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OPPOSITION TERRITORY: Eagles vs. Rams Preview, Week 5 · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

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Hey, everybody, hope you are enjoying the content here at the Philadelphia Sports
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Table podcast show as we head into the fall. We wanted to let you
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know that this particular podcast episode was recorded on Monday, October two, twenty
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twenty three. Some things may have changed by the time you hear this,
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but we hope you enjoy the show. All right, everybody, welcome to
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our position territory here at the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show, the longest running
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weekly Philmy sports podcast show in the world. That's right over ten years strong.
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We got a great preview coming your way. The Philadelphia Eagles are gonna
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be taken on the Los Angeles Rams this week. It's gonna be an interesting
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matchup for sure. We have got a guest, a brand new guest to
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the PST podcast show here. I gotta tell you the Eagles being four and
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oh, there are teams that just want to completely derail this Eagles season,
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give them their first loss. We're gonna be getting into what this Rams team
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may look like this coming Sunday for this Eagles team. So let's get right
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to it and joining us to get into this matchup. Cannot wait for this
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particular game. I really think it's going to be an interesting one for sure,
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as we are staring down week five and two thousand, twenty three,
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two twenty four NFL season and the Eagles season, and our guest this week
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is not only following what the Rams are doing, but really knows the intricacies
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of what this team is and how they're gonna look, probably against Philadelphia Eagles,
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joining us for the first time. He's a staff writer at Turf Show
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Times, and again it's great to have him on board here. Blaine Gresak,
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how you doing, buddy? Hey, Jeff, thanks having me looking
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forward to this one. I actually lived in Philadelphia like eight years, so
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I am very familiar with, if I guess, the Phildelphic landscape and how
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much that team needs that city. So yeah, looking forward to absolutely.
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All right, man, well, hey, let's get into this matchup here,
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because like I do kind of see this matchup and I hate the I
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hate the phrase a trap game, you know, I hate that. You
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know, I grew up with that phrase answer trap game, you know,
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for the one team over another, and I do feel though that this game
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could potentially be like that. But in terms of starting with the team that
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you covered, Los Angeles Rams. I mean last week, if that was
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interesting how you wrote about the game against the Rams of the Colts and how
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it would be a turning point for this Rams season, and you said heading
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into that game that they were basically at a crossroads. This Rams teams at
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a crossroads, They're at the fork in the road, and they end up
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coming out on top in Indianapolis where they desperately needed that win. So how
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important was that game looking back at it and what does it mean for the
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upcoming matchup against the Eagles. Yeah, for me, I mean before the
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season, there was obviously a lot about the Rams tanking and being one of
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the worst teams in the league and everything, But for me, I could
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never saw I never saw them being that bad. I guess for me,
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for me, being the Colts kind of would would have kept them on schedule
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for me. Whereas you know, going into that game, I think the
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culture a lot better than maybe some anticipated as well. Going to Anthony Richardson
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looks absolutely fantastic, just an absolutely alien with the quarterback position. I love
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love watching him yesterday. But anyway, yeah, I mean you go from
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you go. If you lose that game, you're one and three and looking
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at a match up against the Eagles where the Eagles obviously the more talented team,
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and you're you're, you're aregue looking at one and four and your season
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is off the rails at that point pretty much. So staying at two and
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two with the Eagles, let's just assume a loss. There's two and three
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and the other the Cardinals coming up, and you're you're kind of still looking
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at a three and three mark and being being at an okay spot kind of
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at them the little over the courtway through the season. Yeah, I think
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it meant a lot for this Rams team to pull this game out. And
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I look at a quarterback in Matt Stafford two that has some very up moments
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this season, He's had some down moments. Been very up and down for
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Matt Stafford. He has a sixty two percent completion percentage as far as us
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I believe recording this podcast, and he's putting up some nice yardage here over
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one two hundred and twenty yards thus far on the season. But he's thrown
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three touchdowns and five interceptions here. So I'm wondering, Blaine Hair, how
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would you assess where Matt Stafford is this season? And do you think he's
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going to be able to improve during this home game four the Rams against this
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Eagles defense, a defense that was a bit vulnerable this past week, especially
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in the secondary against the Commander. So where is Matt Stafford and what can
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we expect from him this week? Yeah? So I think Stafford's kind of
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been the Stafford. He hasn't lost couple years of friends. Really. He
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goes through these like streaks where he looks absolutely unstoppable and on fire, he's
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not missing any throws, and then he'll go through these streaks, right he's
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a little bit more down and not in his accuracy kind of takes a dip.
