Eagles News: Howie Roseman draws high praise from his rivals

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NFL execs vote on awards: Who takes home MVP? Defensive Player of the Year? Coach of the Year? - NFL.com
“He’s just been really aggressive the way he’s built the roster,” said a rival GM. “Trade back, trade forward. Hired a coach no one really knew much about who took some lumps in the first year. And he’s just really turned over the roster. Took Hurts, wasn’t popular, second-round pick — now he’s an MVP candidate. Finally got the receivers right — they missed on (Justin) Jefferson (to take Jalen Reagor in the 2020 draft), they kept attacking it, took [DeVonta Smith] and made an aggressive trade (for A.J. Brown). The O-line solidified. And now the defense that struggled last year is No. 2.” Roseman also acquired C.J. Gardner-Johnson from the Saints for pocket change in a separate trade and swiftly addressed issues with the run defense by signing veteran defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph. “He’s playing three-dimensional football executive,” another rival exec said. “I thought Howie set the bar when he had the offseason where he traded away Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to move up in the draft and then moved up again for Carson Wentz, and ends up winning a Super Bowl with a backup quarterback (Nick Foles). I considered that his hat tip, but nope, he did it again, the m-----------.”

4 questions that could define the Eagles-Cowboys game - BGN
But I like Gardner Minshew’s chances in this game. In some areas, there isn’t really even a drop off from Hurts. Dallas has an excellent pass rush, but they’re not getting a major advantage with this QB change. Minshew’s career sack rate is 7.0%, while Hurts is 6.9% for his career and 7.6% this season. Minshew’s average time to throw in 2020, the last season he played significant time, was 2.77 seconds, which was below average but not too long to be an issue, he was quicker than Kirk Cousins, the same as Dak Prescott, and 0.05 seconds behind Aaron Rodgers. This season Jalen Hurts’ time to throw average? 2.77 seconds, below average but quicker than Josh Allen, basically the same as Jared Goff, and 0.06 behind Dak Prescott. Minshew will not remind anyone of Hurts, but he’s not tripping over himself out there either. Though we only have one real game as an Eagle to evaluate Minshew, and he was pretty good.

NFC East Mixtape Vol.90: Merry Christmas from the NFC Beast - BGN Radio
In a special live session on the NFC East Mixtape, RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) and Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) sit down for an in-depth preview of the upcoming Eagles and Dallas Cowboys game. The guys answer your questions about the matchup, run through the latest injury updates, and the all important playoff implications.

Mailbag: What about the eight Eagles starters who were not named to the Pro Bowl or as alternates? Are they good? - PhillyVoice
TE Dallas Goedert: When Goedert got hurt in the Eagles’ ninth game, he had 43 catches for 544 yards and 3 TDs. He was on pace for 81 catches for 1027 yards and 6 TDs. Travis Kelce leads all tight ends with 1144 receiving yards, and then there’s a huge gap between him and the Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson, who has 730 receiving yards. Even though Goedert missed five games, he is still eighth in the NFL among tight ends in receiving yards. He would have easily gotten in if he didn’t get hurt and maintained a production level anywhere near the pace of his first nine games. S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson: CJGJ still leads the league with six interceptions. It really shouldn’t matter that he got hurt. He should have gotten in regardless, but you can’t be voted in if you’re on injured reserve.

Gardner Time - Iggles Blitz
I recently re-watched last year’s starts to get a better feel for Minshew. He is different from Hurts, but the offense can succeed with him. Minshew gets the ball out quickly. He’s not going to hold the ball and search downfield for big plays. He wants to get the ball out on time. He’s accurate. He can throw from multiple platforms. His shorts throws are very catchable, which makes him good on screens. Minshew will run at times. He’s not going to just stand still in the pocket if things are breaking down. Where Hurts might break off a 15-yard run, Minshew will go for 5. Or he’ll get outside and throw the ball. He’s got functional mobility. He likes to get the ball to the TEs. Minshew is good on touch passes so working the seams is a strength for him. It will be interesting to see if the coaches call a deep ball or two just to give Minshew a chance to air it out and to keep the defense honest. Minshew is good with his play fakes and his ball-handling. The Eagles will lose some of the RPO and zone read stuff, but play-action passes could be even more effective. Minshew sells those well.

