Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Last night against a 7-3 DC team Philadelphia showed how good there are. Fans looked at the great running of Saquon Barkeley, a few good runs from Kenneth Gainwell, and the sharp passes from Jalen Hurts. The Eagles are dependent on the running game over passing, at least at this stage. This is fine for as long as it lasts but they may have to pass more in the next seven games. Let's not forget that we will play both the Steelers and the Ravens.

We all tend to look only at the big plays but I think the third and fourth down stops with eight minutes left were turning points. The recovery of Dallas Goedert's fumble was also just as significant. Of course the two missed field goals and the extra point muff from Jake Elliot made the game an unnecessary ordeal. I hope this was just a night off and he will return to form next week. The Eagles must start moving the ball in the first half. Late start ups inevitably will catch up with them.

Two years ago we missed a chance for two free games as with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017. The Eagles lost to both the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys; the Eagles had to defeat the New York Giants on the last game of the season to assure a home field advantage. We missed a good chance to rest the first string, experiment with new plays, and give the Reserves much needed playing time. This is always a big plus.

Washington is a miracle play from 6-5

With Fangio in Philly and the defense getting better every week, there shouldnt be a collapse this year. With Barkley possibly having the best season since the days of LeSean McCoy, the team has a great chance to contend in a wide open conference.

Can the receivers and offensive line continue to stay healthy?

I think we can say the Bears let us down. Injuries are always big and of course the titles go to those teams that avoid them. I have seen the NFL grow from 12 games in the 50s to 32 now. The talent is stretched even more so injuries draining a team's roster are common. I really don't think the officials are diligent enough in calling penalties. Items:

--Face masking is dangerous and it seems officials are missing this too often. It is for protection not to make tackling easier;
--Some defensive backs strike a receiver long after the ball has whizzed by. A forearm to a players rib cage does not look bad; but to a player on the receiving end it must feel like a blackjack;
--Too many defenders still pile on after their teams mates have made the tackle;
--In this regard it is illegal spear or otherwise hit a player on the ground even if he is not down by contact. A simple touch will get the job done and it should draw a flag for anything more than that.