10 thoughts - Eagles game

Gandhi

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1 – Screw up draft position + helping the 49ers clinch the #1 seed = nightmare.

… and yet, I was smiling from ear to ear during the game.

2 – Okay, so getting Kyler Murray back from injury was not the magical, miracle comeback-medicine the team needed, but it might have been if he had played like this all the time. This game should seal his fate for 2024.

3 – I get that it pushed them down the draft order, but as @outcent13 wrote in another thread: “With this franchise it’s vital this leadership group builds a winning culture.” Wise, wise words. Maybe this win will do more good for the Cardinals than picking top three in the draft.

4 – Couldn’t stop thinking back on training camp last year where people were talking about this Greg Dortch-guy – undrafted in 2019 and cut by five teams since - as a potential breakout candidate, and then now, here he is. I’m proud of him.

5 – The definition of karma: “Sidney Brown scoring a pick six after being drafted with the pick that Philly got from Arizona because Ossenfort tampered with Gannon when he was on contract with the Eagles.”

6 – Ever since Dennis Gardeck was an undrafted free agent, he has been one of my favorites, and for many years I have been singing his praise as a special team standout. Now he is much more of a well-known commodity, so I need a new under-the-radar favorite. Since before the draft I had a good eye for Elijah Higgins, and now I would like to invite him to set up camp in GLFGJ (Gandhi’s Lounge for Future Gold Jackets).

7 – Cam Thomas a healthy scratch. Didn’t see that coming.

8 – Best run blocking offensive line since I became a fan (2006).

(A little context: two weeks ago, they ran for the most yards the 49ers have given up since a game in 2017, and this week, Connor became the first 100 yard-rusher against the Eagles in 24 games.)

9 – From the little I have seen; I am a big fan of Rome Odunze. Draft studying coming up, but difficult not to think ahead to what a stud WR could do to the offense.

10 – Say what you want (and you do that), but the Cardinals are 3-4 with Kyler Murray, and 1-8 without.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
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slanidrac16

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1 – Screw up draft position + helping the 49ers clinch the #1 seed = nightmare.

… and yet, I was smiling from ear to ear during the game.
I can’t get mad about this. :)
2 – Okay, so getting Kyler Murray back from injury was not the magical, miracle comeback-medicine the team needed, but it might have been if he had played like this all the time. This game should seal his fate for 2024.
His fate was sealed last year.
3 – I get that it pushed them down the draft order, but as outcent13 wrote in another thread: “With this franchise it’s vital this leadership group builds a winning culture.” Wise, wise words. Maybe this win will do more good for the Cardinals than picking top three in the draft.
It appears the culture has shifted.
4 – Couldn’t stop thinking back on training camp last year where people were talking about this Greg Dortch-guy – undrafted in 2019 and cut by five teams since - as a potential breakout candidate, and then now, here he is. I’m proud of him.
Many of us for him to be playing more. Ridiculous that he wasn’t unless it was to truly evaluate Moore.. I guess.
5 – The definition of karma: “Sidney Brown scoring a pick six after being drafted with the pick that Philly got from Arizona because Ossenfort tampered with Gannon when he was on contract with the Eagles.”

6 – Ever since Dennis Gardeck was an undrafted free agent, he has been one of my favorites, and for many years I have been singing his praise as a special team standout. Now he is much more of a well-known commodity, so I need a new under-the-radar favorite. Since before the draft I had a good eye for Elijah Higgins, and now I would like to invite him to set up camp in GLFGJ (Gandhi’s Lounge for Future Gold Jackets).
I was calling for Higgins head on a platter earlier in the year…. My bad.
7 – Cam Thomas a healthy scratch. Didn’t see that coming.
Definitely a head scratcher.
8 – Best run blocking offensive line since I became a fan (2006).
Not a fluke. Coaching??? Scheme???
(A little context: two weeks ago, they ran for the most yards the 49ers have given up since a game in 2017, and this week, Connor became the first 100 yard-rusher against the Eagles in 24 games.)

9 – From the little I have seen; I am a big fan of Rome Odunze. Draft studying coming up, but difficult not to think ahead to what a stud WR could do to the offense.
Big, fast, outside wr who can win the 50/50 balls. What’s not like to like.
10 – Say what you want (and you do that), but the Cardinals are 3-4 with Kyler Murray, and 1-8 without.
Was Sunday a mirage or reality?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
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Gandhi

Gandhi

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Not a fluke. Coaching??? Scheme???
Don’t you think it is a little of both, Slanidrac? I have been a big fan of Drew Petzing, and the offensive line-coaches have also done good work, in my opinion.

And then we shouldn’t forget that Connor and Michael Carter are playing really well.
 
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Gandhi

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I can get on the E Higgins band wagon. With McBride as the man at TE, Higgins is just extra.
GF, I might be too optimistic, but I truly think that McBride can turn into a top 5-10 tight end in the NFL. And yes, Higgins is just the backup, but at the same time, I suppose he must have been part of why they were confident in letting Ertz go.
 

slanidrac16

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Don’t you think it is a little of both, Slanidrac? I have been a big fan of Drew Petzing, and the offensive line-coaches have also done good work, in my opinion.

