Eagles 360: December 20

you lose something in the quality of the game. I watched those Thursday night uniform where do they call those things? Burnout, color war whatever it is games, and by and large I find them not to be as great is the quality of NFL football we watch on Sunday the Eagles. By the way, we'll be wearing the color black on Thursday night. Right, did we decide black is the absence of all color? No? Black is in fact of color? Right now? Blacks of color? I think black is either

the absence or presence of all color. I think it's the presence of all color. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Color White's not see what five to nine produces. All right, We've got some very busy things happening at the Overcare Complex on this Tuesday. Lane Johnson back practicing, starting talking to the media, and that's one of the things that Alex Smith will discuss here. It is three sixty update as the Eagles look ahead to the New York Giants

on Thursday. Hi everyone, I'm Alex Smith here with your three sixty update. The Eagles continue their short week of practice heading into Thursday night's game against the Giants, and today back on the practice field for the first time was right tackle Lane Johnson, coming off of his ten game suspension. Now Johnson will start at right tack on Thursday night, and today he spoke in the locker rooms saying that he feels the need to prove himself with

his actions. This is this is hard. I mean, I don't care who blues it or not, but uh, words can't words can't express anything. I's gonna have to show by actions. So over the next few years, uh, just less talking, more action. I think it showed in my first four game, first four games. I'll trying to play as hard as I can. I mean, even even now when I come back. I'm trying to play as hard as I can, and that's all I can do. That's

all I can't control is just how hard I play. Um, And it's just it's more action basing than than what words can say. So try to go out there and go play good. Meanwhile, the task on Thursday for the Eagles defense, it's slowing down Odell Beckham Junior and the Giants offense. Today inside the locker room, we heard from cornerback Jalen Mills on what it will take to slow down number thirteen. I mean, you gotta play good coverage.

You know, you have to keep your eyes on him. Um. You see sometimes where where he may run around and a guy may try to be too aggressive and he's cutting up the field and he last on over your head. Are sometimes you're playing too soft and eyes go to the quarterback and he's hitching the slam and taking it for you know, forty fifty yards. So for sure, you have to have great eyes on it, for sure. And

finally we'll wrap things up with an injury update. Running back Kenyon Barner did not practice today, and of course head coach Doug Peterson already said earlier this week that Barner will not play in Thursday night game as he deals with the hamstring injury. Meanwhile, the only other Eagle who was limited in today's practice was guard Isaac Sayamalu.

For a full injury recap, as well as all of our sound from inside the locker room, stay right here on Philadelphia Eagles dot com and the official Eagles mobile app. Thanks so much, Alex Glenn. How much of an impact did the absence of Lane Johnson have on this football team? Dramatic day? I think it's the if you're going to list the biggest reasons the Eagles went from being three and out of being five and nine, I put that

right at the top. It started an effect where the Eagles went through five right tackles over the course of the season. Some of them did pretty well. I mean, I think we learned Viti can be a player, but still that offensive line went way downhill when he left, and I think it's the number one factor in the Eagle season. Kind of going sound. Yeah, So he was back in the starting lineup for this game after not playing for ten weeks. How much can he give the

Eagles on Thursday Night? We're gonna find out busy show for you. Today we take a look around the NFC East. We have Doug Peterson in studio his formula for getting his players ready for this game. But when we return, one final look back at Sunday's heartbreaker in Baltimore, Glenn mac now his five takeaways. This portion of Eagles three sixty was presented by McDonald's Mix and Match on McDonald's mcpick two for two dollars and fifty cent menu now

