Forward looking...

[deerpathdave]

Eagles Dominate The Bye Week 

Interesting article from the propaganda page.

- The Eagles next 4 opponents are a combined 9-20.
- Dallas is without Romo and hasn't won since he went down. They are now down 2 RB's as well.
- Miami lost Cameron Wake and Starting Offensive Tackle James last week.
- Tampa is looking a little peskier after eeking out a win against Atlanta.
- Detroit looks like a total meltdown after firing their offensive staff and then losing 45-10 in London.

The Eagles have had a week to get rested and healthy. A healthy Jason Peters, Nelson Agholor along with everyone else that is nicked up could go along way.

A 4 game winning streak is more than possible which would leave them at 7-4 going into New England. Assuming they lose there as well as to the Cardinals and beat Buffalo, they would then be at 8-6 heading into the final two weeks against Washington and the Giants. 10-6 or even 9-7 would be enough to capture the NFC East and setup a first round home game against either New Orleans or Minnesota.

Winning there would send them on the road to Carolina who they played tough a week ago. Not at all unreasonable they could find themselves then traveling to Green Bay for a shot at the Superbowl. A game they would be a definite underdog in.

That is probably a best case scenario, but more than enough to have the team focused and ready heading out of the bye. Its all there for the taking if they can play to their potential. The reality is there is huge amount at stake for many of the players and coaches is they can perform.

- Chief among then would be Sam Bradford. A playoff push would set him up for a huge multiyear contract.
- Chip Kelly would probably get a pass for one bad year, but would find himself playing for his job and perhaps losing some GM power if they were to lose. A Playoff push would validate everything he has done and perhaps even buy him an extension.
- Players like Carroll, Thurmond and Cox will be looking for new contracts after this year. A good run should open up the purses.

 

[eaglesnut]

We're sitting pretty if we can get the right kind of hot. The bye week came at a good time for us.

The offense needs to regroup, but if it starts scoring in the first halves watch out.

I like the way we've been improving week to week.

 

[old duke]

Regarding Chip, I guess you mean those things could hurt him if we don't make the playoffs. As long as we make the playoffs, he has no problems with Jeffrey or anyone else, considering the injury filled season, plus a new QB that had to adjust to a new team, and WRs who dropped so many passes.

 

[deerpathdave]

We're sitting pretty if we can get the right kind of hot. The bye week came at a good time for us.

The offense needs to regroup, but if it starts scoring in the first halves watch out.

I like the way we've been improving week to week.

- I like the way the defense backfield has come together and the offensive line.
- Bradford is the biggest question mark. I like that he seems to be executing the offense closer to the design, but still too many mistakes. He has been good enough to see the potential, but not quite good enough.
- OLB's haven't been too noticable. Just average.
- DL has lived up to its billing.
- ILB has been a pleasant surprise with Hicks.

People don't really talk about the huge mess Kelly ended up at with Kicker. He seemed to be overly optimistic on the health of Parkey and wouldn't admit that the guy was hurting as much as he was. It wasn't until he fully tore his groin that they admitted to the problem. In the interim it arguably cost them two wins. I think that is the biggest mistake made this year.

2nd biggest would have been the state of the OL in the first two weeks. For whatever reason, they didn't seem ready yet.

 

[Iggloo]

The teams that needed to lose lost over the weekend, and yes, that leg of the schedule looks very soft. I hope Philly can go 3-1 at least in this stretch. After that comes Patriots, Bills, Cardinals, Redskins and Giants. Some tough games there that they can't win like Pats but not a brutal schedule by any stretch.

 

[DaEagles]

Reguardless of how this team does the rest of the season or in the playoffs, if Bradford don't start lighting it up and looking like a top 15 QB he should be looking at a vet min. contract...not a "huge multi year contract".

He has looked terrible in 7/7 games. He hasn't played ONE complete game where he's looked "good". He's looked like what you would expect out of a backup QB.

 

[ctc]

They lose v dallas on sunday and they're done.

 

[eaglesnut]

Chip better have a better game plan against Dallas than the last time.

 

[deerpathdave]

Reguardless of how this team does the rest of the season or in the playoffs, if Bradford don't start lighting it up and looking like a top 15 QB he should be looking at a vet min. contract...not a "huge multi year contract".

He has looked terrible in 7/7 games. He hasn't played ONE complete game where he's looked "good". He's looked like what you would expect out of a backup QB.

Exactly. Bradford's next contract could be for a guarantee of $4M or $40M. There probably is no player who has more at stake over the next seven games than Bradford. It will define the rest of his career as either a backup or starter.

 

[eaglesnut]

People don't really talk about the huge mess Kelly ended up at with Kicker. He seemed to be overly optimistic on the health of Parkey and wouldn't admit that the guy was hurting as much as he was. It wasn't until he fully tore his groin that they admitted to the problem. In the interim it arguably cost them two wins. I think that is the biggest mistake made this year.