Gardner Minshew: ‘I’m going to do my part’ - PE.com
“I think you always find ways to make yourself a better player,” he said. “I’ve worked hard preparing every week and even though I haven’t played much, I’ve been able to put in the work and stay ready and stay sharp. This is my chance to play and I’m excited about it.” Everyone is excited for Minshew, rallying around him, prepared to play their best for him. Who doesn’t want to wear a mustache on the way to the game on Saturday, an homage, if you will, for Minshew? Who won’t get excited feeling his energy? They did this week in practice, that’s for sure. Minshew was sharp, accurate, on time. He is ready to play. “We’re all doing our jobs getting ready to play this game and we have full confidence in each other,” Goedert said. “Gardner will do his job. He’s the man. We all love him. The best way we can support him is to play our best and that’s what we’re preparing to do. Nothing changes.”

Ranking all 32 teams by PFF WAR: Kansas City Chiefs come in at No. 1, Justin Fields’ Chicago Bears end up at No. 32 - PFF
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. Offensive WAR Rank: 1st. Defensive WAR Rank: 5th. Top Individual Player Rank: C Jason Kelce (1st). The Eagles boast the deepest roster in the NFL, as they are the only team to rank in the top five for offense and defense, and Jalen Hurts ranks sixth among quarterbacks. Their offensive skill position players are represented well, with A.J. Brown, Miles Sanders and Dallas Goedert all ranking in the top 10 at their respective positions.

Week 16 NFL game picks: Cowboys edge out Eagles; Texas notch second win of the season! - NFL.com
Gardner Minshew is a great backup, but his presence hurts the biggest game left on the NFC schedule. The Eagles have so many ways to win that they could still pull this off, making the five-point spread too much. Dallas’ defense is giving up big plays lately — biting hard on misdirection — and could be pushed around by Philadelphia’s offensive line. The Eagles’ pass rush will make life very difficult on a reshuffled Cowboys line. It’s a coin flip, with the ‘Boys getting the slightest of edges because they are home and need the game more.

NFC East showdown: Do Eagles or Cowboys have the better roster? - ESPN
Quarterbacks. Cowboys: The Cowboys are 6-2 since Dak Prescott’s return, and both losses were in overtime. But he has a nagging interceptions issue — 11 in nine starts after throwing 10 all of last season. He needs to get that fixed if the Cowboys are going to make a playoff run. Eagles: Jalen Hurts’ rapid growth as a passer has put opposing defenses in a bind. Favor the ground game, and he’ll beat you through the air (No. 1 in the NFL in QB rating at 108.4 and TD/INT ratio at 7.33 entering Week 15). Try to take away the pass, and he’ll chew you up on the ground. Hurts is the MVP front-runner for a reason. The big question now is whether he or backup Gardner Minshew will start Saturday. Bowen’s take: Hurts has the edge. He [will] miss this week’s game because of a sprained right shoulder, but his progression as a thrower when healthy, in addition to being a dual threat as a runner, sets him apart from Prescott. With his lower-body strength and body frame (6-foot-1, 223 pounds), the Eagles can run power game with their quarterback, and he can get to the edge as well. In the pass game, his eye level is so good. Always up, even when bodies are around him.

Eagles-Cowboys preview: Minshew Mania, Pro Bowlers, matchups, game predictions - The Athletic
The Cowboys’ defense isn’t quite as dangerous as it was when these two teams first met, thanks to a litany of injuries, and the Eagles could very well pound the run as effectively as the Jaguars did last week. I also believe in the Linval Joseph bump against the run and think the Eagles will have a good plan for CeeDee Lamb. But I also think the Cowboys are bound to bounce back from back-to-back bad performances. It’ll be close, but a late touchdown brings it out of reach and the Eagles remain clinchless. Cowboys 28, Eagles 20.

NFL MVP race: Making the case for and against Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen - CBS Sports
Hurts’ maturation has been incredibly clear in 2022 after a small step forward as a passer in his second professional season. In many advanced metrics, Hurts emphatically checks boxes. Among quarterbacks currently playing — meaning Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t count here — he’s third in EPA per play behind Mahomes and Tua Tagovailoa. He’s second only to Tagovailoa in yards per attempt (8.2) and boasts the third-lowest “turnover-worthy play” rate (1.7%) among qualifying passers. He has 35 total touchdowns to date (22 through the air and a massive 13 on the ground). His 745 rushing yards trail only Justin Fields and Lamar Jackson. The Eagles are second in points per game at 29.4 per contest. Lastly, and I’ll admit this is old school. To some, it shouldn’t be the sole driver of serious MVP candidacy. But Hurts is the highly effective quarterback on the team with the best record in football. That’s his mic drop in this conversation.