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But I think you know, you look at those five in receptions and
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there's there's a lot of contexts needed there. There was You go back to
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forty nine Ers game, there's will that went directly off of Karl Williams his
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hands, that ends up and that ends up in the hands of a defender.
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Next against the Bengals, same thing and ball goes off in the hands
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of of a defender. And at the second one, I think you can
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argue that it should have been it was. It was called an initially on
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the field as an interception, but I think you can argue that the ball
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touch touched the ground and have that been called to drop on the field it
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may may may have may have see you that way. And then this last
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week they interceptionally through two to at Well. He he had just injured his
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hip on the on the play before, and balls just a little bit inaccurate.
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But I mean, Matthew Stafford is still throwing some just incredible palls that
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that show why he's one of the top quarterbacks and in the league and going
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into this game pop potentially I do see kind of I do kind of see
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that Eagle secondary has been a little bit, a little bit susceptible and this
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could be Cooper Cup's first game backs. He's still inter reserve, has entered
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that twenty one day practice window just yet, but last week McLay was saying
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that they kind of expected him to be back for this one, and he's
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been their best red zone fret at the LATA two position over the last couple
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of years. So I expect Stafford to start start throwing more Tosh downs Well's
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Cooper Cup and there's the lineup again and uh and improve the improved those time
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worth a little bit, But yeah, I mean a little up in down
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for Stafford, but overall, he's still making those shows that make heelllow.
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I think he's a quarterback that is very underrated and underestimated as well. During
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this twenty twenty three twenty twenty four season, I think that Matt Stafford has
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shown his consistency during the course of his time in the NFL, and I
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think it's translating to this particular this particular season went again, when you're number
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one offensive weapon in Cooper Cup leading up to this season has been injured,
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you have to rely on other weapons. We're going to get to one of
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those in just a bit. But I really think that Matt Stafford, his
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consistency means that this Ram's offense and the Rams team in general has a chance
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not only beating the Philadelphia Eagles, but potentially doing some good things within their
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division. For sure. I mean, they're they they They changed up the
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run scheme a little bity shure. They moved away from from being a zone
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oriented team or anymore gap and that that's that's helped a lot changes on the
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offensive line as well. They brought up Steve Avila, uh Kevin Dawson started
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started the right guard last week. I am looking forward this one because just
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I think be I mean, Jordan Davis looks incredible on the defensive lines or
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not not Jordan Davis. Uh, what's Jim Carter? Sorry? Yeah,
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yeah, he looks Yeah, he looks to be kind of an up and
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coming. I don't want to make that Aaron Donald comps just yeah, but
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he looks really good. So I think it's gonna be test with that that
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Rams offensive line, and uh, Staffa is also on his quarters. I
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think it's true for every quarterback. But if he can disrupt him in the
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pocket and make him a little flustered, he can force him into some mistakes.
