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Tag: Brian Johnson

  • Eagles Woes Continue, 2-2 Heading Into The Bye – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Eagles Woes Continue, 2-2 Heading Into The Bye – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    After another pitiful performance in Tampa Bay, the Eagles sit tied for 2nd in the NFC East.

    Hopefully the Eagles can avoid meeting the Buccaneers in the Wildcard round, again.

    Moving on to the early bye week at 2-2 isn’t the end for the Eagles, but it isn’t instilling much hope.

     

    Offensive Woes

    Sure the Eagles have been without A.J. Brown for multiple weeks and spent a game and a half without Lane Johnson & DeVonta Smith. But they only average 21.5 points per game in 4 games this season, which drops to 17.3 not including the packers game.

    This is also a team that has 8 turnovers on offense and 8(!) 3&Outs. What gives?

    Where’s The Motion?

    Last season, the Eagles ranked dead last in motion(10.9%) While the Chargers(25.9%) were ranked 8th(Kellen Moore’s last team) while having Easton Stick start multiple games at QB.

    With the hire of Moore in the offseason, everyone was expecting a more competent offense. Now loaded with even more talent in the backfield and along the offensive line.

    But through 4 weeks…

    The Eagles are in the middle of the pack. Which becomes concerning when you see NextGenStats posting the Eagles used 65.8% in their season debut.

    Makes you question why there’s been such a decline in only a matter of weeks.

     

    • Why are the Eagles afraid of short yardage plays down 3 of their best players?

    • Down 2 of your Weapons. Why does Saquon only see the ball 10 times? No wonder the offense stalls.

    • After admitting to being the one to call a USELESS fake QB sneak in New Orleans. How much of the Offense does Nick Sirianni have control of?

    And most importantly.

    • Why does this team feel so similar to last years?

     

    The Missing Piece

    Normally, when a team cleans house, they clean house. It was already questioned last year what Nick Sirianni did as Eagles head coach following last years disastrous end. Somehow, he was able to keep his job.

    Brian Johnson was let go as the scape goat to the collapse of the offense compared to their Super Bowl season. But now in Washington, Jayden Daniels is thriving as the Commanders hold 1st place in the NFC East.

    Dennard Wilson is now the Defensive Coordinator in Tennessee, and finding some success with a team that isn’t having a great season. After spending last season with the Ravens as a Defensive Backs Coach & Passing Game Coordinator, the same position he held in Philadelphia the 2 years prior.

    There’s multiple coaches who have left the Eagles who are finding success. And yet the Eagles seem to be stagnant now 2 years after their Super Bowl appearance. Even after bringing in highly valued coordinators on both sides of the ball.

    With many inconsistencies and similarities causing concern just 4 weeks into the season. A 2-2 record might not look bad, but how many head coaches can survive a 3-8 run to end and begin seasons with high expectations?

     

    With the weakest strength of schedule in the league and 13 games still left to play. There aren’t many excuses for this Eagles team to not still be competitive and push for a top seed in the playoffs. But with the way they’ve been playing, there better be some good performances following the bye week. Otherwise the playoffs could soon be out of reach.

     

     

     

    Photo Credit: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images

     

    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • New Eagles That Need To Make An Impact In 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    New Eagles That Need To Make An Impact In 2024 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Eagles may have made some drastic changes throughout the roster. But there’s still some uncertainty about the depth chart. But with the new coaching changes and acquisitions made in the offseason (and yet to come), there’s plenty of players who will have their opportunity to make an impact on the roster.

    Below are a few standouts to look forward to in the regular season.

    Bryce Huff

    The biggest change to the Eagles defensive line is going to be the swap of Haason Reddick for Bryce Huff.

    In his 4 seasons with the Jets, Huff put up 17.5 sacks (with 10 coming in his last season), as well as 21 QB hits and 10 TFL in the 2023 season. During that season Huff only played 480 defensive snaps (42.22%). When you look at the workload that Haason Reddick had on the Eagles last year, with 862 defensive snaps (74.18%). Reddick posted 11 sacks, 23 QB hits and 13 TFL.

