#where is that post i made about jason.... if i had two nickels

[hauntingblue]

Kinda loving mediterranean jojo.... giogio....

[nodesiretogrowup]

alright y’all, time for a Melissa play-by-play. I have a theory about this episode but it will get it’s own post:

And we dive right into spy time

That statue in the fountain was very upsetting :’)

GODDAMN U LAUNCHPAD, U SEXY BEAST

I like that LP says spiffy because I use the word spiffy

DEW-ble O Duck

“What I Dewey best” God I love Dewey and his love of puns

SONG TIME!!!

Ben is a really good singer

I like how the song was foreshadowing things to come

How is she wearing earrings?

A ham on cheese sandwich sounds really good rn

“I can’t remember when I’m hungry” A man after my own heart

YOU DIED

Ok, that game is WAAAAAY too advanced. It has the whole building mapped out and those glasses are WAAAY to small and lightweight to handle all that. Is it all through wi-fi? Am I overthinking the logic of a video game in a cartoon? Probably

“I had a sassy quip and everything.” He has the makings of a superhero in him

“It’s a little too real.” FORESHADOWING! Or the game was already REALLY immersive. OR BOTH

OH GOD LAUNCHPAD IS ALREADY FEELING BAD ABOUT HIMSELF!

“Haven’t you ever wanted to plug into a high-stakes, thrilling adventure?” He’s already done the spy-thing. Though it would have been cool to see Scrooge in a sexy suit

UNCLE MCDEE! I LOVE IT

Then an Uncle Scrooge from Webby. TOO CUTE!

There is A LOT of winking in this episode ;)

“We’re a team” DEWEY IS SO ADORABLE AND WHOLESOME!

Aw, Launchpad

I didn’t notice it the first time, but I love that Steelbeak is using one of those plastic swords to pick his teeth. It’s the little things

Is the theme song gonna be the short version for every episode this season?

I really dig Jason Mantzoukas’ take on Steelbeak. He’s just so cocky yet insecure at the same time. I like his voice cracking when he gets embarrassed or excited 

And I ADORE how UTTERLY STUPID he is. I think he’s dumber than Launchpad because Launchpad is aware that he’s not exactly the smartest guy but Steelbeak GENUINELY thinks he’s smart. Plus he feels the joke. That’s just dumb and unfunny (in-universe at least. out of universe it’s great)

“The Sat-a-Lighthouse. Classic villain lair.” Well we know that’s gonna show up

Bradford’s neck bothers me. It makes my neck hurt looking at it

Intelli-ray. You guys are a bit on the beak nose when it comes to naming things

GADGET!

“Rat’s are dumb, right?” YOU STUPID BEAUTIFUL MAN

THE OTHER RANGERS! And Monterey already has his mustache

Ok how did her hair grow so fast? And did she shave her fur? How did she get a more human-esque figure? I NEED THIS INFORMATION

They Secret of Nimh’ed her!

Heron acts like an annoyed/done mom with Steelbeak and he acts like a snotty kid. It’s great

EVIL LAUGH

“Did that rat make that jumpsuit on a regular sewing machine, or did it build its own tiny sewing machine?” STEELBEAK ASKING THE REAL QUESTIONS HERE

I legit thought she was about to pull off his beak

“I’ll go. Not because you told me.” He’s such a punk-ass kid, I LOVE IT

CHOMP CHOMP

DON’T EXPLAIN THE JOKE, BRO

“I pay for the privilege of doing someone else’s yard-work?” THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU’D SAY, YOU RICH, PRIVILEGED MAN. Whack-a-Mole is actually about expressing all the rage and fury inside you

Video graphic adventures

SKEE BALL! I FUCKING LOVE SKEE BALL

That kid didn’t even take his tickets

Ticket-rich. I love it

LET’S STRETCH BITCHES

“Can’t let Dewey down. Gotta be smart, gotta win the game.” OH LAUNCHPAD, SWEETHEART

“Calm down, LP. It’s only a game.” Dewey is SUCH a GOOD friend!

“But don’t overthink it.” That’s just good life advice in general

I love how tiny Dewey is when compared to LP. It’s ADORABLE

“THEN WE GET PIZZA.” “Yes, pizza.” I don’t know why, but the way Ben delivers that line is hilarious to me

“Pad. Launchpad. McQuack. My name is Launchpad McQuack.” I love you so much

Ok, was there an actual dude there? How could’ve Steelbeak thrown a digital person?

“Yes, I do as well.” YOU DUMB HOE, I LOVE YOU

That card game was great. Truly a battle of wits. And Dewey just being like...what. Beautiful

“Well played.” “It was?”

“Look’s like you’ve been out-smart guyed.” The dialogue in this episode is top notch 

I too do not understand smanzy card games

“But how about a game of 52 pickup...YOUR TEETH!”

“THE PAIN FEELS SO LIFELIKE!”

The sound Steelbeak makes when Dewey pulls on his...hair(?) is great

One day you’ll get to quip Dewey, one day

The cuts between the game reality and actual reality are so great

Is that the Phantom Blot or the normal Funzo? Is there even a normal Funzo?

The neck cracking also made my neck hurt

All the kids gathering around Scrooge is too cute

“Not now lass, I’m on a roll.” SKEE BALL IS A GATEWAY DRUG TO GAMBLING

“I think they just have nachos.” They have pizza too

Steelbeak pecking at Launchpad...brilliant

The little pug/bulldog kid is so cute

The scream when he’s hit with the pizza is gold

That ballpit is terrifying

Yet again Launchpad falls on someone

HE FUCKING PUNCHED A KID! WTF BRO?!

“WE MADE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL!”

Those jumpsuits are pretty nice, ngl

“Nerp”

Launchpad had the right idea, he just fumbled on the execution

Rubix cubes-shorthand for intelligence levels

She is so done with him it’s great

“We can make Scrooge SO HUNGRY, he’ll EAT all the toys!” Solid logic

“Duh, that ain’t smart.” OO, BURN

Whenever anyone/anything grabs Steelbeak’s beak I feel like it’s gonna come off

THE THEME SONG PLAYS! I LOVE IT! IT’S GREAT

How did the others get smart? Where did THEIR clothes come from?! I NEED ANSWERS FRANK!!

Launchpad is always ready to lend a helping hand

HOW DID THE GLOVE FLOAT?! I HAVE SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS!!!

“The answer was to build a tiny plane and teach a mouse to fly it?” “Yes, I figured that out.”

Is Gadget a rat or a mouse? She looked more mouse-like before she got smartified but Heron called her a rat. EVEN MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS! She’s probably a mouse though because that’s what she was in the original show

I don’t know why but I love when people call Launchpad LP. Maybe it’s because he has nicknames for everyone else so him having a nickname is cute

So Steelbeak was in prison in St. Canard. Perhaps he had a run in with a certain terror that flaps in the night? That would be hilarious if the two had met before but now Steelbeak is more focused on Launchpad. That would be a blow to DW’s ego

I kind of feel bad for Steelbeak. Sure he’s dumb but that was uncalled for. No wonder he snapped

“You bird-brained...” Aren’t you ALL bird-brains though? You are birds and you have brains therefore you have bird-brains. That almost feels like it could be a racist comment in this world

“I’M THE RICHEST DUCK IN THE ARCADE!” You were the richest duck in the arcade the moment you walked in

I love when Scrooge gets obsessed with something and loses his goddamn mind

WEBBY YOU CREATED A MONSTER!

“Ticket bin?” “YES!”

322 DAYS WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. Good for them

Launchpad just LEEROY JENKENS’ed his way in

His hand is as big as Dewey’s HEAD

LP and Steelbeak have great fight dialogue. It reminds me of Megamind and Metro Man

LAUNCHPAD PUSHES DEWEY TO SAFETY! At that point he didn’t even KNOW what the ray did! But he heroically saved his best friend, not matter what would happen to him! WE STAN! 

 This episode cemented my headcanon that Chris Evans would be the perfect human LP

“I SHALL AVENGE YOU, MY FRIEND” 

This scene, the climax, and the end of the episode gave me a theory, but it will have its own post

British accent=smart?

First thing he does is slick back the hair. Classy

“That cad, Steelbeak” We should call more people cads

How did LP fit into that much smaller man’s uniform? Are they extra stretchy? Because I can totally see that being something FOWL would do. It’s practical

“I don’t know what any of those words mean.” Same

“Heavens, you don’t want them to think you don’t know what you’re doing!” My constant struggle

The supersious guy is adorable

“Well, it’s certainly proving to be bad luck FOR YOU!”

KARATE CHOP ACTION

He still calls him Mr McDee. I just think that’s cute

Dear Dewford. Aww

“I won’t let him down again.” AAAAWWWWWWW

“Can’t go out there looking like this.” You can’t fight crime if you ain’t cute (or sexy in LP’s case)

LAUNCHPAD, YOU SEXY MOTHERFUCKER

That is an old-ass phone you got there, LP

Scrooge is 2 for 2 in missing important calls. Probably should turn his ringtone on

Webby is just so done

“Ah yes, you’d like that wouldn’t you, sonny.” God, Scrooge can get downright FERAL

Blink-and-you’ll-miss-it DW cameo. It looks like Drake’s DW. Does he have merch now? Does he get a cute of the sales? Who makes the merch?

WEBBY WILL FUCKING END YOU

Dewey is SO precious this episode. His cute little bounces

“I’m actually afraid and a little dehydrated, this game is AWESOME” GET THAT BOY SOME JUICE STAT

I love when shows realistically portray sound

“No time for a...crash course” YEEEEEAAAAAAAH

How’d he get a grappling hook?

“THAT’S MY PARTNER!” DEWEY LOVES LP SO MUCH!!

“How is he doing this?” The power of sexy? I don’t know either, bro

“There goes your pal LURCH-POUND! HA! You know, because he just got lurched into that POND OVER THERE?!” “That’s technically a bay.” “I’M NOT STUPID!”

“Classic villain lair!” I can appreciate a man who knows what he’s about

Why do villains alway jump INSTANTLY to the world? You gotta take baby steps. Start with a city, then a state, then the tri-state area a country, THEN the world. Gotta pace yourself

“And Uncle Scrooge only gives us like a nickel each week.” Do they do chores to earn that allowance? I mean, probably. Do Donald and Della have to do chores as well? Give them at least a dime, Scrooge!

MORE SEXY LAUNCHPAD! DAMN YOU, YOU BEAUTIFUL MAN!

“Waaaaiiiit a minute, is that my suit?!” “It suits me better.” DAMN STRAIGHT IT DOES! LP fills the jacket out

I like Steelbeak adding on his fingers

“Your fancy speak won’t work on me, Dummy-O-Duck. Ha-ha, classic.”

“That was totally my plan the whole time” Sweetie, just...no

“I guess you’re not as smart as *voice crack* ME.” “Not as smart as I.” NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR CORRECTING GRAMMAR!

THEY’RE BACK! AND THE THEME SONG! SO BEAUTIFUL!

Again, I thought Steelbeak’s beak was coming off

I like that Steelbeak went into pray position while being shocked

I’m gonna pretend the Rangers were off on their own adventure the whole time’

“Thanks for the...rescue.” AND GADGET SALUTES BACK AND WINKS! BEAUTIFUL!

“No person could survive being that stupid”

Launchpad, always willing to take one for the team

“There’s so much more I could accomplish! Stop the evil conspiracy out to get us! Solve world hunger! Land a plane!” No matter how smart he is, Launchpad still can’t stick the landing

“Launchpad, why are you overthinking this?” “Because I want to be good enough for you!” SOB

“Of course you’re good enough for me. You’re my best friend.” SOOOOOOOOOOB

“For Dewey, and Duckburg.” He put Dewey first, daaaaawwwww

HIM CATCHING DEWEY AND HOLDING HIM TIGHT TO HIS CHEST?! SO WHOLESOME!!

First thing LP does after things go back to normal? Fix his hair. Hair is very important to your state of mind, I guess

“Was it all a game?” Life is just a game

“Wait until I tell Huey I...YOU beat the game.” AAAAWWWWWW

“I’m not playing with anyone but you.” MY HEART!!!!

Scrooge is so broken. And the ticket to prize ratio, too true

“How much money did you spend to get those tickets?” Don’t play skee ball, kids. It will ruin your life

“I don’t think we should bring you here anymore.” Donald should probably be the one picking you up because Della would TOTALLY get hooked on a game/get too aggressive and I could see Beakley falling into the same trap

The comb just sticks there

The subtitles call him Suave-Pad, I LOVE IT!

“I like purple. A lot. Ha! Man, I’m glad I got that off my chest.” A DW reference or a CODEWORD?

“WARM THEM, YOU OLD FOOL! WAAAAARN THEEEEEM! Oh, dash it all, I’m going for a soak.”

“Restoring your ‘intelligence’ as it were.” BURN

She’s on a first-name basis with him...interesting

“OR ANY KINDS OF RAYS!” No mad sciencing here

“Who’s stupid now?” Gloating is very unbecoming

There are...certain people I wish I could force to shut up like that

His muffled screaming is great

Again, Rubix cube solving proves intelligence

How did he not notice it was wet when he picked it up?

I NEED THE SONG IN FULL SOMEWHERE TO DOWNLOAD

This one was super fun and emotional. I was not expecting this to be the episode that the Rescue Rangers would make their debut in but I’m glad they were here. Dewey and Launchpad’s friendship is so pure and adorable. I almost wish there hadn’t been a b-plot but it was fun. I know other people are upset over Steelbeak/the Rescue Rangers being different but I like them. This show is different from those shows. Steelbeak was repurposed into being Launchpad’s nemesis so he needed to match him. Plus we already have a bunch of smarties in FOWL. And this Steelbeak seems younger and less experienced so it would make sense that he’s not as clever. The Rangers didn’t really change that much from their show, just got a new origin that helps them fit into the world that has already been set up. I think this episode is going in the top 5.

[doomedandstoned]

Wasteland Coven Summon Doom From the Rust Belt

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

You're about to meet a true blue, dyed in the wool doom band from Ohio, which I discovered just a few weeks ago. This is WASTELAND COVEN, aptly named considering the industrial devastation that has visited the midwest, accentuated now even more in a time of pandemic. 'Ruined' (2020) is their debut EP and it features a singer, Susan Mitchel, that I would rank with Susie MacMullen of Brume and Dorthia Cottrell of Windhand. Sometimes vocalists try to pull off that coveted, full-bodied range, but end up sounding thin and wobbly. Not here.

Performing double duty on bass, Susan is joined in this Toledo crew by guitarists Bill Anderson and Brandon Collins, along with drummer Jason Wilcox. This is meat and potatoes doom, too, each of the three tracks on Ruined bearing the formative influences of Candlemass and Saint Vitus (the vocal cadence and guitar solos of "The Great Colossus"), Trouble and My Dying Bride (the mysterious and dramatic "Endless Night"), and the aforementioned Windhand (the riff laden intro to "Midsummer Days").

This mix of beauty and beast works well for Wasteland Coven. Susan's vocals take wings with sad urgency, rising above the dense, darkly downtuned procession of smoke and fire. Bittersweet leads break through the haze here and again, too, if for no other reason than to accent the gravity of the moment.

