That one missed facemask - I think it should be like drug testing. After the game confiscate his phone for betting apps. WTF
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Cooper DeJean must be feeling like he spent a year at that Catholic high school in Heaven Help Us today. Brother Thelien learned him some tough lessons.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
One good thing about hardly listening to WIP anymore is avoiding the drama that is probably unfolding there this week with the Jalen, BG, and AB stuff
just cuz you’re not listening, doesn’t mean it’s not real.
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Hoping they beat Pittsburgh, but I have feeling they might lose this game
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
This one podcast was talking about it and I just scrapped it. Buncha nonsense. If it's not my job, I'm not paying attention to anything or anyone that annoys me. You all know who that is.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
I think many things can be true. This only confirms what I figured since last year. Weird seeing two instances where the quarterback & receiver are in turmoil at the peak in their careers, and in both situations I agree with the receiver.
Hold up, Brady was eating at Aroma on 3rd last night. 2’ish blocks from me. Apparently that Dom dude sends people there. Very fucking bizarre given byob, location, history, etc.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Hold up, Brady was eating at Aroma on 3rd last night. 2’ish blocks from me. Apparently that Dom dude sends people there. Very fucking bizarre given byob, location, history, etc.
if only you had known you could have mentioned to him how you think the eagles stink i kid i kid
it's gotta be hard for Brady to go into some of these cities. i bet he gets abused coming out of the hotels.
great win today. Probably Hurt's best game other than the fumble. I hate De Jean returning punts just for the sake he is too damn important on defense. Need Covey to get healthy again.
It's yinz and yous you dumb fucks, stupid production team
That's what Signora Abruzzo said.
That punt decision by Tomlin was absolutely pathetic. Although I thought the Jalen Carter personal foul was gonna give them the first down. I was pretty surprised after the commercial that we had the ball. Anyway, give the other team the ball back down 2 TD's in the 4th quarter... Game Over.
Can you imagine the restaurant trying to figure out what they can cook for that guy? (assuming he's still on that goofy diet)
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
What's the point of this hip drop tackle rule anyway?
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Oh yeah, pretty cool to sweep the AFC North (3 easy wins and the, um, Browns game). Of course it doesn't help with the tiebreakers.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
“So that’s what y’all wanted to see, huh?” Jalen Hurts asked.
Hurts spoke — and laughed — last on Sunday.
After a week of scrutiny about the Eagles’ passing game, Hurts responded with perhaps his best performance of the season in a 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished 25 of 32 for 290 yards and two touchdowns along with 45 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, and he looked like the version of himself that was a bona fide MVP candidate in 2022.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were both outspoken that the passing offense needed to improve last week. They both exceeded 100 yards, reaching the mark together for the first time since 2022.
The callbacks to 2022 make sense. Nick Sirianni said this week the Eagles had “2022 vibes,” but this group might be better. They’re now 12-2 and are on a franchise-record 10-game winning streak.
The way they played could be attributed to a Steelers defense selling out against the run and challenging the Eagles to beat them through the air, but it seemed convenient that this was a narrative-answering game. Whether it was Hurts, Brown, or Smith, there are no holes to poke in the passing game. And for whatever drama existed about the relationship between the two stars — drama, by the way, that was team-induced more than anything else — there was nothing to worry about on the field. In fact, Hurts and Brown displayed a pre-planned celebratory dance after they connected for the Eagles’ first touchdown.
“That was our moment to tell everybody to shut up,” said Brown, who finished with eight catches for 110 yards.
Of course, it took much talking to reach this point. In the locker room, Brown and Smith both pointed to “uncomfortable conversations” and “long, repetitive meetings” to fix the offense. They knew they underperformed last week and the passing game had not been playing to its standard. To win in January and perhaps February, they needed to improve. Beating the Steelers is a playoff-caliber victory. This win answered questions.
“I’ve always said and believed that you want to make sure that all of your tools are sharp when you need them, so when it’s time to use them, you can go,” said Hurts, who is playing through a broken ring finger on his left hand. “I don’t think there’s a doubt in that. I think, frankly, there’s an effort there. The approach was a little different this week. The grass will be green where you water it. We decided to water it and saw the fruits of our labor in that. Obviously we’ve been watering the running game a good bit. It’s natural to put emphasis on one thing and take emphasis off of another and see what you guys have seen. We want to continue to be well-rounded, push to be well-rounded, and water all areas of our yard.”
