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Eagles News: Zach Ertz due to bounce back against Ravens?

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 10/17/20.

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NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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Fantasy Football Mailbag: Chase Claypool, Zach Ertz rookie running back rankings and more - PFF
Who is your favorite TE outside the top three? Is there a buy-low I should trade for? Zach Ertz is the top name that comes to mind as a player to buy-low on heading into Week 6. He’s coming off back-to-back atrocious performances, and I’m sure managers that have him on rosters are growing impatient. But it’s been reported that Ertz and Carson Wentz have been putting in extra work to get their timing back, and that’s the narrative I’ll buy into against the Baltimore Ravens whose biggest weakness is the defending the tight end. On throws to tight ends this year, they rank 27th in yards per attempt (8.9) and 26th in passer rating (123.6). The Ravens rank top-10 in fantasy points allowed against every position except for the tight end, so it’s hard to imagine the targets not flowing toward Ertz.

Eagles’ decision to not put Alshon Jeffery on PUP isn’t looking smart - BGN
Had the Eagles placed Jeffery on PUP, they could’ve avoided losing young players who showed potential like Noah Togiai or Casey Toohill. Those players very well might end up being irrelevant. Or they might be the next Travis Fulgham. Even with the added roster flexibility due to COVID-19, having an extra roster spot with the team being so injured would’ve been ideal. For the Eagles in this case, roster mismanagement has further begot roster mismanagement. Jeffery likely wouldn’t even be on the team right now if the Eagles didn’t unnecessarily guarantee his salary for 2020 back in September 2019. The team has reportedly tried to move on from him dating back to last year but no team has been willing to take on his albatross of a contract. And now they’ve only made the situation worse by needlessly burning a roster spot on a player who anonymously trashed Carson Wentz twice in the past two years.

The Solak & Solak Show #1 - BGN Radio
On the premiere episode of The Solak & Solak Show, host Benjamin Solak is joined by Benjamin Solak to break down this Sunday’s contest between the Ravens and your Philadelphia Eagles. Who are the offensive and defensive players to watch? Who’s going to win? What the heck happened to Michael Kist? All good questions and Ben has all the answers.

Grocery shopping: Five college prospects who could interest the Eagles in the 2021 NFL Draft - PhillyVoice
Patrick Jones II, DE, Pittsburgh (6’5, 260): Pittsburgh at (13) Miami, 12:00 p.m. Jones leads the nation with seven sacks, with three sacks each in a pair of games against Boston College and Louisville. As such, people are going to take notice. In 2019, Jones had 8.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He has a good burst at the snap, a nice dip and rip move around the edge, and a few counters (speed to power, and a straight arm move) to complement to outside rush, and (Andy Reid alert) he’s thought to have a good motor.

Line Dance - Iggles Blitz
The Eagles better not bring back Curry unless there is an injury. They don’t need an older body up front. Trade him or cut him. Stick with the young guys. If they somehow find room for him, but not for Toohill, my head would explode. This isn’t the year to play 30-year old backups.

Eagles tackle Jack Driscoll, set to start vs. Ravens with Lane Johnson out, is making a name for himself - Inquirer
Driscoll has been able to handle playing multiple positions. A right tackle in college, he started off at guard with the Eagles before injuries necessitated a move back to tackle. He could make excuses for some of his early setbacks, or focus on his stiff competition, but the 23-year old is too smart to fall into that trap. “I’ve always been taught it’s never about them, it’s about me. To an extent that’s true,” Driscoll said. “I just know, when you play a guy like T.J. Watt, you have to be perfect on every set. Every set, every foot, your hands have to be perfect. Otherwise, he’ll beat you for a sack.” All it takes is one mistake to mar an otherwise clean performance and for an offensive lineman to be singled out. Some prefer the anonymity of the position. Pushed into the fore, Driscoll is making a name for himself, and not for the wrong reasons. Even Brandon Graham calls him “Jack” now. “I know how to do all that,” Graham said. “Even spell his name.”

Fantasy Football Rundown (Week 6): Starts & sits for every NFL game - Fake Teams
Quarterback Carson Wentz faces a brutal match-up with the Ravens’ dominant secondary. He’s just a back-end QB2. Second-year wide receiver Travis Fulgham has broken out over the last two weeks, parlaying his route running and production into overall WR5 .5PPR results in that time span. Operating as the team’s X-receiver, we can expect double-digit targets in this one. Running routes primarily on the outside, his duels with Ravens’ perimeter cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters will put his talent to the test. Target volume like that though keeps Fulgham as a solid flex candidate though.