    Huff will have big shoes to fill in his opening season with the Eagles. But with a defense the Eagles have gone all out on, hoping to turn things around from the #26 rank they had last season, and 31st in passing defense.

     

    Will Shipley

    With the 127th pick in this years NFL Draft, the Eagles selected running back Will Shipley. Shipley had 827 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns in his final season at Clemson. Could the Eagles need to reduce Saquon Barkley’s workload, Shipley should be the best available backup. Fans and opponents saw the Eagles overuse of Kenneth Gainwell last season, with only 364 rushing yards. And unless his offensive woes(4.3ypc) were also due to Brian Johnson’s uncreative offense. He should be on a very short leash as the Eagles longest tenured back.

     

    There won’t be much to expect from Shipley in his rookie season if all goes well. But in the event of injury, the Eagles RB depth will need to come into play. And if Kellen Moore’s new offense can bring out the best in all 3 backs, perhaps they’ll be able to make their way into more top 10 rankings.

     

    C.J. Uzomah

    Something I spent most of last season hoping the Eagles would address, was adding another tight end to the roster.

    When they signed CJ Uzomah along with Kellen Moore becoming the new offensive coordinator. The offense was going to get some new looks. Uzomah might not have had much to show for his 2 seasons with the Jets, but joining a backup role behind Dallas Goedert might be the perfect setup for his next season.

    Throughout Moore’s OC seasons, his teams 1&2TEs had the following stats:

    2019(Cowboys)
    Jason Witten – 63Rec, 529Yards, 4TD
    Blake Jarwin – 31Rec, 365Yards, 3TD

    2020(Cowboys)
    Dalton Schultz – 63Rec, 615Yards, 4TD
    Blake Bell – 11Rec, 110Yards, 0TD

    2021(Cowboys)
    Dalton Schultz – 78Rec, 808Yards, 8TD
    Blake Jarwin – 11Rec, 96Yards, 2TD

    2022(Cowboys)
    Dalton Schultz – 57Rec, 577Yards, 5TD
    Jake Ferguson – 19Rec, 174Yards, 2TD
    Peyton Hendershot – 11Rec, 103Yards, 2TD

    2023(Chargers)
    Gerald Everett – 51Rec, 411Yards, 3TD
    Donald Parham – 27Rec, 285Yards, 4TD
    Stone Smartt – 11Rec, 155 Yards, 1TD

    With productive seasons from multiple TEs across multiple seasons and including a 2nd team should mean good things for the coming Eagles offense. If Dallas Goedert stays healthy for all 17 games of the season, the Eagles might be able to expect a 1,000 yard season from him, let alone how many yards they’re able to get from their TE2, arguably C.J. Uzomah until listed otherwise.

     

    There’s more than just the 3 players who need to make their impact known. But from the draft and free agency, these are the roles that could help define this Eagles season as a success, from positions they could have been lacking in the last few years.

     

    We only have to wait 19 more days until Training Camp starts. And after that, pre-season will be right around the corner.

     

    Photo Credit: Seth Wenig / AP Photo 

    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Report: Brian Johnson to have prominent role in Commanders’ offense

    Report: Brian Johnson to have prominent role in Commanders’ offense


    Brian Johnson is no longer with the Eagles, but he’s reportedly staying in the NFC East.

    According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Johnson will have a prominent role in the Commanders’ offense. With former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn now the head coach in Washington, Josh Harris’ team is taking spare parts from across the division in an attempt to revitalize a pathetic franchise. 

    The Eagles were seventh in scoring in 2023, but the offense fell off a cliff at the end of the season, becoming predictable and stale. It was difficult to parse blame between Johnson’s play-calling and Nick Sirianni’s overarching offensive system, but Johnson is gone and the Eagles will now rely on new OC Kellen Moore.

    The Eagles, of course, will face Washington twice this season.

    MORE: Eagles’ free agency needs

    Follow Shamus & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @shamus_clancy | @thePhillyVoice

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    Shamus Clancy

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  • The Coordinator Search Is Half Over, Eagles Hiring Vic Fangio – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    The Coordinator Search Is Half Over, Eagles Hiring Vic Fangio – Philadelphia Sports Nation

    Eagles fans are able to breathe a partial sigh of relief.