Just who exactly is Eagles backup QB Ian Book? - NBCSP
“Got called on a Thursday at 11 a.m. that I got claimed by the Eagles,” he recalled. “I was here by 7:30 p.m., but I didn’t have any of my stuff. Got here, passed my physical, practiced the next day, they flew me back home on Saturday, they gave me two days to pack up all my stuff and fly back Sunday night for practice No. 1 for the Lions Week 1. “Then you’ve got to get a moving company. When you get claimed they pay for it, which is amazing, but you have to pack everything and tell them when they can come and then they want to know what house they should take it to, but you don’t have a house because you just got here and you’re living in a hotel, and the Eagles pay for your hotel for 19 days, so you have 19 days to find a house, while you’re learning an offense for Week 1.” That’s the way things go for No. 3 quarterbacks.

Cowboys vs Eagles: ‘The Eagles can absolutely win with Gardner Minshew’- Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles renew acquaintances on Christmas Eve. Because of the injury news that Jalen Hurts is out for the game, the Cowboys most recently are 4.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook. That line has move around frequently, so check the link for the latest spread. We talked to Brandon Gowton over at Bleeding Green Nation for his take on some questions about the game.

Cowboys DE Sam Williams taken to hospital after car accident - CBS News
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams was taken to the hospital today after his car was hit in Plano this afternoon. Plano police say the crash happened around 2:15 p.m. on Preston Road at Town Square Drive just south of the Sam Rayburn Tollway. A black Infiniti heading northbound was trying to make a left turn and hit Williams’ black Corvette, which was headed southbound.

How Daniel Jones is winning over the Giants ... and earning a chance to stay - Big Blue View
When the season began I was clear that I thought there was a chance Jones could earn the right to stay with the Giants beyond this season, but that the odds were stacked against him. Now? I think the opposite. I think the odds would be stacked heavily in favor of a return by Jones. The quarterback has been a huge part of a surprisingly successful season. The Giants won’t be in position to draft C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young or Will Levis without trading away significant draft capital they need to supplement a roster that still has significant holes. I can’t see Daboll and Joe Schoen believing they can have as much success with Tyrod Taylor as they have had with Jones. I also can’t see them believing they can find a veteran quarterback on the free agent/trade market better than Jones. There might be a free agent market for Jones, but I can’t imagine any team feeling more committed to him than the Mara-Schoen-Daboll Giants. After the upheaval Jones has seen in his time with the Giants, I would think he would also understand that working with Daboll and Kafka is the best situation he has ever been in. So, yes, I think Jones is likely to be the Giants’ quarterback next season. If I were making the decision, I would certainly try to make that happen — within the parameters of the type of contracts that have been discussed above, of course.

Commanders fans don’t want Wentz and don’t want another veteran quarterback from another team in 2023 - Hogs Haven
The option of starting Sam Howell was the most popular, but a quarter of the votes opted for using 2023 as a ‘consolidation’ year (sort of maintaining the status quo) and then drafting a rookie in 2024. The third option of bringing back Taylor Heinicke as the starter polled only 16%, but it was clear from the comments that many Hogs Haven members want #4 to return as the backup again next year, with either Howell or someone else as the starter.

Saints final injury report vs. Browns - Week 16 - Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints ruled out four players on their final injury report against the Cleveland Browns, including wide receivers Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry, along with LB Pete Werner. Five others are questionable for Saturday’s game. [BLG Note: Let’s go Browns.]

The 17 funniest sports moments of 2022 you probably already forgot - SB Nation
February 11: Joel Embiid can’t keep a straight face after Ben Simmons gets traded The Ben Simmons era in Philadelphia mercilessly ended in February when he was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets. His relationship with Joel Embiid had noticeably deteriorated, and when the trade was finally made official, Embiid posted a “showing up at my biggest haters funeral” meme. The next night he was asked about the image in a press conference and could barely keep a straight face while he lied that he didn’t know what it meant, he just thought the guy “had a nice suit on.”

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