I've listened to the EP multiple times in a row and it is substantial enough to keep my appetite for doom satiated, without overstaying its welcome with an overly-familiar taste. Look for its release on Friday, April 17th (pre-order CD here), and listen to the record whole right here, right now via Doomed & Stoned!

Give ear...

Ruined by Wasteland Coven

A Chat with Wasteland Coven Guitarist Brandon Collins

Take us back to the band's origins. How did it all begin for you guys?

Things got started in late 2018, when our drummer Jason posted on Facebook asking if anybody wanted to play something dark and heavy. He was already playing in a punk band (The Old Breed) and a noise rock band (Sog City) so he was really looking to start more of a Manilla Road inspired band - he's a big Manilla Road fan. Sue (bass and vocals) and I (guitar) were both interested in Jason's pitch but style shifted a little bit as we all got together. By the first time we met up, he said to aim for Candlemass meets My Dying Bride (which I declared sorcery) and from there we drifted into the doom menagerie that we're at now.

Jason quickly roped in another guitar player, but after a month or two he lost interest, so we spent some time looking for another. During that search period we sketched out our first songs and booked some studio time for later in the year - we were going to record what we had regardless of who we had. Eventually Sue reached out to Bill who solidified the lineup midway through 2019 and we were officially a band. We practiced, finished up the songs as a four piece, and went to Lakebottom Recording House in September 2019.

How about a walk-through of the songs on 'Ruined' (2020)?

Midsummer Days

I think we all agree that this is the best song on here. It was going to be a shorter and simpler song originally, but it really kind of blossomed with all of us adding new bits to it. Lyrics mainly involve the imagery and feelings of a dying world. Really it's a sad, poetic veil over the changing of seasons, summer to fall to winter - seeing everything in nature fade and decay as seasonal depression kicks in. Admittedly, "Midsummer Days" isn't really a doomy title, but when you realize that they're dead. That'll teach you to judge too quickly! Kinda had to push Sue a bit to do the "trailing off into the void" vocals right at the end. She was reluctant, but I'm really glad she did them. It really adds some resonating loneliness.

Great Colossus

So originally, I came up with the riffs for this, played them for Jason, and when he added drums, his style immediately put Sue in mind of robots -- giant robots. And that drove us to make this our weirdest song lyrically, about falling in love with a giant robot with sexual overtones. Sue and I went back and forth on the lyrics for this one a lot, tweaking it to put just the right sultry spin on something cold and mechanical. This song sort of prompted the cover art. Around the time we were recording songs Sue was at an art show and saw the piece. Made her think of the song and said we needed it on our EP!

Endless Night

This was our first song, so I like to say it has first song syndrome -- not quite as strong as the others and maybe sticks out a little more 'cause you're trying to find your direction. But the main riff and the solos are still fun, so why not? Since it was going to be the first song for our doom band, the lyrics hit on a pretty typical doom metal topic: death. But I suppose the twist is that it's more about setting aside your fears and finding peace in your demise -- even as the music kind of betrays that peace and hints at the dread and dark thoughts behind it all. Solos here were fun to do. I take the first half of the solo section and Bill takes the second half, so we each get a chance to go our own direction just meeting for a moment to hand it off in the middle.

What was the recording process like for the band?

The bulk of it was done over the course of two weekends, September 27-29 and October 4-6 in 2019 (with a bit of touch up and review a few times afterwards). We went to Lakebottom Recording House in Toledo owned and operated by J.C. Griffin. Jason had recorded with J.C. many times before and refused to go anywhere else. But for the rest of us, it was our first time there and it was fantastic.

It's hard to imagine how it would have worked out with anyone else. J.C. is super encouraging and immediately invested in making sure you're getting a great sound - he's gives great direction for process, equipment, and performance. Really great weekends overall hanging out and playing music the whole time. The hardest part might have actually been the work week in between those two weekends -- coming down from all the joys and excitement with days full of music made "regular" life such a dull slog where we were just desperate to go back and do it again. Easily the most fun and best experience I've had recording.

In retrospect, maybe it was a bit weird that we were all so happy and having such a great time producing this melancholy music, but I don't think we put any thought into it at the time. Susan was extremely nervous and self-conscious when it came time to do her vocals, but with enough liquid courage she nailed it.

It looks like you had the album cover commissioned?

Artwork was done by Jackie McKown who lives here in Toledo. Sue saw the piece at an art show where Jackie was showing her stuff. These giant robot creatures wrecking shit was pretty in line with the initial themes of Great Colossus - it was lacking the sex/love angle, but it still fit just fine with the kind of destructive war-machines that could inspire love. Sue was very taken with it right away, so we went with it.

There's also presumably death and longing for better times involved in that kind of city-wide rampage, so you can tie into the other tracks as well. We sort of let that guide us, having the artwork inspire the title "Ruined." We had a city being ruined on the cover and we could find some form of ruination in each song. Then when it came time to lay everything out, we decided to ruin things a little more, adding wrinkles and dirt marks and imperfections.

This last question is just for the gearheads! Tell us what you're sporting these days?

Brandon: Epiphone Les Paul Studio guitar with an Orange Crush CR120C amp (frequently used to accidentally drown out everyone else), and for pedals: Big Muff Pi (with Tone Wicker), MXR EVH Phase 90, Cry Baby Wah.

Sue: Ibanez BTB 5 String Quilt Top bass, DR Dragon Skin strings (allergic to nickel), with a Fender Rumble 500 Combo amp and Big Muff Pi pedal.

Bill: ESP LTD Viper-256 w/Gibson 498T bridge guitar, ESP LTD EC-100 w/EMG 81/85. Amps include Peavey Valveking 2x12, Carvin X100-B 100 watt head*, and Carvin 4x12 Cab (used as needed). Pedal of choice: Digitech GNX4 Multi-Effects.

Jason: Tama Rockstar Drums.

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[paulbenedictblog]

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Fox news Ranking the NFL's top 5 CB duos: Fins No. 3 - NFL.com

Fox news

Ragged NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the beautiful info of this league, offering fervent perception in his notebook. The topics of this edition encompass:

-- Why the Titans mustn't invent a long-timeframe dedication to Derrick Henry.

-- The skill first-spherical opt you nearly indubitably tranquil don't appear to take into account of.

But first, a stare upon the teams that boast the most attention-grabbing duos at a critical spot in a pass-chuffed league ...

* * * * *

Essentially the most attention-grabbing NFL front locations of work work hand in hand with the coaching team to herald gamers that completely match their plot. I think that's what we're witnessing with the Miami Dolphins, whose followers wants to be fervent by free-agent addition Byron Jones teaming up with Xavien Howard to present coach Brian Flores an elite cornerback tandem to fabricate his protection around.

Now, I'm no longer ready to put Jones and Howard within the identical class because the final 5-superstar duo to man the nook spot for the Dolphins -- Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain had been Pro Bowl regulars when they carried out together from 1998 to 2004 -- nonetheless the recent kids on the block may well vault to the head of the charts enjoying in a person-heavy plot. As bump-and-lag consultants with excellent dimension, dimension and athleticism, the Dolphins' duo may well thrive in an archaic-college protection that puts cornerbacks on an island. Spend into yarn that the Detroit Lions, Fresh England Patriots and Houston Texans had been the finest teams to play more man-coverage snaps than the Dolphins final season, per Pro Football Focal level. Flores has followed the blueprint established by his mentor (Invoice Belichick) and made Quilt 1 the featured coverage in Miami's playbook.

"Belichick is a good believer in man coverage since it is the absolute best to educate and it eliminates just a few the straightforward throws obtainable to the quarterback," a feeble NFL defensive coordinator told me. "His teams lag it from Day 1 of OTAs and they also turn out to be better at it due to the repetition and formula. They plan no longer swap or banjo [a switch technique] in opposition to stacked alignments or bunch formations because he wishes to put off any confusion or potential dialog errors that may well consequence in coverage busts and receivers running wide open down the discipline.

"To play that coverage broadly, you need to possess intrepid cornerbacks with dimension, dimension and athleticism to compare up with the very best-bodied bodily receivers or the shifty, shake-and-bake guys. You also want guys with the mental and bodily patience wished to focal level on every and every play on the island. ... It be laborious to procure those guys."

That's why I wasn't an excellent deal surprised to gape the Dolphins pay good money to manufacture a cornerback with elite man-to-man quilt abilities. Endure in mind, the Patriots signed Darrelle Revis and Stephon Gilmore whereas Flores used to be a defensive assistant beneath Belichick, so he indubitably appreciates the worth of getting a top-tier CB1 on the discipline.

In Jones, the Dolphins are getting an explosive athlete with an extraordinary combination of flee, quickness and leaping skill. He turned the enviornment sage-holder within the substantial soar (12-toes-3 inches) at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, where he showcased his elegant athletic traits (44.5-saunter vertical soar, 6.78-2nd three-cone drill, 3.94-2nd 20-yard shuttle and 10.98-2nd 60-yard shuttle).

It took a pair of years earlier than Jones emerged as a top-tier defender, though. His leap forward advertising and marketing and marketing campaign coincided alongside with his switch from safety to cornerback outdated to the 2018 season. Since then, he's exhibited excellent athleticism and motion abilities shadowing receivers in tight man coverage. The sixth-year extinct challenges receivers at the line of scrimmage with solid jams and continues to handle hip-pocket positioning down the discipline whereas pinning receivers to the sideline. In the end, Jones has been of the NFL's simplest in press coverage since 2018. He's forced a correct window on 59% of his press targets in that span, which is the 2nd-perfect charge within the NFL (minimum 30 targets), per Next Gen Stats. Though Jones' skeptics can demonstrate his low interception manufacturing (two INTs in 79 profession games), let's no longer miss out on the proven truth that it be laborious to plan turnovers on the island with your abet toward the quarterback. Thinking about the amount of man coverage that Jones has carried out throughout the final few years, it be no longer unbiased correct-making an are trying to gape low interception totals alongside with his eyes affixed to his assigned receiver as a alternative of the quarterback whereas in coverage.

As for Howard, he's an established playmaker with excellent instincts, awareness and ball abilities. He used to be the NFL's co-leader in interceptions in 2018 with seven picks and his versatile enjoying sort must tranquil enable him to thrive using bump-and-lag or shadow formula on the island. He's coming off an damage-plagued season that restricted him to enjoying in 5 games, nonetheless I inquire Howard to group of workers with Jones to present Flores a pair of standout corners to fabricate his protection around in 2020. With the defensive-minded head coach opting to fabricate his protection from abet to front, the Dolphins may well shock within the AFC East within the abet of a cornerback duo that has a risk to emerge because the most attention-grabbing tandem within the league.

This recent pairing in South Seashore led me to imagine where it could perhaps well deplorable amongst the league's simplest at the spot. Listed here are my top 5 cornerback tandems excellent now:

1) Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens' decision to alternate for Peters in October helped the protection emerge as one amongst the NFL's top devices within the 2nd half of the season and gave coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale the league's simplest cornerback tandem. Peters lived as much as his reputation as a dynamic playmaker with three picks in 10 games with the Ravens, including a pair of opt-sixes. He carried out with better discipline in coverage after coming over from the Rams, and his improved attention to ingredient resulted in extra constant efficiency. Humphrey has quietly emerged as one amongst the most attention-grabbing quilt corners within the sport, notably as a bump-and-lag technician on the perimeter. He aggressively challenges receivers at the line and does a extensive job of sustaining hip-pocket positioning down the discipline. With Humphrey enjoying at a high stage in coverage and Peters offering timely playmaking on the island, the Ravens possess an elite dwelling of corners.

2) Stephon Gilmore and Jason McCourty, Fresh England Patriots: Gilmore, the reigning Defensive Participant of the 365 days, teams with McCourty to present the Patriots a formidable tandem. The duo excels at snuffing out WR1s within the Patriots' man-heavy plot with no must deviate from their straightforward formula. Gilmore routinely takes on the difficulty of shadowing the opponent's most unhealthy risk, whereas McCourty blankets the sidekick on the reverse facet of the discipline. Every guy has thrived in his respective role, which is why the Patriots' stifling pass protection used to be the focus on of the town for grand of final season.

3) Byron Jones and Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins: As I mentioned earlier in this half, Brian Flores believes in enjoying man coverage and the Dolphins possess invested heavily at cornerback with two of the head three perfect-paid gamers at the spot (in practical wage per year). Jones and Howard are bump-and-lag consultants with the mix of dimension, dimension and athleticism to command receivers in all places the discipline. Thinking about how every defender forces quarterbacks to invent tight-window throws on the perimeter, the Dolphins' blanket corners must tranquil cause complications for just a few opponents in 2020.

4) Casey Hayward and Chris Harris Jr., Los Angeles Chargers: The Bolts' extinct duo must tranquil stifle foes with their wisdom, journey and collective instincts. Hayward is a rock-stable quilt nook with excellent technical abilities. No. 26 is continuously within the excellent place at the excellent time and makes the performs which shall be expected of a CB1. Harris may well want misplaced a step at this stage of his profession, nonetheless his savvy and awareness enable him to make amends for his waning athleticism. With the feeble All-Pro coming into staunch into a zone-primarily based totally plot that will enable him to play with imaginative and prescient on the quarterback, Harris may well continue to play at a high stage because the incandescent archaic man on the island.

5) Joe Haden and Steven Nelson, Pittsburgh Steelers: Manufacture no longer let the Steelers' zone-blitz reputation fool you into believing the group of workers's corners don't appear to possess the flexibility to locking down opponents on the perimeter. Haden and Nelson (and nickel abet Mike Hilton) are versatile corners with the skill to shut abet up with good performs in man or zone coverage. Every is adept at clueing the quarterback to earn sooner reads on throws, and their incredible formula permits them to handle correct leverage on their receivers down the discipline. Given their person and collective consistency in coverage and their total physicality/toughness, it is time for the Steelers' corners to earn their props for the stable work they plan a week.

DERRICK HENRY: Tennessee must tranquil take stable formula with bruising abet

At a time when executives and scouts across the NFL are taking into consideration the categorical solution to encompass marquee running backs into an efficient, long-timeframe group of workers-constructing philosophy, the Tennessee Titans are offering the league with a blueprint for the categorical solution to manufacture a bunch of workers with an RB1 because the heart-piece of the offense.

As a alternative of committing good money on a multi-year deal to a running abet within the heart of his top, Tennessee is treating Derrick Henry adore a luxurious condo car by keeping him around on a franchise tag. Clear, the Titans are committing $10.3 million in 2020 to the reigning NFL speeding king through the use of the franchise tag, nonetheless they plan no longer appear to be making a critical long-timeframe funding in a depreciating asset.

I do know that may well sound harsh or disrespectful to a player who has labored his formula into the dialog as one amongst the elites within the league, nonetheless we possess seen how good-money running backs possess failed to play as much as their compensation ranges these days. Taking half in tag with Henry this year (and most most definitely next) is the stable formula. It be the natty formula.

Stare, I shall be steady: I've gone with the categorical solution to treat this spot in a league that has step by step transformed into procedure more of an air demonstrate throughout the final couple decades. I tranquil wholeheartedly think within the substantial worth of a steady ground assault -- notably down the stretch of the conventional season and into the playoffs, when weather in most cases becomes more of a ingredient and games are carried out with skinny margins. However it be very no longer at risk of forget the declining ROI on the very best-paid gamers at a spot with famously-immediate shelf lifestyles.

