Eagles 360: Episode 1

back at the preseason. A play that we loved from the Eagles preseason came when Carson Wentz found Rookie maccollins on a pass and catch and run that we still remember. We're joined now by the Eagles game plan crew, Ike Grease and head coach Doug Peters and breaking down that big play at lambeau Field. Winch get a shotgun. I have to get to about twenty five for a first downs. Back there comes to run, he gets away, he fired,

he completes it. He has a first out of the twenty across the tenn and want to get a touchdown and back, all of them excited to welcome back to Eagles game plan. Heagles head coach Doug Peterson, coach, I've been I've been doing great. Thank you listen. It's been a long offseason for US Eagle fans here right, yes it has. But to open the week is finally here and a lot of work going into the off season, guys improving on their game. Everyone wants to know about

Carson Wentz first preseason game. Started to see some of the things that I know he focused on this all season. Yeah, exactly, And this is obviously a play that sort of exemplifies that his movement into pocket. Now, you know, as you know, we go into these preseason games and we don't game plan, so we don't you know, these game plan stunts and things like that, so we don't really study some of that. But this is what Carson Wentz can do. And this

is an all Pro linebacker defensive end. He's a stud rusher. That's that's got Carson one on one dead rights, and Carson does a great job of just avoiding that, staying strong in the pocket. And the one thing I like about Carson is he keeps his vision down the field and then as you can see on the screen, here comes Matt Collins in the route and what a great finish,

Just a nice little flip and catch right there. And then this is what we saw from Matt Collin coming out of North Carolina was his physicality, his size, his strength, his determination to get in the end zone. Big physical guy that you watch at the top of this route. How well he separates. These are the things we liked about Mac and obviously Carson doing this in the pocket. This was a big part of this game. Obviously a

touchdown that we needed at this particular time. Time now to bring in Glenn macnoll on Eagles three sixty Glenn, Hell, are you sir happy? Welcome back to Eagles football pleasure, big expectations, right, Oh yeah, I think you know things go right, stay healthy, playoffs? You know this. You know the fact about the NFC's right no repeat winner since since the Eagles since when two thousand and three, two thousand and four. Wow, well, there you go. Changing of

the tides here in the NFCS. It's wide open. Giants, Cowboys, Washington, Philadelphia all think that they have a chance to win in this division. We are, of course, starting the regular season now after the four game preseason, so we like to begin with Glenn mcnell's four takeaways or three takeaways from the four preseason games. We love the takeaways, thank you,

and I love doing the takeaways. And the thing about the preseason is there's not a whole lot to take away because the guys you want to see didn't play a lot. But here's my takeaways. I think that with Ronald Darby, now they finally have that shutdown cornerback they've been looking for since Asante Samuel left. They've gone through a lot of people there, Dave, They've gone through you know, They've tried a lot and hasn't worked out. I think they got the guy. We know. They are in a

division that's got Odell Beckham, Junior Dez Bryant. Now you have prior down in Washington. Darby is going to be incredibly important and I think he's the right guy. Okay, And as far as free agent acquisitions here, Glenn, is he the most impactful of the group that Eagles brought up free agents and trade players? I count and maybe I'm off by one or two. Eighteen new players on

the fifty three man roster to start the season. I think he is the number one most impactful guy they got the entire off season, and they got him late. And the big concern if you will, teams throwing it over the top jump balls going against a smaller Ronald Darby. Watch for that on Sunday. Takeaway number two. All right, takeaway number two. The running game, to me, Dave does remain a big, big question, mostly because we didn't really

get to see it in the preseason. I think when del Smallwood had four carries like Garrett Blown had maybe ten, you got the bulk of carries by guys who are never going to dress on Sunday. So we don't really know what it's gonna be. Probably running back by committee. I'm eager to see small would get a lot more carress this year. I'm eager to see Lee Garrett Blunt getting on third and two or down the goal line. But to be honest, I don't know like Art Blount Blunt. Sorry,

let's go with blunts. I I say it the way, it's the way. It's fine. We'll be seven years exactly. It is very valid concerned Glenn. The running backs have not shown it, and but I think that there's obviously confidence internally because of the offensive line, their ability to work to play to the strengths. But no question about it, Eagles have to run the football here takes some of that pressure. Carson went six hundred and seven passes last year. Way too many don't want to see that. Do not

want to see that. All right, I am as much as I'm up in the air about the running game. I am very confident, very confident in the wide receivers this year, in the in the entire receiving corps. We know that was the big priority coming off of what they had last year, which was an inferior receiving cords. Now I am just dying, dying to see all Sean Jeffrey in the regular season. I want to see Tory Smith take the top off the defense. I want to see if Nelson Aglar can make it in the slot

and stop me. If you've heard this before, it could be a big year for zach ERTs. So when you say big year for zach ert you mean impact from the very beginning of the season, impact for the very beginning of the season, and breaking the franchise record for receptions. Because it's clear that Carson Wentz trusts him as the safety valve, likes to find him there when he needs to dump it off. Well, that's going to happen, and

