Eagles News: NFL teams have complained about Philadelphia’s sneak technique

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How the Eagles pushed (and sometimes pulled) Jalen Hurts to the top of the NFC - The Athletic
The tape wasn’t inspired only by the pulling (an actual penalty) but also by how much the Eagles have been pushing this season (a perceived misuse of a vaguely written rule). “Not one team thinks it’s fair,” said an NFL analytics staffer who was granted anonymity by The Athletic because they are not authorized by their team to speak on the matter. “Every team has complained, but you’re allowed to push so basically they reinforced the rules so they didn’t have to talk about it again.” This featured example that landed in the inbox of all 32 teams was a play that was actually very light on the pushing, at least by Philadelphia’s standards. An analysis by The Athletic found the Eagles have run 13 sneaks that feature two players lined up to push Hurts forward and three sneaks with three pushers. Two more teams are shown pushing on sneaks on the officiating tape, but each features just a single pusher. That’s why the Eagles have caused a stir across the NFL. “They’ve taken it to another level,” said Giants defensive line coach Andre Patterson. “One guy is on each cheek and one guy is behind, and all three are pushing him forward. That makes it real difficult to stop.”

14 takeaways from Super Wild Card Weekend - BGN
Watching Jones and the Giants’ offense, led by offensive coordinator and soon-to-be head coach Mike Kafka (that Andy Reid tree ain’t getting pruned anytime soon) was like watching Jalen Hurts and the Birds’ offense. A lot of RPOs, Jones tucking and running for big chunk plays, and a highly efficient offense that was never really challenged throughout the game. Jones, in particular his legs, are going to be a problem. His stat line last night looked downright Hurtsian: 24-for-35, 301 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 17 rushes, 78 yards. Jonathan Gannon needs to find ways to keep Jones contained in the pocket or else he’s going to give them a taste of their own Hurts-flavored medicine.

Initial thoughts on Eagles-Giants threematch + Wild Card takeaways - BGN Radio
The Eagles’ first playoff game is set! The Birds will host the Giants in the Divisional Round. Brandon Lee Gowton and Jimmy Kempski offer their initial thoughts on this NFC East battle. The guys also talk about other takeaways from Super Wild Card Weekend. Interact with us on Twitter: @BrandonGowton, @JimmyKempski, @BGN_Radio, @BleedingGreen. Use discount code BGN15 at RighteousFelon.com for 15% off your order!

All 8 remaining NFL playoffs teams, ranked by likelihood of winning it all - SB Nation
2. Philadelphia Eagles. The Philadelphia Eagles enjoyed the benefit of being the top seed in the NFC, as they got to stay home and watch the playoffs along with the rest of us. Now it is time to go to work. Jalen Hurts is back, which is a huge benefit for this offense. As center Jason Kelce noted recently on the podcast he hosts with his brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, everything the Eagles do on offense starts with Hurts, both in the running game, and in the passing game. Having Hurts back — and having the bye week — should be huge for the Eagles. Looking ahead, the Philadelphia run defense could be a storyline, whether this weekend against the New York Giants or in a potential NFC Championship Game. But if the Eagles can build a lead early and force the opposing offense to be one-dimensional, watch out. The Philadelphia pass defense, and in particular their pass rush, is among the league’s best.

NFC Hierarchy/Obituary: Divisional round edition - PhillyVoice
2) Eagles (14-3): To the 1 seed go the spoils: They got a week off. (Duh, we already knew that.) As noted above, the NFC is widely thought to be a three-horse race. The Eagles get to play the one team left not included in that Super Bowl conversation. They’ll play on Saturday, which means that the Giants will play back-to-back road games on short rest. Because they play on Saturday, it also means they get an extra day of rest in between the divisional round and the conference championship round, should they beat the Giants. And, of course, as you know, they’ll be at home throughout.

A Big Difference - Iggles Blitz
This team will have Hurts on Saturday. He’s not 100 percent, but it seems like pain management is the biggest issue for him at this point. This shouldn’t be like a knee or ankle that significantly hampers his performance. Still, with his injury and some sloppy games late in the season, most analysts seem to think SF is the team to beat in the NFC. That could be a favor to the Eagles, who would gladly embrace the underdog role once again. NFL coaches and players will do anything for an edge, no matter how silly it may seem. It will be interesting to see how this team does. They had a special season. Can they top it off with a special postseason?