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be together. Let's celebrate joy with Duncan's Holiday Flavored Coffee's espressos and Donuts America runs on Duncan. We welcome you back. Eagles three sixty Dave Spiarrow and Glenn mac now who takes over center stage his takeaways from a disappointing yet uplifting yet heartbreaking twenty seven twenty six loss on Sunday. He got every emotion and I'm trying to here. You got number one. I think actually plays into a lot of these different ups and downs, and is how do

you judge Carson Wentz off of Sunday. He started the game horribly through the interception at the beginning the first drive. He miss throws all day in some bad weather. On the other hand, he drove his shorthanded team to two score in the final six minutes of that game. His scrambling touchdown run was to me, a very big time play. There's greatness in there. I think it's just going to take more time to develop than maybe we believed at

the very start of the season. And I'll just say this, he goes out week after week shorthanded, not a lot of talent arousing him. He throws forty five passes, a lot of them get dropped. He's handled it coolly, calmly. He's got the leadership, Dave. I believe now as much as I ever did that this kid's got greatness. Yeah, he's got the body language after good plays and bad plays generally the same. There's really nothing that Carson Wentz

has done that would make you think otherwise. Although starting games as he has against Minnesota the Giants in Baltimore with first drive, early drive interceptions, got a calm down there and figure out a way to get through those kind of moments. That's the future. And there's some mechanics needs some work and sails the ball. But to me, what I see there is a pros pro yep agree. Number two, Let's give some big ups to an offensive line that played very well in this game, as shorthanded

as it was. That makeship line with Jason Peters, Brandon Brooks, Jason Kelsey, Stefan Wiznowski and Isaac Samala playing tackle did a really nice job. The team rushed for a one hundred and sixty nine yards when Scott sacked once. I saw Kelsey and Peter's way down field hitting secondary blockers on some of those runs. It was regarded as a tough,

tough matchup going in. I think the offensive line all quitted itself well against the number one ragged run defense in the NFL, one that had given up just seventy plus yards overall in less than fifty five yards a game on the ground at home, and the Eagles took it to him just not but in president I quite yeah, two yards short, Yeah, all right, number three. I don't know what to make a Rodney McLoud at this point. I really liked this guy the first half of the season.

He was a terrific free agent edition. He fit the system well, he hit, he covered. We've now seen plays in two of the last three games that just have me scratching my head. That sixteen yard touchdown run he just retreated again and again, back and back into the end zone. I'm screaming my TV. He said afterward that he kind of lost his place on the field. He's a five year veterans. It's a poor excuse for five year veteran. I expect more out of Rodney McLoud. Very disappointed.

I liked what Jim Schwartz said today about that he wants his safety to get back to aiming and firing instead of aiming, aiming, aiming, aiming, fly around the field, go to the football. That's the Rodney McLeod who dominated defensively in the first half of this season. Interesting if we see that these final two games, not a reckless Rodney mccleoud, but a more aggressive, more confident, more decisive Rodney McLeod. Keep backing up. You're gonna be in the

stand soon. Sure, there you go, all right, number four. There is no question that the Eagles possess more talent on defense then they do on offense. And the stats have looked pretty good in the stats on Sunday, three sacks, two takeaways. That's all very nice. But a constant problem all year and was again this year is those long plays that just kill him. And they gave up some

of those again. Jim Schwartz's defense has been hurt by those all yea, those third and eights that they convert really hurt the Eagles, and I guess just part of that. We of course know the big player. I didn't like the secondary. Members of the secondary after the game kind of complaining about the scheme. Sometimes you just got to cover one on one if they want to try to get the blitz on ye And that was Jayalen Watkins.

That was on Jaylen Watkins. He's the one who's got to be over the top on that touchdown pass to Steve Smith. He was late, bad angle. It's happened before. Jaylen Watkins, if he wants to be a key member of this Eagles defense moving forward, has to be in those positions, all right. Number five, a defensive guy I like, and I know you do because we've discussed them before, and I'll single him out for praise, has been a linebacker.

