Latest / Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast / Inside The Birds Week 18 Postgame Show: Washington Commanders 24, Philadelphia Eagles 17
Transcript
- 0:09Speaker 1: Hello, Welcome to the Inside the Birds post game show.
- 0:12Speaker 1: It's Jeff Mosher and Adam Kaplan. The Eagles, well, they
- 0:17Speaker 1: rested a lot of starters, played a lot of backups
- 0:20Speaker 1: some starters, but they lost at Him twenty four to seventeen.
- 0:24Speaker 1: In the season finale at the Link actually blew elite.
- 0:27Speaker 1: They had a seventeen to ten lead going to the
- 0:29Speaker 1: fourth they lose twenty four seventeen. But the real story
- 0:33Speaker 1: here is this. The Eagles know where they are going
- 0:36Speaker 1: into the playoffs next weekend. They will be the three seed.
- 0:38Speaker 1: They will play the San Francisco forty nine Ers. It
- 0:42Speaker 1: wouldn't be an NFL postseason without a nice Eagles forty
- 0:45Speaker 1: nine Ers battle, right, Yeah, we know.
- 0:47Speaker 2: How the most recent one it didn't go so well.
- 0:49Speaker 2: Then the one in twenty two is when Pertty got hurt.
- 0:51Speaker 2: So the Eagles were able to win that one. Ironically,
- 0:54Speaker 2: who played quarterback in that game?
- 0:56Speaker 3: Josh Johnson unbelievable.
- 0:58Speaker 2: Unbelievable, Josh Shahanson and kill the Eagles dreams and get
- 1:01Speaker 2: the number two seed. What I was expecting. It was
- 1:05Speaker 2: an interesting game because we were able to see Tanner
- 1:08Speaker 2: McKee start from They decided not to play Sam How
- 1:11Speaker 2: they let McKee from start to finish get out there
- 1:14Speaker 2: with backups. Other than it's interesting, I did not expect
- 1:19Speaker 2: Tyler Steen to start. That was a slight surprise to me.
- 1:21Speaker 2: I think either you or Andrew I did.
- 1:23Speaker 1: I did think that that might happen, because it just
- 1:25Speaker 1: didn't seem like they were going to play Cameron Williams
- 1:27Speaker 1: an entire game, thankfully.
- 1:28Speaker 2: Right right, No, but but no, But again, Cam Williams
- 1:31Speaker 2: is a tackle, not a guard.
- 1:33Speaker 3: I know.
- 1:34Speaker 1: But in order for Cam to play, then you have
- 1:36Speaker 1: to play priorate right guard. So that's why I thought
- 1:38Speaker 1: Steve would play right guard and prior right tackle.
- 1:41Speaker 2: Yeah.
- 1:41Speaker 1: Yeah, but I'm saying, but they didn't want to. They
- 1:43Speaker 1: didn't want to have to play Williams and tackle the
- 1:46Speaker 1: whole game.
- 1:46Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, Caim Williams didn't start, but he got at
- 1:49Speaker 2: least he got some playing time. But the in DeVante
- 1:51Speaker 2: Smith when he got his thousand yards, boy McKee, he
- 1:54Speaker 2: put it on him. I mean, he made them great
- 1:56Speaker 2: throws to him. But I would say after that, we'll
- 2:00Speaker 2: get into the Niners. We have we have some early
- 2:02Speaker 2: injury intel for you. Some other thoughts. Uh. The second
- 2:05Speaker 2: half of the show. But I thought, what McKee has
- 2:08Speaker 2: his habit of it's kind of like in his mind,
- 2:11Speaker 2: he continue, maybe maybe it's because he's playing behind a
- 2:14Speaker 2: backup offensive line. Mostly he kept rolling out to his right. Now.
- 2:18Speaker 2: He showed really good pocket mobility to move out, except
- 2:20Speaker 2: for when he took that sack at the end. He
- 2:22Speaker 2: walked right into the sack. He showed good pocket mobility.
- 2:25Speaker 2: He wotted a bunch of pressures. But he also it's
- 2:29Speaker 2: in his mind to keep rolling right instead of getting
- 2:32Speaker 2: rid of the football sometimes, which was kind of bothersome
- 2:35Speaker 2: to me. Yeah, and you made a point to me
- 2:38Speaker 2: because you were you were at the game, you could
- 2:39Speaker 2: see it from the press box. I'm watching off TV.
- 2:42Speaker 2: We're not you know, we're gonna we're gonna be focusing
- 2:44Speaker 2: on the Niners this week where we're putting the game
- 2:46Speaker 2: to bed after today. We're not doing inside the table
- 2:49Speaker 2: in the game. Sorry, we're not doing that. But I mean,
- 2:52Speaker 2: we'll talk plenty about McKinnie off season. We're gonna do
- 2:55Speaker 2: an off season roster review, and we'll deal with Greg.
- 2:57Speaker 2: We'll go over McKee will probably have the we'll go
- 2:59Speaker 2: over the team.
- 3:00Speaker 3: The Washing game.
- 3:00Speaker 2: But overall, there were some throws where he sometimes tries
- 3:05Speaker 2: to put a fine touch on it, except of just driving,
- 3:09Speaker 2: which we know he can have. He can do. He's
- 3:11Speaker 2: got an enormous arm. Just tries to be too fine sometimes. Yeah,
- 3:15Speaker 2: there were a couple of those throws and the win
- 3:17Speaker 2: was low to moderate. It wasn't bad. I know they
- 3:21Speaker 2: were the worst. It was is like twenty nine hour gus.
- 3:23Speaker 2: It doesn't matter to McKay. So that was not an
- 3:26Speaker 2: excuse of just I thought he had an uneven game.
- 3:29Speaker 2: I get he's played after they took Smith out. It's
- 3:31Speaker 2: Cooper and Dotson. The pick with Dotson and and McKee
- 3:36Speaker 2: were clearly not in the same page as through to
- 3:38Speaker 2: a spot and if it's right to the defender. Yeah,
- 3:40Speaker 2: but overall, if you for the McKee people, the McKee
- 3:43Speaker 2: truthers out, there was a mixed bag.
