Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 10/15/22.

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Ranking the NFL’s top 10 cornerbacks in passer rating allowed: Panthers’ Jaycee Horn and Giants’ Fabian Moreau make the list - PFF
2. James Bradberry, Philadelphia Eagles: 29.9 Passer Rating Allowed. An underrated signing of the 2022 offseason, Bradberry is continuing to justify the investment made in him. The seventh-year veteran has allowed only 0.59 yards per coverage snap, sixth among 102 qualifying corners. 7. Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles: 47.6 Passer Rating Allowed. Three dropped interceptions have somewhat canned what could be an even more phenomenal start to 2022 for Slay. Nonetheless, he has snagged two picks and forced a pass breakup while accumulating a 71.5 coverage grade over 30 targets.

Eagles-Cowboys Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 6 enemy - BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to host the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday Night Football. In order to preview this big Week 6 matchup, I reached out to our enemies over at Blogging The Boys. The deft Dave Halprin took the time to answer my questions about this upcoming battle. Let’s take a look at the answers.

Dear Eagles … Beat Dallas - BGN Radio
The Eagles are hosting the Cowboys in a HUGE game on Sunday Night Football. Brandon Lee Gowton and Jimmy Kempski preview this game by talking about the matchups, injury news, and the vibes. The guys also make their weekly NFL picks against the spread.

Cowboys vs. Eagles: ‘The Cowboys are a legitimately good team, they are not as good as the Eagles’ - Blogging The Boys
The fourth-best wide receiver by Pro Football Focus’s grading, Brown’s really an all-around threat. And the problem with devoting extra attention to him is that the Eagles have another WR1 in DeVonta Smith (ranked 20th by PFF). As we saw against the Commanders, he’s more than capable of carving up a defense. Dallas Goedert is also pretty hard to stop. Quez Watkins is a vertical threat while Zach Pascal is a role player who can contribute in high leverage situations such as third down and/or the red zone. If the Cowboys want to put Trevon Diggs on Brown all game long, the Eagles have the option of relying on their other receiving options to carry the offense. But the thought here is that Brown will be fairly active in this one. The Eagles oddly underutilized him in Arizona last week and they’re probably not going to do that again. Philly’s coaching was very intentional about getting Smith involved in Week 2 after he had a quiet Week 1. I expect Brown to see targets early and often.

How Jalen Hurts transformed his passing game to help make the Eagles contenders - ESPN
It seems what wasn’t properly accounted for in the projection of Hurts was his “obsession” with his craft — a word that came up time and again when speaking with teammates, coaches, trainers and Hurts himself. “Jalen is one of the most attentive workers that I have ever been around. It’s not just that he works hard. He is truly singularly focused on whatever task that he’s committed himself to get better at that day,” Avery said. “If he goes a whole workout and makes the same throw over and over again until he feels like he has it perfect, that’s not beyond Jalen.” While Sirianni doesn’t know what Hurts’ ceiling is, he is confident his quarterback will reach it because he has the ingredients necessary to maximize his talents: toughness, the love of the game and instincts. “Those guys that reach that ceiling are what Jalen has inside, and that’s what’s so special and that’s why you’re continuing to see him develop in my opinion,” Sirianni said. “That’s the type of guy that you never want to make judgments on too soon,” Eagles receiver Britain Covey added, “because where he is now is not where he’ll be in a year.”

Game Preview – DAL at PHI - Iggles Blitz
This really feels like a game where the Eagles should try to run the ball a lot. Parsons is a solid run defender, but he’s not the disruptive force that he is when rushing the passer. I’m not overly impressed with Leighton Vander Esch or Anthony Barr as run defenders. Neither looks overly comfortable in traffic. They’d rather chase the ball or attack upfield. The Eagles have arguably the best OL in the league. If they can get their running game going, that could make life tough for the Cowboys. The Eagles could mix in tempo as a weapon. Dallas likes to rotate players. Their system requires fresh legs so the DL can attack and make plays. If you can keep them on the field, you can wear them down a bit. While I’ve talked about the run game, Hurts will need to throw the ball and make plays. I am curious to see if Diggs is on Brown or DeVonta or if he just plays one side. Smith was 3-28 in the first Dallas game last year, but Hurts did throw for 326 yards. The Eagles had 5 pass plays of 24 or more yards in that game. There are plays to be made.