Other players were more direct than the watering-the-yard comparison — what is it with the Eagles and the gardening analogies? — and the sentiment was that there were opportunities to pass the ball this week. This was the first time both Smith and Brown were targeted at least 10 times in a game the Eagles won since Week 1 of the 2023 season, which is notable because it shows passing was part of the game plan and not skewed by playing from behind. In fact, Hurts dropped back on five of the Eagles’ first six plays. Brown and Smith were both targeted on the opening drive. Brown said that allowed for an early rhythm.
“We always knew there was going to come a time we were going to have to rely on throwing the ball. It happened, and we answered,” said Smith, who finished with 11 catches for 109 yards. “…It was a matter of getting that one team that wanted to stop the run and wanted us to win the game through the air.”
With the Steelers loading the box against the run, the Eagles counteracted with more empty formations. They had their most dropbacks of the season out of empty formations and completed more yards out of empty than their previous seven games combined. Smith said the Steelers spent most third-downs in cover-two, and the Eagles had seven third-down conversions through the air.
“The coaches let the game come to them, saw they were loading the box a little bit,” Brown said. “We were winning our 1-on-1s, and Jalen got in a rhythm.”
Sirianni pushed back on the “the passing game is back” narrative because “I don’t think the passing game (went) anywhere,” he insisted.
“I would actually say to look at how efficient we’ve been passing the ball for the last nine weeks, through this little stretch that we’ve been in,” Sirianni said. “I think it kind of gets a little bit blown out of proportion. Jalen’s quarterback rating has been over 100 most of the games. I don’t know what he was today, but most of the games he’s been over 100. We’re averaging 8.5-plus in the pass game. I just think a little bit has been blown out of proportion because we’ve been running the ball so well. There’s only so many yards you’re going to get in a game.”
But Sirianni’s own locker room knew they was unrealized production — especially last week against Carolina. In fact, Brown thought his outspoken approach after the Panthers game proved to be productive.
“Absolutely. I said it for a reason,” Brown said. “I didn’t have ill intentions behind it. It wasn’t for me to get the ball. It was just for us to all get on the same page and put our best foot forward. We know what we’re capable of, and last week wasn’t our standard. It’s just crazy, though, because everybody in the locker room said the same thing and I kind of got crucified for it. But it was cool.”
So how did they get on the same page?
“Just constant communication, talking through things,” Smith said, requiring “a lot of tough conversation, uncomfortable conversations.”
“It’s easy for us to have these tough conversations and call each other out because we know what we want in the end,” Brown said.
Brown added there were “long, repetitive meetings,” and they’ll keep those on the schedule while it’s a point of emphasis.
The truth in Brown’s comments was that he wasn’t focused on what it would take to beat Carolina. He was focused on what it would take to win in the playoffs. That’s why the way the Eagles played on Sunday was so encouraging. There will be weeks when Saquon Barkley and the offensive line carry the offense and Hurts won’t need to flirt with 200-plus passing yards. But there will be weeks when the Eagles need Hurts, Brown, and Smith to be the stars.
They showed Sunday what everybody wanted to see.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Hoping they beat Pittsburgh, but I have feeling they might lose this game
Luckily I was wrong about this. Aside from the two fumbles early on they played really well.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
I think you can make a legit argument for this year's team being the most talented squad we've seen. What do you think?
Definitely more than 2017 and 2022. I think 2004 has a case but I'd probably give a slight edge to this team.
i agree with pjhawks. '04 might be slightly better though. McNabb, TO and Dawkins...
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
I think you can make a legit argument for this year's team being the most talented squad we've seen. What do you think?
Start planning the parade!
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
I think you can make a legit argument for this year's team being the most talented squad we've seen. What do you think?
Start planning the parade!
Got a legitimate shot but getting through the NFC is going to be brutal.
Hopefully the NFC North all beat each other up and we get these 3 wins to get the #1 seed. Then you can get lucky with a wild card upset and win an easy divisional game (see New York Giants 2022). Then it's one win to the Super Bowl. And pray for no ridiculous holding calls (or just blow them out).
I do feel worried about this Washington game, with all the #1 in power rankings stuff. Team is hopefully not getting high on their own supply.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
I think you can make a legit argument for this year's team being the most talented squad we've seen. What do you think?
Start planning the parade!
Got a legitimate shot but getting through the NFC is going to be brutal.
Hopefully the NFC North all beat each other up and we get these 3 wins to get the #1 seed. Then you can get lucky with a wild card upset and win an easy divisional game (see New York Giants 2022). Then it's one win to the Super Bowl. And pray for no ridiculous holding calls (or just blow them out).
I do feel worried about this Washington game, with all the #1 in power rankings stuff. Team is hopefully not getting high on their own supply.