- 3:46Speaker 3: Uh yeah, mixed bag. You're right.
- 3:48Speaker 1: I thought when McKee threw the ball over the middle,
- 3:51Speaker 1: he showed really good zip.
- 3:52Speaker 3: So I think you're corrected. It's not an arm thing,
- 3:54Speaker 3: or I don't think it was win.
- 3:56Speaker 1: There were a couple of out routes that he threw
- 3:58Speaker 1: that I just think he was trying to be too cute.
- 4:00Speaker 3: A little too much air.
- 4:00Speaker 1: Even a first drive he had, he had a completion
- 4:05Speaker 1: to dots and light right along the right side, but
- 4:07Speaker 1: he put so much air on it that he allowed
- 4:09Speaker 1: the defender to hit Dots and on as he caught
- 4:12Speaker 1: it and he was in bounds and then went out
- 4:14Speaker 1: of bounds, but he took away the opportunity.
- 4:16Speaker 3: To maybe catch it, make a move and go upfield.
- 4:19Speaker 3: But you know, he was also.
- 4:21Speaker 1: Playing behind an offensive line that I thought was not
- 4:24Speaker 1: as typically strong as a backup Eagles offensive line is.
- 4:28Speaker 1: And that'll be something that I think they're gonna have
- 4:30Speaker 1: to address in the off season.
- 4:31Speaker 3: Depth.
- 4:32Speaker 1: I was talking with Jimmy Kemseki some others, and it's like,
- 4:36Speaker 1: you know, there was a time when they were at
- 4:37Speaker 1: their best where they could pull guys like Steph Withsnowski
- 4:41Speaker 1: and Big V and even say Amalo year one wasn't
- 4:44Speaker 1: a starter, or year two even wasn't a starter, but
- 4:47Speaker 1: he could come off the bench. It just you know,
- 4:50Speaker 1: especially now Brett Toth getting hurt in this season finale,
- 4:53Speaker 1: they don't have yeah concussion, they don't have guys that
- 4:57Speaker 1: I feel like you can win two or three playoff games.
- 5:00Speaker 3: But maybe maybe outside of Fred Johnson.
- 5:01Speaker 1: That especially on the interior, like if if Jurgions were
- 5:04Speaker 1: to get hurt, or if Dickerson were to get hurt
- 5:07Speaker 1: or Steen that I feel really comfortable with on the inside.
- 5:10Speaker 1: That's that's not their usual mo o. Usually they do
- 5:13Speaker 1: have those guys. They're gonna have to fix that.
- 5:16Speaker 2: Yeah, because Drawn Pain he now I have a sack.
- 5:19Speaker 2: He he got some pressures in there. Dron Payin, Oh,
- 5:22Speaker 2: I know, Commanders fans, I don't think he's the same player.
- 5:25Speaker 2: But Pain Pain was in the backfield. I mean, he
- 5:28Speaker 2: he got pressures. That was a little bit of concern.
- 5:31Speaker 2: Von Miller he had a sack. The ageless one will
- 5:34Speaker 2: be a Hall of Famer someday. Frankie louvu uh he
- 5:38Speaker 2: got in there. He hit McKee. So yeah, overall, look,
- 5:42Speaker 2: it's not the same backup group again, got hurt. He
- 5:45Speaker 2: had the one amazing start. You know, he's he's got
- 5:49Speaker 2: a verse to tell you what you love. But they
- 5:50Speaker 2: will upgrade. How he knows this, it's not a secret.
- 5:53Speaker 2: Any fan and falls the team knows that they're just
- 5:54Speaker 2: not good. You just said it. They're just not good enough.
- 5:56Speaker 2: Of the backups. They got to re examine that but
- 5:59Speaker 2: the troubling thing, if you want to call it, I
- 6:00Speaker 2: understand they should never be playing anyway, but my good,
- 6:04Speaker 2: my god, Ringo and uh and Jacquarine Bennett, I mean
- 6:08Speaker 2: and Ryan Bennett's hold. I mean it's like, dude, what
- 6:12Speaker 2: were like Ross Tucker talked on about it. He goes,
- 6:15Speaker 2: did you have to keep holding onto Burkes's arm? Like?
- 6:18Speaker 2: What the hell?
- 6:19Speaker 3: Right?
- 6:20Speaker 2: There were at least five penalties, right, yes.
- 6:23Speaker 1: There, well there were there were five penalties just between Ringo,
- 6:28Speaker 1: Bennett and mac McWilliams.
- 6:29Speaker 3: Ringo had to in the secondary.
- 6:31Speaker 1: Yes, Bennett had three and McWilliams every one, and then
- 6:33Speaker 1: there was like a Calkatara had a false start, so
- 6:36Speaker 1: they had more than five, but just.
- 6:37Speaker 2: The same no, no they had yeah, yeah, well no by
- 6:39Speaker 2: the secondary now they actually there were not accepted penalties
- 6:43Speaker 2: in the game. There was an offsetting penalty, so they
- 6:44Speaker 2: at least ten. Right, you're playing mostly backups, you got
- 6:47Speaker 2: backup results. It is probably the best way to say,
- 6:49Speaker 2: that's just what you got.
- 6:50Speaker 3: Yeah.
- 6:51Speaker 1: I think it goes to show like last year Nikobe
- 6:53Speaker 1: Dean got hurt against the Packers in the playoffs and
- 6:56Speaker 1: Burks went in. Oran Brooks did a tremendous job. No
- 7:00Speaker 1: let down did really well. They survived it. That's a
- 7:03Speaker 1: position that they have good depth in, even right now linebacker.
- 7:06Speaker 1: But if a guy like Quina, Mitchell, Cooper, to gen
- 7:09Speaker 1: even adri Jackson gets hurt and you've got Ringo or
- 7:13Speaker 1: Bennett having to go in, If a guy like Dickerson
- 7:16Speaker 1: or Jurgens gets hurt and you have to go with
- 7:18Speaker 1: Toath or I don't know, somebody, or especially a tackle.
