An Eagles offensive line at full strength is a smashing thing, and creates a wonderful recipe of smarshed Dallas pumpkins, pancakes and waffles…
Jason Peters’ return to left tackle gives the Eagles the ideal offensive line they had projected several weeks ago with Peters and Todd Herremans at left and right tackles respectively, Danny Watkins and Evan Mathis at guards and Jason Kelce at center.
The line will be challenged by a Cowboy defense ranked No. 8 in the league in sacks with 17 and coached by Rob Ryan, who inherited his father Buddy’s passion for blitzing and harassing quarterbacks. But fortunately, in the NFL, it’s perfectly legal for an offensive lineman to harass back…as long as he maintains proper smarshing form and technique within the guidelines of holding, backside block and facemask violation rules.
It’s difficult to underestimate how valuable a healthy Jason Peters can be to an offense from his left tackle position…Not only does he possess great size and quickness in pass protection situations, he can also lead blocking downfield for the run and screen game. He is also quite skilled at the art of pumpkin smarshing…
Needless to say, I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl over this upcoming prime time showdown between Dallas and Philly on Halloween Eve… and amazingly, this will be a cold-weather game, as a nor’easter combined with a western cold front threatens to turn the Linc into a 35-degree F. wind-chill icebox at gametime, a condition which I think slightly favors the Eagles.
I will update this blurb over the weekend as new info comes in. I’m just setting the tone of the game with the concept of pumpkin smarshing…a concept I’d most like to see applied to the Eagles offensive line play.
We got this email in from Eagle Nut, one of the first-ever commenters and advisors here from the “early” days of 2007 and 2008, along with Luke and the great Brizer…
“Big night on Sunday. I’m gonna sound like a broken record player when I type this, but its going to be turnovers that decides who wins. If our D forces Romo to win the game with his arm and take away any semblance of a ground game, then I just know our star CB’s will step up and make the big play. Call it a gut feeling. The D looked far better against the Skins last week, so I have confidence in them. Of course, some of the pressure will be taken away if the offense scores 30 points like they should. I have faith though, especially since Reid is undefeated after the bye. It should be a good game. And there is a correction to be made; I’m from MD, not VA. Call it nitpicking, but I have a bit of a perfectionist in me. Either way, let’s hope this Sunday leaves us feeling great about our team with a huge win over those cowgirls from texas. Given that I have a bet with Mom, who is alas, a big D fan, I’d really like to win this one.”
Nice. Thanks. Eagle Nut. And I apologize for thinking all along you were from the Virginia suburbs of D.C., and not the Maryland side. There is a subtle but significant difference of allegiance among sports fans in that region.
We also harvested a great comment from Leo Pizzini, the former collegiate defensive back and punter who brings so much entertainment and enlightenment to this column along with his X’s and O’s…
“…seriously though… I think we have been one of the biggest underachievers and unfortunate teams to date… that doesn’t help our record to date at all… but it bodes well for us going forward… NFL gravity is sucking teams like the Redskins and Lions back down to earf a little bit… I think that kinda reality will logically invert itself for underperforming and mistake-riddled teams like us…”
“…and onda defense… keep running that 4-4 wide 9 look wit’ Coleman inda box shading the TE or pressing, and MIKE & SAM spying the back in a tight zone, and the WILL covering the weak flat .. and give Nate the Skate a bunch of Ginko… or play Asante in single safety behind the 8-man box!!! … and play 4-3 wide 9 wit’ the safeties pressing the box… then when the time is right, go straight wide-9 wit’ man outside!… and mix in a couple cover 2 and cover 4 zone plays!! – I’m an eff’n genius!!! – do not dispute this!!!! And mix in some more of those middle twists from the nickel wit’ Jenkins crossing over the Center…”
Somebody please pass that note to Juan Castillo….
That analytical mini-blurb from Leo was snared from a PE.com OTI column a few days ago in which even Spuds himself (Dave Spadaro) took notice and appeared himself like the biblical burning bush to acknowledge Leo’s brain…
But we’ve been promoting Leo’s theories for the evolution of the hybrid “Cloud 9” defensive scheme here all along since Week 2… As Brizer says, if you miss a little, you can miss a lot.
And as we say all the time here: Come for the food, stay for the fun…and the fights…and the edumacation…and the smarshing…
updates to follow….
South Philly Ben’s No Ballz Pix for Week 8… by Ben Gold
“Hi, sorry I was late last week with my pic’s (I finished up 7-5-1 for Week 7), I’ll work on dat along with my spelling…Well here it is ,Southy’s No Ballz Pix for week 8:”
NO over STL+13
MIA+10 over NYG(now dats ballzy)
JAC+9.5 over HOU
ARI+13 over BAL(too many pts?)
CAR over MIN+3.5
IND+8.5 over TEN
BUF over WAS+6(Leo’s point exactly)
CIN over SEA+3(Cincys been kill’in me so far)
PIT+3 over NE
DET over DEN+3
CLE+8.5 over SF
IGGLES over Cowturds+3.5(F..Romo! Off wit his head,as Bryzzer might say)
SD over KC+3.5…
“Have a great day all…and doesn’t Rock fishing look fun?…Gotta try that one day…”
Here’s LEO’s LINE updated from Saturday night:… by Leo Pizzini: “OK. I gotta post some predictions…
ARI 17 – BAL 27
MIN 27 – CAR 28
JAC 16 – HOU 24
MIA 13 – NYG 34
NO 42 – STL 10
IND 19 – TEN 21
WAS 27 – BUF 24
DET 23 – DEN 20
NE 27 – PIT 24
CLE 17 – SF 24
SEA 17 – CIN 20
DAL 20 – PHI 33
SD 31 – KC 17 ……………My best guesses for the week… “
I’ll flip this blurb over at approx. 7 P.M. for gameday update and turn the show over to the Livefyre Gallery of Smartest Philly Fans for their expert live-blog commentary on the game…
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