I think he's gonna have it. I listen. We don't want to see him throw six hundred and seven times, absolutely not. But I think the receiving corps this year is goes from inferior to one of the better ones in the league. Okay, one of the better ones in the league. One of the better ones in the league. Okay, top ten. It's a bold statement from Glenn mcnow, you

got to go bold from old to go home. From Zach Ertz, I want to see more touchdowns, more impact, thirteen and four years, more impact than Resoll, Glenn Macknell, good stuff your preseason takeaways. We've got more to get to here on Eagles three sixty when we return head coach Doug Peterson in studio, maybe answering some of Glenn's questions. This portion of Eagles three sixty was presented by Rothman

Atte Jefferson. Eagles High School Football Showdown, presented by the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, celebrates local high school football teams and coaches. Miss at Philadelphia Eagles dot com Slash Showdown to vote for this week's game of the week. Come

and see what's happening. It's your local ACME better sale prices, superior service and great quality products, cleaner, friendlier, fresher like fresher meat and seafood and fresher produce and hundreds of organics and our butchers cut our USDA choice Lancaster beef in store every day. So stop in shop and see for yourself what acmee is just better. Acme the official supermarket of the Philadelphia Eagles, with simply right checking from

santin their bank. Just make one deposit and payment with drawing or transfer each month to wait the monthly fee, and there's no minimum balance. You're all right, It's simply right checking from the Santon their Bank. We welcome in head coach Doug Peterson. Is weekly one on one presented by Wah Wah, and we are finally here, Doug. It's the start of the regular season, and I kind of get ready. I'm going to ask you, hey, how important is the wind week number one? How it sets the

tone for the season. That's not the case. Is it really is a week by week proposition. It is a week by week, but you know what, you want to get out to a fast start, and and this this is probably more so than a normal week because it's a division opponent, we're on the road. Um, you know, it's the Red Skins, where where we didn't fare so well last year against them twice, and and and the other thing is we didn't do so well on the

road as well. So there's a lot of things that we've got to focus on and uh, but at the same time, you know, it's it's a week by week mentality, and we got to get ready for practice and then go go play on the weekend. So the fans have not seen the starters on the field for a couple of weeks. Here. What has been happening to get them ready for Sunday, Well, the biggest thing is we want to make sure or I want to make sure that they're they're physically ready to go. Um and and they're

they're getting all the reps obviously in practice. Now, we're we're detailing a game plan, We're we're fine tuning in the game plan, we're being you know, personnel specific in a few areas, and and just getting these guys kind of getting their seat legs back. They've had a couple of days of rest now over the over the holiday weekend, and just getting them back into practice. Mode and and and focus solely on on the Redskins. Doug, do you feel like you have a good sense of what the

offense can accomplish? I do. I do. I've got a really good feel for for what we but what we hope to do, what we would like to do. Um, obviously at it's it's uh, you know, it's predicated a little bit on health. Then you know the ball security thing and things we talk about all the time. But um, I'm excited to watch our guys compete in battle and

and it really starts up front each week. It's no different, you know, both sides of the ball offensively and defensively with the line of scrimmage and if we can we can sustain that. It gives us an opportunity to do a lot of things in the run and pass game. Just having al Sean and Tory give you more options than than you had last year. Maybe that you couldn't call up that play because you didn't have that personnel. Correct, Yeah,

it does, it does. And then you throw in you know, you throw in Zach Ertz, and you throw in Trey Burton and Brent Sellick and then some of the runners that we have with when Dale now coming back healthy and Lea Garrett and you know, of course we know no Sprowls is what he what he's gonna do, But it just takes a little more pressure off with Carson. And and uh, anytime, anytime you can do that off of your young quarterback and and sort of you know,

steer the ship in that direction. Um, I'm excited to watch these guys play and watch them, watch them compete, and and uh, um it's been a great week so far and we're we're just excited for Sunday. The difference between Carson at the end of twenty sixteen and right now, I think he's just rejuvenated. He's fresh, he's ready to go. You know, last year he had played a ton of

football up to this point. Um, he wasn't even sure going into Week one if he was going to be the starter, and boom low and behold he was, and so he had to he had to switch gears real fast. But um, he's excited. You know, he's he's energized. He's in a great spot mentally and physically. Um, he's looking really good and sharp in practice and and hopefully we carried into into these regular season games. Let's talk about the Washington Redskins. A lot of changes for them defensively though.

