In a new series dubbed “Eagles Roundtable”, the FPC Eagles team will get together and answer popular questions. These questions may be about the prior week, or an upcoming week. This week we have five major questions for the roundtable. Let’s dive in to the Eagles Week 1 Roundtable!
What is the most important thing that has to happen on Sunday for the Eagles to win?
Kyle Starrett: No question, the offensive line has to be competent. The offense cannot and will not function without that. Getting Lane Johnson back will significantly help that cause, but he alone will not resurrect the unit. Everyone on that line has to step up their game on Sunday because no one played well against Washington and against Aaron Donald, that kind of performance will not be acceptable.
Evan Tonrey: Protect Carson Wentz. Many of the throws this week were on 11, but having little time to work certainly didn’t do him any favors. The Offensive Line needs better communication. They need to be on the same page every snap if the Eagles even want to stop Aaron Donald.
Chris Boughman: The most important thing for the Eagles Sunday will be consistent play from their offensive line. No protection = No Success.
Trevor Woodworth: Echoing what the rest of the team has said, the offensive line will be a major factor in this game. If they can rise to the occasion, the Eagles have a solid chance to beat the Rams. If Carson is the meal of choice for the defense, we will suffer a similar result as last week.
Are we worried about Carson Wentz’ play going forward?
Kyle: Carson Wentz played potentially his worst game as an Eagle last Sunday… but I’m in no way concerned. History tells us that Wentz has bad games but will then almost immediately bounce back. Getting Miles Sanders and the aforementioned Lane Johnson back will pay huge dividends, and with at least a little bit of blocking, I think there’s a good chance we see Wentz return to form.
Evan: Not worried yet. Carson Wentz has more often than not shown why he is our franchise QB. Everyone has shaky games, especially when there have been very few “Gametime” moments in practice due to COVID. Wentz, however, needs to stay calm and collected in the face of adversity. In Year 5, he cannot unravel mentally like he did Sunday. Getting rid of the ball and moving around the pocket are two things I would like to see him work on this week, as the talent will come naturally.
Chris: Am I worried about Carson Wentz? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Carson will be fine. As the offensive line gets healthy, it alleviates some of the pressure Carson has to withstand, both physically and mentally. Carson needs to learn to live to see another down. THROW THE BALL AWAY. If the coaches pound that into his head, Carson will improve his overall game.
Trevor: Let’s be honest here. This is just the Media creating a story. I don’t think anyone within the organization is worried about Carson Wentz right now. I talked about it in my recap, but if there was worry about Wentz, Jalen Hurts would have been active last week. Wentz is human. He made some mistakes last week. I have no reason to assume that this week will be a similar story.
How much is Doug Pederson to blame for last weeks loss?
Kyle: Not as much as people are saying. I think it’s hard to say “call better plays” because, without a solid o-line, it’s tough for anything to work. I think he could’ve been a bit more conservative and run the ball a bit more. However, this offense was built to go deep, so I can understand Pederson’s wanting to keep trying. I think we’ll see him, along with Wentz, rebound in week 2.
Evan: I would give Pederson 20% of the blame. The offense was overall poor. A lack of a run game, a terrible offensive line, and an ugly QB performance dragged the team down last week. However, making 0 adjustments at the half and calling all or nothing plays rather than progressing methodically down the field are things that stick out for me. Pederson needs to get creative with his play calls and not abandon the run as quickly. Even if it was a poor performance. He also needs to get Carson moving out of the pocket. Some of Wentz’s most remarkable feats have come from rolling out. Adding variability to the play-calling keeps the defense on their toes, and more of that must be brought to the Linc Sunday.
Chris: The blame Doug game. Hmm… I’m aboard that bus. As the great Andy Reid once said: “I need to do a better job.” Doug needs to improve his playcalling and decision making. Set the offense up for success. The goal should be to gain 3.5 yards per play. If the offensive line is struggling, go to the ACE formation. The Eagles have two of the best overall tight ends in the league. Keep Ertz and Goedert in tight, and Run 12 Personnel. Run the ball more consistently, and set up the play-action. We need more balance in the offensive gameplan.