That's why I applaud the Titans for slapping the tag on Henry this offseason, given the 26-year-archaic's bruising sort and the proven truth that he unbiased correct posted profession speeding highs in carries (303), yards (1,540) and touchdowns (16). Seeing how a extensive chunk of those yards had been gathered after contact, it is wonderful to wonder how long the very best-bodied runner can handle up enjoying because the sledgehammer of Tennessee's offense. Thinking about that actuality, the Titans are incandescent to chorus from committing substantial dough on a long-timeframe deal. Noteworthy better to pay top buck for this year and reassess the effort all once more next offseason. That formula, the group of workers's covered if the 247-pounder's manufacturing dips in 2020.

Does Henry earn a raw deal in this scenario? That's a excellent set a query to. Yeah, he does. However the true fact is, he did no longer possess the leverage to in actuality plan something else about it, which is why he signed his franchise mushy this week to make certain an eight-figure payday for the season.

The more I imagine this spot's role within the current sport -- and the financial dangers which shall be unavoidable, given the inherent volatility of RB manufacturing from year to year -- the more I think in a straightforward (albeit admittedly cold-hearted) calculus. I mediate the opinion wants to be to draft a running abet early and then handle him within the fold through the use of the franchise tag (or a series of tags), thus tying him to the group of workers whereas paying out maximum greenbacks on temporary commitments. Utilizing this system permits a bunch of workers to handle its RB1 on the roster for five-7 years earlier than slicing bait when the manufacturing begins to decline attributable to put on and inch.

As an instance, the Titans drafted Henry within the 2nd spherical and signed him to a four-year, $5.4 million deal. Even including the worth of this year's franchise tag, they've tranquil dedicated no longer as much as $16 million for five years of his top. Thinking about the Titans are at risk of present Henry one other heavy workload this tumble, the astute switch is taking a wait-and-gape formula earlier than doubtlessly re-upping him on the tag all once more in 2021.

I am reminded of a player who starred in Seattle abet when I was a Seahawks scout: Shaun Alexander. Taking the initiating reins in his 2nd season, Alexander averaged 1,283 speeding yards from 2001 by 2004, piling up 70 total touchdowns within the formula. With Alexander dwelling to hit free agency in 2005, the 'Hawks properly gave him the franchise tag ... and he proceeded to invent MVP honors, carrying the ball a whopping 370 times for 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns -- all league highs.

But then, within the ensuing 2006 offseason, Seattle handed him an eight-year, $62 million contract. He never reached 1,000 yards all once more and used to be utterly out of the league by the terminate of 2008.

That's why I cringe when I hear Titans GM Jon Robinson discussing his want to succeed in a multi-year address Henry earlier than the July 15 slash-off date for franchise-tagged gamers. Robinson has all of the leverage in this negotiation, and working on a year-to-year premise permits him to handle his top offensive weapon on the roster without doubtlessly wrecking the long lag wage cap structure of the group of workers.

While it be pretty of unfair to Henry and the RB marketplace to play this slight sport of tag over the next couple years, it wants to be an formula that more teams explore in group of workers-constructing.

DRAFT SPOTLIGHT: Jeremy Chinn, S/LB, Southern Illinois

In every first spherical, there is an dazzling opt that apparently comes out of nowhere.

Esteem 'em or disapprove 'em, mock drafts possess turn out to be an attractive official supply for predicting the community of gamers who shall be chosen in Round 1. For the length of the pre-draft process, everybody gets mindful of all of the names. Or no longer no longer as much as, the overwhelming majority of them.

Yearly, though, it looks adore a desire or two on the draft's opening evening catches everybody by shock. That's why I are making an are trying to present the draftniks a pair of weeks to acquaint themselves with Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn.

Who?!

I do know most football followers haven't watched any Salukis football or checked out No. 2's highlights on YouTube. But I may well sigh you to enter Chinn's title into your favourite internet search engine and browse up on this 6-foot-3, 221-pound thumper with a versatile sport that has NFL defensive coordinators salivating over his potential as a hybrid playmaker.

While everybody's quite attentive to Clemson's Isaiah Simmons and his sport-changing potential as a multi-positional chess half, scouts possess started to house in on Chinn as one other rare skill in a identical mildew.

Discovering out the coaches tape on Chinn, it is straightforward to gape why scouts are smitten alongside with his versatile skill dwelling and high potential. As a four-year starter for Southern Illinois, Chinn gathered 243 tackles, 13 interceptions, 31 passes defended and 6 forced fumbles. He logged begins at safety and cornerback, whereas flashing a desire of abilities that may well invent him a sport-changing Swiss Military Knife for a inventive defensive coordinator with a voluminous playbook that contains exotic blitzes and coverages.

As a lag defender, Chinn is an instinctive playmaker with a solid nostril for the ball and rock-stable tackling abilities. He stones running backs within the outlet and displays trusty wrap-up abilities whereas corralling receivers within the open discipline. Chinn's tackling abilities, aggressiveness and total physicality invent him a potential disruptive drive as a field-spot defender at the next stage. He has a knack for locating the ball and his instincts stand out when learning the tape. With Chinn also showcasing explosive playmaking abilities on blitzes, he'll be an curious defender to fabricate a plot around.

In pass coverage, Chinn is a rare safety with cornerback-adore quilt abilities. He is a dynamic athlete with the flee, quickness and motion abilities to handle watch over the heart of the discipline as an occasional publish player or deep-half defender in fracture up-safety coverage. Though he is ultimate to line up because the robber (field-spot defender), he flashes sufficient athleticism and range to play as a deep defender in a single-high plot.

As a person defender, Chinn's athleticism permits him to quilt tight ends and receivers in all places the discipline. He capably maintains hip-pocket positioning on his assigned pass catcher down the discipline and his shadowing abilities may well enable a defensive coordinator to handle in a deplorable protection in opposition to traditional or unfold personnel. And given his initiating journey at cornerback, the very best-bodied athlete is a undeniable defender with the skill to play any secondary spot or as a nickel linebacker in a multi-faceted plot.

As a tiny-college standout, Chinn's stable efficiency during Senior Bowl week validated his skill and potential. Throw in a stellar exhibiting at the NFL Scouting Combine (SEE: 4.45-2nd 40-yard flee, 41-saunter vertical soar, 138-saunter substantial soar and 20 reps of 225 pounds), and Chinn's rise up the charts mustn't shock astute observers striking all of the devices of the pre-draft puzzle together.

With a desire of teams making an attempt for a Kam Chancellor-adore presence to feature within the heart of the protection, Chinn's versatility, physicality and playmaking skill may well invent him a Day 1 opt when it be all said and done.

Apply Bucky Brooks on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.

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The Linc - Film suggests Drew Brees not the same QB now that he was in November

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

The All-22: Where did Drew Brees’ game go? - TouchdownWire Brees’ Week 16 interception against the Buccaneers’ sub-par defense was another worrisome reaction to pressure. Here, he’s got openings to his left, and the design of the play implies a screen to the left side, but when Bucs end Vinny Curry goes straight at Brees after left tackle Jermon Bushrod heads out of the formation, Brees throws instead in the general direction of running back Mark Ingram. But Ingram’s head isn’t even turned around to see the pass, and linebacker Adarius Taylor is in the right place at the right time. You don’t expect a throw like this from a quarterback of Brees’ caliber and experience. There’s been a lot of talk this week about how Brees lit Philly’s defense up in November. That would be relevant if Brees was the same quarterback now that he was then, but the tape tells a different story. If he’s not able to correct some obvious mechanical flaws, and the Eagles are able to rock him off his spot as they were generally unable to before, this game could be a lot closer than the Saints would prefer.

Conflicting reports emerge regarding Jason Kelce potentially retiring after Eagles’ 2019 playoff run - BGN It’s not totally implausible that Kelce would hang ‘em up. He turned 31 in November and he’s about to wrap up his eighth NFL season. Including playoffs, he’s started and played 115 games over his career. He’s often played through nagging injuries in recent years, so maybe he just feels like his body can’t take the grind much longer. He also might feel like there’s not much more to accomplish, especially if the Eagles win their second straight Super Bowl this postseason. With that said, there are some conflicting reports about Kelce’s intentions. BGN alumnus Mike Kaye says a decision regarding Kelce’s future has not been made.

The Kist & Solak Show #69: Scoring on the Saints - BGN Radio Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak finish up their preview series of the Divisional Round by shifting their focus to the Eagles’ offense and how they match up with the Saints’ defense? Is Sproles in for a big game? Should the Eagles’ continue to supplant the running game with the quick passing game? What about some deep shots? All that and more on this preview show! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation

Rookie Avonte Maddox’s competitive nature helped him make immediate impact on Eagles’ defense - PhillyVoice “It’s football. You play corner, you’re not perfect. Certain things are going to happen,” Maddox said. “It’s all about how short your memory is, and mine is short. So when somebody makes a play — they’re one of the top athletes in the world, too, so they’re going to make plays — it’s about what you do the next play to make up for it. I definitely don’t dwell on it. I was definitely (too aggressive). I’m going to keep playing how I play. I know (the double moves are) coming. Copycat league. And they already ran a lot of double moves before that.” Maddox likes challenges. He’s been faced with them his whole life.

Running Men - Iggles Blitz The improvement of Nigel Bradham will help. He was outstanding last week. I don’t know what has happened to him in recent games, but Bradham suddenly looks like the stud he was last year. Maybe the training staff finally gave him the Funyuns therapy I’ve been telling them about all year. The NFL doesn’t have rules against Performance Enhancing Snacks. The Eagles played mainly dime defense last week and it worked really well. The Saints have physical RBs so I wonder if Schwartz will go with a nickel look this time out. The Saints don’t have a ton of speed on offense so there is something to be said for this. Schwartz has seen Dallas shut down the Saints. He saw the Panthers hold them to 12 points. He needs to steal an idea or two from those games. The Eagles don’t need to shut down the Saints. They need to slow them down. If you can keep to less than 24 points, the Eagles have a great chance to win this game. That’s a big if to be sure.

Unsung heroes are stepping up on both sides of the ball for the Eagles - PFF Just as the Eagles experienced the unthinkable a season ago under Foles, they’re now one step closer to achieving a similar fate. And a lot of that has to do with young, unheralded players making plays in pivotal moments. Treyvon Hester has quietly been having a stellar season on limited snaps — and he cemented it with a game-winning blocked kick to send his city into an all-too-familiar frenzy. While his 48.2 grade on Sunday was by far his worst grade of the season, what he did in the regular season for a team already filled with stars on the defensive line was unprecedented. His 89.7 grade ranked 14th among interior defensive linemen, and his 87.5 run defense grade ranked 10th. Hester’s grade over the last four weeks of the regular season also ranked 10th, and while the former Oakland Raiders seventh-round pick has seen only 10-20 snaps a game, he’s making the most of it. It’s hard to count anyone out on this Eagles team because as it has shown, anyone and everyone could step up when it matters most in any facet of the game.

Lawlor: How The Eagles Can Beat The Saints - PE.com The Eagles offense’ must help the defense by sustaining drives and scoring points. If the Eagles go three-and-out too often, that will put tremendous pressure on the defense. The one surefire way to stop Brees is to make him a spectator. The Eagles’ offensive line did not play well in the first meeting. Lane Johnson wasn’t completely healthy. Jason Kelce got hurt early in the game and missed some time. Jason Peters was dealing with nagging injuries. Carson Wentz was sacked three times and pressured too often. The line is healthy now and playing its best football of the year. Johnson looks like a dominant tackle once again. Peters is coming off a good game. The interior trio is clicking. The Eagles’ offense has been much better in recent weeks and one of the key reasons is the play of the guys up front.

Divisional weekend preview: Breaking down each matchup - The Athletic Saints 30, Eagles 23. At the risk of being smote for doubting Nick Foles again, I’m afraid the odds are too long this time. The Saints defense is much better than most people think, but the Eagles were able to move the ball with consistency against the best defense in the league last week. Doug Pederson will have some tricks up his sleeve, perhaps dipping back into the 12 personnel well. Without being able to run the ball consistently, the Eagles will probably need a big game from Alshon Jeffery, who has delivered them when called upon during the playoffs the past two seasons. Perhaps Brees and the Saints will come out rusty after several weeks of inaction. This is an Eagles team that wears the scar of their 41-point loss proudly as a reminder of how thirsty they are for revenge. Betting against Brees at home in the playoffs just seems foolish. But who knows, maybe the power of one Saint (Nick) is stronger than 46 combined.

Best bets for the NFL playoffs divisional round - ESPN The last two matchups between these teams are not representative of what we’ll see on Sunday afternoon. On Nov. 18, the Eagles had recently acquired Golden Tate and were trying to figure out how to incorporate him into the offense. They gave him a 76 percent snap rate against the Saints and tried to force him targets. It didn’t work. The Eagles were also without Darren Sproles and had Carson Wentz at quarterback. I expect this game will be far more competitive. Foles is getting the ball out quickly, he’s not taking sacks, he’s throwing to guys who are open, he’s making anticipation throws, he’s not dropping his head in the pocket, he’s keeping his eyes downfield and delivering and he is producing. The Eagles’ defense has not played a very strong starting quarterback since their Week 8 game over in London, though, and they will have their work cut out for them. Drew Brees is incredible at home, posting a 66 percent success rate, 9.5 yards per attempt and a 130 rating with a 21-2 TD-INT rate. Every single one of those metrics is the best in the NFL. Philadelphia will also face Ted Ginn Jr., who was worked into the lineup to close the year after missing most of the season. Ultimately, I envision this game as a back-and-forth affair that will hinge on whether or not Foles can post a clean game from a turnover perspective, because it is very likely Brees will be able to do so.

Playing Props Divisional Round - Rotoworld Darren Sproles Under 47.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards: I bet the over on Sproles’ yards from scrimmage prop last week and watched him come four yards shy of getting there. This week, they raised his line to a total that he’s hit in just one of his seven games played this season. Sproles has hit 40 yards from scrimmage just twice. His former team allows just 96.7 total yards per game to opposing backfields, which was second in the league.

Malcolm Jenkins Foundation lives on in New Orleans - 6ABC As the Eagles prepare to take on the Saints, it’s impressive that the work of Malcolm Jenkins’ foundation is still going strong in New Orleans. Of course, Jenkins used to play for the Saints, but not even the most ardent Eagles fan would begrudge his continuing commitment to the youth of the Big Easy. ”Our foundation is very much alive and active down there,” said Jenkins. “New Orleans is where I started my foundation. It’s where I got drafted. It’s where I’ve got a lot of memories and great friends that are still there.” In 2012, the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation partnered with New Orleans’ organization College Track to help students pursue their dreams of higher education.

Roob’s 10 observations: Jason Peters’ future, Nick Foles stats, give Sidney Jones a chance - NBCSP After watching Jason Peters last Sunday, I want him back at left tackle next year. I don’t care how old he is, I don’t care what his salary is, I don’t care that he left a couple games early during the regular season. The way Peters neutralized Khalil Mack, one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers, tells me there’s plenty left in Peters’ tank. Doug Pederson has handled Peters perfectly this year, giving him plenty of time off during the week and saving him for games. And Peters has responded, playing through a couple significant injuries — a torn biceps and a nagging quad — to help the Eagles get to the conference semifinal round. At some point, it’ll be time for Peters to hang ‘em up. I don’t think he’s there yet.

