Eagles News: Dallas Goedert looks like the real deal

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

Eagles v. Steelers: 11 winners, losers, and I’m not sures - BGN
Dallas Goedert. Dallas had a game, folks. He looked NFL ready out there, in terms of finding space in zone coverage, working with scrambling quarterbacks, and being willing to work through physicality in his routes. On his touchdown catch, he uncovered quickly and had to wait for Sudfeld to get there, but he continued to adjust with the flow to stay in space. First tuddy for the young’in. Yeah, he dropped a pass. Happens sometimes. Happens often when it’s your first NFL game, I’d imagine. Rookie jitters are a real thing, and there’s no reason to believe Goedert will have any issues with his hands across his career.

Dallas Goedert does his NFL debut in Eagles-Steelers preseason opener in style - Inquirer
Dallas can’t be preceded by an automatic obscenity at Lincoln Financial Field anymore. In fact, it may someday become a revered word at the stadium – at least when the Cowboys aren’t in town. The new Dallas in Philadelphia made his debut with the Eagles on Thursday night, and without overstating the importance of the preseason, Dallas Goedert’s first NFL game was a success. The rookie tight end caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in a 31-14 loss to the Steelers, and he handled his blocking duties successfully despite concerns about that skill set. Goedert has room for improvement – he dropped a pass and whiffed on a block – but the Eagles couldn’t have asked for a better unveiling from their second-round draft pick.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Steelers preseason game - PhillyVoice
Sudfeld has talent, as you saw on a deep ball to Shelton Gibson that he dropped in the bucket perfectly for a 63-yard touchdown. On his other touchdown throw, Sudfeld evaded pressure, and found Goedert for the score. On the downside, he threw a pair of interceptions that appeared to either be ill-advised throws, or misplaced ones. That’s what he has shown all throughout camp. He has moments where you go, “OK, I see it,” but those moments are often offset by inconsistency. This is Sudfeld’s third year in the league, and he is going to continue to get better, but the mental side of the game needs polishing.

Eagles are Sloppy in Preseaon Opener - Iggles Blitz
Nate Sudfeld started slow. He threw a bad pick. He seemed to be locking onto Dallas Goedert for each pass play. Sudfeld was slow to get the ball out. I was starting to wonder about all the praise the coaching staff has given him since the middle of the 2017 season. Then Sudfeld got his feet under him and played much better. He handled the rush well. He made smart reads and accurate throws. The TD to Goedert was an impressive play. Sudfeld showed elusiveness, awareness, vision and accuracy. Sudfeld showed potential and playmaking ability tonight. That’s what you want in a #3 QB. He’s not supposed to be a finished product.

What I Saw In Eagles’ Preseason Opener - PE.com
7. Nathan Gerry started at the WILL linebacker position and Kamu Grugier-Hill played there with Corey Nelson third on the depth chart. Grugier-Hill was really around the football a lot (team-high six tackles), as he’s been all summer.

Sidney Jones ‘good’ after injury scare in preseason game - NBCSP
“I’m good. I knew I was good,” Jones said by his locker after the game. “I know I scared everybody. A teammate rolled up on me, but I knew I was fine.” Phew. Jones said he just suffered a lower left ankle sprain when Nate Gerry collided with him. But that’s the same leg that has Jones’ surgically repaired Achilles tendon, so it was natural for everyone to gasp at the sign of him grabbing that area. Jones, 22, was eventually able to walk to the sideline on his own power before getting checked out on the trainer’s table. He got his ankle re-taped and tested it out by jogging on the sideline. He didn’t get back in the game, but Jones said that was simply the plan.

From Dallas Goedert to Jordan Mailata, a look at how Eagles rookies performed in preseason debut - The Athletic
Mailata had plenty of issues, but he definitely settled down after the rough start, and the physical tools are obvious. He has a long way to go but is already incorporating some veteran moves like pointing to defensive linemen when they jump offsides so that the refs make the right calls. “Coach [Jeff Stoutland] usually, at training, he says if a guy jumps, you go ‘ooga-booga-booga!’ ” Mailata explained. “That’s what he calls it, ‘ooga-booga-booga!’ So as soon as I saw him jump, I was like, ‘ooga-booga-booga!’ So, in Stout we trust.” Mailata said he “has a long way to go” to be in football shape. He has an uphill climb to make the roster but might be a practice squad candidate. It’s actually remarkable how much he’s picked up in such a short amount of time.

ReFocused, NFL Preseason Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Philadelphia Eagles 14 - PFF
With both Nick Foles and Carson Wentz out, the starting quarterback role went to Nate Sudfeld. Sudfeld threw a poor interception early in the game as he failed to read the Cover-2 cornerback but made up for it later in the game with a perfect pass deep down the sideline for a 63-yard touchdown.

The Games to Watch This NFL Preseason - The Ringer
Eagles vs. Patriots: Thursday, August 16, 7:30 p.m. ET. Hey look, it’s a Super Bowl rematch! Kinda! While Carson Wentz eyes a Week 1 start, his status for the preseason remains in doubt, meaning New England’s going to get another crack at Nick Foles. And look, I know teams run vanilla schemes in the preseason, so there won’t be another Philly Special in this game, but it’s going to be interesting to see whether Foles plays with the killer instinct and poise we saw in the playoffs, especially considering there’s still a chance he starts the year under center for the defending champs.

Players who will score more TDs in 2018 - ESPN
Jay Ajayi, Philadelphia Eagles (2017: 2 TD, 2.5 OTD): Ajayi failed to score on 152 touches with Miami last season, primarily because the team did not run the ball a single time inside the opponent’s 5-yard line while he was on the roster. With the Eagles, Ajayi deferred some goal-line work to Corey Clement and was left with two scores on 80 touches. Despite his large frame (6-foot, 228 pounds) and post-contact dominance (his career 2.37 YAC is No. 1 overall since he entered the league), Ajayi has been limited to nine carries inside-the-5 during his three seasons. He scored on five of those plays. Though a long resume of limited workload near the goal line is a concern, Ajayi is a candidate for 250-plus touches in the high-scoring Eagles’ offense. That should allow him to triple his touchdown total from last season. 2018 projection: 6 TD.

FO Mailbag: Does Defense Dip Down in December? - Football Outsiders
A question from a reader has us diving into week-by-week DVOA splits, looking at how both run and pass defense change over the course of the year. Is wear and tear to blame for defensive declines, or does Old Man Winter have something to say?

Here’s what happened Thursday night in Week 1 of the 2018 NFL preseason - SB Nation
If you missed any of the action from Thursday’s 12 game-slate, let’s get you caught up.

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