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So if Carter and that Eagle's defensive front can can do that against the
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Rams off of Lavanda is still a little bit unproven, I think you can
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kind of shake him up a little bit. All right, folks, if
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you want to get some great Rams content on the Twitter dot com, you
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should follow Blaine. Follow him on Twitter at b grise ak tst. He
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is a great, great follow And we're moving along here, Blaine, I
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really wanted to talk about an up and comer the rookie phenom Puka Nukua here
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who has over five hundred yards receiving already this season. Jesus, oh my
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gosh. I mean, I do wonder how long, and as everybody else
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does who's a professional football fan, you wonder how long the success can be
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sustained. So I'm wondering what are your thoughts on what Puka Nukua has done
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thus far for the offense here in Los Angeles and what he might, if,
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if at all, you know, when he might possibly come back down
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to earth, Because again, I'm not sure this level of success can be
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sustained. So what are your thoughts here with regard to his productivity and what
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he's really given to the offense. Yeah, I'm looking forward to to really
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get into this this week because I think there are there's there are some that
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I kind of expect him to take a huge drop off, and I'm not
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sure that's necessarily not necessarily true. I think this Rams offense is I think
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you kind of look a look back to maybe that twenty eighteen twenty nineteen version
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of the offense where you know you have Brandon Cooks, Robert Woods, and
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Cooper Cup as those the three the trio wide receivers. And I think this
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this offense is kind of designed a lot like that as well, where you
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have two two out well maybe playing that Brandon Cook's role, you have Poka
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Nicola doing He's doing something unique, unique, unique things, but he's almost
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a clone to Robert Woods honestly, just some things that he does in the
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blocking as a blocker and just just kind of hit his his his his role
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as the as the f wide receiver. And then you have you know,
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Cooper Cup come back and he'll play that Cup that couple and that in that
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trio. And yeah, I don't think his target share UK Nicoa's target share
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is necessarily sustainable once Kipper Cup comes back. Cupping Cup and Stafford have a
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They've been one of the top quarterback receiver duos in the NFL the last the
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last two years. I don't expect Stafford to start ignoring all of a sudden
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Norton Cooper cop By in it by any means, so right, But yeah,
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I still expect to think Nicko to play large on the offense and being
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a solid number two to Cooper cop Yep, All right, well let's move
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over to the defensive side of things here, because there there's certainly a lot
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of talent in the middle of the field. I mean, especially like Ernest
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Jones. He's been showing some good stuff. They're other linebacker Michael Hope.
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Hope how do you say his last name? I mess up names constantly,
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Yeah, Michael Michael Hoyt. Yes, thank you very much. My gosh,
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it's amazing, folks, email me let me know how much I stink
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with names. Please, thank you very much. Okay, But again,
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two very good linebackers here for this Rams team, and of course Aaron Donald
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up front, He's just a beast to contain. It's going to be interesting
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to see how this Eagle's offensive line, who is one of the best,
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they're one of the best in the league, how they're going to perform against
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Aaron Donald and just some of the stunts that this Rams defense tends to employ
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in the course of the game. So I'm wondering, how do you see
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this Rams defense possibly disrupting the Eagles offense this coming week? What do what
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do us Eagles fans? What do we need to be on the lookout for.
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Yeah, I was interested to see this matchup as well because the Rams
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defensive line, they've really i think overperformed to what to what people expected coming
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in and coming into the year. Obviously of Aaron Donald and they rahemorres flance
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him out everywhere. He'll light up on the interior. This last week,
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the Colts were playing Blake Freeland at left tackle because they were there without their
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starting left tackle, so he was lined up as a wide nine and rushing
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off the edge. So Raheemos does a really good job of moving Aaron Donald
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Brown to get him a get him those those matchups that they can kind of
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take advantage of. Kobe Turner was drafted in the third round and he's been
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fantastic on a weak for us. He's been really good. Byron Young,
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another edge rusher, has been he's been out performing Will Anderson, who was
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drafted i think second or third overall by by the Houston Texans. So yeah,
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they that matchup on the on in the trenches. The offensive line is
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rams defensive line is one of those matchups that I'm really excited to see and
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kind of interested to see kind of what Raheem Mors draws up in terms of
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a though those stunts that you were talking about getting getting adal those favorable matchups
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and to disruptate Jaylor Hurts a little bit. Because if Jalen Hurts will sit
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back there and do it, do it, do what he wants, that
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will it's going to be a long game for the Rams defense. Absolutely it
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will. And look, we you know, we talked on our Eagles postgame
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show about how Jalen Hurts does look a little different this year. And you
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know we're not criticizing Jalen Hurts for having a bad season by any stretch of
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the imagination. I want to put this out there for those listening who may
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be a part of Eagles Nation. That's not what we were doing on our
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postgame show. It's been bizarre to watch how Jalen Hurts has been trying to
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protect himself as he should. But that one particular play again, I'll go
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back to it. We talked about it on our postgame show where there's a
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cornerback and Jalen Hurts in open space and Jalen Hurts just falls down again.