- 7:20Speaker 1: If you know, if another tackle gets hurt, then you're
- 7:23Speaker 1: you're just not in the same position. You're not as deep,
- 7:26Speaker 1: and so the Eagles will have to They'll just have
- 7:28Speaker 1: to stay healthy at those spots in the playoffs or else.
- 7:30Speaker 3: You can get pretty pretty dicey very quickly.
- 7:33Speaker 1: That's usually the case for most seams, but the Eagles
- 7:35Speaker 1: usually have better depth.
- 7:36Speaker 2: There a great just real quick. Here's who started the game,
- 7:40Speaker 2: so McKee, Bigsby. Bigsby was terrific, really good. Calkatara unfortunately
- 7:45Speaker 2: got his knee bent back in his ankle.
- 7:48Speaker 1: He was a hip drop tackle. By the way, I
- 7:50Speaker 1: don't know how that was textbook hip drop tackle. I
- 7:53Speaker 1: have no idea how that wasn't called.
- 7:54Speaker 2: We'll see what if there's a fine. So the starting
- 7:57Speaker 2: offensive line left or right was of course Fred Johnton
- 7:59Speaker 2: filling in for my lotta. He moved from right to
- 8:02Speaker 2: left Toath started at left guard, which is his natural
- 8:07Speaker 2: spot and in a way because he's really a left
- 8:10Speaker 2: tackle by trade. Drew Kennell started at center, so give
- 8:13Speaker 2: a lot of pressure in the interior. Steenas we talked about,
- 8:15Speaker 2: started as usual spot right guard, and Matt Pryor, his
- 8:18Speaker 2: more natural position to right tackle, started there. And Davante
- 8:23Speaker 2: did start because you get the record with Dotson. So
- 8:25Speaker 2: they started off and twelve personnel. Defensively, Hunt is a
- 8:30Speaker 2: quasi starter with Nolan Smith a quasi starter. They started
- 8:33Speaker 2: the game. They played a ton. Jordan Davis did start,
- 8:35Speaker 2: interesting he came in and out. Moro Jomo did start,
- 8:40Speaker 2: and which he's just not a good run defender. He's
- 8:44Speaker 2: phenomenal with what he does, his first step quickness and
- 8:48Speaker 2: getting in there and blown plays up and it's just
- 8:50Speaker 2: not a good run defender. Campbell. Campbell started with Trotter
- 8:55Speaker 2: at inside backer. Brandon Johnson, who wound up getting hurt,
- 8:59Speaker 2: was the nickel. Uh, well, he it depends how you
- 9:03Speaker 2: look at it. Carter started. Carter started. I believe he
- 9:07Speaker 2: really played safety with Sidney Brown and Bennett and Ringo
- 9:10Speaker 2: with the starting corners, and Brandon Johnson was the nickel
- 9:12Speaker 2: because that's really his best position.
- 9:13Speaker 3: Yeah, but Brandon Johnson was actually the safety.
- 9:15Speaker 1: It was it was Carter who started. Yes, Brandon Johnson
- 9:19Speaker 1: played safety. I had the great you know from the stadium,
- 9:22Speaker 1: you get the best of you. And then Brandon got hurt.
- 9:24Speaker 1: And by the way, I saw him in the locker
- 9:25Speaker 1: room after and it looks like he was still hurt.
- 9:28Speaker 1: Either way, Brandon got hurt. Then Michael Carter went to safety,
- 9:31Speaker 1: and then McWilliams came in to play the slot nickel.
- 9:35Speaker 2: Yeah, Mack. When mcmillian's got beat, he got the penalty,
- 9:38Speaker 2: he yeah, that was bad.
- 9:40Speaker 3: Yep.
- 9:40Speaker 2: It's just they got gash in the run game. That
- 9:44Speaker 2: it's Chris Rodriguez. He just he just doesn't stop. What
- 9:47Speaker 2: that motor he's got. He keeps spitting those wheels. Man,
- 9:51Speaker 2: He's he's a power back. Mcnicholson pass protection Crosskey Merritt
- 9:55Speaker 2: is not a short yard's back. I try to warn
- 9:57Speaker 2: people about that. Two weeks ago. They've learned that the
- 10:00Speaker 2: hard way. He's just explosive and I have a very
- 10:01Speaker 2: good game. He's just that. Eagles, you could tell you.
- 10:05Speaker 3: They tried to get him going.
- 10:06Speaker 1: They thought maybe they'd get an explosive out of him,
- 10:08Speaker 1: and then they went to Chris Rodriguez when they realized
- 10:10Speaker 1: that they actually wanted to move the chans.
- 10:12Speaker 3: Yeah, that's exactly it.
- 10:14Speaker 2: Crosskey Merritt is explosive, but he is zero power. I'm
- 10:17Speaker 2: told that's what the tape shows. Uh. They did a
- 10:21Speaker 2: good job against debouh McLaurin drew a penalty. Overall, it's
- 10:28Speaker 2: just is you you outlined to start this. You're starting
- 10:32Speaker 2: to blow average corners. You got way below average results.
- 10:35Speaker 2: And if Josh Johnson, Josh all the Josh shotns have
- 10:37Speaker 2: killed him on the ground, My god, he's he's not
- 10:40Speaker 2: even a run. I mean he could break the pocket
- 10:41Speaker 2: as he saw for old guy. He moved pretty well,
- 10:45Speaker 2: Josh Johnson, I mean nine for forty five and he
- 10:48Speaker 2: had a back breaking run late with a touchdown that
- 10:51Speaker 2: that crushed him.
- 10:52Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely, And by the way, kudos the job. I mean,
- 10:55Speaker 1: Josh Johnson's like thirty six, thirty seven years old. He
- 10:57Speaker 1: was out there. You know, there were a couple of
- 10:59Speaker 1: times he's underress. Sure he made some things happen with
- 11:01Speaker 1: his legs, made a couple of nice throws, So you
- 11:04Speaker 1: know Kudo's damn it's he sticks around and you know
- 11:07Speaker 1: he gives you a professional level of play from the
- 11:09Speaker 1: quarterback position.
- 11:10Speaker 3: There's a couple of things at him. Thirty nine thirty nine, Wow.
