The Linc – Zack Martin tells Jalen Carter he’s already a special player

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 11/11/23.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

NFL rookie rankings at midpoint of 2023 season: Jordan Addison skyrockets into top five – NFL.com
2) JALEN CARTER. Through the first four weeks of the NFL season, Jalen Carter played in 48 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. I thought that number would increase — it hasn’t. Carter remains at that snap count, but his impact remains the same. He is the highest-graded rookie interior defender (90.6) in the Pro Football Focus era through his first eight games, surpassing Aaron Donald’s 2014 season (90.0). He’s a constant factor up front.

The Eagles are the NFC’s Inevitable Team – BGN
My assertion – thesis, if you will – is that these facts about the Eagles are not a coincidence. They are not the result of randomness, or luck. To avoid blowouts, blown leads, and manage comebacks on such a relentless basis is not an accident. It is something that comes with outstanding game preparation, unparalleled game management, an impeccable feel for game flow, and unshakeable confidence. These are all hallmarks of an incredibly well-coached team, in spite of what Nick Sirianni doubters nationwide might say. Sometimes a picture is needed to explain what we all know – that Sirianni is not simply hitting cruise control on a loaded roster, and has in fact been instrumental to their success.

Jeff Kerr joins to hand out first half grades + predict key games this weekend – BGN Radio
John Stolnis is joined by Jeff Kerr from CBS Sports. The guys did a game by game win-loss prediction of the rest of the Eagles schedule, handed out first half grades, and predicted some of the key games this weekend.

Eagles snap count analysis: Year-to-date – PhillyVoice
Sweat and Reddick have played way more snaps the last couple weeks than they normally do. Prior to Week 8, Sweat was averaging 44 snaps per game, and Reddick was averaging 43. In the last two games, they are averaging around 60 snaps per game — Sweat played 124 snaps, and Reddick played 119. Graham’s role playing about a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps makes sense at the age of 35, but at some point the Eagles are going to have to let Smith get on the field more. They seem to recognize that Barnett gives them nothing as a pass rusher and is a personal foul ticking time bomb waiting to happen, as evidenced by his healthy scratch status Week 9 against the Cowboys. Barnett’s demotion is a good decision, but Sweat and Reddick could eventually wear down if they continue to play 60 snaps per game. Smith needs to step up and give the defense meaningful snaps.

Incomplete – Iggles Blitz
Nick Sirianni and his players are right to point out that you don’t want to peak in September or October. But you do need to show progress. We’ve seen some of that. The Eagles have definitely gotten better in the red zone. They didn’t turn the ball over against Dallas. We’ll see if they can build on that. The defense had a good 3-game stretch (246 yards, 17 points per game). The last two weeks they got lit up for more than 440 yards and 27 points per game. That has to change or the Eagles will be adding some L’s to their record. To be fair, there have been a lot of changes to the back seven. If that group stabilizes now and comes together, the defense could be much better down the stretch. I’ve said all year long that the focus is on doing whatever it takes to win the Super Bowl. Playing tough games is a great way to get ready for the postseason. It would be nice if the games were spread out, but then again you have to beat multiple good teams in a row to win in the playoffs so maybe it is better this way.

In Roob’s Eagles Observations: What the heck happened to James Bradberry? – NBCSP
1. One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Eagles so far this year is what happened to James Bradberry. The veteran cornerback played so well last year, was named 2nd-team all-pro, and in March pretty much every Eagles fan was relieved when they signed him to a three-year, $38 million deal that included $20 million guaranteed. But nine games in, Bradberry has been the Eagles’ biggest disappointment. There’s no perfect metric that measures cornerback play, but if you take a look at a few different analytics, you get a pretty clear picture of Bradberry’s performance. Last year, among 68 cornerbacks targeted at least three times per game, Bradberry had a defensive passer rating of 51.6, 2nd-best in the NFL behind Rig Woolen of the Seahawks (48.7). Bradberry allowed completions on just 45.3 percent of targets – best in the NFL – and allowed just 4.4 yards per target – also best in the NFL. Pro Football Focus gave him an 80.0 coverage grade, which ranked 10th of 118 corners who played at least 200 coverage snaps. Let’s compare all those numbers to this year so far: Defensive passer rating has gone from 2nd-best at 51.6 to 62nd -best at 117.6 out of 71 corners targeted three times per game. Completion percentage has increased from 45.3 to 57.4, yards per target skyrocketed from 4.4 to 6.7. And PFF’s season coverage grade has plunged from 80.0 to 53.9. So he’s gone from 10th out of 118 corners to 101st out of 114 corners. Over the last three weeks, things have gone from bad to worse as opposing quarterbacks have really gone after Bradberry. After allowing a passer rating over 100 in only three of his first 25 games with the Eagles, he’s allowed three straight over 110 – 138.0 vs. the Dolphins, 111.1 at Washington, 129.2 vs. the Cowboys. He’s allowed four TDs in those three games after allowing just two all last year. And after picking off three passes last year, he doesn’t have any interceptions this year. He just doesn’t look like the same guy. Why is all this happening? Bradberry did turn 30 in August, and that does seem to be a magic number for a lot of corners. And obviously the Eagles have faced better quarterbacks this year than last. And he’s also shuttled between outside corner and the slot, which can’t be easy for an eight-year veteran. And then the entire secondary has been unsettled all year because of injuries, and that has to make things tougher for everyone. But however you add it up, Bradberry’s play has been shaky at best. With Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Brock Purdy and then Dak Prescott again looming after the bye, Bradberry desperately needs a bounce-back second half.

