WEBVTT - Post-Game Show: Eagles Win 38-31 0:00:23.360 --> 0:00:26.960 Good evening, everyone, Welcome to the postgame show for Jami Barrico. 0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:30.160 I'm Chris mccreers alongside I A greased the Eagles win 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:33.080 over the Miami Dolphins by score thirty eight to thirty one. 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:36.600 A wild game, wild scene there at Lincoln Financial Field, 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:39.599 as it's the last home preseason game for the Eagles 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:41.320 and also the last time we're going to see the 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:45.000 starters until September tenth, which is just seventeen days away, 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:48.120 when the Eagles opened the regular season against Washington. So 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:50.919 great to see the Eagles get the win, Marcus Johnson 0:00:51.159 --> 0:00:54.960 getting the game winning touchdown from Matt mcgloyin to cap 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:57.480 things off. But let's talk about the starters, like because 0:00:57.480 --> 0:00:59.680 that's what everyone's gonna want to talk about. What did 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:03.640 you think overall offense defense as they kind of put 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:06.600 an end to the preseason. I'll start with the offensive 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:08.000 side of the ball, because I think that was the 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:10.520 side of the football that was coming into this game 0:01:10.600 --> 0:01:13.600 under the bigger microscope. Defensive played well for the first 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:16.200 couple of games. Most fans wanted to see the offense 0:01:16.280 --> 0:01:18.120 open it up a little bit, see if Carson can 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:21.640 get the ball down the field. To Ali Shon or Tory, 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:23.760 and that's what you got in that first half, I 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:25.640 mean the first quarter. That's what you wanted to see. 0:01:25.680 --> 0:01:27.959 You wanted to see how this offense can be explosive, 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:32.240 get yardage and chunk plays. They were able to do that, 0:01:32.560 --> 0:01:37.760 ran the ball with somewhat successful degree. Still a few 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:40.120 issues on the offensive line that they still need to 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:42.360 clean up. But I thought when you're just looking at 0:01:42.400 --> 0:01:45.400 the quarterback, receivers in the running back, the skill position 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:48.920 guys that first team, I thought they all answered the 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:53.600 bell tonight. The Alshon Jeffrey touchdown was interesting considering what 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:56.320 happened with the fact that he had the injury, the 0:01:56.360 --> 0:01:58.840 shoulder injury, and there are questions about whether or not 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:01.760 he was on the same wavelength and had seen rapport 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:05.920 needed with Carson Wentz. But on that touchdown through in particular, 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:08.920 Wentz a great job of showing patience in the pocket, 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:12.440 allowing Jeffrey to get by the defender and then throwing 0:02:12.480 --> 0:02:14.880 the ball as soon as he was open. Yeah, no 0:02:14.919 --> 0:02:16.880 doubt about it. I mean, you can't under you can't 0:02:16.880 --> 0:02:20.079 overstate how important practice is. You know, it's one thing 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:22.679 not to play in preseason games that's sort of a 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:25.079 little bit of an epidemic around the league. Stars don't 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:28.160 play in preseason games. That's more than acceptable, but to 0:02:28.280 --> 0:02:31.240 practice time is what you need to get your chemistry down. 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:34.240 And al Shan practice in a full week this week, 0:02:34.520 --> 0:02:37.760 going up against the Dolphins in practice, I think that 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:39.919 brought out a little bit of us since the urgency 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:42.680 in him. I was out there for a few practices. 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:45.120 You certainly was, and you could tell that he and 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:47.480 Carson were starting to build that chemistry and it's great 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:50.160 to see them take it from the practice field to 0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:53.320 the playing field. And early in the game they made 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:55.880 a conscious suffer to get number seventeen the ball. The 0:02:56.000 --> 0:02:58.919 touchdown play was a beautiful design play. They faked the 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:02.359 bubble screen out, the elson through the slot, the corner 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:04.440 jumps up, and then, like you said, Carson did a 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:08.120 nice job of