Eagles News: Philadelphia had the “biggest steal” in 2017

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Agent’s Take: 2017 NFL Contract Awards feature the good, the bad and the ugly - CBS Sports
Biggest Steal: The Eagles never imagined Robinson would have such a big defensive impact when he was given a one-year deal at his $775,000 league minimum salary following an injury plagued 2016 season that led to the Colts releasing him. There was some concern whether Robinson would survive roster cutdowns because of a slow start in training camp after the Eagles made a preseason trade with the Bills for cornerback Ronald Darby, a 2015 second-round pick. Robinson received more extensive playing time than anticipated because Darby dislocated his right ankle in the season opener, which sidelined him for eight games. Robinson was on the field for 68.9 percent of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps (710 of 1,031 plays). He excelled in covering slot wide receivers. Robinson led the Eagles with four interceptions and graded out as PFF’s fourth-best cornerback this season.

Previewing the Eagles-Falcons game - BGN
The newest edition of BGN Radio is here! (Episode #292). In this episode, we preview the Eagles vs. Falcons playoff game, talk about key matchups, and much more.

Eagles RB Corey Clement: ‘We’re going to do it for the city of Philadelphia’ - PhillyVoice
“It’s been fun,” Clement said with a smile. “Of course, there’s a lot of outside noise that’s against us, but at the same time, we love it. We live for it. We’re going to do it for the city of Philadelphia. And if anybody is going to come out to that game, it’s going to be electrifying and we’re going to put our best foot forward.”

Hitting the Reset Button - Iggles Blitz
The Eagles looked great when they were 11-2. They had just beaten the Rams and were clearly the best team in the NFL. Instead of losing a star receiver, this team lost the potential MVP in Carson Wentz. That was the kind of moment that could wreck a team. The Eagles won a pair of sloppy games to get to 13-2, before falling in an ugly finale to finish 13-3. If the Eagles from the Rams game show up, this team has a legit shot to make the Super Bowl. If the team from the Raiders game shows up, we’re in trouble. Can Doug Pederson and his team do what the 2004 bunch did and hit the reset button? I definitely think so.

How to bet Atlanta-Philadelphia - ESPN
It’s difficult to ignore the scheduling dynamics for the Falcons. They had to go all-out to beat the Carolina Panthers to make the playoffs in Week 17 before their wild-card win in L.A. last week. Now, they swing back to the East Coast for the first game of the weekend against the rested Eagles, which is a monumental task. Philadelphia is certainly a weaker team with Foles under center, but is still a well-rounded team. The Eagles finished fourth in total defense at just 307 yards allowed per game and first against the run. Their offensive run game ranked fourth in the NFL as well at 4.5 yards per carry and the extra prep time for Foles should only help. ATS pick: Philadelphia.

NFL Divisional Playoff Preview: Falcons at Eagles - PFF
T Ryan Schraeder vs. Edge Brandon Graham – One way the Eagles can help slow down Freeman and Sanu is by winning the battle in the trenches. Brandon Graham is one of the best edge defenders in the NFL and is more than capable of giving the Falcons’ offense fits. Graham is consistently one of the highest-graded edge defenders in the league, and this season has been no different. Graham is tied for eighth among edge defenders in overall grade (91.3). Graham spends the majority of his time rushing from the defense’s left side, meaning Ryan Schraeder will see plenty of Graham. Schraeder is in for a difficult battle, but he did an exceptional job in pass protection all season, as his 97.1 pass-blocking efficiency rating ranks seventh among all offensive tackles this season.

A Spin Around The Eagles’ Locker Room - PE.com
Two days away from the Divisional Round playoff game against Atlanta, the Eagles finished their work at Lincoln Financial Field and returned to the NovaCare Complex locker room ready for what is ahead. So much energy. So much optimism. A good time to get a gauge of what’s going on in the minds of the players, so here is the Spin Around the Locker Room …

Eagles’ Nigel Bradham Battery Case Closed In The Clear For Allegedly Punching Man - TMZ
Eagles star Nigel Bradham already picked up a W, and he hasn’t even played the Falcons yet ... ‘cause the Philly LB is in the clear in his aggravated assault case ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Jay Ajayi should be happy to see Falcons - NBC Sports Philadelphia
While Ajayi claimed it didn’t matter to him who the Eagles faced in their divisional round game, it would be understandable if drawing the Falcons was met with a smile from Ajayi. After all, he’s already faced the Falcons once this season and put together a tremendous performance. While still with the Dolphins on Oct. 15, Ajayi carried the ball 26 times for 130 yards in a 20-17 win in Atlanta. It’s the most yards the Falcons have given up to any running back in the last two years and the most they’ve given up since Adrian Peterson ran for 158 back in 2015. It’s safe to say the Eagles have dipped back into the tape of that game this week.