- 11:15Speaker 2: Fordy in May, he's been with thirteen NFL teams.
- 11:18Speaker 3: That's amazing. This is his second stint.
- 11:20Speaker 1: I think with Washington there are a couple of teams
- 11:23Speaker 1: that he's had at least two stints with amazing, amazing.
- 11:26Speaker 1: So so I there's there's a couple of things I
- 11:29Speaker 1: questioned about the approach, But what I will say, I
- 11:31Speaker 1: do not question the resting of the significant starters and
- 11:37Speaker 1: key players. And I think that there's gonna be a
- 11:40Speaker 1: lot of the next twenty four to forty eight hours
- 11:42Speaker 1: people ripping Siriani because the Bears lost and so an
- 11:47Speaker 1: opportunity to get the number two seed in the home
- 11:49Speaker 1: home field advantage in the second round right went awry.
- 11:53Speaker 3: But I didn't question it going in, so I'm not
- 11:55Speaker 3: going to question it now.
- 11:56Speaker 1: I really do feel that this Eagles team in the past,
- 11:59Speaker 1: I think I would have question it, but this Eagles
- 12:01Speaker 1: team is very beat up, especially on the lines, right,
- 12:04Speaker 1: and I just felt like the week of rest.
- 12:07Speaker 3: I trust them. I think you've brought it up many times.
- 12:09Speaker 1: They have an excellent road record, not in the playoffs,
- 12:11Speaker 1: but an excellent road record in general under Nick Geriani.
- 12:15Speaker 3: Mey like the best in the in the.
- 12:17Speaker 2: NFL, best percentage wise over five years.
- 12:19Speaker 1: Percent wise, Right, all right, So I I do believe
- 12:22Speaker 1: they needed.
- 12:25Speaker 3: They for health reasons.
- 12:26Speaker 1: I understood it, So I'm not going to question it
- 12:29Speaker 1: in a vacuum. Now that we know that the Bears
- 12:31Speaker 1: lost and the Eagles could have won the game had
- 12:34Speaker 1: they had they made their starters.
- 12:35Speaker 3: Do you agree or disagree with that?
- 12:37Speaker 2: No? I agree, No, I've told you man, I was
- 12:39Speaker 2: totally on board with it.
- 12:41Speaker 1: Good because I know a lot of people are going
- 12:43Speaker 1: to be revisionist in this and probably yeah, I.
- 12:47Speaker 2: Told our Patreon people a week ago. So you expect
- 12:50Speaker 2: them to be resting players less the number one seed
- 12:53Speaker 2: is available. That they're just it's been their history save
- 12:57Speaker 2: for a couple situations and the AJ Brown the situation
- 13:00Speaker 2: when he got hurt two years ago, that that just
- 13:03Speaker 2: you can't win without him. He just can't, so you
- 13:06Speaker 2: need your players. It was the right decision. I just
- 13:09Speaker 2: was fascinated that they played these really key defensive players
- 13:13Speaker 2: as long as they did Hunt. By the way, let
- 13:16Speaker 2: the real positive. James Hunt is an intrusher. He's not
- 13:19Speaker 2: a linebacker. To be very clear, people stop calling my linebacker.
- 13:21Speaker 2: He's not, never, has been, never will be. Three interceptions
- 13:25Speaker 2: this season that's unbelievable for an edge rusher. Also, he
- 13:27Speaker 2: also had a funber recovery in the game. He has
- 13:30Speaker 2: had quite the season, folks. I've called this again. He's
- 13:33Speaker 2: a year ahead of schedule. It's really remarkable how good
- 13:37Speaker 2: this kid is. He's a force. His ability to as
- 13:40Speaker 2: a forced player against the run is phenomenal. He's just
- 13:43Speaker 2: I mean, I cannot believe how good this guy is.
- 13:46Speaker 2: This is it's crazy and and and this is only
- 13:48Speaker 2: his second year.
- 13:49Speaker 1: I know, I mean, I don't. I was having this
- 13:51Speaker 1: conversation with someone. I don't know if he's an overall
- 13:55Speaker 1: better player yet than Jalen Phillips, but I think he's
- 13:58Speaker 1: not far and by this time next year can probably
- 14:01Speaker 1: do more things. He's clearly the better athlete, because he's
- 14:04Speaker 1: probably the best athlete in the front seven.
- 14:07Speaker 3: Because he's just a ridiculous athlete.
- 14:09Speaker 1: But he's starting to play like you're mentioning, with great instincts,
- 14:13Speaker 1: understanding where he needs to be. I mean, Adam, he's
- 14:16Speaker 1: got you mentioned he as his third interception. He finished
- 14:19Speaker 1: as the leader on the defense at interceptions. You know,
- 14:23Speaker 1: Cooper and Quinna Mitchell like, what the f Like? How
- 14:26Speaker 1: do we let this guy lead the defense in interceptions?
- 14:29Speaker 1: But a very good He doesn't just get pressure like
- 14:34Speaker 1: you're saying. He plays the run, he generates pressure. He's
- 14:36Speaker 1: a good playmaker. I think that the sky is the
- 14:39Speaker 1: limit for this kid. I don't know why. Here's here's
- 14:42Speaker 1: one thing I'll question though, Why did he have to
- 14:44Speaker 1: play that much?
- 14:45Speaker 3: Why were you?
- 14:46Speaker 2: I don't know, that's a great question. I was. There
- 14:49Speaker 2: are a lot of things that surprise me. The fact
- 14:52Speaker 2: that he played. We will get we get the snap
- 14:55Speaker 2: count sent to us overnight. So I don't know exactly
- 14:56Speaker 2: how much he plays him like he played like the
- 14:58Speaker 2: entire game was because I texted her, I said, it's
- 15:00Speaker 2: fifty eight still in there. It's a fourth quarter.
- 15:02Speaker 3: I know, I don't, I don't, I don't. It's not
- 15:05Speaker 3: all he needs reps or anything.