being patient and allowing Alshan to uncover 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.880 through that window and through a nice little pitching catch 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:13.320 to him, al Shoon walks into the end zone. That's 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:15.480 something that we all been waiting to see Alshan catch 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:18.760 his first touchdown pass from Carson, and in their final 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:21.560 dress rehearsal before they take on the Redskins. It was 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:24.040 great to see that tonight. Indeed. Okay, so we're gonna 0:03:24.080 --> 0:03:26.639 hear from head coach Doug Pearson and the quarterback Carson 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:28.480 Wentz in just a little bit. But first we're gonna 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:31.000 send it over to for the first time and welcome 0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:33.520 in Eagles Insire Dave Spider, who was on the sidelines 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:37.200 for the Eagles Network preseason broadcast, and Spuds, we're talking 0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:40.160 about the offense here. Your thoughts of what you saw 0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:44.240 alf Carson Wentz? Uh well, all right, we do have 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:47.360 him here, all right, So, Spuds, we're talking about Carson 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:50.120 Wentz and what he showed here in his final performance 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:52.560 before we get to see him on September tenth against Washington. 0:03:52.840 --> 0:03:56.480 What did you think of the first team offense tonights? 0:03:56.520 --> 0:03:59.400 A better job. They got the running game going at bit, 0:03:59.480 --> 0:04:02.000 they threw the ball down the field, They found Tory 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:04.360 Smith and got him involved in the past game. And 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:06.640 of course you talked about the red zone touchdown to 0:04:06.760 --> 0:04:08.960 al Shan Jeffrey. You know, the question I have is 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:11.320 kind of throw it back at you, guys. What will 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:14.680 we be talking about from this game when the regular 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:17.560 season begins. Obviously, the biggest stories of the Eagles go 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:20.400 through three games and they're healthy, and that's really all 0:04:20.400 --> 0:04:22.880 that matters. There is a lot to clean up. Of course, 0:04:23.360 --> 0:04:26.440 they will game plan that will change things significantly. I 0:04:26.560 --> 0:04:29.960 take from the preseason with the starters that these weapons 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:33.719 at wide receiver, with Legarrett Blunt at running back, it 0:04:33.880 --> 0:04:37.159 is a different dimension here added to this offense. It 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:40.320 is a dynamic offense. Last year, it was very difficult 0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:42.880 to get that chunk play. This year you're gonna see 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:45.520 a lot of it with that revamped wide receiver. Course, 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:48.320 so I thought Carson was up and down in the preseason, 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:51.039 too many giveaways, but he got the ball down the 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:53.760 field tonight to Tory Smith. He converted in the red 0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:57.160 zone to Alishan Jeffrey. I agree with what I said. 0:04:57.560 --> 0:05:00.760 The offensive line has to be better, But hey, guess what. 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:04.680 From this point forward, that group of five is preparing 0:05:04.720 --> 0:05:07.359 not for the New York Jets next week, they're preparing 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:11.000 for a very difficult Washington Redskins front on September tenth. 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:14.080 So there is some time to get all this right, 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:18.800 the chemistry down, the timing, the consistency, and get this 0:05:18.839 --> 0:05:22.280 offense rate where it wants to be for the regular season. Yeah, 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:24.640 it can't go on to stay today. The importance of 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:27.400 trying to get plays in chunk yardage. It's just too 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:29.880 difficult to try to march down the field on a 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:33.039 consistent basis ten twelve plays and you hope that you 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:35.239 get a touchdown. That's too hard to do in the NFL. 0:05:35.520 --> 0:05:38.320 You're gonna have to get plays in chunks. Tory Smith 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:40.719 really it seemed like it was his first target this 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:43.760 preseason and he was able to take big time advantage 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:46.440 of that. Was great to see him getting the end zone. 0:05:46.920 --> 0:05:49.320 And you know, I think, like when I think about 0:05:49.480 --> 0:05:53.000 Tory Smith, I remember when the Eagles signed