Jordan Hicks. Yeah, he overpursued on the Dixon touchdown, but he also had eight tackles and that huge late interception that allowed the Eagles to get back into the game. He has forced nine turnovers in nineteen NFL games. That in itself is a great number. You need those guys. I don't know how many nucleus players the Eagles have right now, I can tell you he is one of them. Yeah,

no question about it. I think Jordan Hicks is a player who won't be called when the Pro Bowl is announced later tonight, but I think the Pro Bowl down the line for Jordan is very possible. He'll put on some bulk this offseason. He'll put on some strength. Remember last year he had the pectoral injury. Really couldn't attack the weight room early in the offseason. Really critical offseason for Jordan, assuming he stays healthy. Knock on wood these

last two games. Eagles have a leader inside. They've got a playmaker inside, and he does go to the football absolutely, and that's you can get to need those guys who create turnovers. That's fine. Good, that's a good five. Alright, Glenn mcnow's five takeaways from Baltimore. We're not going to talk about it any more. We are going to talk about the Eagles as they transition into the New York Chinese and to do so, we will have Doug Peterson,

Eagles head coach, in studio when we return. This portion of Eagles three sixty was presented by Rothman at Jefferson the Eagles and Rothman Institute at Jefferson are partnering to celebrate the top high school football teams and coaches in the Tri State area with the High School Football Showdown. Visit the website to vote for the game of the week and support your school. Jack back daily for new matchup. What's Ben Santa? No love? Actually? No? What about that one? Anybody? Yeah,

there's too many to pick from. Hi. I'm Bo Allen from the Philadelphia Eagles, and this is the Allen from Bob's Wiscount Furniture. We named it after Ball. Thanks Bob, you're the man. It packs serious power, power recline, powerhead rest, and USB ports. Get the sofa, a console, love set in dark chocolate or light brown, and untouchable value at only seven nine nine each. I don't know how you do it, Bob, but man, do I respect it? You know,

players should respect that for big games. Nope, we swap jerseys, all right, Phillas, Let's go out there and give them pack. Let's go out there and give them the ones to go out there. We're gonna really give him the business. My god, let's sock it to him. Yeah, fat and square, all right, old smokes. The old game just can't compete, especially when it comes to innovative energy solutions like the ones NRG uses to power the Eagles. Visit pick nrg

dot com today. Celebrate the holidays with delicious Dunkin Coffee stuff like Dunkin Donuts for two k cup boxes for fifteen ninety nine or three pounds a package copy for nineteen ninety nine. America runs on Duncan. We welcome you to our one on one exclusive with Doug Peterson, Head Coach, presented by Wah Wah and Doug. It is a Tuesday, You've got a game on Thursday. You just clean up the game from Sunday. It all really mashes in one

of the keys to getting these players back physically and emotionally. Well, the number one thing is, and I think the positive thing is getting back out on the practice field and getting them getting these guys moving moving around a little bit. You know, Monday, we spent that day in meetings and and some walkthrough and kind of put in the base game plan for for the Giants moving forward. And then and then obviously today putting in the rest of our

game plan. And uh and really you're down to just a couple of days this week, and you're going to play.

So you know, it's it's it's the beauty of it is you're playing a division opponent that you've already played before, so there's some familiarity there, and so you're not having to reinvent a lot of things, and and uh, you know, sometimes the best best ways and the best times of our Thursday night games because you can you can keep things simple for your offense and defense and allows you guys to play a couple of big picture questions if

we could talk about it offensive line. You now have seen Isaac Samalo play a bit, You've seen La Polavati Viti play. Your thoughts on how they might project into the future of the Philadelphia Eagles. Well, both of them, um are our tremendous draft picks for us. Uh, you know, we we were fortunate to pick up both of those guys back in back in the April draft, and they both came in with an eagerness and already you know,

readiness to play. And Isaac was probably a little more ahead of the curve because we kind of threw them in there a little bit faster than than Big V as he Big V was learning the system in the terminology. But both of these guys for us project down the road to be to be starters in our offensive line. And what we've seen out of Big V this season, the times that he's played, he got better each week. And it was just unfortunate his injury that he's missed