Ranking NFL’s top 100 most valuable players of 2022 season - ESPN+
3. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles. Hurts was in a good situation and maximized the opportunity. He dominated the most on the ground, generating almost double the team EPA on designed runs of any other quarterback. But he was an efficient passer, too. Hurts ranked eighth in EPA per dropback (ninth if we remove scrambles) and was accurate. His plus-3% completion percentage over expectation ranked second, per NFL Next Gen Stats. And Hurts was superb at turnover avoidance, giving the ball away on 1.2% of his action plays.

Ranking all 32 teams’ need at quarterback entering the 2023 NFL offseason - PFF
27. Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts has truly taken his game to the next level this season — an MVP level, in fact. His 85.6 overall grade, 80.6 passing grade and 84.4 rushing grade are all career highs by a wide margin. His 77.8% adjusted completion rate ranked fourth highest in the league this year. He’s the guy in Philly.

Spadaro: Giants Week is here! Let the grind begin - PE.com
3. Be ready for a varied running attack. Give credit to the Giants for playing to their strengths: They have a star running back in Saquon Barkley and they have a quarterback in Daniel Jones with a rare multiple-skills talent package and they used both of those players to the maximum in Sunday’s win at Minnesota. Barkley had 9 carries for 53 yards and 2 touchdowns and was a weapon as a receiver with 5 catches for 56 yards. The Eagles, obviously, will make sure he is accounted for on every snap. Jones had one of the best games of his career in Minnesota, throwing for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns and adding 78 huge yards on the ground. He is big and strong and the Giants call a lot of designed runs and bootlegs and misdirection around his running ability. Again, this is something the Eagles are well aware of and have seen, but there are going to be wrinkles in this game. Discipline and trusting what you’ve seen on film all week studying the Giants will be extremely important.

NFL Power Rankings, Divisional Round: Chiefs’ AFC rivals tested; Giants rise to occasion; Chargers flop - NFL.com
Was a No. 1 seed ever in more desperate need of a bye than the Eagles? The team hopes to get star right tackle Lane Johnson and beast edge rusher Josh Sweat back in time for Saturday night’s grudge match against the Giants, but the biggest health-related concern continues to center on Jalen Hurts. Last week, the quarterback acknowledged he still might not be fully healthy for the Divisional Round. “I’m feeling better,” Hurts said after being limited in a Thursday practice session. “I’m just taking it day by day. I think the whole world knows I’ve been dealing with something.” That “something” is a throwing-shoulder injury that seriously threatens to limit the quarterback’s explosive playmaking ability. Without it, Philadelphia will be vulnerable against a surging Giants team.

Davis taking ups and downs of rookie season in stride - NBCSP
Some players would be frustrated if they were in Jordan Davis’s shoes. Davis has taken it all in stride. Through all the ups and downs of his rookie season, Davis has kept his same positive outlook. And for a guy who just turned 23 earlier this month, he seems to have a refreshing perspective. “I’m excited for playoffs,” Davis said late last week as the Eagles waited to find out that they would play the Giants in the division round. “I’m excited to be a part of this team and make it the first year. “There’s a lot of players that’s been in the league and they haven’t made it to the playoffs or they made it years down the road. So I’m just grateful to have this first-year experience and just be a part of a great program. Just keep your mind, body and soul right.”

Full Super Bowl 57 odds heading into Divisional Round - DraftKings Nation
The Eagles are sitting at +550 on DraftKings Sportsbook despite having homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, something even the Chiefs might not have despite being the AFC’s top seed. With Jalen Hurts set to be back after a week of rest, Philadelphia could be an intriguing longshot option for bettors attempting to fade Kansas City, Buffalo and San Francisco.