him, there 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:56.039 were a lot of questions ken Tory Smith still get 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:59.280 down the field. What happened in San Francisco. These last 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:02.480 couple of years, we've seen in practice, in training camp 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:05.760 and now in the preseason here that Tory Smith can 0:06:05.800 --> 0:06:09.760 get behind defenses, can stretch a secondary, and can really 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:12.960 open up things underneath. Really strong performance from Zach Ertz 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:15.760 catching the football tonight. I like the way Carson spread 0:06:15.800 --> 0:06:18.839 the football around. Didn't get Nelson Agilore involved, but that 0:06:18.880 --> 0:06:22.080 will come. I just think this offense, if the line 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:26.120 of scrimmage is worn by the Eagles can be extremely dynamic, 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:29.720 as dynamic as we've seen Eagles offense in many, many, 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:34.280 many years. Dave Tonight, Wendell Smallwood made his preseason debut, 0:06:34.320 --> 0:06:36.240 and I thought he brought a lot of juice to 0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:38.159 the run game. He was able to draw the face 0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:41.200 mask penalty that really got the offense going there. What 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:43.480 did you see from Smallwood? The second year back out 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:46.480 West Virginia. Totally agree with you, Chris. You know, he 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:50.400 is the burst back. He is the guy who's gonna 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:53.400 give you that juice to and through the hole. He's 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:56.320 gonna make people miss. And so I liked what I 0:06:56.400 --> 0:06:58.760 see from Wendell Smallwood. I think everybody has liked what 0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:01.120 they've seen from him when he's on the field. He 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.760 just has to stay healthy. So if the Eagles can 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:07.280 work Smallwood into the rotation, and I actually think that 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:11.920 Smallwood will lead this team in rushing in twenty seventeen, 0:07:12.360 --> 0:07:15.120 that Blunt will be the short yardage back. I think 0:07:15.160 --> 0:07:18.240 the offense can run just enough, maybe not great, but 0:07:18.320 --> 0:07:21.880 they can run just enough to make defenses respect the 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:25.120 threat of a run game and take some pressure off 0:07:25.120 --> 0:07:27.640 of Carson Wentz. The Eagles don't need wins to throw 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:30.720 the ball six hundred and seven times again, they need 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:33.920 to have a running game that they can rely on. Yeah, 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:36.400 we may not have a thousand yard rusher amongst our 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:38.920 top three guys, but I think back to the year 0:07:39.040 --> 0:07:41.640 two thousand and three day and we had a pretty 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:45.200 good three headed monster trio there. And I couldn't tell 0:07:45.240 --> 0:07:47.600 you who led us in rushing. All I know is 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:49.840 we had three very good running backs and they did 0:07:49.880 --> 0:07:52.880 a great job of feeding whichever back was hot and 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:55.320 using them different dynamics. I can sort of see that 0:07:56.080 --> 0:07:58.400 with this trio running backs as well. We may not 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:01.360 have a guy who rushes way over a thousand yards, 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.920 but you may have three running backs they are very 0:08:03.960 --> 0:08:06.240 effective in his offense, and as long as they move 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:08.760 the chains, that's okay by me, and I'm sure it's 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:11.120 okay by his coaching staff. I believe it was Buck 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:14.080 Halter who led the team back here, and I actually 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:15.800 went back to two thousand and I can We talked 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:19.080 about this before the game when the Eagles really struggled. 0:08:19.120 --> 0:08:22.400 I think du Stanley got hurt and Darnell Autry had 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:26.200 some carries and Stanley Pritchett had some carries, and then 0:08:26.280 --> 0:08:28.520 Chris Warren came in late in the season and the 0:08:28.560 --> 0:08:31.440 Eagles win eleven and five. I believe in won a 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:34.520 playoff game. I think so you know you can do it. 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:36.960 If you are winning the line of scrimmage, You're gonna 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:39.240 run the football no matter who the back is. Now, 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:41.959 the Eagles do not have this, you know, game changing 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:45.160 running back. But if they can keep Smallwood healthy, if 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:47.600 they can mix in Darren Sproles, and if they can 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:51.080 get Blunt in the north south role. We talked about 0:08:51.080 --> 0:08:54.640 it last week. Why all these tosses to le Garrett Blunt. 