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Three do's and don'ts for Eagles against Packers in Week 1
On Friday night, the Eagles and Packers will meet in Brazil for the NFL's first game played in South America. It’s a tough but winnable game for the Eagles, as long as they do (or don’t do) the following.
Do: Throw the ball to Saquon Barkley
The Eagles new running back has nearly half as many receiving yards (2,100) as rushing yards (5,211) in six NFL seasons. Former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift was criminally underused as a pass-catcher last season, seeing a career-low 49 targets in 16 games. Barkley had 60 targets with four receiving touchdowns in 2023 and may be the team’s third-best receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Don’t: Forget to run the ball
After trading fourth- and seventh-round picks to get Swift from Detroit, the Eagles gave him a single carry against the Patriots in last year’s opener in a game they were lucky to win. They’d finish the season with the sixth-most rushing attempts (510) in the NFL, but 157 of those carries came from quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Do: Blitz
In 2022, Philadelphia set a franchise record with 70 sacks despite blitzing on just 22% of dropbacks. Last year, the team blitzed at the same rate but managed only 43 sacks. With quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Jordan Love and Dak Prescott on the schedule and last year’s sack leader, Haason Reddick, off the team, new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have to get creative if the Eagles’ front four can’t get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Don’t: Fall back on the “Tush-Push”
It was fun while it lasted, but it’s time to put Philadelphia’s signature play on the shelf. Not only will the team be without retired All-Pro center Jason Kelce this year, preseason games clearly showed backup quarterback Kenny Pickett is no Hurts.
Hurts is simply too valuable to keep putting in harm’s way. He and Barkley have both been known to squat nearly 600 pounds but when it comes to pounding the ball for a first down, the team’s $255M quarterback should defer to its $37M running back.
The Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley squat content we’ve been waiting for. pic.twitter.com/JrwXKanRCC
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) May 5, 2024
Do: Find Johnny Wilson
The sixth-round rookie wide receiver had a single catch for seven yards in the preseason but could be a formidable weapon in the red zone. At 6-foot-6 and 228 pounds, the former Seminole may not run like a gazelle but he has at least four inches over every player in the Packers secondary.
Don’t: Get off to a slow start
The Eagles haven’t played good football since beating the Giants 33-25 on Christmas Day. Philadelphia lost six of its last seven regular-season games last year and ended their season with a 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the NFC wild-card game. A fast start would go a long way in restoring the team's confidence.
If the Eagles start slow, expect Green Bay to test Philadelphia’s rebuilt secondary (31st-ranked last season) to build a lead with wide receivers like Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, then run the ball with former Raider Josh Jacobs.
Should Philadelphia play poorly, Eagles fans will waste no time calling for head coach Nick Sirianni’s job. If the team loses, they might not let him back in the country.
More must-reads:
- Eagles HC Nick Sirianni defines role for QB Jalen Hurts amid uncertainty
- Jason Kelce makes big claim about leadership of Eagles' Jalen Hurts
- The 'NFL mascot names' quiz
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Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
Three potential landing spots for disgruntled Bills RB James Cook
Superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys aren't the only ones involved in a contract dispute. Buffalo Bills star running back James Cook is seeking a pay raise as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. When asked Sunday why he wasn't practicing, Cook responded: "Business." ESPN insider Adam Schefter noted on Monday the hold-in by Cook, the 2022 second-round pick (63rd overall) who is unhappy with his contract situation. For now, Cook's future with the Bills is in question, so let's look at three teams that should be lighting up general manager Brandon Beane's phone in an attempt to pry him from Buffalo. Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles must continue to add weapons around second-year QB Caleb Williams. Per NFL.com, Chicago ranked 25th in the league in rushing yards (102 per game) and 29th in yards per carry (four) last season, which is not good enough to support a young QB. RB D'Andre Swift (253 carries, 959 yards rushing, 3.8 yards per carry) is a solid option but was inefficient last season in the workhorse role. Cook, who rushed for 1,009 yards last season (4.9 per carry), is an efficient runner who could balance this offense. Chicago has the draft capital and salary-cap space (roughly $13M, per Over The Cap) to get a deal done, particularly if it were to send Swift back the other way. Arizona Cardinals Their offense could reach new heights with a dynamic running back like Cook. James Conner, who rushed for a career-high 1,094 yards last season, has been a solid lead runner in Arizona over the past four years, but the 30-year-old could use help. Conner is a power back. Speedster Cook would bring a different style and create an explosive one-two punch with QB Kyler Murray. Per Over The Cap, Arizona has roughly $35M in cap space and all its own draft picks to get a deal done. It's a move it must consider to compete in the loaded NFC West. Minnesota Vikings What better way is there to aid rookie QB J.J. McCarthy than by trading for a high-end running back? Minnesota has perhaps the best receiving groups in the NFL, so improving the run game could make this offense unstoppable. Running back Aaron Jones will turn 31 on Dec. 2, so Cook — who will turn 26 on Sept. 25 — would be an upgrade. Free-agent RB Dalvin Cook, who has a similar running style to James, his brother, rushed for 1,173 yards with the Vikings in 2022. The Vikings have draft picks to make a solid offer, and while their cap space will get tight in 2026, they can find ways to wiggle their way around it. Perhaps Buffalo would be interested in Jones being a part of the deal to help its backfield in the short term.
