/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73581089/usa_today_24038331.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,800&ssl=1 "The Linc – Vic Fangio talks about what Bryce Huff needs to do to play more")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73581089/usa_today_24038331.0.jpg "The Linc – Vic Fangio talks about what Bryce Huff needs to do to play more")
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Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
Vic Fangio explains why $51 million free agent Bryce Huff played just 30 snaps vs. Packers – NBCSP
According to Pro Football Focus, Huff had a 0.0 pass-rush productivity rate, which means he had no sacks, hits or hurries on his 16 pass-rush snaps. There were 90 edge rushers who played at least 10 pass-rush snaps in Week 1, and Huff was one of five with a 0.0 pass rush rating. Sweat – a Pro Bowler in 2021 – played 41 snaps Friday, the 36-year-old Graham played 32, Smith played 31 and Huff just 30. Asked what Huff has to do to play more, Fangio said, “You know, just separate himself from the other guys.” All of this might not be so concerning if it wasn’t for the way last year ended. In 2022, Eagles edge rushers had 38 sacks in 17 games. Last year, they had 16 in the first nine games, then 4.0 in the last eight. That means Eagles edges have four sacks in the last nine games – three by Reddick, who’s long gone. Graham had the other. On Friday, Josh Sweat was the Eagles’ highest-rated edge rusher – 33rd of 90 with an 8.0 rating. But he’s still gone nine straight games without a sack. Graham and Nolan Smith were a bit lower. Those four combined for no sacks and two hurries, by Sweat and Graham. And while the slippery field is a built-in excuse, Fangio only partially used it. “We didn’t pass rush good enough overall in the game,” he said. “Did the field have something to do with that? Yeah, it obviously did. But overall we could get better there.”
Eagles Film Analysis: Defense takeaways from the win over the Packers – BGN
Right, I have some stuff to get off my chest. There were specific calls like the one above that I absolutely loved. I thought Fangio was fine overall, and the defense made some clutch plays in clutch moments (especially in the red zone). But my goodness, I was not too fond of some of the run-fits in this game. People rarely criticize Fangio for being too aggressive, but I thought he was in this game. He kept using this slant/stunt technique where the defensive tackles would try to get up the field quickly (rather than the usual gap-and-a-half technique), but he called it too frequently, and it didn’t work. The Packers figured this out and had some excellent play calls designed to get a puller on a gap-scheme concept into the exact void the Eagles’ defensive tackles have left. Yes, it’s fair to point out that CGJ could do better here, but this is not how I would ever use Jordan Davis. I want Jordan Davis to be an anchor, not to be used like this.
What to know about Falcons – Eagles in Week 2 – The Falcoholic
Even if the defense is stellar, of course, the offense is still this team’s biggest concern. After putting up just 10 points and looking shaky and uninspired against the Steelers, we’re going to be hoping for a much sharper effort against a Philly defense very capable of causing havoc. There is no singular talent like T.J. Watt to deal with, but the likes of Josh Sweat, Jalen Carter, Bryce Huff, and Zach Baun are all capable of generating significant pressure, especially if this line isn’t up to snuff. The Falcons should be able to run—the Packers had 163 yards on the ground on just 21 carries—and there are trouble spots in the secondary to attack, particularly Kelee Ringo and a suddenly mortal-seeming CGJ. If Cousins is immobile and the pass rush is relentless, though, chances are they’re going to struggle. There isn’t a path to victory here that seems realistic outside of the Falcons forcing multiple turnovers and drastically improving on offense, and the latter is something we have to see to believe after Week 1. At the peak of what we would have perceived to be their powers before the season began, they have a puncher’s chance in this one. Anything less than that kind of effort will make for a long evening in Philadelphia.
Fantasy Football WR Report: Man, zone coverage performance ahead of NFL Week 2 – PFF
The Eagles played an above-average rate of man coverage in Week 1 but earned just an average team coverage grade (62.3) and posted average coverage metrics across the board. They were better in zone, earning a 57.1% defensive success rate (tied for seventh) but did allow the sixth-most receiving yards per coverage snap (7.68). None of the Falcons’ wide receivers had much success in Week 1 against either man or zone coverages. We’ll look for that unit — Drake London, specifically — to get on back track in Week 2.
Zack Baun reacts to outstanding debut: ‘There’s so much more we can build off of’ – PE.com
“Everyone wants to be wanted, whether that’s in life, that’s in football, or anything. Everyone wants that sense of belonging,” Baun said. “Since I’ve been here, it’s been this overwhelming sense of confidence in me and I think that’s allowed me to play at a really high level and play free and fast and allow me to be myself and not worry about mistakes during the game. They have the ultimate confidence in me and I just want to continuously prove it to them and prove it to myself that I could be a really good linebacker in the league and I could be a vocal linebacker and a leader on a team.”