0:08:54.720 --> 0:08:56.840 I think the Eagles now know that he is the 0:08:56.880 --> 0:09:01.559 north south back and Smallwood is gonna attack the edges, 0:09:01.800 --> 0:09:04.120 and then Darren Spros will do a little bit of both. Yep. 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:06.240 I want to go to the other side of the 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:08.720 ball real quick. I want to look at the defense 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:11.600 a little bit of reality check for the fans tonight. 0:09:11.600 --> 0:09:13.959 We thought we had the eighty five Bears defense based 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:17.080 on these first two games. But I'm actually okay with 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:18.800 what I saw tonight because I think this is the 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:22.400 best offense they've seen, the best quarterback they've seen, in 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:25.400 the preseason, and so it keeps them on their toes, 0:09:25.480 --> 0:09:27.319 gives them something to go back in the film room 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:29.959 to watch. And you know, sometimes when you get a 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:32.880 little overconfident about what you've done in these preseason games, 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:35.200 you need a little bit of humble power to bring 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.679 you back down and keep you even killed. We gave 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:39.600 up a couple of big plays to night run game, 0:09:39.640 --> 0:09:42.560 man passing game, but nothing too serious that I would 0:09:42.559 --> 0:09:44.840 be concerned about. How about you, what did you see 0:09:44.840 --> 0:09:47.920 out there defensively? Well, maybe not the eighty five Bears, 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:50.920 but what about the second coming of Lawrence Taylor as 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:55.120 Michael Kendricks. Michael Kendricks reinvents his career here. I mean, 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:58.000 somehow Jim Schwartz has to use him and play to 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.560 his strengths. We've seen Michael Kendricks play down hill and 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:04.560 be very effective. I think, I honestly, teams will now 0:10:04.600 --> 0:10:07.640 copy what they saw against Ronald Darby here, throw the 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:11.240 ball up to big, tall receivers and have a jump ball, 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:13.280 a fifty fifty ball. So the Eagles have to find 0:10:13.280 --> 0:10:16.880 a way to protect Ronald Darby there in those instances. 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:20.040 But I just think Darby makes up big difference early 0:10:20.080 --> 0:10:23.760 pass breakup. Vinny Curry starts things off with the strip 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:27.000 sack and Fletcher Cox falls on it, sets up the touchdown. 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:29.280 I think the defense is in a lot better shape. 0:10:29.559 --> 0:10:32.960 My be concern on defense. Who is the backup middle linebacker. 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:35.840 We saw Nagy good, we saw Joe Walker, makes him 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:38.640 placed on Cherry had the big interception. If the Eagles 0:10:38.640 --> 0:10:42.480 can find depth at linebacker, particularly in the middle, I 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:44.440 think they're good enough on the back end now and 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:48.120 there's certainly good enough upfront to be a really have 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:52.080 a greeking defense that Jim Schwartz wants to bring to 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:55.000 the table every week. A Grease Spuds, thank you so much. 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:57.920 Make sure to read on the inside column to recap 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:00.120 everything from the Eagles win over the Minami Dolphins. Will 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:01.840 be up in just a little bit here on Philadelphia 0:11:01.840 --> 0:11:04.559 Eagle dot Com. Dave, thank you very much. So like 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:09.559 a lot to unpack there. So going back to the defense, 0:11:09.720 --> 0:11:13.280 Vinnie Curry, you know Derek Barnett started tonight by the way, 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:16.640 left defensive end. You know Brandon Graham injured, has the 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:19.040 elbow injury, not gonna play until the start of regular season, 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:21.920 will be fine. So you got Barnett out there. It 0:11:22.040 --> 0:11:24.000 was sort of a message being sent to Vay Curry, 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:25.840 like this is the night you've really got to step 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:27.440 up your game, and I think he delivered in a 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:29.560 big way, no doubt about it. Listen, when you when 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:32.360 you add talent to a certain position and now it 0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:34.320 seems like you have an abundance of it, that's going 0:11:34.360 --> 0:11:36.400 to raise the level of play, or it should raise 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:39.520 the level of play of everybody in that meeting room. 