Green Bay Packers: MarShawn Lloyd’s Injury Opens Door For Experiment
The Green Bay Packers are dealing with some injuries heading into their first game in the 2025 NFL preseason. Among the hurt bodies on their roster is running back MarShawn Lloyd, who has impressed at Packers training camp but is down with a lower-body injury he suffered last week. The injury was initially blamed on a hit by defensive back Nate Hobbs, but it was later found out to be a non-contact type. With the former USC Trojans running back out of commission at the moment, the Packers are said to be open to testing out some creative approaches in the backfield. “I’m told the outlook for MarShawn Lloyd’s groin injury is roughly one to two weeks, so he could be back as early as next week,” wrote Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. “Don’t be surprised if the Packers, who love versatility on offense, experiment with backups Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson playing hybrid or fullback-type roles at times.” When will Green Bay Packers RB MarsShawn Lloyd be healthy again? As said by Fowler, the earliest Lloyd could return to the field is next week, which would rule him out for this coming Saturday’s preseason matchup versus the New York Jets at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Also, under that projection, he can be back in action for the meeting with the Indianapolis Colts on the road in Week 2. The Packers can also just be extra careful and hold him back for the entire offseason, as they look forward to having Lloyd 100 percent healthy for their first assignment in the 2025 NFL season, which is a home game against the Detroit Lions.
What's Next Step for Dolphins First-Round Pick?
The pads finally came on during Miami Dolphins training camp practices this week, which means it’s a good time to take stock in how first-round pick Kenneth Grant is faring. The Dolphins selected the 6-3, 335-pound interior defensive tackle out of Michigan to help solidify the middle of the defense after losing players like Christian Wilkins and Calais Campbell in back-to-back offseasons. The newly extended Zach Sieler can only do so much on his own. So, what’s the next step for the highly touted rookie? Defensive line coach Austin Clark has a few things in mind. “I think he's working himself into shape,” Clark told reporters Monday. “I think he works extremely hard, very smart player. I would say that's the thing that's impressive, learning multiple spots and stuff like that. [We’re] pleased where he's at, but he knows we've got a long way to go and fired up for these next couple practices here and taking into the joints in the games.” Clark saying that Grant is still working into NFL shape isn’t overly surprising. Grant is a huge player who moves faster than someone of his size should. There’s obviously a difference between the conditioning he needed to do at Michigan, as opposed to playing in the South Florida heat at NFL speed. Plus, Grant played a lot of snaps for the Wolverines over the years. He played more than 400 snaps in his two seasons as a starter, including a career-high 547 last season. So, there’s no reason to panic (yet) about Clark’s comments. Getting into better shape starts with new habits, something defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is looking for from all of his young defensive linemen. “We're trying to make this new training their new habits,” Weaver said. “So that to me is the biggest thing, just making sure you don't revert back to some of the things you've done in the past and you try to do what you've been trained to do to this point.” Gearing Up For Joint Practices Grant was never going to wow anyone before pads came on. But he’ll have a good opportunity to stand out when the Dolphins conduct their first of four joint practices this summer on Aug. 8 against the Chicago Bears. What is Weaver looking for from the young defensive lineman? “To trust their technique and fundamentals in their training,” Weaver said. “The thing that happens a lot, particularly with younger players, is when they get in that, the fire. And you're outside of your normal, where you're practicing against the same guy every day, is that they start to revert back to old habits.” Clark believes the team will get to learn a lot about Grant and the interior defensive line during joint practices because of how little the defensive line is allowed to do in regular practice. “I think the biggest thing with linemen is that those are where you really get to see how we're doing,” Clark said. “Because when you don't have pads on, there's a lot of protecting the team and things you're working on. You don't really know if you're gonna finish a move and pass rush and stuff like that. Run game, our offensive line is protecting the team.” Reading too much into how a rookie looks during the first few weeks of training camp and even during joint practices is a little silly. However, the Dolphins do need Grant to be a solid contributor this season. As mentioned above, Sieler can only do so much in the middle, and the team made Grant the centerpiece of its additions on the interior. Behind him are players like Benito Jones and fellow rookies Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers. Those players, and possibly others like Matt Dickerson, have some potential, but if Grant struggles this year, it’ll be an issue. So far, Weaver likes what Grant has shown, even if he still needs to work on some things. “Awesome, awesome,” Weaver said about Grant. “He's everything we thought he would be. I think his game particularly comes to light when the pads come on, right? And you've seen the impact he can have both in the middle of the pocket as a run defender and as a pass rusher.”
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