- 15:06Speaker 2: I know, I don't know. I'll be interested to see
- 15:10Speaker 2: what Fangio thinks because he has a major say and
- 15:13Speaker 2: who plays and who doesn't in this situation. I'll be
- 15:16Speaker 2: very interest to see what Vic says about that he
- 15:18Speaker 2: talks to the media folks this week. Now the it's
- 15:23Speaker 2: funny because Andrew and I did the WBCB show and
- 15:26Speaker 2: I'm interested in the snapcots because I felt that BG
- 15:28Speaker 2: would play. I said, go ahead, Andrew, if BG plays,
- 15:31Speaker 2: like I think, how many snaps did you get? He
- 15:33Speaker 2: might We'll see. But Andrew said, like in the twenties
- 15:36Speaker 2: or thirties, he might have been. Well, I don't know
- 15:38Speaker 2: about thirties, but he might have. I kept I looked up.
- 15:41Speaker 2: He was in DC was in quite a bit.
- 15:43Speaker 3: Yep.
- 15:43Speaker 2: No, well, I didn't see him all the time, but
- 15:46Speaker 2: I'm just surprised that he kept playing. I'm like, wow,
- 15:50Speaker 2: all right.
- 15:50Speaker 1: Here's another thing I questioned. And again, it's not about
- 15:53Speaker 1: the end result. The end result was fine, but you
- 15:55Speaker 1: have to look at the process. Last year, they did
- 15:58Speaker 1: not play Saquon Barkley in this and finale when he
- 16:01Speaker 1: had a chance to get the single season NFL rushing
- 16:03Speaker 1: record because of health, right, they don't want it.
- 16:06Speaker 3: They didn't want him to get injured.
- 16:07Speaker 1: Why was it important to get DeVante Smith out there
- 16:11Speaker 1: to get to a thousand yards if it wasn't important
- 16:14Speaker 1: to get the record for Sakwon Barkley, which, by the way,
- 16:16Speaker 1: I supported that last year.
- 16:18Speaker 3: Health Health Health.
- 16:19Speaker 1: You saw the last catch that DeVante Smith made to
- 16:21Speaker 1: get that.
- 16:23Speaker 3: It was a great catch. He took a sandwich tackle.
- 16:26Speaker 2: Between two between two people.
- 16:28Speaker 3: Was that work?
- 16:29Speaker 1: I mean again, the end result is is fine, he's
- 16:31Speaker 1: but was what that's That's inconsistency to me?
- 16:34Speaker 3: And I don't I don't undergreand it. I need somebody
- 16:37Speaker 3: to explain that better to me.
- 16:39Speaker 2: We needed to do that and they so they got
- 16:42Speaker 2: to say they had two thousand yard receivers. Great, I
- 16:44Speaker 2: mean whatever, it's a milestone. I don't know. I'm dubies
- 16:50Speaker 2: to that decision. I would agree. Yeah, we're seeing pretty
- 16:52Speaker 2: much everything the same way. It's just too bad that
- 16:55Speaker 2: they didn't win to get that number two seed. But
- 16:58Speaker 2: oh well, the Niners are come in and the early
- 17:00Speaker 2: word on the weather next week and in the.
- 17:02Speaker 3: Fifties, I know, I look every day.
- 17:05Speaker 1: At one point I looked at the weather on Saturday afternoon,
- 17:10Speaker 1: meaning this past Saturday, to look at what it was
- 17:13Speaker 1: going to be over the weekend, and at one point
- 17:14Speaker 1: it said sixty three, and then that yeah, it's fifty nine.
- 17:19Speaker 3: Tomorrow it'll be seventy two. Wedday it'll be twenty six. Yeah.
- 17:23Speaker 3: But yeah, Usually you're right.
- 17:25Speaker 1: When it shows that kind of warmth coming in, it
- 17:28Speaker 1: usually is accompanied by rain. I would hope that we
- 17:31Speaker 1: get a nice clean surface, not windy, not rainy, not sloggy.
- 17:36Speaker 3: I really don't want that. We always want a nice
- 17:38Speaker 3: clean wants Now.
- 17:41Speaker 2: I would look if it's going to have anything, I
- 17:43Speaker 2: like a foot of snow. You were at the thirteen
- 17:47Speaker 2: game with Sure when the lines came in. I love
- 17:50Speaker 2: that game. I mean some people didn't, but I love
- 17:52Speaker 2: that game. That was just because we didn't know the
- 17:54Speaker 2: snow was coming. It's like the only time it's ever
- 17:56Speaker 2: happened in NFL history that they didn't see it on
- 17:58Speaker 2: the forecast. No crazy, So then you want to get
- 18:02Speaker 2: the Niners or anything anything.
- 18:04Speaker 1: Because the only thing I would say, I I think
- 18:06Speaker 1: I understand why you Joemo and Jordan Davis had to
- 18:09Speaker 1: play is because they only.
- 18:10Speaker 3: Dressed to back up tackles.
- 18:13Speaker 1: Right, they dressed Byron Young and they dressed Ty Robinson,
- 18:16Speaker 1: so that you can't really get through an entire game, right,
- 18:19Speaker 1: you have to you guys. Now, you could say, well,
- 18:21Speaker 1: why did you not elevate Gabe Hall, but you know
- 18:24Speaker 1: they obviously wanted Capra Williams to play, so they elevated.
- 18:27Speaker 1: So again, you whatever you do, you're you're leaving so
- 18:30Speaker 1: vulnerable in some area. But that's probably why Davis and
- 18:34Speaker 1: Jomo had to play. I'm just still surprised they played
- 18:36Speaker 1: as much as they did.
- 18:38Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, no, they I saw Jomah, We're not mistaken
- 18:40Speaker 2: the third quarter of him. I was like, wow, in
- 18:42Speaker 2: fact on a goal line situation or certainly around the
- 18:45Speaker 2: five yard line, I think in my notes here, Yeah, surprise.
- 18:49Speaker 2: Uh you want to get to the Niners.
- 18:51Speaker 1: Yeah, so the Niners. Let's talk about this matchup. Get
- 18:55Speaker 1: what are your initial thoughts I have?