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:42.240 And the most talented position we have won this roster, 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:44.840 I believe, is the defensive line. I mean, those guys 0:11:44.880 --> 0:11:47.280 are going to be fighting for snaps. Nothing is going 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:49.560 to be given to you. Everything is going to be earned. 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:52.640 And so you know, I'm not surprised Vinny Curry knows 0:11:52.640 --> 0:11:54.520 this is the last opportunity he's going to get to 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:56.560 show what he can do. And he's out there against 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.599 Larremie Tutsu, Larmy Tusso people forget could have been the 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:02.480 number one overall pick a year ago if it had 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:04.760 not been for that snap food right before the draft 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:07.959 that he got called in. But that's a good player 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:10.360 that Benny Curry was going up against, and so it 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:12.880 was good to see Benny Curry, get back there, get 0:12:12.880 --> 0:12:16.400 a sack on Jay Cutler, get the turnover ball. Rolling 0:12:16.760 --> 0:12:20.240 for the defense, I have no major concerns about our 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:22.200 defensive line. I think we got a lot of talent 0:12:22.280 --> 0:12:24.520 there and they're gonna push each other week in and 0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:26.800 week out. It may be this guy who has the 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:29.280 best matchup, so he may shine this week and it 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:31.840 may be a different guy the following week. They're all 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:35.080 gonna play well. I'd be surprised if one guy is 0:12:35.080 --> 0:12:37.760 like the clear, clear dominant player on that D line. 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:39.600 It's a lot of talent there. I'm not concerned at all. 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:41.320 But the defensive line, it's just gonna be a matter 0:12:41.360 --> 0:12:42.679 of when you have to get down to the fifty 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:46.480 three man roster. Howard Horry, Roseman, Joe Douglas gonna sort 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:48.400 everything out to figure out which guy's to keep it, 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:50.720 which guys are gonna allow to go on the waiver wire. 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:53.560 So it is a preseason for the Eagles. But I 0:12:53.559 --> 0:12:56.040 would think that Malory Reason might quick the Hall of 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:59.040 Fame duo. They're always in mid season form, so we 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:01.320 want to provide an access look at what it's like 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:03.800 to be in the booth with them as the biggest 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:06.000 plays of the game are going on. We present to 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:11.840 you Merrill camp Cutler takes the snap. He looks he's hit. 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:15.000 He fumbles the football, and I think the Eagles haven't 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:19.800 fumble recovered by Futcher Cock if Benny Curry. This time 0:13:19.880 --> 0:13:22.760 Merrill coming off the edge and he just blows around 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:25.959 the left tackle and he gets to Jay Cutler. Football 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:31.200 comes out going back the other way. Gwentz calling for 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:33.880 the football, takes the snap. He steps up here, it 0:13:33.920 --> 0:13:37.320 comes to rush. He is going deep looking for Tory Smith. 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:42.079 He hasn't touch down. That's what I wanted to see. 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:46.760 So the Dolphins go to a four man front this time. 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:50.280 It's well protected by that big offensive line, and Tory 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:53.680 Smith just runs by the secondary. That's called taking the 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:56.080 top off of the defense. That's why they got color 0:13:56.360 --> 0:14:01.960 Smith slot to the near side. Gent looks Fires complete 0:14:02.120 --> 0:14:06.959 Jeffrey touchdown. Quick slants. Hey, he looked out the first wind, 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:10.000 it wasn't there. He reset. He drills him on the 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:13.600 slant route in an easy touchdown. Carson went to all 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:18.960 Sean Jeffrey. I like seeing that number seventeen catching the football. 