these last couple of weeks. But and then Isaac steps and he was playing some tight end position early and then he and then he gets thrust into that right tackle. He was our fifth right tackle this year and really did did a great job against Baltimore. You know, and these guys have a tremendous pass rush. They're there, They're great on third down, first in the league there against the run. And uh, a guy like Isaac is a pros pro. He studies, he pays attention to detail, He

takes coaching extremely well. And so I really see both of these guys being starters in the future force. With everything that you've gone through up front, how has Jeff made that line still function at a pretty high level with five right tackles, with left guards moving around with injuries kind of throughout well, I, you know, the two consistents in that offensive line have been Kelsey and Jason Peters, and he really leans on both of those guys for

their veteran leadership in their presence. And I really even Alan Alan, you know, has been that veteran presidence who started at guard and then he moved out to tackle and was playing some tackle position. And then he got another veteran and Whizz who comes in and plays your guard spots. So and then and then you know free agent pickup Brandon Brokes, who these are veteran players that have had a lot of games under their belt. So um, it wasn't a matter of them getting used to, you know,

the game. It was just it was just Stout staying on him, staying discipline with the run game, keeping it simple, meaning meaning not reinventing the run game each and every week and using the same core concepts that we put in back in April and OTAs and you know, fine tuning that and really being disciplined with everything they do. And so it really didn't matter who was playing where.

Just the way he teaches and and and plugs guys in, you know, has has been part of our process and part of our you know plan these last few weeks, I know, tight end zach Ertz has been a topic of conversation for the fans, for the media, it really seems like in the last six weeks or so, he has just come on like gangbusters. How do you see

him developing through this system? And then has he turned the corner and just been somebody here you know you're gonna rely on and he'll deliver week in week out. I do, and what I saw early in the season, and really what I saw at the end of the last season. You saw Zach Ertz and Sam Bradford really connecting and making plays on the field a year ago.

And then and then Carson now enter Carson Wentz and he's learning the personnel, he's learning how these guys run routes, on what they like and don't like, and you know, and so I think there was a little bit of figuring each other out early in the season. But these last few games now Zach and Carson have been on the same page and they're making They're making a lot of a lot of a lot of plays on the field.

The one area that we do have to get better at, obviously with those two is in the red zone and utilizing that big target. And we've had opportunities we've just we've come away with either field goals or we've turned the ball over and you can't you can't do that in this league because points are too valuable. But these two, the more they work together, I really feel like this can be a dynamic combination in the future for us.

Do the New York Giants have won ten games, barely beat the Eagles back in whenever month it was, It seems so ago. Um, how have they done it? What have they done well to get to ten wins? Well, you know, one thing is they're playing great defense, obviously, and and um, you know, they went out and spend a lot of money in the offseason to pick out some you know, pick up some free agents that are that are really beginning to gel, you know, this time of the season, which is what you gotta be doing.

You gotta be playing your best ball at the end of the end of the season, not at the beginning of the season. And and that's what you're seeing out of this defense right now. And offensively, um, you know, they're just staying consistent. You know, they're it's it's it's you know, run on first run, on second little play action pass mixed in there, and then and then convert on third downs and you know, it's uh, it's kind

of been what the Giants had been all about. Eli is one of those guys that that's just gonna, you know, methodically move the ball down the field. He's got some great weapons on the outside, and he's got a big, big tight end you know that that he likes to use. And you know it's uh, he manages the game very well, and um, it's a lot of no huddle, you know, so he's he's communicating on the line of scrimmage with these guys and just basically taking advance what he's seeing

on the defensive side. So all that and all they've you know, they've they've had success doing it, and you know it's been it's been a positive for him. I gotta give you a lot of credit. I remember asking you early in the season about the fourth downs and would you go for it throughout the year and in the future, and you've continued to be aggressive. That's the

way it's going to be, right, you know. I just think that you have to you got to trust your players, and you know, there's times that I don't want to be crazy about it, you know obviously, Um, you know, probably in the last couple of weeks the fourth downs have been because we've been behind in some games and we've had to go for some fourth down situations or a two point conversion because of the score, you know.