- 18:56Speaker 2: I like it. I like it from legal standpoint, they've
- 18:58Speaker 2: struggled a corner. You saw what Caleb Williams did against them.
- 19:03Speaker 2: You have to remember and this is why they've struggled
- 19:05Speaker 2: at times. So like Robert Sala has done a great job.
- 19:08Speaker 2: Who will be another head coaching candidate again, considering Bosa
- 19:12Speaker 2: a CL, Fred Warner the right ankle dislocation, and Mike
- 19:15Speaker 2: Mike hal Williams their first round pick a c L.
- 19:18Speaker 2: They've had problems at corner Ernardo Green, who's a decent player,
- 19:22Speaker 2: Diamador Lenore who the Eagles know. Green's missed some time
- 19:26Speaker 2: with a neck injury. He missed too out the last
- 19:28Speaker 2: three games. They've had changeover as safety Can White. It's
- 19:33Speaker 2: been okay from they got from the Patriots because they
- 19:36Speaker 2: had to. So they're they're they're ok The coaching has
- 19:40Speaker 2: been great, but there the winners got hurt, by the way. Bethune,
- 19:45Speaker 2: who's another start guy who's been starting, who's had two
- 19:48Speaker 2: separate ankle injuries. So they've got a lot of injuries
- 19:50Speaker 2: on defense. We'll have way more on this this week.
- 19:53Speaker 2: We're pretty plugged in with a Niners, so we kind
- 19:54Speaker 2: of know Rocky Ricky Piersoll by the way, Uh, he's
- 19:58Speaker 2: missed more time than he's played this season almost He
- 20:01Speaker 2: had a PCL injury, anco injury. He's missed two it
- 20:04Speaker 2: the last three games. He just couldn't go this past week.
- 20:06Speaker 2: You know, I didn't play this season. That's that's a disaster.
- 20:10Speaker 2: Trent Williams, surprisingly he's only missed one game and he
- 20:13Speaker 2: couldn't go that he had a hamstring. He went up
- 20:16Speaker 2: not practicing really this past week. I'm sure he's going
- 20:19Speaker 2: to go. And then Ben Bartch one of the starting guards.
- 20:22Speaker 2: He's the dreaded list Frank fracture. So he's done till
- 20:27Speaker 2: next summer. So yeah, I mean, you know it's coming.
- 20:31Speaker 2: Misdirection just space creation. Actually talked to Deebo Sammy about
- 20:38Speaker 2: this many years ago their training camp. But Kyle Shannon's phenomenal.
- 20:42Speaker 2: I mean, he's just something special. It's a play caller.
- 20:45Speaker 2: I can't wait to talk to Greg about it. And
- 20:47Speaker 2: my man called, you use Jack Juice the way that
- 20:49Speaker 2: they use him with this very unique motion he motions
- 20:54Speaker 2: to block, but not like you think. It's really really interesting.
- 20:57Speaker 2: He looks like he's running a route and he wants
- 20:58Speaker 2: up blocking. It's super cool. Uh. They're a very beatable team.
- 21:03Speaker 2: They're really well coached. They've this is one of the
- 21:05Speaker 2: best coaching jobs Kyle Shannon's ever done. Uh Uh. And
- 21:09Speaker 2: Kittle's great, gonna be Hall of Famer someday. Best to
- 21:13Speaker 2: wait to an end in the League scene in years.
- 21:14Speaker 2: He's great, He's had some injuries. I feel like the
- 21:18Speaker 2: Eagles matchup better than you think against him. I know,
- 21:20Speaker 2: I know some Niner fans will say of Eagle stank
- 21:23Speaker 2: and all this stuff. I think Egals matchup very well.
- 21:26Speaker 2: We got to see what their injury situation is going
- 21:28Speaker 2: to be like with Lane. But my finish, my final
- 21:31Speaker 2: thought on this, opening thought on this on this matchup
- 21:34Speaker 2: is I like this matchup for the Eagles. I really
- 21:37Speaker 2: did more than probably most people would.
- 21:38Speaker 1: Yeah, I like it better than had it wound up
- 21:41Speaker 1: being the Rams. I do believe that with the Rams
- 21:45Speaker 1: getting Quentin Lake back for the playoffs, which they're expected.
- 21:48Speaker 1: He's a huge part of what they do defensively. They
- 21:50Speaker 1: already got Higbee back. You saw you had a touchdown.
- 21:53Speaker 1: DeVante Adams will be back. I believe that when the
- 21:56Speaker 1: playoffs start. This it's just my opinion. I know I'm
- 21:58Speaker 1: gonna draw a lot of criticism for for some stupid reason,
- 22:01Speaker 1: but I believe once the playoffs start, the Rams will
- 22:03Speaker 1: be as good as the Seahawks to win the NFC.
- 22:07Speaker 1: I think they're that good, and their injuries have really
- 22:10Speaker 1: hurt them over the last three or.
- 22:11Speaker 3: Four weeks, and it's not like they played bad.
- 22:13Speaker 1: They've lost done a few, you know, like giving up
- 22:15Speaker 1: some big plays here and there, so we'll see.
- 22:18Speaker 3: So I would have wrapped. You're right.
- 22:19Speaker 1: I think it's a better matchup for the Eagles to
- 22:21Speaker 1: play the Niners, who I think have been done an
- 22:23Speaker 1: excellent job all year coaching wise.
- 22:26Speaker 3: Kyle Shn Robert Salad.
- 22:27Speaker 1: They've lost Bosa, they lost Warner, they lost Bryce Huff
- 22:31Speaker 1: for a while and then when he came back, he
- 22:32Speaker 1: hasn't been by Bryce.
- 22:35Speaker 2: Yeah, oh boy, oh boy.
- 22:37Speaker 1: Not only did they right, not only did they lose
- 22:40Speaker 1: Fred Warner, they lost his backup. They've been playing on
- 22:42Speaker 1: their third string Bethel Guy, I think hurt.
- 22:45Speaker 3: Yeah, right right, you said so. So they've been They've
- 22:49Speaker 3: done an excellent job.