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:22.920 Floor fires with a quick slant. It is deflected, it 0:14:23.040 --> 0:14:26.480 intercepted and running across the fifteen, the ten, the five, 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:30.400 and it for a touchdown. Has Michael Kendricks has third 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:35.560 interception of the season and again offer the deflection. Michael 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:38.960 Kendricks seems to be that guy Johnny on the spot 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:43.880 this season and this preseason at least gets the interception 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:46.840 on the deflection rising into the end zone. He's having 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:51.040 fun this preseason though. That was a fun feature right there. 0:14:51.160 --> 0:14:54.360 So on that last touchdown by Michael Kendricks, obviously he's 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:56.320 gonna get the craft for making the play and using 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:59.480 his athleticabilly to get to the house. But still CJ. 0:14:59.640 --> 0:15:02.640 Smith someone who's battling for one of those corner spots. 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:04.600 It looks like the top three at this point it's 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:07.320 gonna be Ronald Darby, Jale Mills, and I would say 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:10.120 Patrick Robinson seems to be pretty says the number one 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:12.640 slot guy at this point. So you're trying to figure 0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:14.520 out for Seul Douglas. You know who's gonna be in 0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:17.240 the mix? Is c J. Smith gonna still be someone 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:20.320 who can be counted upon. Jalen Watkins had an interception. 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:22.720 He's been moved to cornerback pretty much on a full 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:25.920 time basis So great for c J. Smith to battle there, 0:15:26.120 --> 0:15:28.600 to create the pass breakup to allow Kendricks to get 0:15:28.600 --> 0:15:30.640 the pick. Sex. Yeah, no doubt about it. And c J. 0:15:30.760 --> 0:15:33.600 Smith has come a long way from being undrafted last 0:15:33.680 --> 0:15:37.240 year to where he is this year. Certainly put into 0:15:37.240 --> 0:15:39.600 the mix to see if he could fight for you know, 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:43.000 one of those four or five defensive backs that you 0:15:43.040 --> 0:15:45.760 want the Eagles to keep. It's gonna be tough for you. 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:47.520 You know, rob Brooks is still in the mix. They 0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:50.120 want to get him healthy. He's a slot guy. The 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:52.720 thing with Patrick Robinson a he's a veteran b He 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:56.320 seemed like he can play outside or inside if need be. 0:15:56.880 --> 0:16:00.560 And c J. Smith right now, it's just Black's top 0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:04.720 end speed. He's more of an outside guy, smart player 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:08.680 in position. But if you're getting the pinch and someone 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:11.280 goes down, I'm not sure how much confidence I have 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:13.600 And putting c J. Smith out there against the likes 0:16:13.600 --> 0:16:17.040 of Dash, Brian Odell Beckham Junior guys like that, you 0:16:17.120 --> 0:16:19.720 kind of want somebody if they don't have all the 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:23.240 top level attributes that you look for in the corner, 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:26.480 say like for example, Patrick Robinson, may not have, but 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:29.920 Patrick Robinson has the experience, He has the savvy of 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:32.360 a veteran. He has, you know, the knowledge of going 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:34.640 up against these guys, whereas c J. Smith is still 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:37.080 a little raw. And so this is a big year 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:39.400 for the Eagles. This isn't rebuilding. You know, they're trying 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:42.440 to win right now. It's just gonna be tough for 0:16:42.480 --> 0:16:45.400 CJ to crack that active roster. Wouldn't be surprised if 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:47.320 he's back on the practice squad again this year, because 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:50.440 I think he's worth keeping around and continuing to develop, 0:16:50.640 --> 0:16:52.480 because I think he does have the ability to play 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:56.440 in this league. He's just not very fast, and so 0:16:56.520 --> 0:17:00.080 he's gonna need to rely on technique and experience to 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:02.600 have success in this league. Take me through the mind 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:04.920 of a linebacker for a second. Why do you think 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:06.880 Kendricks has all of a sudden been able to put 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:10.840 everything together? Is as simple as saying, Jim Schwartz understands 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:12.800 him a little bit more and knows what situations to 0:17:12.880 --> 0:17:15.080 health thrive him. No, I think it's more or less. 