I have some apprehension about this week as well.
However, I am not scared of travelling to Detroit next month if need be.
I think you can make a legit argument for this year's team being the most talented squad we've seen. What do you think?
Eh I think the '22 roster was the best of our lifetime so far, but that could change.
I think '24 is better by a little bit.
OLINE.....slight edge to '22 WR....same TE...slight edge to '22 because of a healthy Goedert QB...same RB....MASSIVE EDGE to '24. SIZEMIC EDGE. CATACLYSMIC EDGE.
DLINE...slight edge to '22 due to edge rushers....however I would take '24 Jalen over '22 Fletch. LB....TJ was good, but a definite edge to '24. Baun and Nakobe are the best LB tandem we've had in over 20 years. SECONDARY....edge to '24.....Mitchell and Coop definite upgrades over Bradberry and Maddux.
SPECIAL TEAMS...edge to '22 due to Elliot's struggles this year
Overall---Saquon, the improved LB play, and the Howie secondary picks are what put this year's team over the top imo.
I'd go '04 third and THE SUPER BOWL 52 CHAMPIONS 4th, ironically, in this little exercise.
I think you can make a legit argument for this year's team being the most talented squad we've seen. What do you think?
Start planning the parade!
Got a legitimate shot but getting through the NFC is going to be brutal.
Hopefully the NFC North all beat each other up and we get these 3 wins to get the #1 seed. Then you can get lucky with a wild card upset and win an easy divisional game (see New York Giants 2022). Then it's one win to the Super Bowl. And pray for no ridiculous holding calls (or just blow them out).
I do feel worried about this Washington game, with all the #1 in power rankings stuff. Team is hopefully not getting high on their own supply.
I am not scared of travelling to Detroit next month if need be.
have a safe trip!
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Mostly, I don't expect the defensive backs to be pathetically confused by motion in a big game this year. And we have Quinyon Island.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Comments
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Lions should've lost to the Bears a couple weeks ago. Gotta be better next week. Go Birds.
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
AJ was right. The passing game needs to be better. Let's see how it looks next week.
Like I said, will once again defer to the receiver.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
it's gotta be hard for Brady to go into some of these cities. i bet he gets abused coming out of the hotels.
great win today. Probably Hurt's best game other than the fumble. I hate De Jean returning punts just for the sake he is too damn important on defense. Need Covey to get healthy again.
That punt decision by Tomlin was absolutely pathetic. Although I thought the Jalen Carter personal foul was gonna give them the first down. I was pretty surprised after the commercial that we had the ball. Anyway, give the other team the ball back down 2 TD's in the 4th quarter... Game Over.
Can you imagine the restaurant trying to figure out what they can cook for that guy? (assuming he's still on that goofy diet)
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
“So that’s what y’all wanted to see, huh?” Jalen Hurts asked.
Hurts spoke — and laughed — last on Sunday.
After a week of scrutiny about the Eagles’ passing game, Hurts responded with perhaps his best performance of the season in a 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished 25 of 32 for 290 yards and two touchdowns along with 45 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, and he looked like the version of himself that was a bona fide MVP candidate in 2022.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were both outspoken that the passing offense needed to improve last week. They both exceeded 100 yards, reaching the mark together for the first time since 2022.
The callbacks to 2022 make sense. Nick Sirianni said this week the Eagles had “2022 vibes,” but this group might be better. They’re now 12-2 and are on a franchise-record 10-game winning streak.
The way they played could be attributed to a Steelers defense selling out against the run and challenging the Eagles to beat them through the air, but it seemed convenient that this was a narrative-answering game. Whether it was Hurts, Brown, or Smith, there are no holes to poke in the passing game. And for whatever drama existed about the relationship between the two stars — drama, by the way, that was team-induced more than anything else — there was nothing to worry about on the field. In fact, Hurts and Brown displayed a pre-planned celebratory dance after they connected for the Eagles’ first touchdown.
“That was our moment to tell everybody to shut up,” said Brown, who finished with eight catches for 110 yards.
Of course, it took much talking to reach this point. In the locker room, Brown and Smith both pointed to “uncomfortable conversations” and “long, repetitive meetings” to fix the offense. They knew they underperformed last week and the passing game had not been playing to its standard. To win in January and perhaps February, they needed to improve. Beating the Steelers is a playoff-caliber victory. This win answered questions.
