Adding Context To The Eagles' Recent Pre-Snap Problems

Future Hall of Fame defensive lineman J.J. Watt went viral recently for pushing back at the trend of treating practice like a game.

“Training Camp “stats” are insane and ridiculous,” the three-time Defensive Player of the Year wrote on the X Platform on July 24. “Used to think it was always just people joking, but now seeing them seriously reported.”

Watt went on to explain: “You have no idea what the purpose of that period is, what the goals are, what the context is, etc. It could be a strictly 3rd & Long blitz period where every play is skewed to the defense’s advantage. Coaches could be asking the QB to focus specifically on one route concept. DLine may be focusing only on bull rushes one day or just speed rushes for one period.”

The goals of practicing are different, something Watt tried to emphasize.

“More importantly, practice is for practicing,” he continues. “You’re supposed to fail. You’re supposed to try new things, see what works and what doesn’t work, etc. If you only do what works, you’ll never grow, adapt, change.

“The entire point of training camp is to build and grow towards the season so that you perform your best when the real games start.”

Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert brought some added context to Eagles’ practice on Thursday when asked by Eagles On SI, about the pre-snap penalties that have popped up on the offense this week with NFL officials at practice.

“There are going to be pre-snap stuff,” Goedert said. “We’ve been working silent [counts] this week.”

The Eagles have also been piping in loud music and crowd noise to the practices that set off Apple watches when the decibel level hit 90. 

Meanwhile, with Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens limited and on a rep count after offseason back surgery, Brett Toth, rookie Drew Kendall, and Trevor Keegan have all gotten first- or second-team reps in the pivot.

“Each center has got a little bit of cadence, how they do silent, turn their head, head nod,” Goedert saud. 

However, the star TE wasn;t making excuses.

“It’s definitely something you gotta clean up,” said Goedert. “Coach [Nick Sirianni] always says, ‘You gotta do the things that take no talent.’ Getting the ball snapped, being in a legal formation, not shaving motion – all of that stuff takes no talent. 

“We talk about it and gotta get that cleaned up.”