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Of course, we don't want him injured, we don't want to torn acl
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However, you got to make a football move there, and it's gonna be
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interesting to see if Jalen Hurts kind of deviates from what he has been here
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in twenty twenty three thus far with this Rams defensive line again, a very
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prolific defensive line. So for those in the Eagles nation listening, that's what
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we're gonna need to watch this week. So all right, I've got a
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couple more segments here, Blaine, and this is a two part question here
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for you. We're going to talk about the vulnerability of the Los Angeles Rams
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and wanted to first get your take in terms of the matchups this week against
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this Eagles team. You know where you think the Rams might be most vulnerable
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on the offensive side of the ball. Then we'll get into the defensive side.
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But on offense, where do you think the Rams are most vulnerable?
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It's definitely on the offensive line that they have. They have some promising pieces
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that La has had a pretty good rookie season through four weeks. But I
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still think that offensive line is kind of where you can attack them, especially
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Joe Nopum hasn't looked very good at right guard or left tackle for that matter.
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He was at left tackleist last week becau Alaric Jackson was out, so
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that they moved him back to left tackle and just just there's just been there's
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a lot. There were a lot of movie pieces last week. But yeah,
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like I said, the Rams are very vulnerable on that offensive line,
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and that's kind of where it all starts for the Rams and may they wants
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to get into maybe they has a tendency to want to get into a draft
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drop back passing game. And when you get back into and when you run
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a drop back passing game, you have to be able to protect the quarterback.
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So the Eagles defensive line is honestly one of the better units in the
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league in my opinion, and so if they can dominate that matchup. If
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they can don't dominate that matchup, they'll have success. It's a big reason
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why the Ranks have lost nine straight games to the San Francisco for nine ers.
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It's because they struggle. They struggle with that with that with that matchup
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up front offensive line against the defensive line. Yeah, I have been wondering
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about that, and I was as I was writing that particular topic to you,
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I was thinking, is Blaine actually gonna say the offensive line and specifically
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the right side of the line too, because you have a guy in Hassan
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Reddick, who hasn't necessarily put up the stats this season, but he had
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his first sack of the year against the Commanders this past week, and I
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do wonder how Hassan Reddick, his past past rushing skills, along with Josh
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Sweat on the other side, how they are going to really handle that right
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side of the offensive line. I think it could be a big day for
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both of those guys. Yeah, if you need some some stumps coming inside
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with a songwriter Ee and Josh Wett, I think that. I think that's
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something that you're you're forcing the office the Rams offensive line at that point to
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communicate and just kind of with something. If they're having to make changes again
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this week, that could lead to some disaster. Yeah, it could certainly
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for the Rams. What about on the defensive side of things here, Blaine,
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you know where do you think the Rams are most vulnerable on the defensive
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side of the ball as we're staring down Week five here? Yeah, I
15:41
think it's they're the most vulnerable. I think you don't have to look at
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the secondary. Darien Kendrick, I as he's very he's very up and oil
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player. He has a short memory, which is great. You need a
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short memory and when you're when you're a defensive back, if you could give
15:54
him big give up a big play, you have to be able to move
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on to the next one. And he does a good job at that.