And and I'm going to maintain that aggressiveness. I'm gonna be smart by doing it, though, and make sure again that and this is an area that we'll look at in the spring and we'll take a look at all our fourth downs and make sure that we're we're we're that I am calling the right place, putting our guys in the right right positions to convert these fourth downs, and and see where I can I can get better and help our team get better. Do you think the

players really respond to that message? Do you think that they like that you're trusting them so much? I think they do. I think they do. Um, you know, and and I would say that they they were probably all on board with the two point conversion, you know, attempt uh the other day in Baltimore, the fourth down situations to stay on the field, and you know, we missed out on the one, but there was there was a couple others that we had opportunities to convert and we did.

And you know, it's just um, it's something that just shows the confidence in the team, and uh, they whether we make it or not, that next play, our team usually responds and they respond well. So I definitely want to stay aggressive. I'd be smart with it and show the confidence in the gas. Well that was that was quite a comeback the other day. I mean, twenty seven

seventeen Baltimore. As the ball Eagles territory, a lot of defenses would have continued to play hard, but maybe a little hope lost energy on the sideline would have been down. That didn't happen with the Philadelphia Eagles. You know. The one thing I can say that's consistent all year long, as this team has never never quit, never quit on themselves, and and the coaches keep coaching, and we coach them hard, and you know, our guys are resilient. They you know,

they hate to lose. And that's the thing about it. I tell him, I tell him every week, it's like, you gotta hate losing more than you like to win. And and and it's true. It's true because because you learn more from a loss than you do from a win sometimes and and these guys battle to hang in there. There's no there's no panic on the sideline from coaches or players, and uh just seem to buckle down and make some plays and get us back into that game.

Let's get a win. On Thursday Night, Giants come to Town. Doug Peterson and Studio One on one presented by Wahwa. He's good dad. I'm telling you he's lit okay, laying on me. You can't choose someone's taste in music, but at least you can choose two of your favorites from McDonald's mckpick two menu. No, you, sir, We simply right checking from sun time their bank. Just make one deposit, withdraw transfer or pay in each month to wait the

monthly fee, and there's no minimum balance. You're all right, simply right checking from sun time their bank. You say crazy, I say crafted. You say savage. I say practice, crazy, crafted, savage practice. Let's run that whole thing back. You say unbelievable. I say achievable. You say incredible. I say inevitable. Unbelievable, achievable, incredible, inevitable. Let's run that whole thing back to compete electric lights to re plenties. He's good dad, I'm telling you, he's

lit okay. Laying on me. You can't choose someone's taste in music, but at least you can choose two of your favorites from McDonald's mckpick two menu, So you like it. No, no, sir, It's all about the NFC East for the Eagles in these last two weeks of the regular season. So we're going to talk about the NFC East here presented by Bob's Discount Furniture. That Dallas Cowboys still pacing the division. A really impressive win by the Cowboys against Tampa Bay

on Sunday night. I thought Tampa Bay was right there. Three giveaways by Jameis Winston, sloppy performance, and Dak Prescott was probably as good as he's been all year. Dak Prescott was very good, and he's doing They put him back doing what he does well, which is throw short. He had thirty two completions. It was for what, two hundred and seventy nine yards, so he's averaging less than

nine yards of completion. But that works for them. If he dumps it off to Witton, if he dumps it off to Zeke Elliott, that's their offense, their defense, which you know, I've not really been sold on I thought played very well. They had more of a pass rush, Dave. I hate to say it. They're six and one at home, they're six and one on the road. They're a team that certainly could go to the super Bowl this year, which is going to be miserable. Sure, but they're not

going to go to the super Bowl. Now. The Eagles will beat the Giants on Thursday night and that will make the Cowboys game against the Eagles meaningless. All right, we got that all to understand your point. New Year's Day, right, So the division is going to finish this way. Dallas, New York Washington, which loses on Monday Night as shocker at home. They're one in fifteen in their last sixteen home games on Monday Night. Yeah, terrible, And it was