Eagles-Cowboys preview: Matchups, storylines to watch, game predictions - The Athleitc
Berman: The Eagles will win this game. They have the superior roster (especially when Prescott is absent), they’re playing better this season and they’re at home. The Eagles’ ability to adjust to different styles will be advantageous because they have the personnel to win a game when they must run and stop the run. You joke on Birds with Friends about my habit of picking the Eagles to win but not cover, and I’m guilty as charged again. Because I still like the Cowboys with the 6.5 points. (For the record, the Eagles are 3-2 against the spread.) My concern is I don’t see a high-scoring game. The Cowboys haven’t allowed a team to score into the 20s this season. I think the Eagles will break that on Sunday, but if both teams are running, the clock could run, too. Plus, the Eagles will nurse a lead. That’s why their scoring has been down in the second half of games. This will nonetheless be a convincing victory, and the Eagles will enter the bye 6-0 without a game that should worry fans until Thanksgiving approaches. Eagles 21, Cowboys 16

In Roob’s observations, the most intriguing thing about Eagles-Cowboys - NBCSP
1. I can’t wait to see how Jalen Hurts plays against this loaded Dallas defense Sunday night. This is the best defense he’ll face since the Tampa playoff game, and we know how that went. Hurts is a different guy now, better equipped to dissect what a defense is doing, quicker with his reads, more accurate with his delivery, more prepared to handle the blitz. But this defense is exceptional. They’ve allowed five touchdowns all year, haven’t allowed a QB to record a passer rating of 90, have recorded 20 sacks and seven takeaways, and they just make life very difficult for even the best quarterbacks. I can’t wait to see how Hurts handles this. So far, Hurts has handled everything thrown his way. He’s got 10 total touchdowns and two turnovers. He’s won eight straight regular-season starts. He’s in the MVP conversation. But this game is different. National TV. Prime-time. Eagles’ biggest rivalry. An opponent he hasn’t beaten and hasn’t played particularly well against. A ferocious defense loaded with all-pros. If this doesn’t go well, it’s not the end of the world. This is Hurts’ 26th career start, he’s getting better every week, he just turned 24, and 5-1 isn’t a terrible place to be. But if he lights it up and leads the Eagles past a Cowboys team the Eagles have beaten twice since 2017 in a game that will determine first place in the NFC East going into the bye, then even the most ardent Jalen critic will have to finally just shut up and admit they were wrong. This game is intriguing for a ton of reasons but none more so than what it means for Hurts.

Spadaro: 6 key matchups to watch vs. Cowboys - PE.com
Eagles offensive line vs. Cowboys edge pressure. This is not to slight what the Cowboys do inside, because their up-the-middle defense is stout and very good as well. It’s just that Dallas is special off the edge with DeMarcus Lawrence, with Dorance Armstrong, and with, of course, the great Micah Parsons. Philadelphia has strong offensive tackles in Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, who missed Sunday’s game in Arizona and who has been limited in practice this week. Philadelphia has some injury question marks with left guard Landon Dickerson limited in practice and center Jason Kelce dealing with an ankle injury, so it’s worth monitoring how that group collectively holds up through the weekend and then when the game begins. No question the Eagles have to win here against a Dallas front that will use stunts to create pressure. Parsons will move up and down the line of scrimmage and he must be accounted for on every snap. Lawrence is having an outstanding season with three quarterback sacks in five games. Armstrong doesn’t get a lot of attention from the media, but he’s a really good player off the edge. There are many reasons Dallas has allowed only one touchdown per game in each of the five weeks of this season, and it all starts up front. This is a huge test for the Eagles.

How Dan Quinn changed his process and made the Cowboys’ defense even better - TouchdownWire
In Dallas’ case, there are multiple reasons for this. The primary reason is that Quinn has eschewed blitzes for stunts. This season, the Cowboys have run a total of 124 stunts. 90 of those stunts have come on passing plays. They have blitzed without stunting on just 25 passing plays, and blitzed with stunts on 22 passing attempts. They have blitzed with stunts on 33 total plays, and blitzed without stunts on 54 total plays. If you suspect that the Cowboys have run the most stunts in the NFL this season, you’re on the right track — they’re doing so by a crushing margin. Per Pro Football Focus (via Fran Duffy’s Eagle Eye in the Sky podcast), the 49ers rank second with 82 stunts, then the Texans with 81, the Bears with 78, and the Steelers with 77. Quinn is leaving his four and five down linemen to eat with all kinds of line games, allowing him to call coverage and run fits for six or seven defenders. Dallas has blitzed on just 19% of their defensive snaps, which ranks 23rd in the league. In 2021, they blitzed on 27% of their snaps, which ranked 11th. What does this mean? The Cowboys have solved one of the most important defensive issues of any era — how to get pressure with only your pressure defenders, leaving your coverage defenders to cover.

