Eagles News: Jim Schwartz draws comparison to Jim Johnson

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Jim Schwartz reminiscent of Jim Johnson in more ways than one - NBCSP
The Eagles played 17 playoff games under Johnson and his units allowed a ridiculous 15.8 points per game in those games. Schwartz’s unit last year allowed 16.7 per game in the postseason, and yeah, the Patriots piled up a lot of yards and points in the Super Bowl, but when someone absolutely had to make a play, Brandon Graham made a play. The one thing that really ties both Jims together is their passion for the game and the way they treat people. That’s contagious. It carries over into the locker room. This sort of brilliance, innovation, creativity and passion only comes along once in a lifetime. Or in this case, twice.

Should the Eagles have interest in Josh Gordon? - BGN
The Cleveland Browns made some big news on Saturday evening by surprisingly announcing they’re releasing Josh Gordon. But it appears they might not be releasing the 27-year-old after all. NFL insider Adam Schefter is reporting the Browns will actually be trading Gordon and Ian Rapoport says up to five teams are interested in acquiring him. With Philadelphia looking into wide receiver help recently, it’s only fair to ask: Should the Eagles take a shot on Gordon?

Eagles-Bucs Updates & Preview - BGN Radio
John Stolnis and Brandon Lee Gowton get you all prepped up and updated before the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) travel to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0).

Five over/unders for Eagles’ Week 2 matchup vs. Buccaneers - PhillyVoice
Corey Clement total touches: 15.5. With Sproles out, could Clement be an X-factor for the Eagles on Sunday? It sure seems that way. He could take over a fair amount of special teams duties, and after several impressive catches last season, you’ve got to think the coaches (and quarterback) have faith in the second-year back from South Jersey. Clement didn’t see any targets in Week 1, but Sproles saw seven. He also ran the ball five times. That means 12 additional carries that are up for grabs.

Bucs Preview - Iggles Blitz
One thing stood out to me when I watched the Bucs game. Almost all of the big plays came to Ryan Fitzpatrick’s right side. It is possible that’s an anomaly, but it could also be a pattern the Eagles noticed and will try to exploit. It will be interesting to watch the Eagles defense and see if they attack from that side to force Fitzpatrick to run to his left and/or throw to his left.

Best bets on Week 2 NFL games - ESPN In$ider
Lost in the mix of Fitzpatrick’s incredible win was the efficiency of Drew Brees, who knifed through this Tampa Bay pass defense and posted an astonishing 72 percent success rate. He was sacked just one time in 46 dropbacks. Tight end Benjamin Watson destroyed the Buccaneers’ defense and caught all four of his targets while delivering 11 yards per attempt and a 100 percent success rate. That should be welcome news for the tight end-oriented passing attack of the Eagles. This version of the Saints lacked the thumping run game, which is not the case for Philadelphia. Jay Ajayi produced a healthy 4.1 yards per carry and a 60 percent success rate on 15 rushes against the Falcons and should find opportunities easier to come by because the passing attack captained by Nick Foles should be more successful. The Bucs’ defense is without starting DB Vernon Hargreaves and possibly fellow starter Brent Grimes, meaning multiple rookies would start, and they also might be without Jason Pierre-Paul. I think that’s too much to overcome. Pick: Eagles -3.5.

Lawlor: Eagles-Buccaneers Game Preview - PE.com
While Fitzpatrick isn’t likely to sustain this level of play for an extended time, he has to be taken very seriously. Sunday wasn’t a bunch of lucky plays. Fitzpatrick made quick reads and accurate throws. He put good touch on his deep balls. He ran nine times in the game so you have to account for that as well. The Saints did not help matters. They didn’t sack Fitzpatrick once and didn’t get consistent pressure on him. That won’t be the case this Sunday. The Eagles have arguably the best pass rush in the NFL. They will pressure Fitzpatrick. That will make his day a lot more difficult.