Spadaro: Looking at a rugged second half of 2023 regular season – PE.com
Now, they rest. They have time with their families. They can kick back and watch the rest of the NFL this weekend. And when they return to the NovaCare Complex in the week ahead, the Philadelphia Eagles will do so with energy, an understanding of what is ahead, and a league-best 8-1 record. And what is ahead, everyone knows, is extremely challenging. “The big thing is finding a way to win games. That’s what we are all about,” center Jason Kelce said. “We’ve done the right thing at crucial situations and that’s what we have to do moving forward. We have a tough stretch coming up, no doubt about it, but we’ve put ourselves in a good position so far.” The tough stretch begins in prime time at Kansas City against the Super Bowl Champions. Here is a look at the road ahead for the Eagles.

Eagles OT records with Patti LaBelle for “A Philly Christmas Special” – ESPN
“What Jordan did, you could call singing, and what Lane did you could call singing. I don’t know if you could call what I did singing,” Kelce said last year. “I’m very much just like a yeller in certain tones. There are some songs on there that I think are going to shock people, especially people who haven’t heard Jordan Mailata sing.” This time around, the Eagles received a feature from a famous Philadelphia-born songstress with six decades of musical experience. On Wednesday, the team shared footage of Grammy Award-winning singer Patti LaBelle sharing a studio with Mailata. “Honestly, I’ve got stage fright,” said Mailata, who is heralded as the Eagles’ best singer.

Princess Diana Bought That Eagles Jacket Herself – Defector
The photos are absurd. When you first see them, you cannot believe they are real. They are. Paparazzi took them in 1991. Princess Diana, by then estranged from Prince Charles, dropped William and Harry off at school. She was wearing a gorgeous green and silver Philadelphia Eagles jacket. This was not a one-off outfit; in 1994 she was on the cover of People in the same jacket. The photos and magazine covers resurfaced over the years, reaching an improbable late crescendo of attention after people started printing it on clothing in the last decade or so. The whole thing is very funny, and also quite confusing. For one thing, how the heck did Princess Di get an Eagles jacket? An official story has been told over the years, first by team statistician Jack Edelstein after Diana’s death in 1997. Edelstein told the Philadelphia Daily News he met Diana at the funeral of Philly native and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly. Edelstein was friends with the Kelly family, and said he struck up a conversation with Diana while in Monaco. He told her that he worked for the Eagles, and she mentioned that her favorite colors were silver and green. The team shipped her a bunch of gear, including a custom-made jacket. That’s the one she wore in those photos.

Dallas Cowboys Week 10 rooting guide: Loss to Eagles drops team into wild card race – Blogging The Boys
Giants @ Cowboys. Dallas gets a welcome sight in their broken division rivals. New York was already out of it before losing both Tyrod Taylor and Daniel Jones to injury. Third-string QB Tommy DeVito, an undrafted rookie, gets his first start against an angry Cowboys team coming off the tough loss in Philly. With this game and next week’s against the Carolina Panthers, Dallas should be able to at least avoid falling further behind the Eagles for a couple of weeks.

Commanders fans are more focused on winning than on draft position or Ron Rivera’s job security – Hogs Haven
Commanders fans want to win. While the front office may have traded away two defensive starters ahead of the Week 9 game against the Patriots and some people are already shifting their sights to next April’s draft and the 2024 season, more than 3 out of 4 Hogs Haven readers surveyed this week said that they prefer to see the team continue to win games and try to reach the playoffs.

Big Blue View mailbag: Offensive line, QB, Graham Gano, more questions – Big Blue View
Bob, I can see both sides of the Neal argument at this point. He is the lowest-graded tackle out of 61 qualifiers scored by Pro Football Focus. On the other hand, maybe patience is beginning to pay dividends. Neal’s two highest-graded games of the season have been the last two in which he played, Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills and last week against the Las Vegas Raiders. Granted, those grades are in the barely adequate 50s, but that does put his play on the upswing. He has been charged with only two sacks this season, and just one since Week 1. He allowed just the one sack lined up against Maxx Crosby on Sunday, and was charged with no other pressures. Unfortunately, Neal now has another ankle injury. He is week-to-week, so he is again going to miss some time. I am still of the opinion that they should leave him at tackle the rest of the way, especially since his season keeps getting interrupted. I’m curious to see if the modest improvement we have seen in his last two games leads to something more significant. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t and you deal with that in the offseason.

NFL Week 10 predictions, fantasy sleepers, key stats, buzz – ESPN+
The 49ers will make a decision on left tackle Trent Williams (questionable, ankle) close to Sunday. He’s still experiencing discomfort, so he’s not a slam dunk to play — but will try to push through against the Jaguars.

NFL Establish the Fun: Ravens’ new breakout star, Alabama’s emerging QB, and more – SB Nation
You hear that? The autumn wind is blowing, and that means it’s time for another Establish the Fun, where football is fun and I would love to establish that if y’all would allow me. We’re officially at the midpoint of the NFL season and the college football season is pretty close to wrapping up as well. However, the fun production will still be at record highs, because that’s what heroes do. The players that often make the schemes and teams fun are the stars of this here outfit, and with the season finally reaching its’ climactic point, more fun players are popping up like Pokemon in tall grass. So, let’s open up this three pack with a Keaton breakout that would even make the 1989 iteration of Batman jealous.

TGIFootball #14: Previewing Week 10 NFL Action – The SB Nation NFL Show
RJ Ochoa and Justis Mosqueda get you prepped for everything coming in Week 10 of the NFL, presented by DraftKings Sportsbook

…

Social Media Information:

BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen

BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta

BGN Manager: Brandon Lee Gowton: Follow @BrandonGowton

BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio

BGN Cameo: Request a video message