Washington Injury Update: Carson Wentz fractured finger vs Bears; flying to LA to see a hand specialist - Hogs Haven
Washington Commanders starting QB Carson Wentz suffered a fractured ring finger on his throwing hand during Thursday Night’s win over the Chicago Bears. Wentz was throwing a pass in the 1st half when his throwing hand hit Bears’ DT Justin Jones hand as he was releasing the ball. Wentz was in obvious discomfort after the injury, shaking his hand and keeping it in his hand warmer whenever he was not playing. NFL Network reported the injury, and said that Wentz is flying to Los Angeles to see a hand expert. They also added that his availability moving forward is up in the air. Washington has a mini-bye week after playing on Thursday Night Football this week. They play the Green Bay Packers is 8 days, and we should know by Wednesday when the first injury report is out if Wentz is likely to play. If the injury will cause him to miss time, it’s likely that Taylor Heinicke will start with 5th round rookie Sam Howell backing him up. Part of the Carson Wentz trade with the Indianapolis Colts involves a Day 2 pick in 2023. If Wentz plays more than 70% of Washington’s snaps this season the Colts will receive Washington’s 2nd round pick, if he plays less, they get their 3rd round pick. That could be a very high 2nd if the team finishes the way they have started the season. This could influence some decisions being made regarding injuries/surgeries going forward.

Expectations are rising for 4-1 New York Giants - Big Blue View
A week ago, we asked New York Giants fans if their expectations for the team had changed after a 3-1 start. Of those who took part in our ‘SB Nation Reacts’ poll, 69 percent were modestly still expecting a six- to eight-win season. Things have changed. Dramatically. Following the Giants’ 27-22 upset last Sunday of the Green Bay Packers, raising their record to a surprising 4-1, expectations appear to have changed. Asked now how they would define a successful season, 60 percent of the voters in this week’s poll said that the Giants needed to reach at least nine victories. That would means going at least 5-7 over the season’s final 12 games.

Establish the Fun: Geno Smith has been one of the NFL’s best QBs by any metric - SB Nation
Calling the Seahawks signal caller’s play in the beginning of the season a revelation might be an understatement. He’s simply been one of the best QBs in the entire NFL by any metric you want to mention. Composite EPA/play and CPOE? Only Mahomes and Josh Allen have been better. Average throw depth? Tied Tua Tagovailoa. Touchdowns? Tied with Joe Burrow for seventh in the entire league. The throws that Smith is making aren’t easy completions either, yet he’s throwing with impeccable anticipation and timing into tight windows. According to Pro Football Focus, his big time throw rate of 6.4 percent leads the entire NFL, which means most of his passes are on the high end of PFF’s grading. Let’s take a look at his play against the New Orleans Saints and dissect how he’s become the Avatar. This first throw is an example of an off platform throw that not many QBs in the league can make, and Smith is doing it at an extremely high level. A bootleg away from Smith’s passing arm side, and the Seahawks run a three level read: the out route by DK Metcalf, an over route by Lockett in the intermediate area, and a corner route by TE Noah Fant. It’s designed to take advantage of the flat defender in zone, but the Saints play man. On top of that, the EDGE to the boot side doesn’t bite on the run action. Doesn’t even matter. Smith throws this off platform right in the bucket to Fant. That’s high level QB play. The torque he gets while running to his left, whew.

The Look Ahead: Commanders at Bears Reaction, Pick 3, & Week 6 Preview - The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera, RJ Ochoa, and Brandon Lee Gowton discuss the Washington Commanders–and all of their problems after a Thursday night win over the Bears. We’ve got our weekly ‘pick 3’ to help you win some cash–and we preview every game coming up in Week 6.

Welcome home: Phillies 9, Braves 1 - The Good Phight
After the last playoff game at Citizens Bank Park ended in abject disaster for the Phillies, the hometown fans had to wait eleven long years to see another. Thankfully, the return of postseason baseball to Philadelphia was everything the fans could have wanted. The Phillies’ offense exploded, Aaron Nola delivered another gem, and the Phillies pounded the Atlanta Braves 9-1, to take a 2-1 lead in the National League Divisional Series. Not only did the Phillies have to wait eleven years to host a playoff game, it had been 19 days since any game was played at their stadium. After finishing the season with a ten-game road trip, they had to play two games in St. Louis and two more in Atlanta. The fans were desperate to watch some baseball in person and it showed. [BLG Note: Went to the game last night and it was freaking awesome.]

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