They really seem strong up front. That front seven tough. That's that's the strength of this defense obviously. And then you know Norman in the back end, you know, he's a he's a good corner and and uh, you know, swearing, and they got some guys that are back to have played a lot of football, and um, it's a good defense and um, you know it's one that gave us fits last year. And obviously we got to play a lot better. Um again going down there. We didn't play

so well last year down there. But this is a group that they don't do a lot. They're they're aggressive. Um, they come after the passer a little bit. They like to like to rush five guys and play a lot of man coverage. So our works cut out for us work Excited to go down there and play jug What about the Washington offense. I mean Kirk Cousins against the Eagles twelve touchdowns, three interceptions of four and one record in five starts. He has proven himself to be a

very quality NFL starter, no question about it. And uh, you know he's played extremely well against us obviously, and he knows how to lead that football team, and you know, he's a smart quarterback, and uh, you know, he's not gonna hurt that team. He's not gonna put that team in any kind of harms way by maybe a um, you know, making a mistake somewhere, and he just leads that leads that team down the field. And he did lose some weapons on offense, but it seems like what

they've done through preseason, they've been fined. Vernon Davis is still obviously a weapon for him and Read and some of the guys on offense, and then in that run game, that run game can be powerful and and uh, again it's a situation where where we've got to come ready to play again. We didn't play very well down there last year, and so our guys are guys are eager and ready ready to get out there when it starts on Sunday. Doug, what will you be like year number two?

Is the head coach? Listen, you never you never lose that butterfly feeling. Um, you're always you're always excited about these games. Um, you know, I'm excited to watch our guys play. And obviously, my job is is to make sure mentally and physically we're ready to go, and um, you know, have a great week of practice and and uh you know, I'll be I'll be anxious, I'll be ready. Um. Like I said, these guys haven't played together for quite some time, for for a substantial amount of amount of plays.

But um, they're ready to go. And I'll be excited for him. Went on the road. That's really went on the road, and in the NFC East a great way to start the season. It's a great way to start the season. And that's got to be our focus this week. Thank Peterson, thanks so much for joining us. Doug Peterson one on one presented by Wahwa. This portion of Eagles three sixty was presented by McDonald's. McDonald introduces the new signature crafted Saracha sandwich made with a new Saracha Max

saus to kick a s fighter. Finding the end zone is his specialty. In fact, he's found it over seventeen times already today. He is a professional football watcher because he has NFL Red Zone from NFL Network on Exfinity. He catches every touchdown from every game Sunday afternoons all season long to come a pro fan only with Expinity, switch to an X one triple play and add the Sports Entertainment package to get NFL red zul call or go on line today with simply right checking from Sun

time their bank. Just nick one deposited with draw transfer or payment each month to wait the monthly fee and there's no minimum balance. You're all right, simply right checking from santan Der Bank. Come and see what's happening. It's your local Acme. Better sale prices, superior service and great quality products, cleaner, friendlier, fresher like, fresher meat and seafood and fresher produce and hundreds of organics and our butchers cut our USDA choice Lancaster beef in store every day.

So stuff in shop and see for yourself what ACME is just better. Acme the official supermarket of the Philadelphia Eagles. Welcome back to Eagles three sixty Dave SPIDERO Glenn mcnell. Time now to go back in Eagle's history just a little bit, not too far with our Santandre legend of the game. It is Brian Westbrook, Eagles running back member of the Eagles Hall of Fame. Brian joining us here Brian, how are you today? I'm doing well, Guys, how are

you doing great? We've got some questions for you Eagles Redskins on Sunday, Glenn, why don't you begin? Brian went early in your career, you were part of a running back by committee under Andy Reid. It now looks maybe that's what they're gonna have this year. Garrett Blunt comes in, when Delle Smallwood comes back, they still have Darren sproles. How do you see it being apportioned. I think they want to get when Delle Smallwood involved very early in

the game. I think it's going to be you know, he'll get between ten and fifteen and carries the game because he has a lot of them, definitely physical qualities that you runt in this type of offense. He's quick to the whole, he has pretty good vision, he has decent speed. I think that he can be a back out of the backfield that can catch the football just a bid there. And those are things that as he continues to mature as a player, he'll get continue to

get better at. And you know, to add to that, you fill in Blunt as well, and he's a guy that you can use as a power back. You can use them on first and second down to run the football downhill. I think that he'll just Duck would just try to get a lot of guys involved. He'll throw Darren's frozen there as well. He'll try to keep the defense off balance and not allow them to understand exactly what's going to come at them during the course of