What the heck was Chip's medical team telling him? Shouldn't he have a little better handle on the probability of his kicker not making it through the year?

 

[eaglesnut]

Exactly. Bradford's next contract could be for a guarantee of $4M or $40M. There probably is no player who has more at stake over the next seven games than Bradford. It will define the rest of his career as either a backup or starter.

I'd give him 1 year at 4 million and then draft a guy, and hope year two removed from surgery is better than year one and then franchise him if he turns into what some thought he could be.

4 years for 60 million with 20 million guaranteed would be reasonable if he performs well the rest of the way. That would put him in the Tannehill/Alex Smith range as far as contracts go.

 

[deerpathdave]

What the heck was Chip's medical team telling him? Shouldn't he have a little better handle on the probability of his kicker not making it through the year?

Exactly. This seemed like a huge mistake to not have him fully evaluated physically. He was clearly hurting in the preseason. And it cost them two games. People would not be fretting about the receivers and Bradford nearly so much if they were 5-2.

 

[deerpathdave]

I'd give him 1 year at 4 million and then draft a guy, and hope year two removed from surgery is better than year one and then franchise him if he turns into what some thought he could be.

4 years for 60 million with 20 million guaranteed would be reasonable if he performs well the rest of the way. That would put him in the Tannehill/Alex Smith range as far as contracts go.

In many ways it is worst if he is just okay the rest of the way. Locking into a mediocre QB for 4 years is not a recipe for success. We need to see some "Franchise QB" sort of qualities to give him a multi year deal. If he is signing a one year/4M deal it will be with another club as a backup.

 

[eaglesnut]

In many ways it is worst if he is just okay the rest of the way. Locking into a mediocre QB for 4 years is not a recipe for success. We need to see some "Franchise QB" sort of qualities to give him a multi year deal. If he is signing a one year/4M deal it will be with another club as a backup.

Yeah I guess 4 million wouldn't be enough. 8-10 could possibly do it. Low end starter money. That's only if he didn't really earn another chance but we're stuck anyway. You give him 4 years if he's looking like he could get it together next year. The guaranteed is only like a year and a half worth of money anyway in that case so the commitment is low.

ACLs tend to take two years for the player to have confidence in his body again performing at that level. We don't want to only have him for his recovery year and watch him go somewhere else and play like we expected him to here.

 

[Iggloo]

Chip to Tennessee speculation has begun!

 

[old duke]

Lurie will not let Chip go, unless Chip asks to leave. Then, it better be a big package, a starter + two #1s, at least. Lurie will have egg on his face after giving up total control to Chip. Anyway, this is a moot point. Chip's not going anywhere. He will fix the O, and win big next year.

 

[deerpathdave]

Lurie will not let Chip go, unless Chip asks to leave. Then, it better be a big package, a starter + two #1s, at least. Lurie will have egg on his face after giving up total control to Chip. Anyway, this is a moot point. Chip's not going anywhere. He will fix the O, and win big next year.

Tennessee ownership looks like a bunch of idiots for firing a good coach midseason. Did they really expect to have a winning season with a rookie QB? Did they really expect to win games when the rookie QB was injured? And they are starting a 2nd year mid round pick? And now the new HC and former OC says that he will tailor the offense to Mariota? Wasn't that already his job?

This is why Chip will never go to Tennessee and in fact turned down the jobs in Tampa and Cleveland. Half the ownership groups in the league don't know how to develop a team and will pull ridiculous stunts like this. Lurie is not one of those types which is why he was able to attract a good coach.

 

[Iggloo]

What the heck was Chip's medical team telling him? Shouldn't he have a little better handle on the probability of his kicker not making it through the year?

The guy was obviously injured. He had to know.

 

[Iggloo]

Tennessee ownership looks like a bunch of idiots for firing a good coach midseason.

The "good coach" is 48-71 lifetime, and was 3-20 with the Titans at the time of his firing. What exactly makes him a good coach?

 

[northeastphillyguy]

Tennessee ownership looks like a bunch of idiots for firing a good coach midseason. Did they really expect to have a winning season with a rookie QB? Did they really expect to win games when the rookie QB was injured? And they are starting a 2nd year mid round pick? And now the new HC and former OC says that he will tailor the offense to Mariota? Wasn't that already his job?

This is why Chip will never go to Tennessee and in fact turned down the jobs in Tampa and Cleveland. Half the ownership groups in the league don't know how to develop a team and will pull ridiculous stunts like this. Lurie is not one of those types which is why he was able to attract a good coach.

He was fired because he left Marcus in the game after suffering an injury. He wound up playing with a leg brace in the 2nd half. Plus he took another nasty hit in the 2nd half. A big mistake to make with a franchise type QB.