- 22:50Speaker 1: And I also think anybody who's lost the Niners last
- 22:53Speaker 1: three years knows that when they don't have Trent Williams,
- 22:56Speaker 1: they are a totally different offense. So I don't look
- 22:58Speaker 1: at them scoring three wins against Seattle and say there
- 23:01Speaker 1: there's there are a crap offense. I think that they
- 23:04Speaker 1: missed Williams and obviously miss Pierce All and sounds like
- 23:06Speaker 1: those guys will be healthy, as you're saying, for the
- 23:08Speaker 1: for the playoffs, so it'll be a good game, I think.
- 23:12Speaker 1: But I do like the matchup for the Eagles, and
- 23:15Speaker 1: I've thought about this too. Hm they win that game,
- 23:19Speaker 1: there's a.
- 23:19Speaker 3: I don't want to call it.
- 23:20Speaker 1: I don't want to put a percentage on it, but
- 23:24Speaker 1: I think the Packers could beat the Bears. I don't
- 23:26Speaker 1: think it's a stretch for the Packers to upset the
- 23:28Speaker 1: Bears in the first round. I was assuming that they
- 23:33Speaker 1: were gonna be healthier. You're right, But if they do,
- 23:35Speaker 1: they then because of the lowest seed, they go play
- 23:38Speaker 1: number one, right, So they would go play Seattle, and
- 23:41Speaker 1: then the Eagles would either play the Rams if the
- 23:43Speaker 1: Rams win, or there's a chance, Hey, if the Panthers
- 23:46Speaker 1: beat the Rams, then that and the Niners right right,
- 23:51Speaker 1: which they already did. That means the Panthers come here
- 23:53Speaker 1: to fill in.
- 23:55Speaker 3: The Packers.
- 23:56Speaker 2: Thought about good.
- 23:58Speaker 1: So you might have a really nice pathway to the
- 24:01Speaker 1: NFC Championship game if these things fall into place, which
- 24:05Speaker 1: aren't that crazy. So it could be a pretty good
- 24:09Speaker 1: avenue for the Egles, even though they are gonna be
- 24:11Speaker 1: the three season.
- 24:12Speaker 2: I'll say it again, this thing is wide open. Seattle's
- 24:14Speaker 2: defense is elite. They're phenomenal. Donald implodes sometimes. Jays Sana
- 24:20Speaker 2: is a great player in what he does the way
- 24:22Speaker 2: that they use him. But Cooper cups clearly near the end,
- 24:27Speaker 2: and Seattle's going to be Seattle. To me, they were
- 24:31Speaker 2: nine to eight last year. I expected me to sort
- 24:33Speaker 2: of a breakout team this season. They have been their records.
- 24:36Speaker 2: I don't think they're as good as the record would
- 24:37Speaker 2: inkate because I worry about their ability to run the
- 24:39Speaker 2: football when they really need to run it correct. That
- 24:43Speaker 2: worries me. Interior, their offensive line has been a concern
- 24:46Speaker 2: all season, but it's funny when you talk to clubs
- 24:50Speaker 2: about it. They're not super talent on defense, but their
- 24:56Speaker 2: scheme is absolutely phenomenal and the execution Ico is great.
- 25:01Speaker 3: Right you would.
- 25:02Speaker 1: They're a little bit like the the Seahawks that won
- 25:06Speaker 1: in that they don't have a guy up front that
- 25:09Speaker 1: is a Miles Garrett. Micah Parson's like kill you know,
- 25:12Speaker 1: Mafe is a pretty good guy, reads pretty good.
- 25:14Speaker 2: Like.
- 25:14Speaker 3: They've got some guys in the front seven that can
- 25:16Speaker 3: rush the passer.
- 25:17Speaker 1: They don't have a guy though, that's gonna get you
- 25:19Speaker 1: fifteen to twenty sacks a year. But their secondary is
- 25:23Speaker 1: really strong, really physical, got some really good players. That's
- 25:26Speaker 1: a safety they drafted at South Carolina. Yeah, Cum and
- 25:29Speaker 1: Warrior who for them. Yeah, he plays really well. That
- 25:33Speaker 1: allows him to keep Witherspoon outside where he's played well.
- 25:37Speaker 1: And the scheme, the scheme that Mike McDonald run is
- 25:39Speaker 1: really really good. So that is Hey, listen, they earned
- 25:42Speaker 1: their thirteen and or whatever, thirteen fourteen wins, they got
- 25:44Speaker 1: their number one seed.
- 25:46Speaker 3: No, but you're to your point, Adam.
- 25:48Speaker 1: Nobody went into twenty and twenty five thinking that the
- 25:52Speaker 1: number one seed in the NFC was gonna come down
- 25:54Speaker 1: to Seattle or San Francisco. Not one single person I
- 25:58Speaker 1: know felt that we've bought Seattle improved. I don't think
- 26:01Speaker 1: anybody thought San Francisco would be as good as they've
- 26:03Speaker 1: been all year.
- 26:05Speaker 3: But it makes it wide open.
- 26:06Speaker 1: And certainly the Bears were that team that you thought
- 26:08Speaker 1: could could really pick up, but who knew they would be.
- 26:11Speaker 2: Then I'd be like nine to eight, I thought with
- 26:13Speaker 2: Ben Johnson avy if everything worked well, there's some things
- 26:16Speaker 2: you can't know. This is what we love the worst
- 26:18Speaker 2: of first stories. We see this every year there's always
- 26:20Speaker 2: one or two.
- 26:21Speaker 3: Yep.
- 26:21Speaker 2: So look, here's the thing. There are no dominant teams.
- 26:25Speaker 2: But the thing is, it's the competitive bounce at the league.