NFL Conference Semifinals (Call It That!): Foles Hasn’t Been Tested Like This, Chargers’ Fatal Flaw - Sports Illustrated There’s no logical reason to think the Eagles can beat the Saints in New Orleans. But then, there was also no logical reason to think Nick Foles would have come off the bench a year ago and become Super Bowl MVP. And there was really no logical reason to think a circumstellar disc would grow out to become the planet Earth and nestle into a gravitational pull 93 million miles for the sun, allowing intelligent life to develop and, eventually, this very column to be written. Unexpected things happen. But keep a few things in mind as we suspend disbelief in regards to Nick Foles. (1) He made two crushing mistakes in the first half in Chicago last week, and a team with a more explosive offense might have left Philly in the dust. (2) Foles was good in the second half of the Bears win, though even with vintage Foles this Eagles team is not what it was a year ago. They have no run game (and the Saints have one of football’s best run defenses by any measure), and their secondary not only leans on young corners Avonte Maddox and Rasul Douglas (both of whom are improving but still shaky), but also continues to be without criminally underrated free safety Rodney McLeod playing that aggressive centerfield spot in Jim Schwartz’s single-high looks. And (3) Last week was Foles’s first true road game in the playoffs, and overall it was probably a B-minus effort. Remember, a year ago when Foles got his only postseason win outside of Philly in Super Bowl LII, that was a very suspect Patriots defense. Sunday will be Foles’s toughest test yet.

New Orleans Saints Divisional Round: Bold Predictions - Canal Street Chronicles It’s a pretty common occurrence for fans and analysts to make bold predictions about a game or season. If the prediction doesn’t come true, then that’s OK - you said it was bold! If it DOES come true, though... now you look like a genius! So in that spirit, some of the Canal Street Chronicles writers were asked to share with me a bold prediction or two for the New Orleans Saints’ first playoff round game of the NFL: a divisional round matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. This is their chance to look brilliant!

2018 ALEX: Season Review - Football Outsiders Meanwhile, the Eagles ranked second in ALEX after finishing first in 2017, a Super Bowl year for Jim Schwartz’s defense. The Eagles have a banged-up secondary this year, but still ranked fourth in conversion rate allowed. If they can keep the play in front of them against Drew Brees this week, that could help in pulling off a huge upset.

NFL fines Michael Bennett, Adrian Amos for unnecessary roughness - PFT Michael Bennett and Adrian Amos both picked up costly penalties in the Eagles’ win over the Bears last weekend, and they picked up costly fines as well. Bennett was fined $10,026 and Amos was fined $26,739 for unnecessary roughness, the NFL confirmed today.

Cowboys magical season comes to a frustrating end at the hands of the Rams - Blogging The Boys We can feel a painful loss and have a hopeful outlook at the same time. Optimism should be a part of every Cowboys fan’s ‘basket of emotions’ after that loss. We all wanted to win that game, and there’s no excusing some of the issues that cropped up in that game. Looking at context, though, the Cowboys were on the road facing a team that went 13-3 in the regular season. A team that was among the favorites to go to the Super Bowl. There is no shame in losing to that team. It’s frustrating that as bad as the Cowboys played they were still in the game and could have won it. It makes you think that the difference between Dallas and Los Angeles isn’t as big as we, and others, might think. It may be a gap that can be closed in an offseason. This year is over, but it really feels like this edition of the Cowboys is just getting started.

Bruce Allen is here to stay with the Redskins; Dan Snyder is laughing at the #FireBruceAllen movement - Hogs Haven Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen are laughing at the fans who thought posting #FireBruceAllen a million times on social media would do a damn thing. They do not care about dwindling interest and growing apathy from a surprisingly loyal fanbase. Snyder has been bleeding fans dry for 20 years now, and still has no idea how to run a professional football organization.

BBV mailbag: Kyler Murray, a Beckham trade idea, more - Big Blue View That said, I think Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur are both solid, capable people. I like their approach, and I like many of the things they did in 2018. I think this is a critical offseason and 2019 a critical year. It’s often said that players often make their biggest improvements from Year 1 to Year 2 of their careers. Can that be applied to front offices and coaching staffs, too? I really don’t know, but I think the offseason will tell us a lot about the eventual success or failure of the Gettleman-Shurmur duo. I would like to see improvement in 2019. I would like to see the team in real playoff contention. I would like to have a clear idea of how they will proceed long-term at quarterback.

The Cowboys are now at 23 straight seasons without a trip to the NFC Championship - SB Nation The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC Championship in January 1996 on their way to a win in Super Bowl 30 over the Steelers. It was the last time the Cowboys got any further than the Divisional Round. With a 30-22 loss to the Rams on Saturday, the Cowboys closed the book on a 23rd consecutive season without a return to the NFC Championship. That’s the seventh-longest active conference championship drought in the NFL: 1) Cincinnati Bengals: 30 seasons. 2) Washington: 27 seasons. 3) Detroit Lions: 27 seasons. 4) Cleveland Browns: 26 seasons. 5) Miami Dolphins: 26 seasons. 6) Buffalo Bills: 25 seasons. 7) Dallas Cowboys: 23 seasons. 8) Houston Texans: 17 seasons.

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Today we’re happy to bring you part two of our “In the Spotlight” feature. We’ve got another group of 25 artists that we think are worthy of your time and ears. Our contributors have made their picks, put together blurbs, and pulled out recommended songs.

If you missed part one, you can find that here.

MUNA

by Jason Tate

MUNA are a three piece out of Los Angeles that craft a dark synth-pop sound right in my musical wheelhouse. They released their debut LP, About U, earlier this year and it’s been in constant rotation as the weather shifts in Rain City between annoyingly wet and cold to slightly less annoyingly cold. The pulsating percussion over well-weaved vocal melodies mixes perfectly with the season. It’s the kind of music that can sit in the background at a party and at one point or another you’ll find all of the guests nodding along, or it can be experienced between headphones alone in a dark room with a stiff drink.

Recommended Track: “Winterbreak”

RIYL: Lany, Banks, Fickle Friends

Mandolin Orange

by Craig Manning

Playful, tongue-in-cheek band name aside, Mandolin Orange write and perform some of the most beautifully understated and intimate music out there these days. A folk duo featuring singer/songwriters Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, Mandolin Orange have been around since 2010, but have really started to pick up steam in the past two years. Their most recent record, last year’s Blindfaller, was a socially-conscious set of folk tunes that rings even more true after what happened in November. But the band’s crowning achievement at this point is 2015’s Such Jubilee, a record that has sneakily become one of the most-played albums in my vinyl collection. Marlin and Frantz’s songs are gentle and pleasant enough to play in the background—whether you are working, chatting, or sleeping—but they also have the power to enchant and entrance when you listen closely. Case-in-point is “Blue Ruin,” a song about the Sandy Hook shootings that avoids self-righteous sloganeering in favor of tortured resignation, quiet rage, bottomless sadness, and unanswerable questions. It’s one of the most haunting songs written this decade.

Recommended Track: “Blue Ruin”

RIYL: The Lone Bellow, Nickel Creek, Field Report

Milkshakes

by Aj LaGambina

Milkshakes, hailing from Connecticut, are an alt-rock/power-pop powerhouse that released their first LP, Juvenilia, in November of last year. Focusing on huge, 90’s throwback instrumentation and relatable musical themes, the band stands out as one of the gems of the CT music scene.

Recommended Track: “Past Tragedies””

RIYL: Basement, Superheaven, Microwave

IDLES

by Kyle Huntington

Very rarely will a band be both tied to their influences in a way that allows them to exist on their own platform whilst simultaneously feeling very worthy amongst said classics and also come along at just. the. right. time. Bristol, England based band IDLES released their debut album Brutalism in March and it’s the most perfect call-to-arms, the rally-round, the gang mentality against the injustices and divisions so prevalent in the world lately. Spilling over with angry fuck yous, relentless rhythm sections and wired guitars whilst maintaining a sense of humour throughout, there’s few albums as directly raw sonically and as on-point culturally as this in 2017.

Recommended Track: “Mother”

RIYL: Pissed Jeans, Iceage, The Fall

Weller

by Deanna Chapman

Weller is a recent find for me. It’s the solo project of Harrison Nantz out of Philadelphia. He came around after I had already left the city, and it left me a bit bummed. Weller’s music, however, is well worth a listen. The Philadelphia music scene does not disappoint. Weller fits right in with the bands that have come out of there. Career Fair has bouncy melodies that you just want to jam out to. The music is well-crafted. The most recent release is a split with Rue from October 2016 and I’ll just be over here waiting for more.

Recommended Track: “Buck”

RIYL: Sorority Noise, Pinegrove, Modern Baseball

Post Modern

by Zac Djamoos

While the might have one of the least-Googleable band names ever, Post Modern’s music more than makes up for it. Their 2015 EP The Current was promising, displaying a knack for crafting hard-hitting post-hardcore. They’ve released a string of singles since which have only built on that promise. They’re gearing up to release a new record this year, and if it’s as good as the singles suggest, Post Modern is name we’ll be hearing for a long time.

Recommended Track: “Speak Soft”

RIYL: Thrice, Circa Survive, Have Mercy

Sonnder

by Craig Ismaili

This Philadelphia area band has drawn attention from alternative radio stations in the region, including Radio 104.5. This is in part because their music displays a boundless ear for melody that belies a pop act underneath the wall of sound of an alterntive act. It’s also in part because their live sets are at once filled unbridle exuberance and yet still remarkably polished. But perhaps the biggest asset Sonnder displays is their malleability. On their debut album Entanglement, released a little over a year ago, they display the ability to shape-shift to fit different perceptions of the band seamlessly, from the hard-charging “New Direction,” the opening track off Entanglement and also often the intro to their live performances, to the harmonic balladry of “Late October,” to the dance-pop of “Siren Calling.” In an era where the biggest single on the radio could be anything from a bubblegum pop song, to a piano ballad, to a folk-pop track, their ability to make an immediately captivating song in any genre will serve them well in the future. They are working on new music now which should be released later this year.

Recommended Track: “New Direction”

RIYL: Smashing Pumpkins, Silversun Pickups, Toyko Police Club

The New Respects

by Greg Robson

Nashville quartet The New Respects offer up a confident slice of soul-based rock with equal amounts of R&B, funk and even radio-ready pop. Vocalist Jasmine Mullen has a natural charisma and swagger but draws on the strength of her bandmates (drummer Darius Fitzgerald, guitarist Zandy Fitzgerald and bassist Alexis Fitzgerald) to do much of the heavy lifting. Their new EP Here Comes Trouble (Credential Recordings/Caroline Distribution) is sleek, sexy and scintillating. The strongest of the EP is the soon-to-be pop smash “Trouble” and the sultry ballad “Come As You Are.” The band’s youth is probably their greatest asset and their rise to larger stages seems almost inevitable.

Recommended Track: “Trouble”

RIYL: Alabama Shakes, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, St. Paul and the Broken Bones

King Neptune

by Becky Kovach

Singer/songwriter Ian Kenny has been a part of the New York scene for a while now – his previous band NGHBRS began in 2010 and made waves in 2013 with their album 21 Rooms – but it’s with his latest project King Neptune that Kenny seems to have finally found his footing. I was initially drawn to the band by “Black Hole,” the first song released under the new moniker. It’s dark and angry, fueled by static-y guitars and a volatile chorus about no longer knowing a person you once loved. Kenny’s voice is rich and gritty – the kind that can go from growling to smooth and back in a single measure. King Neptune’s debut EP A Place To Rest My Head has been out since last October and is still in constant rotation on my iPod/Spotify/stereo.

Recommended Track: “All Night”

RIYL: Envy On The Coast, Cage The Elephant, Heavy English

Crystal Clear

by Aj LaGambina

Crystal Clear are a six piece based out of West Haven, CT that focus on a bright and energetic indie-pop sound. Their debut EP, Rough Draft hit bandcamp at the end of March and provides a perfect soundtrack for the New England springtime. The three original songs, and a unique take on Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” make for a breezy listen, though there’s plenty of musical layers to dive in to if critical listening is more your thing. The title track especially, with it’s big chorus and bouncy, ukulele-driven instrumental begs for sing-alongs in the car.

Recommended Track: “Rough Draft”

Souvenirs

by Zac Djamoos

Souvenirs’ 2014 debut You, Fear, and Me was a pleasant slice of indie rock, but it’s their sophomore outing that’s really going to turn heads. Posture of Apology finds the Carpinteria, CA, band leaning more heavily on the indie than the rock, trading in the booming choruses and distorted guitars for sparkling keys and spurts of electronics. And, hell, it pays off. “Bend and Break” feels like a poppier take on latter-day Copeland, and “Proof” is proof (ha) that Souvenirs are just as good at writing subtle, slowburning pop songs as they are at writing massive, shout-your-lungs-out ones. Even still, you might want to shout your lungs out to a song like “4th and Holly” anyway.

Recommended Track: “Roman Candle”

RIYL: Death Cab for Cutie, The American Scene, Mansions, All the Day Holiday

Danny Black

by Jason Tate

Danny Black is the project name for Good Old War’s Daniel Schwartz. The music is instrumental and guitar based, but it inhabits an atmosphere of driving on a backroad in the middle of summer. Dream-like, carefree, and uninhibited. Danny Black’s debut (and perfectly titled) album, Adventure Soundtrack, came out earlier this year and is impossibly easy to get lost in.

Recommended Track: “High Tide”

RIYL: Days Away, Good Old War

Steve Moakler

by Craig Manning

What does Steve Moakler’s music sound like, you may ask? Like the greatest summertime soundtrack you’ve never heard. With his breakout 2017 album, Steel Town, Moakler is slinging the sunniest choruses in country music—and that’s saying something, for a genre whose mainstream stars really, really love their summertime. The songs on Steel Town range from wistful heartbreakers (“Summer without Her,” with a vibe reminiscent of Dashboard Confessional’s “Dusk and Summer”) to pure song-of-the-summer pop tunes (the undeniable “Suitcase,” which needs to be on your playlist come June). Moakler, like many of Nashville’s brightest talents, hasn’t yet broken through in his own right—though he has penned a few songs for major stars like Dierks Bentley. But between Steel Town and 2014’s Wide Open, Moakler’s got pop songs that will appeal to country fans, country songs that will appeal to pop fans, and enough heartfelt, nostalgic lyrics to fill any summer night. Check him out now—before he’s one of the biggest names in music.

Recommended Track: “Suitcase”

RIYL: Will Hoge, Matt Nathanson, Twin Forks

Black Foxxes

y Zac Djamoos

Sometimes you want to drop the pretenses and just rock, and that’s what Black Foxxes do best. The Exeter, England trio delivered one of the best no-frills rock albums of 2016 – a year that saw no shortage of great rock albums. I’m Not Well stood out due to the raw energy Back Foxxes bring to the table. Whether it’s an unexpected scream breaking through a quiet verse or the sudden drum fill that introduces the title track’s massive hook, there’s always a burst of energy to keep you on your toes. With Black Foxxes racking up festival dates left and right, they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Trust me, you’ll want to be able to say you were a fan before they take over the world.