Eagles’ game plan for Sunday: Beat the heat in Tampa, and the Buccaneers - Daily News
”I didn’t mean to play 65 [of 70] snaps, but it kind of happened that way,’’ said Cox, who was beginning-to-end dominant against the Falcons despite the heavy workload. He had a huge second-and-1 sack on the Falcons’ final possession that helped preserve the win for the Eagles. “Coach tries to keep me fresh,’’ he said. “That’s the way we roll. The whole idea is to keep us fresh for the fourth quarter. For times like that. It’s a group thing. It’s a system we know works. Everybody tries to figure out how we rotate and the things we do. The most important thing is the players hold each other accountable.’’ Schwartz said earlier in the week that one of the reasons Cox played so many snaps against the Falcons was because he was trying to bring along undrafted rookie defensive tackle Bruce Hector slowly.

Nelson Agholor returns to hometown of Tampa with Philadelphia Eagles as a champion - PennLive
“I think for the kids that are there, I just want to see them have fun, most importantly,” Agholor said. “A lot of kids in Tampa love the game of football, and I hope they get a chance to tune in, and if it’s a kid that’s been at my camp, I hope he gets to see me have fun with my guys.”

Ronde Barber, calling Bucs-Eagles game, knows the rivalry well - The Athletic
It’s​ the​ most​ iconic​ play​ in Bucs​ history, and​ until​ the past year,​ one of​ the​ most​​ infamous in Eagles history as well: final minutes of the 2002 NFC Championship game, Philadelphia driving and trying to rally late, only to see Donovan McNabb intercepted by Ronde Barber, who returned the pick 92 yards for a clinching touchdown, sending the Bucs to the Super Bowl in the final game played at Veterans Stadium. And with the Bucs and Eagles playing on Sunday in Tampa, who better to be part of Fox’s broadcast crew than Barber, who wants fans on both sides to remember there’s much history between the two teams. Barber’s twin brother, Tiki, will be a sideline reporter — they worked a Bucs-Giants game together last year. Ronde took a few minutes to talk to The Athletic about that play, this game and his history with the Eagles.

Bucs vs Eagles: Five keys to victory - Bucs Nation
The revamped offensive front was a highlight of this offense a week ago. Tampa Bay didn’t allow a sack and gave up just four tackles for loss all game. That’s a far cry from where this unit was a year ago as the Buccaneers gave up 40 sacks in 2017. The Eagles have one of the top defensive fronts in the NFL, especially on the interior with Fletcher Cox and Haloti Ngata. They sacked Matt Ryan four times in their season-opener and hit him a whopping 15 times. That’s exactly the kind of thing the Bucs can’t allow to happen to Fitzpatrick on Sunday. I think the key aspect here is opening up the run game. If Tampa Bay can improve its success on the ground (112 yards on 31 carries in week one), they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. Likewise, if the Eagles shut it down, it could be a long Sunday.

Dennis Kelly is in the hospital; Titans promote Tyler Marz from practice squad - Music City Miracles
Well the news on the Titans offensive line just keep getting worse. Paul Kuharsky is reporting that Dennis Kelly is in the hospital today with some type of virus. The Titans have announced that he is out for the game tomorrow yet, but I can’t imagine how he would be in any condition to play tomorrow when he is in the hospital today. [BLG Note: Get well soon, Dennis.]

Giants-Cowboys betting lines and point spread updates for ‘Sunday Night Football’ - SB Nation
Jim Schwartz and the defense face a major challenge. Tampa’s offense was brilliant in the opener. They had big plays from a variety of players. You can’t just shut one guy down. We talked all offseason about how good the Eagles secondary could be. Sunday will give us an idea if the hype is legit. New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon will miss his second straight game with a high ankle sprain, and reserve linebacker Tae Davis is questionable with a hamstring injury. The Cowboys continue to be without center Travis Frederick, and will also be missing starting safety Xavier Woods with a hamstring injury. Defensive end Randy Gregory is questionable while he continues through the concussion protocol.

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