     

    It’s been a long week of slowly learning that the Eagles were letting go of coordinators.

    Sean Desai was the first to go. With the wording that Sirianni made the call confirmed that the divisive head coach would keep his job.

    Many wanted to see Sirianni let go after the Eagles catastrophic end to the season. Losing 6 of their last 7 games, including a 23 point blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during wildcard weekend.

    After the news of Desai’s departure. Fear began to settle in that Matt Patricia would remain the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

    Only on a one-year contract, Matt Patricia will be moving on from the Eagles. Probably ending up with Bill Belichick, who just lost out on the Atlanta Falcons vacant head coach position.

    With Brian Johnson the last to be let go. Just like that, the Eagles would be replacing both coordinators for the 2nd straight off-season.

    The Interviews Begin

    There’s plenty of coaches available this hiring cycle. While the Eagles missed out on potentially replacing Nick Sirianni with Jim Harbaugh or Mike Vrabel. They’ve already begun on potential coordinators.

    The Eagles began their search by reaching out to and interviewing the following coaches:

    (OC) Chargers OC Kellen Moore

    (DC) Former Giants DC Wink Martindale

    (DC) Falcons DC Ryan Nielsen (Hired by Jaguars)

    (OC) USC Senior Offensive Analyst Kliff Kingsbury

    (DC) Former Commanders HC Ron Rivera

    (DC) Former Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell

     

    While things seemed to favor Ron Rivera as a potential DC who wouldn’t end up getting poached the following season. The Eagles interesting news broke during Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni’s press conference Wednesday afternoon.

    Eagles New Defensive Coordinator, Vic Fangio?

    During Wednesday’s press conference, Adam Schefter reported that Vic Fangio was moving on from the Miami Dolphins and that the expected landing spot would be the Philadelphia Eagles. It would be confirmed on Thursday

    Turns out the Eagles got the defensive coordinator they were after all along. If not for a tampering incident with Jonathan Gannon, the Eagles would have most likely hired Vic Fangio instead of Sean Desai.

    Changing to a 3-4 defensive front could mean a philosphy change for the Eagles. A team that spent the least amount on the linebacker position, at $3.8M. With 4 Free Agent linebackers, the Eagles have a lot of work to do in rebuilding that room.

    Howie Roseman pointed out that Zach Cunningham had a good season despite missing 3 games. Perhaps that’s a hint toward a potential re-signee later in the off-season?

    With plenty of free agents available, including Patrick Queen, Devin White and Azeez Al-Shaair. This could be the off-season for the Eagles to spend at the position they neglect the most, while also building through the draft with players like Jeremiah Trotter Jr. or Junior Colson.

     

    One Coordinator To Go

    So far, the Eagles interviewed candidates for the offensive coordinator position don’t bring much hope for the future of the offense. Kellen Moore was expected to get head coaching interviews following his season in San Diego. Bringing in a coordinator that worked with the Cowboys during Dak Prescott’s worst season is one thing. But Kliff Kingsbury following his disastrous exit in Arizona is another.

     

    There’s been no decision at offensive coordinator yet. What potential candidates do you hope the Eagles reach out to before making a final choice?

     

    Go Birds!

     

     

    Photo Credit: Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports

    Tyler L’Heureux

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  • Rising scores on 2-pointer, No. 20 Utah tops No. 7 USC 43-42

    Rising scores on 2-pointer, No. 20 Utah tops No. 7 USC 43-42

    SALT LAKE CITY — Time was dwindling but the decision had already been made as Cameron Rising drove Utah down the field against previously unbeaten Southern California.

    “We were going to keep the ball in Cam’s hands,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said. “And if we score and time is close to expiring, we were going for 2, no question.”

    Rising threw for 415 yards, ran for three touchdowns and scampered up the middle for a go-ahead two-point conversion with 48 seconds left in No. 20 Utah’s 43-42 victory over the seventh-ranked Trojans on Saturday night.

