• March 29, 2024

Eagles Should Keep It Close And Win It In The Fourth Quarter

The Steelers don’t lose a lot of games at home.  They’ve averaged about two losses a year at home for the last decade.

Pittsburgh’s defense has a lot in common with the Arizona Cardinals defense, which shut the Birds down.  Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton is a protege of Dick LeBeau, longtime Steelers defensive coordinator.

The Eagles shouldn’t make the mistake of only giving LeSean McCoy four carries in the first half and throwing the ball over twenty times at the same time.  This is a recipe for disaster.

The Eagles would be wise to go to Pittsburgh with a conservative game plan built around the running of McCoy and the short passes of Michael Vick.  Getting a rhythm going before taking shots down the field.  They must continue to make taking care of the football a priority.

McCoy’s ability to make defenders will come in handy against an aging Pittsburgh defense with guys coming back from leg problems.

It would be foolish to think they could beat the Steelers by throwing the ball every down and depending on their offensive line to protect Vick from the likes of outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.  Harrison is returning to play after having arthroscopic surgery on one of his knees and he’s likely to show up in a bad mood.  Don’t be surprised if the Steelers challenge the Birds by sending their inside linebackers, Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons, on some blitzes up the gut.

This is going to be a tough temptation for Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg to resist.  The Steelers secondary is suspect and you can throw the ball against them, but at what price.  Will some of those pass plays result in turnovers or will they all result in big plays for the Birds?  You and I know Reid and Mornhinweg won’t be able to resist throwing the football, so hopefully Vick doesn’t make many mistakes.

Safety Troy Polamalu returns to action after missing a couple of games due to a strained calf muscle, Vick should expect number 43 doing some blitzing off the corner.  They’re sure to send him because Vick has had problems seeing blitzing safeties.

The defense must stop the run first of all to make the Steelers one dimensional.  Pittsburgh’s best running back Rashard Mendenhall returns to action, so the Eagles defenders must let him get going.  Then they have to put the pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and play a disciplined football game.  Big Ben will extend plays by eluding pass rushers and breaking tackles.

The secondary and linebackers can’t leave their coverage if the big guy starts heading for the line of scrimmage.  You don’t come up after him until he crosses the line of scrimmage.  Up until that point, you must stay on your man, because he can still throw the football until he crosses the line of scrimmage.  Philly can’t afford to give up big plays to the Steelers offense.

Pittsburgh has speedy wide receivers and Roethlisberger has a big arm, so you know they’re going to take some shots downfield. The Eagles secondary must be aware of that and not getting caught being nosey.  Both of the Birds safeties know what I mean.

In the Arizona game, Kurt Coleman was caught with his hands in the cookie jar.  He bit on a run fake and let Larry Fitzgerald catch a 37-yard touchdown pass.  Last year in the New England game, Nate Allen got caught biting off of a Tom Brady fake handoff and he let Wes Welker catch a long touchdown pass.

The Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown called out Eagles rookie nickel back Brandon Boykin.  “That’s the candy bar,”  Brown said to the Washington, Pa. newspaper, referring to Boykin.  “He’s given up a lot of plays,” Brown added.  “Whoever gets that guy definitely has to take advantage.”

Brown shouldn’t fall for that trick.  He should just play his game, focus on doing his job and not get into any stupid altercations which would hurt the team.

My advise for the Birds is keep it close and win it late they’ve been doing.

GCOBB

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Analyzing The First Four Games Of The 2012 Eagles

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PCrow
PCrow
October 5, 2012 11:08 am

My only concern is whoever Nmadi is defending. WHOEVER has Nmadi’s deep help, PLEASE don’t cheat up!

paulman
paulman
October 5, 2012 11:10 am

Steelers 24 – Eagles 20 in a great Football game that’s hard played and pretty even throughout– I believe SPecial Teams nad field Position will decide this game with the big advantage to the Steelers..
AT home, after a 1-2 Start and a bye week, I can’t see the Steelers dropping to 1-3 for their ability to make the Playoffs would be in big-time jeopardy and the Steelers have a short week next week playing next Thursday evening on the Road in NAshville… I expect both LB Harrison. RB MEndenhal to be eased in and play 25-30 Snaps a piece as they have not played football since last Season due to their injuries..
Steelers RB’s tandem of J Dwyer and Redman are more that capable of giving the Eagles fits.. Redman more of a pass-receiver out of the backfield and a better blocker for Big-Ben while Dwyer is the better runner
Watch for WR/Punt Returner Antonio Brown and TE Heath MIller as favorite targets for Big Ben..