Recommended Track: “River”

RIYL: Brand New, The Felix Culpa, Manchester Orchestra, Microwave

Phoebe Bridgers

by Craig Ismaili

“Smoke Signals,” the first song Bridgers released from her as of yet unfinished debut album is a remarkable achievement in a song transporting the listener to a specific place. You see, the world within “Smoke Signals” is lived in. This is not a love song in the abstract. The etching of the passage of time is written all over it, from the tragic passings of Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and David Bowie memorialized in song, to an entire verse about The Smiths’ “How Soon is Now.” The celebrity deaths speak to some innate desire to transform one’s life for the better, or just to escape the enormity of it while (“It’s been on my mind since Bowie died / Just checking out to hide from life / and all of our problems / I’m gonna solve them.”). So it’s not at all an escapism fantasy, as so many other songs are, no it’s a journal of a life “lived deliberately” as Thoreau would say in the name-checked Walden. It’s a remarkable testament to the power of Bridgers as a songwriter and a storyteller that she can paint a picture so vividly in just a few simple phrases. The singer/songwriter, who has recorded with Ryan Adams and is signed to his Pax Am label imprint, is a rare, once-or-twice-in-a-generation talent, and I urge you to get aboard the hype train with me before it has passed you by.

Recommended Track: “Smoke Signals”

RIYL: Julien Baker, Elliot Smith, Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch

Hippo Campus

by Kyle Huntington

An early blueprint for this Minnesotan band’s music was seeing people having fun at their shows and continuing to create music that engaged a crowd into a sense of joy and elation. This serves as a great and inclusive foundation, but it’s on their debut album landmark where Hippo Campus evolve and flourish in the nuances and more sombre tones. These moments ice the top of every portion of the album and consequently deliver an outstanding debut. Each song is its own entity whilst remaining a part of a cohesive whole. Bon Iver collaborator BJ Burton handles production duties allowing transitions between tracks to be sequenced thoughtfully and there’s diverse soundscapes from piano-led tracks to more heavy guitar-driven songs that are relentless in their force – but nothing is ever confused or lacking in an identity, in fact landmark boasts a very authentic stamp. Lyrics, handled by guitarist/vocalist Nathan Stocker, are reminiscent of a young Morrissey in their self aware and often humorous ‘coping mechanism’ style and they’re delivered with the heartfelt, floaty vocal tones of frontman Jake Luppen for truly effective measure. landmark is an indie-rock album that doesn’t have a weak moment, consistently great from start to finish with some of the most memorable musical compositions I’ve heard in some time.

There’s that rare type of hype around the band, a non-claustrophobic buzz, which allows their unique breed of infectious, outrageously pop-sensible and intelligent indie music to bloom.

Recommended Track: “Way It Goes”

RIYL: Bombay Bicycle Club, Vampire Weekend, Bleachers

Creeper

by Becky Kovach

There’s no replacing My Chemical Romance. However, British newcomers (or at least new to me) Creeper are giving the kings of the goth scene a run for their money. The band’s debut Eternity, In Your Arms, is drenched in the same dark and theatrical nuances that MCR became known for. If you missed them on tour with Too Close To Touch and Waterparks, have no fear – they’ll be back this summer on the Vans Warped Tour. Time to break out the eyeliner.

Recommended Track: “Misery”

RIYL: My Chemical Romance, Alkaline Trio, AFI

Shallows

by Anna Acosta

You’d hardly know synth-pop duo Shallows are newer faces on the LA music scene to look at the year they’ve had. Marshall Gallagher’s meticulous production combined with front-woman Dani Poppitt’s hauntingly addictive vocals peppered 2016 with festival-ready singles. The lyrics dance around themes of longing with no shortage of clever wordplay, transmitting their message so effectively that the listener can’t help but want to hear more. With Poppitt at the helm, Shallows have achieved that ever-so-elusive feat: to embody everything current about the LA music scene, while feeling in no way derivative. The good news? They’ve got an EP coming out later this year. One thing is for sure: this band won’t be underground for long.

Recommended Track: “Matter”

RIYL: Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Halsey

White Reaper

by Craig Manning

White Reaper aren’t quite a hair metal band, but they sure sound like they could have been hustling up and down the Sunset Strip 35 years ago. Situated on the musical spectrum somewhere between Van Halen, KISS, and Japandroids, White Reaper tear through one party-ready rock song after another on this year’s (un)ironically named The World’s Best American Band. Loud, raucous, glammy to the nth degree, and loaded with arena rock signifiers—chugging guitars, ripping solos, pounding drums that reverberate through your entire chest, bellowed vocals, and sugar-rush melodies that double their enjoyment factor with every beer you drink—this record feels tailor-made for loud-as-hell car listens this summer. If you thought that Japandroids LP from earlier this year was too overproduced or too stuck in a mid-tempo rut, White Reaper have the antidote.

Recommended Track: “Judy French”

RIYL: ‘80s hair metal filtered through a modern alt-rock prism

Posture and the Grizzly

by Zac Djamoos

Posture and the Grizzly are a puzzling band. I Am Satan contains a nearly even split of pop-punk and post-rock, sometimes within the very same song (see opener “I Am Not a Real Doctor”). They manage to combine the best aspects of both genres to create an impressive and expansive album that’s also just fun as hell. There’s beauty and space in “Star Children,” there’s catharsis in “Acid Bomb,” there’s a monstrous earworm in “Kill Me,” and there’s a great record in I Am Satan.

Recommended Track: “I Am Not a Real Doctor”

RIYL: blink-182, Runaway Brother, The World Is…

Blaenavon

by Kyle Huntington

There’s a danger with debuts that are a long-time coming, a momentum can be lost. A spark can fade a little or fickle fans can just lose interest. The Hampshire, England band may have taken five years to produce their debut album That’s Your Lot, which was released in April, but it’s so self-assured in its brooding wonder and euphoria that any potentials pitfalls another band may encounter are bypassed without a second glance by Blaenavon. Produced by Jim Abbiss who has a masterful touch on so many staple indie-debuts (Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Temper Trap and…Adele) the record is best summed up by frontman Ben Gregory himself: “That’s Your Lot is five years of our lives condensed into 59 minutes of yours. Youth, capriciousness, duality, duplicity, love, bitterness, fate. Songs from the human core: some malleable, long considered – others pure, direct, cruelly honest. An album to bathe in and appreciate the inevitable end.”

Recommended Track: “Orthodox Man”

RIYL: Bombay Bicycle Club, Foals, The Maccabees, The Temper Trap

Lindsay Ell

by Craig Manning

Lindsay Ell built her following on YouTube, covering songs by other artists. For the past few years, though, she’s been slowly making a name for herself in mainstream country music, releasing hooky one-off pop-country singles like the bubblegum kiss-off “By the Way” or the infectiously ebullient “All Alright.” It wasn’t until this spring, though, that Ell really showed the world what she was capable of. With the release of her debut EP, Worth the Wait, the 28-year-old Canadian country singer has cast off the usual constraints of pop country for a soulful, versatile set of songs. Her producer, Kristian Bush of the band Sugarland, encouraged her to pick her favorite album and record a cover version of the whole thing, to get a better sense of what makes the songs tick and what she wanted to accomplish with her own music. Ell, a whiz of a guitar player, chose John Mayer’s 2006 masterpiece Continuum. Unsurprisingly, the influence of that record is splashed all across the songs that make up Worth the Wait—and not just in the closing cover of “Stop This Train.” Still, the most intriguing moments here are all Ell’s, from the soulful blues-pop of “Waiting for You” to the kinetic “Criminal,” all the way to the goosebump-inducing title track. Trust me: this girl is one to watch.

Recommended Track: “Worth the Wait”

RIYL: John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Logan Brill

Sam Outlaw

by Craig Manning

A former ad executive turned country singer, Sam Outlaw sounded charming but somewhat limited two years ago when he released his first LP, 2015’s Angeleno. The songwriting was very solid, and Outlaw’s voice—not far removed from Jackson Browne—was butter. However, most of the songs were so old fashioned—with sweeping strings, mariachi horns, and more than a few hat tips to classic California country—that the record didn’t engage me quite as much as other more forward-thinking roots music records from that year. Outlaw’s second disc, this year’s Tenderheart sees the singer/songwriter breaking out of his traditionalist mode a bit, widening the palette for something that feels more his own. The highlight is lead-off track “Everyone’s Looking for Home,” an aching slow-burn that modernizes Outlaw’s sound a bit without sacrificing intimacy. But the whole record—from the title track, which calls back to the melody of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” to “Look at You Now,” the Ryan Adams-style ballad that sits in the closing slot—is the direct opposite of a sophomore slump.

Recommended Track: “Everyone’s Looking for Home”

RIYL: Dawes, Jackson Browne, other Laurel Canyon country/folk acts

For Everest

by Zac Djamoos

I think there’s a For Everest song for everything. Want something snappy and infectious? Listen to “Autonomy.” Something slow and building? “Vitamins.” Want to shout along to something angry? “I’m in a Boxcar Buried Inside a Quarry.” Their debut We Are at Home in the Body runs the whole gamut of human emotions in nine songs, and toys around with just about every style. The two songs they’re released on their upcoming split with Carb on Carb only have me more convinced that For Everest can do no wrong. They’re one of the most creative and refreshing new bands around, and they’re only one album in. Strap yourself in and start singing along.

Recommended Track: “Autonomy”

RIYL: The World Is…, Dowsing, Everyone Everywhere, Paramore

Nikita Karmen

by Craig Manning

If you’re looking for a “song of the summer” candidate, Nikita Karmen’s new self-titled EP has two of them. “First” is the most obvious pick, an instantly hummable song about the kind of vindictive, petty jealousy that sets in when your ex moves on before you do. But “Love in a Thrift Shop” is sunny and sugary-sweet, too, with a big hook that sounds exactly like something Nashville radio could latch onto. Karmen’s wheelhouse is pop-country, but her music is refreshingly bare, with sparser and more organic arrangements than what you’d hear from many of her (overproduced) contemporaries. “First” starts out with nothing more than a lightly picked guitar and Karmen’s voice. It’s reminiscent of Adele’s Max Martin co-write, “Send My Love to Your New Lover,” only way catchier. And Karmen’s ballads—wrenching girl-next-door tales like “Curfew” and “Nobody with Me”—are similarly understated, allowing her pleasant voice and impressive songcraft to shine through. Pairing the pop-country cuteness of early Taylor Swift with the take-no-shit attitude of Maren Morris, Karmen might just be the next big thing.

Recommended Track: “First”

RIYL: Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Colbie Caillat

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The Linc - Film suggests Drew Brees not the same QB now that he was in November

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

The All-22: Where did Drew Brees’ game go? - TouchdownWire Brees’ Week 16 interception against the Buccaneers’ sub-par defense was another worrisome reaction to pressure. Here, he’s got openings to his left, and the design of the play implies a screen to the left side, but when Bucs end Vinny Curry goes straight at Brees after left tackle Jermon Bushrod heads out of the formation, Brees throws instead in the general direction of running back Mark Ingram. But Ingram’s head isn’t even turned around to see the pass, and linebacker Adarius Taylor is in the right place at the right time. You don’t expect a throw like this from a quarterback of Brees’ caliber and experience. There’s been a lot of talk this week about how Brees lit Philly’s defense up in November. That would be relevant if Brees was the same quarterback now that he was then, but the tape tells a different story. If he’s not able to correct some obvious mechanical flaws, and the Eagles are able to rock him off his spot as they were generally unable to before, this game could be a lot closer than the Saints would prefer.

Conflicting reports emerge regarding Jason Kelce potentially retiring after Eagles’ 2019 playoff run - BGN It’s not totally implausible that Kelce would hang ‘em up. He turned 31 in November and he’s about to wrap up his eighth NFL season. Including playoffs, he’s started and played 115 games over his career. He’s often played through nagging injuries in recent years, so maybe he just feels like his body can’t take the grind much longer. He also might feel like there’s not much more to accomplish, especially if the Eagles win their second straight Super Bowl this postseason. With that said, there are some conflicting reports about Kelce’s intentions. BGN alumnus Mike Kaye says a decision regarding Kelce’s future has not been made.

The Kist & Solak Show #69: Scoring on the Saints - BGN Radio Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak finish up their preview series of the Divisional Round by shifting their focus to the Eagles’ offense and how they match up with the Saints’ defense? Is Sproles in for a big game? Should the Eagles’ continue to supplant the running game with the quick passing game? What about some deep shots? All that and more on this preview show! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation

Rookie Avonte Maddox’s competitive nature helped him make immediate impact on Eagles’ defense - PhillyVoice “It’s football. You play corner, you’re not perfect. Certain things are going to happen,” Maddox said. “It’s all about how short your memory is, and mine is short. So when somebody makes a play — they’re one of the top athletes in the world, too, so they’re going to make plays — it’s about what you do the next play to make up for it. I definitely don’t dwell on it. I was definitely (too aggressive). I’m going to keep playing how I play. I know (the double moves are) coming. Copycat league. And they already ran a lot of double moves before that.” Maddox likes challenges. He’s been faced with them his whole life.

Running Men - Iggles Blitz The improvement of Nigel Bradham will help. He was outstanding last week. I don’t know what has happened to him in recent games, but Bradham suddenly looks like the stud he was last year. Maybe the training staff finally gave him the Funyuns therapy I’ve been telling them about all year. The NFL doesn’t have rules against Performance Enhancing Snacks. The Eagles played mainly dime defense last week and it worked really well. The Saints have physical RBs so I wonder if Schwartz will go with a nickel look this time out. The Saints don’t have a ton of speed on offense so there is something to be said for this. Schwartz has seen Dallas shut down the Saints. He saw the Panthers hold them to 12 points. He needs to steal an idea or two from those games. The Eagles don’t need to shut down the Saints. They need to slow them down. If you can keep to less than 24 points, the Eagles have a great chance to win this game. That’s a big if to be sure.

Unsung heroes are stepping up on both sides of the ball for the Eagles - PFF Just as the Eagles experienced the unthinkable a season ago under Foles, they’re now one step closer to achieving a similar fate. And a lot of that has to do with young, unheralded players making plays in pivotal moments. Treyvon Hester has quietly been having a stellar season on limited snaps — and he cemented it with a game-winning blocked kick to send his city into an all-too-familiar frenzy. While his 48.2 grade on Sunday was by far his worst grade of the season, what he did in the regular season for a team already filled with stars on the defensive line was unprecedented. His 89.7 grade ranked 14th among interior defensive linemen, and his 87.5 run defense grade ranked 10th. Hester’s grade over the last four weeks of the regular season also ranked 10th, and while the former Oakland Raiders seventh-round pick has seen only 10-20 snaps a game, he’s making the most of it. It’s hard to count anyone out on this Eagles team because as it has shown, anyone and everyone could step up when it matters most in any facet of the game.

