Weapon X Mailbag: How will the Eagles game plan against Justin Herbert?

The second mailbag of the week!

If you want to ask a question for a future mailbag, you can tweet at me or send an email to bleedinggreeninfo @ gmail dot com.

@LockzDr: Will Jonathan Gannon play soft zone entire game and let Herbert dink and dunk for 82 percent completion and 360 yards?

Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi hasn’t been playing to Just Herbert’s strengths this season. He’s actually implemented the type of short game passing that was used for late-career Drew Brees in New Orleans where he was quarterbacks coach from 2016-2020. The Chargers are only 16th in Pass DVOA on Football Outsiders. Though Herbert’s accuracy is down compared to last year (completion percentage of 63.7 percent this season and 66.6 percent in 2020), I still don’t want to just sit back and let him pick this defense apart.

Yes, it was against an infinitely worse quarterback and offensive line last week, but why not try to bring the heat with a variety of blitzes like Jonathan Gannon implemented against Detroit? The Chargers’ offensive line has been good this year. They’re tied for the ninth-lowest Adjusted Sack Rate on Football Outsiders. Gannon has to keep momentum though and go with worked against the Lions when few things have worked otherwise this season.

Go big or go home! They’re home underdogs. They’re coming off a 38-point win. The secondary is finally performing well. The idea of allowing Herbert to pick to kill them with seven-yard gain after seven-yard gain is already making me nauseous.

@ThisIsJoeMac: Gonna be post wedding Sunday morning in center city. Give me your best post wedding hangover, pre kickoff food spot.

It’s not quite an actual spot, but fucking up a bacon, egg and cheese from a random food cart would probably be invigorating. Go crush a bloody at Bud & Marilyn’s after?

@danmcgukin_: Getting Colts @ Eagles 2010 vibes, which was also a 4pm game. Score prediction for this week?

Based on this question, I’m currently watching this game on YouTube on my Roku as I write this. Now THAT is some phenomenal afternoon entertainment!

Coincidentally, this game was also in Week 9 and on November 7. On the first play from scrimmage, LeSean McCoy ripped off a run for 62 yards. Two plays later, Michael Vick threw a touchdown in the red zone to DeSean Jackson.

Know what I wouldn’t hate on Sunday? Boston Scott ripping off a 60-plus yard run and then Jalen Hurts finding DeVonta Smith in the back of the end zone for six.

The Eagles were 4-3 heading into this matchup with the Colts that resulted in a 26-24 win. I’m not sure exactly how deep the comparisons go beyond the date. I feel like there were certainly expectations for that Eagles team coming off back-to-back postseason appearances. They had a new starting quarterback in Kevin Kolb, but he had flashed at times in the previous two seasons and people were more than ready to move on from Donovan McNabb.

This comparison would’ve been even more apt if this Colts game came after the Eagles’ legendary Monday Night Massacre down in Washington, akin to the type of win the Birds had against the Lions this past Sunday. The Eagles were coming off a bye the week prior and that iconic game wouldn’t come until the following week.

Quick update on the game: Peyton Manning just threw an interception on the Colts’ first possession and Asante Samuel took it back inside Indy’s 10. Can Darius Slay do that on Sunday too?

(It’s also wild that Brandon Graham is playing in this game.)

I went Chargers in this week’s BGN’s pick ‘em pool, but, SCREW IT, I’m going Birds now. It takes one convincing win over a helpless, disastrous, winless football team for me to radiate positive Eagles vibes. I just want to enjoy the Eagles. Is that too much to ask for in life?

Eagles 28. Chargers 27.

ONE MORE GAME UPDATE: Vick launched a 58-yard pass from the Eagles’ own end zone to Jackson. I will go shirtless on Sunday at the Linc if Hurts hits Quez Watkins with a pass like that.

@showtimesalvato: If the Eagles win Sunday, how back are they?

An upset against Herbert? All the way back, my guy.