There’s a first time for everything and, for some reason, the folks at Eagledelphia have asked me to answer their mailbag in 2015. Why? Good question. Well, let me give you a little background on me.
I produced Sportsradio for WIP in Philadelphia for over a decade. During that span, I spent 5 seasons writing, producing and directing for NFL Films so I knows me a thing or two about a thing or two about the gridiron. I currently lend my opinions on air as an NFL Insider to Sportsradio 94WIP in Philly and while I like to think I’m fairly opinionated, I’m looking forward to placing a long, fair train of thought into each and every one of your questions.
Without further ado, let me present the first addition of the Eagledelphia Mailbag.
Are DeMarco Murray’s struggles injury related or is he just off his game? – Brett H., Doylestown, PA
Brett, while Murray is surely hampered by his hamstring injury, the real reason he is struggling is because he simply does not fit into what the Eagles want to do on offense. When a running back starts in shotgun, he can lose a valuable .8 to 1.5 seconds to get his wheels moving. This can be particularly poignant with a running back that has the miles DeMarco has.
Think Herschel Walker. Similar running style where DeMarco needs his shoulder pads parallel with the line of scrimmage and requires a short period to build momentum. He’s not a stop and start type back which is what the Eagles need with a struggling offensive line attempting to spread the gaps toward the sideline. Except more success in 2015 from Ryan Mathews who fits that bill.
Why won’t the Eagles throw for more than 20 yards? – Mike P., Marlton, NJ
From one Marltonite, to another, there’s multiple reasons. Firstly, the Eagles don’t have a single receiver capable of lengthening the field. The entire receiving corps is struggling gaining separation and until a downfield threat emerges, expect more of the same. Additionally, Sam Bradford isn’t comfortable enough in the pocket or with these players yet. Long patterns hinge on timing and that timing isn’t there yet.
Do you see Ryan Mathews getting more starts if DeMarco Murray doesn’t get going? – Tom S., Philadelphia, PA
Frankly, Tom, it shouldn’t matter who starts with this offense. For it to be successful, Murray, Mathews and Sproles should all have a fair amount of carries. Until they run the ball a minimum of 50 to 55% of the time, I don’t think they’ll have much success.
With the Eagles at 1-3, is Chip Kelly on the hot seat? – Joe T., Newtown, PA
Kelly has this and next year to make a significant playoff run. Otherwise, I think you’ll see Lurie look to make a change. Regardless, unless they go 1-15, Chip should have one more opportunity to make a run.
What do you make of the secondary at this point of the season? – Steve D., Cherry Hill, NJ
I love what I’ve seen so far out of Walter Thurmond. He’s my team MVP to this point. The secondary should improve as communication improves. The unit came in to the season with 75% new bodies starting so let’s give them some time to get to know each other.
That’s it for this week. Make sure you send all your questions to @EagledelphiaPA on Twitter and I’ll start getting these answers out to you on Fridays right here on Eagledelphia.com.
Also, check out my NFL Notes and Musings on Tuesdays and What 2 Watch 4 on Fridays on Voodoobrown.com and listen to me and Big Daddy Graham on Sportsradio 94.1WIP in Philadelphia each and every Friday morning from 2am to 6am.
Follow me on Twitter: @darrendegaetano