Lawlor: How The Eagles Can Beat The Saints - PE.com The Eagles offense’ must help the defense by sustaining drives and scoring points. If the Eagles go three-and-out too often, that will put tremendous pressure on the defense. The one surefire way to stop Brees is to make him a spectator. The Eagles’ offensive line did not play well in the first meeting. Lane Johnson wasn’t completely healthy. Jason Kelce got hurt early in the game and missed some time. Jason Peters was dealing with nagging injuries. Carson Wentz was sacked three times and pressured too often. The line is healthy now and playing its best football of the year. Johnson looks like a dominant tackle once again. Peters is coming off a good game. The interior trio is clicking. The Eagles’ offense has been much better in recent weeks and one of the key reasons is the play of the guys up front.

Divisional weekend preview: Breaking down each matchup - The Athletic Saints 30, Eagles 23. At the risk of being smote for doubting Nick Foles again, I’m afraid the odds are too long this time. The Saints defense is much better than most people think, but the Eagles were able to move the ball with consistency against the best defense in the league last week. Doug Pederson will have some tricks up his sleeve, perhaps dipping back into the 12 personnel well. Without being able to run the ball consistently, the Eagles will probably need a big game from Alshon Jeffery, who has delivered them when called upon during the playoffs the past two seasons. Perhaps Brees and the Saints will come out rusty after several weeks of inaction. This is an Eagles team that wears the scar of their 41-point loss proudly as a reminder of how thirsty they are for revenge. Betting against Brees at home in the playoffs just seems foolish. But who knows, maybe the power of one Saint (Nick) is stronger than 46 combined.

Best bets for the NFL playoffs divisional round - ESPN The last two matchups between these teams are not representative of what we’ll see on Sunday afternoon. On Nov. 18, the Eagles had recently acquired Golden Tate and were trying to figure out how to incorporate him into the offense. They gave him a 76 percent snap rate against the Saints and tried to force him targets. It didn’t work. The Eagles were also without Darren Sproles and had Carson Wentz at quarterback. I expect this game will be far more competitive. Foles is getting the ball out quickly, he’s not taking sacks, he’s throwing to guys who are open, he’s making anticipation throws, he’s not dropping his head in the pocket, he’s keeping his eyes downfield and delivering and he is producing. The Eagles’ defense has not played a very strong starting quarterback since their Week 8 game over in London, though, and they will have their work cut out for them. Drew Brees is incredible at home, posting a 66 percent success rate, 9.5 yards per attempt and a 130 rating with a 21-2 TD-INT rate. Every single one of those metrics is the best in the NFL. Philadelphia will also face Ted Ginn Jr., who was worked into the lineup to close the year after missing most of the season. Ultimately, I envision this game as a back-and-forth affair that will hinge on whether or not Foles can post a clean game from a turnover perspective, because it is very likely Brees will be able to do so.

Playing Props Divisional Round - Rotoworld Darren Sproles Under 47.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards: I bet the over on Sproles’ yards from scrimmage prop last week and watched him come four yards shy of getting there. This week, they raised his line to a total that he’s hit in just one of his seven games played this season. Sproles has hit 40 yards from scrimmage just twice. His former team allows just 96.7 total yards per game to opposing backfields, which was second in the league.

Malcolm Jenkins Foundation lives on in New Orleans - 6ABC As the Eagles prepare to take on the Saints, it’s impressive that the work of Malcolm Jenkins’ foundation is still going strong in New Orleans. Of course, Jenkins used to play for the Saints, but not even the most ardent Eagles fan would begrudge his continuing commitment to the youth of the Big Easy. ”Our foundation is very much alive and active down there,” said Jenkins. “New Orleans is where I started my foundation. It’s where I got drafted. It’s where I’ve got a lot of memories and great friends that are still there.” In 2012, the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation partnered with New Orleans’ organization College Track to help students pursue their dreams of higher education.

Roob’s 10 observations: Jason Peters’ future, Nick Foles stats, give Sidney Jones a chance - NBCSP After watching Jason Peters last Sunday, I want him back at left tackle next year. I don’t care how old he is, I don’t care what his salary is, I don’t care that he left a couple games early during the regular season. The way Peters neutralized Khalil Mack, one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers, tells me there’s plenty left in Peters’ tank. Doug Pederson has handled Peters perfectly this year, giving him plenty of time off during the week and saving him for games. And Peters has responded, playing through a couple significant injuries — a torn biceps and a nagging quad — to help the Eagles get to the conference semifinal round. At some point, it’ll be time for Peters to hang ‘em up. I don’t think he’s there yet.

NFL Conference Semifinals (Call It That!): Foles Hasn’t Been Tested Like This, Chargers’ Fatal Flaw - Sports Illustrated There’s no logical reason to think the Eagles can beat the Saints in New Orleans. But then, there was also no logical reason to think Nick Foles would have come off the bench a year ago and become Super Bowl MVP. And there was really no logical reason to think a circumstellar disc would grow out to become the planet Earth and nestle into a gravitational pull 93 million miles for the sun, allowing intelligent life to develop and, eventually, this very column to be written. Unexpected things happen. But keep a few things in mind as we suspend disbelief in regards to Nick Foles. (1) He made two crushing mistakes in the first half in Chicago last week, and a team with a more explosive offense might have left Philly in the dust. (2) Foles was good in the second half of the Bears win, though even with vintage Foles this Eagles team is not what it was a year ago. They have no run game (and the Saints have one of football’s best run defenses by any measure), and their secondary not only leans on young corners Avonte Maddox and Rasul Douglas (both of whom are improving but still shaky), but also continues to be without criminally underrated free safety Rodney McLeod playing that aggressive centerfield spot in Jim Schwartz’s single-high looks. And (3) Last week was Foles’s first true road game in the playoffs, and overall it was probably a B-minus effort. Remember, a year ago when Foles got his only postseason win outside of Philly in Super Bowl LII, that was a very suspect Patriots defense. Sunday will be Foles’s toughest test yet.

New Orleans Saints Divisional Round: Bold Predictions - Canal Street Chronicles It’s a pretty common occurrence for fans and analysts to make bold predictions about a game or season. If the prediction doesn’t come true, then that’s OK - you said it was bold! If it DOES come true, though... now you look like a genius! So in that spirit, some of the Canal Street Chronicles writers were asked to share with me a bold prediction or two for the New Orleans Saints’ first playoff round game of the NFL: a divisional round matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. This is their chance to look brilliant!

2018 ALEX: Season Review - Football Outsiders Meanwhile, the Eagles ranked second in ALEX after finishing first in 2017, a Super Bowl year for Jim Schwartz’s defense. The Eagles have a banged-up secondary this year, but still ranked fourth in conversion rate allowed. If they can keep the play in front of them against Drew Brees this week, that could help in pulling off a huge upset.

NFL fines Michael Bennett, Adrian Amos for unnecessary roughness - PFT Michael Bennett and Adrian Amos both picked up costly penalties in the Eagles’ win over the Bears last weekend, and they picked up costly fines as well. Bennett was fined $10,026 and Amos was fined $26,739 for unnecessary roughness, the NFL confirmed today.

Cowboys magical season comes to a frustrating end at the hands of the Rams - Blogging The Boys We can feel a painful loss and have a hopeful outlook at the same time. Optimism should be a part of every Cowboys fan’s ‘basket of emotions’ after that loss. We all wanted to win that game, and there’s no excusing some of the issues that cropped up in that game. Looking at context, though, the Cowboys were on the road facing a team that went 13-3 in the regular season. A team that was among the favorites to go to the Super Bowl. There is no shame in losing to that team. It’s frustrating that as bad as the Cowboys played they were still in the game and could have won it. It makes you think that the difference between Dallas and Los Angeles isn’t as big as we, and others, might think. It may be a gap that can be closed in an offseason. This year is over, but it really feels like this edition of the Cowboys is just getting started.

Bruce Allen is here to stay with the Redskins; Dan Snyder is laughing at the #FireBruceAllen movement - Hogs Haven Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen are laughing at the fans who thought posting #FireBruceAllen a million times on social media would do a damn thing. They do not care about dwindling interest and growing apathy from a surprisingly loyal fanbase. Snyder has been bleeding fans dry for 20 years now, and still has no idea how to run a professional football organization.

BBV mailbag: Kyler Murray, a Beckham trade idea, more - Big Blue View That said, I think Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur are both solid, capable people. I like their approach, and I like many of the things they did in 2018. I think this is a critical offseason and 2019 a critical year. It’s often said that players often make their biggest improvements from Year 1 to Year 2 of their careers. Can that be applied to front offices and coaching staffs, too? I really don’t know, but I think the offseason will tell us a lot about the eventual success or failure of the Gettleman-Shurmur duo. I would like to see improvement in 2019. I would like to see the team in real playoff contention. I would like to have a clear idea of how they will proceed long-term at quarterback.

The Cowboys are now at 23 straight seasons without a trip to the NFC Championship - SB Nation The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC Championship in January 1996 on their way to a win in Super Bowl 30 over the Steelers. It was the last time the Cowboys got any further than the Divisional Round. With a 30-22 loss to the Rams on Saturday, the Cowboys closed the book on a 23rd consecutive season without a return to the NFC Championship. That’s the seventh-longest active conference championship drought in the NFL: 1) Cincinnati Bengals: 30 seasons. 2) Washington: 27 seasons. 3) Detroit Lions: 27 seasons. 4) Cleveland Browns: 26 seasons. 5) Miami Dolphins: 26 seasons. 6) Buffalo Bills: 25 seasons. 7) Dallas Cowboys: 23 seasons. 8) Houston Texans: 17 seasons.

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[flauntpage]

Flying High Again – Ten Takeaways From Eagles 32, Texans 30

A lot of NFL teams can’t put one decent quarterback on the field, but the Eagles have two that are pretty damn good.

It’s why they won the Super Bowl in February and it’s why they’re still alive for a playoff berth heading into week 17 of this season. The pretty damn good backup was able to step in for the pretty damn good starter, and the Eagles have now won four of their last five games.

That’s my top takeaway. It’s the rare positive outlook from me, the anti-Negadelphia if you will. Is it posi-delphia? I don’t know. That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but the only thing that matters is that the Eagles head into the season finale with a chance to sneak into the playoffs as a 9-7 wild card team. That seemed inconceivable as recently as 15 days ago.

Of course you would like for them to “control their own destiny,” but they don’t, and wins against the Rams and Texans might only serve to reignite the “what if?” flames that were originally sparked during bogus early season losses against the Vikings and Panthers and Bucs and Titans. Go figure that they’d struggle against some utterly average teams while knocking off a pair of 10-win clubs in consecutive weeks. That adds to the bitterness for sure, because they should have taken care of business back in October and November.

But they’ve still got a chance, and it’s possible to appreciate both Carson Wentz and Nick Foles at the same time without automatically going into some sort of “quarterback controversy” type of hot take on social media or sports radio. God forbid Eagle fans be grateful for what each player has contributed over the past two seasons, but if you want to argue with your friends or family or total strangers on Twitter, I won’t stop you.

1) Big **** Nick

471 yards is the most an Eagles quarterback has ever thrown for.

Ever!

The previous mark was set by Donovan McNabb back in 2004, when he slung it for 464 against Green Bay. Also, this was Nick’s fourth 400 yard passing game, which is also an Eagles record, and his 120.4 passer rating is the 9th-highest single-game mark of his career, the best number he’s logged since last year’s NFC Championship game.

Foles was also 8 yards short of passing Pat Mahomes for the highest single-game total this year, which happened in the 54-51 Chiefs/Rams barn burner a few weeks ago.

The fumble and the interception were the two blemishes on an otherwise stellar game. Nick finished 35-49 with four touchdowns and the pick, and again this week he hit on some deep balls that Carson simply wasn’t trying in weeks prior. Last week Nick was 3-5 in passes thrown 20 or more yards down the field, and this week he went 2-4 in that category, according to NFL Next Gen Stats:

(I counted that green dot on the far left as 20 yards. Looks like it’s maybe 19.8 yards? Close enough)

And what you can say about the final drive? He led an 11 play, 72 yard foray down the field to score the game-winning field goal. He only went 2-6 on the drive but connected on massive 19 and 20 yard completions, which, combined with a penalty and some effective running, got the Eagles close enough for Jake Elliott to do the rest.

I’m not sure what it is, but Nick just has that quality in him, that clutch factor when playing for this team. Consider the fact that he did all of that after getting absolutely obliterated by Jadeveon Clowney, and it makes it even more impressive.

2) When pass/run ratio doesn’t matter

50 passes and 22 runs on the day, which wound up being lopsided because of the nature of the game and the necessity to throw in the fourth quarter.

Therefore, whenever anyone gives you that statistic of, “the Eagles win blah blah amount of games when they run the ball X amount of times,” you know it’s generally bullshit. Yesterday is the perfect example.

Even if you take away the final three series, when the Eagles were leading by two touchdowns, the split would have been this:

40 passes, 16 runs

That includes a QB sneak as well, and it gives you a 71% to 29% pass/run split. They basically built a two score, second half lead while throwing the ball 71% of the time, so tell me again about how Josh Adams needs to see more of the rock. He doesn’t. The whole point of finding a 60/40 split is that it just allows you to balance out the play book and throw different things at defenses while allowing your offensive line to get moving in the run blocking game, but otherwise there are just too many variables to make blanket statements about run/pass split.

Plus, Houston’s defensive strength is in the trenches anyway, and here’s a good exchange between Doug and Jimmy Kempski that sort of sums it up:

Q. You had a lead for most of the game, but the pass/run ratio was pretty lopsided. Was that because they were depleted at corner? (Jimmy Kempski)  DOUG PEDERSON: Did you see their rush defense today? 35 yards rushing the football. It was hard.

Q. I’m not criticizing. (Jimmy Kempski)  DOUG PEDERSON: Okay. I thought maybe we needed to run the ball more or something. [Laughter] That’s a tremendous defense now. That’s a great group. That front seven, eight guys with their safeties, they do a really good job. They create different angles for our offensive linemen. So some of the things that we’ve been able to do in the last couple weeks, they just kind of took us out of it. I knew we were going to have to run the ball late in the game, even when we were up by 13 there, 29-16, I felt like we could get a little momentum, run the ball, make them use time outs and maybe we could finish the game at that point, but we didn’t do it. It was just great defense.

For what it’s worth, last week Doug Pederson went with 51 shotgun looks for Nick versus 8 under center looks. This week he used shotgun 63 times and again only went under center 8 times, so nothing super different there. The Eagles are a shotgun squad and they run almost the entirety of the offense from those sets. That’s the base for their RPO game, and while they do fire off the occasional screen from under center, yesterday both screens came out of the shotgun.

3) Calling audibles

The 83-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor was actually not supposed to happen. Foles audibled out of it:

I saw a unique coverage that they play. We had a play in our arsenal that wasn’t the one that was called, and I felt like I had time on the clock to check it and really take a shot with some speed with Nelly. We were able to execute it. Nelly made an amazing play to finish it off with a touchdown. It was really all of us being on the same page, recognizing the coverage, understanding how to run the route, and the line gave me time to throw it. It was awesome.

Pederson confirmed that the original play was a pass, and added this:

It was a coverage check that he saw, something Houston had been running earlier in the game. He saw it, got to a play that would attack that coverage and great protection and allowed him to get the ball down the field.

I’m probably going to need the all-22 film to get the best look, but for whatever reason, the Texans use a safety to kind of double down on the weak side of the field, where Alshon Jeffery is lined up. On replay, check out how the 60/40 safety kind of cheats up here in a nickel look:

Nick Foles finds Nelson Agholor for a HUGE touchdown!