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:19.040 Michael Kendricks understands what Jim Schwartz wants out of his defense, 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:22.840 wants what he wants from that specific position, and it's 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:26.520 allowing Michael to play a lot freer. He's not thinking 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:30.160 as much, just letting his athletic ability take over. And listen, 0:17:30.200 --> 0:17:34.200 Michael Kendricks back in twenty twelve twenty thirteen found himself 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:36.720 around the football a lot. That's one thing he had 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.520 going for him is his instincts, and he's certainly fast 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:42.119 enough to make plays. And I think what you're seeing 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:44.800 down is a guy who's just playing with confidence and 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:48.240 just letting his natural abilities take over as opposed to 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.000 being sort of robotic when he's out there playing and 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:53.520 trying to think his way through every play. He's being 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:57.040 able to play a lot freer. And although you shouldn't 0:17:57.040 --> 0:17:59.200 take anything away from the production that he's put out 0:17:59.240 --> 0:18:01.040 there on the field, but you're talking about a guy 0:18:01.040 --> 0:18:03.520 who has a lot of starts under his belt, season 0:18:03.680 --> 0:18:06.280 experience out there against the second and third string guys, 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:08.399 so you kind of expect a little bit of it. 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:11.560 But I think it's still a positive sign that he 0:18:11.680 --> 0:18:15.120 finds himself around the football all the time. And that's 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:18.400 a coach's dream. From from a defensive standpoint, you want 0:18:18.440 --> 0:18:21.200 a guy who has a nose for the football and 0:18:21.359 --> 0:18:24.200 Jim Schwartz, he's gonna have to put his thinking cap 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:27.720 on and find a way to try to implement Michael 0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:30.320 Kendricks in his defense because I think it's another playmaker 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:32.440 that he has that he just has to put the use. 0:18:32.560 --> 0:18:34.520 What's the thing is last year, I forget the exact 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:36.960 tole It's like twenty seven percent snaps on defense that 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:39.600 he was out in the field, whereas in previous years 0:18:39.640 --> 0:18:43.120 he was a vital component of the defense, always out 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.040 there in the base unit. So obviously he's not gonna 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:47.479 be the first team nickel that's gonna reduce his snaps. 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:49.200 So he's got to find a way to do something 0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:52.480 productive when he's on the field. And he's taken the 0:18:52.520 --> 0:18:55.960 approach where, look, coaches, you gotta put me on the field. 0:18:55.960 --> 0:18:57.600 I'm gonna do what I can to put my best 0:18:57.600 --> 0:18:59.880 put forward and say, if you don't want to play 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:02.040 here on the field, that's on you, but I'm gonna 0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:04.440 do everything I can to give you the impression that 0:19:04.560 --> 0:19:06.280 I need to be out there. I think he's taken 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:08.560 the right approach to it this offseason. I know he 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:10.199 kind of made some waves when he said that he 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:12.960 had wanted a trade, but it seems like ever since 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:17.000 that happened, no, well that's not happening obviously, but ever 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:19.120 since he made those comments about you know, I requested 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:21.439 a trade, it didn't happen. You know, he could have 0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:23.760 kind of taken a step back and allow his play 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:26.120 to suffer, And it seems like he's using it as 0:19:26.200 --> 0:19:28.800 fuel to motivate him to be able to say, you 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:30.359 know what, I'm going to force my way to be 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:32.320 on the field with this defense. I agree with that, 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:34.720 and he needs to be commended form that, I think 0:19:34.760 --> 0:19:38.440 to a standpoint because as a professional athlete, especially when 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:40.960 you have the ability that Michael Kendricks has, you want 0:19:41.000 --> 0:19:43.399 an opportunity to show it. And it can be frustrating 0:19:43.440 --> 0:19:45.960 and you can sort of get down on yourself and 0:19:46.240 --> 0:19:50.560 you can kind of drift away mentally, and Michael Keintricks 0:19:50.560 --> 0:19:52.640 could have very easily have done that. But he's come 0:19:52.680 --> 0:19:55.119