    The Utes dedicated the game to Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, former players who died within a year of each other. In the locker room after the game, the team presented the game ball to the fallen players’ mothers in a poignant moment. Both players wore jersey number 22.

    “We wanted to make sure we represented 22 well,” Rising said as the Utes had hand-painted portraits of Jordan and Lowe on their black helmets.

    Even when the Utes were down two touchdowns, Rising said his teammates never doubted.

    “We had an unwavering belief,” Rising said. “Having Ty and Aaron on your helmet made it that much easier to go.”

    Rising rushed a yard for a touchdown on fourth down to set up the deciding conversion.

    “Cam Rising is a competitor, warrior, you name it. He’s a champion,” Whittingham said.

    Caleb Williams threw for 381 yards and five touchdowns for Southern California (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12). Utah (5-2, 3-1) held the Trojans on their last-ditch drive, handing them their first loss as a record crowd of 53,609 shook Rice-Eccles Stadium and then flooded the field.

    “I’m going to be honest, I hate losing. I really, really, really, I hate it, simply,” a devastated Williams said. “So, yeah, I had a little emotion.”

    The Utes needed every one of Rising’s big plays with his legs and his arm during his career night. Rising, who was once committed to current USC coach Lincoln Riley when he was at Oklahoma, became the first Utah QB to throw for 400 yards since Brian Johnson had 417 against San Diego State in 2005.

    Dalton Kincaid had 16 catches for 234 yards, the most for a Ute since Carl Harry had 255 yards in 1988 and the most catches and yards receiving for a Utah tight end.

    “Cam made some really nice throws to him and he made some really phenomenal catches,” Riley said. “The yards that he had after the catch really, really hurt us.”

    Southern Cal’s Mario Williams had four catches for 145 yards and Jordan Addison had seven receptions for 106 yards before an ankle injury took him out of the game.

    Against an all-out blitz, Williams connected with Michael Jackson III, who stepped through a tackle for a 20-yard touchdown with 6:15 to play for a 42-35 lead. It was Jackson’s first catch of the season.

    The Trojans scored on their first three possessions of the game. The assault continued throughout the game but the Utah defense secured the victory after Rising’s heroics in the fourth quarter.

    “Their team is full of explosive players … but they have to play for four quarters and that showed the resiliency of our team,” Utah linebacker Karene Reid said of the final stop.

    Utah has won 23 of its last 24 home games, including a streak of 12 in a row.

    “That certainly had to be one of the most exciting games in Rice-Eccles history. What a performance by our football and it’s a really good team we beat, very talented and the quarterback’s tremendous,” Whittingham said.

    Addison, the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner at Pittsburgh as the nation’s top receiver, had seven catches for 106 yards but hurt his ankle on a reverse in the third quarter.

    KINCAID STEPS IN

    Brant Kuithe was Utah’s focal point in the passing game but is out for the season with a knee injury. Kincaid stepped in with his historic game and the Utah offense didn’t miss a beat, even when the running game faltered.

    “He’s an absolute athlete, one of the best tight ends in the country and tough as nails,” Whittingham said.

    Rising said this game was a result of an instant connection when they both transferred to Utah in 2020 and the trust has grown each year.

    “He’s an easy guy to throw the ball to. When he touches the ball that often, he make plays, he extends them. He’s a player,” Rising said.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Southern California: The Trojans were prolific on offense, but the defense couldn’t stop Rising, especially when it counted. Key penalties often stymied the Trojans when they had opportunities to take a commanding lead.

    Utah: Rising willed the Utes to the win but the defense was gashed by the Trojans. Utah defenders often took poor angles against USC’s speed. Utah turned almost exclusively to the passing game as the running game was stuffed, except for Rising’s power runs.

    POLL IMPLICATIONS

    Utah should rise but the Trojans shouldn’t fall far after the two teams went toe-to-toe for 60 minutes.

    UP NEXT

    Southern California: At Arizona on Oct. 29.

    Utah: At Washington State on Oct. 27.

    ———

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