A weekend six-pack: Thoughts on Sunday’s big test - PE.com
Miles Sanders has had 95-plus total yards from scrimmage in the four games he has played. He is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and his 74-yard touchdown run was a thing of beauty last week. He’s off to a strong start, but it’s going to be very difficult on Sunday with the offensive line changing once again. The Steelers dominated the Eagles’ running game other than the touchdown sprint. Philadelphia has to be much better on Sunday. Sanders is being smothered – and not just in the running game. Defenses are chipping him, using a safety over the top on him, and generally paying far more attention to him in the passing game than they did last season. Giving Sanders more touches would really help this offense.

Rankings: Davante Adams Returns - Rotoworld
If someone catches 10 passes for a team with no wideouts, you give them a gander. If only Travis Fulgham’s matchup (vs. BAL) were better.

Eagles-Ravens picks, predictions, injuries, matchups to watch and more - The Athletic
Wulf: Wentz looks good again and diversifies his targets between Fulgham and Ertz, but the offensive line has its worst game since Week 1 as the Brown-Driscoll combination is particularly hit hard. The defense hangs on for much of the game before allowing a few big plays, and the Ravens coast in the fourth quarter to an easy victory. The Eagles quickly turn their sights to Thursday night. Ravens 27, Eagles 13.

Your Week 6 NFL Matchup Guide: Aaron Rodgers Heads to Tompa Bay - The Ringer
Even with their offensive struggles, though, the Ravens are winning games because of their defense. Baltimore has allowed the fewest points in the NFL, and every level of this unit is a terror to deal with. They blitz more than every team except Pittsburgh; cornerback Marlon Humphrey has forced a fumble in three of the past four games; and last week, Baltimore had five sacks just from its defensive backs, the most since sacks became a stat in 1982. That defense now faces Philly’s injured offense, which is missing a half-dozen offensive linemen plus four of its top six pass catchers. Worse than the injuries is that quarterback Carson Wentz has been inconsistent, with some game-saving plays mixed with a lot of drive-ending decisions. Wentz could use a big game from tight end Zach Ertz, who has had a disappointing first month of the season. If the Eagles are going to play better, they have to start by getting Wentz and Ertz back on the same page.

The Dossier, Week 6: Bang Bang Bird Gang - Baltimore Beatdown
It’s clear after over a month of play that this offense won’t be returning to it’s 2017 form anytime soon, but it should be noted they hit some big plays against the Steelers. Keying on Miles Sanders and forcing Wentz to make money throws in minus situations will be crucial to success on defense, as will stopping the big play through the air to Travis Fulgham, who’s been quite the find in this wide receiving corps. Ultimately, stopping those big plays will be crucial in setting up early success as this 29th-ranked offense by DVOA goes up against the Ravens third-ranked defense, which of course spells mismatch at this point on paper.

Five things to watch when the Cowboys face the Cardinals on Monday Night Football - Blogging The Boys
1. Seeing Red? All eyes will be on the new man under center as Andy Dalton will make his first start as a member of the Cowboys. As frustrating as this season has been so far, one saving grace has been this highly potent offense. The team is coming off of four straight 30+ point games, and the offense had put up three straight 500-yard performances; however, they dipped to 402 yards last week after losing Prescott midway through the third quarter. Can Dalton keep the offense rolling? Or will he passing game suffer a setback? It’s really tough to know how things will play out. Dalton has plenty of weapons at his disposal, including one of the game’s best running backs to lean on. How well the team’s new backup quarterback performs will go a long way, not only in determining the outcome of this game, but in what the ceiling holds for the Cowboys season.

Film and stats that explain why Antonio Gibson is a promising offensive weapon - Hogs Haven
It’s clear that Antonio Gibson hasn’t “arrived” yet; his journey in the NFL is just getting started, though the early returns indicate that it’s likely to be a long one. At the moment, Gibson barely shows up on the radar of traditional stats like attempts, yardage and average yards gained. But hidden in the advanced stats are indications that someday Antonio Gibson will break out and be recognized around the league for being special. For now, he has to be appreciated by Washington fans more for the excitement he adds to individual plays like the ones from the Cardinals game above, rather than for compiling stats that will win you a fantasy football championship.

Getting to know New York Giants’ cornerback Ryan Lewis - Big Blue View
Cornerback Ryan Lewis has emerged as a potential answer for the New York Giants at the cornerback spot opposite James Bradberry. Big Blue View had the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Lewis via phone on Friday evening. Here is the result of our chat. [BLG Note: Lewis spent some time on the Eagles last season.]

Arch Manning is the 15-year-old superstar nephew of Peyton. This is what you need to know - SB Nation
Arch Manning mania has officially arrived. The 15-year-old quarterback is about to become the most hyped high school football player of his generation — not just because of his famous last name, but because he actually appears to have the talent to live up to it. Manning would be football royalty on bloodlines alone. He’s the grandson of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning. Arch is being hailed as the top quarterback prospect in the 2023 high school class, and is already setting off a wild recruiting battle that expected to involve all of college football’s heavy hitters.

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