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But the problem is that he thought he is suscept susceptible to giving up that
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big play. But I think they're they're kind of the most most vulnerable there
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on they're on the edge on the edges. Michael hoyt Uh, he's a
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natural three T year five tea player, and the Rams transitioned him to edge
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to add dresher last year simply because they had nobody else to play that spot,
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so they they moved him to as a as an addresher. And he's
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been in coverage this year and hasn't necessarily look great in coverage. Gave up
16:25
a big, good big play, uh last week they turned into a touchdown
16:27
touchdown against the Colts. And then on the other side of you of Byron
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Young, who I love what Byron Young is doing this year, But at
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the same time, he's still a third round a third round rookie player that
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can be taken advantage of hes STI kind of it still kind of learning,
16:38
learning how things work in the NFL. So I do expect the Eagles to
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kind of test friends on the edges and see if that they can they can
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they can remain disciplined and in keep containing. Yeah. Absolutely, And I
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know what some folks listening to this, if, especially Philadelphia sports fans,
16:56
are listening to this and saying, all right, A J. Brown,
16:59
DeVante Smith, possibly Dallas Goddard getting some more touches, folks, we can
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say that on the opposite side of things as well, because we know the
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Eagles secondary has been having some problems. We know that the injury bug has
17:11
been going around of course with the Eagles, and we know that the big
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plays that the Washington Commanders made this past week, they could certainly happen in
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Los Angeles for sure. So I think that this defensive unit is just so
17:23
underrated. I'm coming into this season. I was seeing it takes that this
17:26
might be the worst defensive unit in the NFL in the last like twenty years.
17:30
They're gonna be his historically bad. And meanwhile, like you're looking Denver
17:33
and a team that I think may have had being a top ten defensive unit
17:37
has been historically path through four weeks, this Rams defense has they They've only
17:41
allowed one one hundred yard rosherr aster Christy McCaffrey. They've only allowed one one
17:45
hundred yard receiver and that was Jamar Chase. So they've done a really good
17:48
job at kind of limiting what offenses like to do. Where he Morris's play
17:52
is, he's he's the way he's coaching is this team. I really hope
17:57
gets him a head coaching job because he deserves deserves it. The Rams defense,
18:00
and they rank ninth and success rate this season, which is so on
18:03
a play to play bassis. They're playing really well. So I definitely wouldn't
18:07
overlook this Rams defense. I think that they like I said, I think
18:10
you can take advantage of them on the edges. They also acceptable to the
18:11
big play, But I definitely wouldn't wuldn't overlooked them by any means. All
18:15
Right, last segment here, another two part question for you here Blaine wondering
18:19
what's the one thing the Rams are gonna need to hit on this week for
18:23
a win and to give the Eagles their first loss of the season. What's
18:26
that one thing they're gonna need to hit on this week? Yeah, I
18:30
think it's it's it goes back to like I was kind of saying thing earlier
18:33
Mi Sean mcphagh wants to run a drop back passing game and it's a big
18:37
reason why they lost the Bengals. I'm running night football. The Bengals were
18:41
one of the worst run deep run to teams that defending in the run going
18:44
into that game and make Faith put through the ball over forty times. So
18:48
I think to get this win, the Ramsay is sick with what they did
18:51
in Week one against the seat Offs and what they did last week. They
18:53
remained, they remained balanced, got Kylon Williams all in the run game and
18:56
Ronnie Rivers and yeah, they just remained but really alas on offense, and
19:00
that's what they're gonna have to do do to be the Eagles. If you
19:03
allow Josh Sweat, Hassan Reddick, Jayleen Carter to just pin their ears back
19:07
and rush the passer, it's going to like, it's going to be disastrous.
19:11
So you have to you have to keep them, you have to keep
19:14
them guessing and keep them keep them on their on their on their toes or
19:17
yeah, it's uh, absolutely, yeah, I'd say definitely just stay balance
19:21
on offense for sure. Okay, all right and close us out here.