a game. And if he can do that successfully, I think this running back by committee can be very helpful to this team. It is challenging though running backs want the rock. They say that the more you get the rock, the more in rhythm you become. You've been part of a running back by committee, what are the challenges for Smallwood? Four blunt, four sprowles Where you're right, David, it's all

about getting your rhythm. I think Garren Sproles will be okay because throughout his career he's been more of a situational type of back, a guy that comes in the third down, a guy that's not going to get touched the ball twenty twenty five times a game, So he'll be okay. I think small would being a younger guy similar to myself in that situation where he wasn't a starter when he first came in as a rookie, he

didn't get all the carries last year. He definitely played a little bit more towards the end of the season last year, but I think he'll get used to his role just because he hasn't been every down back in the NFL thus far. And I think the guy that's probably going to need the most adjustment is la Garrett Blunt.

He's a guy that is used to getting fifteen to twenty carries a game, that's going to carry the low beat in the game throughout throughout the fourth quarters, and he, because of the side he tires, beat is down and so it's going to take some getting adjusted, getting used to the system, getting used to sharing the low of

a couple other backs for him. But over time, I think that if all these guys can show them the different things that they can do, this will help this football team continue to be healthy going into week twitter, Week thirteen, where when it becomes moneyball when you're trying to make a playoff push. Ryan Westbrook Eagles open at Washington Always a great rivalry. You played in a lot of those games. I want to take you back to one and ask you your Memories two thousand and seven,

middle of the season. Eagles are down twenty five to twenty. Washington scores with four minutes fifteen seconds to go, takes a twenty five to twenty lead. You remember what happened after that vaguely? I think we called a screen past there. Me and Donovan connected on the screen past, and I had an awful lot of mockers home front. I had.

You know, the one great thing that Andy Reid Alreadys did, if I'm remembering the correct game, is Andy had athletic offensive and that got involved out and leading the way in the screen game, John running. I think at that point, Nick Cole, I had a bunch of guys that were just out there in front of me that led the way, and I made a couple of people missing. We ended up scoring there, and I think we got the ball back rather quickly. We ended up scoring another touchdown before

the end of the game. There was a fifty seven yard touchdown passed with three minutes ago. Then Washington fumbles their quarterback funnels at their own ten yard line. You get the ball running in. It was a great come from behind, winning one of our favorites of the rivalry. Anytime that we can beat a division rival in their own house. And it felt even better for me because I'm from the Washington, DC area, So for me, it was a homecoming of a sort and it was great

to always stick a touchdown in down there in Washington. Brian, what is the key? Last question here? The key for the Eagles in this game. They haven't won in Washington since twenty thirteen. The Redskins have five straight wins in the series. Tough matchup for the Eagles. What do they

have to do to win this game? Well, just because the starters didn't play an awful lot in the preseason for the Eagles, I think it's important that they all be disciplined, meaning discipline as far as penalty wise, and the offense not jumping offside, not doing anything that's going to move them backwards, especially ruining momentum and drive. As far as the defensive side of the ball, not doing anything penalty wise deep down the field because Kirk Cousins

will take some shots down the field. Not getting those types of penalties, and being disciplined with your eyes and your hands as far as defensive facts. And then I think specive teams is going to play a big part early on in the season. Maybe your offense is not clicking the way that to you wanted. Two, maybe your defense is not gonna not clicking exactly the wabel if you wanted to respecial because you haven't played a lot

in the preseason. You need your special teams to win the special teams battle, and that's going to come down to field positions. Thank you very much to Brian Westbrook for that. Let's get you caught up on everything happening right here. It's our amarossos on the menu. Look at what's going on tomorrow. We've got Mike quick if first

look here at the Washington Redskins. We're gonna take you back to preseason just one more time, a compilation of all of our great mikings from the preseason and in studio defensive end Brandon Graham wanting to start things off on a very positive note against the NFC rival Washington Redskins. That is our amrossos on the menu. Book. When what we'll have to happen for the Eagles to win this game, Well,

I think they're gonna have to run the ball. And we talked to Brian Westbrook about that Eagles beginning of the schedule. First six games look pretty tough. You're gonna have to win the ones that are winnable. This to me really is one. You go down there against an opponent they've got some injuries on Washington, their defense has got some hurts. To me, you go down there, you run the ball effectively, you win one, and oh it feels good. You gotta start fast too often in the

past Eagles one and seven on the road. As we've talked about, you gotta start fast. Don't put yourselves in a big hole like they did last year against the Redskins down there. But of course we've got Lane Johnson out at the right tackle. Should be a better matchup against the bag. The bag bad, Ryan Kerrigan, Glenn mcnow, thanks so much good throughout the season. We'll keep it rolling here throughout this twenty seventeen season. We thank you

all for joining us here on Eagles three sixty. Have a great Eagles Day.