How running QBs have changed the NFL: Dual-threat history, value – ESPN
Over the past five years, seven different quarterbacks have racked up 150-100 seasons. They’ve been aided by a 17th game, but even upping the threshold to 150 passes and 125 rush attempts, five have reached this feat. And right now, as we begin the 2024 season, a full quarter of the league’s starting passers are involved in their team’s run game. In the AFC, there is Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields and Anthony Richardson. The NFC has Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Daniel Jones and Kyler Murray. There are others, such as Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott, who have success as scramblers, but the eight just mentioned are involved in their team’s designed run game. More than half the league is going to take at least some snaps on designed quarterback runs. Go back to 2009, and there were 225 designed runs called for the league’s 32 quarterbacks, according to ESPN’s tracking data. Those runs don’t include scrambles or sneaks, although a few quasi-sneaks inevitably slip through into the research. By last season, that number had more than doubled to 590 designed runs. There were 37 in Week 1, which would put the league on pace for a record-high 629 this season.
Kirk Cousins’s surgically-repaired leg is raising concerns – PFT
The biggest issues are his pre-snap stance and the use of his lower body in throwing the ball. Here’s a great explanation from former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel about Cousins’s pre-snap leg positioning. Throughout his career, Cousins had his right foot forward. After getting the ball, he’d push off the right foot to start into his drop. Now, his feet are even. As a result, he doesn’t have that extra burst — presumably because he doesn’t want to put extra stress on the leg that had a torn Achilles tendon. Chris Simms explained on Wednesday the problems that arose after Cousins got the ball. He’s not driving the ball with his lower body. That requires him to plant the right foot hard and push down on it, mustering the extra oomph for the throw. Instead, he’s muscling it with his upper body. Consequently, there’s less drive. Less pop. Less accuracy.
Kirk Cousins doesn’t look healthy: BAD OMEN. Raheem Morris didn’t sound worried about Cousins’ health following the quarterback’s lackluster Falcons debut in Atlanta’s 18-10 loss to Pittsburgh. I’m going to respectfully disagree with the esteemed coach. The Falcons can insist the 36-year-old is recovered from his Achilles tear all they want, but they tell on themselves when they run zero play-action passes over an entire game and just one non-spike snap from under center. Those are staples of the Sean McVay offense. Unless Zac Robinson brought a completely foreign offense than the one he spent the past five years coaching in, what else could be the reason for those play-decision oddities other than Cousins being hindered? It wasn’t just the lack of mobility, either. At times, Cousins wasn’t pushing off his back foot, leaving passes lacking zip. Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is also coming off an Achilles tear from last season, but he suffered the injury about seven weeks before Cousins, inherently giving him a jump-start on rehab. Rodgers, at 40, also didn’t appear as mobile as in the past in Week 1, but didn’t seem to have the same trouble stepping into his throws as Cousins. Perhaps Cousins will get to that place as he gets further from the injury, but most players get more worn down as the season goes, not the other way around.
Cowboys injury report: Jake Ferguson, Marshawn Kneeland do not practice – Blogging The Boys
Ferguson sat out of practice with his knee injury and was listed as a DNP. Eric Kendricks, who made a timely interception against Cleveland, was limited on Wednesday, as he, Brandin Cooks, Demarcus Lawrence, and Zack Martin, were given a lighter load for rest. John Stephens, who could see playing time if Ferguson is unable to play, was held out of practice but he did some work off to the side as he recovers from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the season opener. Marshawn Kneeland did also not practice today with a calf injury. We’ll learn more about the severity of the injury as the week progresses.
Giants-Commanders first look: Is Daniel Jones playing for his job vs. Washington? – Big Blue View
Fortunately for Jones, the Commanders have often functioned as an elixir for him and the Giants. Jones is 5-1-1 in seven starts against Washington. For reference, he is 2-3 against the Dallas Cowboys and 1-7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jones has thrown 10 of his 62 career touchdown passes against Washington and has been intercepted just three times. He has a 98.0 passer rating against Washington. The only team he has been better against, in terms of passer rating, is the Detroit Lions. He has a 98.3 passer rating against Detroit, but only a two-game sample size. Yes, these are not the same Commanders we are used to. Josh Harris replaced Dan Snyder as the owner. Dan Quinn is in his first year as head coach. Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, is the new franchise quarterback. Still, Washington has always been a comfortable landing spot for Jones. He threw for 352 yards and a career-best five touchdowns against Washington as a rookie in 2019. He has never had a truly awful game statistically against Washington.
The Washington Commanders enter their Week 2 matchup against the New York Giants with a few players dealing with injuries. Johnny Newton had a rest day today, but Dan Quinn said he could be ready to make his NFL debut this weekend. He had surgery on one foot for a Jones fracture after his college career ended, and then discovered he needed the same surgery on the other foot after he was drafted. He was dealing with a soft-tissue issue in one of his feet that limited him in training camp. Veteran TE Zach Ertz also had a rest day.
Full list of Week 2 straight-up picks with confidence levels – SB Nation
The 2024 NFL season is underway and Week 1 saw the first significant upset of the season. The Bengals were a sizable home favorite against the Patriots but couldn’t get anything going and lost 16-10. There were a few other upsets but that was the one that stood out. That game and 49ers-Jets were my two highest confidence picks last week. Each week I pick all 16 games straight up and rank the games by confidence — high, medium, and low confidence.
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