And then we shouldn’t forget that Connor and Michael Carter are playing really well.
I definitely think it’s both. Going into this season we had a bunch of guys that just about EVERYBODY thought were nothing more than 2nd string at best.
We have run the ball all year on some very good defenses. It’s been the one constant this year to the point where many of us don’t look at the o-line as a weakness.
 
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Gandhi

Gandhi

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I definitely think it’s both. Going into this season we had a bunch of guys that just about EVERYBODY thought were nothing more than 2nd string at best.
We have run the ball all year on some very good defenses. It’s been the one constant this year to the point where many of us don’t look at the o-line as a weakness.
Just to underline the point a little more, they are 6th in the league in rushing yards per game (2159), 1st (along with two other) in rush yard per attempt (5), 2nd in 20+ yard plays (19), 2nd in 40+ yard plays (5), 9th in rushing for first down (114), and 6th in attempt to run for first down (26.3%).

So, Petzing trust them, and they show him that he is right.
 

slanidrac16

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Just to underline the point a little more, they are 6th in the league in rushing yards per game (2159), 1st (along with two other) in rush yard per attempt (5), 2nd in 20+ yard plays (19), 2nd in 40+ yard plays (5), 9th in rushing for first down (114), and 6th in attempt to run for first down (26.3%).

So, Petzing trust them, and they show him that he is right.
Pretty damn impressive when you consider we have no wr’s and a Qb for less than half the year.
Add to that the fact our opponents still couldn’t stop us.
 
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Gandhi

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Pretty damn impressive when you consider we have no wr’s and a Qb for less than half the year.
Add to that the fact our opponents still couldn’t stop us.
Obviously Drew Petzing deserve a lot of the credit, but I think it is fair to also mention offensive line coaches Klayton Adams and Chris Cook, as well as runningback coach Autry Denson. They don’t get any recognition on this board or in the public eyes – which is completely understandable, by the way – but I want to highlight them here. Wonderful work.
 
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Gandhi

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9 – From the little I have seen; I am a big fan of Rome Odunze. Draft studying coming up, but difficult not to think ahead to what a stud WR could do to the offense.


TRUE!
I look forward to study him more closely, QC. I understand why Malik Nabers is getting a lot of hype, but to me, Odunze is WR2 in the draft. I think he might be worth considering in the top five.
 
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Gandhi

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He is now. What makes you think he is not a top 10 TE?
Mainly that I thought it sounded a bit crazy, so I didn’t even bother to look it up. :D

But you are right, CN. He has the 7th most yards of any TE in the NFL, and if you look closer at the data, he is the tight end that defenders give the least cushion pre-snap, and still get the 10th most separation at the catch point. He gets the 9th most yards after the catch, and he is 16 in YAC over expected (a metric that includes different tracking data). He has the 4th highest catch percentage of targets, and the 9th highest number of yards per reception. All those stats come from Next Gen Stats.

Then there is the eye test that tells me that he is blocking well. So yes, you are right, he is in fact a top ten tight end. :)
 

oaken1

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Mainly that I thought it sounded a bit crazy, so I didn’t even bother to look it up. :D

But you are right, CN. He has the 7th most yards of any TE in the NFL, and if you look closer at the data, he is the tight end that defenders give the least cushion pre-snap, and still get the 10th most separation at the catch point. He gets the 9th most yards after the catch, and he is 16 in YAC over expected (a metric that includes different tracking data). He has the 4th highest catch percentage of targets, and the 9th highest number of yards per reception. All those stats come from Next Gen Stats.

Then there is the eye test that tells me that he is blocking well. So yes, you are right, he is in fact a top ten tight end. :)
then there is the simple fact that he put up those stats in half a season since he was behind ertz
we got us a 1300 yard TE in the fold right now.

exciting
 

slanidrac16

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Obviously Drew Petzing deserve a lot of the credit, but I think it is fair to also mention offensive line coaches Klayton Adams and Chris Cook, as well as runningback coach Autry Denson. They don’t get any recognition on this board or in the public eyes – which is completely understandable, by the way – but I want to highlight them here. Wonderful work.
lol! You are correct. But if we were failing their names would be very popular!
 
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Gandhi

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lol! You are correct. But if we were failing their names would be very popular!
I think that the position coaches are often (always?) much more important than we give them credit for. Yesterday I read an article about how vital Israel Woolfork (quarterback coach) have been for Kyler Murray’s integration in this new system. Tight end coach Ben Steele have worked a lot with Tre McBride. I think they do deserve credit.
 

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I think that the position coaches are often (always?) much more important than we give them credit for. Yesterday I read an article about how vital Israel Woolfork (quarterback coach) have been for Kyler Murray’s integration in this new system. Tight end coach Ben Steele have worked a lot with Tre McBride. I think they do deserve credit.
Agreed it's kind of like O-Linemen you only hear their names when something bad happens or is happening.
 

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