the big audience. And they keep saying we're a primetime team. We think we're the best in the division, while they're now third. But once again, Kirk Cousins, you and I've debated him a lot, and I've come around a lot of them. I think he's a good quarterback, but that's one of those games where you want your quarterback to pull you out of it. I thought he played really poorly. Yesterday and they couldn't get the run game going. Caroline has got a good run defense. You need the quarterback

to do something. Best player they had last night was DeShawn Jackson, by the way, made two outstanding catches on the sideline, had the one drop on the slant pass on a third down. But yeah, it actually that game made me think for the first time this year, well maybe the Redskins won't retain Kirk Cousins. I just don't know who else they would have as the quarterback. Yeah, well that's the problem. But you know, do you the dilemma they have is I guess they can franchise him

once again. Yeah, and that's a fortune. Or do you give him that five year ninety million whatever the going rate is and I don't see it yet. Yeah. Well, it's good to have questions in our nation's capital that aren't related to the political scene. All right, the Washington Redskins. The Washington Redskins lost a huge game, but I still think they make the playoff. Sorry, look, they need some help, but they I still think they make the playoffs. On

Detroit lost last week, Minnesota, they got a shot. Minnesota is finishing eight and eight they're gonna lose to Green Bay and beat Matt Barkley in the Chicago Bears. Eagles will have the first round draft pick somewhere in the sixteen seventeen eighteen range. All right, you can got town with them, Yeah, no question about it. That is our look around the NFC East, presented by Bob's Discount Furniture. We'll be back with more on Eagles three sixty in

just one moment. What's bad? Santa? No love? Actually no, what about that one? Anybody? Yeah? Any time? There's too many to pick from. I scept to Philly. I scept to Philly. The bus, the trolley, the train, Jefferson Station, Airport, Lolling sixty nine Street, Broad Street to the game Paoli, Sharon Hill, Chestnut Hill Regional Rail, except to Philly the Broad Street line on game days. I love Ladega to the movie, to my part play Spring Garden, Late Night,

West Philly, South Philly. With simply right checking from Santime their bank. Just take one deposit, with draw, transfer or payment each month to wait the monthly fee, and there's no minimum balance. You're all right, It's simply right checking from santon their bank. What's bad? Santa No love, Actually, no, what about that one? Anybody? Yeah? Anytime? There's too many to pick from. Our final segment here on Eagles three sixty. Let's get you set up on what's happening on Wednesday.

As this very short week comes to a close ahead of Thursday's game against the Giants, Mike Quick joins me in studio. We go behind enemy lines with Mike Eisen from Giants dot Com, and Doug Peterson addresses the media for the final time. Amarosso's the reason Philly sandwiches are so famous? Well, Glenn, your final thoughts here. I believe the Deals are going to finish strong. Your thoughts, I'm encouraged by the last two games. Well, I guess I'm

kind of going there. I think this is gonna be a tough one to win because the Giants have a lot of talent. The Giants are on a pretty good streak right now, means a lot to them. But the Baltimore game was very encouraging, even a loss. I hate the moral victory thing, but they played it right down to the end, two yards short of a victory on the road against a very good team. So yeah, can you finish strong and lose games, I guess you can. No, Well, then you need to see him win strong and win games.

This is so nineteen ninety nine. Win these last couple of games. First year, go into the off season with a bit of momentum that doesn't necessarily carry over to the next year. They go one and one this last two games. I'll bet you sandwich. I'll bet you a sandwich on an Amirosso's role that the Eagles go to and on. I'm going to and on against the field, against the field. I'd love to lose that bat Aroso's work. Okay, absolutely on an Amrossrosos role. That sounds pretty good too. Okay,

I can't lose. Eagles will beat the Giants. You heard it here. Maybe not first, but you heard it here. Glenn mcnow, Dave Spidero, thanks for joining us an Eagles three sixty. I'm back tomorrow with my quick between now and then makes you make sure you have yourselves a great, great, great Eagles Day.