“I’ve always said and believed that you want to make sure that all of your tools are sharp when you need them, so when it’s time to use them, you can go,” said Hurts, who is playing through a broken ring finger on his left hand. “I don’t think there’s a doubt in that. I think, frankly, there’s an effort there. The approach was a little different this week. The grass will be green where you water it. We decided to water it and saw the fruits of our labor in that. Obviously we’ve been watering the running game a good bit. It’s natural to put emphasis on one thing and take emphasis off of another and see what you guys have seen. We want to continue to be well-rounded, push to be well-rounded, and water all areas of our yard.”
Other players were more direct than the watering-the-yard comparison — what is it with the Eagles and the gardening analogies? — and the sentiment was that there were opportunities to pass the ball this week. This was the first time both Smith and Brown were targeted at least 10 times in a game the Eagles won since Week 1 of the 2023 season, which is notable because it shows passing was part of the game plan and not skewed by playing from behind. In fact, Hurts dropped back on five of the Eagles’ first six plays. Brown and Smith were both targeted on the opening drive. Brown said that allowed for an early rhythm.
“We always knew there was going to come a time we were going to have to rely on throwing the ball. It happened, and we answered,” said Smith, who finished with 11 catches for 109 yards. “…It was a matter of getting that one team that wanted to stop the run and wanted us to win the game through the air.”
With the Steelers loading the box against the run, the Eagles counteracted with more empty formations. They had their most dropbacks of the season out of empty formations and completed more yards out of empty than their previous seven games combined. Smith said the Steelers spent most third-downs in cover-two, and the Eagles had seven third-down conversions through the air.
“The coaches let the game come to them, saw they were loading the box a little bit,” Brown said. “We were winning our 1-on-1s, and Jalen got in a rhythm.”
Sirianni pushed back on the “the passing game is back” narrative because “I don’t think the passing game (went) anywhere,” he insisted.
“I would actually say to look at how efficient we’ve been passing the ball for the last nine weeks, through this little stretch that we’ve been in,” Sirianni said. “I think it kind of gets a little bit blown out of proportion. Jalen’s quarterback rating has been over 100 most of the games. I don’t know what he was today, but most of the games he’s been over 100. We’re averaging 8.5-plus in the pass game. I just think a little bit has been blown out of proportion because we’ve been running the ball so well. There’s only so many yards you’re going to get in a game.”
But Sirianni’s own locker room knew they was unrealized production — especially last week against Carolina. In fact, Brown thought his outspoken approach after the Panthers game proved to be productive.
“Absolutely. I said it for a reason,” Brown said. “I didn’t have ill intentions behind it. It wasn’t for me to get the ball. It was just for us to all get on the same page and put our best foot forward. We know what we’re capable of, and last week wasn’t our standard. It’s just crazy, though, because everybody in the locker room said the same thing and I kind of got crucified for it. But it was cool.”
So how did they get on the same page?
“Just constant communication, talking through things,” Smith said, requiring “a lot of tough conversation, uncomfortable conversations.”
“It’s easy for us to have these tough conversations and call each other out because we know what we want in the end,” Brown said.
Brown added there were “long, repetitive meetings,” and they’ll keep those on the schedule while it’s a point of emphasis.
The truth in Brown’s comments was that he wasn’t focused on what it would take to beat Carolina. He was focused on what it would take to win in the playoffs. That’s why the way the Eagles played on Sunday was so encouraging. There will be weeks when Saquon Barkley and the offensive line carry the offense and Hurts won’t need to flirt with 200-plus passing yards. But there will be weeks when the Eagles need Hurts, Brown, and Smith to be the stars.
They showed Sunday what everybody wanted to see.
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
2017
2022
2024
I think you can make a legit argument for this year's team being the most talented squad we've seen. What do you think?
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
I do feel worried about this Washington game, with all the #1 in power rankings stuff. Team is hopefully not getting high on their own supply.
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
However, I am not scared of travelling to Detroit next month if need be.
OLINE.....slight edge to '22
WR....same
TE...slight edge to '22 because of a healthy Goedert
QB...same
RB....MASSIVE EDGE to '24. SIZEMIC EDGE. CATACLYSMIC EDGE.
DLINE...slight edge to '22 due to edge rushers....however I would take '24 Jalen over '22 Fletch.
LB....TJ was good, but a definite edge to '24. Baun and Nakobe are the best LB tandem we've had in over 20 years.
SECONDARY....edge to '24.....Mitchell and Coop definite upgrades over Bradberry and Maddux.
SPECIAL TEAMS...edge to '22 due to Elliot's struggles this year
Overall---Saquon, the improved LB play, and the Howie secondary picks are what put this year's team over the top imo.
I'd go '04 third and THE SUPER BOWL 52 CHAMPIONS 4th, ironically, in this little exercise.
GO BIRDS!!!
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16