Trevor: I’m on board with Chris here. Doug Pederson owns a lot of the blame for last week’s game. Making no adjustments at halftime is a tough pill to swallow. Virtually no quick passes to start the third. Nothing was done to try and temper the Washington pass rush. On a critical third and 3, Pederson dialed up a bomb to DeSean Jackson. That’s not smart football. Pederson is usually one to own his failures. Hopefully, we see him out coach Sean McVay once again this Sunday at the Linc.
How will the offense change assuming Lane Johnson and Miles Sanders are both active?
Kyle: I think Miles Sanders and Lane Johnson returning would make a significant impact on the offense, more so with Johnson. Sanders is an excellent back but is nothing without blocking. I hope that Lane’s return gives the o-line a spark and helps gel the unit a bit because, as I said before, the offense’s success depends on it.
Evan: The offense will change drastically if Johnson and Sanders find themselves suiting up Sunday. Lane Johnson immediately bolsters the right side of the line. Sanders adds not only a great playmaker to the backfield but helps alleviate the pressure off Wentz. Sanders will assist in establishing a run game, with Johnson leading the way on the right side. This will not fix all of the offense’s issues, but the Eagles can use all the help they can get, especially from two star players looking to return this week.
Chris: The people losing their minds over Carson need to R-E-L-A-X. The offense was missing two critical components on Sunday, Lane Johnson and Miles Sanders. The Eagles depend on Miles to carry a hefty load in the offense. Miles Sanders creates a dynamic in the offensive game plan that no other back on the roster can provide. He can get between the tackles, offer up a key pass block, or slip into a flat for a screen in the open field. Lane Johnson is an integral piece to the Eagles’ success. The birds have a tremendous record with him in the lineup. He’s the anchor of the offensive line. Lane provides an energy and leadership quality that not many teammates can provide. The moral of this story: The Eagles will improve substantially with the addition of Miles Sanders and Lane Johnson.
Trevor: With both Lane Johnson and Miles Sanders on track to return this Sunday, my spirits are high. Look for Philadelphia to have a drastically different approach in this game. Doug will need to call a balanced attack if he’s going to keep this ferocious Rams defense on its toes. I’m looking forward to having some offensive line stability from now on. Add that to having one of our best playmakers return, and that’s a recipe for success.
Roundtable prediction for this weekend?
Kyle: I’ll go with a 38-34 Eagles’ win. Historically, Eagles-Rams games have always been shootouts during the Doug Pederson era. Not only that, but I can’t remember the last time an Eagles’ defense has played well in back to back games. I think the Rams’ defense is exploitable and, as is the common theme here, with decent blocking, can be scored on relatively easily. Expect a bounce back from both Wentz and Pederson in what should be a solid offensive showing.
Evan: Final Score this Week: 24-20 Eagles. Might be overly optimistic, but this final score will depend significantly upon injuries. The defense played a great game against a poor offense. However, they showed significant improvements in the secondary, not allowing any long bomb passes this week. The Eagles face a much scarier opponent in the Rams and must hold tight against an even more dangerous defensive line. Wentz must play with increased awareness and remain calm under pressure. This roster is talented enough to beat the Rams, but they have to get healthy quick. If the Eagles fire on all cylinders, I take them to top a low scoring affair. However, if injuries prove too much to overcome, it’ll be another long Sunday afternoon.
Chris: The last few games between these two teams have been shootouts. I don’t see it being any different here on Sunday. Carson Wentz and Jared Goff will get hype for this game. The battle of former #1 and #2 draft picks. Carson Wentz is looking to get some revenge from 2017. Jared Goff is hoping to show the world the Rams are for real this year. Carson is out to prove the doubters in the tri-state area wrong, calling for his head. Yeah, this should be a good game. I’m going with my gut here and picking the home team in this matchup. Carson will lead a game-winning drive in the final minutes, and the haters will hop back on the Wentz wagon. Eagles win 34-28.
Trevor: Unfortunately, there is virtually no way the offensive line is flawless this Sunday. Still, the Eagles rise to the occasion when it matters most. Look for Doug Pederson to once again get the better of Sean McVay. Doug has out-coached Sean in all of their matchups thus far. Carson has a bounce-back game, and the Eagles receivers find space in the Rams secondary. I’m going to go with Eagles here, 31-27. roundtable
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