All-22: How the Eagles’ run game, run defense stack up to the Falcons - The Athletic
Look for the Eagles to use different motions and misdirection to mess with the Falcons’ linebackers. “Because the linebackers are really fast, you do all this backfield action,” Geoff Schwartz said. “Sliding 86 back. Just moving guys all over the place. It holds the linebackers’ eyes for just a second. Give ‘em eye violations. Where they look over here and you’re doing something else. Especially if they’re gonna double-team hard on the inside guys, which they can do. You can run your zone plays with that.” One of the Eagles’ advantages is that they have a lot of different run schemes at their disposal. On paper, against the Falcons, north-south runs like wham, trap and tackle power should be successful. The Eagles have used all of those successfully this season.

What to watch in the Eagles-Falcons playoff game - Inquirer
Can the defense carry the Eagles?: The Eagles aren’t likely to win a shootout. The defense must carry them. It’s a defense that excels at home – opponents are scoring only 13.4 points per game at Lincoln Financial Field – and bullied the Falcons last season. It’s a different year, but this is a better Eagles defense. The magic number for the Falcons is 20. The Falcons are undefeated when they score at least 20 points and winless when they score fewer than 20 points. It’ll be tough to keep them below 20 – I think Julio Jones is the best wide receiver in the NFL, Matt Ryan is the reigning MVP, and they have a formidable running back duo. But the Eagles can win at the line of scrimmage, and that’s the equalizer. Fletcher Cox is the highest-paid player on the Eagles and needs to play like an All-Pro on Saturday. You saw what Aaron Donald did in the Rams-Falcons game last week. Cox can have that type of influence on this game. If the Eagles win, the defensive line will be a big reason why.

1 month after Carson Wentz injury, Philadelphia Eagles coach says team has shaken its sting - PennLive
Coach Doug Pederson has been fighting to prove that the injury his MVP candidate quarterback suffered Dec. 10 hasn’t left his team destined for doom. And Thursday, exactly one month after he announced Wentz would need season-ending surgery, Pederson insisted his team has shaken the sting of losing its leader. It takes a while for players to get over something like that, but Pederson said spirited practices convinced him they’ve done it.

Ticket Vendors Offer Eagles Fans Stark Warning About Scam Artists - CBS Philly
As pumped Philadelphia Eagles fans get ready for Saturday’s NFC divisional round playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons, ticket vendors like Ticketmaster and StubHub offer a stark warning. “Make sure that if you are purchasing hard physical tickets, that it is from a legitimate source either from the team venue or a site that has a guarantee and a customer service number,” said Cameron Papp, a StubHub spokesperson. He says never buy your tickets outside of the stadium or with cash.

PFT’s 2017 awards - PFT
Special-teams rookie of the year: Eagles kicker Jake Elliott.

Fantasy Football WR Target Projections: Divisional Round - DraftKings
In Nick Foles’ two full games this season, Agholor saw 16 targets for a healthy 21 percent share. Note that he caught 11 balls on those 16 targets while Alshon Jeffery posted just four catches on 12 targets. Agholor will work out of the slot, where he has a plus matchup against Falcons slot CB Brian Poole (Pro Football Focus’ No. 85 CB among 120 qualifiers). Expect a conservative game plan from the Eagles as they try to hide Foles, setting him up with quick-hitting passes and first reads. That meshes well with Agholor’s role.

Punting Takes a Left Turn - Sports Illustrated
It’s a quirk that’s taken on something of its own mystique. Adding to the left-footed lore is the fact that there’s something of a spate of lefties in today’s NFL. Back in 2000, there were just five lefty punters on opening day. This season, 10 lefties have punted for NFL teams. That includes every punter in the NFC East, and there were four lefties in this year’s playoffs field: New England’s Ryan Allen, Philadelphia’s Donnie Jones, Kansas City’s Dustin Colquitt and Carolina’s Michael Palardy.

The Falcons aren’t going to let themselves get run over by Jay Ajayi again - The Falcoholic
The last time the Falcons and Jay Ajayi met, things did not go well. In a game decided by a mere field goal, Ajayi’s 26 carries for 130 yards kept the Dolphins offense on the field, wore down the Falcons, and ensured Miami got the points they needed to eke out a win. He’s a big, powerful runner, sure, but that game remains the high-water mark of Ajayi’s entire season, and it was a costly loss for the Falcons.

The Eagles can’t soar with Nick Foles, but they can still flap their way to a win - SB Nation
The Eagles are home underdogs to the Falcons in their Divisional Round playoff game. Retired NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz explains how they can pull off the upset.

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