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/UdVAYVcWSc

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 23, 2018

That allows the Eagles to move the second safety with a post pattern and then you’ve got Agholor 1v1 with Tyrann Mathieu without any safety help over the top at all. Houston plays a lot of zone, and the linebackers just sort of hold here, so Nick obviously saw this look earlier in the game knew he could get “Nelly” down the field with inside leverage while using Zach Ertz to pull the second safety out of the way:

Maybe later this week I can go through the film and try to see where Houston showed that coverage earlier in the game. Nice read, nice audible, even better pass.

4) Scissors

There were a couple of key plays on the game-winning drive, but I think the best quote was from Zach Ertz, on the 20-yard third down grab that he made to keep the chains moving:

“It was just kind of a scissors corner route that we always have, post by number one, I had a corner, and Darren was in the flat. I had been taking a lot of inside releases against him, so I kind of sold the inside release and threw him inside and I think he kind of ran into the linebacker. Something happened where my feet got tangled up so I was kind of off balance and Nick just kind of laid the ball out there and allowed me to run under it. I was able to stay in bounds and make the play. I tried to get out of bounds in that situation.”

Yep. This is a really nice design, and I think they ran the same thing earlier, or something very similar, on their first 4th down conversion of the game:

This is actually more about sealing off the linebacker responsible for the runner coming out of the backfield. Ertz does a really nice job, as he says, selling the inside here, and while he successfully picks off the linebacker, both players actually fall down, leaving Sproles open, but also springing Ertz even further down the field.

Check it out:

  Huge play to put the Eagles in field goal range. Well designed, well executed.

5) Record setter

Sunday, Ertz set a new record for the most single-season receptions by a tight end.

The Eagles’ PR staff put together the notes in their post game email, so I will courtesy them and drop the information in here:

Zach Ertz now has 113 receptions in 2018, surpassing Jason Witten in 2012 (110) for the most receptions by a TE in NFL single-season history. Ertz, who led the Eagles with 12 receptions, posted his franchise-record 10th career game with 10+ receptions. He became just the third TE in NFL history to accomplish that feat, joining Tony Gonzalez (15, 1997-2013) and Witten (11, 2003-17).

Ertz moved past Brian Westbrook (426, 2002-09) into 3rd place on the Eagles’ all-time receptions list (currently 434), behind Harold Carmichael (589, 1971-83) and Pete Retzlaff (452, 1956-66).

Ertz, who tallied his 11th career game with 100+ receiving yards (5th of the season), moved into 9th place on the Eagles’ all-time list for receiving yards (currently 4,812).

Ertz recorded his 5th career multi-TD game and now has a career-high-tying 8 TDs this season (also 8 in 2017), which are tied for the 2nd-most by a TE in Eagles history, trailing only Pete Retzlaff in 1965 (10).

It took Ertz 89 games over six seasons to reach those numbers.

Assuming he continues on a similar trajectory, he’s slated to break Carmichael’s receptions record in three seasons. He actually might get there sooner. He would need 77.5 receptions next season and the following season to reach Carmichael’s 589, which is not inconceivable. Even in 2015 and 2016 he caught 75 and 78 passes, so the record will fall at some point.

6) NFL “officiating”

Jesus H. Christ, was it bad.

In no particular order:

The missed facemask call on Foles was outrageous.

The roughing the passer call on Brandon Graham was one level below outrageous.

The roughing the passer on Clowney was iffy. I honestly don’t think there’s anything wrong with that hit, but if you think his head is lowered there as he makes contact with Foles, then you could make a case that he’s breaking the rules. Honestly, if that was called against an Eagle and not a Texan, I think there would be a ton of complaints.

Alshon Jeffery threw an illegal screen on the second Ertz touchdown catch. He literally just ran straight forward into the defender and made no move to disguise the pick at all.

I think the helmet contact penalty on Tre Sullivan was a good call, same with the roughing on J.J. Watt, who hit Foles in the head while trying to bring him down. The unnecessary roughness on Cre’Von LeBlanc I though was somewhat of a borderline call, because he hit the ball carrier with his shoulder as that guy was going to ground. Those are weird plays, aren’t they? It’s hard to pull out of those at the last minute if the offensive player is dropping his head or trying to avoid contact.

7) Auxiliary battles

Some good, some bad:

won time of possession, 34 to 26 minutes

-2 turnover margin

9-16 on third down (56.2%)

4-4 on fourth down

allowed Houston to go 3-10 on third down (30%)

lost 9 yards on 1 sack

1-2 success rate in red zone

11 penalties for 105 yards

They against crushed a team in time of possession, but that -2 turnover margin was a killer, as were the penalty yards, which were almost double what they’ve been over the past three weeks.

Those third and fourth down numbers are the reason they won the game. Foles was just phenomenal playing “situational football” throughout, and the line’s ability to protect him yesterday outside of one sack and the fumble was a big deal.

8) Doug’s best call?

I thought he really nailed his fourth down play calls.

The wheel route to Sproles was perfect. The play action pass to Dallas Goedert, complete with pre-snap motion, would have gone for a touchdown had he not slipped. Ertz ran a brilliant route on his first touchdown catch.

I also thought the draw play on the final drive really caught Houston off guard after the Eagles threw the ball seven times in a row to chunk their way down the field. There was no better time to throw them for a loop with a delayed hand off type of design.

It was just really nice stuff all around from Doug yesterday, who looked like the 2017 version of himself with aggressive decision making and calls that made a lot of sense when factoring in down, distance, and the time remaining on the clock.

9) Doug’s worst call?

Going for two when you’re up 13-9? That’s really the only one that comes to mind.

I guess the idea there was to extend the lead to six instead of four, which would force Houston into two field goals to tie the game. Or, if they score a touchdown, that would also put a little more pressure on the kicker to hit an extra point to go up 16-15. I’m just not sure it was necessary at the time, and they could have used that point in the fourth quarter, when Houston scored to take – you guessed it – a one-point lead.

10) Can’t be bothered in the broadcast booth

I kind of like Ian Eagle, but Dan Fouts seems like another color guy who is just sort of there, another guy who treats the game like it’s just another day at the office, as if he’s working some sort of 9-5 job.

That manifested itself I think in the goofy exchange where they were talking about Big V and didn’t attempt to say his first name. They sort of laughed it off to the tune of, “I’m not even gonna try to pronounce his name.”

Yeah? Well isn’t that your job?

Imagine if a home builder said, “well that nail is way up there, I’m not even gonna try hammering it in.” Two years later, the house falls apart because dude was lazy and/or inattentive to detail.

Imagine if an electrician, like Tom Cudeyro, said, “yeah I guess I could connect these two wires, but I don’t feel like it.” And then the lights in your brand new house simply don’t work.

Or, imagine if a paralegal said, “yeah, well I’m just going to omit this line about beneficiaries because I’m trying to hit my lunch break at Chipotle.” Then, when you croak, your kids can’t get your money because this person didn’t feel like finishing the task at hand.

See how dumb it really is?

Plus, it’s really not that hard if you go over it a couple of times:

Halapoulivaati Vaitai.

Ha-la-pool-ee-va-tee.

He played in the Super Bowl last year, so it’s not like the dude is brand new. He didn’t just sign yesterday.

They also borked the name of Boston Scott in the first half, calling him “Austin” instead. Otherwise everything about the broadcast was suitable.

Happy holidays. Enjoy whatever you celebrate – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or maybe a Festivus for the rest of us.

The post Flying High Again – Ten Takeaways From Eagles 32, Texans 30 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

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[nomineestheshow-blog]

Nominees: The Comeback Column

By Sameer Suri

After months and months of waiting, Nominees is at long last BACK IN ACTION! Our inimitable hostess Leah Lamarr has secured us the perfect venue in the form of The Comedy Store’s raucous Belly Room, and now it’s up to us to ensure the opportunity isn’t squandered. Shall we achieve the dazzling heights of Liza’s comeback in the mid-’80s, or plumb the depths of Liza’s comeback in the early-2000s? (Please Google Image her fourth husband David Gest right now, and consider also that a bridesmaid at their wedding was Elizabeth Taylor.)

To inaugurate our glittering new edition of this show, we have an absolutely bonkers array of judges. Matt Spicer wrote and directed Ingrid Goes West, a movie about a deranged woman whose lunacy is amplified by a proximity to glitz and fame - a perfect fit for us. Beth Stelling, who writes for Sarah Silverman’s show I Love You America, will be joining him on a panel that includes Jonathan Lipnicki, who shot to fame as the little boy in Jerry Maguire, and Jason Greene, a.k.a. the acid-tongued Aunt Freckle on The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo.

And now, onto our first batch of nominees to grace our new home - the group who’ll remind the audience of the sheer power of live theater. Princess Margaret once went to see a production of The Madness Of King George III and fretted during intermission, “Do you think it’s hereditary?” Will our audience leave with similar flashes of self-realization? Let’s see if our performers are up to it.

Breck Denny is a marvelous actor and writer who performed both those roles in this year’s Hollywood Fringe play Nickel Dickers, a gleefully unhinged tip of the hat to Old Hollywood. It also happens to have co-starred our Leah (who is making me say how good she was - yes, Leah, you were wonderful, darling. It’s been six hours. May I have a glass of water now?) Breck is also at the Groundlings School’s final sketch writing level, and was willing to confess to us that he’s from Cleveland, which shows a commendable ability to say and do anything. Having seen Nickel Dickers, I can tell you he has a similar sense of humor to that which helped Whitney Rice pull through to first place all those months ago.

Sofia Gonzalez has flown through a string of guest shots on sitcoms as prominent as Modern Family, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Community - plus which, she got a series regular gig a couple years back on an ABC pilot called Chunk And Bean. She also made it onto the red carpet at the Creative Arts Emmys, so already she’s achieved a higher glamour quotient than I have, which I can’t pretend I’m thrilled about. On top of being a jobbing actress, she’s racked up some writing jobs as well, including an episode of the YouTube show Hacking High School. (The hack for me would’ve been, “Come out, already. This is embarrassing for everyone who knows you. You quote Elaine Stritch in conversation.”)

Sarah Keller, with whom I’m personally acquainted (full disclosure), is a very funny stand-up who’s made her name in Roast Battle - not only has she hit the top 10 in the live show rankings, but she’s done two seasons of the Comedy Central show as well. She’s written for the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis, she’s toured with Chris Redd and she’s toured out to India, where even I haven’t performed yet. (In fairness, that’s because the country only legalized fags last month. You’d go to a Delhi party and see some poor queen who has three kids with his hapless beard - a woman I assume he knocked up by going down on her.) This is a woman who has survived my family’s Old Country, a place I lovingly call Ragheadistan, so evidently she’s good at responding quickly on the fly to a dicey situation - SEE, e.g., if she gets assigned the ad-lib half of our cold-read challenge.

Pamela Mitchell wound up on TV Land early in her comedy career, meaning she was in the company of The Golden Girls reruns, and you can’t get more illustrious than that. She’s since also been on such shows as Jane the Virgin, Scorpion and Shameless, but unless the Gallaghers start furnishing their house entirely in wicker and Emmy Rossum starts wearing bright green pantsuits that don’t fit, you can’t beat TV Land. Pamela’s also written and starred in an upcoming short called The Amateurs, and is appearing in another one called ‘Til Death Do Us Part - a pair of titles that pretty accurately sum up David Carradine’s sex life, but I digress terribly. Sorry about that, Pamela, break a leg.

Joshua Triplett’s resume has one credit that leapt out in particular - a couple of years ago, he got a guest shot on Nickelodeon’s Game Shakers, starring our very own onetime Nominees judge Kel Mitchell. He’s also got drama credentials, having appeared on six episodes of BET’s The Quad, so he’s prepared to have a go at the tearjerker scene we throw in there. (I’m not sure yet what tonight’s will be. I keep insisting that Shirley MacLaine’s: “I did not lift my skirt; it TWIRLED UP,” scene from Postcards From The Edge is a devastating showcase of heartrending pathos, but somehow this argument always falls on deaf ears.) 

Josh Waldron is another Joshua. This is a moniker that - fun fact - is derived from the same Hebrew name as Jesus, who like Josh Waldron had a hairdo that gives people the misimpression he batted for my team. I came to be acquainted with this Josh because, rather like myself at the moment, he used to write a blog about a competition show based in the Belly Room: in his case, Roast Battle. In the interests of full disclosure, Josh predicted I would lose my first Roast Battle, which turned out to be the only one I won, a victory he sportingly wrote up in a post that couldn’t have been kinder. Credits for Josh: he’s studied at Stella Adler, just like Elaine Stritch, who I see has become a running theme in this column. He’s done a cruise ship gig and managed to not get fat on the free food, and he’s written for Comedy Central. Plus, he tells us, Simon Cowell once said to him that he “would succeed in a live acting and improv competition.” Simon Cowell’s reputation rests in your hands now, Josh. You carry an exalted legacy with you.

That’s our lineup. Do join us this evening at the Comedy Store Belly Room at 10:30pm, and douse yourself in a bit of glamour before embarking on Halloween weekend. It’ll be magnificent, darlings - he said, pointlessly plugging a show that’s already sold out. What a joy it is to have this show back up and running!

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

How the Bucs New Draft Class Will Fit In

The draft is over. The players have been evaluated and now we look towards how they will likely fit with the returning team. What made this a really good draft for the Bucs was that basically every players was drafted with a role in mind. The team had specific weaknesses coming into the offseason and Jason Licht targeted these players to improve them. Here’s how I see each guy fitting in.

AROUND COVER32

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For OJ Howard, it’s only a matter of time before he’s the starting tight end. He may not take over for Cameron Brate as the main receiving TE for a while (this is a position that usually sees rookies progress somewhat slowly), but Howard is NFL ready as a blocker. I expect him to be the second-string TE to start the year and as he adjusts to the NFL game take Brate’s starting job before the year is over. So when Howard isn’t the future hall of fame player we expect him to be to start the season, don’t be shocked. He will take a few weeks to hit his stride and emerge as the Bucs starting tight end before long. But make no mistake, this guy will emerge as one of the best pass catching tight ends in the NFL sooner rather than later. His physical tools (6’6 size, 4.51 speed and excellent hands) are special. In a year or two, Howard will be up there with the best receiving tight ends in the game.

Justin Evans is another guy who will take some time before he lives up to his draft potential. I would be a little surprised if he was the starting free safety to open the season. However, if his tackling significantly improves over the offseason, the way Kwon Alexander’s did when he entered the league, Evans could win the job in the preseason. Keep in mind, drastic growth doesn’t happen quickly. That’s why I expect him to start the year as a back up. Where he could see meaningful action is in nickel packages. With no clear slot corner having locked down the job, Evans could come in for that role. He could also work as the third linebacker in obvious passing downs. This was the team can ease him into NFL action and hide his big flaws in run defense.

Chris Godwin is going to give the Bucs WRs a lot of flexibility. I see him as primarily an outside guy, but he will practice working out of the slot as well. The nice thing about him being a better fit on the outside is that it allows the Bucs to move DeSean Jackson to the slot on some plays to create matchup problems. He also provides legitimate depth, something the Bucs didn’t have last year, at the wide receiver position. If Evans gets hurt, Godwin can step in for him. If DJax goes down then Godwin can take his place on the outside and let Adam Humphries take over as the primary slot receiver. This kind of depth and versatility is the kind of thing teams need to be successful.