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What's the one thing you think the Eagles are gonna need to hit on this
19:26
week for a win? What are your thoughts? Yeah, I mean I
19:30
expect the Eagles to to get this win. I think it's just you know,
19:34
the CS I think fell into this trap when we week when you mentioned
19:38
you kind of hate the word trap, the trap game phrase, and I
19:41
kind of I kind of dislike that phrase too. But yeah, at the
19:45
same time, like this isn't ramp seem they want to overlook because they only
19:48
lost the forty Niners by seven points, Like this isn't It's going to be
19:52
competitive with you and fight. They they may not be one of the one
19:56
of the top teams in the end in the NFL or the NFC for that,
20:00
but they're they're going to give you a battle. So if the Eagles
20:03
can just remain, remain study and play within themselves, I do see them
20:07
getting win. But if they start making mistakes, kind of get up to
20:10
a slow start, kind of like the day last week, ain't Washington and
20:12
at the Rams in this game, I can see them surprising them for sure.
20:17
Again, folks, Blaine Greasach from Turf Show Times, catch out,
20:22
catch everything they're doing over there, and do you have anything else going on
20:26
that you want to a promo out there aside from Turf Show Times. Buddy,
20:30
I know he's like you said, just follow me at Turf show Times,
20:33
at churchshow Times dot com and then I'm on Twitter at the grease Act
20:34
tst All right, very good, Blaine Greasach. Thank you so much,
20:38
buddy for coming on. It was a great conversation. I'd love to talk
20:41
to you at some other point down the road if you're up for it,
20:44
my friend, for sure, for sure, I think's coming on. I
20:45
appreciate it. The Philadelphi Eagles need to be careful in this game, folks.
20:49
We need to be careful in this game. Like we said, you
20:52
know, we hate that. We hate that name a trap game that you
20:56
know so many folks talk about, you know, but really, when it
21:00
all comes down to it, we saw a lot of vulnerabilities on the offensive
21:03
side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball for this Eagles team
21:04
this past week against the Commanders, and if those mistakes are not fixed,
21:10
this Rams team can definitely beat this Eagles team. They absolutely can, and
21:15
I do not think that that's necessarily going to happen, because I do believe
21:18
the Eagles are a more talented team in various aspects on the field. However,
21:25
I think this Rams team could exploit any sort of mistakes that the Eagles
21:29
make, whether it's a special team's mistake, whether it's a fumble you know,
21:33
whether or not you know Jalen Hurts doesn't look like himself, whatever the
21:37
case may be. If the Eagles are not living up to and performing at
21:41
what the expectation is that us as a fan base have, I think there
21:45
could be some problems here as they are out on the West Coast on the
21:48
road. It's gonna be it's gonna be an interesting matchup for sure, one
21:52
that we as fans, we cannot take it for granted at all. In
21:56
the Philadelphi Eagles should not take it for granted either, So it's gonna do
22:00
it for us here on opposition territory. If you're new to the podcast,
22:03
we'd appreciate it if you'd subscribe on whatever podcast platform you are on. If
22:06
you're on Apple Podcast, we'd appreciate a follow rate and review the show there
22:10
as well, because it does help us within the Apple podcast ecosystem. And
22:15
if anything happens to your podcast feed, you can always head on over to
22:18
Philadelphia Sportstable dot com. We've got our shows over there. We've got some
22:21
PST special podcast too, those are fun. We got some music shows.
22:25
We've got some movie reviews that we have done, some docuseries reviews as well.
22:30
Fun times there and and we are on the Twitter dot com at Philadelphia
22:34
PST, follow me at Jeffrey Underscore Warren, and we're on Instagram as well.
22:38
Just search out Philadelphia Sports Table. There gonna be an interesting game week
22:42
five, folks. It is going to be interesting again, a game that
22:47
we cannot take for granted here in Philadelphia. So that being said, we've
22:51
got more great content coming your way this week. Take care, we'll catch
22:53
you next time.