- 26:28Speaker 2: Once they've got it, I mean it is. I mean, really,
- 26:31Speaker 2: when you look at it before we get out of here,
- 26:33Speaker 2: right when you look at it, you've got Seattle fourteen
- 26:36Speaker 2: and three, Chicago eleven and six. I mean, Dan Campbell
- 26:39Speaker 2: brought it. He absolutely brought it against Ben Johnson, which
- 26:43Speaker 2: I expected. He goes to eleven six. Who if Lane
- 26:47Speaker 2: Johnson is himself, they've got a realistic chance to beat
- 26:51Speaker 2: the Niners Carolina. Now Carolina is not very good. They're
- 26:54Speaker 2: eight and nine. They they're not very good. But the
- 26:56Speaker 2: Rams are I mean, it's this is look, it's just
- 26:59Speaker 2: the way they're set up. The Rams are twelve and five,
- 27:01Speaker 2: they're the fifth seed. The Niners or twelve and five,
- 27:03Speaker 2: they're six seed, and the Green Bay so beat up.
- 27:05Speaker 2: But you've got at least five real quality teams that
- 27:10Speaker 2: are all capable. Kalyn Williams with that arm and Ben
- 27:13Speaker 2: Johnson's mind, and Dennis Allen has done a great job
- 27:17Speaker 2: that they've Now they've had some bad games where they've
- 27:20Speaker 2: done a big time yardage because their past rush isn't
- 27:24Speaker 2: very good. But they've had a good year, so it's
- 27:27Speaker 2: move us along here. It's so wide open anyone can
- 27:29Speaker 2: win it. Yep, and the Eagles have shown they could
- 27:32Speaker 2: win anywhere. Now you know what's crazy. The Seahawks are
- 27:35Speaker 2: fifteen fifteen to one on the road the last two seasons.
- 27:39Speaker 3: Wow, that's that's incredible.
- 27:40Speaker 2: I can't believe that. Yeah, it's insane.
- 27:42Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm with you.
- 27:43Speaker 2: I feel like one or fifteen to two. I can't
- 27:45Speaker 2: remember it, but.
- 27:46Speaker 3: It was fifteen two. I thought I saw that graphic too.
- 27:49Speaker 1: The Eagles could beat anybody in the NFC field, but
- 27:53Speaker 1: unlike last year, I think they could lose to anybody
- 27:57Speaker 1: field except Carolina.
- 27:58Speaker 3: I just can't.
- 27:59Speaker 2: They won't lose.
- 28:00Speaker 1: They No, they wouldn't lose to the Panthers. But that's
- 28:02Speaker 1: the difference between last year and this year. And to me, Adam,
- 28:05Speaker 1: it's it's about this offense. Does it get a run game?
- 28:07Speaker 1: Does it put points on the board. If they can't
- 28:10Speaker 1: score twenty one points in each game, then they're gonna
- 28:13Speaker 1: really be vulnerable to a loss to anybody.
- 28:16Speaker 3: Well, you're it's.
- 28:16Speaker 2: Gonna be hard to score even fourteen against Seattle. I
- 28:19Speaker 2: mean they are like a venus flag, fair.
- 28:21Speaker 1: Fair, fair, So yeah, because their defense, the Eagles defense
- 28:25Speaker 1: looks so legit that I know they can hold anybody
- 28:28Speaker 1: to seventeen to night. But you gotta be able to
- 28:30Speaker 1: score twenty to twenty. You can't win thirteen eleven in
- 28:34Speaker 1: the playoffs time three straight weeks, you can't do it.
- 28:36Speaker 1: You can go once, I'm saying. I'm just saying you
- 28:38Speaker 1: cannot win four games. Oh yeah, base ball averaging fifteen
- 28:43Speaker 1: points a game, that's right.
- 28:45Speaker 2: Text you on sunny. What would the over unner be
- 28:47Speaker 2: for Eagles Seahawks twenty six?
- 28:49Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, probably less definitely.
- 28:55Speaker 2: Mike McDonald versus Vic fangerud love to see in the
- 28:57Speaker 2: championship game. Would absolutely love to see it. Yeah, but
- 29:01Speaker 2: we'll see what happens. As you said, stranger things that
- 29:03Speaker 2: could happen. You never know what's gonna happen in wild,
- 29:06Speaker 2: wacky playoffs and coaches getting fired. There's gonna be some changes,
- 29:10Speaker 2: you know around the National FOOTB League. As usual six
- 29:13Speaker 2: going back thirty five years, it's about six coaches per year.
- 29:17Speaker 2: M It used to be laud Usually there's around four
- 29:20Speaker 2: and a half five a year in the in the
- 29:22Speaker 2: early two thousands and nineties, but pressure to win has
- 29:25Speaker 2: never been greater.
- 29:27Speaker 1: Love it, Love it. It's gonna be a great week
- 29:28Speaker 1: coming up on Inside the Birds. We're gonna have all
- 29:31Speaker 1: of our programming as we always do. We got special
- 29:34Speaker 1: guests on Birds Weekly with Derek Gunn because, as we wish,
- 29:37Speaker 1: Ray didn'ter the best. He had a great year. He's
- 29:39Speaker 1: going on a nice world cruise, so good for him.
- 29:43Speaker 1: He deserves it. He's had a wonderful career. But yeah,
- 29:46Speaker 1: we got special guests for Birds Weekly. We'll have Inside
- 29:48Speaker 1: the Birds, We'll have Inside the tape, we will get
- 29:50Speaker 1: into the forty nine ers as you mentioned, and what
- 29:53Speaker 1: that matchup looks like.
- 29:54Speaker 3: We'll have our pregame show.
- 29:55Speaker 1: Daily to Checko's or to CHECKO daily, as I should
- 29:58Speaker 1: say with Andrew, to checko and so much much more.
- 30:00Speaker 3: So it's gonna be a great week on the Inside
- 30:02Speaker 3: the Birds platform.
- 30:02Speaker 1: Make sure you're all tuning in, and of course, if
- 30:05Speaker 1: you're not a PA, there's still time you could still
- 30:07Speaker 1: become a Patreon member right now. Get asked great co
- 30:09Speaker 1: sell on Tuesday. We got another Asking Eagle coming up.
- 30:12Speaker 1: We have a whole lot going on on the Patreon platform.
- 30:16Speaker 1: That's patreon dot com slash Inside the Birds for Adam Kaplan.
- 30:20Speaker 3: I'm Jeff Mosher.
- 30:21Speaker 1: You've been watching the Inside the Birds postgame show on
- 30:24Speaker 1: Inside the Birds