One guy who may not have a role this year is Kendell Beckwith. That’s because he might not be able to play at all this year. He went down with a torn ACL towards the end of last season and that injury usually takes around a year to fully recover. If he were healthy, he’d be my pick to win the strong-side linebacker job. I believe that is the Bucs long term plan for him and are willing to give him a year to get healthy before making major contributions next season.

Jeremy McNichols comes with a clear plan; a backup plan. As of now, I don’t see a place for him on the 53 man roster. At this time I have to call him a guy who’s destined for the practice squad. This isn’t because he’s a bad player, but rather that Charles Sims currently occupies the role McNichols would play. Both are pass catching change of pace backs who really shouldn’t get a whole lot of carries. However, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Sims gets injured again. His inability to stay healthy is what motivated this pick. So there is a good chance McNichols sees meaningful action this year and replaces Sims in the long term. There’s also a chance that Sims stays healthy and McNichols never sees an NFL field this year. Time will tell. Either way, the Bucs will have a quality pass catching RB to work with moving forward.

Say it with me, “Stevie Tu’ikolovatu”. Get used to the name because I expect him to be a key part of the Bucs defensive tackle rotation and their run defense. The big nose is a load in the middle of the defense. He’s very strong and difficult to push back even when double teamed. However, he’s so much more than just a big space-eater. His ability to use his hands and throw blockers off him to make a tackle is very impressive. It will be very challenging for teams to run past him up the middle. He will probably be the backup one technique, which is perfect for a guy who isn’t extremely athletic. Tu’ikolovatu will help keep the rest of the defensive tackles fresh as legitimate depth who can come in and impact the game for the Bucs.

[flauntpage]

Flying High Again – Ten Takeaways From Eagles 32, Texans 30

A lot of NFL teams can’t put one decent quarterback on the field, but the Eagles have two that are pretty damn good.

It’s why they won the Super Bowl in February and it’s why they’re still alive for a playoff berth heading into week 17 of this season. The pretty damn good backup was able to step in for the pretty damn good starter, and the Eagles have now won four of their last five games.

That’s my top takeaway. It’s the rare positive outlook from me, the anti-Negadelphia if you will. Is it posi-delphia? I don’t know. That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but the only thing that matters is that the Eagles head into the season finale with a chance to sneak into the playoffs as a 9-7 wild card team. That seemed inconceivable as recently as 15 days ago.

Of course you would like for them to “control their own destiny,” but they don’t, and wins against the Rams and Texans might only serve to reignite the “what if?” flames that were originally sparked during bogus early season losses against the Vikings and Panthers and Bucs and Titans. Go figure that they’d struggle against some utterly average teams while knocking off a pair of 10-win clubs in consecutive weeks. That adds to the bitterness for sure, because they should have taken care of business back in October and November.

But they’ve still got a chance, and it’s possible to appreciate both Carson Wentz and Nick Foles at the same time without automatically going into some sort of “quarterback controversy” type of hot take on social media or sports radio. God forbid Eagle fans be grateful for what each player has contributed over the past two seasons, but if you want to argue with your friends or family or total strangers on Twitter, I won’t stop you.

1) Big **** Nick

471 yards is the most an Eagles quarterback has ever thrown for.

Ever!

The previous mark was set by Donovan McNabb back in 2004, when he slung it for 464 against Green Bay. Also, this was Nick’s fourth 400 yard passing game, which is also an Eagles record, and his 120.4 passer rating is the 9th-highest single-game mark of his career, the best number he’s logged since last year’s NFC Championship game.

Foles was also 8 yards short of passing Pat Mahomes for the highest single-game total this year, which happened in the 54-51 Chiefs/Rams barn burner a few weeks ago.

The fumble and the interception were the two blemishes on an otherwise stellar game. Nick finished 35-49 with four touchdowns and the pick, and again this week he hit on some deep balls that Carson simply wasn’t trying in weeks prior. Last week Nick was 3-5 in passes thrown 20 or more yards down the field, and this week he went 2-4 in that category, according to NFL Next Gen Stats:

(I counted that green dot on the far left as 20 yards. Looks like it’s maybe 19.8 yards? Close enough)

And what you can say about the final drive? He led an 11 play, 72 yard foray down the field to score the game-winning field goal. He only went 2-6 on the drive but connected on massive 19 and 20 yard completions, which, combined with a penalty and some effective running, got the Eagles close enough for Jake Elliott to do the rest.

I’m not sure what it is, but Nick just has that quality in him, that clutch factor when playing for this team. Consider the fact that he did all of that after getting absolutely obliterated by Jadeveon Clowney, and it makes it even more impressive.

2) When pass/run ratio doesn’t matter

50 passes and 22 runs on the day, which wound up being lopsided because of the nature of the game and the necessity to throw in the fourth quarter.

Therefore, whenever anyone gives you that statistic of, “the Eagles win blah blah amount of games when they run the ball X amount of times,” you know it’s generally bullshit. Yesterday is the perfect example.

Even if you take away the final three series, when the Eagles were leading by two touchdowns, the split would have been this:

40 passes, 16 runs

That includes a QB sneak as well, and it gives you a 71% to 29% pass/run split. They basically built a two score, second half lead while throwing the ball 71% of the time, so tell me again about how Josh Adams needs to see more of the rock. He doesn’t. The whole point of finding a 60/40 split is that it just allows you to balance out the play book and throw different things at defenses while allowing your offensive line to get moving in the run blocking game, but otherwise there are just too many variables to make blanket statements about run/pass split.

Plus, Houston’s defensive strength is in the trenches anyway, and here’s a good exchange between Doug and Jimmy Kempski that sort of sums it up:

Q. You had a lead for most of the game, but the pass/run ratio was pretty lopsided. Was that because they were depleted at corner? (Jimmy Kempski)  DOUG PEDERSON: Did you see their rush defense today? 35 yards rushing the football. It was hard.

Q. I’m not criticizing. (Jimmy Kempski)  DOUG PEDERSON: Okay. I thought maybe we needed to run the ball more or something. [Laughter] That’s a tremendous defense now. That’s a great group. That front seven, eight guys with their safeties, they do a really good job. They create different angles for our offensive linemen. So some of the things that we’ve been able to do in the last couple weeks, they just kind of took us out of it. I knew we were going to have to run the ball late in the game, even when we were up by 13 there, 29-16, I felt like we could get a little momentum, run the ball, make them use time outs and maybe we could finish the game at that point, but we didn’t do it. It was just great defense.

For what it’s worth, last week Doug Pederson went with 51 shotgun looks for Nick versus 8 under center looks. This week he used shotgun 63 times and again only went under center 8 times, so nothing super different there. The Eagles are a shotgun squad and they run almost the entirety of the offense from those sets. That’s the base for their RPO game, and while they do fire off the occasional screen from under center, yesterday both screens came out of the shotgun.

3) Calling audibles

The 83-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor was actually not supposed to happen. Foles audibled out of it:

I saw a unique coverage that they play. We had a play in our arsenal that wasn’t the one that was called, and I felt like I had time on the clock to check it and really take a shot with some speed with Nelly. We were able to execute it. Nelly made an amazing play to finish it off with a touchdown. It was really all of us being on the same page, recognizing the coverage, understanding how to run the route, and the line gave me time to throw it. It was awesome.

Pederson confirmed that the original play was a pass, and added this:

It was a coverage check that he saw, something Houston had been running earlier in the game. He saw it, got to a play that would attack that coverage and great protection and allowed him to get the ball down the field.

I’m probably going to need the all-22 film to get the best look, but for whatever reason, the Texans use a safety to kind of double down on the weak side of the field, where Alshon Jeffery is lined up. On replay, check out how the 60/40 safety kind of cheats up here in a nickel look:

Nick Foles finds Nelson Agholor for a HUGE touchdown!

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/UdVAYVcWSc

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 23, 2018

That allows the Eagles to move the second safety with a post pattern and then you’ve got Agholor 1v1 with Tyrann Mathieu without any safety help over the top at all. Houston plays a lot of zone, and the linebackers just sort of hold here, so Nick obviously saw this look earlier in the game knew he could get “Nelly” down the field with inside leverage while using Zach Ertz to pull the second safety out of the way:

Maybe later this week I can go through the film and try to see where Houston showed that coverage earlier in the game. Nice read, nice audible, even better pass.

4) Scissors

There were a couple of key plays on the game-winning drive, but I think the best quote was from Zach Ertz, on the 20-yard third down grab that he made to keep the chains moving:

“It was just kind of a scissors corner route that we always have, post by number one, I had a corner, and Darren was in the flat. I had been taking a lot of inside releases against him, so I kind of sold the inside release and threw him inside and I think he kind of ran into the linebacker. Something happened where my feet got tangled up so I was kind of off balance and Nick just kind of laid the ball out there and allowed me to run under it. I was able to stay in bounds and make the play. I tried to get out of bounds in that situation.”

Yep. This is a really nice design, and I think they ran the same thing earlier, or something very similar, on their first 4th down conversion of the game:

This is actually more about sealing off the linebacker responsible for the runner coming out of the backfield. Ertz does a really nice job, as he says, selling the inside here, and while he successfully picks off the linebacker, both players actually fall down, leaving Sproles open, but also springing Ertz even further down the field.

Check it out:

  Huge play to put the Eagles in field goal range. Well designed, well executed.

5) Record setter

Sunday, Ertz set a new record for the most single-season receptions by a tight end.

The Eagles’ PR staff put together the notes in their post game email, so I will courtesy them and drop the information in here:

Zach Ertz now has 113 receptions in 2018, surpassing Jason Witten in 2012 (110) for the most receptions by a TE in NFL single-season history. Ertz, who led the Eagles with 12 receptions, posted his franchise-record 10th career game with 10+ receptions. He became just the third TE in NFL history to accomplish that feat, joining Tony Gonzalez (15, 1997-2013) and Witten (11, 2003-17).

Ertz moved past Brian Westbrook (426, 2002-09) into 3rd place on the Eagles’ all-time receptions list (currently 434), behind Harold Carmichael (589, 1971-83) and Pete Retzlaff (452, 1956-66).

Ertz, who tallied his 11th career game with 100+ receiving yards (5th of the season), moved into 9th place on the Eagles’ all-time list for receiving yards (currently 4,812).

Ertz recorded his 5th career multi-TD game and now has a career-high-tying 8 TDs this season (also 8 in 2017), which are tied for the 2nd-most by a TE in Eagles history, trailing only Pete Retzlaff in 1965 (10).

It took Ertz 89 games over six seasons to reach those numbers.

Assuming he continues on a similar trajectory, he’s slated to break Carmichael’s receptions record in three seasons. He actually might get there sooner. He would need 77.5 receptions next season and the following season to reach Carmichael’s 589, which is not inconceivable. Even in 2015 and 2016 he caught 75 and 78 passes, so the record will fall at some point.

6) NFL “officiating”

Jesus H. Christ, was it bad.

In no particular order:

The missed facemask call on Foles was outrageous.

The roughing the passer call on Brandon Graham was one level below outrageous.

The roughing the passer on Clowney was iffy. I honestly don’t think there’s anything wrong with that hit, but if you think his head is lowered there as he makes contact with Foles, then you could make a case that he’s breaking the rules. Honestly, if that was called against an Eagle and not a Texan, I think there would be a ton of complaints.

Alshon Jeffery threw an illegal screen on the second Ertz touchdown catch. He literally just ran straight forward into the defender and made no move to disguise the pick at all.

I think the helmet contact penalty on Tre Sullivan was a good call, same with the roughing on J.J. Watt, who hit Foles in the head while trying to bring him down. The unnecessary roughness on Cre’Von LeBlanc I though was somewhat of a borderline call, because he hit the ball carrier with his shoulder as that guy was going to ground. Those are weird plays, aren’t they? It’s hard to pull out of those at the last minute if the offensive player is dropping his head or trying to avoid contact.

7) Auxiliary battles

Some good, some bad:

won time of possession, 34 to 26 minutes

-2 turnover margin

9-16 on third down (56.2%)

4-4 on fourth down

allowed Houston to go 3-10 on third down (30%)

lost 9 yards on 1 sack

1-2 success rate in red zone

11 penalties for 105 yards

They against crushed a team in time of possession, but that -2 turnover margin was a killer, as were the penalty yards, which were almost double what they’ve been over the past three weeks.

Those third and fourth down numbers are the reason they won the game. Foles was just phenomenal playing “situational football” throughout, and the line’s ability to protect him yesterday outside of one sack and the fumble was a big deal.

8) Doug’s best call?

I thought he really nailed his fourth down play calls.

The wheel route to Sproles was perfect. The play action pass to Dallas Goedert, complete with pre-snap motion, would have gone for a touchdown had he not slipped. Ertz ran a brilliant route on his first touchdown catch.

I also thought the draw play on the final drive really caught Houston off guard after the Eagles threw the ball seven times in a row to chunk their way down the field. There was no better time to throw them for a loop with a delayed hand off type of design.

It was just really nice stuff all around from Doug yesterday, who looked like the 2017 version of himself with aggressive decision making and calls that made a lot of sense when factoring in down, distance, and the time remaining on the clock.

9) Doug’s worst call?

Going for two when you’re up 13-9? That’s really the only one that comes to mind.

I guess the idea there was to extend the lead to six instead of four, which would force Houston into two field goals to tie the game. Or, if they score a touchdown, that would also put a little more pressure on the kicker to hit an extra point to go up 16-15. I’m just not sure it was necessary at the time, and they could have used that point in the fourth quarter, when Houston scored to take – you guessed it – a one-point lead.

10) Can’t be bothered in the broadcast booth

I kind of like Ian Eagle, but Dan Fouts seems like another color guy who is just sort of there, another guy who treats the game like it’s just another day at the office, as if he’s working some sort of 9-5 job.

That manifested itself I think in the goofy exchange where they were talking about Big V and didn’t attempt to say his first name. They sort of laughed it off to the tune of, “I’m not even gonna try to pronounce his name.”

Yeah? Well isn’t that your job?

Imagine if a home builder said, “well that nail is way up there, I’m not even gonna try hammering it in.” Two years later, the house falls apart because dude was lazy and/or inattentive to detail.

Imagine if an electrician, like Tom Cudeyro, said, “yeah I guess I could connect these two wires, but I don’t feel like it.” And then the lights in your brand new house simply don’t work.

Or, imagine if a paralegal said, “yeah, well I’m just going to omit this line about beneficiaries because I’m trying to hit my lunch break at Chipotle.” Then, when you croak, your kids can’t get your money because this person didn’t feel like finishing the task at hand.

See how dumb it really is?

Plus, it’s really not that hard if you go over it a couple of times:

Halapoulivaati Vaitai.

Ha-la-pool-ee-va-tee.

He played in the Super Bowl last year, so it’s not like the dude is brand new. He didn’t just sign yesterday.

They also borked the name of Boston Scott in the first half, calling him “Austin” instead. Otherwise everything about the broadcast was suitable.

Happy holidays. Enjoy whatever you celebrate – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or maybe a Festivus for the rest of us.

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