The Five Biggest Takeaways From NFL Wild-Card Weekend - The Ringer
The Giants aren’t just some plucky underdog. There was a time not too long ago when the plucky underdog narrative fit this Giants team well. It had been decimated by injuries on both sides of the ball, and first-year head coach Brian Daboll and his staff were barely holding things together. But over the past few weeks, New York has gotten fully healthy and this coaching staff has continued to work its magic. Now, the Giants, who beat the Vikings 31-24 to win their first playoff game in 11 years on Sunday, may not be Super Bowl contenders, but they can give anyone left in the bracket a competitive game—including the Eagles, who they’ll face next week. It starts with Daniel Jones, who has evolved from the turnover-prone quarterback who was oblivious to pressure into a trustworthy signal-caller who’s … well, actually still kind of oblivious to pressure. But he does enough other things to make up for it! I don’t know if Jones is a good quarterback, but he is certainly a good football player, especially when he’s playing as aggressively and confidently as he did in Minnesota. He was decisive when deciding whether to throw or scramble. And the difference in his approach between Sunday’s game and these teams’ Week 16 matchup was massive. It’s as if the Vikings were playing against a different quarterback.

Injured Giants Azeez Ojulari, Jason Pinnock ‘day-to-day’ - Big Blue View
As everyone who has paid attention this year should have expected, New York Giants coach Brian Daboll shed virtually no light on the status of injured players Azeez Ojulari and Jason Pinnock on Monday. Ojulari, an edge defender, suffered a quad injury during the Wild-Card Round victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Pinnock, a safety and special teams contributor, was briefly hospitalized after suffering an abdominal injury late in the game. Daboll termed both players “day-to-day.” The Giants were off on Monday. They begin practice for their Divisional Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday. Perhaps we will learn more about Ojulari and Pinnock at that point.

Report: Browns hire Jim Schwartz as next DC - Dawgs By Nature
A little over a week ago, the Cleveland Browns fired DC Joe Woods after a couple of years of inconsistent play which never stabilized. The Browns defense had multiple breakdowns, rarely stopped the run and never seemed to confuse offenses. Cleveland’s search process included interviewing Jim Schwartz, Brian Flores, Dennard Wilson and Sean Desai. The team also requested to interview Jerod Mayo but he has decided to stay in New England. Desai’s was the last of the interviews which was completed on Monday. Tuesday morning, just over a week after letting go of Woods, the Browns made their decision and have hired the veteran Schwartz as their new DC, according to multiple reports:

Cowboys odds vs. 49ers: Dallas opens as 3.5 point underdogs for Divisional Round - Blogging The Boys
The 49ers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL winning their last 11 games. They finished the season with a 13-4 record and were able to take care of the Seattle Seahawks 41-23 in their Wild Card game. The Cowboys were bounced from the playoffs last year by the 49ers in the Wild Card round, 23-17, when Dallas ran out of time after a Dak Prescott scramble. The Cowboys have had that game in the back of their minds for this whole season, and now they get a chance to avenge the loss and finally get to the Conference Championship game.

Washington Commanders sale news: Todd Boehly out, Josh Harris could be the new favorite to buy the team - Hogs Haven
Finlay’s report brings in another name that was brought up after the Snyders announced they were exploring a sale in early November, but we haven’t much since. Josh Harris owns the Philadelphia Sixers(NBA) and the New Jersey Devils(NHL), and was very interested in purchasing the Denver Broncos last year. That team was eventually sold to the Walton-Penner group for $4.65 billion, but Harris was reportedly ready to pay $5 billion. He didn’t place that bid, because he didn’t receive assurances that would seal the deal, and he didn’t want to get into a bidding war with another group. Now Harris, a Washington. D.C. native, could be a lead candidate to buy his hometown team.

Alex Singleton should be rewarded after career year with the Denver Broncos - Mile High Sports
In 2022, Alex Singleton produced a career-high of 163 combined tackles, including 100 solos. It was a considerable spike from his previous career-best of 137 (81 solos) as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. He also had a forced fumble, three passes defended, and six tackles for loss. Singleton played in all 17 games this season and started in 12, emerging as a dynamic duo alongside Josey Jewell. The former Calgary Stampede alum spent his first three professional seasons playing in the Canadian Football League. In 2019, he made the jump to the NFL as a member of the Eagles for another three years. In 2020 and 2021, Singleton led the team in tackles.

Monday Football Monday #123: Ed Valentine on if Giants will keep both Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley + Super Wild Card Weekend recap - The SB Nation NFL Show
Big Blue View’s Ed Valentine stops by to recap the Giants upset over the Vikings and share his thoughts on the Giants finding a way to keep both Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Later in the show, RJ Ochoa and Pete Sweeney run through all of the action from Super Wild Card weekend.

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