paulman
paulman
October 5, 2012 11:13 am

Eagles on Offense
WOuld like to see some bubble routes to Danarius Johnson and even D-JAx
Utilize TE C HArbor and B Celek, the Steelers Defensive Weakness is the deeep pass routes and pass coverage by their again LB’s who are better pass-rushers and run stuffers than they are in pass-coverage.. Vick and Company can do damed on those 6yd-15 yard routes in the middle of the field.. Celek/HArbor and Mccoy out of the backfield whould have some open spaces to operate.. Attack the midddle of their Defense would be my suggestion

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
October 5, 2012 12:19 pm

At Paulman – The only problem with “AT home, after a 1-2 Start and a bye week, I can’t see the Steelers dropping to 1-3 for their ability to make the Playoffs would be in big-time jeopardy” is there is another team in their way, that may just want the victory just as bad. Eagles team is playing for their coach as if his job is on the line. Steelers can need this game all they want, but the Eagles may want it more! Thats why the game still has to be played.

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
October 5, 2012 12:21 pm

Another thing, the Eagles game plan from the AZ to the Giants game was so much different, that in my opinion, the Eagles made it a little harder for the Steelers to game plan against them. They don’t know what to expect and won’t know what hit them!

Stevo
Stevo
October 5, 2012 1:28 pm

Screens Screens Screens. Thats the key on O. The way to set up screens is to start off by using some of those little chip blocks they did last week. Vick neets to make quick reads (he did last week) and they need to get McCoy in the game.

Special teams- This will be the biggest key to the game. no doubt about that.

On D- its going to be a lot like last week….. Pitt will throw at us.

RealTalk777
RealTalk777
October 5, 2012 2:35 pm

Eagles defense needs to be aware of the screen game..I recall Pitt doing work utilizing the screen game in preseason. It still seems we are vulnerable to that play on defense, but much more bend not break, but teams have gained some decent yardage when ran against us this season. DE’s gotta be disciplined, if the tackle isn’t given any resistance something is up! Considering all the talk about Eagles not getting sacks, you’ll think the D Line will be a little more aggressive and PITT may be thinking the same thing.

I’d like to see some more screens with the Eagles this Sunday. I hope to see some short routes ran by WR’s and the TE’s chipping and getting out underneath. Pretty much the same as last game. There were a few plays the Eagles missed on. Maclin has been pretty quiet and look for him to have a nice game! I like our rookie fellas DJ, who doesn’t get much credit, not much on punt return, but he’s been doing some good things playing the WR position. He had a pretty big first down catch and run last game.

I expect to see the Eagles get better every week. Hopefully, we’ll see the offense click from the very start and jump out to an early lead. We’ve seen the Eagles come back, we’ve seen the Eagles play a wire to wire game. We’ve seen the Eagles get smacked. Now its time to see how the Eagles finish the game with a lead.

paulman
paulman
October 5, 2012 4:54 pm

Surprise weapons for Eagles, Danarius Johnson and TE Clay Harbor..
I expect the Steelers to double Team D-Jax about everywhere he goes on the field so Johnson/Harbor should get some Match-ups with LB’s or Safeties which could be to Eagles Advanatage.. The major weakness of Steelers Defense is the Deep Routes, Troy Polamalu cheats and gets burned a lot and Ryan Clark is a solid Safety (similar to Quinton Mikell) but really doesn;t have top-end SPeed to help out so I expect him playing 15 yards Deep on most Passing Plays

Everz11
Everz11
October 5, 2012 7:01 pm

I’m calling Eagles win big. While PITT D is similar to ARI, they are about 5 years older per player as well. I’m going to assume the Eagles learned from the ARI game and at least attempt to balance the play calling. Redman stinks and Mendenhal is the type of big back that the Eagles shut down. If anything, Rainey would be the type of back to watch out for matchupwise. IMO PITT’s run will be shut down and our DE’s can do what they do best and rush the rapist. Eagles 31 – Steelers 17. Player of the game is DRC with 2 picks.

jott1972
jott1972
October 6, 2012 8:22 am

The eagles will win if they do the following:

Press coverage on wallace and brown
Blitz the linebackers all day long right in Ben’s grill
They must get pressure

On offense, take a few shots downfield early so Polamalu plays the pass then use Mccoy on screens and maclin underneath – ball control

Eagles 20
Steelers 17