to accept for our defense, our offense is going to need a Bengal’s esque performance. We’ve shown up in primetime this year and I expect nothing to change. A friend of mine who unfortunately calls himself an Eagles fan has stated he is worried about JD. I believe he speaks for the entire fanbase. They’ve all started talking a big game but we all know inside they are very worried about tonight. JD will be living in their head rent free when it’s said and done.
The schedule gets a whole lot easier after tonight. For now, the only thing that matters is getting out of Philly with a win. We will get a much, much needed mini bye. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing into the break. That’s all I’ve got for this one. Wishing everyone a great weekend. Good luck in life and gambling. Looking forward to writing next Friday and talking about sticking it to Philly.
Photo Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images